Wave 7 follow-up

The path from Susaki city down to the wharves was once scenic--a pleasantly easy walk through the sea-spray-scented air, that winds through fields of grasses and flowers to where the sun glints off the ocean's sparkling waters. It's still scenic enough, but whatever illusion of peace there once was has vanished. The city walls are pockmarked and chipped, the masonry having crumbled under some incredible assault. The gate itself has been blown inwards, the house beyond collapsed. As for the outlying fields, they bear clear signs of combat. Like an animal with a severe case of mange, those luscious fields are pockmarked with a multitude of barren areas where the grass has been burned down to the scorched earth. In other areas the flowers have wilted, rotted, or otherwise corroded away, and occasionally a thin tube of glass--indication, perhaps, of some adventurer's lightning magic--can be found plunging downwards. Adventurers and landers alike are hard at work on repairs, scuttling here and there with an air of resentment that tilts towards revenge.

Not so much Spriteshero, who is just sort of standing off by himself with a notebook and pen in hand, studying his surroundings with a pensive frown. And yes, he's getting a good number of dirty looks, though perhaps some of those looks are dirtier than might be expected for someone who just isn't pulling their weight.

Uta wanders in. The scorching, corrosion, and glassing leaves her in shock, jaw dropping in incredulity. She pokes at the corners of walls with her staff, and the severely damaged structures crumble under the slight pressure. She hunches down, picks up some scorched earth, sniffs at it, then lets it trickle through her fingers. She breaks off a bit of glass, and looks through them. Slow step after slow step, she eventually covers the distance that takes her next to SpritesHero.

"My goodness...", she says. "...what the heck just happened here?!"

SpritesHero's eyebrows nudge upwards. There's a moment's consideration, a moment's confusion, and those eyebrows momentarily slide even further upwards. What happened here? Where does one even start? "Battle." is what Sprites decides after an additional pause, evidently figuring this is the most succinct summation of recent events. And indeed it is succinct. Helpful? Not so much.

Looking around the area, Michio sighs. "Selfishness. The desire for self gratification, no matter the cost."

"Someone's ego exploded. Gotcha," Uta says with a nod.

She stands there, holding her staff. The breeze ruffles her hair, and even manages to disturb the hems of her MMORPG-y outfit, vaguelly falling between a nurse's uniform and a martial artist's gi. "That was some ego. And some explosion."

With a frown she turns to SpritesHero and Michio, and asks, "...Just /whose/ ego exploded?"

SpritesHero scuffs at the soil with his booted foot, one eyebrow quirked, then glances back towards the city. As he replies, his gaze slowly wanders along the length of the road, as though mapping out progress towards the port city. "Three individals showed up from another world just after Floor 7 cleared," he explains, keeping his tones level, if a touch distracted. "Most of this," he trails off, indicating the bashed-in gate, "is actually from only one of them. The incidental devastation is just what happens when a bunch of people toss a bunch of magic." With a thunk, he drops his notebook and pen on the floor, withdrawing a box from one pocket. He withdraws a jelly bean, pops it into his mouth, and grimaces as though he'd just drunk vinegar. "Questionably erratic bean?" he suggests, offering the box to Uta.

With a soft grunt, Michio adds, "It is my understanding that the attackers here claimed that they were acting in response to their own world being devastated. I am not sure if they know the source of that devastation, other than that it had something to do with our world. I believe they did this because clearing the Tower Bosses is releasing a force not unlike that which caused the Apocalypse, but in other realms, and those realms are attacking us in retribution. This is hypothesis only, however. I need to speak with the otherworlders to confirm, but as I understand, they are not inclined to peaceable conversation, most of the time." He looks around. "The ego that exploded is ours. All of ours. Adventurers in this world, who act without being fully conscious of the consequences of our actions. Or not caring about them."

