[15 ~ video | canon move 1/2]

[blahblahblah]

Have I ever mentioned I hate boats? I can't work on my spellcraft, I'd light the damned thing on fire. We need to make the things out of metal or something...

Anyway, that's not important right now. I made it to Nordopolica, across the ocean from where I was before. From here my next lead is heading inland to look for these aer krene I'm supposed to be searching for... but I'm trying to take it easy. By myself, I'm not so sure I'm going to get far if I'm reckless.

For now, though, there's something else about this place - a coliseum. It's run by a guild, Palle... something. I don't remember the name. They're promising a prize if you can win a few matches, and it's just fighting some local scum floating around, and maybe some monsters - I'm gonna go for it. I can always use pocket money. Or gels. Or... whatever they're giving away. [She grins.] I've even got an all-new set spell or two cooked up just for the occasion.

Anyway, that's in a day or two, so I'm going to relax and get my legs under me for now. Has anything big happened while I was on a boat and not really checking in?

((For anyone familiar with Vesperia canon, yes, I'm sending Rita in to fight Flynn in the coliseum. But there happens to be a virus in the way this week, which is what I'm aiming for. Part two will be in a few days' time.))

Comments

voice;

[entreats]

You actually have a coliseum around in your world?

[ Since Yuri lost access to the community she's been a little hesitant to approach his world, but.. by now she's just resigned herself to everything either way, so it's a little easier. ]

Sure is old-fashioned.

[blahblahblah]

Our world is a little old-fashioned in general. Aside from our fancy magic, we're not exactly modern by the community's standards.

[She vaguely debated saying something about Yuri, but... at the last second she decides to keep her mouth shut on him. Not that she'd seen him for a while herself.]

[entreats]

.. It's pretty weird though, huh..? You're like our older times, but at the same time you're not. [ She's clearly avoiding the subject Rita decides to not bring up either way. ] I wonder what your world will look like way into the future then. To see how it'll compare to most on the community.

[blahblahblah]

Far into the future? Well, hopefully I'm a legend for bringing Terca Lumireis out of the dark ages and into a more modern era. I'm hoping I can build one of these... computers everyone talks about all the time. Blastia are great for what they can do, but they can't really think. That'll be a real achievement.

[entreats]

It's probably going to be hard since you guys don't have this kind of technology in your world. [ As far as she's seen and heard of so far, either way. ]

Computers are a pretty evolved kind of technology, since.. well, like you said, they think. It's not easy to recreate something like that without building on previous technical knowledge.

[blahblahblah]

We don't, but our science advances further every day, and I'm ambitious anyway. If there's a way to design it, I'm gonna try. Besides, it's not like I can't just borrow one from someone else and try to reverse-engineer it somehow with magic. How hard could it be?

[entreats]

.. You'd be surprised.

[ She's seen Amakusa fiddle with a computer once.

It wasn't a pretty sight. And he actually is from 1998. ]

[blahblahblah]

It'll work out, somehow. I'm not the best mage in Aspio to stop trying when things get rough. The hard part will be power... we don't have this fancy "electricity" you all do. I'd have to rig up something to draw in aer, and convert it into fire and wind mana just so... hmm.

[entreats]

Making electricity isn't that hard though. Surely you guys at least have thunderstorms over there, right? If you could somehow store the lightning from those, it could easily serve as electricity for a computer in small portions.

.. Or so I think, either way. I'm not an expert about this sort of thing.

[blahblahblah]

Yes, but I'd need to make some kind of... what do you call it? A "battery"? I don't have a way to store the power.

I know it's weird, but making the lightning from whole cloth might be easier.

[entreats]

Yeah, that sounds weird alright. But it's not like I've ever thought about how to put a computer together before. Especially in a world where it's not a common thing to begin with.

[blahblahblah]

I'll figure it out. And if I have questions... well, I'll try to solve them myself first. But if I get stuck, I'm sure there's someone on the community I can ask.

[entreats]

Most people on here use a computer to access this thing.. I think, at least. So in that case those people could probably easily help you, they're probably used to working with them.

[mightletyouknowme]

Why are you fighting? If you need money, I can get it easily.

[blahblahblah]

I don't need it, it's just nice to have. I'm fighting because I've got new spells I'm itching to test... and to be honest, something bugs me about all this. I wanna get to the bottom of it.

[mightletyouknowme]

It's a lot of stupid guys fighting because they don't have anything better to do. What's weird about it?

[blahblahblah]

It's not that. Some guy was going on about someone trying to take over the guild that runs the coliseum... and even I know about Belius, the guildmaster that rules over Nordopolica. If someone thinks they've got a shot to take down Belius, there's a problem. A big one. If they're going through the coliseum to get to Belius, then the easiest way to shut them down is to take them out.

[mightletyouknowme]

Why is it such a big deal if they do? Why is that guy so important? I bet you and Yuri could win, anyway.

