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Ezra Mochizuki CALIFORNIA, 2030
LATE AFTERNOON

In the outskirts on the coast of southern California is an old shipyard. It was abandoned decades ago, allowed to fall to rust and disuse.

It is abandoned no longer. The water is salty to smell and taste in the air, as the Watch approaches. The first thing the group of Watchmen would see, besides the 'main building' of the shipyard known as the Scrapyard is a crane. It is absolutely not functional - it's been rusted for years.

The second thing they would sense, hearing it, is laughter. Chatter. They hear the crackle of fires to cook with. They see their source - cargo containers, which have been stacked on each other like pyramids, accessible by ladders. They are perfectly organized, as if someone or something with great dexterity did it. These are rusted, but not dangerously, and serve as this community's homes and shops.

People play on the water. People fish. Many of them look visibly different. Scales. Spikes. Green skin. Sharp teeth. Multicolored eyes. They're visibly 'other', but at the same time, they're acting just like humans do.

They sell seafood at the shops. It's delicious, but the group can only purchase through barter. They don't take, or even have, money. If asked 'who's in charge', they look askance, but eventually, direct to the main building of the shipyard - the office, particularly.

The wall's been knocked down, creating a huge open 'town hall'. Individuals bustle about, glancing at visitors and whispering. It's not malicious, they're just shocked. They never have visitors. Especially not 'normal' ones.

A girl lingers nearby. She is Sweep, the dark-haired fog girl Haru met before, no longer wearing a hood. She's listening in to see how the meeting goes - it affects her, of course, having been the one to arrange it.

There is a chair of corroded steel. It is not a throne - calling it one would earn glaring eyes from everyone, including the person who sits in it, writing in a journal. This is the closest person to a government head they have.

This is Rust.

They are not particularly tall, but not so short as to be unintimidating. They wear a pair of studded gloves, a long-sleeved jacket and bulletproof vest, a pair of jeans that could probably see combat, and boots, like a punk rocker would wear. Most noticeably is their mask - it's a metal plague doctor's mask, clearly heavy enough to strain the neck or even be unwearable, yet not causing them any problems whatsoever. Their hair is concealed by a hood, making them completely unidentifiable outside of the getup. Almost certainly intentional.

As the group filters into the open town hall, people begin to scatter, not wanting to interrupt a meeting. Sweep remains, to watch.

Rust stands. They wave a hand over towards the Watchmen, and then speak after a moment. Their voice is modulated by the mask - so neutral as to make it impossible to tell their gender.

"Welcome to the Community's hub. I was told you'd be coming, but I didn't expect so many of you." They don't seem displeased by it.

"I am Rust."

They wait for introductions and initial questions before speaking further.
Hamada Haru Hamada Haru has actively been staying in the shipyard since he rescued Sweep. He'd gone to a local bulk-buy grocery store and simply hoovered up whatever he thought would make for decent barter. Most of it has been secured in a sidecar attached to his motorcycle. So he doesn't arrive with the others at all-- in fact, he stepped out briefly just moments before they arrived.

He comes strolling back in through a wall as Kamen Rider Tetra, a black-and-white suited superhero getup with a vaguely grasshopper-like helmet design. The arms are adorned with mountain stripes signature to the uniform of a famous historical Japanese military unit.

But the armor vanishes off of him as soon as he comes through the wall -- behind Sweep, in fact -- and presses forward. His black jacket with fur collar doesn't look especially appropriate to the weather here. All the same, Haru drapes an arm across Sweep's shoulders and guides her forward -- not roughly -- so she's not just standing on the sidelines.

"Hamada Haru. Professionally, Kamen Rider Tetra. I'll answer to either." Haru introduces himself. He glances towards the others, and adds, "Some of the people I associate with are more altruistic than I am, and corporate suppression is of interest to them. Of course, I expect a finder's fee if they render services."

The last sentence is spoken in a tone that is impossible to define as joking or serious. He might be testing the waters while leaving both of them an amiable out.
Sarracenia      Once they were given the appointed time and destination, Princess Sarracenia set out to provide support. Hamada Haru hadn't made the best first impression of her, but she had told him she supports her allies and she wasn't about to go back on that. Especially when it seemed like Haru wasn't the type to let things go.

     So, as the people of the Scrapyard go about their evening business...they may start to hear the low-pitched hum of propellers. Large propellers. And soon enough they would see the source. A wooden airship much like a Spanish galleon, but instead of sails it has huge wooden propellers where those sails would hook onto the masts. It makes its way toward the water closest to the shipyard, then slowly lowers down to land in the water.

