World Tree MUSH

The tree of worlds is strange:
One world has ships full of cultist bankers fighting against boarding ex-slave clones from a long dead empire. ANother world has creatures of varying intelligances living in moe or less peace alongside humanity in spite of being able to harness the raw stuff of the universe.

Mioh was in another world in this tree, a world many might consider largely... Normal if htey didn't know any better.

Ash looked upon this urbanized tourist town, trying to get his bearings on where the vine dumped him. Held at his side was an almost surfboard length wide flat object that had neither wheel nor skid nor motor yet it hummed faintly if one were close enough to hear. A look around.

Something felt strange.

"Miwa? You seeing anything oddhere? Here looks more like your home than mine." Well, without the pokemon anyway so maybe Miwa would find it all odd too.

Miwa looks around as she walks upon her flippers at Ash's side, clearly very interested in this new world they have arrived in together. Looking up at him with one eye as she continues looking ahead with the other, she shakes her head a little. "Not really, at least not yet. It reminds me a bit of the Fiore region. A fairly unique region of my world where no one uses pokeballs, trainers tend to befriend their Pokemon and have them out in the open at all times. Honestly if I ever decided to move anywhere outside of Alola, it would probably be there."

"Oh hey!"

That's a voice. Sounds pretty young. And yeah, there he is, a young fellow with a pompadour, in a purple-colored outfit. An Earth-based person might recognize it as a school uniform, though even then it's pretty personalized. There's quite a bit of gold on it. And the young fellow himself is not proportioned like a typical Japanese teen -- he's actually quite broad in the shoulders, and is about 6' tall. Also his eyes are blue. Japanese people don't have blue eyes.

"Hey there!" he greets as he approaches Ash and Miwa, his voice and demeanor friendly. "Did you guys come from outside? Uh... I mean the Tree. I guess that's what it's called? We're all still pretty new to it."

Ash stopped walking as he heard the voice. Miwa was clearly an 'out of towner' so why would someone ask if she's non-native?

He started to turn and smiled at Josuke's outfit. "Dude... I like the hair," There was a warmth to his voice and a slight uptilt of the corners of his lips when he gave the complimnt. Truethfully the kid may or may not seem somewhat outlandish to the locals, but hisfashion and hair choicesfell pretty respectably in line with what Tenno went for. Granted Ash was wearing a silver trimmed black jacket and leggings so he was hardly one to critique someone'sfashion or outlandishness. Ditto with hte purple highlights he'd had oOrdis put in his red hair. 

"Also yea we're on walkabout... " His mouth then quirked downward in frown as he considred Josuke, "...I think I've run into you before..." THe voice sounded familiar. A few moments of thought passed before he grinned, "Stand kid. Right... Hi I was the guy with the gun and armor and probably doing ninja flips about."

Miwa was used to being instantly recognized as not from around here when she traveled. Her species was rare enough that she even got that a bit on her own world, albeit a little less so now that she's somewhat of a celebrity in many regions. So she doesn't react at all to what she feels is just a simple rhetorical question from the man in purple. She greets Josuke with a smile and a quick wave of her right flipper. "Yeah, we're both from separate worlds, I'm Miwa, and I do like your outfit as well. This world does seem kinda familiar, if the geography is somewhat similar to mine, there might actually be an equivalent to my home area in the middle of the ocean to the east of here." She states as she takes a moment to ponder the concept with an amused look on her face. Finding worlds that were quite different, but also in some ways the same, was always pretty interesting.

Josuke can't help but grin when Ash pays him the compliment. "Heh... thanks!" he notes, reaching up to rather unnecessarily straighten his hair. Though it does serve to illustrate that whatever he's doing to keep it in place, it's not hairspray, since it does move, and has some bounce to it. Though the mention of a 'Stand'? That gets a surprised blink. "A Stand? You met someone else with a Stand?" Since he doesn't remember Ash. "Whooooaaa, you're a NINJA?" The kid sounds impressed!

