Meeting the Landers: Mystery Spriggan - II

It's midnight. The darkness in the skies is getting erased only by the few lights that burn within Tolbana, near the various defensive emplacements.

By the time people have noticed that Aischeriit is awake, the white haired Spriggan has already departed from the clinic with the stealth of a... Spriggan. They're pulling their hood over their head already, ducking down, looking to depart without drawing any further unneeded attention.

The darkness seems to be quite capable at swallowing them up, were it not for the few who are awake at this time of night.

"Leaving so soon? And here I thought we were providing you with ample hospitality." The voice cuts through the smothering dark, as a pair of crimson eyes seem to flare to life amidst the deepest shadows. It's ominous. So ominous, you would think that it had been staged.

(Because it had, you have to put effort into this kind of thing! And it's so often worth that effort-- even if it was an impromptu, spur of the moment thing.)

Prophylaxis steps out of the shadows of the gatepost he had been using for cover. Given the amount of interest his guild leader expressed in keeping this particular individual around, Prophylaxis saw it appropriate to assign someone to keep tabs on their sickbed. The moment Aischeriit woke, the Doctor was to be informed. But...

Well, Spriggans /are/ good at this whole 'sneaking' thing, and no Spriggan has more experience being a Spriggan than this Spriggan he's talking to here. It was only the result of a small miracle that he'd managed to get into position in time.

But that's how it goes.

"No, but seriously," Prophylaxis sighs, igniting a handful of flickering electrical orbs in the air around him to serve as illumination. "I was hoping I'd get a chance to talk to you. And to ask if you'd be willing to stay for a time."

    Do you know the benefit of having been confined to bed, made to get plenty of bed rest and also to have a nagging thought plaguing you to complete it at all times? Setsuna does which is why at midnight, he was awake , and he was done with it, time to escape this clinic. Dressed and ready to go he is less sneaky but is still trying to sneak out of the clinic one way or the other. So as he heads out the front door, and into the main square he blinks as he sees the one who brought the leg eaters to Tolbana. Stepping forward in the street light, revealing to any others who may see him would make obvious note of his new skeleton leg he is sporting. Just as Setsuna is about to speak up when he hears the doctor's voice and jumps. "Damn it Prophylaxis, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

Schneider is here in Tolbana and standing watch. It's his turn in the rotation, it seems, and he's got the midwatch. He grumbles, but it's not really a problem. You just grumble out of habit. Otherwise people might think you like it. He's not nearly perceptive ennough to spot Sneaky Sneakerson sneaking away, but he can at least spot Prophylaxis emerging from hiding and confronting someone. He will drift over to that area, in case his assistance is needed. He spots Setsuna, nods a greeting to both fellows, and will ... hang around to see if he can help out at all.

Ascheriit halts as Prophylaxis breaks out of the dark, moving their hand to the side to flare their cloak, grabbing for their sword, staring at those crimson eyes... then pauses as they realize who is talking to them.

"You're the doctor." Ascheriit remarks, relaxing their stance and rising up properly, then noting that they're not gone... well... unnoticed. What with Setsuna having just freaked out, and Schneider watching.

"It would not be good for me to stay. Those creatures are still hunting me. And if I remain, you will be left to deal with this curse. You've already seen the strength of those beings."

    A pair of blue eyes staring out of the darkness don't need to be staged. Cat eyes just do that. "It's not like we want to detain you or anything, just..." Mizuki scratches her head. "We've been trapped here. Things that are impossible, according to our previous understanding of our world, and this one, keep happening! Any information that could help us... well, it may well not just be a matter of finding our way home, but of survival. I used to think we couldn't really die, but then those monsters that were chasing you..."

    She looks at Koinzell with sad kitty eyes. "Isn't there anything you can tell us?"

"I'm surprised you managed to catch up with one leg," Prophylaxis remarks Setsuna-ward with one brow arched waaaay up. "Well. One and a half, I suppose. You know, I can probably regrow that thing now."

But the skeleton leg is kind of a neat look, he will admit.

Toward Ascheriit, Prophylaxis nods. "That's right! Good, no problems with your memory. And believe you me, I would want nothing more than to have you go on your way with as many supplies as you need. But I'm afraid that the powers that be are willing to put the lives of everyone in Tolbana on the line for... Something." He shrugs a great, big, exaggerated shrug. The Doctor is a little bit exasperated at the whole situation, to tell the truth. But that's how it goes, sometimes.