     Onboard are plant-people with big tulip or pitcher-shaped heads full of shark-like teeth. They have a single giant leaf for each arm, and roots for feet, and most are wearing man'o'war style helmets. As the airship comes to a stop a pretty normal-looking human woman steps into view on the deck, then leaps off to land on the docks of the shipyard. She gives her hair a toss and straightens her crown before smoothing out her dress a bit, then stands as regally as she can and approaches the settlement.

     As she speaks with those who will actually speak back and asks for directions to the leader she takes note of the people. Fish people are hardly new to her, nor are whispers about her as she makes her way through a town. So, she simply ignores most of them, assuming it must be negative whispers, and heads to meet Rust. She curtseys to him when he introduces himself. "Greetings. I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. As one of the more altruistic of the Watch, I am quite happy to listen to your troubles and offer solutions. Although solutions can rarely be shared for free. I am sure you understand."
Amelris Belthrone      This is a lot more lively than Little Ala Mhigo. A lot better organized and, strangely enough, perhaps a lot more fortunate. They are, at the least, not in middle of a desert hole. Still, it's not really useful to compare circumstances. But it's certainly more lively.

     The Red Mage is observing the people play, the children laugh. This very much like a lively tight community, it shows and it feels that way. He watches with a smile, his tail swaying behind him as he steps onward to lead to the 'town hall'. He gives Sweep -- the girl describled to them -- with a faint wave and nod. Then they enter inside.

     Hm. A masked person. Likely better that way, considering what they are facing against.

     "Thanks you for welcoming us." He says, a hand on his chest and giving a slight polite bow. "I am Amelris Belthrone, a Red Mage." He straighten, his ears fluttering once as he look at the masked person. "Hamada Haru have told us of what he learned here and desired to come meet you and your Community in person, to see what we may be able to do. To meet your people, first of all." Amelris smiles. "What can you tell us? We know the basic grand issues of your world but we are new here."
Xion So you see, dear reader, this is how things go:
A bunch of tough guys and free men and women squat around being normal in a damaged warehouse.

A Kamen Rider rolls up, or simply occupies this quasi-abandoned or low budget area.

People are Story Quest pointed towards a singular figure vaguely through prompts until they reach the boss.

Highfalutin' words like 'corporate suppression' which is at least 4 syllables too long from 'money bad' are bandied about. This seems like a job for...!

ELECTROCHEMISTRY: Ask if they've got hooch.
What is... hooch?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY: You'll figure out if you ask them and they have some.
I'm pretty sure that's a terrible idea. I'll keep it in mind for later!

Doing a weird 'jump into jump cancel into spin the camera into falling back into bounds', Xion lands in the center of the stockyard town hall in a half-crouch, her coat fluttering around her as she drops from the cieling to the floor.

"You wouldn't happen to have any... ghost warlord problems, would you? A ninja told me about them and I've been looking ever since."
Klaus Ridell      This isn't so different.

     The rust and ruin, baked into the landscape. Age rolling off when fingers brush against steel. It's a familiar taste. It's the taste of history, of stories baked into the land. Of long-ago days of glory fallen into ruin. This is a familiar feeling. A wistful smile. Nostalgia flakes from the walls.

     There are worse tastes than nostalgia.

     Klaus is taking his sweet time, here. He's soaking in the look of it. Where it's familiar, and where it's not. Where the village meets the strange, the laughing and fishing and play meets the cargo containers and the green skin.

     Hi, I'm New, he says, as if he's lived here all his life, and is just now arriving from some other place. He trades candy bars and simple luxuries for seafood on sticks. His clothes are the clothes of an outcast: blue jeans with holes; a tee-shirt with a faded ten-year-old band logo long since out of style; a pair of sunglasses with little cracks along the sides; tennis shoes hastily patched with duct tape; a dingy compass around his neck, unpolished silver faded with age. He walks with their gait, too, slightly hunched, one hand in his pocket, chewing on some of the curious seafood as he explores. There's so much to do, so much to see. What's wrong with taking the back streets? What's wrong with winding around through the parts that visitors don't normally see? He's not poking around for trouble. He's not even carrying himself like he is. He's just meeting people. Shaking hands. Smiling. Not hunting for secrets, not hunting for mysteries.

     Eventually, though, he has to head over to meet with Rust.

     Rust is where the story is, after all. Rust is where everything's happening. Where everybody's going. So, eventually, reluctantly, Klaus winds his way through the crowd to the 'town hall'.

     It's very probable nobody notices him until he speaks up. He is quite good at not being noticed.

     "Hello. I'm Klaus Ridell."

     He glances sidelong at Sarracenia.

     "I'm not with her," he says after a moment.

     The compass twists around on his neck. There's a twinge of light, and some little symbol, a little translucent crown, just pops out of Sarracenia and vanishes into the dingy-looking thing. It's not really that noticable.

