soraspace | We're just gonna have to wing this one.

[She prides herself on not reacting like others upon waking up in a strange place with wings on her back. Nope, not bothered at all by the journal with her name on it, and the fact that she's wearing a white sundress and not her own clothes. Yep, calm and collected, or so she'd like to fool people into believing as she watches people walk by. As Bomberman approaches, she quickly decides he looks simple enough to cajole answers out of, but intelligent enough that he'd be able to tell her what she needs. Considering she's inconveniently without weapons, she decides to play the innocent angle.]

Um, sir? I seem to have gotten lost, and I'm not sure where I am.

[She plays up the aussie accent since from her experience, guys seem to like girls that talk funny, as much as it pains her.]

Could I ask you a few questions?

[Bomberman stops in the middle of his job when the girl approaches him.] Huh? Oh, sure! [He then takes notice of her attire.] Though I should warn you that I'm pretty new to this place myself, so I might not be able to answer everything. But what do you need?

[Another newbie? Well, its better than nothing.]

What is this place, and how did I end up here?

[Truth be told, she remembers being on a 'job' with her henchmen, but after that things are fuzzy. She's got a reputation to uphold, and things to blow up, so she'll need to leave immediately.]

Oh, and most importantly how does one leave?

This place is called Luceti. From what I've been told, an organization called the Malnosso is responsible for keeping us in the village, though it's not clear whether they're also the ones responsible for bringing us here in the first place.

But, um...at the moment, no one can really leave. [Not of their own volition, anyway.] There's a barrier that extends to some distance around the village that keeps people from escaping.

Malnosso? [She knows quite a few underground organizations, but that one doesn't sound familiar. Putting that aside, she can think of several groups that would love nothing more than to erase her.]

So basically this is some sort of containment camp or something then?

[Bugger. This is NOT what she needs right now. Perhaps she'll have to 'visit' these Malnosso fellows....oh wait, no weapons. Damn. For now the best thing to do would be to find out how to contact others.]

No escaping....and I don't suppose there's a way to contact the outside world is there? [This man doesn't seem unhappy.] And out of curiosity, how long have you been here?

Nah, no way to let others from your world know that you're gone. But apparently time "stops" back in our world or something, so no one actually notices. [He doesn't really believe it yet himself.] I've been here for two weeks.

[Time...freezing? Just who are these Malnosso?]

Two weeks? [That would certainly be long enough for one to know that they've been imprisoned. So the Malnosso don't seem to have them here as some sort of punishment. The soreness radiating from her back is making it difficult for her to think.]

And these wings? Are they some kind of tracking device for the Malnosso to keep tabs on us? [ They are cute, if not a little unnerving.] Something tells me that we shouldn't remove them.

No, the wings... [He scratches his head.] No one really knows why we have the wings. But yeah, I've been told we shouldn't mess with them. Even just plucking out a feather will mess you up for a bit, apparently. As for tracking, there's a bar code on the back of your neck that the Malnosso use to keep tabs on you. [Which doesn't sit well with him at all.]

This is beginning to sound like a bad science fiction movie. [Not her favorite genre.] Bar codes? Useless wings? [She sighs, begrudgingly accepting her helplessness in this situation.] I would gather then that we have places to live around here? Or is that some sort of ordeal too?

There's seven apartment buildings in the village that have a bunch of empty rooms that you can just move into, and you don't have to pay rent or anything. I live in the seventh one, which is close to the main plaza of Luceti.

Would you mind taking me there? [Relying on others isn't really her thing, but when in Rome...or Luceti.] I'm afraid I have not the foggiest idea of how things work around here. [You wouldn't leave a young lady to fend for herself would you? It's good to be young.]

Oh...sure, that's no problem! [Even if it's in the opposite direction of where he'd been intending to go today. But he's not gonna deny someone who needs help just because he wants to train. Otherwise, what the hell has he been training for all his life? Besides, it's still early in the day. He can easily go back later.

With that in mind, he sets off back in the direction of the plaza.] Oh, I'm Bomberman, by the way. [He doesn't have to worry about a pretense of anonymity here, but it's still reflex for him to introduce himself by his title. In a way, he rather likes it for the additional distance, however miniscule, it puts between his true self and the world.]

