#spoutman has logged in (ic)

[sentient-rift]

"Wow! Look at Klonoa go!"

"Yeah, he's doing great! It's like he has a pair of air shoes like me and Shadow!"

"The correct term is 'Shadow and I,' Terios."

"Oh, right... Sorry, father..."

"It's quite alright, my boy. You're learning, and that's what counts."

"Speaking of learning, how did Klonoa learn to ice skate so fast?"

"Besides the Google Number Generator being in his favor, I'd say it's because he was having fun with it!"

"Mxy! Leave the fourth wall alone!"

[sentient-rift]

"Gotta say, these Olympic Games are fun to watch! And that Klonoa kid is really doing his best! Make us proud, kid!"

"Go, Klonoa! We're rooting for you, blip!"

"I know Klonoa is part of our crew and all, but let's give the other contestants some credit. Everyone's doing their best out there."

"True. And the fact that everyone is giving it their all is why this is a fun and interesting watch."

"Do your best, everyone! Don't give up!"

[sentient-rift]

*A inkling appears, sitting in a box*

"Oh... Hello there, blip. I don't think I've seen you around here before. My name's Spoutman. What's your name, blip?"

[sentient-rift]

Mary, I suggest you go in for the kiss towards Enzan. I suggest the same for your respective netnavi, she is frightening Protoman more than any opponent he has ever faced. I might suggest wearing that dress that Ring was referring to earlier or maybe ask to wear Maylu's businesswoman style dress to allure your sweet tsundere sword-swinging saviour (say that 10 times fast) before any other girl does before you.

"W-w-why must you always suggest I kiss him?!"

"That's Super Sentai Fan for you. When it comes to his ships, he doesn't seem to give up on hooking them together and giving love advice. Isn't that right, Solo?"

"Yes... Unfortunately..."

"And who would be dumb enough to try to steal my Protoman away from me?! I'll show them a world of pain if they come anywhere near my beloved prince!

"But I do like that kiss idea. Maybe Protoman will finally be honest about his feelings for me that way. Oh, Protoman!❤"

"WHEN WILL YOU GIVE IT A REST ALREADY?!?!"

*Protoman flees.*

"I'LL NEVER GIVE UP UNTIL YOU FINALLY ACCEPT YOUR FEELINGS FOR ME!! WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER, AND YOU KNOW IT!! NOW, GET BACK HERE AND KISS ME, YOU FOOL!!"

*Ring gives chase!*

"Great... I think you've made it worse, S.S. Fan..."

"Tsundere Sword Swinging Savior, Tsundere Sword Swinging Savior, Tsundere Sword Slinging... Wow, it is hard to say ten times fast, blip..."

[sentient-rift]

Star Crossed Gamers Part 1

(A Late Valentine's Day Special Drabble.)

Continued from here and here

"Yo! Nana!"

Not seeming to care that he's technically on enemy territory, Teseo called out to the love of his life, who was sitting at one of the dining tables of the Item Creation Shop. Oddly enough, no one was acting surprised that he showed up, let alone hostile.

"Oh. Hello, Teseo."

She greeted him like an old friend. (Despite her eyes glued to her game as she greeted him, it still felt so genuine.) Sure, they've played online videogames together, but being on opposite sides of the Multiverse War, they should be acting like enemies, right? Teseo wasn't going to complain, though. In fact, he doubt he'd be able to stand his dream girl being antagonistic towards him. But Nana... She was one in a million. The Hacker Adept sometimes wondered if this girl even knew the concept of what an enemy was.

"So... U mind if I sit here...?"

"Not at all. Go ahead."

Boy, this was still hard to get used to. Is Nana literally the nicest person in the world? Was she even human? As his thoughts were running through his head, a certain Aqua Navi appeared.

"Hello, sir. Can I interest you in a Cyber Slushy, blip?"

Cyber Slushy? That sounded dope! Was it like a slushy made of data or something? With abilities like Teseo's that sounded like something up his ally.

"Sure, little guy," Teseo answered, "You have a Lemon Lime flavor?"

"We sure do, blip," the fish bowl headed Navi said, "Will that be your order?"

"Yep! That sounds good!"

"Very well. I'll be right back, blip."

Funny. He's treated like a customer rather than an enemy. Yet, it didn't seem as weird when the Aqua Navi acted kind. Maybe it's because he cared about how Nana thought of him much more than everyone else.