     Xion hits the ground in front of him. Klaus laughs and shuffles over to the side. "I'm sorry. I don't know much about this. Would you mind telling me some more? I know the gist, but not the gristle."

     Can't very well make choices with the gristle.
Ezra Mochizuki Sweep is scooped forward with an arm from her wallflower position. She wants to protest, but she doesn't think Haru would let her. Rust chuckles, waving an arm. "Don't just loiter, Sweep. He helped you, right? Thank him." It's more playful 'friendly' than it is an order, by far.

"Uh, thank you, again. You saved me." She bows her head, and then steps aside (but not in wallflower again) to let the others talk.

As Sarracenia introduces herself, Rust starts laughing. It's not nice. "Oh, welcome, 'Princess'. Got tyranny on the brain? Is that why you brought that vehicle here, almost assuredly informing the Airforce of our meeting location? Or did they not teach you about how secret cells work in the Royal Academy?"

A hand towards Haru. "I'll talk finders' fee for all except this one. But, beggars can't be choosers, so I'm not gonna kick her out. Maybe she can make up for the ruckus she just caused us."

Sweep glances towards Sarracenia, and then tilts her head down. She's feeling embarassed.

Xion gets a warmer welcome, as does Amelris. "Welcome to the Community. As far as I'm aware, ghosts don't exist in our world. Warlords, though, absolutely. I could point you in the direction of some."

Klaus gets a /laugh/. This one is genuine. As he visited, people's eyes lit up for candy bars and other nice things. It's kinda like that. "I'll keep that in mind."

And then, the tone turns dark, as people ask to be alerted to things.

"This is the Community - our commune, without gods, without masters. A work in progress. We are a community of those different from others. You must have seen the scales on one of us, the spikes on another. The world at large calls us Abnormal." A wave of the hand, as they pace.

"They call us that because they fear us. Because they think we're different flesh. But we're all the same. Human. But they see us as less then. Again, Abnormal."

Rust grinds their teeth, amplified by the mask. "They discriminate against us. Hurt us. Disregard us until we have nowhere to go but down. Sweep's cousin," A gesture towards Sweep, who frowns. "Worked for the Raiden Corporation, part of the devils of capitalism - a cybernetics company, specifically.. He took his life after they fired him for being related to us. I think it was more than that, though."

Amelris's blade tilts slightly, he can feel. It's nothing threatening, just a quirk of Rust's frustration. "We want to carve our own niche in the world. Remove the kings and queens of greed. Step by step. Let our people be free. No AATF hunting us. No corporations turning us into guinea pigs. No Russians determining we simply are unacceptable to even mention."

"We're people, too."
Hamada Haru "The easiest way to get over what you're afraid of," Haru says to Sweep, "is to submerge yourself in it." He removes his arm from her shoulders, folding them over his chest. His attention moves quickly from Rust, to Sarracenia, and back again. He nods, "That's fair. If that's the case, it sounds as if you'll be needing a new location to move to soon. I suppose we can add that to the list of 'goals' for the moment."

He paces past Sweep, unfolding his arms and asking, "What is it you prefer to be called? If you have names for yourselves. Also..."

"Before we discuss goals in-depth, there's a very important question I have to ask." Haru says, turning on his heel to face Rust. He makes a finger-gun gesture, "If by some miracle we were able to knock over even a small territory like Hong Kong, and hand it over to you-- would you be able to form a functional country? The hypothetical here is being handed all the infrastructure you need apart from people, just so we don't get lost in the details."

"If you can't, that changes the game we're playing."

"And," He jerks a thumb towards Sweep, "we can't let anybody get ahold of this one. Her power is limited now, but extrapolated out to a more potent form and whoever manages to synthesize it will be able to do what I do and just walk through walls. They wanted the others alive, so I assume that they're trying to derive power from them, too."
Klaus Ridell      Klaus smiles. It's a nice smile. Easy smile. Friendly smile. He brushes some blue hair out of his face and laughs with Rust. "Thanks for your consideration."

     "It's a beautiful town."

     There's not a hint of judgment in his voice, nor sarcasm in his tone. It's just...true. It just is. It's a tone that welcomes warm little towns with warm little communities, a tone that really does mean it when he says 'this is a beautiful town.' Buildings can be beautiful, but a town is made up of people.

     Rust's tone turns dark. Klaus goes silent. He does not crunch down on the very tasty seafood. He just listens, listens as Rust brings revolutionary fervor and revolutionary passion. That's a taste he's never had before. Sure, rebellious people - he himself was a rebellious person, a dreamer, a thinker, a man of ideas - but never revolution. Never a passion for overthrowing everything. After all, where he's from, none of these ideas exist anymore.

