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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 3, 2018 14:37:25 GMT -6
Dear Mother,
We’ve set out on a journey to prove to Kelvin that the world is round. He doesn’t believe me! So we’re going to fly around the world until we get back home. I don’t know how long it’ll take, so don’t wait up for us. We took extra clothes and food!
Sign, Medyas
Co-sign -with love, Keliel
“I-I’m s-so glad I-I t-took th-this j-j-jacket-t…” Medyas said. His teeth clattered together like a typewriter. The boy wore a thick fur hat over his head with earpads, a matching snow jacket, two pairs of pants, and leather boots -yet the cold still seeped through the fabric and chilled his bones to the marrow. Medyas was an astute boy. Naturally, he was the brains of the pair, with a mission to educate his younger brother about the world around them. He knew that by flying south, they were now on the northernmost part of the planet. He learned in class that the extreme north was a mountainous tundra full of snow and severe temperatures. However, it was difficult to educate when he had a frozen snot icicle hanging from his nose. The frosty breeze washing over them made him want to jump inside an oven -or something.
Keliel, whom wore practically the same outfit, sat next to his brother without a care in the world. “Whoooaa! Look at all those mountains! They’re beautiful!” He exclaimed with stars in his eyes. The ostensibly endless expanse of the ocean finally met its end with towering rocky structures which formed only a part of the immense continent known as the motherland. The landscape may change, the seasons may change, but Medyas knew that the ground beneath their feet would remain the same during most of their journey home. Little did they know, their journey would be one full of danger; sharp corners, dark paths, new friends and deadly foes. The kids whom left home that early morning would not be the same by the time they returned. One of them might not return at all…
“Y-you know, K-keliel…” Medyas started, attempting to distract himself from the frigid winds that stabbed his skin. “T-they say Mt. Frappe is s-s-s-SO c-cold, that even f-fire turns t-to ice in mere s-s-s-seconds!” “Wooow, that’s so cool! You know a lot!” Medyas grinned to himself proudly. He took pride in his knowledge, and for his brother to appreciate that was a big boost to his ego. It was then that Keliel said something uncharacteristically insightful, “But…” The tiny arcosian pressed an inquisitive finger on his lips. “Doesn’t that mean our fuel will freeze?”
“…”
There was a deadpan silence in the air, nothing but the whistles of the curling winds were present. Not a single murmur. Not. A. Single. Sound. The motor was off…
“N-N-N-N-NOOOOOOOO!” Medyas cried. He pressed on the gas multiple times. The purge valve seemed to be functioning -that wasn’t the problem, their fuel had literally frozen solid! “O-ok, th-this i-isn’t too b-bad…” He reassured, mostly to himself, as he pulled on a few strings. The parachute tensed, capturing the winds, and slowed down the boys’ descension. The last thing Medyas wanted was to wander about in a cold wonderland of snow and despair. They were a considerable distance from the ground. Medyas was hoping they could glide most of the way and reach a small village where they could seek help.
“Look!” Keliel pointed out. “A village!”
Sigh. Medyas was calming down. Still cold. But he was starting to feel at ease with their predicament. Thanks to his quick thinking, he had managed to mitigate how much altitude they lost while the motor had been off. It seemed they had enough air to glide their way straight to the village! There was really only a single way things could turn for the worst, he thought. “It’s a good thing we didn’t bring Panti along,” he started. “Legend says a fearsome snowstorm begins to rage in the presence of a woman. But we’re all boys here,” Medyas said with closed eyes and a relieved smile. He could at least take solace in that. -Besides, Mt. Frappe was no place for a 4-year old.
“But mom said I can be whatever I want…”
Medyas’s eyes shot wide open…
“Mom said I can be whatever I want…”
“Mom said I can be whatever I want…”
“Mom said I can be whatever I want…”
.
.
.
Suddenly, as if on cue, violent frigid winds began to pick up. “Oh no,” Medyas attempted to tame the beast, but the turbulent streams were just not ideal for parachutes. The fabric twisted and turned until it tangled unto itself. The kids lost their leverage! “OH NOOOOOOOOOO!” Medyas cried. They were falling. Keliel, on the other hand, was having the time of his life! “HAHAHAHAHAHA!” the child chuckled. “This is fun!” “No it’s not Keliel! We could die!” “HAHAHAHAHA!” “STOP LAUGHING!”
Tears swelled in Medyas’s eyes as the siblings fell from the sky. “K-Keliel… I-I don’t wanna die. I’m too young. I miss mom. I want to go back home. This was a bad ideaaaa!” His tears solidified as they left his eyes, adorning the human with crystal icicles of snot and tears crowning his nose and eyelids. Keliel thought he looked hilarious, fueling his non-stop laughter. “You look funny! Hahahahah!” |
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 3, 2018 16:24:34 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
Pale blue skies and an abundance of snowfall. That was the jist of the northern climate. It rarely ever changed. Only a few times a month would one ever be able to see so much as a puff of a cloud, and rarer still was the visibility of the sun. Light was somewhat scarce all year round at Mount Frappe, only ever peering from over the horizon from behind the large mountainscape of the region's namesake. Heavy footfalls of titanium boots thudded through the inches of snow, giving off loud padding noises with each step. One foot after another, Saizomaru drudged through the snowy plains, with no rhyme or reason other than because he wanted to go for a walk. A long walk. "I can't remember the last time I came here," the android mumbled to himself. He turned and looked back from whence he came, his eyes glaring at the long trail of footsteps that disappeared into the far distance. "Siri, how long have I been walking?"A light beep sounded from inside of his body. "You have been walking for two hours and thirty-seven minutes, taking a total of ten-thousand, one-hundred and eighty-one steps."With a humourless chuckle, Saizomaru continued his walk, letting his long grey-white hair bellow wildly against the picked-up winds. "You reckon this would have been a good workout if I was still in the army?""Negative. This would only constitute half of your cardio workout. This is not including the other seven training regimes.""Oh yeah. I remember when I nearly crapped myself doing those two-hundred sit-ups.""An awkward image to behold, I am sure.""The smell wasn't too great either…"=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= The long walk had taken the android to a small pass around one of the mountains. In the distance were the signs of civilization—buildings, lights, pathways and roads. Several of the chimneys had smoke flowing from them; a sure sign of people being around. "Okay! Here now! That was a pretty fun walk, wasn't it, Siri?"The beep resounded once more. "Unfortunately, I do not do the walking, so I cannot say for certain that it was fun.""Yeah, but we had a good talk about the good ol' times, and how I super-glued Hachi's locker shut so he couldn't get to his uniform."Suddenly a flash of red shone from the diamond-shaped reactor on the android's chest. "Sai, I am picking up an unidentified object falling through the mesosphere," alerted Siri. "Height of three-thousand meters rapidly descending."Saizomaru looked up. His enhanced optics was able to zoom in on the object. It was small, almost like a piece of airship shrapnel. "Siri, give me the analysis.""Affirmative." Light began to blink on the sides of Saizomaru's head armor. Inside his eyes he could see and read all the information that was appearing before him. "Two small humanoid objects concealed by a large sheet of material. Estimated guess of a parachute malfunction."A small smirk spread on his pale lips. "Alright then, Siri. Game time."The android blasted off of his feet through built-in propulsors on the soles of his boots, pushing him up at an incredible speed. Like a tracer round he let out a stream of light and smoke as he propelled through the skies, his lights around his body lightning up a pale blue color. Quickly he was making his way towards the object, clearing the distance until he was within a few feet. Segmented plates on the back of his wrist, hand and fingers slid and shuttered apart, revealing a compartment that ejected three shuriken from the forearm to between his fingers. Holding them in place, he dragged the blades through the material that was wrapped out the creatures inside. Saizomaru grunted for a moment. He didn't expect kids of all things. Quickly he grabbed the pair of them, letting the tattered halves of the parachute keep falling while he make his way back to the ground, several meters away from where they would have ended up as a crash site. The propulsors came to a dim jet of flame, and then vanished as the android touched down. With a sigh, he dropped both of the kids on their fronts before taking a few steps back. "You kids trying to become famous GodTubers or something?" he chided with a rhetorical question as he folded his metal arms across his chest. "I'm not even gonna ask where your parents are, because I don't think they would let you do something stupid if they knew where you were."Saizomaru paused for a moment. He shook his head with a light smirk. "Well… No one got hurt. And if you landed on your heads, you woulda been fine, eh?" he teased towards their helmet-like heads, reaching out with a hand and lightly rapping his knuckles against the top of Kelvin's.
