Scene #5600: Ran on the Moon

Owner	Pose
Ran Itoh	This... isn't Beach City. Like, at all. She's not even sure it /is/ a city, but if enough people live together in one spot doesn't it technically count? Yeah, Ran Itoh is lost. Stopping to rest against a wall, she stares down the street until it curves too far to see. There's a radio in her pocket. She could call for help or directions any time. But she'd never, ever hear the end of it from Janine or August! When did her life start to revolve around the opinions of high school students?! Wearing a modern jeans, a t-shirt, and a light jacket in deference to the cool beach weather she'd been expecting, she stands out from this crowd like a sore thumb. Ran hopes that she doesn't look like prey...
All-Seeing Eye	The lost nurse is definitely under surveillance. All manner of scanners take biometric readings every few blocks, and cameras mounted high above eye level silently sweep the city streets to follow her movements. SPECIES: HUMAN VITAL SIGNS NOMINAL DETERMINING BASELINE EMOTIONAL STATE ANALYSIS: UNCERTAINTY/CONFUSION (85%) RUNNING GAIT ANALYSIS... SEARCHING FACIAL DATABASE... PINGING CUSTOMS CHECKPOINTS... NO MATCH FOUND 3/3 RECOMMENDED ACTION: INTERCEPT It isn't long before Ran will feel she's being watched by more than just the plethora of surveillance devices adorning practically every block in the city. The first time she turns around, she'll see him: a smiling, stark white figure with a champagne diamond embedded in his forehead. The diamond's shape resembles an eye, and the skin tone of this figure combined with the feminine features of his face make him seem more an animated work of sculpture, some artist's masterpiece, rather than a living being. "Hello, citizen~" The man wears a black leather long coat, the collar flipped up to hide the sides of his face. Upon his chest there's pinned a silver badge in the shape of a gear. Beneath this coat, he wears a grey jumpsuit, the upper portion deliberately unbuttoned, hanging loose and revealing his collar bones. "Our surveillance grid has detected an 85% probability that you're lost! If you'll follow me to our customs office, we can handle both that issue and the more pressing matter--that is, the lack of your traveling papers."
Ran Itoh	Yeah. Yeah, somebody's definitely watching her. She'd thought that maybe it was just her nerves, but when Ran stops moving the vague feeling suddenly intensifies into an acute sensation. Crossing her arms in front of herself, the slide of leather and metal against her covered wrist is a little comforting-- Though not as comforting as the heavy silver rabbit-eared pendant hanging over her chest. Maybe she'd better keep moving-- Ran turns around to go back the way she came and nearly jumps. He (it /is/ a he, right?) is so perfectly put together as to seem unreal. "Oh! Hello," she returns, sketching out a quick bow. She has a million questions, the first of which is 'Surveillance GRID?' but honestly Ran's fairly relieved just to see a friendly face. "It was right," she admits, ready to fall into step with the stranger. "I was just trying to get to the beach...!" Digging in her back pocket, she produces an ID card. "This isn't enough, though? It's from my employer. --Uh," Ran hesitates, glancing sidelong at him. "This isn't one of those places where if you don't have your passport you get thrown in prison, is it? I have to work in two days!!"
All-Seeing Eye	The tall, svelte figure laughs melodiously, one hand covering his mouth. He doesn't... actually answer the question with a yes or a no, though. He just takes her ID, examines it, and holds it up to the pale, artificial light. "Not all of our major cities are properly equipped to receive travelers yet," he explains. "During this transitional period, some leniency for visitors from other worlds is permitted." He almost sounds disappointed by that, though he does hand the ID back to Ran. "Here you are, Ms. Ran. Or, is it Ms. Itoh?" The man giggles. "So many different naming conventions to keep track of." His golden eyes alight with sudden recognition. "Ah! And here I am, prattling on without having introduced myself. I notice in your eyes a distinct lack of wonderment, which leads me to believe you're somehow not familiar with me. I am All-Seeing Eye, Chosen of the Machine God--within whose world-body you currently stand." With one hand placed upon his chest, he bows, his long hair momentarily falling to one side. The Exalt rises and turns, walking off with the expectation that Ran will follow. If she doesn't, he'll pause and wait for her to start walking. "We'll just take you to the customs office, enter you into the database, and from there, we can help you find this... Beach."
