Scene #9727: Hey you! Kaiju!

Owner	Pose
Regulus	Regulus invited Shira to the Suitcase largely because she seemed really sad and anxious and also seemed to be implying that people were after her because she was a 'kaijusapien'. Regulus isn't sure how many 'kaijusapiens' exist or if Shira is the only one but it sounded like from her last talk with her there might've been? She gave Shira directions rather than try to fetch her because she has to be outside of the Suitcase as much as she can be to help protect it and if a sudden welcoming party cuts into that time, she should take a different shift to help out. The warpgate leads to the suitcase's basement, and if it hadn't been for Regulus's surely necessary adjustments, it would have looked like it was ripped right out of Laplace. Numerous chonky computer consoles that control the opening and closing of the Warpgate flank an upraised platform that has been painted up black like a vinyl record. Up above, held up by numerous white pillars, is what looks like an giant spaghetti strainer with numerous wires and cables pushing out from the holes and connecting to the various consoles while leaving the main platform clear. It has been painted red to look like the top half of an apple, no doubt another one of Regulus's funnovations. From there, it's a walk through the unfinished concrete basement hallways, up the flights of stairs to get to the main floor of the manor. APPLe has hung up a banner in the sunroom that says WELCOME SHIRA. The wilderness is outside the manor with numerous wildflowers and a lilypad covered pond that extends past the treeline, visible from the art deco style windows inside. "So uh, this is the Suitcase! There's a pond out there, though I'd talk to La Source if you want to hop in, but most of the Wilderness is just Wilderness, just be careful of the Critters and you should be good if you want to chill out there. But I can lend you a room for a while too for the time being since Vertin's out cold right now." Regulus has set up a table with some grilled vegetables, Dr. Pepper, some glasses of water, and put some cheese on some crackers, along with some places. The place looks freshly vacuumed. "I didn't want to plan anything too big here, but figured you might be hungry. I'll get some cod ready for tonight, it's not freshly fished out though it's from the grocery store." Regulus has shifted back to her full pirate outfit which means she can dip her sunglasses down a bit like she's looking over them at Shira. "Whatcha think so far?"
Riku Asakura	Riku was here too! He was dressed in a blue shirt with orange letters on it, with the head of what looked like a masked hero on it. The letters spell out 'Don Shine,' of course. He's not wearing a coat today, instead wearing a pair of blue jeans and tennis shoes. He's got a smile on his face because a housewarming for someone he hasn't met before is always a good reason to smile! He's also brought snacks, small bags of chips, and a few small bags of cookies. He doesn't have a lot to spend, but he figures that spending it on this is a good idea! Also, salty and sweet snacks are always a big hit, right? "Cod? Where did you manage to get that?" He asks Regulus, more curious than anything else. He doesn't think he's had cod before... "Also nice to meet you, Shira! I'm Riku Asakura. It's good to finally get a face to a name, right?" he says, unbothered that Shira is not human. To be fair, he's not entirely either!
Shira	Shira materializes from the gate on all fours, her stance spread out and tail readied with a full cloth bag hanging from the thagomizer spikes. With a pretty chill welcome, she immediately relaxes the posture and tilts back to move on two legs. The bag is collected in her hands as she steps slowly off the 'record' arrival pad and past the other chaotic but charmingly decorated equipment. It's a slow walk, taking in the unfinished concrete and complex (and old?) equipment that she takes great care to avoid disturbing. Who knows how moody these electronics might be. The pace she moves through the manor is a bit wander-y, taking in the classical architecture while being as careful as she can. All the while, she keeps rolling it around in her mind that Regulus kept calling this a suitcase. But isn't this an extravagant mansion? When she does find the right room, she's distracted by the welcome banner, staring up at it while holding her bag in both hands, a bit-- awestruck, actually? Like this is effort she wasn't expecting. > "So, uh, this is the Suitcase!" Regulus speaking up gets Shira's attention. Silently and a bit dumbly, she stares at the pirate. Eventually, she glances down at her hands and fidgets with the straps of her cloth shopping bag, "I-it's very nice. I didn't... expect this kind of place, when you called it a Suitcase. It really surprised me." After a pause, she bows at the waist to Regulus, "Thank you for-- for inviting me, Regulus." > "It's good to finally get a face to a name, right?" "Uh--" She blinks again, as if just now realizing there's someone else in the room at all. She recognizes his voice though, so the tension in her posture and the curl of her tail relaxes almost as quickly as it manifested, "Y, yeah. Nice to meet you, Riku." On the subject of cod, and in view of all the snacks and drinks, she lifts up her bag, "I brought some dragon fruit and shikuwasa." Big popular fruits from Okinawa, where she's been living lately. She probably picked them herself, it's not like she has money.
