Izurich
Drifting Pollen
Rezod92
Lexisheeps
xxjessicaxx
Timemaster
Eviledd1984
pkken
VitaVitaARSector 3 Supper
Goldlewis, Peach, Raz’s @Truthhurts22, Roxas’ @Double, Sakura and Karin’s @Zoey Boey, Midna’s @DracoLunaris, Pit’s @Yankee
Word Count: 3,701 words (+5)
There was a brief dip in chances to talk as appetizers were brought out, and orders were placed, but after that was out of the way, there came time for feeling out how dinner would go. This was both in terms of what the food would be like (and if there was one positive to the world Galeem had made it was the ability to try out of your world dishes) and in terms of seeing how the flow of talk would be going.
Midna for one started out by dropping her formality levels down a few notches in response to her first impression of their host ”If you don’t do formalities, then I won’t insist upon it either, so just Midna is perfectly fine. Never really cared for them anyway, but the title comes with expectations” she said, regarding his offer to refer to her as ‘my lady’ before commenting that ”Which does leave me surprised to hear that that a military organization would be, well, informal? Not that that’s a bad thing mind, my military advisor was always unbearably stuffy.”
Probably because the position had been of so little import … right up until it was vital and the lack of attention to such matters had nearly cost them everything, Midna thought, but managed to keep that to herself.
Luka tilted his head slightly, considering the sort of perspective that would see the prevailing attitudes within Psych-OSF as strange. “I suppose. It’s said that in the end, all that matters for a soldier is results. You could be a perpetual layabout who never trains or works more than a few minutes a day, but if you can do what nobody else can, you’re irreplaceable.” He laughed lightly to himself. “Not to name any names, of course.”
"...But only if you're psychic." muttered Roxas before he could stop himself, "Cuz if not, then… tough luck, I gue-" only now did he finally catch himself and hurriedly stood up, "I'm sorry, please excuse me." he blurted out before rushing toward the bathroom. Good job Roxas, way to make a fool of yourself!
Minda raised an eyebrow, having clearly missed something while she’d been running around the city missing every single time the group had intersected with Psych-OSF … and then promptly found herself putting a foot into the exact same cowpat
”What’s the deal with that by the way?” she had to ask, before adding not exactly the best set of caveats as an explanation for the question ”Sorry, I’m not too familiar with what makes psychic’s talents different from other types of supernatural abilities, considering they aren't exactly common anywhere else in the world. Galee-fate really did pack you all into this one inconvenient to everyone else city, or so it seems”
"I wanna know too," Pit chimed in after helping himself to the assorted gyoza on the table. "'Cause wouldn't you need all the help you can—"
Goldlewis suddenly burst out into a brief fit of coughing. He held up a cautionary finger to silently ask for the others to wait a moment as he patted his chest with his other hand as if to dislodge something that got caught in his throat, though given the sheer size of the man the idea of a tiny takoyaki ball stuck in his windpipe seemed somehow unlikely. “Beggin’ your pardon,” he said after a moment. “Didn’t taste bad or nothin’, I swear, just ain’t what we’re used to.” With Roxas already gone, his cool blue gaze turned toward Midna. “That’s the great thing about tryin’ new things though, you’ll always end up with somethin’ unexpected.”
“...Indeed.” Luka glanced at the place Roxas left behind at the dinner table. Based on who accepted and made use of the paper menus, he’d already realized who amongst this eclectic group possessed psychic powers, and who did not. Though they might bear ill will toward someone like him, which stung him with a bitter irony, he wouldn’t hold it against them. “Even if this sort of cuisine is rather ordinary for Suoh, the cooks here always surprise me with the amazing and creative ways they come up with to elevate it to the next level. There are many talented people out there, but given what Musubi’s is up against even on Main Street, only a special kind of culinarian could get the results necessary to survive in this sort of…business environment.” As he spoke the young man had loaded his plate up with dumplings, and when he finished he began to enjoy them one at a time, too polite to show how famished he really was.
Meanwhile in the bathroom, Roxas stood at the sink and was washing his hands. He stared at himself in the mirror and then shook his head with a bit of disappointment. ”Man, what was I thinking?” he asked his reflection, ”All I had to do was keep quiet, but I went and opened my mouth. What else could go wrong?” After he was finished rinsing, he cupped some water in his hands and splashed it on his face. After that, he reached for the paper towels and started drying off, ”Alright, enough feeling sorry for myself. Need to go out there and clean up my mess,” he said as he finished up and turned toward the door, ”here goes.”
