Truly the evening under a red sun cannot be mistaken as dull, for the deep reds offer a rich hue cast over the streets that are still densely populated by civilians in a pool so thick that it's difficult to parse their individuals from a top-down view. The traffic of fars looming above them reflects that similar density, perhaps even to a greater extent as the flow has slowed down drastically due to the volume crowding the limited aerial channels. They do move, but in intervals between pauses, and those movements are themselves sluggish.
The lethargy of the traffic is further emphasized against the contrast of the thin thread of bright blue light that dashes over in an instant, followed not a whole second after by the dash of a figure beaming that same shade, and at the same time beside it is another figure that soars over, beaming a pink radiance.
Trails of these two lights are etched into the air as the two figures dash between the buildings –one of which the blue thread is anchored to– which line the city's streets that seemingly extend forever, the furthest sight being the setting red sun which paints the sky in such a thick luminescence.
Reaching the corner of the building that the blue cable is attached to, Meditat opens his hand to release that thread as his other arm reaches forward, his hand open which releases the next one promptly. His cape dances in the surging currents he's generated against the breeze, and flowing under it is the propulsive blue streak that enables his comet's trail.
His hair waves the same, gazing at the building to his right before his attention is swayed over to his left, where accelerating past him is Kokei, her body leading a comet of her own pink light not emitted from her back but rather her entire body which is wrapped in a luminant outline. He meets her gaze as she soars backwards, and without words she points her thumb to her right, a smirk across her face to his curiosity.
She follows her gesture with a sharp turn to the right of the intersection they just then enter, and so Meditat releases the cable he's holding onto while another fires from his right hip orthogonal to his former, yanking him in an abrupt turn before he'd pass the intersection.
His body spinning to align itself with the cable –forward to the street he now follows through– Meditat thrusts himself forth with a resplendent flare matched with a thread from his left hip to double his reeling speed. Still, he struggles to reach Kokei who lingers about ten feet ahead of him, her body exhausting its fiery trail for him to follow beside, his lagged behind.
His hands join with the swinging, casting cables from the white palms of his gloved hands, each one projected to the buildings beside him near the roofs, straight ahead as to reduce vertical climb. He passes the metal roofs of many fars every second, which appear practically still relative to himself.
Observing those roofs, the glossed reflection of himself cast over them flickering rapidly between each vehicle, Meditat then raises his gaze forward to Kokei who remains the same distance ahead, leading him past intersection after intersection. No longer is the sun directly ahead, casting the left of her in the sunset reds as it does to the face of the buildings on the right side, for they glisten more intensely whereas those on the opposite side are in colorless shadow.
Through the glassy windows of the office buildings lining up the street, passing working adults can catch brief glimpses of the two silhouettes dashing across, the radiant blue thread charting their path as it reaches past her, being reeled in and replaced by the significantly brighter streak of exhaust beside the correspondingly pink ray.
Passing building to building, adults in cubicles, adults in smaller office rooms, and adults in hallways manage to glance shortly at the two figures who are practically colorless but for the vibrant streaks that they emit, nearly as bright as the reds bleeding over the rooftops from the sun approaching the horizon line.
Between the crevices left splitting fars in the sky, walking pedestrians who raise their heads can also watch the two streaks soar over them, drawing two parallel lines mostly obscured by the underbellies of the fars.
Gliding over the street, Meditat's wandering eyes are again raised to Kokei upon noticing her spin around to face him, once more pointing her thumb, again to the right, prompting him for another approaching turn.
Meditat briefly nods, beginning to shift his gaze back ahead to prime himself for the next intersection.
At the moment of the start of his head's turn, Kokei abruptly turns sharply, not at an intersection, but directly between two buildings that share a block.
Immediately, Meditat's eyes widen in shock, acting quick as the back of his right wrist –his arm extended as it's what held the cable– projects a perpendicular cable to follow that turn as the one in his hand simultaneously releases, and he jerks his arm to follow through with the rapid turn.
Despite the unanticipated direction, he slips between the two buildings that Kokei soars past, pulling his right arm back and projecting a cable from his left arm for a brief pull, zipping between a significantly tighter space as they drive through the alley. Confining their space further are fire escapes, extruding stairs along the walls, which Kokei effortlessly glides between as Meditat slips between the first, projecting his thread onto the railings of the next to yank himself forth towards it. He rolls such that his boots land on the railing, springing himself off into another short zip and thrust, passing that first building and reaching the second of the block, which Kokei chooses to soar above with a sharp ascent, though Meditat remains at the same elevation, charging into the second half of the alley. Only given a few feet between fire escapes, he zips to the right where he reaches the top of one of those stairs, able to land on the metal platform to again leap off of. With a quick zip, he tilts himself to orient with the walls such that the soles of his boots make contact and he sprints on it a few steps, briefly glancing up to note Kokei looming above him, her trail marking his path; he transitions into another leap off and using another zip to reorient himself now centered in the alley, followed by a simultaneous pair that carries him out of the backstreet.
While Meditat reaches the open street once again, he's greeted by not another alley ahead to weave through, but a tower directly in his path, a bell tower in fact which Kokei ascends above, though she was already at an altitude to easily do so and began earlier. Without the same breathing room, Meditat instead fires a cable onto the right corner of the tower and thrusts himself to the side in a propulsive strafe, orbiting around that corner. He rolls himself while projecting another cable further down the tower's wall to carry himself forward, spinning fully as the cable bends around him in a manner as if it were a solid wire. Completing the spin forward with his arms now crossed, he fires cables from each hand and jerks his arms back, uncrossing them as he slingshots himself past that tower, not into another alley or street but into an open square plaza a few blocks wide, densely populated with thin lanes of people passing between booths of what appears to be a farmer's market judging by the green vegetables and red meats on display.
Bags of produce and bread are carried by many of the civilians that amble down the bidirectional lane as there isn't a defined split of flow but rather people drift from one side or another depending on interests in the ingredients before them.
Not only are there groceries being shopped for, but many booths present complete meals in the form of small plates of steaming dumplings and takoyaki, carried in hand by walking shoppers or consumed at benches that are scattered around the market, providing them an area to rest and recover.
Many of those booths are equipped with sizzling stoves that rows of skewered meat lay on, the surface like stone which has a bright red glow, and after the meat is cooked brown they're scooped up from the people inside the boxes, who then offer the meals to the people on the other side of the table.
One of those people is a middle-aged man who grabs the skewer and flashes a grateful albeit exhausted smile, though that smile flattens to an inquisitive stare that he raises to the sky to notice the pink streak soaring high above the open plaza, and behind it is another figure freely flung along its path.
His body gliding forward exclusively by the momentum he's already garnered, Meditat simply absorbs the view of the marketplace from above, for it practically surrounds his periphery. His cape and hair wave in the wind, his back not as bright as he's not actively propelling himself, pausing for a moment.
From his perspective, he watches other civilians raise their heads below in curiosity, and he's able to discern their shocked expressions back at him. Merchants lean over their booths to grasp the same sight, some of them peering with their hands over their eyes to better see.
Astonishment fills the wide, starry eyes, flying into another unexpected sight but one he meets with delight.
Couples seated on benches, shoulder to shoulder with skewers of octopus in hand both stare up at the silhouette in the sky below the pink ray, its arms extended out in a pose that puffs its chest, a pose almost majestic, like its limbs form the rays of a star. Behind it is the red star too, the silhouette like a hole carved into the sun, which is partially below the horizon.