Regulus	Regulus's shades are dipped low enough that Riku can see confusion across her eyes flicker as she cocks her head to the side as she's asked about how she obtained a common seafood staple. "I bought it at a grocery store." She already said that! "A Tesco if you wanted more specific than that." Regulus was a little confused at Shira showing up on all fours. That's pretty weird to the rocker but what's she going to do, say 'hey that's weird' to the Watch's newest member? So she's at a loss for words for a bit as she tries to regain her mental footing. "Hey no problem, love. But just so you know--" She nos her head towards the staircase that leads out of the Suitcase. "That'd take you outside. We cleared out most of the 'Fear Rocks' but you probably shouldn't venture out thataway." She thinks for a moment if there's an exception. "At least not if we're meeting with anybody hostile. The Foundation doesn't really know you and we don't want to come across as totally hostile or bringing in a bunch of people uninvolved with the Foundation But you can pretty much go just about anywhere else." Honestly she's kind of glad that Riku is here, again, because as someone who primarily fights kaiju it's probably good that ... he shows that he's pretty cool with Shira right? For the sake of Future Watch Situations right?? APPLe floats in from the kitchen. He is an apple. He is presently wearing a mustache on his face and a pair of glasses that hang off his APPLe body slightly crookedly. "Oh! Miss Shira, you've made it." There's no visible mouth but he's still able to communicate. And no visible ears, but he can somehow hear. Also he's an apple. "You brought snacks too? Sweet, want me to put them in the fridge for later tonight?" She is not thinking about how Shira probably doesn't have money but, then again, Regulus isn't exactly against shoplifting in the first place so she might just not think it matters.
Shira	Given her proportions-- the slightly shorter legs and the slightly longer arms than her torso would normally be suited for-- going quadrupedal might just be something Shira 'does' sometimes out of habit or instinct or... whatever it is that comes included with spines, scales, and tails where she's from. She listens as Regulus explains some important details about the Suitcase and particularly its exit, nodding slightly to each point. "Okay," A more firm nod. It'd be bad to take the exit, at least right now. That somewhat lines up with the chat she and Regulus had the other day when the Rebellion came up, too. She lifts up her bag in both hands, "Just visiting." She's decided not to take up the room and board offer, at least not right now. But with folks like Ember or her local Okinawan Watch cell, she has options that wouldn't risk causing (as much) trouble for the one offering. > "Oh! Miss Shira, you've made it." APPLe's arrival becomes a fixture of fascination. It's a floating apple with a moustache and glasses, how often does anyone see someone quite like this? A bit stunned, she manages a "Um, yes, it wasn't any trouble. Nice to meet you." to the polite pome. > "You brought snacks too?" "Yeah, sure," She holds the bag out towards Regulus, though since APPLe came from the kitchen... but wait, can he actually even carry anything? While overthinking on this, the bag hangs from upward-curled fingers and claws while she glances between them. She only breaks out of that when Riku explains a bit about the fruits she brought and she nods once, "Mmhm. I picked them myself." Glancing down, she adds, "If you squeeze the juice out of a shikuwasa onto a slice of dragon fruit, it's a better taste than you might expect." Pointing a bit, she adds, "The more yellow shikuwasa are sweeter, too." With an exhale, the kaiju lady settles down more, "Cleaning those rocks up sounds really rough... It must feel good to know you got most of them by now, but still a bit nerve-wracking too."
Riku Asakura	Riku has only heard of Tesco's in passing. "Oh, that chain of stores from England, right?" he asks, knowing that there wasn't one in Japan as far as he was aware. Shira showing up on all fours was weird to Riku. She was far more kaiju than human, it seemed, which makes sense because she falls asleep in open water as he does in a bed. He also doesn't say anything because it'd be rude! "Yeah, it's uh... not exactly peaceful up there yet. Also, those fear rocks are no joke. I'd hate for you to step near one and get hit by it..." Riku says apologetically. Though to the new snacks Shira brought, Riku looked up and looked over them. "Oh, neat. Did you get these from Okinawa?" he points at the Shikuwasa. To Regulus, he asides, "They're like limes, very bitter. They're good in other things. The dragon fruit is slightly sweet. Like a pear." Riku figures he'd at least make sure nobody tries to eat a Shikuwasa straight.