And there is definitely some staring at Miwa! Because she's a fish! Well, fish/seal thing. But it's perfectly fine, Josuke knows that not all people from other worlds are going to be humans, or even look like them. He nods to Miwa's mention of an area similar to her home here. "Maybe," he agrees. "It's kinda hard for us to get down into the ocean, since we can't really breathe down there." He pauses, looking to the city proper. "Though uh, I... do wanna warn you to be careful in town. The World Tree stuff happened pretty suddenly, so there's a lot of people that are being stupid to people that don't look like us."

Suddenly he seems to remember something. "Oh! Right! My name's Josuke Higashikata," he offers, with a polite bow. That's definitely not the name that the other Stand kid gave Ash. This must be someone different -- about the same age, but not the same guy. Maybe that other guy was from this world?

For a moment Josuke could see.... SOMETHING behind Ash, humanoid, wreathed in smoke all sculpted muscle and armor with a trio of green glowing spots at it's face centered on a wide headband. 

Then the apparently perfect replica of Ash's warframe was gone, seemingly without him noticing. "I'll play nice, but I'm not going to let people just walk ove me either." He then looked to Miwa and gave the pokemon a soft smile, "I didn't come here for fights."

then a glance to Morioh's skyline, "So this isMorioh huh? I'd actually been asked to deliver a package to a person hee that was willing to pay a fair bit of money." He had no idea what was IN said package beyond there being no obvious ticking or un carictaristic heft for a thing of its size. Said package was also not ON Ash ight now. Whether it was already delivered or on his ship, hard to say.

He then returned Josuke's bow, "I am Ash," No last name apparently. "If you have any questions I'll be happy to answer as best as I can." THen a look to Miwa, "How 'bout you hon?"

"Oh, I see. I remember when my world first realized it's connection to the tree, or at least when I first learned about it. We'll be careful I suppose." Miwa answers Josuke with a nod toward Ash. She shared the sentiment of not being one to let others walk all over her, but with Ash here, she was pretty sure if anyone tried anything with her, she wouldn't have to be doing any fighting, if anything, she might have to reign him in a little if past experience has taught her anything. "In any case yes it does seem like a nice place, but you don't have boats here to travel the oceans?" She asks curiously, then blushes and laughs a bit at Ash's prompt. "Of course, ask me anything as well, only fair."

Josuke's reaction to the glimpse of the humanoid figure is to blink, and for a moment there is a taken-aback look on his features. "That's so weird... oh! Maybe it's that thing Jotaro was talking about -- people from outside sometimes get Stands when they come here." He is, of course, unaware if Ash didn't see it. For him, one can't just not be aware of their own Stand. The mention of someone delivering a package here gets a tilt of his head. "Really? Who is it? -- I mean, if you can say. Just, I might know who it is and where you can find them." He's just a curious kid, and someone receiving a package, particularly one from outside, is unusual.

And he nods to Miwa's mention of being careful. "Most of them are just idiots and lowlifes, but occasionally you get a Stand-user who's all about the 'preservation of the human race against offworld invaders', like this was War of the Worlds, or some crap." His tone suggests the kind of disdain he has for people like that. "There've been a few nutjobs that I've had to deal with so they wouldn't attack people coming in." As for having boats? "Oh yeah, there's plenty of boats. Particularly in Morioh. Commercial fishing's really big here, and sport fishermen pay to go out and catch those big ones. I more meant like... UNDER the water, right?"

As for asking question? Josuke rubs his chin. "The Speedwagon Foundation might like to -- they're trying to learn as much about the worlds around ours as they can. I think they're a little paranoid, really, but I guess I can't blame them for wanting to be prepared, you know?"

The mention of Speedwagon's paranoia caused ash to smile slightly as he gestured in a promising direction townward before walking, "I'd done a little reading. I'd almost say curiosity of other worlds and 'verses is a little outside of the jurisdiction ofa wildlife preservation group but I can respect wanting to know more about your new neighbors."

