Gotta Do Things Properly

A new morning has begun in Shibuya.

A morning where Adventurers from Yamato hustle and bustle about, with a renewed energy and drive, where people greet with smiles, and in light of the recent victory, people have a reason to rejoice and celebrate.

Take the Pelapuff Cafe, for instance. It boasts a clientele that, for once, is just happy to chatter about, enjoying this aura of normalcy. Pastries, hot beverages, croissants... a relaxed atmosphere with aimable chatter as a soundtrack.

That is, until the door is SLAMMED open. Heads turn to see a Spriggan in a nurse's uniform, frantic, announce in panic, "AAAAAAAAAAAAH! I'M LATE! I'M LATE, I'M LATE!", while she keeps jogging on the spot at a sustained pace. She looks around for anyone who might be serving at the moment, and urges, "Quick, I need a slice of toast to dangle precariously from my mouth!"

    Fuka has been extremely busy around Shibuya, helping with rebuilding. Well, not rebuilding per se, but in helping make sure Shibuya bears no particular reminder of the occupying forces. Destructing might well be a better word for it, or perhaps redecorating.

    That's an occasional thing however, and sometimes the little Sylph just needs to kick back, relax, and enjoy sweet pastries. Quite a few sweet pastries. Really where does she put them all? The key thing, however, is that they're not all GONE, not yet. Fuka waves an uneaten pastry in one hand in Uta's direction, flagging her attention. "MPHH BLRRH..." she begins, then stops, swallows, coughs and trys again. "You look awfully lively for being late!" she exclaims. "Come with me, sweet thing, and I'll shove something better than toast into your mouth!" she grins, waggling the pastry suggestively. "What was that saying? A Songbird is never late nor early; she arrives precisely when she intends to?"

There is the expected blushing and arm- and wing-flailing. "THIS IS NOT ABOUT THAT!", she exclaims, rushing over to Fuka. "And I'm not a Wizard. A hobbit at most." Still running in place. She leans over and urges even more, "There's going to be a battle for the liberation of Shibuya any moment now! I've already seen a Crowned Hulijing doing Crowned stuff outside the city!", she exclaims, with frantic gestures in the general direction of the way to Shibuya. "She attacked me! I barely survived! This means the battle will be starting soon-" her sense of urgency intensifes as she leans over further, almost face-to-face with Fuka, "If it hasn't started already!"

    "You're a wizard. I'm the hobbit." Fuka observes sagely. It's true, she loves eating and relaxing and socializing, not necessarily in that order, and arranges her duties to allow herself plenty such indulgences!

    Her grin fades as Uta explains her rush, and the little sylph reaches up to take Uta's sleeve and direct her into a seat. Gently, but she's not taking no for an answer. Not lightly. "Sit down." she suggests, actually sounding serious for once. "Please. Uh... not sure how to say this."

    Fuka? At a loss for words? That has to be a first! Fortunately the situation doesn't last long. "We're *in* Shibuya right now, you know? It's liberated." Fuka explains. Then, because this is her truest friend in the land of Yamato, she equivocates. "They heard you were coming and gave up early! There was a bit of a fight still, but you helped scare them off! And I hope you beat the stuffing out of that crowned hooleyhoop while you were doing it!"

Uta stops. Blinks. Sits down. She sinks into though. Loong, deep thought. It shows in the furrow of her brow that her brain is hard at work trying to follow what, rather than a train of thought, is more like a tangle of ferrets held together by rubber bands.

"...I missed it, didn't I?", Uta finally states, with the most neutral poker face she can manage. Which is... surprisingly good. Etiquette and Negotiation paying off.

"...Thank goodness!", she exclaims, letting out a huge sigh of relief as she slides down the chair, sprawled like a boneless chicken. "Seems like I won't be murdered today- wait." She stiffens up to sit upright all of a sudden, even her wings standing up straight. "...nobody got killed right? Is everyone fine?"

    Fuka sighs at that. Poor Uta. Still, Fuka's not going to lie to her. Well, not a real lie at least. Little lies are fine. "You did." she agrees reluctantly. And her expression falters a little further. "Lander casualties were lighter than expected in a battle of this size." she notes. "Shiba and Haru organized a group to strike at their leaders while the army ... well, while we did what armies do. The lack of the leadership power and guidance made a big difference I guess." she explains.

    The situation clearly bothers Fuka, but she makes an effort to put on some cheer, like a mask pulled over something less pleasant. "Anyways it's Mac Anu next I guess. Since it's a root town there's no way we can take it by storm, but ... well, you met with that Coonie Barista, so you know something about what we can expect. Mac Anu won't be won by soldiers, it'll have to be won by freeing ... well, you know." she says. Reluctant, clearly, to say anything aloud in public that might one day make its way back to the Palace Landers. Though of course they of all people know what it took to capture Mac Anu in the first place!

Uta pays close attention to the explanation. All the points, the passages.

"Man, was that bar a good bar," is what she says with a wistful sigh at the end. "I miss that bar. I hope Gilgamesh will found another kingdom soon, so I can order more coffee and cake." She crosses her arms and leans over. "Oh, right. We'll need someone to lead us-" A pause. Pull back. "No, actually, don't tell me," she says. "I might have scared away that fox, but danger is ever present. If I, goddesses forbid, were to be Crowned, the less I know, the better."

Silence. Reflection. "Now that I think of it, I cannot come up with names of Yamato Adventurers I am personally acquainted with that have been Crowned..." She rubs her temples, and glances sideways at Fuka, as if for asking her opinion on this matter.

    Fuka sighs, but this time it's a sigh of longing. That bar was heaven on earth indeed. Doubly so since it almost certainly wasn't in Yamato. "Garga... ah, silly name." she tries, and fails, to say it right. "I think he just rules the one. If he wanted to found another, it'd just get added to his current kingdom?" she says as if asking a rhetorical question.

    It takes her a bit to try to parse Uta's questions. "Lead...? Uh, I think we'll just be trying to put the old king back in power there. Right?" This time it's an actual question. And then Fuka frowns. "You know, I haven't heard of them actually crowning anyone here. Not an Adventurer at least. Maybe they're out of crowns? Or maybe ... uh... actually, I think the crown forces loyalty to the ruler of your home city. So..." she muses, actually considering the question thoughtfully.

"No, I mean... by 'lead' I mean, like, tour guide, not political guide. People who know how to get to the Kunie," she explains. And then nods. "That is what I suspect. Something about forcing loyalty to the... True Ruler? Something like that? I should double check my notes. But yes -- I think the general consensus, here, is that they just can't slap a crown on our head and we're their slaves. There's extra steps involved," she agrees, leaning over and tapping one finger on the table as she speaks. "Getting crowned should not be the top worry of most people. I mean, it should still be a worry, I suppose, but... going out on a limb here, getting killed repeatedly until the Lander Fate, or untile we don't respawn anymore, should -probably- be higher on the list."

She leans back and continues, "Now, fore people in -Mac Anu-... yeah, we (or, at least, I) don't know enough of the shenanigans that have been pulled in those whereabouts. Adventurers who respawn there might be in more of a pickle." With a low mumble, still audible by Fukaziroh though, she'll add, "Good thing I would respawn in Fort Ouph..."