RULES OF NATURE! Saizomaru saved some kids! |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 4, 2018 23:38:58 GMT -6
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” “AAAAAAAAAAAA!” “HAHAHAHAHAHAHA-snort HAHAHAHA” Keliel continued to laugh away as his brother screamed for dear life. While Medyas held his head, the arcosian held his tummy and leaned back chuckling. The yelling only stopped when sharp knife-like objects purged through the weak makeshift hood and sheered it open with a shrill jarring sound. “Hi~” Keliel promptly greeted the light-skinned man with long silver hair and what appeared to be metallic armor. Medyas was speechless, he only stared with mouth agape like a startled squirrel. The boys climbed onto the safety of the man’s arms and watched their paramotor fall below. “Aaaww man…” Medyas complained. “I guess we won’t be flying anytime soon…” He pouted. He just installed that new hood too, as preparation for the chilling temperatures of Mt. Frappe -which he gravely underestimated. No matter, he thought. Hopefully the nearby village had parts he could buy to repair the thing. They’ll be up and flying in no time! The child nodded to himself with approval. Keliel, on the other hand, had completely forgotten about their flying contraption. His big and red innocent eyes never left their savior. He observed him curiously, a consistent gaze which often made people uncomfortable and blush. As the man lowered them to the ground, Medyas bowed diligently. “Thank you for saving us, sir.” He was the polite one. Keliel just smiled brightly with hands locked behind his back. His winter hat was lost during the rescue, possibly caught on a sharp end of the hood. The light turquoise crystal in-between his black stubby horns and white carapace structure on his head complimented the snow around them. He looked heftier, however, with the thick jacket and double pants. In contrast, Medyas managed to keep his hat. Only a few strands of curly brown hair breached down his forehead, slightly covering his dark chocolate eyes. “Heh!” Medyas rubbed the snot from his nose, “that’s actually not a bad idea…” he said. They could have become famous if they had brought a camera around to record their adventures! Medyas, however, didn’t quite get the man’s comment. Sure, he wore a helmet over his winter hat, but it would not have saved him from a three-thousand-meter fall. He must have been talking about his younger brother, he concluded. Keliel had proven to be thick-headed both in mind and matter. “My name is Medyas, and this is my brother Kelvin,” “-But mommy says I’m not a temperature, so she calls me Keliel!” the two-foot arcosian clarified enthusiastically. Medyas nodded. “Keliel thinks the world is flat, I TOLD him it’s round, but he doesn’t believe me! So... we’re flying around the world to prove it!” “-But our fuel froze!” Keliel continued. “And then a stroooooong - Keliel lifted his arms high in the air to portray how strong- breeze came and took us down!” “So now we’re stuck here until I can fix the paramotor…” Medyas sighed. “What’s your name mister?” Keliel asked as he playfully swung his arms back and forth, tail swaying behind him. After all the introductions, Medyas suggested they walk towards the village. “Brrrrrr!” He shivered. All the commotion made him forget how cold he felt! “Can we find some shelter? I’m freeeeezzzing!”If agreed, Medyas would quickly scurry towards his fallen contraption and press on a button, causing the paramotor to collapse into a tiny capsule which the boy then stowed away in his pocket. … Welcome to Lime-Snow Village! A small self-contained settlement with just over 100 residents. It was composed of structures making up people’s homes, offices, retail stores, everything a civilization had but packed into a tiny space encroached between two mountains. Their strategic location spared them from the bulk of the frigid winds, though it also meant that their already limited exposure to sunlight was exacerbated. Albeit, their semi-permanently shadowed village was occasionally greeted by their sun as it caressed the horizon centered between the mountains; resulting in a beautiful cocktail of mesmerizing refracted lights. Oftentimes, the village would turn off all the lights in town to admire the lime-green auroras formed directly above their village. Every resident had a job, and everything functioned to satisfy the bare minimum. Comfort and quality of life was the focus. The village people worked to sustain each other. However, they were in the process of a paradigm shift that would transform their civilization! While the old-school consensus frowned upon over-indulgence and the bourgeois, the youth sought to expand the village and increase supply. In fact, they were currently working to bolster their hydroponics facilities. More food meant the population could grow from within, which led to a greater labor force, leading to an increase of construction projects throughout the village and, ultimately, transforming their hamlet into a full-fledged city! The extreme north had nothing to offer tourists in terms of entertainment, so the villagers would create their own artificial attractions. In addition, the youth have implemented other modern initiatives, much to their elderly’s chagrin, of illuminating their village with neon lights to embellish their technological advancements. Nonetheless, for now, they were still a small village and the youth had political barriers to overcome from within before any serious progress could be accomplished. Thus, the modest settlement would be very surprised to discover a group of travelers setting foot on their land. While a big city was an attractive prospect which warranted proper consideration, even the youth couldn’t deny; The bright side of living in a small village meant that the crime rate was at a record low! Everyone knew each other, borrowed, and helped each other. The downside… Well, that was yet to be seen… “Wooooow!” Keliel’s eyes glimmered. The turquois crystal on his head reflected the various neon colors emanating from the many buildings lined against the pavement. Medyas pulled on his brother’s coat-collar to keep the curious lizard from walking into a large automated tractor which was passing their way. It appeared the village had implemented an autonomous device to keep their streets clear of snow and sleet, to ensure the safety of their people from unnecessary injuries or accidents. “Anyone hungry?” Medyas commented as he signaled the town mall with a select few but diverse outlets. Most of them appeared vegan, except for one, which seemed to offer whatever creatures lurked within the mountains as a delicacy. Saizomaru |
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 6, 2018 10:10:47 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
Well at least one of the kids was polite, even if he was a complaining one. Saizomaru folded his arms across his chest, a light shinking sound humming as metal ground against metal. High-pitched taps resounded when he tapped a finger against the crook of his elbow. "Maybe you wanna hold of flying for the time being," he said in a calm yet stern voice. "Maybe when you learn to actually open up your parachute properly should you give it a try… And you're welcome, by the way."As much as he was mad, he was more disappointed with the two of them. But everyone starts out foolish, he thought to himself. As young and as innocent as they were, he couldn't stay mad at them for too long. Well, that was the plan until Medyas was getting stupid ideas. Quickly he lashed out with an arm and swatted the side of the arcosian's head with the back of his hand—a gentle, scolding tap, more or less. "No. It's a bad idea. No stupid stunts for your fifteen minutes of internet fame." His arm retreated back across his chest as he let out a soft sigh, shaking his head in that all-too-familiar feeling of disappointment. Kids will be kids though. Now the android found himself stuck between a rock and a hard place when it came to trying to get a word in edgeways. He stood and listened to the two brothers tell their life stories between the pair of them. He had waited until they were silent. "Well, first off," Saizomaru began before they could continue flapping their lips, "So you're Medyas—" he gestured to the older-looking one, and then pointed to the second "—and you're Keliel? Kelvin? 'Kay, to make this more easier, I'm gonna call you Med and Kel. That cool with you? Good. Second, if, between the pair of you, you can build a working spaceship… exactly why didn't you have the intelligence to just show him a picture of the earth to prove that it's round?"He paused for a moment, and then just smirked. "And, lastly, I'm Saizomaru. Saizo for short. Or just Sai if two syllables is too much."Maybe the one syllable name would be useful for their chattering teeth. He let his arms return to his sides as he gazed out into the distance, noticing the town just ahead of them down the hill. "I'm headed to that town over there—Lime-Snow Village. We're likely to find some shelter there. Maybe a nice warm open fire for you to get cosy by."He began to walk away as Medyas was putting away his little 'toy' back into his capsule. The two were free to follow the android at their own pace. =*=*=*=*=*=*= It had been some time since Saizomaru had stepped foot in this village. He had remembered all those years ago when he was stationed out here on military duty. He remembered how his fellow soldiers would constantly complain about the cold, not unlike the two arcosian kids. He remembered the times when they would draw straws between the six of them to see who would have to do the two-mile trek through the snow and blistering winds just to go into town to pick up supplies. He had remembered the times when they would complain about having to have bean-sprout soup for weeks at a time, for breakfast and lunch and dinner. Carrot sticks for snacks too. But more so than that he remembered the Frostfall. Two years ago something happened a top of Mount Frappe that caused a huge glacial avalanche to fall upon the village. For months supply routes had been blocked, manufacturing plants had to shut down, and unrest permeated through the village like a plague. He wondered if the people ever truly recovered from that event… A lot has changed. Saizomaru was surprised to see that what was once a closed, almost reclusive settlement had become a more prosperous, almost beacon-like statement to the rest of the world that this place was moving with the times into the modern age. Coal and oil plants had become solar and wind farms, though the prospect of any return from solar was bemusing to say the least, but at least the strong winds would let the turbines pick up the slack from the solar panels. The kids were enjoying the sights, so it appeared to be. For a moment Saizomaru felt as though he was taking his own kids for an outing. He never had any of his own though. It was a new feeling, a new experience, for him. It wasn't entirely unpleasant. Just a little… out of the way. He watched as Medyas pointed to the mall. With a smirk, he sprinted off of the tarmac of the road towards the doorway. "Race ya!" he called out behind him. "Last one there is yeti poop!"Kids were a bad influence on him.