Uta keeps silent for a while. "I had heard that clearing the tower triggers some effect that allows people from another world to arrive here. Details are sketchy." She glances at Michio, sideways. "I had never heard that we cause damage to them, though. Just about a prophecy, something about them attempting to destroy us before we can destroy them."

More silence.

"Just... /who/ did most of this? Did anyone inspect them? Any special icons?"

She finally looks down at the box SpritesHero offered. "Is it one of those boxes of random-flavor-beans?" She flicks through her menu, and materializes an ampoule. She pours a few drops of its contents on her gloves, rubs them together, and any trace of dirt that still was there disappears. The ampoule is dispatched into her menu once again, and what reappears this time is a small red squishy ball.

With one hand, she keeps squeezing and releasing the ball, while engaging in breathing exercises. With the other hand, eventually, she picks a bean. "I never say no to random anything." And pops the bean into her mouth.

"You're a brave lady, ma'am," Sprites observes, hints of approval and pride warming his tones for all that one eyelid is half-shut against the pucker of his own random-flavor bean. "And yup, you've got it in one. I call it Pandora's box, but I've yet to manage to find hope." He offers the box to Michio, then. Is he generous or sadistic? "I can't speak to previous waves, but the three individuals in this one seemed to have their own separate motives. One had a prophecy that we'd destroy his world, so he figured he'd deal with us first. Rather nice of him to be doing everything he can to ensure that prophecy comes true, I suppose. The second appeared to just like blowing things up. Didn't seem to be quite all there, if I'm to be honest. And the third?" Sprites trails off, lifting his hand to scratch at his head. "Well, ma'am, I'm not quite sure how best to put this. But if I had to say, it looked like he came here to do window shopping." Another pause. A look of confusion. "Icon?"

Uta rolls the bean in her mouth. "...Hope might still elude us, but I've found uncertainty." Eyebrows quirked, she adds, "...I think? I'm not sure. What... what even is this? Peanut?"

"...The Bandit King?" Uta asks, spinning to face Michio. "The previous ruler of the Ezzo Empire? The one who freed his subjects from their fealty, thus making them Outcasts but saving them from the devastating glitch that disfigured the continent?!" As her speech gets faster and less controlled, so does her squeezing of her stress ball. "My goodness, that's... that's a /big/ figure. True heavyweight right there!"

Uta goes pensive. "Data Drain... Data Drain..." The name, repeated like a mantra, slows down her breathing and nervous squeezing again. "...I don't think I've heard anything like that before. Still, interesting. 'Data'? People speaking of of 'data' in a medieval setting? Hm. Intriguing."

More silence, then she continues, to SpritesHero, "...haven't you ever inspected anyone? It's right on your menu. You flick it open, then..." She demonstrates by flicking her own menu open, and swiping her finger through the air a few times (one doesn't see other Adventurers' menus), while she describes what, exactly, she's doing, "See, it allows me to tell that your name is SpritesHero, and that you're an Adventurer. Wings icon. a Lander would have a castle. The 'I' means you're... well, I think it means you're Iman. I'm... not entierely sure what it means, but it'd appear monsters aren't such. They get an 'M'..."

SpritesHero looks shifty-eyed. Very shifty-eyed. His gaze full-on drops, slides waaaay to the side, and suddenly finds a barren patch of ground interesting. "It....could be peanut?" he hazards at length, presumably inspiring zero confidence whatsoever. "And as for wet paper..." Pause. "I believe I can reasonably assure you that, to the standard individual, the probability of them tasting specifically like wet paper is extraordinarily low." Nope, definitely not inspiring confidence. He snaps the box shut, crisply, and turns his attentions back to the discussion at hand. Which is to say that his eyes narrow, his head cants to the side, and then he relaxes to...well...try and act a bit normal.

"I -know- what inspect does," he protests, hands going to his waist. "But I was a -little- bit busy trying not to get cut in half by flying scythes at the moment. So no, I didn't get a chance to get a good inspect off, though someone did mention that the window-shopper was orange. As for this Bandit King, I didn't see him at all. Things were messy, though, so I could have easily missed him."