     When Rust is finished, Klaus finally takes another bite. It is a quiet bite, an undisruptive crunch.

     "I want to help you."

     His tone is still quiet and warm. He doesn't hesitate at all. There's not a bit of pause. Not a moment. This sounds too interesting, too...meaningful. Something he can witness, sure, but it's something he can be *part* of, too. Something he can sit back and remember long from now, when his blue hair turns white. That he helped overturn the kings and queens of greed. That he helped set a people free.

     It's the choice he'd make. They want to be allowed to see what's over the horizon. In their shoes, he'd do the same.

     There's no need for stupid words like 'yes, you're people', no need for something fawning or supplicative or wondering about terms and conditions. Just...just that. 'I want to help you.'

     Klaus walks over to Sweep. He gives her a quiet smile. "I'm sorry about your cousin."

     "Do you want revenge?"

     That's a story he has seen before. Revenge on machines, mostly. People don't raise arms against each other where he's from. But he's heard that tale.
Xion Many words are traded. A wash of text, of things and nouns, offers and introductions. Only a few stick in Xion's mind, her eyes empty and oddly glassly as she zones out.

"But you're human." Xion responds, to the vocalized insinuation that other groups do not view them as such.

"You're people."

Producing, with a metallic 'shwink' a long, wrapped submarine sandwich, she starts chewing while sounding oddly stressed.

"Where are they? I'll destroy them for you." She asks, over the crinkle of paper and the crunch of crusty bread and crispy lettuce.
Amelris Belthrone      Amelris is certain that the Princess is probably more proficient in diplomatic missions that are dealing with other Monarchs. Probably. Likely. Maybe? Maybe.

     The Red Mage listens, his arms at his side. The stories of discrimination is one that he very well know of, if they are of a different nature. The Beast Tribes suffer a somewhat similar fate, if they are unpersoned for being different species or 'savages', depending who you ask. Pushed to a corner, desperate, shunned.

     "I have seen the scales and spikes, yes." Amelris comments, ears flapping once and tail snapping behind him. He turn his gaze at Sweep when her cousin is brought up, a sad frown painted on him. "Sorry about your cousin."

     "You wish to be able to live and thrive like everyone can with the opportunities of anyone else." Amelris sumrises, nodding understandingly. All understandble goals. Very mortal goals and desires.

     His hand reflectively twitche when he feels his blade moving, holding it down as if it was a nosquito, then quizzically staring down at it. "Hm. I understand." Amelris says, looking back at Rust. "Changing the perception of people in power is a difficult thing but not an impossible one. What I can be certain, however, is that I wish to aid the lives of your people, currently."

     He looks at Xion, then nods at Haru. "What can we do, right now? What is your plan? "
Xion "Open a portal into their hideout, start hitting racists until they stop being racist." Xion replies matter-of-factly around her Italian club.
Amelris Belthrone      "Right, you can do that, can't you?" Amelris asks, tilting his head at her.
Xion "If I had a big source of power I could probably just throw their whole building into a sea of darkness and see if racists can swim."

Xion chews some more. "Got a big geomantic point for me to use?"

"If you don't, that's fine, I can just hit them."
Sarracenia      Sarracenia blinks at the response she gets from Rust. "Wha-...?" she starts confused, then starts to protest, then her teeth clench as she gets a bit of a worried look. as Rust explains a bit more about what is going on here. She pulls out a smartphone and quickly makes a call. She taps her foot impatiently as she waits for an answer, then when she finally gets one she turns away from the others and tries to speak softly enough that it isn't completely obvious what she is saying. But, her urgent whisper is likely overheared by everyone here. "Admiral, this is your princess! Take off and head directly forward on the same course we came in on! Yes I am aware that will leave me stranded here! Just keep going until I call you again, and go at a pace that does not seem urgent!"

     She hangs up and puts her phone back in her purse before turning back to the others. She laughs in that way one does when trying to cover an obvious mistake one has made and rubs the back of her neck self-consciously. "Er...y-yes. It seems that was not a required course with my private tutors." she says as the low hum of those propellers revs up again and the airship takes to the sky once more before heading for the horizon. "But, I assure you my family and I do not practice tyranny. Our people live quite well in a well maintained city."

     She hears that they might have to move now and lets out a deflating sigh. "I...I am sorry. But, if you need somewhere safe to relocate you could consider the Sundew Kingdom, or perhaps even just one of my airships. A moving base in international waters or airspace should provide adequate protection, should it not? I would have to disarm it first of course, but..." She really does look sorry for once, and if anyone here knew her they would know how rare that is. "I really do want to help. I may be a princess, but I know well what it is like to be treated poorly simply because you do not fit into others' narrow expectations of what should be."