Lord Kelvin |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 7, 2018 0:58:10 GMT -6
Medyas and Keliel’s eyes widened as Saizo raced off ahead of them. “Get back here you cheater!” Medyas yelled out as he ran after him. Keliel followed closely behind his brother. “Haha! He said yeti poop!” “You don’t even know what a yeti is.” “It’s still funny!”Near the entrance, Keliel’s eyes briefly met with a stern man wearing uniform. He stood at a far corner near a catwalk with folded arms and black polished shoes tapping on the floor. When he turned to glance at the newcomers, Keliel spotted an insignia on his chest which resembled a pair of purple pants forming the shape of a ‘P’. The man never broke his gaze. His eyes followed the group into the building up to the tip of the arcosian’s tail. Medyas exhaled. He immediately felt relieved after escaping the bone-chilling temperatures of the outside. He remained standing just over the front entrance, below a heater which blew hot down its customers. “Aaaaahh…” His body shivered. The instant contrast between sub-zero temperatures and the hot stream of air sizzled in his skin and felt delightful. Medyas took off his winter hat, revealing his full head of curly brown hair. He could stay in that spot for HOURS. Silence overthrew the restaurant within moments of them entering. Their arrival was announced by a bell suspended over the door which rung every time it was opened. Customers had been conversing with friends, family, and coworkers, chatting and laughing. However, all eyes were now looming over them. “Why hello there!” A penguin slid into view from who-knows-where. She wore an apron over blue jeans and a blouse; the hostess no doubt. The ends of her beak curled up into a friendly smile, showing her snowy-white teeth. “Welcome to our modest diner!,” she leaned forward and covered her mouth with one hand, “I apologize in advance, we’re not used to having lovely visitors such as yourselves!” she whispered before receding back and resuming her spiel at regular volume. “Please help yourselves to a table of your choice! Here at Lime-Wire-Diner, we represent the youth of our humble village in both technology AND explosive flavors -but no meat!” She offered the group a dismissive wagging finger and cheerful smile which then transformed into a scowl and furrowed brows to emphasize, “-never meat.” She glared through the glass window across the street, where a competitor stood outside his establishment with a drumstick. Their eyes locked as he, matter of factly, cleaved into the morsel and ripped the flesh from the bone. He then smirked back. She shivered. Gulp! Medyas worried she could smell his meat-eating disgrace, but the boy was determined to pretend he was vegan for an evening. Settling on a table, Medyas and Keliel sat together across from Saizo. The table was integrated with a hi-tech touch-screen menu with which customers could interact and order! It allowed a seamless experience for customers to add or remove orders from their tab. It even had a buffer bar to inform the customer when canceling their order was no longer viable! Keliel was about to press on a button when Medyas caught his finger, “Heeey!” “Hold on, mom hasn’t bought me a credit card yet! We have to choose cash.” “Okay… What are you orderin’ Sai?” Keliel grinned and tucked his hands between his thighs as he kicked the air under the table. At that moment, Medyas accidentally pressed a button which projected a hologram to be suspended over their table. “Oh, look! Earth. It’s round.” He teased. “Nope!” Keliel rejected his proposition. A hologram was not proof! Medyas turned to Sai with his head tilted and eyes which said, ‘see?’ referring to their earlier conversation during the crash site. … The kids were standing in the snow with their new friend, Sai, just before heading towards Lime-Snow Village for some shelter. The arcosian crossed his arms and shook his head to the right. “Pictures are fabricated.” He responded. Medyas sighed. “As you can see, he’s quite the skeptic!” He said. Honestly, Medyas didn’t think his brother could be blamed for believing what he did; after all, modern technology had advanced so much it was hard to trust anything they found on the internet! Anything could be created to look as fake or realistic as one intended! “He won’t believe me despite ALL the scientific evidence! SO, because we can’t fly to space, we have to travel south until we get back home!”Saizomaru |
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 7, 2018 16:57:07 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
As he was running through the main court, Saizomaru caught a glimpse of a man standing near the entrance. Narrow, stern eyes had trailed him as he blitzed past. A strong jaw line housed a couple of scars along his chin and cheek. For a moment the android had thought that he'd recognized him. No, that wasn't possible. He knew most people in the village from having been settled here all those years ago. And no one that he knew wore such an attire.
Perhaps that was the problem.
But by now, his attention was diverted to the patrons of the restaurant. They had all turned their gaze upon them. A moment or so would have been normal—it was a human reaction to divert their attention to sudden noise, like the bell above the doorway. No, their gazes were fixated. What should have been a moment turned into a prolonged lapse of time. Awkwardness sat in the establishment, if not for the fact that a robot and two kids just walked in, then definitely for the fact that they were being eyed as though they were intruders.
Moments seemed like minutes to the android.
He was about to break the silence, break the tension, with a simple greeting before he was cut short by the hostess' own. Short and full of fluff, the uniform-clad penguin was full of finesse and vitality as she spoke to the trio. Saizomaru couldn't help but have a big smile on his face. It was the first time he had encountered a talking penguin. He had to fight ball the urge to pat her on the head with all that he could.
After she had done talking to them, he gave her a small, polite nod. "Ah, thank you! I'm sure me and the, uh… kids, will have a wonderful time here. We look forward to your service, uh…"
She giggled. "Penny," she responded.
Now half of the android's effort was spent trying to hold back a snicker. "Ah! Thank you… Penny." As she walked away, he had waited until she was out of earshot before he chortled. "Penny," he repeated back to the two brothers behind him. "Penny the penguin!"
He was gonna have a laugh with this all day. Maybe all week.
Saizomaru took his seat across the table from the kids. He lay back against the soft, mahogany-toned leather, his arms sprawled out across the top of the backrest. He looked down at the table, intrigued with its design. He had remembered the time when this sort of technology was not commercially viable for small businesses, though with the village gradually becoming a tourist hotspot he was convinced that the increased revenue was outweighing the upkeep. Black wood housed the components for the touch-screen table top, and the system itself was implemented fairly well.
He had half a mind to jack into it just to see how secure it really was.
A short time had passed as Keliel was having his share of fun playing around with the touch screen. He had hoped the boy wasn't going to break it like they did with their little aircraft.
The arcosian kid threw the time-old question at the man. Even as a robot he was still asked. But before he could say anything the screen ended up showing a picture of the Earth. How they managed to fudge up the controls so badly as to bring it up, or even why the restaurant's system was even showing this, was beyond him.
And, once again, he had to sit through their spiel about how the Earth was round, was not round, how the internet lies, how technology lies, and everything in between. The android could only sigh and rub his thumb and forefinger across his brow. "Does it… really matter if the Earth is round or not?" It was a straight forward question.
Before any of the two of them could answer, however, Saizomaru ran his finger across the Pyrex glass of the top of the table, swiping away the image of the planet and bringing back up the menu order form.
"As for me?" he responded as he leaned forwards. He reached an arm over the table top towards the menu screen. "A pint of soy milk for me. Gotta keep the fibres strong." He tapped his finger on the 'Pay via Credit Card' button before reclining back. He kept a hand by his right thigh, hand open as though to grab something. Within only a second, titanium plates slid and shifted, opening up a small compartment that ejected a holster, clapping into the palm of his hand. His fingers tightened around the wallet that was held within, taking it from the holster before bringing it out in front of him. Opening it up, he slid out a credit card with his thumb. "Food's on me tonight."
Lord Kelvin |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 7, 2018 21:02:49 GMT -6
“Hehehe! That’s funny!” The kids laughed along with Sai, covering their mouths as to not get her attention. Penny the penguin. HA!Sitting at the table with Sai, the children continued to bicker about the shape of the Earth when Sai made a compelling argument to silence them. Huh… Medyas and Keliel blinked at each other. Does it really matter? It was a question they never considered, which could actually dismantle their entire trip! “I never thought about it…” Medyas murmured. It mattered to him!Sai promptly after terminated the holographic Earth and summoned the menu. The boys’ eyes glimmered gratefully as he offered to pay for them. “Yeeees!” Medyas pumped his fist. “Hoooray!” Keliel raised his fist in the air as he stood over his seat. The boys then settled back down and thanked their new friend politely. “Thank you, Sai!”Keliel and Medyas scanned the holographic menu. Everything looked delicious and they had no idea what it was! “Oooo! I’m getting the Fukurou Salad!” Medyas said. Clicking on the description, the Earth’s hologram re-emerged and spun around until the Fukurou Forest came into view. An arrow pointing on the highlighted location opened up a speech box which then explained the origin of his meal. “Eat like the Ninja and Samurai of the ancient Fukurou Forest, a salad full of leafy greens and scrumptious fatty nuts!” “Oh! Oh! My turn!”Keliel pressed on the description for No Spinach Left Behind! The Earth rotated once more, this time highlighting the Spinach Wastes of the Sleepy East. Keliel nudged his brother to read. “We hate wasted spinach, so we’ve imported all the excess spinach from the eastern farms and prepared it -just for you, sprinkled with spices and our special nutty sauce!” “Woooow, just for me!?” Keliel’s starry eyes glittered with delight. “No, it’s just a thing they say to make you tip them.” Medyas said while rolling his eyes. “Awww…”Medyas’s gaze finally settled on Sai. For the first time since they met, a few minutes ago, he looked intently at the silver-haired man and studied his body. It wasn’t quite yet obvious that he was an android… “Hey, Sai, isn’t it uncomfortable to wear that all the time?” Even now, his own winter coat was starting to get on his nerves. The sun-kissed boy took the time to strip himself from the coat while they waited for their meal to arrive.
A white young wolf and a gruff white bear sat nearby across from each other, discussing village affairs over a leafy sub and exquisite soup. They wore formal attire which, along with their mannerisms and way of speaking, imparted them with a sense of importance. When people looked at them, they knew they meant business –formal tie and suitcase business. “Could you pass me the salt?” One said to the other, by which he gracefully complied.
As the bear salted his soup, he began to speak. “The technology integrated in this venue is remarkably excessive. Customers don’t require a holographic Earth to tell them half-wit stories about their food. A simple printed menu will suffice.”
The wolf calmly finished chewing his sandwich before responding, “It’s an investment, for our future. The technology implemented here and across the village liberate talented zoanthropes from these mundane and fruitless tasks. I used to be a waiter here before these machines…” He paused for moment, shifting his gaze from the sandwich in his hands and setting them upon his partner with a most stern visage. “It felt as though my brain was actively decaying every time I had to repeat that dreadful script.”
