001 | Video

[bigdogninja]

[The network gets a good look at the giant man wearing mostly black with a grumpy face. Kurogane is huge, taking up the entire screen and not allowing for much to be seen behind him or display any hints to where he might be. That is exactly how he likes it.

As for what he's doing on the network... well, he isn't introducing himself. Despite his displeased face he doesn't appear to be all that freaked out about ending up in some strange world. Usually Kurogane isn't the one going around asking about his traveling companions - that's a job belonging to other people but seeing as how Fai is currently unconscious someone has to do it. The idiot mage will be upset if he doesn't know if the children are here.]

Listen up, if any of you have heard of anyone by the name of Syaoran or Sakura about this tall [Motions to about where his elbows come up to, which is helpful considering it's hard to tell how tall the man is.] I need to know. Or if you've seen a strange white creature that looks like a riceball or meatbun... or a rabbit and talks a lot, calls itself Mokona then point me in the direction you last saw it. It's probably off stuffing its face or crying because it's lost us.

I'm also looking for someone who knows a thing or two about technology. Specifically artifical limbs. [Have a nice good look at his left arm which looks perfectly normal.] Lost my arm a while back and got an artifical one but it isn't quite right. There was a replacement on the way but seeing as how I ended up in a different world I'm not sure when I'll get it.

[Spoken like a man who isn't worried about how someone is going to get it to him from another world.]

It's not urgent. [Yes it is because it's painful but Kurogane has had worse injuries and certainly had worse when it comes to the limb not fitting right.]

Also need a job. Small stuff or something you need done like fixing up your homes or needing things hauled around. Nothing too long-term. [Just something to earn a little bit of money that isn't permanent. Either this guy doesn't want to believe he'll be here long or there's something else up his sleeve.] Doesn't seem like this world has much need for a warrior and I'm not good for much else except fixing or moving stuff.

That's all. [Then he proceeds to hang up.]

Comments

Video

[redlightgreenlight]

[Valdis is not very amused by the recent string of memory shenanigans. Luckily they seem to be over, but her mood hasn't exactly recovered.]

Appearances can be deceiving.

[She should know.]

Video

[bigdogninja]

[He will be glad to have missed on out on the memory shenanigans. Don't exactly need to be sharing all the horrible crap he's been through. It's already happened once and he'd really rather not have a repeat experience.]

Are they?

[No one knows better than Kurogane the truth of that statement. What he is doing is asking for more information about what lays beyond the facade of this world with very few words.]

[redlightgreenlight]

[She's knows what he's asking...whether or not she will oblige is another matter entirely]

Peace is nothing more than a counterpart to chaos. The scales always tip, one way or another. If you see peace, it only means that the Chaos is hidden in the shadows, waiting for the balance to tip in its favor.

[bigdogninja]

[One of his eyebrows raises curiously at her words. He never once said he saw peace here - that he couldn't see through the peace to what laid beneath. But Kurogane doesn't correct her on that.]

And exactly what chaos waits in the shadows of the peace found here?

[redlightgreenlight]

[She never mentioned 'here' specifically, it had really just been an observation, but since he asked.]

The followers of a Deceased God.

[bigdogninja]

[Kurogane has seen enough worlds to know that it's something that can be said for a lot of them. He doesn't need someone else to tell him that.]

Tch. Figures. [Not surprised at all. At this point he looks more irritated and unimpressed than anything else. It's not the first time he's run into a problem like this.] What sort of trouble can a traveler expect from these followers?

video;

[inkulcation]

I'll let the technologists come to you on their own. I'm sure they'll be out of the woodwork in no time.

[A fake arm that looks perfectly normal? China's starting a countdown. Mostly, it must be said, for betting with herself.]

I haven't heard of people matching those descriptions arriving.

[Said as though obviously she would have heard of them.]

And I can occasionally find a use for significant muscle.

[She leans her chin in her hand, making a show of thoughtfulness.]

video;

[bigdogninja]

Hn. [Kurogane would much rather see them for himself first rather than simply have the word of a stranger that some person works with technology and can figure out the problem with his arm.]

Not yet anyway. If any of them are here, they'll be looking for me.

[Along with Fai but he doesn't say that.]

What sort of use?

[Not one to jump into just any old job available without finding out the details first.]

video;

[inkulcation]

I suppose I can keep my ears open, as it were.

[It doesn't cost her simply to listen. To say something, well, that's another story.]

Hmm. Haven't you ever found that some people simply look at you and think better of picking a fight?

[If he hasn't he's either horribly oblivious or walking in some fascinating company.]

video;

[bigdogninja]

[Don't think he doesn't pick up on that. She might listen for the others but that doesn't necessarily mean she'll talk to them.]

If that's as good as your offer gets.

[A snort.]

Some people, yeah. Those are also usually the people that look at me and retreat until they can get reinforcements. Like they think more bodies are going to ensure they win a fight. Other people look at me and see a challenge.

[Oh no, he knows exactly what he looks like to others and Kurogane welcomes it. He loves a good fight.]