He finally returned to the table after having been gone for only a minute or two. He gave a quick bow before he actually sat down, ”I’m sorry about that outburst. Won’t let it happen again.” and only then did he finally sit back down. For the moment he decided to focus his attention on the curry nanban in front of him. He didn’t always like spicy food, but he had to admit this stuff was pretty great.
Sakura and Karin exchanged glances. Karin with a cool, nearly imperceptible displeased glance. Sakura smiling and shrugging. Practicing with her psychic powers, she started using her chopsticks with them, picking up noodles and trying to get them into her mouth. They ended up mostly on her chin and off her plate, which cause her to giggle. Karin pinched the bridge of her nose.
”Sakura is a very promising recruit for basic braining, as you can see.” She said wryly.
Sakura shrugged again, good-natured. ”Well, that’s what the training is for, right? I didn’t know psychic powers were such a big deal ‘till I moved here.” Normally she would be a little nervous about lying, but with her newfound confidence she realized she was just omitting the full story. Besides, since when was she ever afraid to break the rules? Literally never.
Peach nodded. Though she didn’t see much reason to deviate beyond her own pleasant self for the sake of appearances, she did want to seem more eager and less carefree about the prospect of joining what was effectively the military. “We were hoping to start soon. As soon as possible, ideally. Actually taking the first step isn’t that big a deal, but the anticipation’s murder. Just can’t wait to start helping people, I guess!” After her peppy explanation she took a quick sip from her water, then gestured toward Raz as if to give him the floor. “It isn’t the first time for Raz here, though. He’s a bonafide Psychonaut! You met with, er, someone important from Psych-OSF today who said you might be able to breeze right through training, isn’t that right?”
Raz froze as all eyes turned to him, in the middle of scarfing down a bowl of thick, cold soup that the menu said helped bolster a psychic’s mental faculties. He wasn’t sure if it was just a marketing tactic, but the earlier trek through Sakura’s mind left him with a real appetite. ”Ohmmph. Nhyeh!” He took a moment to swallow, opening his mouth to continue only for a burp to rumble up instead. ”’Scuse me. I met up with a squadron when we first got into the sector, and it had some members I knew back home. The leader for them is Morceau Oleander, who was a prominent agent for the Psychonauts. He said he’d be able to fasttrack me through to Basic Braining, and I’m sure others can come with!” He went for another spoonful, stopping before he took it to add, ”Oh, there’s also Lili. She was a, uhh, close friend of mine. She’s actually the daughter of the Grand Head of the Psychonauts, Truman Zanotto, so we have an extra angle on the inner workings. I even managed to free her from the influence! With Roxas’s help, of course.”
Luka looked surprised, and a little impressed. "Well, well. While nepotism is anathematic to the OSF and strictly guarded against, a Septentrion and the Chief are some excellent connections to have. While I only saw Peach in action this afternoon, but I could vouch for your courage as well." The boy leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin like an old sage deep in thought. "It's not unheard of for promising recruits to speed through Basic, either. While there are countless rules and regulations to acquaint oneself with, the most important thing is strength, as I mentioned before. If you blow the graders away in the providing grounds, it may not be long at all before you can attempt the SAS aptitude test. After that it's the final exam, and then you're in!"
The Scarlet Guardian's light, cheerful tone made it sound as if it really was that easy. He followed up his briefing with a shrug. "I'm sure the Chief would be happy for any last-minute reinforcements, anyway."
Sakura knew she could blow them away for sure. Demonstrating, she flexed her arm and grinned. ”I’ve got strength! And experience. I’m looking forward to this, it sounds fun. I hope there’s an obstacle course.”
"But what if it's more like a super-crossword puzzle..." Pit commented, thinking about obstacle courses for the brain. He shivered, a little exaggerated. Even though Luka talked of strength, the mention of graders and exams made him glad that he wasn't one of the volunteers.
Having finished his soup Raz set his spoon down and lifted himself a bit higher off the table. ”What did you mean by ‘last minute’ reinforcements, Luka? Is something about to happen?”
During all this, Roxas'd had a quiet and hushed conversation with Midna. Mostly just filling her in on what Psych-OSF was and why they were apparently such a big deal around here. He tried to keep his own reservations to himself, but a tiny bit of venting still managed to slip out once and awhile. The princess for her part didn’t mind said venting, as she could entirely see where he was coming from. Her occasional thoughtless comment probably did little to quell his simmering anger over the whole situation however.