“Great for you,” the bear retorted. “You moved on, you’ve begun a respectful career helping the village advance, but what about the younger generation of villagers without the proper experience to take up extravagant positions? You’ve stripped them of their summer jobs!”
“You jest! …Surely, no?” They stared at each other for a minute. He wasn’t joking. The wolf reached for a glass of water to clear his throat. “Our village is small. If anything, we’ve alleviated the high demand for employees. There were too many jobs and too few people with the time or interest to engage them! Technology is not taking away our jobs, it’s not enslaving us, it’s liberating us.”
“Heh, so the demand for labor will decrease to balance the supply of workers. Why expand the village? Looks like we’re living just fine!”
“The banal routine job may disappear, but the demand for labor isn’t going anywhere. As our basic yet necessary needs are met by machines, zoanthropes are free to work on tasks which best suit their abilities. We need a hefty workforce to spearhead such a daunting task as to expand the village.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“…”
“Why expand the village?”
The wolf took another sip of water. As he did, he casually turned his head to scout the restaurant. He knew everyone, from the customers, Penny, the chefs, all except the pair of newcomers; a tiny lizard, a human, and a robotized man. He knew this because he caught Sai ejecting his wallet from the holster on his side. To answer his mate’s question required discussing sensitive information which could be dangerous if the wrong person heard him. Any one person in the restaurant could be involved, wearing a mask to spy on him.
“Because the youth of Lime-Snow Village, including myself, want to see progress.” He turned to his mate. “Isn’t that reason enough? We don’t want to live in isolation from the world. We want people from all over the world to visit us and enrich our culture! I understand that we’ve lived comfortably for ages as it is, but even our small village is imperfect. We need to march with the times or get left behind.”
“Well, I say, let them run all they want! We’re fine as we are -better by the looks of it, good work!”
The wolf sighed. He knew they wouldn’t see eye to eye. For all practical purposes, there was no real objective argument he could make. Their views were simply standing on different planes of existence; neither of them were right or wrong, they merely possessed different opinions about how one should live. The bear continued, seeing that his fellow partner was discouraged. “Look, our crime-rate is at a record low compared to the rest of the world! Heck, I read in the news recently, apparently Satan City was attacked by a band of villains and a goat! I haven’t heard word of the outcome.”
The wolf remained silent as the bear took a few more sips from his delectable soup. He licked his lips and wiped extraneous fluid off his fur with a napkin. “That doesn’t convince you? Just the other week, a giant freak from space landed on a farm and ravaged people’s homes! -And don’t get me started on the damn saiyans! Every other week there’s a rampaging ape lurking about. Earth should really put a muzzle on those things. Either cut it or take a hike, I say!” The bear then fidgeted about, making sure there were no saiyans around. He then turned back to his partner and slammed his fists on the table, “Really? Is that the kind of people you want joining our amaaazing city?” Sarcasm.
“I agree,” he finally responded. “There are many benefits to a small village. With that said, although it may be safer to remain isolated from the outside, it’s also susceptible to being controlled.”
A man sitting behind Keliel started coughing sporadically. “Bless you mister!” The child turned to greet the man. He responded some incomprehensible mutterings which probably meant ’thank you’. “You only say that when people sneeze, Keliel.” Medyas butted in. “Oh, ok. I take it back mister.”
The bear’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying. You should be careful with such accusations, the things you say matter. People listen.”
“Right…”
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 8, 2018 13:55:11 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
It wasn't much of a surprise to Saizomaru. Kids going off on their own to do their thing to try and prove a point, without even realizing, or knowing, if that point even needed a reason. A being's quest for knowledge and confirmation was not one to be easily swayed or stifled, that much was true, but the bigger picture was often left bereft of consideration. Everyone is preoccupied with whether they could, but no one stops to think if they should. It was a phrase the android had been told many-a-time.
"A'ight, enough about the geometrical shape of the planet," he said as he sat back, "let's get you boys something to eat." Saizomaru looked down towards the edge of the table frame, noticing several ports and slots along the wood. He placed the edge of his card along the two-inch slot that was close to him before pushing it in. "And keep your voices down. This is a restaurant, not a playground."
He watched the two through the transparent blue hologram that erected between them. He caught Medyas in the eyes as the young boy fixated upon him. The android could tell from the minute movements in the boy's eyes that he was scanning him from the top down to where the table hid the rest of his robotic body.
Then an interesting question was put forward. "No, not really," responded Saizomaru in an oblivious tone. Seemed the kid hadn't an idea of what Saizomaru truly was, and the man was going to see how long he could keep this up before the kids clocked on. "It's got some pretty good padding on the inside. Plus it's pretty well insulated to regulate body temperature, so it does a swell job of keeping the cold out." He propped up his arms along the backrest of the long couch again. "Anyways, let me know when you're done ordering and I'll finish off the payment."
Though as he sat back, the items on the menu had piqued his interest. He had no intention of becoming a vegan, and the lifestyle was one of life's many mysteries that even he could not wrap his head around. Most walks of life contained some form of animalistic dietaries, even something as simple as fish or eggs, or even insects. All mammals are brought up on some form of milk to encourage calcium growth for bones. He wondered if Penny ever had a cheeky salmon once in a while, at least out of the prying eyes who believed her to embody all that her vegan restaurant stood for.
Still, Saizomaru was interested to see what was on offer. 'Sticky Hoisin Noodles'; 'Curried Cauliflower & Lentil Soup'; 'Stuffed Chickpea Jacket Potatoes'—the man wondered if any of these things had any flavour that wasn't earthy and organic. He could kill for a pepperoni pizza right about now. Still, he went ahead and pressed the order for his soy milk on the drinks tab. It was probably the one thing he liked out of all things vegan.
As the kids were perusing through the offered delicacies, Saizomaru caught earshot of a pair of animals not too far from them—a bear and a wolf, both whose pelts were a bright, pristine white, no doubt accommodating for the climate here. Both were donned in matching dark business suits, no doubt the pair of them being part of the same company. They seemed to be enjoying their meal, which came as a pleasant, yet comical, surprise to the android. Two species well known for their carnivorous appetites eating away at their veggies. He was so inclined to take a picture of it.
Their conversation, on the other hand, was not as pleasant to hear as much as their dining habits was to see. The bear appeared the be having a rough time accepting the new changes being implemented and planned for the village, with the wolf having an equally difficult time trying to explain the benefits of the new infrastructure and the cultural growth and diversity that will follow it.
He couldn't hold it in anymore. He had to chime in.
"Yo! Snow White!" the android called out. Both of the zoanthropes turned to him. "No, him—" he waggled his finger towards the bear "—the big man there." The wolf leaned back in his seat as he put down his sandwich. "For a business bear like yourself, you seem to know the square root of nought when it comes to business, don't you?"
The bear's brow furrowed. He flung the spoon down into the half-empty bowl, cold steel clanging against porcelain ringing out for a majority of patrons to hear. "Now, see here, you!" he thundered as he turned in his seat, "Do you not know who I am? I'm—"
"Yeah, yeah, that's cool and all," interjected Saizomaru before the large white businessman could introduce himself, "but I don't really care for who you are or what you do. I just need you to seat your fluffy, plush rump down and listen." The bear was visibly angry, and his companion did nothing but stay silent and watch in disbelief as his boss was being, quite literally, put in place.
"I get that you're sceptical about how far and how strong this village's scope of change is going, but you need to look at the bigger picture. The infrastructure revamp will broaden the horizon of exactly what your city can accomplish, providing new prospects and new revenue for it. Y'know what your biggest revenue is gonna be? Tourism." The android spun on his seat to face the occupied table and leaned forwards. "Did you know that every major city on this planet's tourism encapsulates around twenty-five to forty percent of their revenue? Around twenty to twenty-five percent is from civilian taxes. The rest of it comes from export."
He leaned back and continued, "You see, once you start expanding and finding new, easier, more efficient ways to implement a more technological infrastructure, you're going to be spending less and less doing so, with all the added gain of enriching your tourism revenue. I mean, jeez, you already get plenty of tourism just to view the northern lights! Could you imagine how many more people you could attract if you promised them the greatest natural spectacle on Earth at the top of a one-hundred foot Ferris wheel?
"And I know of your concern about jobs. Quick fact—jobs are more likely to be replaced than they are to disappear. All of those workers that will be out of jobs in the coal mines and the oil fields? They can be retrained. Doing what, you ask? Technician and electrical skills. Machines have taken over their jobs, yes… but who's going to maintain the upkeep of those machines? Or did you think leaving them to their own devices will guarantee they move smoothly at all times, every time? News flash—they won't. Machines break down.
"As for your expenditures? Let's take a quick, abridged survey, a'ight? Your power generation will go way up because your energy infrastructure is more efficient; You don't need to maintain upkeep on livestock for food because of the climate, meaning your food production is lower than probably every other city on the planet; your infrastructure costs will be offset by your tourism income, if not becoming an outright net gain; all of your old fossil fuels can be exported for next to no cost because your vehicles will either be automated and/or electrically powered; and your city will become more well known that it will benefit your exports way more than it already has.
"Did I get everything down right?"
The zoans were left speechless. Saizomaru could practically see the wheels spinning in the bear's head as he tried to process all of this information.
The android smirked. "Hey, bear? Why the long pause?" The man snickered as he turned to the wolf. "C'mon, tell me you got the joke. Crack a smile for confirmation." Within seconds the corners of the wolf's black lips began to turn up. "Ahh, see? You got it, right? Long pause! Hah, high five!"