Gazing back at the vast plaza, a smile is spread over Meditat's face, even if it cannot be easily observed from those on the ground. Another wash of pure joy consumes him, an innocence almost childlike despite the age worn on his face. He then raises his head with that same smile, looking to the sky.
Specifically, his gaze meets Kokei who soars backwards, watching him from above, her long pink hair hanging over her head like a cap. She raises her hand and curls her fingers up twice in a gesture, approaching the end of the plaza where a long building stands below, functionally forming a wall.
After one brief glance back down, Meditat acknowledges the alert as he extends both arms forward, his opening hands projecting threads which attach to the roof of that obstructive building, pulling him in a gradual ascent.
Standing at the front of another line is a woman holding a bag, standing before a vendor who has his arm extended to offer a clump of bok choy held together by bands, though both of their attention isn't on the transaction but the man who follows the wire before his body is shot up by a small explosion of blue energy that launches him over the wall as those wires vanish.
Propelling himself higher, Meditat boosts himself up to Kokei's altitude, reaching her side to which the two exchange glances with smiles while they continue further past the plaza, now soaring above the city's structures, taking a break from the weaving between blocks.
Meditat is the first to face forward in intrigue to what they'd next see and Kokei turns her head too, only to find the edge of the streets, for beyond it is a body of water, the shore stretching as far left and right that they could see. It's not an ocean though as far ahead they can detect land where more buildings reside, albeit not in as dense and vast of a field as the city, but more akin to villages scattered around a land that's drastically more open. The distance to that land is great, perhaps more than a mile away with the river filling that space.
Kokei's smile quickly washes into a concerned frown, and she turns to face Meditat as she raises her hand, her thumb pointing backwards in a returning gesture which Meditat's eyes are drawn to, though just as he nods his head in acknowledgement, an abrupt roar among rapid horns begins blaring from their left, one that sharply draws both of their attention as Meditat's smile washes out too.
Lowering his head to face the streets along the rim of the city, his gaze reaches a trail of smoke leading to a descending far.
That smoke emits from the hood of the –vehicle shaped as an SUV with a more box-like design–, which also gives off a demonically aggressive roar as if being perpetually revved. Staring through the smoke through the transparent windshield is the driver, a middle-aged man whose eyes are wide in terror, gritting his teeth as he tightly grips a steering wheel with his left hand as his right aggressively slams on the wheel's center, with every slam triggering that horn.
On the street by the shore of the river, a group of four teenage boys –perhaps seventeen or so– are strolling in wool coats paired with pants, knapsacks bags strapped to their back though one holds his in his hands. They raise their heads upon the rapid alert, to which they bear witness to the far diving towards them, leaving a trail of smoke like a rocket. The boys shout at each other and begin sprinting, swinging their arms wildly as they race away from the plummeting vehicle. The boy holding his knapsack attempts to sling it over his shoulder while running to more easily lug it, though the swing of the bag coupled with his terror-induced frantic movements clashes into a loss of coordination that trips him forward, sending him crashing into the road with a scream.
All of the other boys ahead of him turn their heads aghast, many of them shouting, "KAITO!!" One of them however stops in his place and spins around, charging back for his friend, one of the boys beside him trying to reach for his arm to grab him back but failing as they move in opposite directions, only able to desperately yell, "REIJI DON'T," as the far barrels towards both of them now, accelerating too.
Meditat's eyes briefly expand and he immediately dashes forward, the trail of propulsive energy so effulgent it nearly blinds Kokei who opens her mouth and leans forward in a shout.
In that split second, Meditat's far from her as his body spearheads a comet's tail, his right arm out in front, his closed fist igniting in an azure blaze that he releases from his opening palm into a firestream. That stream expands into a silver device resembling a rocket thruster facing his path, and from the thick rim emerges a ring of blue cables. At the same time, the central aperture of the thruster itself fires a beam of bright blue light, like a plasmic beam with an ethereal hum. Immediately after construction, the flame disperses from his hand which next projects a blue cable that attaches onto the top of the thruster, and he yanks his arm to zip himself quickly past, swiftly springing off the hull for additional speed, soaring alongside the ring of cables surrounding the beam.
With both hands he reaches forward and projects a pair of threads which make contact with the roof of the far, and yanking his arms he zips himself onto the vehicle, once more springing off it to bounce ahead flipping while propelling himself in a spin to reorient himself midflip as both of his gloves and boots ignite fire simultaneous as his hips fire another pair of cables, angled at the smoking hood of the far.
He swings around the far now facing it, approaching the very nose of the vehicle as the flames from his hands pull back over his forearms before materializing into a pair of large, silver gauntlets with rings of fins, the open palms made of a rubbery black material which flares bright blue before emitting an electric discharge that strikes the hull and sinks through, immediately resulting in the whimpering of the roar which shifts into coughing chugs. Immediately after the discharge, the bumper of the vehicle strikes his hands physically to which the fins release a stream of their own propulsive energy like his suit. Through the smoke and windshield, the interior of the far's lights suddenly shut off, and the driver flings forward but then is then immediately yanked back, holding him in place.
Despite the approach of the crashing far, the boy who ran for his friend reaches him, quick to attempt to lift him yet he struggles to do so as the anxiety has thinned his strength no matter how much strength he musters through gritted teeth. Grit transforms to terror as the coughing engine grows ever louder, and he's compelled to turn around to face the vehicle barreling towards him and his friend –who looks too in fright. Yet the sight they catch is that of the far drastically decelerating, obscured mostly by Meditat's body, his black cape waving actively in the wind like a flag, revealing his gleaming back that propels himself against the vehicle. From the perspective of the two boys, that man alone holds back the hurdling projectile, granted it still continues to press him down, reducing the gap protecting them.
Working against the opposite end of the beam from the larger thruster in the sky –functioning like a tractor beam that pulls along with the ring of cables to counteract the whiplash–, Meditat continues to hold the far's back physically with his augmented gauntlets, staring through the smoke and windshield to the driver. It takes about half a second if even before the vehicle slows to an absolute halt, and staring through the smoke and windshield, Meditat watches the driver's body again nearly fly forward, but he's again caught before he could slam into the dashboard.
Feeling the absence of resistance, Meditat takes in a deep breath and releases it in a relieved sigh, keeping his eyes open to not lose sight of the scene.
Gently, the far is driven backwards, not by its own engine but the thruster in the air, controlling it by the tractor beam. With the vehicle eased off Meditat, he's able to dissolve his gauntlets into open flames, and his body drops from the sky in a graceful dive not too far from the ground, the cape rising for a moment before he lands in front of the two boys who can only stare at him in utter astonishment, the original to fall still being on the ground, the one who went back for him at his side bent forward in the same motion to try pulling him.
Meditat lowers his gaze to the boy on the ground as the breeze blows his hair back the same as his cape, and he gently asks in a soothing tone, "Are you able to stand?"
The boy, having to lift his head to stare up at the man in blue before him, only can nod his head with a weak, "Yeah…yeah I should, I just tripped."
Slowly, the far now suspended in the air glides off further down the road, carried by the thruster in the air functioning almost like a pointer, dictating its movement, moving itself with its own invisible propulsion. It gently pans down to direct the far towards the road as Meditat promptly steps around the fallen boy before kneeling down and wrapping his arms around the boy to then carry him back upright, letting the boy ground himself and find his footing before he lets go.
Standing on his own, the boy doesn't stumble upon the graceful raise, patting his knees but with no visible injury, and watching about fifteen away are the other two boys, having stopped, panting heavily from the adrenaline spike, but otherwise silently staring at the man in the waving cape.