"So, uh..." Teseo was a bit awkward with speaking to Nana, "I really wanted to thank you for the new computer. I actually got attacked by some jerk who calls themselves 'HorrorHacker.' They completely destroyed my old computer because of that..."

"I remember Slur saying something about that some time ago," Nana said, still in the conversation while playing her Game-Girl Advanced, "You even said they made Sync crush your speakers."

"Oh! You remembered that!"

Nana nodded. Teseo was surprised she actually payed attention even back then. They haven't started playing online games together until like... Around a week later when he stumbled upon her and Elise in a game of Lazy Kingdom. What were the odds of that? But then again, she remembered his name when they introduced themselves, but he just assumed Elise or Gunvolt told her who he was since they had a history together.

"I'm glad you like the computer, Teseo. Welch sells almost everything here, and she really knows her computers. She promised it was the best multipurpose computer you can find."

"Really?" Teseo asked, "#SWEET!🍬 But... How did you afford such a computer? I know the owner is part of the team and all, but I doubt she'd just give it to you..."

"I work here part time," Nana answered, "Many of us do. And the pay is very good, and I was working here for awhile now. It wasn't difficult raising enough money for your computer. Plus, Welch loves giving discounts, and being an employee helps."

If it weren't for the fact that he was on the enemy team, Teseo would have considered getting a job here as well. But then again, turning the money in ATM machines into data and placing it in his computer, only to turn it back to physical money when he gets home was faster and easier. Definitely less moral, though, which he didn't really care too much about until meeting Nana. Better not tell her that he makes money by stealing from ATM machines just to make sure it doesn't ruin this oddly good relationship.

Around that time, the water Navi came with his drink.

"Here you are, sir," the Navi said with a smile, "Enjoy, blip!"

After the little water dude left, Teseo took a sip from his straw. Definitely one of the most flavorful slushies he ever tasted. He wouldn't have even guessed it was made of data. Not even he could make a data slushy this good, and his Septima is literally turning physical objects into data and vice versa. Of course, he wasn't really a chef or anything, so maybe that's why.

"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to play videogames with you," Teseo said, "I kind of need my computer for that. Maybe I ought to actually pick up some game consoles or something..."

"That's not a bad idea," said Nana, "You could even increase your library of games that way. There are many that are exclusive to certain consoles."

Nana sure knew how to multitask. Despite her eyes being glued to her game, she was also listening to Teseo intently. She never had to tell him that she missed something or ask him to repeat himself. She always knew how to respond.

"Sooooo..." Teseo wanted to keep the conversation going as an excuse to stay longer, "What 'cha playin'?"

"Gala-Omega," Nana answered, "It's one of my favorite ga..."

She suddenly stopped, her smile disappearing.

"...It was... Chiaki Nanami's favorite game. It's only mine because of her memories. I wonder if I'd have even liked videogames if everyone's memories of her didn't enter the Neo World Program, and I didn't take her form..."

"Wait... Neo World Program?" Teseo was beginning to put two and two together, "Does this mean... You're an A.I. copy of this Chiaki Nanami person?"

Nana nodded. This was a little surprising for Teseo to hear. From Dark Mega's intel, and from the fact that RiFT had similar abilities to Slur, this pocket dimension allows anyone to enter, whether they're people or programs. It was an easy mistake to think she was one of the humans since she looked like a normal person rather than a program. If Teseo was any other Adept, this would have served as a problem for him. But with his ability to turn physical people and objects into data and vice versa, it was no problem. In fact, it was perfect! He could date her in both the real world and the digital world without a problem... So long as she said yes anyway...

Wait a minute... She was an A.I., and he was a master hacker. If he really wanted to, Teseo could just hack her mind and reprogram her to love him! He could get his dream girl super easy without worrying about being rejected, and...

...

No... He couldn't do that... Not to her. Teseo may not be the best person in the world. In fact, he was on the villain team of the Multiverse War. Just because it sounds fun and could help him turn the universe into a giant videogame he could play for his amusement. There were many bad things he's done for his amusement or his benefit. But taking away the free will of this wonderful girl, A.I. or not, was going too far. Plus... It wouldn't be worth it if she didn't genuinely love him back...

There was an awkward silence between the two afterwards. Maybe having her remember the girl she's based on was a sensitive subject or something. From how she put it, Nana's memories comes from the memories of this Chiaki girl... Or was it more like her memories came from how Chiaki's friends remembered her. Nana may have given herself a new name, but does that truly mean she was truly a separate person from from Chiaki, or was she still Chiaki 2.0 despite the new name. Did she feel like her life wasn't really hers? That her memories wasn't really hers? That everyone on RiFT's team only saw Chiaki, and not Nana?