But the wolf's humour was cut short as he glanced around to his partner, catching his also bestial, snarl-like expression. He slinked away in his chair, avoiding eye contact.
With a nod, Saizomaru spun in his seat back to his table. "Anyway, guys, have enjoy your meal. Don't choke on any of the lentils, by the way."
Lord Kelvin Long post is god damn LOOOONG! |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 8, 2018 21:48:46 GMT -6
His eyebrows were thick. They were furry, unruly, pristine, thick eyebrows, and they were twitching incessantly. His teeth, they were sharp. Keliel knew this because he could appreciate them from where he sat as the adults argued over… Ferris wheels? Yes! Keliel nodded to himself. He heard Ferris wheel. That’s what they were talking about. The tiny arcosian rest his elbows on the table and, in turn, propped his chin over his cupped hands. He smiled as he listened intently to the conversation about Ferris wheels and nodded in agreement to Sai, punctuating his every sentence. He knew about Ferris wheels! Sai sounded like he made sense. But he also looked at the bear’s unadulterated, healthy pair of jaws! His immaculate canines were clenched tightly to hold back his barbaric instincts to maul the arrogant jumpstart. During their discussion… Saizomaru’s monologue, one of the few waiters left in the restaurant passed by to serve their table with a free sample of lentil soup which came packaged with every meal! They still hadn’t the budget to afford robots whom could replace them. A server had many discreet actions one must take in mind when ordering the proper machine! Not to mention, they had to read up on standards and laws passed to make sure they weren’t purchasing a ‘sentient’ machine as defined by their regulating organization. The last thing the village wanted was to be sued for alleged slavery of underpaid robots! “Yaaay!” Keliel and Medyas dug into their lentils, however, they kept an attentive ear on the conversation. “You don’t have to.” The wolf said. His eyes looked at his partner, pleading that he please sit back down. “Yes. Yes I do.” The bear stood up from his chair and reached for his cane which rested beside him. He walked towards the table with the young children and the loud man with big words and winded speeches. He walked steadily, without rush, and an arm tucked behind his back and stopped at the head of their table. A twinkle in his eye as he approached them, noting the healthy mane of white hair resting on the young man’s head. At least, they could agree on their hair, he thought. “Listen young man,” he spoke, looking directly at Saizomaru without breaking eye contact. At this point, Saizomaru could clearly see the other side of the bear’s face, which was obscured by their awkward positions towards the other. One of his eyes’ pupils were whitened, possibly indicating blindness, which was adorned by a scar running down across his right-side and ending at the base of his nose. “It’s easy to ambush your elders in public, out of context, and toss big words and statistics to wound a disarmed man in battle.” He glanced at the children as he continued speaking. “The youth, such as these children, my partner, and yourself, are very astute. Every generation grows up taking for granted what the previous generation built -but I digress,” he raised a quick hand to discourage engaging that comment. “I’m not looking to start another debacle about which generation is or isn’t, I’ve heard every angle.”The bear turned his head, shifting Sai into his visual frame once again. “And I can see that, for better or worse, technology has irreversibly changed you. Whether you’ve met with a terrible fate or chose this outcome out of necessity or otherwise, you might have grown accustomed to your new life-style and developed a new appreciation for technology that I could never comprehend. However, I hope that as you dive into this brand new and brave world of technology, you take a moment to consider the people you’re dragging along with you.” The wolf’s eyes dilated. The way in which his partner uttered that last phrase was enlightening to him, almost as if he had reached an epiphany -a new level of understanding. He could now appreciate a bit more why the elders were so against their village’s progression. The bear almost wanted to end his spiel right there. It would have been perfect as he wisely crooned back to his seat, but he then leaned closer to the android and smirked, not mockingly or mischievously, just a hearty grin. “And in case I gave off the wrong impression, I read. I know the benefits of technology and its many applications. However, I’m also weary and skeptic of fully embracing it without first considering the zoan-mind.” The bear tapped on his temple with his free index finger. “There’s a limit to just how much stimulus our minds can handle before one goes crazy. Sure, you could enhance yourself to cope with these challenges, but with all due respect, I think one is no longer who one used to be once one has crossed that line. The world would be much more peaceful if everyone minded others, by which I mean that not everyone is ready to cross that line with you. People’s choices should be respected, don’t you think?”The bear then turned away and started heading back to his seat, still speaking. “I kind of remember seeing you many years ago, although you seem different, maybe you’ve visited our village before? Or maybe I’m just going senile. HA! My point is, you should know that this village is doing very well for itself. Yes, we could increase revenue, build a beautiful Ferris wheel in the center for all to admire the mesmerizing auroras -but to what end? In my opinion everyone is preoccupied with whether they could, but no one stops to think if they should. Our people are not starving. We live happy lives here.” He finally settled back on his seat and said one final thing before lifting a spoon to his lips. “Isn’t that enough?”Medyas was speechless. He couldn’t really follow the whole conversation, but he gathered enough to understand both sides of the argument. Like the wolf, he didn’t think either of them were wrong. He didn’t think they could be wrong. They simply had two different views of what it meant to live. One sought prosperity and luxury while the other found comfort in simplicity. In the bear’s point of view, the increasing the village’s revenue without need and simply because they can, was an act of greed. He believed that delving deeper into the world of business meant people would spend less time living their lives and more time managing technology, finding out their big pitch, and working to pay for the luxuries they could no longer enjoy because they worked twelve hours per day. Saizomaru |
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 9, 2018 5:21:27 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
It seemed as though this conversation was going to go far. Not that Saizomaru minded—it would help kill time before the food arrived. Well, at least they were going to be given lentils as a sort of 'starter' before the main course arrived.
Out from the corner of his sight the android saw the large bear standing tall from his seat. A large, imposing zoanthrope, to be sure, standing close to ten feet tall. Inwardly Saizomaru mused how he was able to sit in a single seat. He had to glance over just to double-check that the bear wasn't using a second one to support his wide girth.
The android did not make eye contact with his much larger conversational partner. He was staring blankly in front of him, over the tops of the seats, staring at nothing in particular as he listened intently to the business mogul's words. A few had caught him off guard—"Technology has irreversibly changed you"—and it made the android's hand twitch, its fingers flex. His eyes shifted to their sides, glancing as the ursa leaned in close. Almost uncomfortably so. At any other point he would have reached out to grab his face before shoving his back through the restaurant table.
But the zoanthrope was no threat. Not now, at least.
He watched, his eyes following the imposing mammal, as he returned back to his seat. He left a final question as he reached for his spoon once more, cupping another mouthful of his soup.
By this time, most of the patrons, especially those several tables that were near to them, had fixated their eyes upon the group. Some of them looked on in surprise, others in suspense, and others in disdain. But all of them were awaiting to see what would happen next. Who needed to watch a political soap opera when one was unfolding in front of them right now?
Saizomaru glared at that puffy white face of his. The ignorance of this businessman was palpable, something that could be cut through if it were given substance. His found himself idly scratching at the leather along the top of the backrest, a dull rubbing noise vibrating close to him.
"No." He had given his answer. "You think the world will stand still and accommodate your lifestyle. You're naïve to think that."
This time it was the bear to sit and idly and listen, all the while sipping away at the hot soup in front of him. The wolf had remained quiet, yet attentive.
With a sigh, Saizomaru leaned his head back, gazing up at the pearl white ceiling above him. "Technology has changed me, that is true. Be it against my own will is also fact. I have grown accustomed to it—it took me many years, but I persevered. But did I find an all-new appreciation for technological progression? Absolutely not." The bear shifted a glance towards the android as he rest his spoon in the bowl. "Because I was already appreciative of technology before the fact."
He turned his head to see the two at their table before continuing, "You told me, "everyone is preoccupied with whether they could, but no one stops to think if they should." And to that, I say yes. Yes they absolutely should. If not for your infrastructure, then for your energy."
Was a hum the android sat up and gazed out of the large bay window next to them. In the distance he saw large smoke stacks, black smog pouring from the tops like steam from a kettle. "Coal. Oil. Shale gas. All of these fossil fuels are finite. You reckon that these things will be here forever? No, they won't. In fact, I estimate that, without your solar and wind farms, you would have enough fuel to sustain your village for… I dunno… thirty years? Forty at the most?"
By now, there were mutterings from some of the other tables. Especially those that seated the younger generations. They had clocked on to the point the android was making before he even spoke it.
"But I guess, in thirty to forty years time, you will be gone. You won't be around to see the aftermath of your fuel economy going to pot. No, it will be the task of the younger generation to clean up the mess that the older generation left behind. And that is exactly what they are doing right now… Cleaning up your mess."
There was a silence between the two tables. Others around the establishment continued their mutterings to one another. Did the android have a point? Was what he was saying actually true? Or was he simply embroiling the bear with unsubstantial ramblings?
"Are you saying that it is our fault that we had to rely on dirty fuel—the only fuel at the time—just to make a living out here in this arctic wasteland?" the bear thundered back. A scowl was beginning to form on his wide muzzle.
"Don't be hyperbolic. That's not what I'm saying at all. But…" He turned back around. His face was stern, yet sober. It is your fault for holding your village back. You and the rest of the old cronies here."
Silence. Dead silence throughout the restaurant. The younger patrons glanced back at Saizomaru. The older generation outright glared back at him. The polar bear was effectively trying to laser his way right through the android's body with his eyes alone. If looks could kill, it would have been predetermined murder.