Regulus	Regulus says, "Yeah," to Riku. She doesn't know much about japanese grocery stores. Japan isn't a place she's been to all that much. She nods to Shira, not realizing she doesn't intend to stick around for more than the day, but either way she's happy to get her accustomed to The Suitcase as a place. APPLe isn't getting any weird reactions from Regulus, so apparently to Regulus APPLe is normal. Or she's at least accustomed to APPLe enough that she doesn't think twice about treating him as such. She also, however, doesn't seem to notice that Shira is fascinated with APPLe. Maybe it's just the bit. Or maybe it's something about this world. Regulus will never clarify which it is. APPLe DOES seem to have two arms and little stick figure fingers but that is sort of a good question because it doesn't look like he can carry much weight but as the bag of produce is offered, APPLe does float forward to take it with one of those stick figure arms and floats back to the kitchen to put them away, though obviously Shira can just go back there and grab one if she wants one just now. "Oh yeah you're both Japanese huh." Regulus adds, a bit stupidly. "Guess that makes me the odd one out." She nods about the fear rocks. "Yeah, but it's okay. We've got allies out in the Foundation even if we can't exactly chat with them right now." Regulus starts spooning out some veggies onto plates in case people want to eat and pops open a Dr. Pepper for herself. She just has to, but before she drinks she says, "Wait, neither of you have ever had a Dr. Pepper before, right?"
Riku Asakura	Shira's focus on APPLe was a little cute to Riku, because it was almost the same reaction to meeting him he had. He hides his chuckle and holds up a bag of chips towards Shira. "I also got some snacks local to me, but they're a bit salty. Oh, and you just..." he opens the bag JUST to be sure. He isn't sure how aware Shira is of bags containing things. 'Oh yeah you're both Japanese huh.' Riku laughs a little and scratches the side of his cheek, "Well, I don't know if Shira is, but I am. Also, I don't think you're odd or out here. So you're still in good company!" He continues to smile brightly, despite the situation above. Riku nods about allies out in the Foundation, "We just need to keep doing what we're doing; hopefully, our allies there will get things done sooner rather than later." He's still concerned that Vertin is in a coma and under Mesmer's care. "Oh, there is Dr. Pepper in Japan, just... mostly in bigger cities. It's not super common. I haven't tried one before."
Shira	Riku demonstrates his technique for opening bags of chips. Feeling the slightest need to show off, Shira-- doesn't move from where she's standing. Instead, it's her tail that swings over and pinches a bag between the three articulated spines, like claw of a UFO catcher game, to bring it to her waiting hands. She slices the top open with a claw, then offers them to him; it's a different flavor than the one he grabbed. "I was, um. I grew up in a lab, so..." she admits, "I'm pretty sure I am... my human side, I mean. Japanese. I wouldn't call my upbringing normal at all." With a few steps, she looms over the little formation of Dr. Pepper cans, "It's okay if I try one?" though she's already reaching for it with her free hand. She already saw Regulus pop the tab, so she'll get that no problem. Not that any aluminum can could resist a giant(relative) monster. She settles down on the floor, cross-legged, with her tail curling around herself like a nest of spikes, "Mmhm. Regulus said you had some people working on some sort of solution. I hope it works out, I really do." Shira is absent of many of the details, but she's picked up that it has a lot of people worried and hearing Mesmer and Lilian argue over the radio hasn't helped alleviate the concern at all. Shira fusses with the tab for a second, then has a bit of a realization. She decides to just open the can by punching in the mouth opening with the tip of her thumb. It makes the exact same metal-crack-hiss. "I don't want to cause trouble for anyone," she admits, "But it also feels bad to just... sit by doing nothing while people who are kind to me struggle, even knowing that's the best thing I can do right now." Something clicks and she glances towards Riku, "You don't think I'm weird? I guess, since you've met kaiju already... What are they like?"