"Yes, that Bandit King, as I understand it." Michio nods in confirmation.

"Someone was using an ability called Data Drain on Merek. The Bandit King interrupted it, and told Merek that he could learn the ability. Told him that it could be used to protect or to harm. That is about all I know about that."

Michio never did take a bean, and he's beginning to look relieved about that fact.

Offering another sigh, Michio shakes his head. "This is no good. There has to be some compromise. Some way to convince the interlopers who come to our world that the Landers are not at fault for what is being done to them. My alliance is afraid of challenging the Scale because they're worried the Scale will take any such transgresion out on the Landers, and that we won't be able to protect them."

Fists begin clenching at Michio's sides. "And some in the Alliance even believe that it doesn't matter what happens to other worlds, that we should protect this one at any cost, and ignore the fact that the Scale might be causing great cataclysms and destroying lives in other worlds."

"How do we know that tower climbs are damaging life in other worlds?", asks Uta, all business for once. She still operates her stress ball, but this time it's more like a slow, regular, rhythmic rolling it in her hand. "Do we have clear, specific, traceable information about this? Or is it some hearsay? Is it just about their prophecy that we'll destroy their world, or something more? What's the source of this information? Tracign sources is important."

Another pause. "The Scale, as a whole alliance, taking out transgressions on the Landers? How would that work?" Asks Uta. "I know Doctor Prophylaxis, the way I understand it he's a prominent figure in Scale, and he's been proactive in giving Lander Spriggan refugees from Ezzo a home within the tower. I can't see how people who help someone so unpopular would take their frustration out on them."

"Sorry for sounding condescending, SpritesHero," mumbles Uta. "I... I have moments of... ah... absent-mindedness at times."

"Based on what I've heard," she continues to Spriteshero, "there's a bunch of religious fanatics among the Outerworlders. Won't be easy to reason with them."

"According to my Alliance," Michio turns to respond to Uta, "Multiple people who have come through the incursions during waves have made the same claim. That we are damaging their worlds. I don't know if the other-worlders are blaming the tower, but the fact that the portals between worlds open in direct relation to the beating of a boss, it is a safe assumption. It is, however, a hypothesis only, and will remain so until we can have a face to face meeting with one of the other-worlders."

Michio pauses for a long moment, "It is my understanding that one of the otherworlders is here, in our world. Perhaps stranded. Perhaps also somehow sending information back to the other worlds. I do not know. However, I would like to find her, and speak to her." Another thoughtful pause, "It is not necessarily that the Scalers maliciously wish harm to the Landers. But it is, as I said, their selfishness in action that does harm the Landers, ultimately. If I were to punch someone in the face, and then say, 'Oh, sorry' and heal the wound, and then punch the person in the face again, that would not excuse me from the harm that I was doing. Choosing to scale the tower is choosing to harm the Landers, and possibly even people of other worlds. For all we know, it could be destroying the very world we came from."

Oh. Oh dear. This is one of those moments for bureaucratese, yes? "I assure you that we will be doing everything in power to negotiate with those individuals with whom there is sufficient mutual interests as to overcome the regrettable conflicts that need and, indeed, must arise from the interactions from any two groups, populations, or collections of individuals. However, I would further caution you that the relative positions of these populations cannot be removed from consideration, especially due to uncertainties as to what does or does not result in what, and that excessive consideration with insufficient...or in the absence of, credible, veriafiably, and thoroughly vetted intelligence is likely to result in the completely paralysis of any ruling order. They must therefore be carefully accounted for when establishing mutually beneficial arrangements of understanding." Tada!

He then winces, visibly, and extends his hand to Uta. "Please just call me Robert," he requests, his manner all business. "You seem rather well-informed, ma'am. Perhaps you might have some input into a couple things? First, does the name Bondrewd mean anything to you? Alternatively Lord of Dawn? Secondly, can you think of any reason why one of them might have targeted recently developed ships?" He indicates the wharves with a jab of a finger. "Those ships?"