"...But more seriously, I have recently been attacked by a similar entity, and seen someone almost run through by them. Whatever this is that's chasing you, whatever secret war is happening beneath this world's pleasant veneer, it's already almost claimed several casualties. If it weren't for a damn miracle, I wouldn't be standing here right now." Prophylaxis spreads one hand against his chest, over the spot where, only a little bit ago, he had almost been run through by...

Some kind of weird zombie-looking PKer. One that gave off /super/ awful vibes.

"...We need to know more about what's going on. Not just for the sake of simple curiosity, but because lives are on the line. And if capturing one of those things will help us learn better how to fight them, then... I think that might be worth the risk. Maybe."

A sad cat appears in the darkness. Prophylaxis looks Mizuki's way-- and nods. "...Yes, I don't want to keep you here by force. Heaven knows I'm pretty sure you could tear us all apart with relative ease if you were so inclined. But I want you to consider at least letting us try-- and maybe to tell us anything that might give us a fighting chance."

    "Curses we have plenty of , whats one more." The necromancer says with a little more seriousness behind his words as he looks over at Schneider and then at Mizuki. "What we never seem to get with those curses is answers. So perhaps you let us ask some questions. Here us out, and then if you still want to leave I don't see anyone wanting to stop you." Setsuna says that but realizes that others could argue him and so gives a glance towards Prophylaxis and then Mizuki. They would have to be crazy to try and stop Ascheriit. " I hear the tavern has a great bottle of something I'd be willing to pay for if you'd be willing to listen." It was all a matter of negotiations.

Schneider has been noticed, but really, that's his job. Being noticed. He lifts one arm overhead, and with a gesture, a flame, like a bright torch, springs into being and hovers beside him. Spoiling his night-adapted vision, but making it a bit more normal and a bit less cloak and dagger. Also making it harder to do the things that require darkness, just in case.

When Ascheriit mentions the creatures, though, he nods gravely. "What -are- they, anyhow?" he wonders aloud. Not intended as a question, per se, just an exclamation of his puzzled curiosity. Though he defers to Proph's questions, which are the important ones. His guildies can probably explain his question, though. He can't stay clueless forever. Can he?

The Spriggan slowly blinks at Mizuki as she asks whether or not there is something they could tell them. "The more you know, the more in danger you end up being." The Spriggan answers, rubbing the back of their head for a moment.

"Look, the only reason I can fight those things is because of the blades I possess. They ignore the protection they get. If you want to capture these things, that's on you. I can help you fight them off, but I don't really know how to keep them imprisoned. You'd need some kind of... really deep pit or something I guess? They're good climbers, but they don't ignore physics." The Aischeriit explains.

"As for what those things are." They then start, "I don't know. They suddenly started hunting me a while after I returned to this land. I can't exactly tell you when. They used to be a lot weaker than this though. It's almost like they recently got a big boost."

    Setsuna listens to the talking and tilts his head at the blades, "So you bypass there protection and can hurt them without problem. So you've fought them a few times. How many have you killed? Do they come back with more when you drive them off?" The question was partly intelligent gathering, partly related to pure curiosity. " I only ask because if you made a stand here, with us, maybe you wouldn't be hunted any more." His head tilts left to right a moment before seeming to judge to keep his mouth shut there.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to see how that could be true," Prophylaxis nods slowly. The more they know, the more they seek. The more they seek, the more they reveal dangerous truths. And should they survive, those truths birth more questions and the cycle repeats, going on and on and on...

But that's neither here nor there.

"...Is that so? So if you didn't obtain those blades to fight those creatures, then what /are/ they meant to kill? If those creatures were made by the Scrapped Princesses, then-- their protection in general, maybe?" Prophylaxis murmurs thoughtfully, contemplatively. A deep pit... How deep /can/ they dig in the tower? The prospect of capturing and containing these creatures is growing more untenable by the moment. "...Would System Protection be able to lock them in such a pit? Hrm. I have my doubts."

What are they to do? How do they capture one of those beasts? He scratches at the back of his neck, concern painted all across his face. "...Well. When did you first encounter them? They were weaker shortly after you arrived, and then... grew stronger over time?" Creatures which can outright overturn the very laws of the world, violating them with tooth and claw. That sounds a lot like...

A glass orb appears in the doctor's hand. An Enigma Fragment. "...I don't suppose you know what this is, do you?"