Regulus	Regulus, certainly, believes in you know helping people, doing the right thing, not just sitting on your butt when you can help someone--for sure--but she feels a little weird hearing it come from Shira's mouth. She doesn't really disagree with the sentiment, but isn't she someone who should be trying to set up her own life right now instead of worrying about others? She's a little worried that Shira's being taken advantage of but at the same time it's weird to say things like 'hey maybe you shouldn't actually feel bad about sitting by and doing nothing' so she's at a bit of a loss. "Ah, people call me weird all the time. And apparently some people call me normal? It's too bothersome to really worry about." She did, of course, proclaim the travesty of when Lilian revoked her 'normal' title but that's different from being bothered by it. She marvels at Shira popping open a can of Dr. Pepper with her finger. Then, she hands off a bottle of the same soda to Riku. That's right, she's going to socially revolutionize the world in favor of Dr. Pepper one Watchman at a time. "Oh, uh, yeah." Regulus forgot to answer. "Have as much as you'd like." Maybe Shira has a future as a Dr. Pepper mascot. You never know. Regulus is less worried about the outcome these days than she used to be. There are allies on the outside, after all, and that means there are people who support the idea. It's not just a bunch of weirdo arcanists and outsiders they mostly don't care about. Eventually, Regulus does figure out a way to tell Shira her thoughts on helping others. "I think it's good to help other people, of course. I think most people do, to some extent, though sometimes it's because they like this person or that person rather than because of general empathy for other people. But you can't let that distract you from building your own life."
Riku Asakura	Riku is caught by surprise when the tail opens the bag of chips. He's unable to actually grab the chips for a moment, having watched this, before he gingerly takes the bag from her. "Um... thanks!" he says, still upbeat, just more one part confused and two parts astonished at the party trick she pulled off. 'I was, um. I grew up in a lab, so...' "Oh, I uh... didn't grow up in a lab, but I think I was created in one, so... I get that," Riku says, still not sure of his origins, but how would he have been born if not in a lab? 'But it also feels bad to just... sit by doing nothing while people who are kind to me struggle, even knowing that's the best thing I can do right now.' 'But you can't let that distract you from building your own life.' Riku looks a little torn by this. He'd easily drop everything and help someone if he thought it'd actually make their life easier. To that, he understands Shira's desire to help even if she doesn't have any stake in it. On the other hand, it would feel like taking advantage of her too if they relied on her. "I think on this one, Regulus is right. Before you help anyone, you should figure out yourself, you know? I uh... jumped into a situation too quickly, I didn't get the full sense of when I was new, and it uh...was a lot to take in and took me a while to get over. So... try and get your feet under yourself first." He takes Dr. Pepper from Regulus and looks at the bottle. Welllll... He opens the cap and takes a drink. "Mm. Not bad, I think!"
Shira	> "But you can't let that distract you from building your own life." > "So... try and get your feet under yourself first." "Mmhm," Shira makes a little affirmative noise and adds a little nod to it, cradling the DP can in both hands. With her thumb, she wipes some of the condensation aside, fidgety-like, "I appreciate it. I won't ignore my own situation, a-and I haven't been." There's another little nod. After a pause, she lifts the soda to her lips and gives it a taste herself. The bite of the carbonation catches her off-guard, chased by the cloying sweetness and slightly acrid aftertaste, all of which has her pull the can away with a sharp, surprised, and distinctly metal-lizard squawk of alarm. Regarding the can with more suspicion, she brings it back close, squinting at the opening like she's expecting it to breathe fire at her. Experimentally, she sips it again, closing one eye in intense thought but less spooked. Eventually, she relates her impressions: "I don't think I've ever had a drink that fights back before."
Regulus	Regulus is a little uneasy about all this 'born in a lab' talk. This is getting into backstory territory. Is she going to have to tell people SHE was born in a lab? Or make up some other story? Regulus doesn't want to talk about HER backstory and inevitably when people talk about backstories they start to ask you about yours. Thankfully they're also talking about what it's like to taste Dr. Pepper. "Nice! That's one convert!" Regulus tells Riku instead of encouraging talk about his origin! ''I don't think I've ever had a drink that fights back before.'' "Ahahah! That's carbonization!" Regulus says. "One of the many impressive elements of Dr. Pepper! I heard that one of the ingredients was prune juice, but the people behind Dr. Pepper say that's FAKE, but their secet recipe is secret, kept in two seperate vaults! But honestly the sleak design of the bottle is part of the appeal for me." Shira assures her she's getting her own situation under control too though Regulus would say that even if she wasn't so she's not sure she can trust it. STill, it'd be like--kind of a jerk move to insist, so she doesn't. r"I can show you around the Wilderness too if you want." Regulus adds. "Or maybe you'd rather stay indoors?" Floyd, the shadow cat familiar, rolls in from outside from under the door, taking the full cat form once more once it's got the space to be one. He stares at Shira waringly.