Ran Itoh	Although he's clearly very beautiful, All-Seeing Eye isn't wrong. Ran /doesn't/ have any idea who or what he is! She can't very well be awed and amazed by something she can't grasp. What a pitiful creature humanity truly is! He's pretty. Pretty, and well-dressed, and there's something about his mannerisms she can't quite identify. A falseness? But he doesn't seem to be lying to her. "Oh. That's good, at least," Ran manages, and takes back her Alberichstadt ID. It's a perfectly normal, if very modern (to her) card, with a magnetic strip to open certain doors and some perfunctory details about her occupation, 'Licensed Nurse Practicioner'. It is not, unfortunately, see-through. "I'd hate to be stuck in jail just because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time..." Could even Die Reisende spring her from multidimensional robot jail?! "Itoh is my family name, but I just go by Ran. I'm not a very formal person! Nice to meet you, Mr. Eye." A Chosen of the-- within whose body-- Ran goes a little grey and looks down at the ground beneath her feet. M-maybe it's just an expression! Like the 'body of Christ' stuff from the churches. If he's chosen by a machine...? "I wonder if that means I'm a Chosen of the Moon?" she wonders out loud, turning her bunny pendant over in her hands with a distant smile. (She always wanted to be a magical girl.) She'll follow him towards... well, wherever, because he looks like he knows where he's going! "It's a place where the sea meets the land," she explains. "There's sand everywhere, and birds. Is there nothing like that here?"
All-Seeing Eye	Yes, it /is/ nice to meet him. He grins, sidestepping an exposed set of turning gears and motioning with one arm for Ran to do the same. She'll have to follow pretty closely--"sea of humanity" is in full effect here, with workers moving more in currents than crowds. Uniformed guards with coats similar to Eye's sit at stationary postings every few hundred feet, while others patrol the streets. Some have repeating crossbows with magazines of bolts that jut visibly from the weapons. Others have what look to be automatic rifles. On the mention of a beach and the explanation thereof, All-Seeing Eye giggles. "There's the Pole of Oil," he says in a helpful tone. "But that's off-limits, and inimical to your mortal physiology besides. The mention of sand tells me you'll likely find no such place in Autochthonia." Creation's a different story, but he can wait to divulge that little tidbit until she's been entered into the system. Ran is led to an elevator leading all the way up to the next level of the city. Once the two of them step in, several other citizens of this place pile in, and each one, including Eye, punch in a destination on a wall-mounted keyboard. It's full of glyphs, like the neon, multicolored signs all over this city. "For reference," Eye says, "That's the world you're in at present. You're in Harmgegis, the capital city of the nation of Claslat." WHSSHT. The elevator takes off with a pneumatic hiss... sideways. Traveling through various tubes, it deposits the passengers at various points on this level. All of them have gems embedded in their foreheads, though none match All-Seeing Eye's. In fact, they seem a great deal more uniform than his. Eventually the elevator does what elevators are supposed to do, and goes up, to the next level, soaring through the tube network to deposit Ran and Eye on the city's middle level. This level surrounds and is situated above the previous one, and from here, Ran will be able to look down on the Maker's Anvil, as well as the thick black curtain of smog hanging above it. "If you /are/ a Chosen of the Moon, there's a matter you might assist the Claslati government with. I'll discuss it with you in private."
Ran Itoh	Not wanting to get lost again, she sticks to him like glue. Even if she's pretty sure the SURVEILLANCE GRID wouldn't let her be lost again for long, Ran would really just rather not have to go through that! And honestly...? She doesn't want to be alone up here in the crowds, especially with all the guards hanging around. Are they here to protect the citizens? Or are they here to keep people from protesting or escaping?! No, it can't be anything like that. She's just being paranoid because there are weapons out in the open. "Pole-- nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno, I don't think that's anything I want to visit," Ran agrees. The elevator, at least, is familiar -- until it goes /sideways/. She stifles a yelp and reaches for the handrail, holding on with white knuckles until the elevator fails to do anything scary. And then she realizes just how /high/ they must be, to look down on the smog clouds like that, and resolutely looks up toward the ceiling. "If it's something I can do..." she trails off, wondering why she feels so uncomfortable. Must just be the height... and the jewel-foreheads, and the crossbows, and WOW Ran really wants to go home as soon as possible!! "Uh... about how long does the paperwork usually take?"
All-Seeing Eye	"Not very long at all! We can have you processed in fifteen minutes." Both hands clasped behind his back, Eye nods towards a building with two sigils burning in green neon. An eye, and a stamp. "Here we are! Right this way~" The doors to the building slide open with a gentle pneumatic whoosh. Inside are spartan chairs for waiting, as well as a closed-off office with kiosks set up for visitors. Most of the visitors are from other countries within this world, as evidenced by the crowd of glittering gemstones. Some, however, are from other worlds, and true to the Exalt's word, they seem to be processed just as quickly as the international visitors. There's actually a kiosk that's just freed up. "There you are," he says, pointing to the line. "Just approach the clerk and have two forms of identification ready. When you're through, come see me and we'll discuss the matter as aforesaid."
