nexus_sages | Love And Property Damage

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Love And Property Damage

[Well that’s one way to make an entrance. Or at least, the aftermath of an entrance. There’s a small, perfectly spherical crater in the ground, tinged at the edges with what looks like purple energy. If someone scans the damage, there appear to be trace amounts of something that could be magic-based energies. Also, ringed around that crater are the tattered remains of a poor and unfortunate couch in the wrong place at the wrong time.]

Added to all that, there’s a young girl perched on another couch nearby. (And this one doesn’t carry any grudges for the untimely destruction of its kin.) She looks just shy this side of dazed and out of it, and the brochure is being held in shaky hands.]

“This is really interesting but… how do I go home? CAN I get home? I’m not sure if-“

[She cuts off on that. Things are still blurry and out of focus, and she can feel a headache building if she focuses too hard. So instead Hotaru rubs at her forehead, and switches tracks.]

"…Maybe I should ask a different question? If that’s okay, um… actually I don’t know what else I should ask. What should I ask about?”

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That smile is going to melt his heart, just a little. It's nice to see her smile - makes him feel a lot more comfortable about seeing such a young girl here all by herself. Not that he wants to leave her alone, but...

One step at a time, Hughes. Seriously, you can't just take her home ~~and give your daughter a sister~~ with you. She came from somewhere and probably wants to get back to it at some point. You can work on that part later.

"I'm afraid I don't know where Tokyo is," he admits, his look a bit sheepish as he rubs the back of his neck. "I come from a world that doesn't have many of the places people say they're from. We have a few different things going on with technology and science than other worlds, though. Some of it is... almost magical."

"Really!? Magic?" That's the voice of someone whose curiosity is well and truly raised.

"We... I don't know if you'd call it magic, but there's people with some amazing powers where I live. I got to meet them once or twice." And from the sound of it, there's just a little admiration in her voice.

"Can you tell me what it's like?"

"Amazing powers, huh?" He smiles. Her admiration is duly noted. "I take it they're the 'good guys' where you come from?"

Hughes puts a hand to his chin as he thinks. Alchemy isn't his thing, so he'll have to hope he does it justice with his explanation. "Alchemy... It's a kind of science, technically, but I'm afraid I don't have any talent for it. It takes a very special kind of person to do it. Basically, the idea is that you use alchemy to change one thing into another, using what's called a transmutation circle as a kind of diagram for what you want. There's a lot more details to it than that, but that's the grand idea." He chuckles and shakes his head a bit. Roy would kill him for such a second-rate explanation. "People specialize in all kinds of alchemy - like my best friend, who specializes in creating and controlling fire."

That 'good guys' comment gets an enthusiastic nod from her. Sure, she might not own any of the merchandise that features the Senshi, but she's heard and seen plenty about them.

"They're all very brave, strong and selfless." Yep. Definitely admiration. But she switches that off long enough to listen to the explanation.

"Science?" She stirs a little in her seat at that; weird half memories that keep trying surface, but listening to this sounds a lot more interesting. And marginally less unnerving; Hotaru promises herself that she'll give those thoughts her full attention when she's not sharing company with someone else. "I haven't heard of anything like that in Tokyo, before. At least not with regular science programs... there's research into computers, but no fire manipulation."

Role models are awesome things to have, especially when they're semi-magical people who are as good as the Senshi are. Sure, Hughes has no idea who they are, but if Hotaru likes them, he's decided he does too. ~~Dad Mode will not deactivate, please send help.~~

"Computers?" He's heard that term thrown around a lot during his time in the Nexus, but he still has no clue what they are. "I'm afraid we don't have those where I come from, either. I often get the feeling my world is on a very different level of science and technology from the other worlds the people in the Nexus come from."

That's honestly the one thing about the Nexus that Hughes is actually okay with - people coming from different worlds have different levels of technology. It's the same way that different cultures develop technologies at different rates, except there was an anti-violence field here in case someone got a lot weapons happy.

"It still sounds interesting though." Hotaru feels the need to point that out.

After doing so, there's also a tiny twinge of an idea in the back of her head, which slowly makes its way out into words.

"People... can travel between worlds here, right?" That's how she got here, after all. And if she can't immediately find her way back, then maybe...

"I really want to find my way back home, but if I can't go back right away... do you think it would be ok to visit other worlds?"

Hughes, calm yourself. She didn't ask if she could go back to your world. She asked if she could visit other worlds. As in, "other worlds" in general.