Riku Asakura	I won't ignore my own situation, a-and I haven't been. Riku nods, a bit more seriously than he was before. He'd really hate for her to get involved in this and learn to regret it later. 'Nice! That's one convert!' Riku doesn't know about that; it's not as if it's melon soda, but it's alright. Well, no need to ruin the mood or anything. He smiles at Regulus and takes another drink of his Dr. Pepper. 'I don't think I've ever had a drink that fights back before.' Riku chuckles at this and lets Regulus explain the carbonization of sodas. "All sodas do that, Shira. You eventually get used to it if you drink soda a lot!" Riku looks at Floyd when he comes out. "Oh, hey, your familiar. Hey there, Floyd." Riku says, smiling at Regulus' cat.
Shira	> "Ahahah! That's carbonization!" > "You eventually get used to it if you drink soda a lot!" "Mmm," Shira's noise isn't especially pleased, but also not displeased, this time. She mulls over the flavor once the bite wears off, unable to place it on her limited spectrum of experiences, "I don't know if I'll drink it a lot..." There's a pause, then a more affirmed sound, "But I don't hate it. It's so sweet, it's.. kind of like a treat?" Drinkable candy seems accurate enough. Her tail shifts a bit around her while she mulls this over between little sips of dark brown ~~engine degreaser~~ Dr. Pepper, "I think it'd be great if you wanted to show me around." > "Hey there, Floyd." In the same moment Riku calls attention to the cat, Shira's noticed it. She missed Floyd slipping in under the door, so in her perspective he just kind of manifested. The cat stares at her; she stares back, blinking slowly. Her head turns slightly so she can drink without taking her eyes off him. Nothing like locking eyes with a cat to suddenly feel like one's invitation is being called into question.
Regulus	Yes. Drink Dr. Pepper. This is not paid by the owners of Dr. Pepper. Regulus is just feeling a little lonesome that like she's the only Elite who seems to care for it. So she has to be the beverage's apostle for the rest of the world. Floyd is a little more comfortable with Riku due to him being around more and meows at him before licking at his paw, giving him another look, before turning around and wiggling his tail and jumping onto one of the chairs, since nobody actually took one, and then onto the table with the food. "Ack! No, Floyd! Don't! People food!" Regulus sticks out her index finger like a laser pointer and twirls her finger into a circle so that a little red dot appears on the table before swooping it off to the floor. Floyd forgets the food and leaps after it to try and catch it, scampering after it while Regulus swooshes it around the room. "Thats was a close one." Regulus says, eventually let Floyd pounce on the red dot, whereupon it vanishes. Floyd may be the only cat that can actually catch the laser pointer. "Yeah, sure, we ca walk around outside." She bobs her head. "Yeah, a treat!" She then makes her way to the Wilderness proper. "Well here are some flowers... Uh, there's some trees that might have a door, I wouldn't go in there because they lead to YuRia's workshop, um--the pond, that's sort of La Source and you shouldn't throw anything in there unless you want to get drenched and yelled at by a child." Regulus is a little tearyeyed at some off screen memory.
Riku Asakura	"Yes, you shouldn't drink a lot of soda. Water is better for you. Though I also drink a lot of juice," Riku says, thinking about Shira's response to the soda. Too bad he didn't bring any juice with him. Maybe they could make some out of the fruit she brought? Did Vertin have a juice maker? Floyd's shenanigans get a laugh out of Riku, who watches the cat hop on the table and then go after the laser dot. "Aww, so much for its evil plans to get people food," Riku says with a laugh. Riku follows the two outside and into the grounds of the Suitcase. "Yeah, La Source doesn't like people messing with her lake or being near it." He was sure she just hit people with water for fun or spite. "I actually don't know how large the 'wilderness' is in the suitcase. Big enough, I imagine..."