Still focused on the boy who had fallen, Meditat calmly asks, "Are you injured anywhere? Do you need to be taken to a medical center?"
After the brief swiping of his legs, the boy who was referred to earlier as Kaito shakes his head and assures, "I'm fine sir…th-thank you," stammering a bit by the man's presence.
Beside him, the boy called Reiji scratches the back of his low head and apologizes, "I'm…really sorry I couldn't lift you…I swear I thought I was strong enough to-," before he feels Meditat's hand placed on his shoulder.
Now directing his gaze to Reiji, Meditat frowns somberly before calming, "You have nothing to apologize for, you risked your life. It very well could've resulted tragically for you too, be mindful of your own life too. Do you have any injuries or-."
Reiji waves his hand dismissively and ascertains, "I'm fine, I'm not injured, it's okay, I'm not the one who fell."
"Will you be okay?" Meditat softly asks him in a consoling tone.
Reiji opens his mouth to quickly boast back, but he pauses for a moment, dropping his chin once more with a frown before answering melancholically, "Yes…thank you…."
Behind the two boys, the far is carried about fifteen feet before then being delicately lowered to the ground by the tilting tractor beam. The far is placed on the road upright with only a quiet thud, followed by the snapping of the ring of cables and the dissipation of the tractor beam.
Meditat slips his hand off Reiji's shoulder and raises his gaze to the far, watching the driver's door swing open abruptly, opening the vehicle to allow the driver to slide out, rolling onto the street to which Meditat strolls towards him swiftly.
Reiji and Kaito glance at each other before their attention is pulled by the shouts of the two other boys who race to them before embracing them tightly, all as Meditat approaches the far as the driver rolls onto his stomach. In the sky, the thruster is set ablaze and dissolves, and behind it is the one figure left in the air.
On the ground, the driver grabs the asphalt around him and lifts himself up, though he's unable to then cover his mouth as he begins coughing dry, his eyes to the ground as he doesn't notice the shadow loom over him.
The driver raises his head slightly to then notice the shadow, and he immediately begins desperately pleading, "Wait wait, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to, I swear-."
"Are you injured? Do you think you inhaled toxic fumes?" the shadow asks compassionately.
The driver then jerks his head up to stare at the figure before him in utter bewilderment, only able to ask, "Huh?"
In front of him is the man in blue, down on one knee, and as the breeze brushes his hair back, he asks, "Do you want help getting back up?"
Instinctively, the man shakes his head and answers, "I'm okay," before springing himself off the ground, hastily raising himself to his feet but stumbling backwards as a result, bumping into the far to which Meditat reaches forward only for the man to wave his hand and dismiss, "Really, I'm fine," before coughing again that same dry cough.
Meditat's eyes sharpen in a mixture of curiosity and concern, his head turning to the smoking hood of the vehicle before he asks, "Orial, are you detecting harmful fumes?"
The man taps his chest to push out the cough before raising his head and perplexly correcting, "That's…not my name."
Another voice speaks from Meditat's suit, the British male voice that answers, "I am not registering any significantly concerning traces, he is merely suffering the results of confinement with excessive smoke but the fresh air is a sufficient remedy."
The driver almost stumbles back again into his vehicle once more from the voice, which Meditat notices before then apologizing earnestly, "Sorry, I was just assessing the situation, I didn't mean to startle you."
He frowns before inquiring, "Do you know what specific malfunction occurred? Was it a neural lag or did the Exmatter battery overheat-."
"Before you start, neither of those two are a thing," interjects the voice of Kokei, who descends down to his side, the luminescent outline around her body dimmer, her long pink hair flowing from movement. She doesn't meet the ground but instead remains at a passive hover to keep her eyes at the same height as Meditat's.
Upon hearing the voice alone, the driver's eyes shrivel in horror, and as he watches her dismount from the sky, he raises both hands and more frantically begs, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to cause any harm, the engine just locked up and started speeding up, it's never happened to me but I'm sorry I should've known better! I'm so sorry, I'll come willingly, you don't need to force me!"
Stunned by the terror of the driver, Meditat's eyes widen before he shakes his head and assures soothingly, "You misunderstand, you're not in trouble, we're not arresting or otherwise punishing you. You said the engine locked up? Like…you lost control of it?"
Scratching the back of his head incessantly in stress, the driver nods his head and explains in a shaky voice, "Yes, it was driving as fine as it normally does, I was just coming back from work and it just happened. I bought it just a few months ago and it was my first one too…I thought I'd get at least a year before these issues arise…."
Raising his eyebrow curiously, Meditat questions: "Is this…a common problem? One year is hardly enough time for a pod-, far to be malfunctioning, I'd assume at least," to which Kokei awkwardly grimaces.
"Too common for all of them," the driver chuckles, though his eyes immediately dilate in dread and he raises both hands before dramatically beseeching, "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to say that, please forgive me, or at least don't strike me too harshly. If I am to be arrested, may I please return home first to drop off my groceries?"
His eyes responsively dilating too in shock to the abrupt reaction, Meditat again reminds, "Hey, I'm not taking you anywhere, I just want to know what happened."
Behind her, Kokei clicks her tongue twice before then facing Meditat and determining, "It's getting dark, we should return to the palace."
Turning to face her, Meditat protests sincerely, "Before we do, we should sort this out, provide him with another means of transportation, make sure the boys get back safely."
Sighing restlessly, Kokei shakes her head and insists, "We don't have that time, she needs us back there for the night, it's for protection. Come on, I need to go back and you know you can't leave my sight so you do too. They can take it from here."
Wincing apprehensively, Meditat faces the driver to begin seeking, "Do you have anyone you can-."
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me," the driver declares, waving his hand again. He bows his head low and thanks, "I will never forget the mercy you gave me, truly. I am forever indebted."
Meditat awkwardly smiles and tries to again assure, "Like I said," though Kokei begins raising to the sky in the direction deeper into the city, calling down, "Come on Meditat, don't make this babysitting job hard."
Lifting his head to watch her steady departure, Meditat sighs in acknowledgement of the deadline, and he faces the driver once more, raising his arm towards the buildings as he parts, "If you know anyone who can offer a ride back, Connect them. I apologize," as a blue cable is released from his hand straight, and he's then yanked and whisked away, prompting the driver to nearly stumble back into his far again before turning and watching the departure in astonishment.
Gliding over the street between the city's structures away from the river, Kokei's outline is subtly brighter as she turns her head to confirm Meditat not far behind, though not at her altitude as he swings and zips from building to building, frowning guiltily in silence.
Kokei watches back with a subtle frown of her own, but ultimately turns her head to focus on the path back.
Sunset has since passed into twilight, for the physical red orb is no longer present in the sky, which no longer has that defined red color other than the receding wave that ever so slowly is driven deeper into the horizon where the sun had gone. What the dome that rests over the city is instead is the blackening night sky, hues of red still present subtly as the sun's streaks remain albeit discernibly fading.
The colorization of red to black doesn't merely affect the raw color but the opacity too, as peering through are twinkling stars scattered, not purely white but each a various shade, reds and blues among yellows and purples. They were subtle of course as they were merely a spec, but their unique colors —even if approximately repeated due to the sheer volume— provides the peering night with a lively wonder, like rainbow sprinkles dotted across the cosmos. Further embellishing the night sky are streaks of nebulas that seem to consume countless solar systems just by them driving through so many, colored between red and blue, with shades of purple prominent.