     She also looks to Sweep, her expression going from one of apology to one of sympathetic anger. "Yes, my condolences as well. However I might be of service, please let me know." she says to both Sweep and Rust. She shakes her head at Xion's plan though. "Such a problem cannot be beaten out of someone. The only possible way to change someone's mind in such a way is to provide undeniable proof that they are wrong."
Xion "If they don't think people are people, and are going to harm or kill them for it, I am a person, and thus will stand up for people's rights to be people."

Xion turns to stare unblinkingly at Sarracenia. "If they refuse to stop being racists before violence, and during violence, then they can die racist for refusing to acknowledge the personhood of others."
Hamada Haru "This sounds... pretty personal, to you." Hamada Haru observes, having been poised to /ask/ why Xion jumped to that sort of decision tree immediately. But things played out fairly quickly, so he didn't have to.
Ezra Mochizuki Sweep nods towards Haru anxiously. Rust tilts their head towards him, glad he didn't press the finders fee for her, and answers his questions.

"A name has never been important for us, but we've been throwing them around for a while. DJ Digital likes the 'Flesh Revolution', but that won't stick. My preference...is the Next Society. NS. It's simple. Direct. Easy to market."

Rust has a more pressing question to answer next, then. "With our current population here in the Scrapyard, no. With a gathered population of just our kind from across America, not to mention the world? Yes, easily. There's more of us than they like to acknowledge. We'd still be a minority, but..."

"With more of us being born, that'll change eventually."

Klaus says he'll help.

"Thank you. I truly appreciate that." They say towards Klaus, probably smiling under the mask. There's just a tone to their voice, even with the modulator.

Sweep tilts her head at Haru and Klaus. "Uh...they'll want my power? That's bad. But it's hard to get stronger. Fuego's been getting stronger, but he's also been getting angrier."

A pause, and then Sweep clarifies. "Fuego's my cousin - other cousin, they were brothers."

And then, Sweep finally answers Klaus's question. "...I don't want to hurt anyone. And that's the only way I could get revenge, isn't it? I just want us to be able to live our lives peacefully."

Amelris asks what they can do right now. Rust answers. "We had plans to attack a factory, where they're working on new cybernetics for Raiden. We're trying to sniff out the location of one of their labs - where they're taking us when they take us alive. If you can help, we can return the favor with blueprints, and a catch what you kill sort of agreement."

Sarracenia asks about them moving in, even after she 'fixes' the airship problem. Rust laughs, hard. "Oh, you're serious. No. We're not leaving our world for some shitty monarchy and we don't want something that'll just get shot down. This is our world - we were born here, and we're not giving it up."

Xion, finally, asks about where they are, destroying them, and gets a lot of debate about it. Rust /clearly/ likes the cut of their jib, though.

"Thanks for your support as well. Our main threats are 'the corporations', of which there's a few but the most prominent is Raiden, and the AATF, known casually as the Anti-Abnormal Taskforce, or more officially, the Diver Organization. They're a private military who lends out anti-'superhuman' measures to governments. They've got power armor, electromagnetic guns, and chemical darts. Nasty fuckers."

"The governments use them as jackboots. Russia has the biggest contract - the military dictatorships need to keep power, huh? And then China, well - you mentioned Hong Kong earlier, they already took it back early. Huge diplomatic scuffle. Japan is racist, but it's always been racist. And then the good ol' USA, where as long asa you bleed red, you're fine, except when you're not."

Rust cackles a little, angrily. "We've got our work cut out for us, depending on the route you want to take."
Klaus Ridell      'I don't want to hurt anyone.'

     Klaus shakes his head. "I don't want to hurt anyone either."

     "I actually never have. You know? I haven't ever hurt a person in my life. I've hurt machines, I guess, but they weren't the kind that think and talk. They were the kind that just know how to hurt."

     "I'm sure I'm gonna have to."

     That easy smile gets a little bit sad. "I made a choice, you know? I made a choice to help you. And I'm going to stick to it, no matter what happens. And I'll probably have to hurt people in the process."

     He rubs his arm slightly. "And you'll probably have to hurt people, too, and I bet it's going to be terrible for both of us."

     "But it's kind of you that you don't want to hurt anyone you don't have to. And I think it's pretty wise."

     Klaus's sad smile shifts. It's a subtle shift at first. The corner of his mouth tugs a little bit. Then it turns into a little grin. "Then again, I'm not sure hurting somebody is the *only* way to take revenge."

     "They took away something you cared about, right? So you just have to take away something they care about as much as you cared about your cousin. That makes sense to me."