Schneider peers at the Spriggan's blades curiously as he mentions that they can bypass the creatures' protections. He nods about a deep pit, but he wonders, "How deep? Are we talking fifty feet or five hundred?" Pits, he can probably dig, though who knows, given that this is a tower. But given the time to go from one floor to the next, there's probably a quite thick layer between them. As for things getting a boost, that jibes with the recent game mod, he guesses? Though he's not sure what the two have to do with one another.

He blinks as Setsuna mentions making a stand against them. "I do not like our long term prospects against them," he sighs. "Though I guess if we can one-and-done them, it might be worth the shot." It just doesn't seem like a one-and-done situation to him.

He hrms at Prophylaxis, then looks to the Spriggan and wonders the same thing. What /are/ they for, if these things' capabilities are new?

    "In danger? Things that I don't understand in this world can maim and kill me. My original body MIGHT be dying in a hospital somewhere, or maybe it already has and I'm a disembodied mind on a computer that could get shut down at any moment. I've been stuck in THIS body, which was supposed to be like, a part-time costume for fun, for MONTHS and the doctor here" she waves a hand at Prophy "thinks it's affecting my mind like I'm slowly turning into an animal or someone else or something"

    She steps forward, ears back, tail lashing. "And even if he's wrong who knows what else being trapped here as this 24/7 IS doing to me! To us!"

    She glares at Koinzell with slitted eyes, then relaxes. "Sorry, just..." she scratches at her arm. She looks between Koinzell and Prophy. "We can't run from this forever, can you really run from your thing forever? Even if you somehow kill those beasts, can't the Scrapped Princess just send more? If we knew more about them, maybe we could find a way to quickly remove such threats... what is the Scrapped Princess anyway?"

"I... don't know. I've fought many of them in the past, I've lost count. They've come in many forms. Some of them with that weird protection. But most of them don't." The Spriggan remarks. "I've made a stand multiple times... they keep coming." Aischeriit continues to add; "Sometimes it may be weeks apart, months, sometimes days."

Aischeriit then glances back near their robes. "Those swords were made by the Alv to kill the Scrapped Princesses. They use powers like those monsters." The Hero explains before taking a step aside and releasing the blades, showing them to the people present.

Four 'wired' swords that move as if they are a part of them. "I first encountered them a few hundred years ago. I can't tell you the exact date because... honestly... it was that long ago." They explain. "I don't even know how old I am anymore."

They don't know about System Protection, so Ascheriit just shrugs a bit. But when the Enigma Piece is revealed, they nod. "An Enigma Piece. They've come in handy before. Not that the Church likes to admit it, but even -they- collect them. Though recently, I've seen Monsters hunting people with those."

To Schneider, the Spriggan shrugs. "Deep. Deep enough they can't easily jump up from it." Notably, as Mizuki rants about his real life side... Ascheriit seems to be unable to hear him. Or at least, it doesn't at all register with him. Not until they talk about the Scrapped Princesses.

Their eyes narrow with a sudden intenseness. "That's why I am trying to find them. They've long since gone in hiding, sending these beasts from who knows where. So I can kill them."

    Setsuna contemplates the age old question, how to catch a tiger by it's toes, contemplating the situation on how to follow through with the capture. "Pits, cages, nets. We were only asked to capture one and the rest can burn. "Looking at Aisheriit he raises a question, " If we had a plan, an idea on capturing them could you tell us if you think it would work? " It was a long line of questioning that was only just getting started when the doctor pulls out an engima piece. Now the game has changed again, "Thats a dangerous thing to just whip out in the middle of the night like that."
     Setsuna contemplates how best to capture the monster, as he reaches to pull out a very shoddy made knife, he would sometimes use to hunt food. It had a weird effect sometime though, could even freeze the target on rare occasions once a day. " I wonder if this would effect them. " Taking a breath and shakes his head, "Ok we are standing out here at midnight o'clock trying to discuss the how to do something before the why and whether our new friend is even willing to help. So perhaps we focus more on the who what when where and work the how another day? " To be fair Setsuna was probably the one working the how the most so he probably said it for his own sake too. Being all moon touched or whatever it is called, really had his priorities acting weird, and also seems to cause one to talk to themselves. Taking a breath to recenter himself before asking, " So the scrapped princesses, are they all alive? Is it just one remains? Do you know which one is hunting you?"

The doctor pauses in his questioning. There's something he needs to address. Prophylaxis gives Mizuki a glance and frowns. "...Not that you're turning into an animal, but that's a conversation we can have another time. For now."

Regardless, it's interesting how most Landers seem to... be unable to understand the concept of them having come from another world. Is it so strange? The Travellers exist, after all. Fascinating.