As twilight begins to shift into deep night, those stars naturally twinkle brighter over the palace that sits atop the hill watching down on the city, which has a decent quantity of buildings illuminated through the windows with bright red —nearly salmon— lights. Many buildings aren't lit at all though, seemingly already abandoned for the night, leaving the city only partially lit in the dark on its own. At the very least the palace itself is better lit, for the windows of the buildings scattered about are brightened, but even beyond that there appears to be proper illumination over the outdoor court of the palace itself, including the sports recreational area and the garden. All of the lights are a similar bright shade of red, not deep enough to cause difficulties in sight nor pour the richness of blood over the landscape. The towers are stationed around the hill, whether at the base where the remainder of the city remains or further up where the palace may be better protected having additional defenses along the slopes.
For a brief moment, the brightness of the palace's own lights —which are brighter perhaps than those downtown albeit it's difficult to discern from that perspective elevated so greatly— are overshadowed regardless by the appearance of a radiating pink ray like a comet which soars from out of the city, high up by the clouds, able to approach the hill without much climb already.
Not a full second after the pink ray appears on approach to the palace, following it is a blue ray with a thicker tail, though it doesn't overtake the other figure, instead letting itself be led. Both the ray and comet move in an arch, passing above the palace over its walls and completing its arch to enter the back left corner of the campus. The pink ray gracefully completes its arch and vanishes into the corner, and following behind is the blue comet which, by simply following the guidance of the ray, replicates the same trajectory, the streak thinning at the head as it nears the hilltop.
First to make impact with the gravel road that's laid between the grass garden, and further back cuts through the small forest, is the pink beam which doesn't actually make a physical touchdown with the ground, but rather abruptly halts just a foot off the gravel road. Gliding forward from that freezing point is Kokei, not needing to pause for recovery, unaffected by any sort of whiplash that would've befallen any regular human suspended from that speed so suddenly.
She spins around to watch the incoming blue comet, which arcs subtly sharper to choose its landing point a few feet behind hers, as similarly it doesn't crash into the ground but bounces forward about a foot from contact, leaping forth a few feet also in a sudden extinction of momentum without any discernible lash to bother Meditat, who calmly falls out of the flaming blue head of the comet which begins dissipating as the propulsive streaks from the back of his suit cease. He does physically land on the gravel road, raising his starry azure gaze to Kokei who spins around and continues gliding, maintaining an elevation above ground to level with Meditat's natural height.
She drifts towards a building that resides right at the corner of the perimeter walls, about three floors tall, made with the same white walls as the palace and the other accompanying buildings, protected with the same roof design. The building functions like a guard tower, as while the first floor sits below the wall, the other two rise above. At the end of the gravel path is a shut door accompanied by two officers in the wine red uniforms, their postures straight, their arms behind their back. The officer to the left reaches for the door which has a tall, physical handle, and pulls it to swing the door open using a traditional hinge to pull the door to the side, allowing entry into the interior which shines a warm, yellow light nearly orange.
Kokei glides towards the open door as Meditat follows in steps behind, his cape waving in the breeze.
Meditat's starry gaze shifts from Kokei to the officers with curiosity, keeping his head straight but his eyes roam freely.
Catching that gaze, the two officers turn their heads to face Meditat, both of them recognizable as officers who were present in the throne room, who had lit their flames in opposition to him. Just as Kokei passes them, they ignite glares just as fiery.
Swiftly Meditat diverts his gaze directly ahead, breaking off from the uncomfortable contact with the guards who clearly bear resentment to him. He frowns subtly, lowering his head in shame, knowing that they're keeping their stares on him but not wanting to reengage. He passes them and enters the warm light where he then raises his head, to which his eyes dilate and widen in intrigue.
For before him is a large bedroom, the walls white with rose golden accents along the foot and ceiling. Hanging from the ceiling is a fancy chandelier which is the sole source of illumination for the room, the frame rose golden. Along the left wall is a long, wooden bookcase populated with physical leatherbound books, and at the end is a desk with a leather-cushioned chair with one book left open sitting before it. Along the left wall is a staircase to an upper room, and past it are many shelves not for books but various trophies silver and gold, rows above rows, the trophies themselves of different shapes such as cups, globes, and humanoid figures in various poses. Past those shelves is a tall, wooden cabinet resembling a wardrobe, and beyond that is a shut door. Directly down the center of the room, floored with hardwood, is a king-sized bed featuring a canopy with white curtains draped from the corners.
Steadily approaching the bed, Kokei releases an exhausted yawn and stretches her arms, commenting: "That was the longest day I've had in quite a while."
She then stops and turns around to find Meditat ambling behind her, just following her lead, his gaze entranced as he absorbs the room's furnishings.
Her eyebrow raises in initial perplexity before a mischievous smile creeps across her face and she taunts unabashedly, "Now now, sure I'll admit today was quite enjoyable, but maybe you let yourself forget who I am for you to believe you're remotely in the region to expect you'll be enjoying a night with me."
Snapping from that hazy observation, Meditat blinks twice and shakes his head, rushing to desperately clarify, "I didn't have any intention of that nature, I apologize I wasn't sure where to go, trust me that wasn't at all my-."
A giggle bounces off Kokei who waves her hand and calms, "Relax, relax, I'm joking. You have the spirit of a puppy, you know? Come on, we'll check if they've already fixed up your room, they have an additional guest bedroom upstairs."
She glides past him, giggling softly to herself again after having caught him flustered, for that shame lingers even past her assurance. He lags for a moment, on the cusp of questioning her choice of descriptor for him, but he passes the window and spins around to follow her back out of the room.
Both of the officers turn to face the open door upon Kokei's approach, and they stand in formal attention to hear her casual question, "You guys got his room set up stairs, right?"
Immediately, both of the officers' eyes widen in shock and horror, the one to the right coughing before he inquires hesitantly, "I- uhm.., he is taking residence…here? The empress made no mention of this, we've had no command to provide quarters."
A disappointed sigh exudes from Kokei who places her head on her forehead as Meditat frowns behind her, and she mutters, "You guys are incapable of doing anything without commands, aren't you?"
She drops her arm and raises her gaze to then herself assess, "Well, the room upstairs should be free, right? He can take that."
To the left of the first guard to speak, the other winces awkwardly before sheepishly admitting, "Saikyo-sama, that room was renovated into an armory and reconnaissance command center, remember? It's far from a state to be used as a bedroom, we would've needed at least a week to properly clear it, or at least a day to find an alternative. We didn't anticipate the need to provide any additional…accomodations," before he fires a glare past her shoulder, and straight at Meditat who sighs upon the targeting.
Chuffing in irritation at the meek answer, Kokei folds her arms over her chest and asserts boldly, almost authoritarianly, "Well, go figure something out! What else am I supposed to do with him?"
Acknowledging the rising temper, the officer to the right hastily stammers to formulate: "Uhm- uhm-, oh right, the attic! We still have the bedding in the closet, we can set up quarters for him there if that suffices!"
For a moment, Kokei just hovers before them, as if waiting, but after a couple seconds she herself commands with impatient anger, "Well, go hurry on and do that then! What are you standing in front of me for?"
Both guards spring into action upon the lecture, apologizing: "Apologies Saikyo-sama, right away," before slipping around her and past Meditat, racing up the stairs which creak upon their hasty steps, huffing from the harsh motivation.
Hearing the heavy footsteps behind her, Kokei releases an exhausted sigh with a tint of annoyance, unfolding her arms to place her hand on her forehead again, muttering to herself in a voice too quiet for Meditat to capture. He tilts his head curiously, only to watch her spin around to face him.