"...You're Nana to me," Teseo said.

"Huh...?" Nana asked, finally looking at Teseo instead of her game.

"I may have never met the real Chiaki before, but I don't think it matters. The person who joined RiFT's team was Nana, not Chiaki. So what if you like similar things to her? I don't think that means you can't be Nana."

The gamer girl just looked at Teseo, blinking a couple of times while she did.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. That was super cheesy..."

"No... That's not it," Nana said, "I just..."

Nana fell silent again.

"...Thank you, Teseo," she finally said, "Ever since I became Nana... I found myself wanting to be my own person rather than just a Chiaki copy as the days went by. When I discovered that the Chiaki of my dimension was still alive and was happy with all her friends... And especially with Hajime... I felt a sense of relief that she survived... But I also realized that with her around, there was no reason for me to be a replacement Chiaki anymore. They all had the real Chiaki... And I'm just an A.I. that looks and kind of acts like her... With a few difference here and there, apparently..."

"See! There you go!" Teseo cut in, "If you were really just Chiaki 2.0, you would act exactly like her. But you just admitted to having a few difference. That's more than enough to make you a different person from her!"

Wow. This was the first time Teseo ever gave anyone a pep talk. It's a bit weird when you're usually known for trolling people. It's even weirder that he met someone he would never troll in his life.

"And plus," Teseo continued, "Despite looking just like her and sharing her hobbies, can Chiaki say that she got to team up with a bunch of super people like Adepts and Net Navis?"

Nana blinked before giving Teseo a smile. It was a small smile, but a beautiful one nonetheless.

"I guess not..." she said, "What's more, many of my friends on this team are videogame characters in my dimension. Chiaki would consider this a dream come true if she were here instead of me."

Teseo honestly wasn't surprised about that information. Especially since he saw some Pokemon on Nana's team, and he occasionally played Pokemon Go. He began to wonder if he was a videogame character in some dimensions. Who knows? Maybe in an ironic twist, the Chiaki girl and Nana were videogame characters in different dimensions as well. The Multiverse was a vast and strange place after all.

...

Boy. As simple as this was, it was really nice to be able to sit and talk with Nana in person. But at the same time, something about it didn't feel right. Specifically, he didn't feel like he deserved this nice moment with a girl his team may have to kill to win the Multiverse war. Part of him was glad to have finally met his dream girl, but another part of him felt like he should have never met her.

"Hey, Nana," Teseo said, "I really need to ask..."

But before he could finish, his communicator went off, and an angry Slur was on the other end.

"TESEO!!" Slur shouted, "The Dreadnought was attacked, and you're over on the enemies side because of a childish crush?!"

"Hey!" Teseo shouted back, "I'm here thanking Nana for the new computer she gave me! It's called being grateful!"

"Hah! Since when did a troll like you started acting like a gentleman?! But that doesn't matter right now. We need you back here this instant!"

"Can't I just have five more minutes...?"

"THIS INSTANT, TESEO!! You're already on thin ice for being friendly with the enemy when I repeatedly told you not to! You better believe there will be a punishment for you soon enough!"

Teseo smirked when he heard the words "soon enough."

"...You couldn't come up with a punishment you could actually give me, could you?"

"SHUT UP AND GET BACK HERE!! Slur shouted, "NOW!!"

"Sure thing, MOM," Teseo cheekily replied.

Teseo could hear Slur letting out an annoyed scream before he hung up on her. He had a big smile on his face after trolling the big bad leader like that, but that smile quickly vanished the moment he realized he had to leave Nana. And without finishing his question, too."

"Sorry. I have to go," Teseo said, "Mommy dearest is calling."

"I understand," Nana said, as her eyes went back to her videogame, "I'll see you later."

"Yeah..." said Teseo, "#C U LATER. 👋"

Teseo got up from his chair and began to go on his way.

"And Teseo... Don't be a stranger."

That surprised the Adept a bit. If he didn't know any better, it was as if Nana was trying to say that he really wants to see him again. Not knowing how to respond, Teseo just nodded and continued on his way.

"Somehow... Someway... I'll repay your kindness to me, Nana."

To be continued...

[sentient-rift]

Shaun and Shuko sitting in a tree....

"...Really, Super Sentai Fan? We're just friends."

"Oh, how embarrassing... I mean, that would be nice if I could one day kiss him... But it's still really embarrassing!"