Ran Itoh	Finally, some symbols she can recognize! Some things do manage to be universal after all. It seems as though things are more above-board than Ran had been starting to fear, since there are more than just jewel-forehead-people here. She's too nervous about stuff like this... maybe she ought to talk to someone about this whole paranoia thing. "I guess it isn't any worse than the DMV," she remarks, glancing sideways at All-Seeing Eye again before stepping forward to the empty kiosk. She's got her school ID, and her driver's license too. "Uh, hi!" she greets the clerk with cheer that's only slightly forced. "I'm traveling and need, uh, some papers? Can I use these for my two forms of ID?" She lays the cards out for the clerk to inspect and prepares to do paperwork...
All-Seeing Eye	The clerk beams at Ran. "Salutations, and welcome to the Harmegis branch of the Claslati Customs Office. Let's see what we have!" The clerk, who bears an emerald-cut orange topaz (as do all the other clerks) cheerfully takes Ran's forms of ID. "These will work perfectly," she says confidently, sliding them back to the nurse. The next thing that she slides towards Ran is a set of three lengthy sheets. They're mostly asking about her medical history, her occupation, and her reason for visiting. Thankfully, there is an 'other' section on the third form where she can fill out her own reason. As predicted, it takes a few minutes to fill them all out, but after that? She's done--no '2 to 5 business days' or anything like that. The clerk just files them away, types a few things into a computer terminal on her end, and smiles. "Enjoy your visit to Claslat, Ms. Itoh!" Eye will be waiting in one of the seats. If and when Ran approaches, she'll find him, legs crossed, hands steepled together. "See?" he says. "Quite efficient. Much more so than the average DMV!" Yes, he's familiar with those! "Now, on the matter of the Moon's Chosen--we'll henceforth call them Lunars. Are you in contact with any Lunars, in Creation or otherwise?" Yes, Ran's gotten herself involved in something interesting.
Ran Itoh	Oh thank goodness for the third pages of the world. Ran fills everything out carefully, with none of her answers being very unusual for someone from her world. On the third page is written simply, 'SORRY! I got lost!! =:3' She learned from a waitress friend that drawing a smiley on something makes people more likely to tip you better. It probably works for making them like you better too, right? W-wow, it works!! Or maybe Claslat is just super, super efficient. It could be either one! Totally! "Thanks! I appreciate your help!" And then she's returning to All-Seeing Eye, spirits somewhat buoyed by the familiarity of low-level bureaucracy. "You were right!" she smiles. "It /was/ quick! And now I'm safe to wander around, right? --Well, as much as anybody," she amends, thinking of the armed guards below. Lunars? Isn't there a Princess Luna or something? Ran doesn't listen to the radio /that/ much, but she's pretty sure she heard something like that once. "A Lunar? That sounds kind of cool~" Ran clasps her hands behind her back, thinking back. "Hmm. Let's see... I think Finna said something about Lunars once." Ran finds a seat next to him, carefully folding her new travel papers away into her wallet with her other ID cards. "She's pretty when she changes shape. You know, I'd kinda hoped she and Hikky - my best friend, sorry - might try dating. He's a fox too, sort of~" She blinks, a thought occurring to her. "How come?"
All-Seeing Eye	Everyone knows those armed guards are for everyone's protection! But yes--Ran's free to wander as she pleases. "You are, indeed--though I'd like to bend your ear a bit before you go." He leans back in his seat, smiling coyly. So, 'Finna' is a potential source of information about Lunars. And, according to Ran, she's a fox. Possibly even a Lunar herself, if the shapeshifting is accurate. This 'Hikky' could be one, too, if the fox comparison isn't just superficial as so much in the Multiverse is. Presumably, Ran's asking why Lunars take after certain animals. "I honestly don't know," says Eye with a little shrug of his shoulders. "Though my experience with them is limited, it seems to be a feature unique to Lunars!" "At the very least, none of the Machine God's Chosen emulate Creation's animals, nor do the two Creation-born Exalted I've met." "Would you happen to know where an interested party might find this Finna?"
Ran Itoh	It must be nice to shapeshift! Well, as long as it's an animal you like. Nobody's probably very happy with being a weresloth. But it seems a wire got crossed somewhere! "Oh no no, not like that at all," she corrects him, waving her hands briefly. "I meant 'why did you want to know'?" Ran is not at all savvy about the politics of Creation. "Not really," the blonde shrugs. "I haven't seen her in a few months. She's probably busy doing... fox stuff, I guess?" What do foxes do when they aren't foxes? Is Finna a fox that can be a person, a person that can be a fox, or both? "So Lunars are rare, if you haven't met any, right?"
All-Seeing Eye	Eye giggles, twirling his braided hair around a finger. He nods, then elaborates upon Ran's thoughts further. "With the notable exception of the Dragon-Blooded, /all/ of Creation's Chosen are rare. Tragic." The sentiment seems more sarcastic than sincere. He'd love to share his opinions on the matter further, but this citizen has asked a question of him. Fortunately, he can answer it without compromising national security! Eye rests his hands in his lap and uncrosses his legs, looking directly at Ran with that coy smile of his. "Claslat would benefit from establishing contact with the Lunars at this time," he says simply. "More than that, I'm afraid I can't say. But you understand, don't you, dear? National security."
