The Grand Entrance

[digisolutions]

[ When you awaken, it's in a bed. But it's not your bed. Someone is hustling and bustling nearby--multiple someones. They seem to be working hard on something. When you awaken, it's in a very clean room, but you're inside. When you finally open your eyes, you're safe in a nice bedroom with five identical girls running around and keeping the place nice and cozy. Yes, that's right, five identical girls running around. For those familiar with it, they could be cosplayers. But they're not. Also, unlike their original design, they have obvious ball joints to make them more puppet-like. What do you guys do? ]

Comments

[resolved]

[ He waves a hand; the gesture is a bit dramatic. ]

I find that unusual. You can't go very far even in the other zones and not have heard of us. Where are you from? And why the makeup and false ears?

[ Because clearly that's fake, right? ]

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Well his ears actually kinda lower. Not a droop, but a little like an annoyed cat.]

Honestly, I would question why you would think anyone would try to look half Galra, all things considered.

[He's not saying anything about his supposedly extinct other half the ears came from.]

Apparently I'm from a far enough territory in the Empire to have not heard of your people at all - you know how it goes.

[NOT SAYING WHERE HE'S FROM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LET'S NOT PANIC THE ALREADY ON EDGE RESISTANCE LEADER BY TELLING HIM HE'S SHARING A ROOM WITH THE PRINCE OF THE EMPIRE.]

[resolved]

[ If the word "Galra" hadn't been used, he almost would have made a grave mistake. Fortunately, Lelouch is no idiot; that's not a term he recognizes, and he knows a lot of terms around Britannia and the accompanying zones.

It's foreign to him.

Which means... what, exactly? ]

You're some kind of minority, then? I find it curious you can talk about who you are without using numbers. That takes guts.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[It’s the lack of recognition of the Galra that does it.]

... Your civilization has not encountered the Galra Empire?

[He’s tilting his head and studying... well, the Zero uniform.].

That would explain why I failed to recognize your species.

[ladieslancer]

[ Meanwhile, Sylvain has been watching this the entire time. Just watching. And finally, he turns with a grin on his face and talks to the fourth person here: Eric. ]

...So if a fight starts, I'll put money on the purple guy to win. This dramatic show-off's too scrawny to take a punch.

i'll have a paid account this time tomorrow, just pretend any icons are of tiny angry eric

[yonosoymaria]

[Oh. Good. Conversation. Something that isn't 98% of his mind screaming that he's been kidnapped and lost the Spear and he's going to die. A distraction. Very good.]

Particularly not from someone overtly not human. He looks like he could dodge, though, I'd put money on him being the first to throw a punch.

I can't get a paid until next month so just deal with life I guess lol

[resolved]

[ He sighs to himself silently.

The peanut gallery, not helping. He needs to take stock. How many have seen his face? ... No, it really is better to ask. ]

I'm afraid I've never heard of it, no. The only Empire my home recognizes is the might of Britannia's near-global dominance. ... And I must ask, just how many of you have seen my face?

[lost_child_of_oriande]

Near global. [Sorry Lulu, you just achieved “OMG THEY’RE TINY AND CUTE AND HELPLESS”.]

Well, if your species has not even left your - homeworld? Solar system? Yet, I don’t think it would matter so much either way, in my case at least.

[ladieslancer]

No idea what Brittania is, sure doesn't sound like it's anywhere near Fódlan. Only Empire I know is the Adrestian Empire. But I did see you have real pretty eyes!

[ Wink! He's definitely flirting. ]

[resolved]

[ There's a pause.

He turns to one of the nuns running this place. ]

Excuse me. Could you bring me something else to wear?

[ Nuns in a town he's never seen... he isn't worried about. But these strangers? He turns to the group. And removes his helmet. ]

... Fódlan? That's not a region I recognize. Even discounting anywhere the Empire has conquered...

[ He turns to Sylvain. All right, well. Sylvain can be his guinea pig, he thinks. But he should try the old fashioned way first. ]

Tell me about this Adrestian Empire.

[ladieslancer]

We can try! We don't really have a lot of clothes on hand.