Shira	Shira stares at Floyd. Floyd decides to go for a snack. Regulus yells at him; Shira laughs; and the red dot comes out. Shira goes silent, staring at it while remaining statue-still save for her eyes following its motions with intensity and restraint. Some instinct or another is latching on to 'small fast thing' that doesn't go away until the crisis resolves itself and Floyd is a mighty hunter. > "Yeah, sure, we can walk around outside." The kaiju lady reaches up to set her drink on the table, then leans forward and splays her clawed fingers out on the carpet. Her tail unwraps and her legs unfold, resulting in a biiiiiig stretch like a giant Moloch lizard crossed with a cat. Eventually she rises up in a bipedal stance with a little satisfied 'mm'. There's not a lot to an outdoor tour, but Shira was more interested in seeing how fresh the outdoor air is if this is still 'in' a suitcase. She's still hung up on that. She does take careful note of the places not to linger, though. YuRia's workshop and La Source's lake... Shira nods in turn to each bit of info. "Okay. I'll be careful." She does make a point of stepping off the garden path and enjoying the grass, though. A well-manicured lawn is as much like a plush carpet to her as the sort which belongs indoors, after all. "Are there... mansion staff? People who care for the garden, or keep the house clean? Or is that... um, up to Vertin and the people she invites to live here?" After a bit, she adds, "Or, does it-- take care of itself, somehow?" Riku mentions the size of the Wilderness, prompting Shira to glance at him, then the other way towards whatever horizon there might be. She hadn't even thought about that but then the reminder that this is supposedly inside a suitcase comes back to the forefront of her mind.
Regulus	''Yes, you shouldn't drink a lot of soda.'' Regulus mmmms uncertainly, "I don't know about that." She says. The weather is honestly pretty great, summer-like at the moment, but Regulus admits, "Sometimes it rains, I haven't figured that out." to Shira. "Or really anything out about this place. Kinda defies reason and I've just about given up tests on it, but I guess 'bags bigger on the inside than the outside' aren't too unusual, it's just really the scale of the Suitcase that's pretty unusual." She tromphs through grass, without really any particular destination in mind. There is at least one of those doors-in-a-tree that Regulus warned everybody about. Floys follows along behind, but sticking close to Regulus's shadow in the daylight. "Like, how does it get sunlight? How did someone get sunlight in here? How did someone create an ecosystem? How'd the critters get in?" She frowns, thinking about the critters chasing her around! "As for mansion staff, I mean I don't care for a garden, I don't really know much about how to care for a garden, but I've been looking into it a little to try and get a better feel for Druvis. But I do a lot of house cleaning, there WAS a whole rotation but most of the Suitcase people aren't here anymore. There isn't a lot for me to always do, right now, besides be here and at the ready so it isn't really too bad to clean out the manor a lot, but I help with breakfast now and then too and so does Sonetto, Sonetto does a lot of looking out after Vertin." She sighs sadly. "I miss Sonetto. I wanted to do a friend hangout but then this all happened and now I don't know if it'll ever happen. She was gonna introduce me to some people." She slows, despairingly, kicking her foot against the wilderness dirt.
Riku Asakura	"Didn't Lilian tell you that?" Riku asks Regulus about not drinking so much soda. He shrugs because he's been told by so many people about drinking water and keeping his soda intake down so as not to give him diabetes. 'Sometimes it rains, I haven't figured that out.' Riku thinks about this. "Man, how did she manage to get an entire ecosystem in here..?" Regulus points out that there is also sunlight in here. "How does that even happen..?" he wonders. Magic isn't something he knows anything about. There are so many questions he has right now that he didn't have at any other time he was in the Suitcase. "It's good that you've been taking care of the place, Regulus. I'm sure it'll be nice for Vertin to have a place she remembers to return to when she's free," Riku tries to comfort the young woman. "I don't know that much about gardening either, but uh... inside Nebula house there is a hydroponic bay that's been nice for veggies we eat. It's mostly automatic; we just provide the seeds and fertilizer."
Shira	Her questions get answered, one after the other. Shira listens in silence, taking in the surroundings under Regulus' narration. It sounds like a fun mystery, though maybe she just needs to ask Vertin... if Vertin ever gets out from under that awful Mesmer Junior's thumb. The sun, the weather; even the air smells fresh and nice as any outdoor space in the country could. Maybe not the same as the wilds of Okinawa, but it's hard to compete with undeveloped tropical wilderness on the best of days. It seems like Shira might have accidentally probed in the wrong direction though; it becomes clear that Regulus is also pretty lonely. It's just her, APPLe, and the cat, isn't it? And visitors like Shira or Riku sometimes? Who else is even in the rebellion, anyway? Shira doesn't ask those questions out loud. Instead, she sinks down to all fours, takes perhaps three more steps, then flops down in the grass on her side. The motion takes its sweet time traveling down her tail until the whole lizard is still. "It's mysterious," she says without moving, "And it's an unfamiliar place..." She stretches out her arms and legs, then wriggles into a more cozy position, "But I think Vertin's suitcase is great. Maybe she handcrafted everything with love and care. It's very nice. Thank you for taking care of it, Regulus. I'm sure she'll be happy when she's back." She doesn't have much to say about Sonetto; she's just a voice that pops up sometimes when Mesmer Jr. is being unhinged on the radio, Shira hasn't had a direct conversation with her so far. But that loneliness and wanting a friend back. That's something Shira understands on a painful level. 'When' she's back, Shira chose that wording deliberately.