But something that can be addressed later.

"Mmmn, so they're not related... I see. But maybe something else /is/," Prophylaxis says with a purposeful look. "When did they start growing stronger? You said it was recently, do you know... approximately how long ago that might have been? I have... ideas as to what might have increased their strength."

But he /really/ doesn't want those ideas to be correct.

"...The Scrapped Princesses, the goddesses, the Morrigan, the very existence of Monsters. There are so many mysteries about this world, so many things we just do not understand. So we fumble about in the dark looking for answers, falling over every sharp object in the pile in the process. And nobody wants to turn on the light, because what we see might be even worse." Prophylaxis breathes a long, exhausted sigh. He seems suddenly not at all like the youngish Cait Sith that he appears to be, but... Someone much older, much more tired. "...Please, tell us what you know. Of the so-called 'Heroes' this world worships, and the things that you call the Scrapped Princesses."

Schneider hrms to Aschneriit, and he wonders, "How high /can/ they jump, then? Physics is a bit strange here, compared to where I'm from." When the fellow shows off his swords, Schneider will examine them, though he sighs. "Unique weapon. Not much chance of duplicating that, I'd guess. An army with those, or even a squad, would be brutal against things that relied on that sort of protection." Which is probably why they'd be hard to duplicate. "Wait, it has to be duplicatable, that one player that kills other players in root towns, he's got some way to bypass system protection, too, doesn't he?"

    Mizuki stares at Aischeriit. "Okay. You're hundreds of years old and I wonder how THAT works, and GOOD TO KNOW we might be hunted down for our enigma pieces, but everybody saw that, right?" She looks at the others and points at the NPC. "Way back when, I thought that happened because NPCs weren't people, but this is clearly not just a game anymore, we're in Wonderland at this point!" She throws up her hands. "My best friend's the white rabbit!"

    She turns back to Ascheriit. "What did you see just now? When I was going on about... before I said 'We can't run from this forever', everything after 'in danger?!' What did you hear? Because I was saying stuff. Maybe we're not the only ones with weird stuff happening to us, something's happening to YOU too! And... all the Landers, come to think of it."

"I am not a strategist. I can't guarantee a success like that. I'm a warrior. I fight in the moment." Ascheriit answers Setsuna firmly. Their tone is remaining at a more dangerous 'restrained anger' level, with the topic remaining on the Scrapped Princesses.

"Look, I am willing to help you on this. Capturing one will maybe delay them coming after me. But after that, I am leaving." Ascheriit points out. "As for the Scrapped Princesses, I won't go into it too much. But I imagine all of them are hunting me. It's not like I've gotten a chance to ask them."

"As for when they started growing. Since around the time you lot all got stuck here permanently." Ascheriit does helpfully note. "Maybe a few weeks after that." They then sigh, and shake their head. "The Heroes of this world are... fine. Weaker than they used to be, maybe. But perhaps it's simply because they still have some growing up to do. I don't know. Things have been weird ever since the... end of the Scrapped Princes war." They are specifically avoiding talking about that time, and that much is clear.

"I don't know how high they can jump. I haven't had a chance to measure it. Ehm... high?" Ascheriit motions their hands. They're not certain. "I don't think this Relic has any brothers or sisters." The Spriggan does note. "As for my age... I don't know. I imagine something similar to the reason why Gilgamesh is still around to this day. He climbed the tower before the Scrapped Princess War was even a thing." They point out, while motioning at themselves. "Though whatever changed my body no doubt is involved in this. Or perhaps it's just a perk of being a Hero. Most of them die at a relatively young age. We're in a... dangerous profession."

They look back up to Mizuki. "Ehmm... I don't know. You were talking?" Ascheriit blinks.

    Setsuna nods his head, " Thats understandbale. I was just hoping your experience with them could enlighten us which you are giving. I didn't mean to pester with questions. " Taking a breath he adds , " You are an untapped spring that we are all trying to take a drink from. " Looking over at Mizuki he frowns a little and then Schneider and then Prophylaxis as if he was realizing the truth of his own statement a bit more before he speaks, "We will figure out the traps. I have experience capturing monsters, as does Xanders and others. We can figure out a decent trap. " Tilting his head at the mention of the word Relic, he almost forgets his own comment just now before saying to the group all speaking at Ascheriit, who must be a hero to field all the questions from everyone like a PR person would. So for now Setsuna listens and makes notes of what is said for now.