He kept his pace slow, differing to the fact while Miwa can technically walk on land decently, her flippers aren't really meant for extended strolls. "As for who? Technically I'm under contract to not reveal that information so until business has been concluded I'm not at liberty to say," He gave a helplessshrug. "However the whole deal smells somewhat... Off so once that contract period ends I'll share what i can see if any of it makes sense to you," Then a smile crept back on his face, a slow upturn of the corners of his lips that did not at all reach his eyes, "and if I don't like what I'm hearing. I pay these good folk a visit to offe a deal of my own."

A dea where no amount of money will pay what would be owed.

A soft chuckle then, "I'm sure most folk here are like people everywhere. Basically decent, but more concernedwith what is in front of them than what some stranger is up to if they have to do more than just look on."

Miwa laughs after Josuke explains that they do have boats, and in fact do a lot of fishing, but that he meant underwater, which suddenly makes her realize that he thinks she lives underwater. Finally she shakes her head and smiles. "I'm not a fish, I have to breath air just like you. I live in a grotto on a tiny island just a bit off the coast of a much larger one. You're welcome to come visit if you like." She offers before looking back toward Ash as he speaks about the job he's on. She appreciates the casual walking pace, as while she could use her bubble trick to float along, that would probably attract additional unnecessary attention.

    Well, this place is... interesting. Modern and pretty much like the olden times. Nort and Scar are getting some eyes, no doubt, between Nort's armor and Scar being a giant cyborg wolverine. This does NOT seem like the place to walk about heavily armed though, so Nort has stowed his weapons out of respect for the local customs. It's only fair, right?

    It's actually the pokemon that gets his attention, Nort's that is. Or Scar's? An offworlder talking to a... fabulous hair person and... actually Nort rubs his head, his flat and dull hair suddenly something to be self-conscious about. Scar doesn't approach too close, but the two definitely break away to approach the group, looking over shoulders. Nort calls out, "Hello," lifting a hand.

Josuke nods to Ash, and then reaches up to rub at the back of his neck sheepishly. "Ah, well... they also do research into paranormal and supernatural phenomena. That was supposed to be secret, but with the stuff with the Tree happening, they've had to come out and make it public that they're more than just environmental research. So they managed to avert some of the panic." Ash's note of the deal gets a nod... and then a mischievous little grin. "Hah! Gotcha, yeah. Let me know. Though I guess you'll have to come find me, since phone service here doesn't really extend outside of the town. And the mention of most people? "Yeah. You'll get a lot of people making an effort to walk on the other side of the street from you," he confirms. "But that's usually it."

Miwa's words get a look of understanding. "Oh! I'm sorry. It's hard to tell, since I'm not really sure what your people can do." He's really trying to avoid the common 'your kind', 'what even are you anyway' pitfalls, since he's aware those are really rude things to say. He is, however, watching her 'walk' on her fins as he accompanies the pair farther into the town. Though he's trying to look like he's NOT looking, because staring is rude. It's kinda funny, him sneaking looks at her fins on the ground. Typical teenage behavior, really.

Nort and Scar's approach and greeting gets a smile from Josuke, and he turns in the pair's direction. "Hi there!" he greets. There is some staring, yes. But that'd just be because Josuke is a normal human and doesn't look like anything special. Nort and Scar do very much look special! "Visiting from the Tree?" he asks amicably.

Ash shifted his attention to Nort as he considered what Josuke just said Secret research group now being forced publiic for the sake of stemming panic. At least they had heart enough to prooritize people over eggheaddy science stuff, that was a positve.

Nort and Scar cause him to fold his arms and straighten his back. Again for a moment there is that smoke shoruded copy of his warframe standing behind him. To someone like Josuke or another Stand user it would look as solid as any other object, to others? It would seem more translucent.

However here and gone in a moment .Ash offered the strange pair a hand, "We're from not around hereourselves. Hi? Business or pleasure?"