"Don't worry, Super Sentai Fan. I'm rooting for them, too, blip."

[sentient-rift]

"Ooh! Solid burn, Lilac!"

"Yeah! Lilac's on fire!"

"F-f-fire?!"

"It's just a metaphor, Cosmo. It's not real fire, blip."

[sentient-rift]

Water your plants daily, children. Let them grow nice and strong, and they might spare you during the vegetable uprising.

"A friend of yours, Plantman?"

"Hilarious, Haseo. But in all seriousness, if someone is going to use plants for evil, I will put a stop to them."

"Me, too! You will not give plant life a bad name, mystery person!"

"Do we really have anything to worry about? The plants are watered daily here..."

"I think you're missing the point, blip..."

[sentient-rift]

Torque's Mission Log:

It's been some time after Brevon's attack. Time works differently depending on what planet you're from, but on Lilac's planet, it would be around three years. So far, the tyrant has been quiet and has shown no activity. It could either mean he has given up and is in hiding, or he seeks vengeance and is biding his time. Let's hope it's not the latter...

Today's mission isn't about Brevon, though. In fact, this mission wasn't even a mission originally assigned by the Coalition of Planets. It all started one day when I discovered the existence of the Multiverse...

I was giving my usual status report to higher ups of the Coalition of Planets, when what looked like a crack in the fabric of space appeared out of nowhere. That crack eventually opened into a gateway, and out came a strange creature with water for a head.

He introduced himself as Spoutman, and promised he was an ally. It's hard to imagine someone who looks like him as a dangerous enemy, but in my line of work, I've learned never to judge a book by its cover. With that said, we agreed to hear him out.

Apparently, this little guy also comes from a team that seeks to protect the universe, only it includes the Multiverse as well. Spoutman comes from a different dimension, and was sent by the team's leader, RiFT, to ask for help saving an individual whose planet has been attacked by creatures called "Scorches." In exchange for our help, they would provide a way to keep an eye on Brevon and aid us whenever he decides to attack. These terms seemed fair. We help someone in exchange for information about a dangerous tyrant we've been looking for. Helping people is our job, so we're pretty much be asked to do what we always do. Still, I kept my guard up. This Spoutman was a stranger, and we don't know the motives of his leader. Can we really trust someone who has the power to travel through dimensions? I know power doesn't make the person; It's what you do with it that counts. Still, if such a being had that kind of power and decided to use it for selfish reasons, they would be extremely dangerous. Best to stay on my toes.

After agreeing to the terms, another dimensional gateway appeared, and Spoutman warned me to be careful and to set Tristan to its water form. I was tempted to ask how he knew about my Elemental Blaster and it's name, but if RiFT knew about the existence of the Coalition of Planets, than he probably knows about our weapons as well.

We entered the gateway and was immediately greeted by flames. It seems these Scorches truly are creatures who cause fires like their names suggest. Spoutman seemed to know where to go, as if he had the area memorized. After clearing out the flames that were in our way, we finally reached the person of interest. She was a girl who resembled a plant. Spoutman referred to her as "Cosmo," and although she acknowledge that was her name, she treated Spoutman like a stranger.

Cosmo looked absolutely terrified, especially when near fire. It seems these Scorch creatures have traumatized the girl. Spoutman reassured her that we were here to rescue her. It didn't take long for the plant girl to take a liking to the water boy, which makes sense considering her fear of fire.

Spoutman urged us to hurry back to HQ, but as if it was waiting for Cosmo's location to be revealed, a feral creature made entirely out of fire attacked us. From the look of Cosmo's terrified face, it was safe to assume this was one of the Scorches Spoutman was talking about.

Spoutman and I immediately attacked the beast with our weapons, the water causing the monster to shriek in pain as well as shrink in size. Now the size of a walnut, the Scorch wasn't so threatening anymore. Spoutman told it to leave or else he'd be forced to completely extinguish it. The now cowering flame creature ran away immediately. After Cosmo embraced Spoutman out of gratitude, we wasted no time to get Cosmo to safety.

Some time after returning to the Coalition of Planets HQ, RiFT himself made an appearance to explain how he could use his powers to keep a close eye on Brevon using Dimensional Gateways to spy on him. If he ever makes his move, they'll be ready. Grateful for his help to put a stop to Brevon, the Higher Ups wished to aid RiFT in protecting the Multiverse by having me join them, to which I gladly accepted. After seeing Spoutman's bravery, I already consider him a comrade. Plus, with RiFT's abilities, maybe I'd be able to see Lilac and the others again much sooner than I thought. But for now, with RiFT's team and the newly recruited Cosmo, I've gained new allies who I'm proud to work with.

