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

[majestic_keiki]

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

[embracetheflame]

...Yes?

[majestic_keiki]

What was that supposed to be then?

[embracetheflame]

...A magic trick?

[She's not very good at this.]

[majestic_keiki]

A magic trick that consists of shaking the vending machine over your head?

[embracetheflame]

...Yes. I mean how else would a girl my size do something like that!?

[majestic_keiki]

I don't know. But I saw you do it.

[embracetheflame]

So I must have used a trick!

[At that exact moment the sides of the vending machine fall off of it. It's very clearly broken.]

...

[majestic_keiki]

This isn't even the tenth weirdest thing I've seen since getting here, so why are you even trying to push the blatant lie?

[embracetheflame]

I-I'm not lying!

[majestic_keiki]

Just don't break anymore vending machines.

[Kei paused for a bit.] You're new here or a visitor?

[embracetheflame]

Okay...

[She'll take that.]

I'm visiting a friend. Or at least I'm supposed to be but I can't find her anywhere...

[majestic_keiki]

Oh? Who is it? Maybe I know them.

[embracetheflame]

Seta Albreich. Do you know her?

[majestic_keiki]

I do. We fought the Beta together.

[Kei paused for a bit.] You're from the foundation as well?

[embracetheflame]

Mmhmm, I work in the Intelligence Division.

Beta though...I imagine she didn't take to fighting them so well.

[majestic_keiki]

Nobody did. But she saved the lives of several of us...After the Beta appeared to eat her.

[embracetheflame]

Ah...

[She quickly connects the dots.]

So you probably know about our little secret already...

[Now she felt silly for trying to continue the facade.]

[majestic_keiki]

Yes. I think most of us here do. It was quite visible during that mission and she explained it afterwards.

[embracetheflame]

Aaaaahhh...

[This was so embarrassing.]

I'm so sorry, Seta told me that if I ever visited my priority was to keep our secret hidden no matter what.

[majestic_keiki]

I understand...It's a big thing to keep hidden. But you don't need to hide it around here...Most people here are odd anyway.

[embracetheflame]

I see, you seem pretty normal though.

[majestic_keiki]

I guess. But there are a lot of other weird people here. Like the talking bird or the Autobots.