Breaking her bothered frown with a smile, Kokei suggests: "They'll take a while, let's not just wait outside this door. Here, the roof has a decent view," before she swiftly ascends directly upwards, Meditat's gaze following after her. His expression is softly stunned by her upset lash out only to be followed up by such sudden friendly tranquility. Not wishing to keep her waiting, he raises his right arm and projects a blue wire, and a moment later his body is hoisted up.
Draping over the tower is the kawara roof, which Kokei gently ascends above, her arms behind her back, her body illuminated with a gentle pink radiance that carries her over, gliding along the thin log at the top of the roof's slope. Attaching to the edge of the roof from below is that blue thread, then lifting Meditat who curls his arm to swing around the anchor, letting the wire bend before he snaps it to fling himself smoothly onto the roof. He doesn't stumble, calmly pacing down the slanted rooftop towards Kokei who turns back to face him, watching as his gaze then wanders off past the roof and to the extensive spread of the city at night, the view so high that the edges are encapsulated along with the river past, and even the distant lands that continue beyond, not nearly as urbanized. The streets have fallen dim, as though the city itself sleeps under the sky nearly dark if not for the faintest crimson traces of sunlight. Much brighter are the colorful, sparkling stars that draw his attention as he comes to a stop at her side, and turns his body to face the outlook just as a gentle gust of wind passes both of them from the side.
Watching over the sleeping city, Kokei exudes a gentle sigh before reflecting, "It feels like I've only been here for like a week and at the same time it feels like I've been here for like a decade. And I'll admit, like of all the Ultiverse's civilized worlds, this is probably one of the less interesting ones: it hasn't changed all that much in so long, the climate's unique but the conduit culture isn't the greatest, and I mean simply put this isn't even a united world. I wouldn't be surprised if the Earth you're from is more interesting."
Puzzled by the sudden criticism, Meditat's eyebrow raises, turning his head to face her to which he assumes, "But you…prefer the relaxed environment? Its deliberateness gives it tranquility that you'd take over the bustling and chaotic scene of other Earths?"
A soft giggle coughs from Kokei, though it's not in amusement or mockery, but awkwardness of a subtle form. She maintains her gaze forth and bows her head before admitting, "Yeah it probably sounded like I was building up to that but…honestly, I'm not sure. It's definitely different, not getting into fights all the time and all, then again it's kind of hard to start one if it's against someone who actually knows me, at least not if they're sane. But 'different good, 'different bad,' I don't know."
Meditat keeps his eyes on her to then ask, "Then why…stay?"
He then frowns and faces the city before admitting, "Then again I can't say that like I didn't live on the same Earth for most of my life. I probably would've stayed forever too if I didn't meet my…old team," his voice wavering towards the end as if ambling into a sensitive subject.
His face grimaces at the uncomfortable thoughts that follow, prompting him to restore his tone to interview, "Regardless, what compels you to remain here? Or have you simply grown accustomed to the community?"
Keeping her gaze on the same horizon, Kokei frowns in a brief contemplation before answering, "Ah right, I almost forgot, the mission."
Now intrigued by the ambiguity of the simple answer, Meditat spins his head to hers to prod, "The mission?"
Her warm pink eyes staring off into the city, Kokei breathes a soft sigh before explaining, "Ekitai began constructing his empire long ago, but honestly I wasn't aware of it for a long time, really this Earth and entire system doesn't get much news compared to like the Nexus System when it comes to galactic reach, but eventually I caught wind of one of his invasions and…I couldn't just ignore it. So I've stationed myself here to deal with him, and I know it'd be faster to like just fly to his nation myself and take him out but…well I've tried to avoid city fights if I can after…'that one,' but it's whatever because he comes here anyways like the dumbass he is, and one day I'll put him down for good."
She then rolls her eyes towards Meditat whom she turns her head to before reminding, "Which I could've done today, but somebody had butterfingers or something. Just in case you thought I was suddenly over it, I'm not, but hey I know he'll be back soon and you'll maybe get a chance to redeem yourself."
Shame striking him suddenly, Meditat winces and diverts his gaze back to the city, facing up and far past the city's moats and the endless farlands. He stammers, "I- uhm…it's…yeah…."
Now being the one to stare down at him, Kokei's pink eyes sharpen, leaving him awkwardly staring away intentionally, feeling the scorching stare melt into the side of his head, his azure eyes wide in guilt, the topic of his sabotage tightening the tension to a suffocating atmosphere.
Kokei's eyes shut with a playful smile as she teases, "But I think I get it now, you're one of those 'hero' archetypes, the kind who just wants to save everyone and doesn't want to hurt people to do it. I'd think you'd have outgrown that mindset but hey, if it helps you cope with reality."
The weight released, she turns back to the city landscape, lifting the pressure off of Meditat to comment, "It's cute, and hey you still put in good work in the morning, I'm sure they appreciate all the prisoners you got for them. So I'm not against you doing the same thing next time he's here, just as long as you don't get in my way, and at the very least let me get the one kill that matters. If it helps with the way you think, that one death is going to save so many more lives, I mean not even for the future but everyone he's conquered would be free. Doesn't that sound heroic? It just takes one kill, and I'm more than happy doing it myself, you're free to look away if you have to, I'll judge you but whatever works."
Despite the shaming being alleviated from him, Meditat's frown only grows more somber, and he hangs his head low in a deeper conflict. His eyes fixate on the tiled roof as he admits, "It's not…exclusively that, I've worked and fought alongside those who execute their enemies in combat situations. I have a vow for myself but I don't force it upon those I ally with, I know it's unfair to expect the same, I've…technically aided in the execution of others in similar circumstances. It's just…."
Now curious by the lingering of his explanation, Kokei turns back to face him with a raised eyebrow and she asks, "Is it because he's a leader? You're worried you'll hurt the people who live under him? Trust me, it's better for them."
"It's not that, I've had similar missions, I understand that," Meditat dispels.
"Oh? Ah wait, is it that you don't know him so you're not sure if he deserves it? I guess you are entirely clueless about this whole place so you wouldn't know…but trust me he doesn't deserve your sympathy," Kokei determines before she then faces back to the city before more sternly explaining, "He's a ruthless conqueror who's burned villages and cities just to expand his empire, all just to bolster a childish ego. He doesn't improve them in any way, he just rules them under cruelty, and it's never enough. He's done this for centuries and it's never enough, even if he overtakes this Earth which I'm sure is his goal, it won't be enough."
Her eyes sharpened into a vengeful, fiery glare as a breeze draws her silky hair to the side, yet her stance remains solid as she vilifies, "Trust me, as someone who knew him once before…even before he started his empire, he was always like this, he's always been drawn to this, and he only ever got worse with time. He just has this hateful, vile, monstrous soul, and until it's exterminated completely, his atrocities will only worsen."
That frown remains on Meditat's face, somber but now with a sentimental anguish, the distress weighing heavier on him. His gaze remains to the roof, unable to give a direct response after that heavy lecture, only able to stand and marinate in her dense statements.
After a brief glance towards him before returning back to the skyline, Kokei huffs and assures in a relaxed tone, "He'll be back within a week, and I'll put him down for good this time, and then it'll be over. You're lucky you're able to skip to the end, lugging through this whole debacle has been a mess. And hey, once my hands are freed of him, I can try helping you get back to whatever Earth you're from, unless you want to stay here but I figure there's people you want to return home to."