Schneider shrugs, nods about the jumping capability. He will wing it, he guesses. Like so much else. He wasn't expecting his first game to be like this. As for the rest of it, he will have to take his cues from Proph and the others, they understand the game so much better than him. Now basketball, he understands. But heroes and Scrapped Princesses and relics confuse him. He offers Setsuna a shrug and falls silent, since he seems to have the wrong questions anyhow. He does pay close attention to the answers, though since he doesn't really understand the game very well, the answers don't mean so much to him. He will have to get Proph or someone to explain later.

"Take it easy, Mizuki," Prophylaxis cautions the ninjacat gently. "I understand your frustrations, but if there /is/ something going on here, I don't think he's aware of what that something might be."

But... It seems as though the Ascheriit is willing to help them on this... All but certainly suicidal mission. Prophylaxis rubs his forehead, simultaneously grateful and incredibly concerned. It would have been one thing if he'd just decided to leave. But now... They really /do/ have to capture one of those things.

God, what has he gotten himself into...?

"...Thank you," he says at last. "But-- Mmn. A few weeks after we arrived, you say? Did they... continue to grow stronger every few weeks that followed? In steps, so to speak."

Because if so, then the good doctor has dire concerns about what they might soon be up against.

"Out of curiosity though, do... You happen to know what they /want/? What their names are? The Scrapped Princesses, that is. Or is this one of those things where speaking them out loud would cause serious issues for everyone in the surrounding--"

'Whatever changed my body.'

They say.

"...Changed your body. Fascinating. In a way, that's what we're all looking into as well. So this isn't your original form, then?"

    "But that's just my point!" Mizuki turns to Prophylaxis. "Maybe he should be curious about what's going on. Heck, what if it works both ways and sometimes Landers... or those people from other worlds during the waves... are saying stuff to us and we're missing it?" She looks back to Acheriit, rubbing her chin. "Hmm, I wonder if it works on writing, too..."

Ascheriit nods their head. "Something like that. I wouldn't say in stages. It was... different forms?" He sounds unsure, before quieting. After all, Prophylaxis just asked him a very important question.

"Yeah, I know their names. I'd never forget them." The Spriggan practically hisses this. "Gorre, Skeith, Innis, Magus, Cobernik, Fidchell, Macha, and Tarvos." He doesn't go in on the topic of his form. It seems he's too busy shaking at even speaking those names.

"Forms." Prophylaxis starts, "How many has it been so far? Since we arrived. I--"

The Spriggan speaks those names. Eight names. Prophylaxis immediately summons to hand a notebook and scribbles them down, but then he pauses, staring at one of those names. Frantically, he flips back several pages and sees...

"...It can't be a coincidence. Can it?" He whispers, breathily. Disbelieving, maybe. "Skeith. That's the name /he/ called. Hm."

The notebook snaps shut with a 'thump' and vanishes back into his inventory, but only after the magus (not Magus) takes a moment to REPEATEDLY UNDERLINE that one name. "...I see. I'm sorry, this conversation must be conjuring a lot of troubling memories. Maybe we /should/ retreat to the tavern if we're going to continue. Drinks are on Setsuna."

    Mizuki is just rezzing scribing tools to try jotting down a message when Ascheriit says something possibly more important. "Slow down a little..." she scrambles to hastily write the names down. Her ears then rotate towards Prophy. "Hmm? The name /who/ called?"

    Setsuna nods his head at the mention of him buying the drinks, " Yes I am happy to cover the cost. I am curious how big a tab I can run up till Vertina comes and finds me. " Taking a moment to look over at the tavern before back to their new friend. " We can also get you some lodging , on us of course. Some food that you don't have to hunt for all the comforts that we don't get out on the open road." Looking back to the doctor , it seems the names meant something to the doctor so doesn't press.

"Honestly, I'd rather not be around a lot of people." The Hero answers them, looking a bit unnerved at the attention Mizuki is giving him most of all. But it's clear this one prefers to travel alone. That kind of... typical 'loner hero with a cursed past' kind of behavior you'd read about in manga.

Schneider has fallen silent and is just listening for the moment. The others seem to have a better grasp on things, he will find out what this all means later. He hopes. Proph has heard at least the one name. He smirks at Ascheriit not wanting to go to a bar. But as far as being a loner, how do we get him to help us? It's a mystery.

"I mean, that's fine too." Prophylaxis says with the biggest of all shrugs, like he's spent a lifetime dealing with edgelords and this is just another for the books. "Best thing about Alliance Privileges is that we can get the private rooms."