And then Roxas heard Raz's question, "I'm guessing you have to be in to get that kind of information." he offered, doing his best to hide his contentions, "That's usually how these kinds of Organizations work, anyway."
Luka kept his expression amicable. "Well, we're technically not supposed to talk about it, but with the sheer scale of what's happening it's been an open secret for a while. The word on everyone's lips is that there's a joint operation tomorrow morning, spanning over a dozen Psych-OSF platoons. We're clearing out the old tunnels underneath the city fringes. Many say it was ordered by Shinra just to put a solid win under his belt on the day of the big debate, but its a good chance to wipe out a serious buildup of Others down there and keep people safe." He gave a mild, joking smile at Goldlewis and the other duds. "I hope you'll be cheering us on!"
Sakura nodded quickly. ”Then I guess we really better pass with flying colors if we wanna get in on the action.” She said.
”Oh yes. A lot of cheering.” Karin said, wryly, while Midna made a tiny pained sound as she bit her own tongue to prevent it from saying something much less wry about what they’d probably be doing.
Raz considered this, and nodded his head. ”Yeah, if there’s a big operation happening soon, I’d bet they would be willing to take on as many recruits and volunteers as they can. But what’s being cleared out, more Other?”
“Others, yes.” Luka’s response sounded particularly patient. “They’re the OSF’s principal concern. In addition to falling from the sky, they tend to swarm wherever the Extinction Belt descends, and the forecast for tomorrow morning is scheduled to be the heaviest in a long while.” He sighed. “Of course, the Scarlet Guardians tend to all sorts of other problems, as well. With DespoRHado not under the government’s control and the G-men the way they are, Psych-OSF ends up handling most of the Public Security Division’s…well, public security.”
At that Goldlewis shook his head in disdain. “That don’t surprise me one bit. Sure, the G-men might be strong and efficient, but those things ain’t human. They don’t got the people’s best interests at heart, and their handlers’re spread too thin to make a difference. That goes for Neuron, too.”
“Indeed. Though their officers enjoy a good reputation, that organization is minuscule and acutely specialized in comparison,” Luka agreed. “It occurs to me that you might have some special insight as the former Secretary of Defense, Mr. Dickinson, but I have no intention of prying.” His eyes drifted to an incoming server with various plates and bowls of Japanese cuisine expertly carried. “Though I’m sure you all have many questions, let’s put aside Public Security for a moment and enjoy our meal.” A couple moments later and the Seekers’ dinner had arrived, Suoh’s delicacies piled high.
”That does leave something of a gap for” Midna began to say, before her words took a sharp right turn at the arrival of the main course ”Ooo, food. That smells lovely”
Once the dishes were all laid out the princess, for one, laid into them with gusto. Fighting, getting brain blasted, and then racing futility around the city having built up quite an appetite the sating of which was only really slowed by the fact that she had to learn how to use chopsticks. The same went for Raz, who decided to go with some popular sushi dishes, picking up individual rolls between his pair of chopsticks, one in each hand. ”I think I’m doing something wrong here.”
”Like this, Raz-kun!” Sakura reached over. She yoinked the chopstick from one hand and shoved it into the other. Then she guided her free hand over to demonstrate how to hold them. ”Think of it like holding a pencil.” She advised, before popping a sushi roll into her mouth.
Then there was Pit who was forgoing the traditional utensils entirely. The smaller items like some of the sushi and nigiri he simply picked up and ate in one bite. Thankfully it didn't seem to be an unusual way of dining, based on a handful of the restaurant's other guests.
Though rather hungry, Goldlewis took an almost excessively cautious and methodical approach when it came to his food. The last thing he wanted to look like in front of company was an inelegant oaf. At the very least he wasn’t the only one having trouble, and when others exchanged tips -including a few good-natured suggestions from Luka- he was careful to listen. Peach, meanwhile, had an easier time, even with her mind elsewhere. She hadn’t expected her team’s contact to so casually drop a few details regarding a major mission, and with that sort of knowledge came new opportunities, not just for her and the other recruits, but everyone.
Luka didn’t mind helping out the newcomers, being an expert in the art of chopstick-wielding. Rather than get for himself a selection of Musubi’s finest dining, however, he seemed to have gone for quantity over quality, specifically in terms of meat and protein. The heap of food he’d gotten seemed much too big for such a small kid, though to anyone familiar with the strict and oftentimes agonizing dieting regimen of powerlifters, it might not be so strange.
