video;

[thegoofball]

Hey there, Vaikuntha, it's [ya boy] Lance - I don't know many of you yet, but still, check this out.

[The camera, which had been focused on - well, some kid who has to be this Lance fellow - pans over and up. It focuses for a moment on a black, mechanical lion that dwarfs the house next to it. By now, it and the yellow one next to it are probably familiar landmarks to anyone passing through Arito.

But! That is not the point of this video, the point is in the next one the camera pans to, that Lance pats fondly. It's hard to tell that it's smaller than the other two by a significant amount, but the red one lies in a crumpled heap.]

Found Red and Green a little bit ago; thought I'd show off to anyone who hadn't seen any of 'em yet.

[He sounds...incredibly smug. And, yes, there's a fourth one, also laying in a heap.]

Currently working on a way to get them back up and running again. Black and Yellow have power, at least, but... [He pats the snout of the Red Lion again.] It'll be fine! Once we get them working, again, you guys are going to be in for a treat.

[That...might be a little worrisome. Hm.]

Shame we can't form Voltron, but...still! They're pretty cool, right?

Comments

[keymemory]

Hey! Don't sell yourself short! If Red didn't like you he'd ... she'd? They'd not have you, right?! These guys are gazillion years old and you think you can just get all settled with them like .. like that? Pfft, I bet not! You... you are the chosen one!

Well, probably.

[geckoman]

Maybe it's just easier to go by colors of the rainbow like that.

[He doesn't know. It's just the best guess he's got honestly.]

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[failtsuninari]

Let me guess, they're an advanced alien race from an area of space that wasn't accessible until now? I'm surprised they knew what lions are. And they really form together into a bigger mech just like those sentai shows?

[If he could at this exact moment, he'd find a way to see them in person. At the idea of the twins being here, he rubs the back of his neck.]

If I could save photos to bring back with me, I will. Though I don't think asking five-year-olds to be heroes of light is exactly a good idea. Also, I'm sure my wife wouldn't be very happy with getting them involved in this.

[Biggest understatement of the year, Kenichi.]

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[thegoofball]

I didn't think it was real, either, but surprise. Lion was right under us the whole time.

Though maybe it's better not every world is the same.

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[thegoofball]

[Okay, it doesn't have to be like this. Lance presses his lips together, before nodding.]

Yeah, basically all like that - and lions are like, sacred, I guess? And they look like Earth lions.

[He's at least assuming they're something close to sacred because of Oriande but he's not...sure...]

Oh, they're like the same age as my nieces and nephews! [He brightens at that, before his shoulders droop.] Yeah, it would...be really bad if they showed up here.

[thegoofball]

I guess so. Everything seems to be color coded for us and that makes it easier to sell merch.

[Why isn't there merch of them? He would love merch of himself!]

[thegoofball]

Kind of, yeah.

[His head tilts.]

Honestly, I don't know what happened to his arm either. It never seemed like it was important to ask what had happened to it.

[thegoofball]

There's five of us. Kind of hard to be a chosen "one".

[But he appreciates what you're trying to do, even if his voice and face are completely deadpan.]

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[failtsuninari]

Hmm well, maybe lions are some of sort universal symbol kind of like how it is on Earth? Or at least that's what it sounds like to me.

[He gives Lance a reassuring smile.

You know, aside from certain things going on, this world isn't that bad? I can already see them getting super excited to see moogles and chocobos among other things. I hope my kids and your nieces and nephews will get a chance to see Vaikuntha once we set things right.

[garyoutensei]

It's usually not. Everyone's got their own story, and it's not really anyone else's business to know.

Re: text;

[charming_jerk]

they don't gotta be the same, that doesn't mean i don't wish we had something similar.

i guess Crystallis had like Ultima Weapon, but an asshole tarutaru used it to torch us, so that doesn't count

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[thegoofball]

Must be, though it's still a little weird.

[Even after a year.]

Oh man, yeah. They'd probably love it here. [It's so fantastical, and if you take out the looming threat and keep them away from the monsters...] It'd be good to show them what I've been up to.

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[thegoofball]

Have you looked in any military-controlled deserts?

Crystallis like the place other people have come from that was kind of like this? I'd think enemy mechs would still count.

[thegoofball]

[Lance nods, expression going a little more serious, a little more understanding.]

Yeah. Always thought things like that were on a need to know basis, and it's not like I need to know someone's life story immediately.

[Or ever.]

[geckoman]

[Iwai's now a little confused. These kids have merch of their mech cats too?]

Damn. How popular are you that you get merch of yourselves?

[thegoofball]

We did kind of save the whole universe.

[That warrants merch! So do the rad shows they did!]

I mean, I haven't seen any merch, but it would be cool if it existed...

[garyoutensei]

... This may be a flash judgement, but with that level of wisdom, I think he was right to pick you as a right hand.

Most people aren't that understanding. [ She's had to field a lot of awkward conversations over the years over her own disabilities... ]

[thegoofball]

Really? [Not that it's surprising, but still. It seems obvious to him - if it's not your business, leave it alone.

There are times he presses too much or is too obnoxious, but... There are lines you shouldn't cross, he thinks.]

[garyoutensei]

It's more obvious when you have to live with it, but yeah. People can be pretty thoughtless.

[keymemory]

Well, evidently it is with Red, or you just mess'n with me?

[thegoofball]

I'm Red's third pilot.

[At least.]

But I guess you have a point.

[thegoofball]

[He gets the feeling she's not the sort of person who'd tolerates "I'm sorry"s, so Lance simply nods.]

Yeah, I guess you'd know better than I would.

[garyoutensei]

... So it sounds like you've got all five lions, but only three pilots.

[keymemory]

I wonder ... what it takes to have a good relationship with those .. guys? I guess it's like any other friend, right? Like, ... there's got to be something you both like about one another, huh?

[geckoman]

Must be something of an unsung hero or something. Can't say I've ever heard of ya before.

[Since the whole universe is...a huge place.]