"You said that we don't consider the people we're dragging along with us. No, we have—we're dragging along the bright young youth of modern society into the future, and the older people are here along for the ride, because, let's face it, you're not gonna be here for long. Not as long as the next generation will be.
"But let me flip the argument for just a brief second… Did you take a moment to consider the people you're holding back? You want another Frostfall?"
A soft hum filled the restaurant. A collective gasp from most of the patrons. Others just sat wide-eyed. They remembered those horrid months.
The ursa bolted from his seat, cutlery clanging together as he slammed his large, white paws on the table. The chair almost toppled over as it slide back a foot along the varnished wooden floor. "You dare speak so casually about that?" he thundered. A commotion was right on the tipping point.
The android was about to topple it over.
"Casual talk had long since left the harbour, my friend," he retorted as he stood from the booth, stepping out into the open space between the two tables. "I know of the Frostfall. I was there. Stationed in a small outpost just north, I saw the avalanche. I saw your village swallowed by a sea of snow. I saw the damage—destroyed homes, destroyed shops, factories swamped six feet under. I took part in the cleanup!" The android was getting visibly angry. What was left of his organic face had turned into a snarl. "I was there giving my rations to the infants who could not feed themselves! I was there lighting camp fires with my own fuel reserves just to make sure no one would freeze to death! I was there pulling out cold, dead bodies from beneath the snow! I was there… having to tell people that their loved ones had died… That their children had died…"
Silence. Sombre silence. No one had uttered a single word. No one dared to.
"This isn't about luxury. Or money. Or about expansion. This is about securing a future for the next generation, and their generation after, and the one after that. This is about building a better life for them. If technology can do that… If technology can prevent another disaster like that… then I will gladly welcome it in open arms…. And so should you."
Lord Kelvin Shit just got real, yo! |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 9, 2018 10:31:05 GMT -6
Keliel and Medyas sunk into their seats as Sai expanded the conversation for the whole restaurant to hear. He spoke of death and destruction, things which were perhaps too heavy for a pair of kids, and so their eyes wandered aimlessly to the floor not knowing what to look at or where to place their hands or whether to keep listening or pretend to occupy themselves with something. LimeWire staff nervously stood idly by, just before the backroom entrance, unsure of how to respond. Reading the atmosphere, most customers were tuned in on the conversation; some appeared to enjoy the back and forth debate between two stringent views while others simply wanted to enjoy their evening without having to worry about politics. As the staff, they had to ensure that every customer felt welcomed and safe, and here there was a stranger gilded in metallic armor towering over seated patrons, speaking of very delicate trigger-laden topics. Sheldon the Turtle quickly scurried to the back room to consult their hostess. “Penny!... Penny!... Penny!” he called, slowly but surely reaching her. She could tell he was walking briskly from the way his hips swerved. The bear settled back to his seat and stared blankly at his porcelain bowl in silence with clenched fists resting on its sides. The wolf, however, somberly smiled to the android and offered a grateful nod of the head. While the atmosphere was mixed with opposing views, frightened villagers, and concerned staff, he wanted Saizomaru to know that he appreciated him standing up for the youth that he was trying to represent; albeit, he thought the android could’ve toned it down a bit and avoid the antagonistic stance. He sighed. Silence quelled the room as everyone observed in askance. They wondered what would happen next; an evening’s dinner might have become a press release! “I agree with him.” The wolf finally spoke, now addressing the entire room as the conversation had naturally extended beyond his table, as they tended. He had already told his partner much of what the android spoke, mainly their projected challenges dealing with a decrease in coal and oil, but he never had the courage to bring up Frostfall. Saizomaru was actually a perfect Segway into his point, and he hoped the bear would listen. “However, we’re not here to cast blame, I think that’s a fruitless exercise. Chancellor,” the wolf said, turning to the man across his table and then to the customers listening in the venue. “What he’s saying is true. We’ve lost many people to Frostfall. It took us many years before we finally recovered from the catastrophe and returned to a respectable lifestyle. However, despite our progress as a village, we haven’t set any precautions in place to prevent another calamity! If another avalanche were to…” he stopped. A knot filled his throat just thinking about it, he couldn’t finish the sentence. “I understand your concerns about technology, now more than ever! But we are not doing as well as you believe us to be. Our village is still very vulnerable. We have no insurance!”There was a deafening silence in the room. The wolf spoke of things which were already blatantly known, but brushed aside as the villagers lived their carefree lives. Some of them lowered their utensils, unable to take another bite. Penny, had listened in to most of the speech, but the customers were starting to get worked up and she felt the need to stop the discussion. The penguin nervously took a step forward and began walking their direction. The wolf quickly raised his hand and she would halt. “Sorry, I’m almost done.” Penny nodded and took a step back. The wolf leaned over to the Chancellor and considered his eyes. “We tread towards the future, not in blind faith or vanity, but to secure our children! By investing in our infrastructure, renovating our energy systems, increasing tourism, our revenue will surge!” He then stepped out from his table and out in the space between seats, just as Saizomaru had, and addressed the villagers once more. “I motion that we employ our burgeoning tourism in creating provisions for a Crisis Prevention Committee, whom will shepherd a series of projects to ensure that Frostfall never happens again!”The present audience clapped. Hearing the change in atmosphere, Keliel and Medyas decided to join them in the clapping endeavor. The Chancellor, however, sighed and remained silent as he sat with clenched fists. He was still reluctant, but he couldn’t deny that Saizomaru and his trusted partner were making a lot of sense. Even if he still had arguments to bark at them, how could he? The wolf and the android had won over the majority of the crowd present in the establishment. Even the staff were clapping! Penny, for one, was relieved that the whole ordeal had ended without any tossed plates. “Very well…” he finally said under bated breath. “We will settle this formally in court with a proper audience to make your statement official.”Hearing this, the wolf beamed a grin to the android and reached to shake his hand. “Thank you for speaking up. You were instrumental in helping us move this village towards the future! ...May I ask your names?”Keliel raised his hand enthusiastically. “I’m Keliel!” Medyas then, more conservatively, raised his hand. “I’m Medyas. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”After introducing each other, the wolf would nod to Saizomaru and the kids before retiring back to his table. He had so many ideas he wanted to share with the Chancellor, and now he felt like he could finally speak of them without losing his attention! Saizomaru |
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 9, 2018 13:09:28 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
By this point everyone was starting to grow restless. Some of them were visibly distraught. No doubt that those patrons were more affected by the Frostfall than others. Some of them were likely ones who had their homes taken away from them. Others may have very well lost someone—a friend or a relative—because of it. Saizomaru didn't care. It needed to be said. It needed to be acknowledged. He watched as the bear sat down sombrely in his seat once more, almost slumped in his seat. He was wordless and, for the most part, motionless. He had no retort. No comeback. Not even a comment on finding some other way to prevent another disaster with what they already had. How could he? If there was any alternative to technological advancement, it would have been implemented by now. The debate was over, and the ursa had lost. The wolf had stood up now, and was giving his own speech. Well, to say his own was a stretch. Now, he was just repeating exactly what the android had just said. Ironic that a person of his position was plagiarizing someone else's speech. Saizomaru could do nothing but roll his eyes out of sight from the two colleagues in front of him. If anyone else noticed, he didn't all that much care. He had already stated his stance on the matter, and now the wolf was just a figurehead, a platform, for his statements to hold water. And it had worked. The room roared into a thunderous chorus of clapping and cheering. Patrons and porters alike were in joint unison, though most of it was from the younger generation, those who were in this revolution for the long run. Some of the older civilians had joined in, if only because they wanted to avoid another catastrophe. The rest of the elderly remained stoic in their disposition, stubborn and unrelenting, set in their old ways. Saizomaru didn't care for them. He didn't need their approval, only their co-operation. The android caught attention to the outstretched hand of the wolf. Large, fluffy, white as the snow in which he lived in. He looked down at it before returning his gaze back to the lupine, eyes locked. For a moment, he cracked a small smile. "Call me Saizo. And…"His metal hand swatted away the furred paw. "I don't want your gratitude."The zoanthrope was visibly stunned. Shaken. Almost as if he was being betrayed. "H-hey! What gives?" he exclaimed, recoiling a little from the hostile decline of his gratuitous gesture. "What gives is you," replies Saizomaru. His smile turned to a deathly serious expression. "Had you, or anyone else, had the backbone to bring up the Frostfall then you wouldn't be in this predicament right now. No one wants to bring up the past, but those who do not acknowledge it will be forever doomed to repeat it."Confusion was beginning to settle on the minds of those inside. What side was this guy on? First he was praising the younger generation, and now he was criticizing it. "Young or old, you all are too blind to see the real picture," he continued. "I bet you were all so set in wealth and prosperity that you didn't even think, even for a second, how you could use your technology to keep everyone safe in their own village. That's why the older ones here didn't care for your revolution, wasn't it? They're not going to be here long enough to enjoy your newfound luxury.