Hughes...? Oh, for the love of--

"I think so long as you have someone who can guide you, and make sure you don't stick out too much, there shouldn't be anything wrong with visiting other worlds. I've heard of others doing it." He smiles down at her, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. "If you trust the person whose world you want to visit, then I say go for it. There are people out there would be happy to offer a place to crash and a place to feel welcomed until you can get home. Myself included." ~~Not to mention Elysia would be thrilled to have an "adopted sister" for a little while.~~

"Really?" She isn't trying to engage the puppy-dog eyes on purpose, honest.

But it's hard not to be hopeful, as this solves some of those things like a place to sleep and get food and the like. And... alchemy sounds kind of neat. Sort of like magic, sort of like science rolled together, and she finds herself wanting to learn a little bit more; Hotaru has her bouts of curiosity, after all.

"I think you're a trustworthy person." Though she's got to be polite about this; saying she wants to go with him straight out sounds rude, and what if he says no.

He chuckles at her enthusiasm. Hotaru, you are going to fit in so well at the Hughes household, you don't even know.

"Things are a little... hectic in my world right now, but my house is safe and my wife and daughter would be very happy to have a visitor keep them company when I'm away at work or here in the Nexus." He puts a hand on his chin in thought. "We'll have to find you some more appropriate clothes, and we can't tell them you're not from my world, but I think that's about as difficult as the problems get."

In his head, he's already thinking of what kind of favors he can offer some of the vendors in the Nexus to get some slightly more appropriate-for-Amestris clothes and what country to say Hotaru is from. Really, that's about as far as his thought process is going, because he truly would enjoy having her around more. The Dad Mode is strong in this one.

She can do this? She can really do this?

"Thank you!" Her whole expression brightens up at this prospect. "It-it doesn't sound too different from my world, then? I seem to remember things being tense and busy."

Yes, that does sound about right! She's getting better at this recall thing!

Hotaru nods along to the rest of that. Those all sound like acceptable rules, and it wouldn't be a bad thing to just not talk about other worlds while she works on her memory. Now that there's no immediate danger and she's working on getting her feet under her, it would be nice to do something about those unremembered blackouts.

"Thank you again. I don't mind trying something different with clothing, either. Blue is a nice color, too." Going off of his uniform, at least.

Yes, she really can!

"Things are a little tense in some parts of my world, but not all. My wife, Gracia, doesn't like our daughter to be around too much danger, so she avoids it when she can. She'll take proper care of you while I'm not around, I can promise you that." He pauses, then chuckles as a thought crosses his mind. "Our level of technology isn't nearly as advanced as other worlds, so we might want to go over what is and isn't there before I bring you back."

Seeing her so excited and happy is a nice change from the timid girl he first came across. He gets the impression that she'll get along very well with his bright and bubbly four year old, who is obscenely good at getting even the grumpiest of people to crack a smile.

"Blue?" He notes her glance at his uniform and chuckles. "No need to wear something like this. This is my uniform, for work. I'm sure we can find a nice outfit in any color you'd like before we go."

"I guess... the biggest types of technology would be computers, television and telephones, and lamps-

Ah, actually the last isn't really important." She just likes lamps is all, particularly the fancy ones.

Hotaru gives her outfit a second glance over, considering it. She is wearing a lot of black, isn't she. It says something about the Nexus that she doesn't stand out anymore than in Tokyo.

It wouldn't hurt to change things up a little, would it?

"Do you think there might be something in purple? Is purple alright to wear in your world?"

"Our latest and greatest invention is the automobile, and very basic models at that. But it's great for traveling short distances that the trains aren't good for."

He smiles. Hotaru may be shy, but he loves how open she is to getting herself out there. That, and her excitement to ~~allow him to adopt her~~ be his family's guest for a while.

"I'm certain some of the stores along the forum have something in purple that would be appropriate." He stands from the couch and offers her a hand. "Shall we find out together?"

Hotaru nods at the automobile comment. She's paid attention in school ~~since there wasn't much else to do~~ and gets an idea on what the technology level might be like. It... actually doesn't sound too rough, all things considered.

"Yes please!" She's a little hushed even with her exclamation, but doesn't hesitate to take his hand and pull herself up. She's ready enough to try out some new things, shopping being the start.

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Love And Property Damage

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CAN WE? Can we do this thing?

Sweetie, this is the Nexus. We can do ANYTHING we want. :D

YES, good.

♥

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