Bomberman? [Her twin sister has a 'Bombergirl' on her team in the government, and now a Bomberman? Despite herself, she's interested in finding out more about him. After all, anyone who likes explosives enough to make it a part of his name can't be all bad.]

I'm Karoline...Karoline Mason. Interesting handle. Is that something you came up with yourself? Or does your 'reputation' speak for you? [Although he looks like the sort of man who'd save people from explosives rather than set them himself. Though...maybe he knows where to get weapons...] Mr. Bomberman, I wonder if you're still 'connected'?

Oh, Bomberman's a title I inherited back home. I've had it since I was 14, and that's how most people know me. [He tilts his head curiously.] What do you mean by "connected"?

14? [Then again, she's a mercenary at 15, so stranger things have happened.] Quite an age to be handling bombs.

As for being 'connected', [Wry smile.] You wouldn't be much of a 'Bomberman' if you didn't know a way to get weaponry, even in this situation.

[Whoops, misunderstanding time!]

Oh, that! Yeah, um...I don't use material-based bombs. I just create them from my chi.

Bombs without using materials? [At full attention.] And you've been able to do this since you were 14? This chi must be something ripper then. [Realizes something] Considering you're still here in Luceti and not where you came from, this chi must also be at the mercy of the Malnosso. Though you call it 'your' chi, so is it common to others where you come from? [Pause] Where do you come from? Mr. Bomberman?

[My goodness, you are certainly full of questions, Miss Mason. Bomberman just gives a good-natured laugh at it, though. It wouldn't be the first time he's had to explain things, and it's not like he dislikes talking about it.]

I'm from a world called Bomber Star. Most people there are bombers like me -- they're born being able to create chi-based explosives. [A small shrug.] From what I understand, the Malnosso let people with powers keep their powers, but only at half-strength. So my bombs aren't as powerful as they usually are. [Good thing he's already a powerful bomber to begin with.]

[Now if this doesn't beat all. If there are people like him on Luceti, perhaps this won't be the bore she thought it would be. She'd never admit it, but she actually sorta appreciates how open Bomberman is about his explanations, since if anything she doesn't have to keep up her dreadful cute aussie accent. For that much at least, she's grateful to Bomberman]

I'm just a simple girl from Australia [Wait, Bomber star? So space right?] I suppose I should add that I'm from Earth. Sadly chi is not something we deal with often, so I haven't the foggest idea how it works, though I must say... these Malnosso must be confident blokes to allow you even half of your power. [sighs] I'm quite fond of explosives myself, but it's none too surprising I wouldn't be allowed to keep them.

[Another person from Earth. There sure were a lot of people from that planet here -- and different versions of the planet, even.

And now Bomberman understands why she was asking about weapons earlier. Though, really, a young girl like her messing with that stuff?

...

...

...

Yeah, who is he even kidding. He's not really surprised at all.]

If you're looking for weapons, that sort of thing shows up in the weapons shop in the main plaza. [Though from what he's seen, it tends towards things like swords and guns and staffs. He's not sure he's seen anything resembling explosives there, but what does he know? He's still a New Feather.] Though I gotta ask -- what do you do that you need to be carrying around stuff like that? [Was she from a bad neighborhood like Nitros and Dyna?]

[Had she said too much? Eh, he's been pretty straightforward so far so...]

I'll have to check out the main plaza at my leisure then. [Makes mental note to find out how currency works around here. Although she'd like to ask Bomberman about that too, she's still not too used to relying on others.] As for your question, I am a mercenary, a gun for hire. If it needs to go boom, I'm the girl to call [Curtsies.] I suppose it might seem strange, but I just feel better when there's an explosive in the vicinity.

A merc at your age, huh? [He doesn't say it with any sort of judgmental tone, merely curiosity. He's run across a fair amount of young folk doing dangerous work -- on both sides of the law.] How'd you get into it? If you don't mind me asking, that is. [Did circumstances force her hand, or is she in it for the fun of it? Though considering her last sentence...]

[She's a little taken aback by how nonjudgmental he is. Though he does come from a planet that has 'Bomb' in it's name, so maybe mercenaries are commonplace too?]

It's a living, and I'm one who believes a person does their best work when they love their job. I didn't have the greatest childhood either, so if anything it's like the fates pushed me into this position. [Thinks] In short, life handed me lemons, and I made C4.

