we beta-tested this dad

[bloodyashes]

[Airlocked may be over and its producer behind bars... But that doesn't mean that the technology for taking people from their worlds is gone, or that all of IG7's sponsors have given up on replicating its popularity. The fact that the intergalactic police now have to have a taskforce specifically to prevent copycats speaks well enough to that. Some are looking for fame, some are the filthy rich and immoral looking for their own entertainment, but either way, it's happened a good handful of times.

At least this one they caught before it could get into full swing. And, naturally, when it comes to extraction from such situations, the taskforce calls in the experts.

(The added potential firepower doesn't hurt, either.)

There's only a few of the stasis pods filled yet - not enough even for a full 'season' - and the police have gotten most of them, if not squared away, calmed down to the point that they'll accept aid.

Except for one young man - a boy, really, in his late teens with long red hair spilling over his shoulders - with a set to his brows that says he's going to fight anything that tries to get close, and a shimmering light, sometimes gold, sometimes violet, that clings to him like a second skin. None of the police he glares at suspiciously are quite willing to get close to him, not when they don't know what he can do, not when there's only two walls between where they are and the vacuum of space.

Good thing the captain's smart enough to call for more magically-oriented backup, right?]

Comments

[burninglight]

Come on--we'll get what you need and clear out of here.

[bloodyashes]

[And so they do! Which leads to a room with a bunch of police, and a stash of two swords - one sheathed, one not, otherwise identical - and a backpack full of...

Well, half of it is survival gear and related travelling supplies in a strange mismatch of what would ping someone from Junpei or Yuuri's eras as "modern" and half in the sort of archaic style that someone like Arianna would be more at home with.

There's also quite a bit of tropical fruit, and... grilled cactus?

Asch immediately dumps the latter in the trash on the way out, shouldering the bag with the rest after strapping the sheathed sword around his waist.]

Never touching that again.

[burninglight]

[While Asch was getting his things together, Ardyn made a quick aside to the turian space cop; waving a hand vaguely and assuring him the situation was under control. When they finally started to leave, he raised an eyebrow slightly at the tossed cactus.]

...Didn't think cactuar was even edible.

[bloodyashes]

Deserted tropical island, you eat whatever you can get. Want a mango?

[They're slightly bruised but hey, ripe mangoes.]

I'm sick of the damn things, and I never thought I'd say that.

[burninglight]

Sure.

[vegetables and ardyn are in a complicated relationship but he loves fruit]

Come on, let's get out of here and we'll get some real food.

[bloodyashes]

[Here, man, mango, let's go.]

Anything hot that I don't have to cook myself over an open flame, preferably chicken, no carrots.

[He is just. Not in a good enough mood to deal with carrots today.]

[burninglight]

Feel up to a cafe? I know a quiet one that does some good curry, and the owner doesn't ask a lot of questions.

[bloodyashes]

As long as I'm not expected to socialize much, that's fine.

[He can even deal with your fans. Just don't make him meet people he has to make a good impression on.]

Curry sounds great.

[burninglight]

Eh, not at all. Come on.

[bloodyashes]

[Putters them immediately to the cafe because heckin' timeskips, batman.

By now it's probably apparent that, outside of the immediate danger, Asch is out of his depth technology-wise, and also watches everything, not even just out of paranoia but also from genuine curiosity. He looks less out of place than people might expect, given that it's Space and Everything Happens Here, but a few people do seem to notice him and more, who he's with.

Still, he settles easily enough into the booth at the curry place, with a somewhat tired sigh. And that expression remains until he picks up the menu and...

His eyebrows scrunch together.]

...I can't read any of this.

[burninglight]

...really half-assed your translation nanites, didn't they?

[Ardyn leaned his head on one hand, with a small frown.]

Never mind--I can read it just fine. What kind of things do you like?

[bloodyashes]

Honestly, anything that doesn't have carrots or octopus, and isn't so spicy that it burns my mouth out. I'm not especially picky; chicken's my favorite.

[Give him the comfort food, plz.]

At least you're around, I doubt anyone speaks fonic here...

[burninglight]

Never even heard of it.

[mild chicken curry it is, kid]

[bloodyashes]

My native language. I can speak Ancient Ispanian passably, but that's all unless you're one of those people who tries to count the Keterberg dialect as a whole language on its own.

[Thanks dad. Get him a soda too, watch him make the "bubbles???" face.]

[burninglight]

[what a brilliant and nefarious plan]

My native language is one I don't think anyone knows existed anymore. I can speak Ancient Lucian, a bit of some outdated dialect from Niflheim and Tenebrae, some old Insomnian, but I'm mostly fluent in the common Eosian language.

[A shrug.]

Luckily, the translation technology handles any discrepancies.

[bloodyashes]

I think that may be more languages than Auldrant has, at least since the Outer Lands were raised.

[That explains next to nothing, Asch, but oh no here come the drinks as an interruption and...

Yeah, that's a "??? BUBBLES???" face.]