soraspace | Dancing with the divine. Or commiserating with it.

Entry tags:

Dancing with the divine. Or commiserating with it.

[It's a busy night at this popular nightclub in downtown Diamond City, and Bomberman's stuck in a corner, watching Kuro living it up on the dance floor while Megumi throws back a couple of drinks at the bar. He actually really hates places like this, but life's been shitty lately and his best buds convinced him that he might just need a change of pace.

And it is sort of...interesting, at least. The music's so damn loud that he can't hear himself think all the terrible thoughts in his head, which is nice. But it is starting to give him a headache.

Still, Kuro and Megumi have threatened to break out the embarrassing childhood stories and pictures to the rest of their task force if Bomberman doesn't at least try to talk to a girl tonight, so after surveying the crowd as best as he can in the low lighting, he wanders over to Grune, who looks like she's enjoying this sort of thing as much as he is -- which is to say, not very much. He tries his best to talk over the music without making it seem like he's yelling at her.]

So, uh...hey. Big crowd tonight, huh?

[Yep. This one's a smooth operator.

Grune will probably recognize him because he's, well, Bomberman, and everyone knows him in the city. But she might also pick up a streak of divine power within him, or evidence that he's had experiences with the cosmic in this universe before.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Were it her choice, Grune would have much preferred to spend her evening at home, perhaps with a book, soft music, and her partner. But she's here for business and not pleasure, and so she'll tolerate the atmosphere as far as she can.

Having a question shouted at her causes her to glance to the side--and then take a much longer look. Well, now. Here was someone very much worth speaking with.

She leans in slightly to call back:] I understand this is considered a slow night.

[He laughs and shrugs.]

I guess? I don't really know much about this kind of thing...it's more my friends' thing than mind. [He frowns out at the mass of people.] If this is slow, though, I'd hate to see busy! [Even Sthertoth would run screaming from the sight.]

[There's a wry smile on her lips as she says:] I doubt you would enjoy it.

[There are as many ways of enjoying oneself as there are people in the universe, and it is not her place to judge, but she personally would be extremely unlikely to enjoy being crushed against sweating strangers in a building where noise is felt, rather than heard--no matter what species she is at the time.]

I presume you came with friends. [She lifts a questioning eyebrow.]

Yeah, I did. They're off doing their own thing. [He laughs.] This is one of their regular clubs, so they know the DJs and regulars here and stuff.

[Something's niggling at him about this lady, but he can't quite pin down what it is yet. It's not a bad feeling or anything; it's just...something faintly familiar, even though he's sure he's never seen her before.]

And they required a designated driver.

[She gives him a measuring look.] Or they thought a night out would be beneficial to you.

[...]

Yeah...a little bit of both, really. [Pause.] Um...wanna move somewhere a bit quieter? I think I'm starting to lose my voice here, haha.

That would be preferable. [She glances about. There really is no place to find peace here, is there?]

Perhaps we should go outside for a moment.

[Bomberman nods. He fortuitously manages to catch Kuro's eye from across the room, and he gestures at Grune before indicating that they're both going to be heading outside.

Kuro's eyes widen with surprise when he sees Grune, but he soon shakes off his surprise, giving Bomberman a smirk and a thumbs-up. Bomberman responds appropriately by flipping him off.

With that done, the young man begins to make a beeline for the nearest door, squeezing his way past clumps of clubgoers and making sure not to lose Grune.]

[She's entirely aware of what the two of them leaving together looks like--and it's hard to miss her companion's gesture at either a foe or, more likely, a friend--but she doesn't care in the slightest. Others may assume what they like.

The music is still audible once they're outside, but it is at a far more comfortable level, and she can't help her sigh at the change. Now, she even has the possibility of enjoying the music.

She glances over at her companion.]

Now that we may speak without shouting, I believe manners have at last become possible.

[She smiles briefly.]

I am Grune.

[And now to receive a piece of needless confirmation.]

Grune, huh? It's nice to meet you. I'm Bomberman. [Simper.] Though you probably know that already. If you're from around here, at least.

[Wow, Bomberman, that didn't sound egotistic at all! He really doesn't mean for it to come off as something impressive. It's just a fact of life for him in Sakihara, and in Diamond City in particular.]

So I had guessed, yes. [Even if she had only recently come to this world, avoiding knowledge of his identity would be impossible, even if she had wished to.]

It's a pleasure to meet you.

[Once again, she quirks an eyebrow at him.] Though I am surprised you are able to move about in public so freely.

[He laughs and shrugs again.]

I guess the public's just gotten bored with me. [Not that he's complaining.] Well, that and Jun has his...ways of dealing with things. [It benefits Jun at the moment for people to not pay as much attention to Bomberman. Otherwise Bomberman would certainly be in the spotlight again, as he was when he first started out with the title.] Did you come here with anyone?

[At his question, she actually looks mildly amused.]

I did not. Though my partner would have come had I requested it, he would have despised every moment. I did him the kindness of not asking.

Heh, good call. I don't really get why Kuro and Megumi do this on a regular basis...it seems so tiring. Not to mention hell on the eardrums. [He rubs at his temples.] But everyone has to unwind somehow, especially in a job like ours.

And to those of an extroverted nature, spending time with a great many others who are enjoying themselves is an ideal way to do so.

[She watches him.] What would you have done, had you the choice?

Me? Probably just gone home and slept for the whole night. [Assuming that he could actually fall asleep. He's been having a hard time of that lately.] Or maybe watched some TV, if anything interesting was on. And, uh, homework.

[The corner of her mouth lifts, just a little.]

I am beginning to understand why your friends thought it necessary to bring you here.

[He tries to give Grune a look of mock indignation, but it's more like him trying not to laugh.]

Hey! It's a perfectly respectable way to spend an evening! And it's responsible, too, because at least then I don't show up at school the next day with a hangover. [Subject change!] So what are you doing here, if you're not with anyone? I mean, you don't look like the clubbing type, either.

[She hesitates for just a moment before answering.]

...I suppose you could say I am keeping watch. I would prefer not to say anything further, however.

Keeping watch, huh? [Interesting. He leans back against the cool brick wall, considering her carefully.] You from the Base, or are you more of an independent agent? [All of the task forces from the Base, both student and professional, had been warned to stay on high alert given the rise in criminal activity these past few weeks. But if what the Elemental Knights have been saying is true, then there might not be anything typical law enforcement could do to really strike at the heart of the problem. It's just beyond the reach of most mortals...or at least mortals that haven't had an interesting history with the cosmic like Bomberman.]

I am independent. [Very much so.]

You do not seem particularly surprised.

With all the crime and general chaos that's been going on lately? I'm pretty much expecting to run into Base operatives and vigilantes every five feet or so. [He sighs.] This is the worst that the Diamond City metro's been in years. The rates in some of the suburbs are starting to reach into the lower end of the expected range for a place like Scarlet Shore. [He gazes out into the distance.] I know some places are starting to pull together neighborhood watch teams and such, but I'm still worried. [Civilians taking matters into their own hands could very well end in more casualties.]

I see.

[She had known of all of this, of course, but in a way it is heartening to know that Bomberman, at least, is seeing the same difficulties. To have someone of his caliber aware is a small victory for her against Schwartz.

She's silent for a moment. Then, quietly, she says:] You are right to be worried.

[.............]

You know something about all this, then.

...I do.

[Another pause.]

Have you heard reports of anything particularly unusual as of late?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject