Hirotaki Shrine

[Orion]

(Tsubame/invite)

Orion, doing his explorations of California, post-apocalyptica, had traveled to the far North-East. He had heard rumors for a safe haven there for anyone. Maybe a friend they could get along with? The Experiments always needed friendly folks. Wandering around, he finally reached his destination. He looked it over. Paused. Looked at his map. Looked up. Looked at his map again.

"... why the hell is there a shrine?"

[Lasia Able]

Before Orion stood a massive wooden gate that looked as if a direct hit from a rocket would not scratch it. The walls on either side of the gate looked just as strong, if not stronger. Truly out in the middle of nowhere this was a strange sight. Still it did seem that behind the walls there could indeed exist a safe haven.

As Orion stood there the doors would slowly open outward forcing him to take a few steps back if he did not want to get hit by them. Standing there were eleven figures, ten of them identical males with lone blonde hair wearing black suits. In front of them was a young woman with long red hair wearing traditional shrine dress. At her hip was a katana with a chain around it. If Orion looked behind them he would see a stone path with huts and houses on either side as it lead up to stairs. At the top of those stairs rested a building that looked like a shrine. The woman took a step forward and spoke. "Can we help you?"

[Orion]

The doors would open. Orion took a few steps back so as not to be hit, his weapon wrapped in cloth and across his neck. In front of him stood ten identical men and a woman with long red hair. And a katana.

Seriously?

The woman approached a few steps and asked if they could help him. Orion looked at her closely. Wait a minute...

"No warm welcome for an old school mate?"

[Lasia Able]

The woman paused as she studied the young man in front of her. He did seem like he was familiar to her and it did seem that he knew her from somewhere. Still she couldn't just trust him at that,she needed some sort of proof that he did know her. "Alright then if you know me then you can answer a few questions"

"What is my name?"

"What is your name?"

"Why is my hair red?"

[Orion]

So he was being interrogated. That was okay, those were easy questions. He thought for a bit, what was her name... ah!

"Tsubame Hirotaki, Orion Smith, Project Valor, in order. Come on, is it that hard to forget a guy who freaking glows Tsubame?"

Orion was sort of unforgettable. His personality was... unique, his physical body was unique, even among experiments. And he was one of only a few from 552 to be here, alongside Kiyoshi, Shugo, Patrick, and Leon. It had been a while, though, to be fair.

[Lasia Able]

Tsubame grinned as Orion answered the questions. "Of course I knew it was you but these days I cannot be too careful." She turned and motioned for him to follow her. As she did so the ten men stood down and walked off. Where they went was a bit random, some of them went towards the shrine while others went off to a small area from which the smell of fried food was coming from.

The gates closed behind them as she walked. "This is not much I'm afraid but it is safe here, at least for now. I've been here helping those that reach this place try to live a semi normal life, not an easy feat to do. Sadly this means to avoid drawing attention I've been forced to stay out of what is going on out there, you are the first one to come here that I knew from before"

[Orion]

Orion followed Tsubame, listening. So she became a recluse? That... made sense, knowing Tsubame. She mentioned that he was the first to seek her out from her past life. Orion frowned.

"Really? Well... I suppose that makes sense. Shugo, Kiyoshi, and Leon are all leaders of their respective factions. Everyone else... hell if I know."

Orion's eyes wandered.

"So... you made a safe haven for normal folk? Damn, that means I can't tell the others about this place... some of Barker's experiments were freed from his control. They established themselves an area and named themselves the Free Experiments. Sadly, some of them don't like humanity."

Orion cast his eyes back to her.

"Tell me... have you heard again from Valo? Or Mekiel? Or, hell, anyone from Valor? Or did that end with the world?"

[Lasia Able]

Tsubame sighed sadly. "I had hoped that given time this thing would burn itself out and perhaps things could start to return to normal but it seems that it won't be happening any time soon" She approached the stairs and began to walk up them If Orion looked around he would see that the people while seeming peaceful and happy also seemed to be on guard and many of them looked as if they could defend themselves.

Tsubame stopped as she reached the shrine and opened it revealing a single room with a large dragon at the end. In front of the dragon was an altar with incense burning. If Orion looked around he would notice a loft with a bed and kitchen area along with a bathroom and shower area.

[Orion]

Orion's eyebrows raised.

"Back to normal? Burn out? Tsubame, the world was nuked. Torn to shreds. Any electrical power is coming from Leon's presence in this area. There's no communication system beyond radios, and people fight to survive, either against the gangs or Barker. The world's gone to hell, and everyone knows it. If it does get fixed... it won't be in our lifetime, young as we are. By the way, how old are you, to be running this place as leader? And what's up with those blond clones you have?"

[Lasia Able]

"We have electricity, it is limited but it gets up by" She walks over tot he altar and kneels in front of it "I'm in my 20s now, and gods do I feel old" she closes her eyes as she seems to pray for a bit before getting to her feet. "Well then Orion to business, why is it you are here?" She leaned against the altar as she waited for an answer from him

[Orion]

Business then. Ah well, reminisce later, he supposed. His face went from smiling to more neutral look.

"Right. I had heard of a safe haven for normal folk here. I became interested, and so I came. I'm chief diplomat of the Free Experiments. That pretty much means that I'm the only Experiment with any diplomatic skills that can get along with others fairly well. That I've met most of the faction leaders face to face once or twice is merely a side issue.

"I wander across California, building bridges between the Experiments and everyone else. We need to get along, no? So, a safe haven from the gangs and Barker, that seemed an ideal friend to have."

Orion sat down on the ground near the altar, facing away from it and looking at Tsubame's shrine.

"That's why I'm here, Tsubame. To encourage peace and good relations between my faction and others."

[Lasia Able]

Tsubame listened to what Orion had to say nodding her head every now and again. It seemed that the fight would go on, with out without her around. AS he finished she nodded once more before she took a few steps towards him. "In that case I suppose you will be needing an ally." She looked back up at the altar. "I had hoped that I would be able to stay out of this fight but this does not seem to be something I can ignore"

She held out her hand to Orion "I should probably go by a different name and change my hair color if I am going to be helping you, after all I do not want to drag the people who live here into this fight." It would not be right if I put them into danger"

[Orion]

Orion nodded.

"Figured. You were heralded back in 259 as a repentant person. This proves it true, a regular "hero" to the townsfolk."

Orion thought about it. And then started to crack up as something hit him.

"Hey, Tsubame... didn't Takehiro give you a super-hero outfit back at 552? To help Great Teacher Amakusa?"

Oh the lols of that time. Right background.

Before Valor, Takehiro Amakusa had recruited Valo Morei and Tsubame Hirotaki, dressed them in all in super-hero outfits, and proceeded to act as defenders of the school. In said outfits. Hilarity ensues.

"You should totally wear that in the war. The sheer spectacle of it will completely stun Barker's forces!"

And Orion hit the ground, laughing, a rare display of a major emotion.