[blahblahblah]

Ha, ha... there's a problem with that. [Rita actually sounds a little uneasy...] I don't actually know where Yuri is right now. I left him behind in Dahngrest, and he hasn't caught up with me. I've been traveling alone on my mission from the Empire for a while now.

As for Belius... well. Don Whitehorse is said to be one of the strongest and most charismatic men in the world, and Belius is said to be one of his only peers. The Don beat Yuri down in about two seconds, and that might be a little generous. Someone that can surpass the Don's level of power? Yeah, no. That needs to not happen.

[mightletyouknowme]

You still haven't found him? It makes sense he would get lost. [She still hasn't seen him, either, come to think of it.]

But you're stronger now, anyway, right? He can't keep winning.

[blahblahblah]

No, I haven't. But it's telling that I haven't heard about him, either. No Knights looking for him, no tales that he's blown up something... he just dropped off the radar. I'm not sure what that means for me, though. Without him, I don't have a convenient princess to get me out of trouble, or plenty of muscle in varying degrees of dumb.

I am stronger now, though... probably stronger than I'd be if I let Yuri take care of things. So this should- well, I'd better not jinx it. But still, I don't think there'll be an issue.

[mightletyouknowme]

Heh, show them all how strong you are! [She grins. If nothing else, she knows Rita can win.]

And..and if you hear from Yuri, let me know.

[blahblahblah]

Damn right I will! Nobody stands up to Rita Mordio and gets away with it!

[Rita tones herself down at Sena's worry about their lost idiot vigilante swordsman.]

Yeah. If I hear anything... well, I'll probably go find him myself and give him a piece of my mind. And then I'll make sure you, and the others, know. He... isn't normally gone this long, especially not when he's supposed to be watching Estelle.

[mightletyouknowme]

Where is she, anyway? It's not somebody like her can go missing and nobody know about it.

[blahblahblah]

That's the thing. Yuri's great at getting into trouble, and he's got Estelle with him. So if he's gotten himself into something he can't get out of... maybe that's why I haven't heard from him. And I'm sure the Knights are combing the countryside to track Estelle down, since she's technically supposed to be at the castle right now. One way or another, it'll probably work out. I hope.

[mightletyouknowme]

There's no way Yuri would lose that easily, especially if he has her with him. He's okay but if he doesn't let us know soon, I won't forgive him so easily.

[aquaticrush]

That sounds a little intimidating, but I'm sure you can do it!

[blahblahblah]

Considering how much I've been fighting and how far I've come, I sure hope so. I'm more than someone that just sits in a library and does research all day, and occasionally blows something up with a mistake.

...Or on purpose.

[aquaticrush]

I know you're very strong by now. You'll do well!

[blahblahblah]

Strong... but never strong enough. The mark of a good researcher is to never be satisfied! There's always another spell to master, another formula to solve, another theory to prove! And I'm going to keep working until I've figure out every mystery of this world!

[A bold claim, sure, but it's what keeps her going for the moment.]

[aquaticrush]

Do you mean that everybody is worried about not being strong enough?

[blahblahblah]

Well, I am, and I'd expect anyone that actually does anything to further our studies is. Field research is dangerous, by nature, and the best way I can mitigate that danger is to blow it up. Bigger dangers need bigger explosions, so I have to keep training myself.

[aquaticrush]

I think that's what I'd expect you to say, Rita-san.

[blahblahblah]

Am I that obvious? I mean, I like explosions at least as much as the next girl, but it's kind of what I do. I use magic as a weapon. There are only so many ways to use it that don't cause a big boom.

[aquaticrush]

Should I not have said that?

[blahblahblah]

No no, it's fine. I just... wish there were something I could do that doesn't burn down cities, sometimes. Everything I can do with my magic makes things explode. Someday... I want to use it to help make things better. Even I can only blow things up for so long before I get tired of it.

[aquaticrush]

Rita-san, you're a smart person. I know you can help people.

[blahblahblah]

Smart, sure. I'm great at that. But I've done a lot of destroying, as part of my job. My research from the Empire is how to blow things up better, half the time. I don't exactly get time for peaceful projects, especially not lately when the odds are pretty good that wherever I'm at isn't safe.

Don't worry about me, Retasu. I'm just rambling. Things'll work out, and I'll stop whining.

[aquaticrush]

I'm sorry, Rita-san.

[blahblahblah]

[Rita has the sudden urge to reach through the ducknet and flick Retasu's forehead.]

Hey, what'd I just say? I'll be fine. Anyway... I've got some fights to get ready for. Any ideas other than "shoot it until it screams"?

[aquaticrush]

As long as you pay attention to everything, you'll be fine.

[blahblahblah]

Have I ever not paid atten- don't answer that. I'm not worried, though. Nobody here could mess with me in their wildest dreams.

[aquaticrush]

Good luck.