    Nort chuckles, gesturing at the wolverine settling some distance back. "Yes, from the Tree. Pretty obvious, isn't it?" He smiles, trying to be friendly and apparently not phased by other oddities. "Mostly just looking around though. Seeing different worlds, their tech and other things."

    Scar rumbles lightly, reminding Nort to answer Ash. He doesn't seem to see the Warframe, or perhaps doesn't want to acknowledge it. "A little of both. Scouting out you could say, but my own home is sort of in a tense place right now, so this has... sometimes been relaxing." Not all worlds are as calm. "I'm Nort, by the way. This big guy is Scar. Don't worry, he knows not to bite people, but I wouldn't pet him without asking."

Josuke looks to that figure behind Ash again, squinting a little at it this time to see it. "Yeah, that's definitely looking like a Stand," he asserts. "I really should be asking you about that, if you can do that outside, or if it's only here," he notes to Ash.

He nods to Nort's words. "I understand looking around, yeah. Just, like I told them--" He indicates Ash and Miwa as she heads to the water (either for fish or fun, one of the two)-- "There's been some people here causing trouble with people from the Tree, because those people are different. I'm not really warning you because I think you'd get hurt, I'm actually just asking you not to hurt them if it happens. Most of these idiots are just normal people that don't know any better."

The introduction from Nort gets a nod. "Hi there," he offers. "I'm Josuke Higashikata. Pleased to meet you!" He seems friendly enough, there's that. Also? "Don't worry, I don't usually pet beings I don't know without permission anyway."

    To Josuke, Nort laughs, "That's a pretty good policy! Scar's... not friendly, but not really bitey either. Never know what someone will try. I've seen a few." He glances toward where Miwa wandered, but decides not to pursue her when she's off by her own.

    Back to the humans it is then. "Nice to meet you, too. What are we talking about? Not hurting people who are afraid of strange things?" Nice seque for the guy with a giant riding mustellid. "I'm trying not to make any enemies out here. Good idea for me to at least get a grip on what other places are like. So far most of them seem to be like my world's distant past."

Josuke nods. "I'd probably be a bit pissed if somebody started petting me without permission," he agrees. A pause, to fluff at his hair. "Especially if they started messin' up my hair!" He is very protective of that coif, from the looks of things!

And at the mention of not hurting people who are afraid of strange things, he agrees, "Yeah. There's been a few instances of off-worlders getting... kinda rude things shouted at them, sometimes things get thrown at them -- I've had to break up a fight between someone from the Tree and a Stand-user. That's when it gets messy. Stands are the... well, I guess they're the 'thing' this world has going -- you know what I mean?"

He tilts his head a little. "So, yeah. I figure you two can take care of yourselves, but try to go easy on anybody that gives you grief, yeah? They're just scared."

    Nort and Scar are both listening, getting a read on what's going on... and after one of the things Josuke says, Scar lets out a loud snort. Nort looks behind him and mns. "Neither of us are a big fan of human society, but we're not stupid. It wasn't that long ago that the same thing would have happened in my world. I mean, a few centuries back." Apparently 'not that long ago' varies by context.

    To reassure Josuke a bit more, "I do have a few nonlethal means of getting people off our backs. I'll be careful not to let the claws and lasers come out unless pushed into a corner. Heh... thanks for the heads up though."

"We do tend to be assholes, don't we?" Josuke admits, of his species. "There really isn't any excuse for it anymore. And hell, we can't even treat our own species right most of the time..." But he does nod. "Yeah, I would never ask you not to defend yourselves. That just wouldn't be fair. Just... yeah, I'd prefer the non-lethal options over others."

Now, assumedly they've been walking, surveying the neighborhoods. They're in a residential neighborhood now, and there is a very strange-looking rock about six feet tall, with a weird, stretched face on it. Probably just a weird natural phenomenon. Though as they pass it, Josuke raises a hand and notes casually, "Yo, Angelo."

The rock... actually answers. With a strange, echoing grunt.

