The Plothook from Another Dimension

[Masquerade]

"It would appear that way. If we are to believe what we have been told, we are all strong of will, heart, or form, and that is what has brought us to this nexus."

 

[Shayuri]

Thessaly's eyes focus on the rabbit, really seeing it for the first time.

Her mouth drops open in an adoring "O."

"Omigosh, what a cute little bunny!" she yips, popping up off the bed and falling on her knees to get her face even with it on Azuza's bed. "What was his name again? Sorry, I was thinking of something else when you said before..."

She holds out a finger to tickle Haru's whiskers. "Hello there...ohhh...he's so adorable..."

 

[Kafkonia]

"Maybe you should introduce him to your book," Kei remarks.

 

[Imerak]

"My name is Haru, miss, and I am the last surviving--ooooh..." The rabbit stops talking and stops rubbing up against Thessaly's hand as she tickles him. Asuza rolls her eyes from the other side of the bed. "Yeah. Did your worlds get blown up too?"

 

[Shayuri]

Thessaly pauses in her petting, startled. "He...talks? Haru talks?" Brought back to reality, she looks up at Azuza and Kei.

"Uh...yeah," she says to Azuza. "I mean, that's what he said. All I remember was the sky changing colors...and a big light. Then I was here, with all of you guys."

She gives Haru a final affectionate scratch between the loppy ears, and stands back up, giving Kei a guilty look. "Kei, about the book. There's something you should probably know about me. I couldn't say anything before because you'd have thought I was crazy, but now...now it's just a tiny piece of crazy out of a whole -ocean- that we're in."

With that Thessaly takes a deep breath and confides, "I'm a wizard."

Her bracelet makes a derisive snort. "Don't kid yourself. You're barely, -BARELY- an apprentice."

"...in training," she finishes belatedly.

 

[Imerak]

"Yeah, he talks," says Asuza, as though it were completely obvious. She blinks, and then laughs. "Yeah, I suppose that's not exactly normal. Anyway, Haru is my spirit gaurdian or whatever, though it mostly amounts to him yapping at me about responsibility or whatever all the time.

"A wizard, huh? Never met one of those before. What exactly can you do?"

 

[Masquerade]

"A spellcaster?" Taka had known one, once. He didn't survive.

So, Taka's comrades were to be a firearm-wielder with a mammalian ally of some sort, a spellcaster of less than prestigious standing, and . . . the other one. Taka was having difficulty sizing up Kei.

 

[Kafkonia]

"Shouldn't you be a witch?" Kei asks, scratching his head. "I thought only guys could be wizards..." He shrugs. "Well, I've already heard weirder things today. You're still Thessaly, right? So there's no big change."

Shifting his weight, he continues on. "I guess I should introduce myself," he says. "I'm Kei. I don't have a magic book or a transformer bunny or pointy ears or any sort of ninja training."

 

[Shayuri]

"Uh...yeah," Thessaly agrees. "I'm still me. But yes, I cast spells." She nods at Taka.

"They're not very GOOD spells though, like I said, I'm still just a beginner. And the Grimoire can't really do much but nag..."

"HEY!"

"Well it's true!" she says defensively. "So it's okay, Kei...you don't need special powers. I've got some powers, and they don't really get me anywhere, so..." she shrugs awkwardly.

 

[Masquerade]

Taka is not fully satisfied by Kei's remark. Strong of will, heart, or form . . . what exactly does that encompass?

"As for myself, I am an assassin. I imagine things are not entirely the same on your world, but where I was raised, death is the only way of life. Since I have begun my travels, however, I have refrained from these sorts of activities.

"Still . . . I imagine that it is because of this talent that I find myself here. Death is my strength, and it is strength that has lead us to the nexus."

Taka releases a subdued sigh. Her feelings on the entire situation could not be more mixed. Maybe she should get some rest and sort things out when her mind is clearer.