[ But one of the Sistermon, who were growing increasingly worried, goes to try and find clothes. The others are whispering. ]

The Adrestian Empire... I'm not part of it. Well, more like Faerghus isn't anymore. But it was founded about forty-one years, I think? After Saint Seiros performed her miracles. Uh... Listen, I'm not the best at school. And history's hard. But basically they're a small empire that takes up part of our continent, and we're in an uneasy alliance with them. Doesn't sound anything like your nightmare.

[resolved]

... That doesn't match up with literally any of the history I've ever heard at all. From any region. I've read a lot of it. For none of you to have heard of the Britannian Empire is... strange.

[ He might have spent his time gambling, but he did actually have to pass. ]

I am starting to come to a conclusion that seems ridiculous, but I have no other way to rationalize the differences.

[ladieslancer]

Might be similar to what I've thought. Hey, do you have dragons where you're from?

[ And a look over at Lotor and Eric. ]

And you. I'm guessing, despite appearances, Galra isn't a fancy name for "dragon" or "manakete."

[yonosoymaria]

I - it depends on what you mean by dragon. The wise creatures of myth are just that, but there are monsters with similar forms and similar powers, yes....

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[Lotor glances over at him at that.]

No, not dragons, and I have never heard of the other name. They’re my father’s species, possessed of a Warrior ideal that has been twisted and corrupted beyond recognition by the Empire. I’m actually short and ‘delicate’ by the standards of most full blooded Galra.

[resolved]

Surely you must be joking. Dragons belong in stories, movies or games.

[ Seriously? ]

They're not real. Certainly, the technology named after such things is real. For example, the Knightmare Frame Lancelot, named after one of King Arthur's Knights... but legends of knights and chivalry and dragons are just that: legends.

[yonosoymaria]

[Forget trying not to be seen, that's - that's something out of Jules Verne, or one of those magazines Johnny reads - ]

Sir, are you implying that leaving one's planet is the usual trajectory for - the usual path of - the way of things if civilization continues upwards?

[His voice may have hit a level of squeaky cracking that would make Michael J. Fox pause and look askance just now, by which the narratrix means it did.]

[lost_child_of_oriande]

[He’s in a room full of strange drones and some bunch of what seems to all be the same primitive species from different planets who haven’t gotten to space yet even.]

[cagey resistance person is not a huge concern, although Lotor knows he should help calm things down.]

Well.... yes? My - both of my peoples had left their home systems and begun exploring outward many decaphoebs before their homeworlds were destroyed, and... right now the Galra have conquered most of the known universe.

[Really it’s NICE to be dealing with people with no concept of that horror show, he almost doesn’t want to explain that part and tarnish it.]

1/3, we're goin' full ecats tonite

[yonosoymaria]

2/3 just imagine if i'd gotten ashlee to draw younger icons too... imagine....

[yonosoymaria]

3/3

[yonosoymaria]

My people have not yet mastered flight without the aid of magic. We are still too busy attacking each other and chasing the tails we do not have to think about even reaching our own moon outside of stories, and you tell me that you know of people who have conquered most of the universe?

[This is worse than waking up without the weapon that's been an extension of him for an embarrassingly short time. This is so much worse. So much worse.]

[lost_child_of_oriande]

I wish I could say otherwise, but the Galra have expanded with incredible aggression, made worse by the Emperor and his witch being immortal and possessed of some kind of terrible unnatural power. I would say that your people are fortunate to still be outside the frontiers, or beneath their notice for the time being.

[resolved]

[ BOY SOMEONE SURE DOES LOOK IN DEEP THOUGHT AT "terrible unnatural power". ]

[yonosoymaria]

Immortal and unnatural.

[He takes a deep breath, and lets it out in a sigh that might be shaky laughter strangled into quiet.]

We have our own infestation of such things, I'm afraid. The worst shouldn't be back again for a little under a century, but... my family is dedicated to exterminating such things.

[lost_child_of_oriande]

You are fortunate to be able to drive yours away for periods of time. Emperor Zarkon has ruled now for ten thousand years, and made it a - personal goal to control or destroy anything that could threaten him.

[there’s definitely some bitterness and a bitey edge to that.]

I doubt the universe can be healed without destroying him.