     Klaus shakes his head. "People don't really hurt each other where I'm from. I'm sure it happens, but it's small, quiet, because of anger or fear, and even then, most of the time people just get driven out of town. I don't know anything like this, this whole...'government' thing, this group of people hating you because you exist and hunting you down no matter where you go. "

     He taps his finger against his compass. "So I figure, if I was living in a place like that, and didn't want to hurt anybody, but I still wanted revenge, that's the only logical way to do it, right? Take away something they want that isn't a person."
Xion "Are your other cousins Picante, Mild, and Sabor?" Xion non-sequiters.

"Russia. China. Japan." Pause. "AATF, too. Okay. That's a lot! I'll have to figure out a big enough stick."

She mulls this over while her hands squirt cheap takeout taco hot sauce packets onto her Italian club.

Klaus brings up an excellent point, perking Xion up. "How do people get powers here?"
Hamada Haru "Killing people isn't necessary," Haru says, pacing back towards Sweep, "but disrupting society is. I'd suggest arranging protests at major airports. Those aren't the sorts of things that we would be good at supporting, though, apart from keeping the boots off of or at least light on your necks. Economic damage gets everyone's attention, and if it gets violent it does so in a way that people can't ignore. Regarding your corporate enemies..."

"I assumed that you'd want to find and rescue your captured people. If we're going to be doing anti-corporate operations, Raiden will by necessity be the first of those because of that. Beyond /that/, though..."

He stops again, and turns to face Rust, "I want to know which of the corporations both still has significant influence over you, and is the weakest. Somebody we can bankrupt with the smallest possible effort."
Sarracenia      Sarracenia felt bad, she tried to fix it, she tried to help. Rust reinforces what Klaus was saying over the radio, then...is further insulted by the description of her kingdom and the laughter. Her fists clench, as do her teeth. Except now she is -angry-! "Oh! I see! So, the poor, oppressed minority leader is just as prejudiced as those who are oppressing his people! Because one government is treating you badly /all/ governments and those associated with governments must be terrible as well! I may have made a couple mistakes here, but I did come to help! But if all you can do is throw insults and scorn, then I fear for your people if they follow your guidance! You will likely lead them into nothing but more pain and destruction!"

     She turns and starts to stomp away, then pauses. "I do still wish to help, but if you think you are too /good/ to accept the help of a supposedly terrible, apparently tyrannical princess, then I shall take my leave of you! I wish the rest of you good luck in this endeavor!" With that, she stalks back out of the office building.

     She doesn't go far though. She can't really. Her ship has left for now, and if by some miracle she didn't bring the enemies these people fear down on them she can't call it back until she has put some distance between herself and this place. So...having made her bed she decides to try one of those seafood stalls. When asked for something in trade, she pulls out an ice cold cola and offers it. Then she returns and leans against the wall just outside of the open room to continue listening.
Klaus Ridell      Klaus points at Sarracenia and leans past Sweep to look at Rust.

     "Reminder, I'm still not with her."
Hamada Haru "No, they're biased against massive quality-of-life decreases and hereditary governments." Haru interjects immediately.

He heaves a great sigh and raises both hands in an exaggerated shrug, "Who would give up modern electronics for video game-like airboats? Honestly."
Klaus Ridell      "Hmmm," Klaus says in Hamada's direction, "I think it's more that running away to hide while other people take care of your problem feels like letting someone else make your choices for you."

     "Also, I think they just don't like people who say they're in charge of other people."
Amelris Belthrone      Amelris listens, the Miqo'te removing his arm off his rapier, now that it stopped jittering. Was it the powers of this Rust? Still, this is a lot of information to take in, information Amelris takes it in stride, nodding now and then to acknowledge.

     "There will be people that are going to be hurt, I'm afraid that's going to be a thing that will happen, no matter what." Amelris adds, his tail calming down behind him. "But your biggest problem if the views there is over your people. As long the corporations are going to paint you with fear and the other, whatever peace you might earn might be short lived." Amelris cross his arms, frowning. "Of course, it's easy for me to say."

     Amelris stops, turning around to look at the Princess stomping off, letting out a grunt and rubbing the side of his face. "Oi."

     He turns back around. "Yes, Hamada is correct. There will be some disruption of people out of their comfort zone to shake up their views."

     He takes off his hat, scratching the side of his furry ears. "I'm sure they can explain themselves if they feel like it, but I think it's been pretty clear so far on that front. For the moment, Rust, if you'll allow me, I'd like to offer my services as a craftman for your people, until we take direct hostile action against such a base to free your fellow."
Ezra Mochizuki Sweep sighs, and listens to Klaus. He...makes good points. At least, to a teenager. "Rob them, huh...? I could try, help in the next operation. Fuego's better at combat, though. I can't fight at all." And then, to Xion, "He's called Fuego because he can set himself on fire."

Xion asks the big question. Rust seems uncomfortable giving Every Detail Possible becausae they literally just met these people, but they try.

