Enter Astara

[embracetheflame]

[1]

[Very shortly after the previous battle there seems to be another silver-haired girl wandering around Alhambra Base. In her hand is a small map with what seems to be directions to the base. The expression on her face seems to indicate that she's annoyed with something.]

First those darned guards wouldn't let me in, and now I can't even find her anywhere!

...Maybe I should have told her I was coming first.



[2]

[A bit later the same girl can be found in front of a vending machine with her fist shaking in anger. One of the bottles seems to have gotten jammed. ]

Why you...

[She seems to resign in defeat for a moment before glancing around carefully. Once she assumes that no one else is around she lifts the large machine over her head like it was a toy and starts shaking the machine wildly. Eventually the bottle of tea finally emerges from the machine and she sets the machine back down calmly.]

Haha victory is mine!



[3] [Locked to ???]

[A long day of wandering later, the girl has collapsed outside Alhambra in failure.]

Wheeerrrrrreeee are yooooouuuuuuuuuuuu!?

[She sounds utterly defeated.]

Comments

3

[caressthedarkness]

[Well, it might surprise the girl that a person actually trips over her and falls a moment later.]

Ah...! A person?

I am sorry! I was not watching where I was going...and...!

[OTL OTL OTL OTL.]

1/2

[embracetheflame]

Gah, please be more careful next...

[That gets the girl to sit up and it takes her a moment to realize who tripped into her.

Once she does...]

2/2

[embracetheflame]

SEEEEEEETAAAAAAAAAA, THERE YOU ARE!

[The largest hug.]

2

[herodrawing]

[This face.]

[embracetheflame]

[This face.]

[herodrawing]

You... lifted a vending machine like it was nothing.

[Captain Obvious to the rescue.]

2)

[genericprotagonist]

You know, I was going to use that.

[Raleigh regards the new person with a raised eyebrow. Something about her seemed to ring a few bells. Like a passing familiarity to someone he met.]

1/2

[embracetheflame]

Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh, it's um...

2/2

[embracetheflame]

Please pretend you didn't see anything...

2

[majestic_keiki]

...Asagi really was right about this place.

[embracetheflame]

This isn't what it looks like!

[majestic_keiki]

So you're saying you weren't actually shaking the vending machine over your head?

1

[abugslife]

[Let's see. A silver-haired girl, aura of generally failing at life...]

Might you be an acquaintance of Seta, by any chance?

[embracetheflame]

Wha...how did you know?

[abugslife]

It was an educated guess.

I take it you are a Kijin as well. A member of Gloster Foundation?

2

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya pauses as the girl valiantly declares victory over the vending machine before sighing and addressing the girl.]

You must be a friend of Seta's, you seem to share a certain appearance and subtlety in masking your abilities. I'm not sure if she's actually on base at the moment but I'd be happy to help you look just as soon as I report the damage to the vending machine.

[Yuuya looks to the expanding pool of liquid underneath the machine and with a sharp strike to the machine's right side several bottles fall into the dispenser tray.]

[embracetheflame]

[Well, Astara just stands there like a deer in headlights. It takes her a while to regain any sense of composure.]

[ugyuuya]

[Yuuya grabs one of the bottles noting it as a sports drink before cracking the seal and taking a drink.]

Level with me is it a trait of all Kijin to freak out like this? Seta did about the same when she first gave me a hint at her greater than normal strength and when the BETA ate her body, avatar, or whatever you call it the secret came out. Add in the crazy dragon that crushed Willis and was absorbed by Seta or something afterwards and you just kinda stop questioning.

I mean we have martial artists who shoot energy from their fists, a "demon" who summons a robot from her shadow, a russian boy who fights with a plant monster, Willis HEALING from being crushed into a ball of scrap within a day, aliens, immortals, resurrected science wizards, robots, and a guy who's arm is now covered in eyeballs. Seta really isn't all that unusual given that. It's actually more rare to have someone like me on a mission than a secret super powered entity.

At this point would you like a guide to help you check some of the common areas? At the very least I can take you somewhere to sit down and enjoy your tea while you calm down.

2

[way_of_vengeance]

Ohhhhhh?

Could this be another potential recruit for the 「Supernatural Ability Club」?

[embracetheflame]

I don't know what you're talking about!

[In her panic she accidentally tosses the tea bottle up into the ceiling. It doesn't come back down.]

Aaaahhh...

[way_of_vengeance]

[Kanae is now all up in yo grill Astra, gently touching the bottom of your chin. The effect is not helped by her being hella tall.]

Oh, but I think you do. People with abilities above and beyond what normal humans are capable of...Sayo?

[She stretches out a hand, and her aging maid hands her the tea bottle-while Kanae was being all spooky, she must have gotten it somehow. She then hands it over to Astra.]

Friends?

1

[kill_all_vagans]

You're complaining about a military base not letting just anyone in?

[embracetheflame]

Well...they let a kid your age in sooooo

1

[dolorous_sensei]

Are you looking for someone, little girl?

[embracetheflame]

I'm not that little...

[She mutters that under her breath.]

I'm looking for a friend of mine.