Having dissolved her intensity, she raises both arms and places her hands behind her head to stretch as she amps, "It'll be an adventure with me, and how could you ever say no to that?"
Silence falls between them, the wind being what fills what'd otherwise be utter stillness. The breeze plays with their hair, though Kokei's clamped down by her hands whereas Meditat's flows freely, lacking a grip of his own. They stand side by side, albeit Kokei levitates, regardless their bodies face out to the resting city, her gaze facing it directly whereas his is to the floor. They remain in place for several seconds, absorbing the atmosphere with no input of their own, the whistling of the wind being the only voice.
His mouth shut, Meditat's cheeks visibly tense and loosen rapidly. His lips then subtly part, revealing his clenched teeth, hesitancy consuming him though that expression is hidden by the tilt of his face, unseen as it would be if it remains as is.
That grimace widens as he sharply inhales a breath, leaning towards a resolve, priming himself though still apprehensive as he keeps his teeth locked together.
Then, Meditat spins to face Kokei and blurts, "I have a confession!"
Immediately, Kokei drops her arms and faces him with wide eyes, shocked by the abrupt declaration. She raises both hands cautiously before warning, "Hey, didn't I make it already clear that-."
"I'm not from here!" Meditat declares simply, leaning forward with shut eyes as though it was a great deal for him to make such a statement.
Yet such an emotionally charged declaration is only met with relaxed perplexity as Kokei's eyebrow raises, and she tilts her head before remarking casually, "Well…yeah…duh."
Shaking his head upon the acknowledgement of his thesis's ambiguity, Meditat swings his arm to the side and clarifies, "No, I meant I don't believe I'm from just 'another Earth.' Where I'm from, there's no discovery of other solar systems housing Earths, it was just one, the Superverse with its hundred Earths and that was all."
Kokei reclines back with a weirded expression, exclaiming in bafflement: "A hundred?! I mean, I guess there's always the possibility of undiscovered systems, but one system supporting a hundred Earths? Is that even physically possible? Either you are unhinged or I seriously need to see this system."
"That's the thing," Meditat confesses, "You have. Because you lived there. I knew you."
Kokei doesn't react with an exaggerated bewilderment, her body doesn't move, she doesn't wave her hands, and her head remains bolted in place. All she does is blink twice, otherwise standing still, and simply emit, "...huh?"
"I mean it was you, your name, your appearance, albeit you dressed more casually but regardless, your abilities, or at least abilities with some resemblances but admittedly slightly different. You were in a team I…led…along with my best friend Dana, and the one who had you involved to begin with: Ekitai."
Even to that revelation, Kokei's reactions are subtle, not as a reflection of a low severity of her bewilderment but, if anything, a testament to its greatness, again warranting only blinks from her and a mutter: "What are you saying…?"
Meditat begins pacing back and forth, up and down the roof while recollecting, "He was far different though, he had a much older appearance, unnaturally skinny and bald. He wasn't an Exhuman so he had no supernatural abilities either, he relied on his own weapon. I didn't recognize him until you raised his name…I apologize but I acted on instinct," to which he stops upon that apology.
He sighs and places his hands together, detailing: "We were a team: The Bellators. I didn't technically name it…actually I wasn't present upon the team's formation, I was pronounced dead at the time and it was a clone of myself who had my place but it's…complicated. Regardless, we four were a team, we had disagreements but we ultimately lived together and we fought together. When Dana was captured by an army of pirates, you both aided me in her rescue. Ekitai was eccentric and…admittedly morally imperfect, but he sought improvements, he grew to take accountability, he was a true ally. You two were best friends."
"Wait a second," Kokei finally interjects, being overwhelmed by revelation after revelation. She places her own hands together and taps it against her forehead, pondering these seemingly inexplicable, impossible statements.
She slides her hands off her face and informs, "Dopplegängers are a concept that technically exist to an extent, but there shouldn't be any currently alive. Me and Ekitai shouldn't have any, I've certainly never known of any. It doesn't sound like a naming coincidence either…you said she had a similar conduit but different somehow?"
Meditat nods and raises his hands which he tenses like claws while explaining, "Yes, though they were largely electric-oriented. She'd generate pink electricity that had the capability of freezing targets for her to reposition, akin to telekinesis. She'd usually form fields of electricity to swarm her opponents and throw them, she did have the ability to also overcharge her electricity to incapacitate those within her field but it'd typically drain her entirely so she hardly made use of it."
He drops his arms before admitting, "But I've seen your abilities briefly and understand them to not bear the same form."
"You mean this?" Kokei raises as she does her right hand, and from her fingers spark electricity that bounces and dissipates, colored with a distinct pink hue, similar to the outline that wraps around her.
Meditat's body nearly bolts in shock, his eyes instantly wide, exclaiming aghast: "Yes, yes exactly like that! I…didn't realize you harbored the same ability."
"Well, it's technically my raw energy," Kokei explains, letting her hands spark again as she elaborates, "It does everything you just said, but it's unrefined and limited, I stopped relying on it a long time ago. So whoever this 'Kokei' you met does have my conduit which shouldn't be possible for someone else, granted it doesn't sound like she was as strong."
"I wouldn't-," Meditat instinctively responds in an argumentative tone, though he halts himself and contemplates briefly before switching back to the primary topic to which he agrees, "But you're correct, it's strange for there to be multiple of you in one universe, which is why I don't believe I'm from this…'Ultiverse.' Not this Earth, the solar system, or even the galaxy."
He crosses his arms over his chest to reflect deeper, his forehead scrunching in thought before he recalls, "I…have the recollection of 'universes' and 'dimensions,' I don't remember exactly where I learned of these concepts but I believe them to be different instances of our own, I perhaps could've originated from a different one and that'd explain why I knew of a different instance of you."
Kokei's head perks up at the mention of those two terms, her eyes widening stunned, inquiring first: "Wait, how do you know those things?"
Meditat frowns and lowers his head with the meek admission, "I'm…unsure. I was told it fairly recently but…by whom I can't recall. But from what I vaguely remember…well no…I thought the Superverse's dimension didn't contain a multiverse as a distinct anomaly so perhaps that can't be the solution…but a different dimension?"
Kokei winces while wrapping her head around the questions, but she shakes her head and asserts, "It can't be either, neither me nor Ekitai should exist in more than one universe or dimension…that doesn't make sense."
Meditat raises his head and tilts it to curiously ask, "Why would that be? I figure it's unlikely but not statistically impossible."
"No I mean it shouldn't be…never mind," Kokei trails off, waving her hand in dismissal before compiling, "Regardless, unless you're making this all up…which I hope you're not doing, that is a strange circumstance. I'm unsure how we'd trace back your home in fact…but we can deal with that after eliminating Ekitai. Speaking of which…you said we were best friends? That's nonsensical, same with him having any sort of maturity or redeeming qualities for that matter. I don't know how much of this is a truth you've lived or a delusion you got from whatever drugged you here, but I need you to understand that whatever this 'Ekitai' you thought you knew and respected, that doesn't exist. The 'Ekitai' that does exist is a monster who cannot be allowed to live, so if you're saying all this to try making the point that Ekitai isn't actually so bad, he is, you just met him so you should know. I don't think only 'morally imperfect' best describes a warlord who was trying to invade other countries with such force and lack of reason the way he just did today, right?"
"I understand that, I do," Meditat follows, raising his right hand from his crossed arms to support his chin as he contends, "But you two were close…sure you'd banter but in the way any close friends would. You protected each other, you cared for each other, I know you did."