"And the most depressing part of all is that it took this one outside robot man, who'd only been in your village for a good ten minutes, to tell them how it is."Saizomaru turned away. "We're done here. I'm out." Before the wolf could say anything, the android placed a cold, synthetic palm on the chancellor's shoulder. "By the way, I might not look it, but I'm nearly in my forties. I'm not exactly a 'young man'." He didn't even wait for the bear to reply as he continued walking, stopping only for Penny. "Split the milk for the kids. Make sure they're well fed." He continued on towards the door, opening it and letting the frigid winds flow inside. "But, w-wait! Sir!" the penguin called out. "Where are you going? Will you be back?""There's something I need to see." Stepping out, he closed the door behind him. The bell above the entranceway rang, echoing through the establishment for what felt like minutes. =*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Metal boots thudded against the snow as Saizomaru made his way down the street. Bright lights of the street lamps illuminated the way, revealing any black ice that unsuspecting pedestrians would no doubt suffer and accident, even an injury, from. Hues of different colours shone over the snow from all of the different neon signs and billboards that hung from the arches and awnings of the commercial establishments. A couple of automated plough bots slowly moved their way up the roads, keeping them clear of snow and gritting them with compounds to melt the ice. It didn't take too long before the android had come to the place. It was away from most of the commercial area, nestled in an expanse far from everything else. Large, stone walls, almost ten feet in height and lined with black iron fencing, encompassed a large land mass. Iron gates as tall as the walls themselves were held open with rebar. An arch of stone ran over the tops of the gates, with big, emboldened stone lettering. 'Lime Snow Cemetery.'Hesitation sat in for a moment, but Saizomaru made his way inside. It was larger than what he had remembered. Much so. Rows and rows of gravestones in all different shapes and sizes and colour lined the snow-matted field. Some were left in isolation, while others were in gridded blocks of three by five. There was dozens, upon dozens of them. About a quarter of them from that time. He remembered the mass burial ceremony. He remembered it too well.His eyes locked to the left. He made his way along the stone path towards one of the middle-most sets of gravestones. He cut between the top and middle row, until he found himself in front of the middle one. This was what he was here for. The granite headstone was small, about half the size of the other stones around it, if not a bit smaller. Its dark blue surface flecked silver from where it had marble shavings, glistening off of the light of the sun that peered over the horizon. A small border of the same colour spanned the edged of the grave, with a narrow stone pathway leading up to the front of the headstone. Saizomaru knelt down in front of it. His eyes were locked onto a small picture framed in brass. A young snow leopard zoanthrope was smiling in it, making her cheeks press upwards against her large, amber eyes. The android's eyes moved down to the engraving. "Here lies Dorothy
January 14th, 3008 - October 22nd, 3015
Our sweet little angel
We miss you so much" Idly his hand picked up a small teddy bear that sat on the base of the headstone, leaned up against the front near to the right-most edge. His thumb caressed against the fur of it, shifting away the snow. Part of it has torn, no doubt from the frost. He remembered it more than he wanted to. He remembered digging through nearly three feet of snow before he reached into the hole. Both of his hands wrapped around a much smaller one, covered in fur yet blisteringly cold to the touch. It took him and two other of his men to pull out the small girl. He tried as hard as he could to bring life back to her lifeless body… but it was all in vein. He remembered how, a day later, he had to turn up on the doorstep of two older felines, their daughter's cold, motionless body in the man's arms. He remembered the wailing of the mother as she cried erratically on the embrace of her husband. And the girl was only seven.The android swallowed hard as he placed the bear back down on the grave. It was all he could do to hold back the pain. "How much more innocence must be taken from the world before people are willing to stand up and do something about it…?"
Lord Kelvin Deeeeeeep. |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 9, 2018 16:07:08 GMT -6
“Here you go! One Fukurou Salad and a serving of the best spinach you can find throughout all of Mt. Frappe!” Sheldon the Turtle said as he set the plates on the table, only noticing the older gentlemen was gone after reaching for the milk. “…Where’s your friend?”Everyone was silent. The wolf rubbed his hands as he settled back down on his seat. “What’s his problem…” He muttered, looking to his companion across the table. The bear smirked with a light scoff and lifted the porcelain bowl to his lips to chug down the rest of his soup. It had gotten cold enough already! “What are you smiling about?” The wolf protested. However, the Chancellor kept to himself. Keliel and Medyas glanced at each other. They weren’t sure what to do with the given circumstances; that said, it didn’t take much before Keliel made up his mind. With furrowed eyebrows, the child hopped out of his seat and ran for the door. “W-wait, where are you going!?” Medyas called out. “I’m gonna get Sai!” Within moments, the tiny arcosian was out the door, leaving the customers of Lime-Wire-Diner with another singular bell filling the silence which permeated the establishment. Medyas fidgeted on his seat, almost running after his brother until he remembered their food. “Ummm… can we get this to go?” “Certainly! Let me get some disposable containers…” Sheldon turned, diligently heading straight for the kitchen… slowly… but surely -right? “Um, excuse me sir,” “Yes, how may I help you?”Medyas sighed. The boy pressed his hands over his face and dragged them down, taking his cheeks and eyelids with them. This is going to take forever, he thought. He took a moment to notice the exquisite display with which his meal was prepared. The smell wasn’t half bad either! “Hmm… one bite wouldn’t hurt… while I’m waiting…” The sun-kissed boy nearly dug his fingers into the salad, but caught himself in the act. What would mother say? He thought. Rethinking his manners, he glanced at the people around him and grinned abashedly as if to say ‘ Just kidding!’ Medyas grabbed his utensils and began digging into his salad. Huh?
… “Sai!” Young Keliel cried out to his new friend, however, his voice was muffled by the thick layer of turbulent snow forming between them. It appeared that a spell of wind had been cast on the village, creating a fun-sized blizzard that obstructed their vision. He could still see Saizomaru’s silhouette in the distance, his long hair fluttered back against the currents. “Sai!” He called again, this time with his hands cupped over his mouth, but to no avail. Keliel kind of wished he had hair right about now -that way he could watch it dance like Sai’s! There was no logical reason why the child would think of something so impertinent at this very moment, it was simply something which emerged on the forefront of his thoughts. His coat was kind of like hair, he thought. It had fuzzy synthetic follicles which fizzed in the wind. He also had his tail!
With slit eyes to shield from the pelting flurry of snow, Keliel raised his arms overhead to act as an umbrella. His tiny body leaned forward against the troublesome breeze while his tail instinctively swerved accordingly to shift his center of gravity. If he wasn’t careful, the blizzard could blow him off his feet or knock him down. Eventually, the street became a bed of snow, which then became a sloping hill, and finally, an isolated stretch of land with large stone walls and gates towering over the little arcosian. At its entrance, he saw Saizomaru standing hesitantly, but before he could call out, his friend had disappeared through the immense gates. They were high enough to be out of the blizzard’s reach and instead, as Keliel walked through the gates in pursuit of his friend, he was met with a serene patch of sloping land with curved stones protruding from the ground. Keliel grimaced. His tail now rested solemnly on the snow.
Keliel had never been on a graveyard before. He had seen one or two off the corner of his eye, which were customarily hidden in plain sight amongst the bigger cities, with tall inhibiting trees and structures built around them as if to conceal its pain from the lighthearted folks frolicking about merrily with friends and family just a branch beyond the gates. The arcosian spotted Saizomaru further up the hill, crouched over a specific stone.
Suddenly, a shadow crept over Saizomaru and the gravestone. The shadow stretched over him with a foreboding size and extended ominous horns protruding off its head. He might have been startled though, upon turning, he would find a familiar two-foot arcosian, only a year older than Dorothy, gazing up at him with big and red innocent eyes. It wasn’t intentional, but it was easy for Keliel to creep up on folk because his power level was undetectable. Few people, if any, had witnessed the child’s incredible power -Power that rivaled an adult arcosian! The turquois crystal between his black stubby horns would glisten momentarily before vanishing with the sun, which now hid behind a mountain and caste a beautiful orange glow on the horizon.
Keliel walked up next to Saizomaru and looked down at the gravestone while sucking on his thumb. “…Who is that?” He asked. His eyes fell over the picture frame, the torn teddy bear, the markings on the stone which he could not read. Before Saizomaru could answer, tears were already swelling over his misty eyes. He had no idea, the scope of the calamity of which they spoke back at the diner. Even now, the child did not comprehend that he stood in the graves of hundreds of innocent villagers and children -just like him!- who’ve met with a terrible fate. Regardless, he could feel it. Somehow. Something in the air told him that he should be sad.
Then, Keliel turned around after noticing that his surroundings had become considerably dimmer. It was not only the sun which had secluded itself behind one of the major surrounding mountains, but the village itself was darkened. All the neon lights and street lamps, all the building lights, everything that emitted photons had been turned off -even the scarce lamp-posts of the graveyard. “What happened?” Keliel wondered, although, his question was answered promptly as a stream of sporadic lights spread over the star spangled sky. The northern lights!
“Woow, they’re beeeaautifuuul!” Exclaimed the young arcosian, holding his hands up to his chest and standing on his toes as if the extra inch would offer him a better view. No doubt, the villagers were also converging on the streets to admire the most stunning feature of their home, from which their lime green neon lights were inspired. Keliel looked at Sai, whom still had the same grievously stern expression. He nervously shifted his feet on the snow and remembered something his parents had told him.
“My daddy once told me, that people used to think, that the northern lights are spirits of the dead trying to communicate with those they left behind…” He then chuckled and shook his head, “… but then mommy said, they’re just charged popsicles rushing with the Earth’s atmosphere…” The child rubbed his head and laughed, a tear finally spilling over his cheek as he did. He didn’t know why he felt the need to say that, but he felt like he had to say something. However, what Keliel had never been told is how some cultures believed the Aurora Borealis to be a portent a doom; a harbinger of bad things to come, carrying with it war, plague, and death. Which interpretation was true?