[So circumstances forced her hand, then. But it looks like she took that same hand and bitch-slapped circumstances with it the first chance she got. Bomberman can respect that, even if he's (unsure) at her choice of career. He can't really judge, not when Lilith essentially did the same thing as Karol.]

Heh. You sort of remind me of another girl I know. You two might get along if you ever met. [But he hopes Moira is never brought here, and not just because her crush might make things potentially awkward for him.]

[She tilts her head inquisitively.] I remind you of someone? I pity that person. I'm not exactly someone who has had anything even closely resembling a normal upbringing. [Not to mention she prides herself on being unique out of a matter of pride.]

Though you seem gentle if not slightly naiieve. If anything YOU remind me of someone else. [When she had introduced herself and her career path to Lukas, his reaction -or lack thereof had interested her. It was as if his sense of 'normalcy' was as eschewed as hers.] You said you've had your title since you were 14? Seems like a magical age...I'm only 15 after all, and I've probably seen more death than those twice my age.

[There's only a very minute downward quirk of Bomberman's mouth upon hearing Karoline confess about the things she'd seen. That's not a good thing for anyone of any age.]

At any rate, I'm the youngest to ever hold the title in the three hundred or so centuries that it's been around for. Typically the ones that get tapped for it are at least in their late 20s or early 30s.

[So he's 'unique' as well.] To be relied on at such a young age must have been taxing to say the least. Though at least in your case it seems things worked out. Other than being trapped in Luceti of course. How did you get selected to be a 'Bomberman' at nearly half the age that is the norm?

[He snorts softly.] Eh, half "politics", half "doing right thing at the wrong time". [After a moment, he elaborates:] I successfully stopped a museum heist by a rather well-known criminal, and Jun -- the Bomberman before me -- happened to see it. After some digging into my background and my abilities, he thought I'd be the perfect successor to him. [Shrug.] Of course, not everyone else was as confident as he was. There was skepticism even after the title was officially passed on to me.

[Small smile.] Sounds like a major pain in the ass. At the risk of sounding my age, adults are like that; eyes on the past and future all while neglecting the present. I had a fair share of skepticism when I first started business myself. Not many are interested in a female mercenary who's not even voting age.

[Bomberman can't help but wonder whether Karol's comment about adults applies to him as well. He hopes not.]

I have to admit, I'd be a little skeptical, myself. I'm assuming there's not a lot of mercenaries your age in your world?

[Of course not Bomberman, she just likes to poke at the brains of her unsuspecting victims.]

But of course. I pride myself on being the original. I've found it's much easier to get work done when silly things such as competition and rivalries are nipped from the start.

That makes sense. [He won't like to admit it, but Karol's logic -- sound though it is -- is a little disturbing to hear.] You ever consider doing something else later on in life?

[Karol has to stop and think about this. Fifteen is a young age so she figured she'd just think of that when she's older...someday. Maybe this lack of future planning has to do with the lack of responsible adults in her life?]

I can't say I have really. Most days work consists of living till well...the end of the day. Not much time to think about more than 24 hours ahead.

That makes sense, too. [He sighs and scratches the back of his neck.] It's a little like that in my line of work, too.

[Karol's surprised at herself for being this interested in a stranger. She had only intended to pick information from him, and now she kind of feels like he's a kindered spirit. He'd be one to keep track of in this Luceti place.]

Say, where were you heading before I came to ask you for directions? [Might as well mingle a bit.] If you give me directions or something, I may lob in for a bit and check it out after getting settled at my place.

It's called the Battle Dome -- it's in the forest a little bit outside the southwest part of the village. Apparently you can program super-realistic holographic battle simulations to do training and stuff.

Training? Ah yes, for being a hero I take it. [Even though she doesn't feel the need for training per se, hanging out alone in her apartment seems like such a waste. Karol does fancy herself a socialite, even if for the most part it's cause she's on a job.]

I could follow you there then? If you don't mind?

[rhetorical question, since she's going with him despite how he feels about it.]

Edited 2012-06-11 04:28 (UTC)

Not at all! I could definitely show you there, assuming that I don't get lost myself.

We're just gonna have to wing this one.

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