"No," Kokei argues, "Me and him do not do that and are not that, you mean that the 'Kokei' and 'Ekitai' you knew of were like that. But whoever they are, they are not me and him."
"But…," Meditat attempts to contend back, though he struggles to build a legitimate rebuttal, and so he just drops his arms and recedes back with a defeated frown, lowering his head upon the acknowledgement of her point.
Watching Meditat's acceptance, Kokei lifts her head and tone to broach, "So…what was this 'Kokei' like anyways? You said she dressed more casually or something?"
Raising his head to the shift of conversation, Meditat flashes a smile as the question draws him to pleasant memories which he recounts, "Yeah, she mostly wore hoodies. But anyways, she was a software developer for a firm in my home city, it's ironic because I started as a software developer too. She had a significant interest in baking and cooking, she tried to teach me too but I…don't know how well I could replicate the process by hand. She wasn't used to the same life of battles and missions the way the rest of us were, I was aware it took a toll on her to follow, to put herself in constant lethal danger, but she did and she was an indispensable ally and friend. She got along great with Dana too which I'm glad about, you all got along so well ...."
Kokei twirls and places a hand on her chin in analysis, now being the one to pace back and forth over the rooftop, although remaining at the same elevation rather than rising and descending as she summarizes, "Huh, you really came from some backwards universe huh? Where Ekitai wasn't horrible and I was so…soft. It's kind of funny though, like an opposite me."
She stops at the center, dropping her arm and extending both out to spread her arms as she gleefully cheers, "Well, I'm sorry that the Ekitai here is pretty awful, but I guess it's a good thing I'm not that! So at least it half works out for you, right?"
At first the attempt to cheer Meditat up only leads him to awkwardly wince, but upon the acknowledgement of the effort, he lifts a smile and chuckles before agreeing, "Heh, I guess you're mathematically not wrong. I would appreciate your help returning home after Ekitai is…dealt with, but I'm glad you are the way you are."
That smile reflects on Kokei's face too, and she drops her arms as she giggles before admitting, "I will say, Meditat of 'Superverse,' you are an interesting person, I'm not sure if I can say I've met someone quite like you. Or if you're making up this entire story to justify acting buddy buddy with me, you're quite the storyteller. But if that's the case, keep this to yourself, I don't want more people to start trying this."
Meditat shakes his head, that smile still present as he promises, "Heh, I promise I won't, I'm not some superfan. I'm just…a friend of someone who you remind me of."
Kokei folds her arms over her chest and sarcastically accepts, "Alright, whatever you say to sound nonchalant."
From below echoes the distant voice of one of the officers: "THE ROOM'S SET UP FOR GUEST ACCOMODATIONS SAIKYO-SAMA!"
Kokei's eyes dart to the direction of the shout, coming from past the edge of the roof, away from the direction of the city.
Meditat's gaze also tracks with the source of the voice, and he then turns to Kokei who sighs and relays, "Let's get you set up for the night, it's late," before she drifts to that edge of the roof.
A frown overtakes Meditat as he lowers his head, disappointed by the interruption and conclusion of their conversation. He remains standing in place by the center of the roof, now facing towards her, and so the next gust of air blows directly into him and pulls his hair back as he shuts his eyes, whether as protection from the wind or to handle his thoughts.
He then opens them and raises his head, a sense of determination empowering him as his expression tenses, and he takes a step forth before exclaiming, "Kokei!"
Already at the edge of the roof, Kokei halts, still hovering above the tiled roof as she's yet to pass over. She spins around smoothly with an eyebrow raised in perplexion, providing her attention without needing to return a verbal acknowledgement.
Her eyes drawn to his, Meditat lets out a gentle huff, partially exhausted yet also relieved, and he gently declares, "I'm glad you were right here, wherever I am."
Kokei's eyebrow lowers as the confusion washes out, and in its place she retorts in an honest rant, "Yeah, well I've been here for way too long stuck on this one thing."
She then flashes a smirk and more playfully remarks, "But hey, if you help me out of it, maybe I'll let go of your little slipup, and we can go find wherever you're from."
She drifts backwards a few feet as another breeze strikes her from behind, blowing her sleeves and hair forward before she drops off the roof, not in freefall but a controlled, graceful descent.
Gliding in through the open door, Kokei returns to her bedroom on the base floor, releasing a yawn as behind her Meditat lands, holding onto a blue cable from above. As she passes the bookshelves and trophies, he strolls through the door and leans towards the staircase, taking the first two steps while his eyes wander around the room. They settle on the bookshelves to which he pauses, ponders, and asks, "Are those books made with genuine paper pages?"
Stopping in front of her bed, Kokei turns around with a prideful smile, nodding and confirming, "Yep, they sure are. Leatherbound too, almost all of them at least. Michi let me make demands for my room, so demands I made."
A twinkle sparkles in Meditat's eyes and a warm smile grows on him, one of familiarity, a comforting thought brought to him. He simply parts, "Goodnight, Kokei," without asking any further questions or elaborating on his delighted reaction, and he resumes his climb up the stairs.
Kokei waves her hand as she falls backwards onto her king-sized bed, parting back: "Goodnight," while Meditat continues up the stairs, passing the ceiling which covers the bedroom, transitioning him to the next floor. Every next step introduces more of that floor, which while is about the same size as the bedroom, isn't a bedroom at all. Shelves do line the walls, but rather than holding books and trophies, they hold firearms, many of them being longer rifles.
Upon reaching the floor, he glances at far desks which stand contraptions that resemble typewriters and DJ controllers, full of physical buttons and switches but with displays not viewed from physical screens but one that freely hovers above the instruments, sustained by a light aperture like a projector albeit not needing to cast its screen onto a physical surface.
The screen lingering above the typewriter displays a list of long rows with animated lines that wave like sinusoidal functions, and the one above the DJ system shows a pulsating circle resembling a radar, surrounded by various icons forming a map. The room overall resembles an armory and reconnaissance station, unfit for bedding as the officers had admitted.
Along the wall to his left is another staircase leading to the next room, and so he climbs that next, letting out a disappointed sigh in knowing it was formerly a bedroom and could've then been used as one, and perhaps could've been reverted had adequate forewarnings been made. Then again, he's only become known in this region and country one day, so it'd have been impossible for such accommodations to be met, at least for this first night. He cheers himself up with the fresh memories of this day, as while it did begin in chaos, the cruise across the city and conversation atop the tower's crown brought him satisfaction that raises a smile.
Approaching the top of the next staircase, passing the second floor's ceiling which begins to expose the next which is significantly dimmer, the sight that is brought to Meditat promptly flattens his smile, that satisfaction turned to dismay.
The room he climbs to is notably smaller than the other two below, with a ceiling that's much lower, only about a foot higher than Meditat along the center line, but it slants down on both sides which leaves the far corners only about five feet tall. There's no shelves along the walls or furniture for that matter, no wardrobe or desk on the far end. There's no raised bed either, but instead a thin futon laid on the floor without a blanket or pillows. Beside the futon is a lamp fit for a desk but sitting on the floor, the single source of light in the room, which explains the dimness.
After the long day of bouncing emotions and intensity of such, the final feeling that ends Meditat's day is the disappointment that he exudes in a sign before ambling to the bedding, the futon about the size of a twin bed if not smaller.
He mutters to himself, "I'd have preferred a desk to work more effectively, there's far too much to be done than to merely sleep."