Regulus	Regulus is obviously pretty lonely, even if she didn't really think about that when inviting Shira over conciously. There are Druvis and Sotheby around and Regulus gets along great with Sotheby, but most of the people who USED to be hanging around the Suitcase are gone. No Poltergeist, no Cristallo, even TTT hasn't been dropping by. Hell, she kind of misses Rabies and Rabies isn't exactly someone you go around chatting with. She's used to crowds of people and many friends of various levels of connections. ''Didn't Lilian tell you that?'' "Huh? Probably." Regulus says to Riku. "I mean she's not my nutritionist or my boss." She seems confused as to why Riku brought Lilian up at all! "It's not like I don't drink water either, though. And I brush my teeth twice a day ''and'' floss so what's a vice here and there?" That's about as far as she'll reluctantly admit that Dr. Pepper is probably not a health food. "I don't think she did. The 'ecosystem' wasn't here when I first showed up, and now it is. I mean, sometimes arcane stuff just happens, figuring it out might be beyond me. Or at least, beyond my current level. I did build a Warpgate, but that was by studying the efforts of other people and figuring it out from there, I didn't come up with tthe idea of warpgates myself, so it's actually a lot harder even if Warpgates seem like a much bigger deal." She's not even thinking about the Suitcase being able to protect (most) arcanists from the Storm. But she seems uneasy when Vertin's brought up, biting at her lip and avoiding looking directly at Shira OR Riku. Of course, Lilian also said that anybody would be worried for their friend if they've been in a coma for a month and that's one Regulus will unhappily let Lilian call it as it is. She has to assume that they have figured out some way for it to not be ruinous for Vertin's health to keep her under this long or she'll just start crying. Floyd's grand contribution to the rebellion might be giving her a little something to play with so she doesn't completely lose it. She picks Floyd up int oher arms. Floyd nips at her fingers while she does so but she just shifts him in her arms to avoid future chomps. When she's free. When she's back. Sure, she knows they won't keep Vertin under ice forever. But that doesn't mean she's gonna be around once she's free. They might kick her and everyone out. She considers, desperately, joining the Foundation if the proposal fails just so she can try to help Vertin out but would they even let her? Or would they just send her off somewhere? "Yeah." She can't manage to be chipper. "Thanks." Her footsteps slow as if something is clinging to her legs. Soon she's not really leading anyone, but if her pace isn't matched, she might fall behind. And if it does, she eventually stops walking at all.
Riku Asakura	Riku gives Regulus a look about her consumption of anything that isn't Dr. Pepper with a slightly skeptical look. Then again, if her vice is Dr. Pepper, it isn't the worst thing in the world, right? "Oh, you can build Warp Gates? Wow..." Riku thinks. He can't even really build things with his hands all that well, or at least, not that he thinks he can. Maybe if he took some courses, right? When Regulus falls behind, Riku stops to look at her. His look is one of concern as he turns to face her. "You know, you don't have to hold the entire world on your shoulders. I'm here for you if you just want to talk, alright?" Riku has been through the same things as Regulus has with the rebellion, but maybe it doesn't hurt as much for him... he still has friends he can go home to, while hers are either locked up somewhere or scattered because of the Foundation. Loneliness can wear a person down, he thinks. "Or if you just want company."
Shira	Flopping to the side of the path has Shira kinda being left behind, though it turns out this isn't as big of an issue as it could be when Regulus slows and then stops. A stop that has Shira shifting, rolling over and pushing up on her elbows with her hands somewhat crossed over one another. The slight curious cant of her head while she tries to think of what she can do. After a moment, she closes her eyes with a sigh. A kaiju is just a monster, all it can do is destroy. When it comes to mending, she just doesn't have the tools. When here eyes open again, her gaze fixates on her clawed, scale-armored hands. She turns one over to examine the soft, scale-bare palm. > "I'm here for you if you just want to talk, alright?" Riku's faster on the draw. Shira flinches just a bit, a sting of shame running through her thoughts for not saying something sooner. But... He's got the right idea, doesn't he? She lifts her gaze from her own hand to Riku comforting Regulus, then pushes herself up and slinks those few paces in a lizardy quadrupedal posture. "I might not always know what to say..." When Shira comes to a stop, she leans up onto her legs to free up her hands, but the way her funky monster legs bend makes it look more like a squat that keeps her shorter than either human. She reaches for Regulus' arm while she holds Floyd, just a reassuring touch on the wrist, "But I can always listen."