"Radiation. Many, many sources of it, but primarily from corporations and governments' actions. The two most famous sources were the Tunguska event, where I'm pretty sure some mad scientist blew a hole in Russia, and the Chernobyl nuclear meltdown, where mad scientists /absolutely/ blew a hole in Russia."

They're hiding /something/, but they're not lying.

Haru gives a big answer. Rust appreciates the answer very much. "Good ideas. I like them. Of those corporations that have influence over us, we're not talking small, but they're the /smallest/. Huginn International works on genetic products, making medical solutions and GMOs and all that sort of bullshit. They're smaller than Raiden, but they're fierce rivals. Destroying one might distract the other."

As Sarracenia gets angry and goes to leave, Rust just taps their chair a few times. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out!" And then, Klaus points out exactly why they don't like them, though Haru is clearly right as well. "No gods, no masters."

Amelris asks about craftsman work. "What can you do?"
Amelris Belthrone      "So, as far you know, they caused this /and/ are trying to silence it." Amelris answers, grunting and shaking his head. Obviously, they wouldn't say everything. They DID just meet and that's just sensible that they don't share everything on that front.

     "Ah, I am a Weaver, by trade." Amelris comments, placing his hat on his head. "I may be wearing some fancy adventuring clothes right now that I made myself, but I can assure you they are the kind that resist traveling and are aetherically enhanced." He smiles. "So, warm clothes, protective clothes for working. It's within my experti--"

     Then, there is a throb. The Miqo'te's eyes widen for a moment, his eyes unfocus as he staggers, a hand reaching to his forhead with a growl.

     A wash of energy swallows his conciousness. It makes him dizzy, power, undescribled. Yet, there is a softness to is. A sort of comforting, welcoming power. One that simply is, one that is not a foe or friend. Simply is. It calls. A name.

     From the outside, Amelris is staggering, gritting his teeth for a few seconds, with his eyes squeezed shut as if dazed, muttering. "Rin...?"
Klaus Ridell      Klaus gives Sweep an encouraging nod. It makes sense to him, too. After all, despite the air of tranquility and the weird otherworldliness that comes from being a(n intentionally) perpetual outsider, Klaus is also probably about sixteen-to-eighteen. Obviously teenager logic makes sense to teenagers.

     Especially teenager logic from someone who also does not want to hurt others, but wants to help you solve your problems.

     Haru suggests they target corporations. Klaus puts his finger to his cheek. "Maybe there's something else we can do."

     "Ah!"

     He smacks his fist down into his palm. "You can cripple them and get people on your side!"

     "They make medicine, right? Alchemists. Alchemists sometimes charge really high prices, even if they mean well. But if you, you know..."

     He puts his hands behind his head. "If you take a little bit of medicine and give it to people, they like you a little more, right? So if you take their stock and give it to people who need it, it'll help you, too. You'll get people in other towns who want to help you out, because you did them a good turn."

     Amelris asks to see what Klaus means by 'borrowing something.' Klaus taps his compass on the side. A little symbol - a dot, a crescent with a tail, and a few lines on the side - slides out of Amelris like a ghost. It goes into Klaus's compass, and he spins the compass once.

     His outfit changes. He's no longer dressed in grimy clothes, in local fashion. Now he's wearing a red hat with a long white feather. A red duster with white trim and gold buttons down the middle. There's a rapier at his side. Red pants that turn to black boots.

     And then his eyes unfocus and widen. He staggers. His fingers go to his temples.

     He manages an, "oh," before he stumbles backwards and hits the ground, flat on his butt.
Sarracenia      Sarracenia huffs and steps back into the room slowly. She still looks upset, and she is holding her fire-roasted fish skewer very tightly. But, Klaus offered some good words over the radio, and Sarra really is trying to be more helpful of a person in general. She approaches Rust and the others, then...bows at the waist. "I...apologize..." she says, teeth clenching at the word. "...for my outburst. I did not fully understand your position. I admittedly still do not, but Klaus here has attempted to enlighten me. I am not sure how helpful bringing down a rival corporation will be since it could drive those buying from Huginn to purchase their goods from Raiden instead, strengthening them and possibly creating a monopoly. But...if you will accept aid, I can offer not only myself but resources. Food, drink...even weapons if needed. And the power-ups of my world can grant a wide variety of additional powers from flight to fire and ice throwing."

     Amelris and then Klaus both seem to be in some sort of pain, so Sarracenia approaches them. "Are you two alright?" she asks, already reaching into her purse to pull out a green mushroom. "What is wrong? And...what did you just do?" she asks, directing that second question at Klaus.