Ran Itoh	Huh. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeell, even Ran has heard that the Dragon-Blooded can be a bit insufferable. Maybe it's because there are apparently so many of them? Maybe they're like the obahan back in Sumaru City. Always in someone else's business, always complaining about the smallest thing. Huh, it's pretty lucky that she's run into someone so helpful! Even if her instincts were telling her to be wary earlier, it seems like All-Seeing Eye isn't a bad sort. There's just... he's so charming. And pretty. And... helpful... There's something she should remember about men like that, isn't there? People who smile and ask questions and never quite give answers. Eye probably isn't like /that/, though. Still, an uneasy feeling stirs in the pit of her stomach. But if he /is/... how much did she say that could be used against Hikaru? But he doesn't shapeshift. So he can't be a Lunar. Isn't that how it works? "Mr. Eye," Ran ventures slowly, "If you're a Lunar, or a Dragon-Blooded, wouldn't you have to be from Creation? Or, or Claslat?"
All-Seeing Eye	"I'm neither of those things," says the Exalt cheerfully. One pale hand raises to rest lightly upon his chin, and his golden eyes twinkle with mirth. "I am an Alchemical Exalt of the Soulsteel Caste!" His free hand gives a little flourish, while the one on his chin adjusts its position slightly. "Alchemical Exalted are the prototypes of Creation's Exalted. And, after recent missions in Creation, I've concluded we're also the superior models!~" One hand rests over the back of the chair. "We've been manufactured all across Autochthonia, for nearly five thousand years. Unlike Creation's Exalted, our numbers have steadily grown in that time." Eye raises one hand in a conspiratorial stage whisper to Ran. "Probably because we don't abuse our mortals like Creation's Exalted did."
Ran Itoh	"No no no, I mean, if /anybody/ were." She's going to have to be careful about how she phrases things. It seems that All-Seeing Eye may have an even more sollipsistic point of view than she'd thought...! Still, it's good to know at least /something/ new about this city. Alchemical Exalted, huh... If the Exalted had been mistreating humans, no wonder they're disliked! "So the Alchemicals were the first. I guess sometimes you can't improve on perfection," Ran muses, not minding how her words probably sound. "But I meant, I'm not from Creation. And neither is Hikky. That means we aren't the kind of Lunars you're talking about, doesn't it?" She'd been half-joking, half-daydreaming about the Moon's Chosen thing!! Vaguely, she hopes that potentially not being a Lunar won't mean a swift trip to jail for impersonating an Exalt or something.
All-Seeing Eye	"Indeed not," says Eye with a grin. Whether he's referring to Ran's assertion about perfection or her observation about her non-Lunar status isn't clear. He rises from his seat, offering Ran a hand up. "You've been very helpful, and we do like to encourage cooperation here." The Exalt retrieves a little booklet from his coat, presenting it to Ran. It's got a warpgate on the cover. "There are three warpgates in Claslat," he says. "One in Arat, one here in Harmegis, and one in the Commonwealth Embassy. You can reach Creation directly from the one here, though I'd advise against it. The jungle it leads to is full of poisonous insects, plants and cannibals." He opens the book and begins pointing out a few warpgate paths that've been mapped out by Claslati explorers. "If you take these three in this order, you can get to a world similar to Creation, which does, in fact, have 'beaches.'" He's kind enough to dogear the page for her. And, there's another book that's handed over: Autochthonia: The Multiversal Citizen's Guide to Avoiding Heresy and Dissidence. Her paranoia might not have been TOTALLY unfounded. "Is there anything else I might help with, dear?"
Ran Itoh	She takes his hand by reflex, getting to her feet in the manner of someone leaving the poker table in a casino. She's not sure what she just lost... hopefully something will make up for it, right?! Taking the book carefully in both hands, she stares at the map as he points out the possible paths she could take-- did he say cannibals?! Ran makes a point, right here and now, to never ever visit Autochthonia, Creation, and possibly even Beach City ever again. Especially when he hands over the book about heresy. Most Itohs are Shintoists at best, heathen idolators at worst. Ran falls right around the middle of the scale, but she's pretty sure that would just land her right on the 'heretic' end of any Autochthonian ranges. She doesn't want to burn at the stake or anything!! "Um," Ran begins, looking up at All-Seeing Eye. "Nnnnnnnnnnnoooooo, I think I've got it. Um, I'd better... go now, there's that beach and all and I hope you have a great day thanksforallyourhelpbye!!" She's not running away from this weird place!! She's just... regrouping. At a very fast walk.