There's a beat. He cants his head owlishly, "So... About that thing with the different 'forms.' What did you mean by that?"

"Different forms. You know. Monkey monster. Lion Monster... just similar effects." Ascheriit answers Prophylaxis in as simple terms as he can manage.

"Oh, I see," he nods, as if that makes sense. "So they're able to shapeshift. That'll make things even more difficult. I don't suppose there have been... Five? Distinct forms so far? A new one appearing every few weeks, maybe?"

    Mizuki turns to another sheet of paper and starts writing something. "What form were those? Lions? Wolves? ...Did anyone else think they looked kinda like Treble? ...Err, Gospel?"

    She looks to Prophy. "You think they're linked to us clearing the Tower floors?"

    And then she holds out a piece of paper toward Acheriit. "Can you read this?"

                         All your base are belong to us                        
                                                                                
                I am a human from the planet Earth, year 2012 AD                
        I am trapped inside a VRMMO, a kind of video game, as my avatar        

Ascheriit shakes their head. "I haven't kept track honestly. Probably more than five though." They admit. "These ones are new though, the ones you did recently." The Hero then looks at the paper. "All your base are belong to us." They look up at Mizuki and gives them a weird look. "Adventurers are strange." He decides, pushing Mizuki's hand away with the paper, and starts heading on his way.

    Setsuna takes a moment to look at the doctor and can't help but mouth a question that is obviously the single word 'what' before looking back at there guest. " We are happy to accomodate you however you want, just don't leave. " Then he turns to look at Mizuki as she pieces the puzzle together for him, and then his head swivels back again as he gets whats going on with the doctor's questioning. In the back of his head he is wondering which lander he could ask to move to give the person a room on the outskirt of the city.

Schneider wonders idly, "I wonder if this has anything to do with that broken whale I heard about during the one boss fight? He caused glitches, too, though I don't guess they were the same kind of glitches. I can't really keep my glitches straight." But adventurers -are- strange. Also clueless, at least some of them.

    Mizuki's eyes widen. "The meme worked, but the rest didn't??" She looks at the paper. "So whatever it is isn't just filtering out anything that has meaning tied more to Outside, it's /specifically/ censoring... what we are, where we came from, and how we got here."

    Then she freezes and looks back at Ascheriit. "...'Adventurers are strange.' Was that your own thought? Or is it like... some sort of convenient justification that suddenly popped into your head, and seemed reasonable enough...?"

"Mizuki," Prophylaxis... bops her on the head. Lightly. "You're being a strange adventurer right now. Come on, they need to be alone."

"And I need a drink."

    Mizuki is bopped?! "Agh!" Her ears splay as she turns to Prophy, "Come on! It's part of treating them as people and not NPCs! We'd want to know if something was censoring OUR senses, right?"

    Setsuna walks up behind the doctor and adds, " Come on. I promised drinks, so I will deliver. I am sure as long as we approach them slowly , they will be more talkative for any questions. Perhaps we should implement a postal system. " Turning his head over to Mizuki he adds, " If four people suddenly started shouting that you were having your brain controlled a year ago, wouldn't you call them strange and ask them nicely to stop bothering you?"

Schneider will resume his patrol since it looks like this late-night meeting is breaking up. "Hopefully drinks will still be available when I get off shift?" he wonders. And he will drift away to continue to patrol, dousing his light and letting his eyes readjust to the dark.

    She looks to Setsuna. "Well... yes but... if tons of Adventurers suddenly appeared on Earth, I'd want to know what they say about where they're from!"

    After a moment, her ears perk up, as she shows the paper to Setsuna, tapping the lower two lines. "Wait! It's not just him refusing to read nonsense, he saw the stupid meme and read it out loud! He'd have said the rest of it if he saw it!"

"You know you can ask literally any Lander to try and read that paper to verify your theory?" Prophylaxis shakes his head. "Come on, leave the guy alone. Bug the barkeep or something instead."

    Mizuki nods. "You're right. It's time for SCIENCE." She stuffs the paper in her pocket. Then turns back to Ascheriit. "Sorry for bothering you. But thank you so much for your information, and for helping us try to capture these... monsters, so that we can learn how they work and how to overcome it."

    Setsuna shakes his head and then puts his hand on the doctor's shoulder. " Come on all three of you. Let us get a drink and talk more about things without standing out here in the middle of the night making a ruckus. As that is something only strange Adventurers would do. " He begins to walk to the bar, taking slow steps as he shouts back to the doctor. " Hey Doc, whats your poison?"