Regulus	"Huh? Is that impressive? There's Warpgates everywhere. It's not like I invented them." Though she does kind of wonder how this is a tech that, sure, exists in nature but also lots of people have managed to figure out on their own too. Maybe Unifying just helps related tech happen a lot easier. ''You don't have to hold the entire world on your shoulders.'' Regulus knows that. Because her shoulders aren't the ones carrying the load in the first place. It's on Vertin's shoulders. It's always been. But brushing off concerned people trying to offer their sympathy and empathy isn't really like Regulus, even when it doesn't really feel like it's hitting home for her. Honestly, a bit of a physical touch helps. "I don't know if there's anything to say, really." Regulus admits. And new company doesn't really stop you from missing the company you're missing. First it was her world, and now it is the denizens of the Suitcase. "You know it sucks, I know it sucks, the whole everything has been bounced around on the open band ad nauseum. Just gotta keep moving forward. You can only linger in the past for so long, and while we're all a product of our experiences, we can only let those events define us so much. So I should get out of my own head." Her speed quickens and she adds, "I'll just look forward to the future. It won't be for forever, even if only because Manus won't be still forever."
Riku Asakura	"I certainly don't know how to make one. I think it's pretty impressive to be able to make one!" Riku says, encouragingly to Regulus. Of course, it was something he didn't have that much interest in, for himself, that is. Maybe he should go back to school, he considers... He places a hand on her shoulder to show support. "It's not all hopeless. The rebellion is still strong... and we know there are people in the Foundation who are working to make things better for its people. It sucks a little, but... we're all working so hard together to make things better." He lets go and looks afield for a moment. "Getting stuck in your own head is something I'm guilty of too. So... I can relate. Maybe the future won't always be full of sunshine, but... we can make it better for others, right?" About the Manus, he isn't sure what or how to feel.
Shira	"It sucks a lot," Shira affirms Regulus' feelings, but doesn't add onto it. She's trying to be careful; stomping and tromping on a delicate subject isn't the way to go. She glances up at Riku when he brings up how strong the rebellion is, and reminds her of the help on the inside, nodding once for each point. Regulus gets walking again and Shira follows, staying low by virtue of using all four limbs like a proper tetrapod, "It's just... waiting for the pieces to get to the right places." Or waiting for Mesmer to have a nervous breakdown. Whichever comes first. "Do you have a bunch of pirate stories?" Shira abruptly changes the subject, adding on, "I'd love to hear you and APPLe talk about your adventures." There's a swish of her tail and the metallic ring of the thagomizer spikes striking together, "And maybe Riku can tell me about his world's kaiju too."
Regulus	''I certainly don't know how to make one.'' "Well, yeah, but if you were into machines and you had a long time to do basically nothing but figure out how a Warpgate worked and had a background in alchemic and mechanical science, like, most of the legwork is done for you." Unfortunately for Regulus, she is the sort of person who is inclined to think of anything she's able to do as 'normal'. Regulus isn't exactly lazy, she just can only really work with proper motivation. When she's unmotivated she basically can't get much done at all without kicking her feet and gnashing her teeth the whole way through. "Well that's the hope." She tells Riku. Don't worry, Regulus never went to school! She's perking up again. That's really her natural state. If upsetting Mesmer was gonna give Vertin any level of freedom, she would have been completely free ages ago. So Regulus isn't really thinking about upsetting Mesmer. Upsetting Mesmer isn't something she really tries to do unless Mesmer accuses her of brain damage for the third time that night but Regulus can upset Mesmer by existing and being a typical arcanist so she might just be a natural talent here other people have to dwell on it. "Oh sure, stories are a great way to pass the time." That seems to get her over the line as she cheerfully recounts half a dozen radio pirate stories, almost none of which have to do with pirating anything besides radio waves, but hey--at least Regulus seems to be into it.