Then in front of him manifests a screen unbound by a physical monitor, flashing awake instantly without need for a particle stream. The screen is about the size of a piece of paper, primarily blue with a window that only displays a single spinning circle of dots in an animation akin to a loading animation. After glancing at that screen, another two appear on each side, similar in size and contents, the same loading graphic.
He sighs before the three screens vanish, and he admits: "I have yet to find a device connected to any vast network system, ideally there'd be some universal interweb similar to the Superverse's, though I'm unsure if that'd entail encapsulating this solar system exclusively or the other known systems. Until then, we're practically blind, at least I'm unable to connect to their internet and servers from here."
The voice of the British assistant considers, "We could ask Kokei if she owns such a device, like a personal Connect. Granted I am unsure if Connects exist, many products standard in the majority of the Earths we've known do not appear to exist in this region."
"Good point, I should've requested it earlier, I'll make sure to do so tomorrow. Even if she doesn't have a Connect, there must be some sort of public interweb that she has a product to connect to," Meditat accepts as he reaches the other side of the room, facing down at the futon below.
Disinterested in the one excuse for bedroom furniture, he raises his head away to then hypothesize, "Kokei claimed the year to be 2468, perhaps they operate at a different baseline, though the technology of this Earth seems to be drastically inferior to that of the Core Worlds, and arguably even the Rim. Pods incapable for interplanetary travel is a strange phenomenon…but either way, it'd be strange if there didn't exist any public networks, it seems they're at least technologically capable of that. We just need a port for you, and we'll finally get a proper analysis of our situation. Perhaps it'd provide us insight to return to the Superverse."
Burning dimly, the lamp on the floor attempts to coat the attic in light, technically doing so but with a fraction of the power compared to the lights in the rooms below. Meditat's eyes set on the pathetic lamp, noting the radiant azure streaks that course his body to be brighter than it.
While watching the lantern, he listens to Orial ask, "Is your primary theory that we're stranded in a different galaxy past the Rim, or that we are in an alternate universe or dimension?"
Breathing gently as the energy that's driven him all over the city tapers, Meditat shrugs his shoulders and reviews, "Dopplegangers existed in the history of the Superverse's Earths, the same prominent figures throughout international history have shown to have existed in several Earths once, sometimes with differences in their own histories and legacies. But after the birth of the Superverse, no doppelgangers were recorded to be born…. Then again, this is not the Superverse, it may abide by different rules and lack those restrictions. It'd be ideal in that case since we'd have a reliable transport home, I wouldn't know how we'd travel dimensions regardless."
Acknowledging that awkwardly standing in this hollow hall the whole night would not be ideal, Meditat chooses to sit down on the futon mattress, using it as a seat with the lamp at his side. He maintains an attentive, straight posture, listening to Orial ask in a confused, apprehensive tone: "But…sir…haven't you already done so?"
Now the one to show perplexity first in his physical facial expression, Meditat tilts his head and asks back, "When was this? I don't believe I've built a teleporter with that capability."
"You did not use a machine, but you managed to escape the dimension you were stranded in against that enemy. As you mentioned, you were told explicitly that our dimension lacks any multiverse, but if it is the case that you've accidentally been stranded in another dimension, the same method of return should apply here, yes?"
Meditat leans forward and scrunches his eyebrows in deep thought. His starry eyes dart side to side, and he admits, "I cannot at all recall what combat encounter you're referring to."
His tense expression is then dampened by a natural yawn from his mouth, which he instinctively covers with one hand, leaning back to sit upright once more. The first yawn is brief but he doesn't resume the conversation for another follows, this one longer, deeper. Only after he's free from the yawn does he shake his head and query, "Do you believe your memory may have been corrupted during the trip that brought us here? You haven't hallucinated false events in a long time, the process that brought us here may have damaged the suit's integrated computer."
He drops his chin and somberly reflects, "I hope we can find Dana soon, establishing a connection to any interweb that'd allow us access to civilian records should help us seek an initial direction at the very least. I…do hope that I can collaborate with her…I'd hope Ekitai is an anomaly in that regard. While it'd be convenient for her to currently exist on this Earth, in the fairly reasonable chance she is not, I'll need to complete more research on fars and ships, it appears at least they serve two different functions."
An immediate response isn't made, but a few seconds of additional processing is taken before Orial apologizes, "My apologies sir, I'm unsure why there's a discrepancy between my memory and yours, I'll run a thorough diagnostic suite to assess if I did endure memory damages.
"Relay the results as soon as you've completed it, I'd wish to check directly too," Meditat commands before he then begins reclining further back from his straightened posture, laying his back down on the futon, still dressed in his azure suit.
"Sir, do you wish to sleep?" The voice of Orial asks politely, able to sense Meditat's movements without eyes of its own.
Meditat chuffs to that question and assures, "I don't, there's far too many obstructions to our understanding of this situation, it's paramount that we resolve these gaps soon to better navigate this 'Flagro System.' I am simply finding a position best for productivity without a chair. Either way, we'll need to compile more information tomorrow. I wonder if the contents of Kokei's books would provide us insight, but that's another question for her tomorrow. I…still am unsure how to feel about the mission she's embarking on and the one we'd be supporting to receive her eventual help. You watched them during the formation of the team yourself, they were genuinely close friends, correct?"
Staring up at the low, wooden ceiling, Meditat listens to Orial reflect, "You are correct, once again Kokei was originally introduced to your former variant by Ekitai, and their dynamic reflected that shared importance. Similarly, you were correct in that Ekitai engaged in immoral acts such as murder without lawful justification, though he did promise your former variant that he'd strive to improve himself, and my assessment is that he succeeded in doing so."
Sighing with a frown, Meditat just gazes at the ceiling before the view is obstructed by the reemergence of another holographic screen, now oriented to face down at him, though again he's only met by that same loading ring graphic. He stares with anticipation at the loading ring with eyes that begin to blink slower with longer holds, growing heavy as he wishes, "I truly hope there's an alternative solution, I understand that he leads an operation that could threaten this entire region…yet there has to be an alternative. Aiding in his execution just…cannot be the only path…. Even though I'll be returning to our Ekitai, knowing I had to bring about the end of another's life to do so…that cannot be the only way…."
He closes his eyes again for a blink, and holds them shut for longer. In a sympathetic tone, Orial acknowledges: "I understand your grievance sir, once we acquire more information about the environment, there are solid chances that new solutions will be discovered. I should preface that it will likely take longer for me to complete the process of establishing network connections due to the possibility that the software architecture differs dramatically from the Connect's operating system. Ideally it should not exceed five hours, and from there it shouldn't be difficult to execute queries."
A pause follows Orial's concern, though Meditat's eyes remain shut and he doesn't respond. His mouth parts, but it's only to draw in a small breath and then exhale it in the same subtlety.
"Ah, I understand. Goodnight, sir," the voice of Orial then acknowledges the man's state, gracefully concluding the conversation rather than attempting to resuscitate him to the discussion. The light of the lamp beside the bed remains active, shining yellow light onto the side of his face while the front is lit blue by the holographic screen lingering directly above him. Neither source of light can pry his eyes awake, for despite his assurances just now that he'd remain conscious to research and plan, he lasted only a few minutes. He remains dressed in his azure suit with smooth, golden pauldrons, his back resting on the cape, his head resting on the hood. It's an attire far from proper pajamas, and yet he's perfectly comfortable in rest, whether it's due to the futon being genuinely cozy, or because the sheer exhaustion of the long day has finally managed to catch up with him.
He doesn't snore, he simply breathes slowly. Calmly. Again and again. Again and again.
Again and again.