Once everyone was settled, he piped up with something new between mouthfuls. “So,” he began, “While Mr. Dickinson is from Midgar, it seems like most of you are new here. If you’re willing to tell, I’d be delighted to hear anything about the world far beyond its walls. Daring exploits, incredible sights, memorable experiences. Travel opportunities are very rare, you see, and even a few stories from afar go a long way.”
”Getting here was certainly an experience” Midna said, and then had to immediately follow it up with a pivot to avoid talking about the specifics ”But if you want to hear about somewhere you can’t just see from your window them. hmmm. Well I think the most out there place would have been the dessert. That’s Dessert with two s’es”
She then proceeded to run through a quick tale of their time in the sugary landscape, battling machines that the psychic might have found familiar, rescuing a fairy from a cage and people from sugar crystals (which included a tangent about the jerk called Crow she had freed, and the time he’d woken up a whole city just to taunt/mock her), and finding out just how quick you could tire of eating sweets and only sweets (two meals).
”And then we took a train ride out of there back into the regular desert that surrounded it” she concluded before adding ”Speaking of dessert, I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but I wonder if they have any good ones here” the experience having clearly not actually put her off surgery treats.
"And that's when I joined up!" Raz hooked a thumb at himself, a piece of sushi precariously clutched between his chopsticks. "We climbed this huuuge mountain out in the desert, it was awesome!"
Goldlewis leaned back in his chair, his brows raised. “Boy howdy, am I glad I headed back here instead o’ joinin’ y’all on that one. It was the biggest dadgum slab o’ rock I’ve seen in all my years, covered in ice and snow.” He held up his hands to help express his disbelief at the scale of the others’ mission. “And to top it all off, they had to fight a giant doggone monster at the top of it all!”
“You mean the split peak to the east?” Luka asked, his mouth slightly ajar in awe. “That’s amazing! Even the highest point of the Midgar building comes nowhere close! To tell you the truth, I’ve sometimes dreamed of climbing it myself.” He heaved a heavy sigh. “Maybe some day. To answer your question, Midna, this place does have a lot of sweets. Mochi rice cakes, dango dumpling skewers, yokan jelly, dorayaki pancakes…take your pick, it’s all excellent.”
”Oh you know I will” Midna replied, delighted at the number of things in that list that she had no idea what they were, and that thus would be a lovely sweet adventure to learn about.
”As for the split mountain, while the top is lovely, maybe stop when you get to High Hrothgar. Everything between there and the summit is ice and death, and we only made it to the top from some goddess given miracle” she added more context to their climb, probably putting something of a damper to his plan, before casually offering a more touristy option ”But if you do ever want to see the top, then I have a magic portal set up there that I just need to set up another end somewhere local to access”
"That sounds awesome, I want to go too!" He’d heard the secondhand reports, but listening to someone who’d actually been there made it sound a lot more exciting. If it was the highest place in the world, Pit definitely wanted to see it in spite of the danger Midna mentioned. And with any cover stories or secret identities thrown out the window, the angel eagerly took up the role of storyteller next.
"If you're looking for good views, there's this place called the Eryth Sea that's really pretty. It's like a big... um, well, sea. Surrounded by mountains! The water's super bright and blue, and there's all these islands in it - and a lot of them float! That's where I was before I came here, in a place called Smash City."
He didn't go into any more detail about Alcamoth, since while it may be interesting for outsiders it was a place already familiar enough to Pit that he breezed right by and into the next location that came to mind, after a quick pause to lift the bowl in front of him to his mouth and inhale some rice and katsuobushi.
"There are a lot of other cool places nearby too. Like there's this arena with a giant cage around it, and people drive their cars so fast in it that they drive upside around the cage!"
As the meal was coming to a close, Raz piped up. ”Excuse me, Luka? I was getting curious - what’s Basic Braining like? It’s been a….. while, since I’ve done it myself, so I wanna get the insider scoop on how it is now.”
That one left Luka a bit stumped. “Hmm. I’m afraid I can’t tell you exactly. It’s been a very long time since I went through training, and it’s probably changed since then anyway.” He scratched his neck. “I do know that some people refer to the training grounds as the ‘Fresh Meat Circus’ though, since the new recruits attempting it are supposedly pretty funny.”
On that note, with pretty much everyone quiet in order to focus on their food anyway, the conversation trailed off. Faced with a tasty meal and an uncertain road ahead as their first day in Midgar began to head toward its close, the Seekers could only relish the present while they contemplated the future.