     She also spares a glance for Haru. "I have a smartphone you know...it is not as though the Sundew Kingdom is some sort of backwater kingdom."
Hamada Haru "Huginn International. Named after the mythological raven? Sounds like a private espionage company." Haru says, unsurprisedly. He nods, "I'll look into them, see what looks like a good mark. Nobody will be expecting it for the moment, so I don't expect outsider resistance. What about your captured people, though?"

His attention turns back to Sweep, "You and I will talk about your abilities later. You don't need to be able to fight, and I don't think you have the training to react rationally in a situation like that anyway. Don't feel bad about that, there's a reason cops get pepper sprayed and tazed during training."

"But there's a role for hit-and-run."

His expression darkens as Amelris shows some odd symptoms. Haru's first thought is whether the Red Mage had come here drunk or high-- but it seems like it's something else.

Haru raises his eyebrows expectantly.

"Roughly three quarters of all 'Kingdoms' I encountered traveling with my mother were substandard in terms of living conditions relative to my world. We'd call it third world. It's not hard to get a cell phone by going extraversal. But it doesn't matter."

"Think of the way you conceive your world. That is the way everyone conceives of their world." He states, simply.
Xion Xion, with a foot already through a sworling black portal hole, turns her head. "Oh, I thought we were leaving. I've heard that light is a form of radiation too! That must mean that you can get powers by friendship! I totally understand your world now, and I'm super happy to help. You can give my share to Haru. I'd feel terrible charging people to beat up racists, since they're racist against me too. No justice? No peace."

She raises a fist at shoulder-level.

She has absolutely been being filled up with rebel sentiment after hanging out in a radical mutant anarchist camp.
Ezra Mochizuki Rust is going to accept the Weaver's request, when he suddenly collapses, and soon after, so does Klaus. "Wh-" And then, they stand back up, and had a vision! "What the fuck? -oh, you're psychics?! Ahahaha, that's great! Real edge in the race. I don't know who Rin is, though. I'd ask around."

Haru continues to speak. Sweep nods, but says nothing. She's had a lot to take in. It's Rust who speaks again. "That'd be excellent, but I'd prioritize our captured, absolutely - we've had a few here and there, and if they're still alive, they're likely being tortured to give Raiden an edge on their superpowers. I want them out of their hands - alive, certainly preferably, but if something's happened to them that can't be fixed..."

Words are left unsaid.

Xion says relatively weird stuff, but then wants to fight the power. Honestly, Rust supports it. "Alright, that's fair. Thanks again for the support."

Sarracenia returns with hat in hand. "Fine. We'll take your aid, we can't be choosey. Though, a monopoly doesn't matter if they're both falling. Trust me, Raiden and Huginn are both going down."

And with that, Rust turns to the group after jotting something down in the journal they left on their chair.

"Thank you, all of you. Together, we can fight the power. Let's give them hell."
Amelris Belthrone      "Psychic... of a sort, I suppose, yes." Amelris answers, grunting as he staggers back to his feet, shaking his head rapidly to clear it. The Wanderer also, evidently, 'borrowed' some of his power. He don't feel any weaker, so, really, it's more flattering to see his clothings worn like that. Less flattering for the youth is probably he got the Echo, too. That one's more of an useful pain. "Yes. I think I'll ask around about that. It felt like some sort of ... power, envelopping me and it was calling out to 'me', 'Rin'."

     The Red Mage gives the princess a smile, shaking his head. "I'll be fine, thanks. Just a slight dizziness when the Echo comes."

     He wriggles his fingers, grinning. "Now, I believe I have several challenges ahead of me, to make nice, workable clothing for the varied anatomies here."
Hamada Haru "I'm not going to complain much about donated pay," Hamada Haru replies to Xion with loose rolling of his wrist, "but it's not a good look to work for free. You have a good enough reason that it doesn't make me suspicious. Even so, be more considerate of yourself."

He raises a heel up, tapping it against the floor a couple of times before deciding, "I think we're done enough here that I'm going to get going. Sweep..."

Haru makes a 'come here' gesture as he heads for the door, "Come on. We're going to talk and eat."

"Rust, we'll talk again when the situation has changed." He adds, waving over his shoulder towards Rust as he goes.
Sarracenia      It seems Klaus was right! Rust accepted her help! The princess looks both shocked and happy about this, but tries to contain her excitement at being able to be heroic. She'll have to remember to thank Klaus later. Amelris talks about clothing and Sarracenia looks to him. "Oh! I could finance the fabrics you will need to make these clothes!" she offers, her anger forgotten for the moment. There is at least one good thing about having a short attention span!
Ezra Mochizuki Sweep will leave with Haru, and Rust will see everyone out. The group's abilities should be able to help them find a lab, and with that...

Their current adventures in the Scrapyard come to an end.