[inkulcation]

Any more than that and I'd have to expect payment, darling.

[At his assessment China smiles faintly.]

Precisely so. The sort I need to meet personally aren't usually the latter type, and it can save me some hassle to have a scowling tall man with me.

[On the right occasions. Perhaps notably, she makes no mention of him handling any fighting.]

[bigdogninja]

That's what I thought. Not sure it's worth it to pay when they're both smart kids and will figure out how to use the network on their own.

[Kurogane is used to dealing with people who deal in equal exchange, needing payment for any kind of service. Which is why he tends to not rely on it unless absolutely necessary.]

That's a shame because I do enjoy putting people in their place. I don't suppose you'd tell me what sort of people you're meeting with that you need a scowling tall man with you. Not unless I agree to do a little bit of work for you first.

[No mention of him accepting or rejecting the job off.]

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper blinks at the screen for a few moments before collecting herself enough to make a reply. This guy is massive and based on the heights he'd indicated of the other people he's looking for, he may also be very tall.]

...is it just me or are you, like, the size of a small mountain?

[This is not at all said insultingly. She's actually quite fascinated.]

Um. We may not need warriors, exactly, but if you know how to fight and you're willing to follow instructions, we've got a police force you could think about joining. And a friend of mine might be able to help you with the arm.

[Pepper continues to sound mildly awed by the fact that Kurogane appears to be a giant.]

[bigdogninja]

[He blinks back at her for that first question. Not really expecting to comment on his size right off the bat. Then he proceeds to roll with it.]

More immovable than a large mountain too.

[Okay that is only true when it comes to a fight. Though it might also cover parts of his personality as well.]

Depends on what the instructions are. I don't follow any order I don't like. [Granted he has changed from the days of fighting everyone and everything just to prove he's the strongest in the country.] Are they any good or just someone who's going to mess it up?

[This is his arm they're talking about and he doesn't need some little bastard tinkering around with it and making it worse.]

video; hope y'all don't mind a threadjack

[highprofilerichkid]

I'm the friend. And I'm very good.

video; I love threadjacks, and don't mind the grumpy man

[bigdogninja]

[Oh hell no. He doesn't mind that someone is butting in on the conversation considering they are talking about them apparently but...]

You look like a damn brat. How old are you?

video;

[highprofilerichkid]

I get that a lot. [Because he IS a brat.] Twenty-one. I'm also a supergenius. Literally. I was a regular genius before, and now I have nanites in my brain. And robotics is my specialty.

[lasergrenades]

I'll stock up on mustard seeds, then.

[Pepper, no. Kurogane won't understand that reference.]

We don't make a habit of giving orders that are, like, seriously problematic. Usually it's along the lines of 'protect these people' or 'patrol here' or 'go arrest this person who's been selling drugs'. [Unless those are in fact problems.] And Tony's the best. He's a pain, and a dork, but he's also brilliant.

[bigdogninja]

What?

[Yeah, he really doesn't.

Those aren't instructions in Kurogane's opinion.] Aren't those sort of things the point of being on a police force? You don't need to be told to do them. [Can he at least beat the drug seller up a little? As for Tony...] Great, another one just what I need. As for him being the best, I highly doubt it but I'll give him a try.

[No offense to Tony but Kurogane is all too aware of the fact that there are a lot of worlds out there and there might be someone better than the other man.]

[lasergrenades]

It's a saying where I come from - if your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains. I'm not religious, though.

[Some things are less funny when the other person doesn't understand the context, unfortunately.]

Well, yeah, but not everyone around here knows what a police force is supposed to operate like. Anyway, there's room to argue some things. Speaking up against orders you'd disagree with is maybe actually a good thing. [She laughs at his assessment of Tony.] Well, a try is better than nothing.

video

[looksfine]

[Meanwhile...there is basically nothing about Aya that looks perfectly normal, aside from the pleasant smile on her green face.]

I may be of assistance with regards to your desire for artificial limbs.

May I ask specifically what it is you require?

video

[bigdogninja]

[This woman is green. Kurogane has seen a lot of weird things on his journey but a green woman is definitely new. At least she looks like a grown-up.]

The limb doesn't fit right where it's connected. Nothing I can't handle on a normal basis but it prevents me from putting too much strain on it. [He has an extremely high pain tolerance so that statement is actually stretching the truth a lot.]

video

[looksfine]

[Technically, she was about...five. But she looked, talked, acted, and even thought like a grownup, so close enough?]

I see.

Such modifications to an already existing limb should not be difficult, given I have previously constructed entire physical forms from spare parts. What is your primary power source?

video

[bigdogninja]

[That's fine too considering he traveled with a couple of people who were essentially only about seven and clones of an original.]

Me. The thing is wired directly into my body, hooked into various parts to make it move as if it were an actual arm rather than just some regular replacement.

video

[looksfine]

[Funny how things work out like that.]

And what of your nerve endings? Have you reason to suspect they are not functioning as they should, in the sense that they are sending you either inexplicable pain or no sensation at all when there should be?