"So, hypotheses. Good to know. Not saying hypotheses are bad, mind you. But it is very important to keep them in a bucket separate from facts. It helps in establishing truth."

She doesn't interfere in the discussion between Michio and SpritesHero about the tower, but when they're done, she adds, "You were asking why they'd attack the ships? My hypothesis is that it's a deliberate attack on Olympus's interest, and their goal is exactly what is brewing right here, right now: division and contention between Alliances. Suspicions, accusations, distrust. I should be yelling at Scale for destroying our beautiful project, but no. Can't speak for my whole alliance, but I, personally, will do nothing like that. I think our best weapon to overcome this threat is to /first/ reach unity between us Adventurers, regardless of our goals, and /then/ think of how to tackle this common threat."

Uta hesitates for a moment after Robert's introduction, then extends one hand. "Pleased to meet you, Robert. I'm Uta Furore, Aerialist, Musical Kung-Fu Nurse, appreciative of Slimes and interested in stories of all sorts." Despite handshakes not really being a Japanese thing, she manages quite a firm one.

Robert drops the name 'Bondrewd', and Uta goes off. She stands up, eyes bulging out, and now obviously talking on some chimlink channel, she starts pacing around and yelling, that poor stress ball suffering a massacre. "HAS ANYONE INSPECTED BONDREWD?! WHAT ICONS DOES HE HAVE?! WHAT DOES HE LOOK LIKE?! THIS IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE!!"

She spins around in chaotic arcs, pacing here and there, oblivious to the rest of the world. "I have something big for you. I'm here, where the last wave hit. I've spoken with people, and they told me that someone named Bondrewd was here. Hold onto your hats, because this is big..." She stops, inhales deeply, not even squeezing her stress ball and then, slowly, "..he. Can. Make. /Relics/."

"But what /is/ fact is that the Waves and the Boss clearings are related. I don't believe there is any room for questioning that, right?" Michio waits a moment before continuing on, "And despite that, people continue to push for clearing the boss floors, even though people propose there might be other ways to escape this world. Ways that could very well prove less detrimental to the Landers."

SpritesHero perhaps expects some degree of eccentricity from the knowledgeable, for he regards Uta's antics with no judgement. No visible judgement, at any rate. He simply tucks his hands behind his back, gaze tracking her as she bounces back and forth spinning, and such. If her bouncing should take her behind him, he'll pivot, but that's about it. "Bondrewd is orange," he reiterates. "Well, not HIM specifically. He appears to be human, or something similar. He seemed to be pursuing items that he feels ownership for. And he promised that he'd be back." Pursing his lips, he fishes around in his pack and pulls out a blingy scarf, which he offers to Uta in one hand. "Say he hypothetically was interested in that. What would that tell you?" A glance towards Michio. "And what makes you think that the other ways would be less detrimental? Is there any evidence of this? Lack of evidence of harm is not evidence of a lack of harm. There are infinite possibilities. Only evidence can tell us which are more, and which are less possible. And while I would agree that the waves and the boss clearings are related, the precise nature of that relationship is still unclear to me. And, I would imagine, many others."

"Oh, you knew that already", continues Uta on channel. She rambles on about what seems to be nonsense, but a few tidbits stand out: one, apparently this Bondrewd is something called a "Flügel", something or someone who possesses ultra advanced technology, Uta wasn't sure of what he'd look like (she asked if he was mechanical like a 'machina'; at another point, if he had wings), and then something about "analyzing a biological sample" of this Bondrewd.