*End of Mission Log.*

(Torque and Cosmo have joined the party!)

[sentient-rift]

So, Lan, how was the Underworld Curry?

"Super spicy... But super worth it..."

"Spoutman, would you be a dear and bring Lan some water, please?"

"Sure, Mayl... But if you want my advice, milk actually works better to wash down spicy food, blip."

"Okay, then we'll go with milk. Thank you, Spoutman."

"No problem, blip."

[sentient-rift]

Hey, Spoutman. Here's a song I think you'll like; Ocean Man by Ween.

"Hey! That's that end credits song from the first Spongebob movie, blip. I always liked that song."

[sentient-rift]

Coffee is just bean soup. Change my mind.

"Bean soup? But I thought coffee was a beverage..."

"It's all a matter of perspective, really. To some, the broth of soup is just as much a beverage as tea and coffee. And with that perspective, coffee is indeed a coffee bean soup, just as the tea I'm drinking is an herb soup. And a very delicious one at that."

"I thought we were told to change Anon's mind, not support what they said..."

"But I feel iCO and Anon make a fair point. What classifies as soup? What classifies as a beverage? When it's all said and done, coffee does seem to fit the criteria of being a type of bean soup, and soup broth does fit the criteria of being a beverage..."

"Whoa... You learn something everyday, blip..."

"You know what, I won't argue. I honestly can't add anything to that, anyway."

Mission to change Anon's mind: Failed miserably...

[sentient-rift]

Slashie, have you and/or your operator tried to cook the Underworld Curry?

"We have. Making a legendary dish isn't easy. We've come close, but... According to Lan, it's just not spicy enough."

"You two are... Getting better, though... It almost... Melted my tastebuds... As much as the original... but not quite there yet. Still... Tastes great, though..."

"That must be some good curry if you're willing to set your mouth on fire to eat it. Spoutman...?"

"Already on it, Mayl. One glass of milk, coming right up, blip!"

[sentient-rift]

"So, Higs! Numberman! How's it feel now that Higsby's will be a shop known across the Multiverse now?"

"It's so unbelievably amazing! Too good to be true, and yet it's a reality! It's... It's...!"

"Inconceivable...!"

"I know, right! I was totally blown away myself when I joined the teaam and was able to spread the Item Creation Shop all around the Multiverse."

"I'm very happy for you, blip... But if you don't mind... I got a call from Shuko, and... I hope you don't mind if I ask a favor, blip..."

"Say no more, Spoutman. I got a pretty good idea what you want to ask, and my answer is yes. Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't ask sooner."

"Oh, thank you, Welch! Thank you so much, blip! I'll let her know right now!"

And so...

"Miss Vineyard, I wanted to thank you so much for this opportunity! I will do my very best here at the Item Creation Shop!"

"I know you will! Being a teacher at such a young age tells me how hard you're willing to work! I expect great things from you, Shuko. You too, Higsby and Numberman!"

Shuko: "You are too kind, Welch!"

Higsby: "I'm very excited to see Higsby's grow into a Multiverse shop!"

(Mr. Higsby, Numberman, and Shuko have joined the party!)

[sentient-rift]

(For compliment meme) AquaMan/SpoutMan, don't you know that you're so cute, some people mistake you for a panda cub?

(Compliment my muse to see their reaction.)

"They do, blip?"

"Although I'm having trouble seeing the resemblance, panda cubs are cute! In fact, even full grown pandas are cute, blip. I have been told I was cute before, but I never knew I reached panda levels of cute. Thank you for the compliment, blip."

[sentient-rift]

Solo, please be nice otherwise you'll forever be alone and you might not be able to get a girl (ie Luna.)

"Ha! I prefer to be alone! I am the Lone Rogue of Mu, after all. I don't need anyone, especially no girlfriend!"

"Yeah... You know a guy loves being alone when he's surrounded by a bunch of friends..."

"You idiots are NOT my friends! I'm only here to grow stronger and one day take down Bass and Stelar!"

"You look like you could use a Cyber Slushie, Mr. Solo. Would you like one, blip?"

"...Yes, please."

"You sure have a soft spot for Spoutman, Edgie."

"The little guy provides good refreshments. Just because I'm a warrior doesn't mean I don't get parched."

"Heh! Whatever."