A new but probably familiar to some arrival

[youngnotstupid]

Well... This was interesting. Forte had been out exploring on her own in armor again, not that she could get very far with the wall blocking their home. Well, not usually.

But today was different. Today she'd found an opening. A gap. And she was planning to make the most of it. She'd missed the alternates, but there was no way of knowing if they were still around. Or if they're even around anymore. But the sign was familiar.

But she doesn't really have a question. Just curiosity and the urge to explore. Her Gospel was tagging along at her heels.

Comments

[hacker_twins]

With a place like this, it's hard to tell what will change and what will stay the same. But it would seem that one thing that hasn't changed is Techno and Middy making their weekly trip to the Nexus Mall with a pull cart to stock up on Doritos, Jolt, and various things that can be heated up in a microwave.

Because they're right over there...

[youngnotstupid]

Forte's blinking a bit at the sight of those two... Familiar faces. Very familiar. Ones that she hasn't seen in a long time. But are they the ones she knows, or other alternates.

Well, you'd never know until you ask. And gospel was making it a moot point, racing over to greet them, tail wagging. Forte follows hesitantly. "Uh... Hi?"

[hacker_twins]

Techno and Middy aren't sure either, exchanging a glance before Techno reaches to offer scritches to the wolf. Worst case, he figures, he'll end up seeing Gospel bounce off an anti-violence forcefield.

Middy just rubs the back of his head and looks up at Forte. "Hi? Um... have you been here before?"

[youngnotstupid]

Forte nods slowly. "It's been a while since I was. The route here vanished. It reopened, but smaller this time."

Gospel is loving any scritches she can get. She's just happy to see people here.

[hacker_twins]

Techno's more than happy to scritch, wondering if this might be the same wolf.

Middy wonders the same thing. "We've met a girl Forte before... but I'm not sure how to know if you're the same one. It's been a long time since we've seen anyone from that world."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte frowns at that. "My family used to come to the Nexus a lot. We have friends from another version of our universe that helped us. I've missed them."

Gospel's tail is wagging harder at the petting. This is great. Don't stop, Techno. "Gospel seems to like you."

[hacker_twins]

Middy thinks about it. "Did they stay in a warehouse here with a big Metool at the front door? Because that's still kind of our universe's 'Nexus embassy and import-export center', even if a lot of people don't really live there all the time any more."

"Heh, the other girl Gospel we met liked me too," Techno said, and he just keeps scritching.

[mosaic_archive]

Hey, is that Forte over there a girl? Thomas blinks a few times before he goes to get a closer look.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte is smiling at seeing the new face. "Hi there. I'm Forte. What's your name?"

[mosaic_archive]

"I'm Thomas," he replies, with a cheery smile right back. "All the other Fortes I've seen so far have been guys. Is your Gospel a girl too?"

[youngnotstupid]

Forte smiles, nodding. "I know. I've met male versions before. And of course she is. And she's friendly."

[mosaic_archive]

Thomas blinks at that. "You mean... will she let me pet her? Really?"

[youngnotstupid]

Forte laughs at that. "Of course. She's not that aggressive, unless there's a threat to me."

Gospel is sniffing at the stranger now.

[stormbunny]

Harpuia still visits, as her duties allow. When she does, she checks to see if a certain portal has returned. And, when it hasn't, she goes flying for a while.

When she spots a Forte that's taller than the one from her own world, she pauses in the air. But it's clear to her even before she lands that this isn't the one she was thinking of. The gender is a fairly good clue, once one's close enough to spot that with the armor involved.

She lands anyway, but says nothing. She's not sure what to say.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte sees the fellow flyer, smiling and waving. Not that she'dd flown in today, but she's still nervy about using the flight sometimes. "Hi there."

[stormbunny]

"Hello. My apologies, I mistook you at first for another Forte. I'm Harpuia."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte nods. "It's nice to meet you. You know another me?" She doesn't seem confused. Actually, almost hopeful. "Does he look younger?"

[stormbunny]

"One is, the other would be about the same apparent age as you but was male."

"I still owe him a rematch." The old excuse is spoken before she even thinks about whether there would need to be one.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte tilts her head at that. "What kind of rematch?"

[feathered_mages]

"Kitty! Come back here!" someone's yelling from not far away.

Closer, however, and rapidly approaching is the full grown Displacer Beast that seems to want to sniff the air a couple of meters away from Gospel. Of course, that's just where the visual illusion of Kitty seems to be, as the Displacer wants to actually sniff the wolf-bot.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte freezes at the sight of that thing. Odd Nexus creatures showing up like that could be dangerous.

Gospel growls, baring her teeth.

[feathered_mages]

Kitty stops in her tracks and hisses back...

Which is enough to allow a short, winged fellow in a pointy hat to catch up. "Bad Kitty..," he says to the Displacer, scolding, and then looks up at Forte. "Sorry, I think she's just curious... but she really shouldn't run off like that."

Kitty paces a bit, watching.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte frowns. "Gospel, settle down. No fighting. It's a pet." To the new arrival, she smiles. "What is it? I've never seen one before..."

[feathered_mages]

"Kitty's a Displacer Beast," Mistral says, and starts searching the air around where the feline seems to be. "They're called that because they project an illusion for defense. She's not really there, she's..,"

He's headbutted by something seeking attention, while the visible Displacer seems to headbutt nothing at all. "She's right here." And he'll give Kitty the insisted-on scritches.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte moves to take a better look at the illusion. "That's unique..."

Gospel whines quietly at that.