When she finally seems to be done, Uta stares at the scarf for a few seconds, completely enthralled. Then shakes her head. "Uh... that I can't say for sure," Uta mumbles to SpritesHero, "I might have a hypothesis, but I'd rather not speak on guesses. I can give you a solid pointer, though: speak with Lin from my alliance, and ask him the same question. He is skilled in analyizing relics and can give you more information than I can. He's even able to identify who made items. Based on what I've heard today... the answer to that question might shed light on this whole story. Be aware, however, that he's a sort of... dealer in information, who buys and sells little tidbits of knowledge, so act accordingly.

She looks down at the stress ball, which has been taking quite a beating. She looks left, then right, shifty-eyed, and after holding it close to her chest for a moment, she navigates her menu and makes the item disappear in a shimmer of colors."

"If one avenue guarantees harm, but another avenue does not, the other avenue is worth pursuing until it is confirmed that it also will harm." Michio argues, "And also, there is evidence in the form of the waves themselves, and those who come to our world through them. Even if that evidence is hearsay. If one person tells you the sky is green, question their sanity. If a dozen people tell you the sky is green, question your own."

"First, Do no harm." Michio says, "That is part of the hypocratic oath, back in the real world. While I wasn't a doctor there, I might have been one day, if... things had been different. But I think it is something that everyone should think about when they act."

Michio looks directly at SpritesHero here, "Tower Climbs do harm. We know they do harm to this world, and we have reason to believe that they do harm to other worlds. Strong reasons. Those that climb the tower choose to do great harm to many innocent people, and that makes them my enemy."

"Hm." Robert's eyes roll back until only the whites show, remaining thus for a couple seconds before returning to normal. Probably filing information away. Or cross-referencing. Or something. It's an odd enough behavior to be rather distinctive, at any rate. He neatly tucks the scarf back into hiding. "Much obliged for the tip. You mentioned biological samples. You have one, or you need one? And if you had one, what would you do with it?" Michio's gaze is met head-on, but only for a brief moment. "I welcome the pursuit of alternatives. But I've not seen results. And I'm not about to try alternatives one at a time, twiddling my fingers, in the hopes that something just might work. Even if I were to accept all your other assumptions...and I frankly don't...you make it sound like delaying a return is harmless. It isn't."

"Though admittedly," Sprites adds with a wry smile, "I'm not in a position to see how much progress has ben made on your end. But I've seen no press releases, so I figure you're dead in the water."

"Someone from my Alliance is volunteering a sample," Uta replies to SpritesHero. "But if I had a sample, what I would do is, I would reach out to a skilled medical figure, and have it analyzed. And tell this medical figure to reach out to Uta so this medical figure and her can compare notes about what has been found out, in the interest of all Adventurers" She blinks, then scratches her head, once again, frowning, "...which, considering I'm both Uta /and/ a skilled medical figure, uh, would make for quite some confusing behaviour, I guess?"

Uta looked worried when Sprites rolled his eyes, and once she's answered the latest question, the nurse offers, "...That thing with the eyes looked worrying. Do you want me to diagnose you for any medical status effect?"

"Now who is making assumptions?" Michio queries Sprites. "Do you not think our government is taking care of our families in our absence? I do not know your situation. What I do know is that we are the strangers in this land, and we have no right to prioritize ourselves over the people who live here, or who are in other places. You might deny truth to ease your conscience, but that doesn't make your belief truth. It makes you a zealot who ignores reality when it interferes with your beliefs." Michio shrugs waves to Uta, then turns his back on the group, beginning to walk back towards Susaki. "Do what you feel you need to, and I will do the same."

SpritesHero inclines his head in acknowledgement to Michio...probably simply resignation that this conversation isn't going anywhere. His smile thins, ever so slightly. "As you wish, sir," he answers, gaze crinkling just a touch about the edges before he turns back to Uta. Confusion reigns. "What? What eyes? Why would I want a medical examination?" he queries as his brow furrows hard down the middle. "Sorry, where was I? Right. Samples. What exactly would you be looking for in this sample? Anything specific, or likely more of a general characterization?"