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Post by Saizomaru on Jun 10, 2018 5:51:03 GMT -6
Saizo PL: 11,362
Blank and discontent. Those were the only things Saizomaru was feeling. It had been many years since he had felt a pain like this, but he had to accept it. He had to hold onto it. It was this pain that pushed him forward, pushed him to become a better person—become a beacon of hope for those who had lost sight of it. He had just wished that others could follow his example. It took a while for the android to notice another presence near him, too lost in his own thoughts to have noticed earlier. He looked up at the headstone, catching the reflection of Keliel in the mirror-shined surface of the granite. "Innocence lost." His tone was soft, blunt, yet hiding a profound sense of a loss beneath it. Slowly he stood up, never taking his eyes off of the picture that marked the grave's occupant. He reached out, the tips of synthetic-muscled fingers caressing the top of the smooth stonework. His head lifted and turned to the other half of the cemetery. "One of many at that point." Around him he saw other similar smaller headstones to the one they were visiting. Death did not discriminate whom it took with it. He wondered how old they were when death claimed their innocence. The lights around the village began to dim, with only a singular source cascading a light hue of blues and greens against the fallen snow. Slowly rising his head to the sky, he watched in some sort of half-reclaimed content at the shimmering, sine wave-like spectacle that drifted above the landscape, stretching as far as the eye could see. He wasn't alone in this either. "Ah… The Northern Lights…"The little arcosian seemed to enjoy them. Saizomaru did too. It had been a few years since he had seen them, but it always made him feel at ease, almost in awe as though it was his first time. There was silence between the two of them for a moment. He heard the shifting of feet in the snow before he glanced down at Keliel. For a child of his apparent age he seemed keen to remembering wise sayings. Perhaps there was some truth to what the boy's father had told him. It made the android think. The Lights were always considered a phenomenon unexplained one-hundred percent. A metal arm laced around the arcosian's shoulders. The android's hand gently cupped the side of his head, pulling him close, pressing it against the metal plate on his thigh. It was warm, no doubt from the insulation and artificial blood that regulated the android's metal body. "Let's go back. Your brother is probably waiting for us."=*=*=*=*=*=*=*= Saizomaru led the duo from the cemetery, back on the path towards the village proper, his hand holding onto the boy's. The snow had stopped, leaving a fine sleet of snow on the stonework and asphalt. Ice was made visible from the Lights, shining a bright green colour, easily enough to avoid. A large gathering had formed on the roads, no doubt spectators coming to see the natural wonder that they had been blessed with. Many of them Saizomaru had recognized from the restaurant, while others had come from the other venues on the block. Young or old, at least they all agreed on one consensus: the Northern Lights were beautiful. But the android froze in place. He had caught the eyes of a couple not too far from him. The pair wore winter coats, one pink and one blue. White furred, feline faces with bright-coloured eyes gazed back into his own. Woollen-gloved hands held onto one-another, their grips tightening at the sight of the android. Saizo let the hand that was holding onto Keliel's slacken, dropping by his side like a dead weight. "Captain Saizo…?"He remembered that voice. Low, firm, yet calm and polite. The snow leopard had remembered Saizomaru, and he them. The pair of zoanthropes began to take small, slow steps towards them. Saizomaru felt a lump in his throat. He gave a light nod. "Yeah," he responded in an audible mutter. It had been some time since he had used that title. "Good to see you again… Jacob. Tess…"The lady leopard glanced to one side, taking note of the track of footprints from where the other two had just been. "Captain… were you—?""I had to come here. Make sure everything was okay." His eyes shifted to the side for a moment. A pang struck at his chest. "I'm sorry we couldn't have done more…"There was a pause between the two pairs. Jacob looked around at his wife. But Tess only looked down, a hand held against her chest. Her husband briskly wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. "You did all that you could, Captain," the leopard spoke, his voice shaken, almost cracked. "We're very grateful for what you did for all of us. And we're working our way towards a better living now, thanks to the Earth Defense Force.""The EDF? What have they got to do with this?" Saizomaru was visibly confused. "You didn't know?" The android's silence had told as much. "It was the EDF that supplied us with the materials and technology to upgrade our infrastructure."Tess gave a weak smile before she spoke, " "It was in honour of the people who lost were lost here… and…" Her smile widened more as he gazed back at the android. "It was in honour of the man who led his troops to aid in the recovery effort."Saizomaru felt himself tightening his hands into fists. A small twitch in his eye did little to mask his pride. If his bottom lip was still flesh, it would be quivering. Instead, he could only smile to hide it all. "General Fried… God damnit," he muttered under his breath. Even now, even after he had left the military, his old boss still had his back. He shook his head. "I'm just… I'm glad that I was able to be part of something great, y'know?""And you are, even now. With what you said in the restaurant, maybe people will start opening their eyes. Instead of contention, maybe now we'll have co-operation to work towards a shared goal. No one—" the lady's voice begun to break "—no one should have to worry about losing their child…" Her husband pulled her close, letting her rest her cheek on his shoulder. "No. Never again. I'll make sure of it." Saizomaru paused for a moment before relighting the conversation into a more light-hearted topic. "You still have that store, right, Tess?""Of course. It was pretty badly damaged, but we got it repaired, better than ever! We would be honoured if you dropped by sometime.""I would love to. And what about you, Jacob? Still giving the wife a hand?"The pair of leopards could do little to hold back a collective chuckle. "Nah. Automation means I'm not needed. I'm a civil technician now. Spent two years training under the EDF Tech Program, so now I maintain all the machinery in the village.""Hah! Setting the foundations for the younger, brighter generation, eh?" The trio shared a laugh under the wondrous Lights. "Anyways, I gotta be heading back. No doubt this lil guy's brother is waiting for us.""I didn't know you taken to having adoptive kids, Captain.""Nah. More like a baby-sitter for the lost." The zoanthropes shared a collective expression of worry. "Anyways, be seeing you kitties later. I got some mouths to feed and a bill to pay." He took Keliel's hand before making their way back to the restaurant.
Lord Kelvin |
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Post by Lord Kelvin on Jun 10, 2018 15:17:15 GMT -6
Hmmmm… Keliel lulled as his cheeks were pressed against the warm plates on Saizomaru’s thighs. The heat contrasted from the chilling breeze felt nice on his skin, by which the arcosian child then wrapped his arms to hug the android’s legs. His tail also coiled at the base of his feet until Sai stated that they should head back to the village. The child nodded and held Sai’s hand as they walked out of the cemetery and scaled down the hill to rejoin the Lime Snow residents. Soon, the two had arrived to a crowd of villagers standing outside and gazing up at the northern lights. A particular couple seemed to recognize Saizomaru. Keliel looked up as the man released his hand. His own hands dropped to his sides as his eyes shifted between him and the leopards, and then lowered and fixed on a patch of lime green snow glimmering under the auroras. The boy remained silent, blankly staring at the snow’s shimmer as the adults spoke. He only looked up after Saizomaru mentioned him. Keliel smiled, though a restricted smile, and waved weakly at the couple. He didn’t want to come off too strong with his usual carefree demeanor. It almost felt like he might crush their hearts by daring to be happy during their moment of mourning. Sai then took Keliel’s hand once more and they sat towards the diner. However, when they arrived, the table they left had been wiped clean without a single trace of their presence. “Where’s Medyas?” Keliel wondered with an inquisitive finger on his lips. That’s when Penny chimed in with her usual flair. “You mean that human kid that sat with you? He went off with Cloud to pick up some parts around the corner. Something about his paratrooper or something.”… “Excuse me! Waiter? I need those containers!” The young boy fidgeted in his seat while he waited for the turtle to return to him. He had half a mind to just abandon the food, but his mother taught him better. Medyas sighed and glanced around the restaurant while stuffing his face with a fresh serving of his delicious salad. “Excuse me!” He waved, spotting the penguin. Penny approached him cheerfully. Medyas felt bad for this, but Sheldon was just too slow! So he requested Penny to bring him the containers instead. Before she left, however, he asked her a question. “Also, is there a parts store nearby? My paramotor is busted and I need to fix it -or we’re stuck here!”“Hmmm…” Penny looked up in thought. “There’s one around the corner actually!” the wolf said. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I feel like I can talk to you after all that just happened. I could actually take you there if you want!”Medyas thought about it for a moment. His mother told him not to talk to strangers. But he did have a point, besides, all the villagers seemed nice enough until now. “Sure!” He nodded. The sun-kissed boy would then strap on his winter coat and hat before heading out of the restaurant with the white wolf and his leftovers from the diner. … “They’re still not back yet?” The Chancellor inquired as he approached the group. “It’s almost been an hour now. How many parts does that kid need?”Keliel looked up to Saizomaru and shrugged. The boy wasn’t worried. He had no reason to believe anything was wrong. He was probably turning the corner any moment! However, Sai might notice that the only people missing from the restaurant were Medyas, the wolf, and a mysterious man whom sat behind Keliel with the long hat. The arcosian glanced to the other corner of the restaurant, away from Medyas’s direction. The man in uniform was still standing there, from before they entered the diner. He leaned against the wall with a foot bent backwards, and admired the auroras. He had a toothpick clenched between his teeth. When he noticed Keliel gazing at him, the man’s face tilted towards them and he grinned. “Hmm…” Keliel said, trying not to seem triggered. “Maybe we should go help Medyas pick the parts?” He lied. The boy clearly just wanted to make sure his brother was okay. Saizomaru
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