    Nort is fine with walking, though eventually Scar will come up to pad alongside him rather than trailing behind. With Nort having explained he's not dangerous, this seems to have been the trigger to join the group. Nort continues talking. "Sometimes. Every species has its ups and downs." There doesn't appear to be animosity, just a general dislike. "I was human once, but that isn't my source of self-loathing."

    That MAY have been a joke, but any chuckle is cut off by a genuine startled look at the rock-man-thing. "Huh, my world has intelligent plants, but a rock?" Scar grunts, and Nort waves to Angelo then, remembering his manners. After a fashion. "It's always nice to have someone who isn't uptight about visitors to show us around."

"I think I understand," Josuke notes, to Nort's being been human once but still disliking them. "We're just so weird, humans. So fickle and impossible to predict, but at the same time so alarmingly easy to predict, you know? There are days I don't like humans, and I'll claim being one. We can do some pretty awesome things... but then again turn around and just be so horrible to people."

Though the mention of the intelligent rock? "Well, it's not really intelligent... anymore," he tries to explain. "It was a guy that was... probably the worst human being on the face of the planet. At least in my world. If he was let go, he'd hurt more people. But I wasn't going to let him pull me down to his level. So now he gets to stand guard over Morioh, just like one of his victims used to."

There's a bit of a smile there as he says that... but it's a bittersweet one. Clearly there's some not-so-pretty matters tied up in that. "But!" he begins brightly, to cheer himself up. "Morioh's got its good and its bad, I guess. Just gotta concentrate on the good and not let the bad get ya down!"

    It is Scar who reacts first to both the statements and the story. A low, rumbling growl and a strange look... mostly strange because his eyes are cybernetic, so they are more like lenses focusing. Nort explains, "Yeah, they did great things. We're going to have to adapt to worlds where they're still... capable of saving themselves. Scar likes your attitude though. He's pretty gruff, but a view like that..."

    Scar rumbles, speaking up, "It is a good way to see the world." Yes, the wolverine spoke, apparently the talking rock convincing him it wouldn't freak out Josuke. "Our own is harsh, but not without its beauty."

    Apparently also a very articulate wolverine.

Josuke is looking at the rock as Nort speaks. With... a lot less anger than he looked at the person that it used to be. He nods to Nort's words... and then suddenly there's another voice. He blinks, looks over... and finds the wolverine speaking. Oh he's definitely surprised, and his widened blue eyes say as much. But he doesn't freak out. He goes immediately from 'whoa, it can talk?!' to realizing that there's some very lucid speech coming out. Not just 'polly wanna cracker'.

He also takes time to listen to what's being said, and nods. "In the end, when everything else is gone, that's all we really have to rely on is ourselves," Josuke replies. "Some people really can't save themselves. But that's why I'm here, I guess -- to help people who can't help themselves." He says this like he believes it to the core of his being.

Another look at the rock. "But I guess that's what bothers me about people like him. He had the power to help so many people... his Stand was literally life, and he used it to hurt others instead. I just don't get that way of thinking. I just don't understand people like that."

    "Plenty of people are given power only to abuse it," Scar says, apparently taking over for the conversation. Nort is watching the rock, arms behind him, with a thoughtful expression. Scar keeps talking though, "The war tore our world apart. It is devastated now. Yet there are still those who would start war instead."

    Nort finally speaks up. "In fairness, we have the largest standing army, let's not be hypocritical."

    Scar rumbles, "True. And our second greatest threat is not Harlan, but another animal. Josuke - do you mind if I call you that? - I am curious how you seem so unruffled."

Scar's mention of a torn-asunder world that has people who STILL want to fight gets a look of astonishment. "Seriously? I'm figuring you mean like... a 'World War III' scenario, where everything sucks and it's like... post apocalyptic wasteland. And still, after all of that, there are people wanting to fight more? Even knowing that's what caused all the trouble?" He shakes his head. "Yeah, I don't get that."

A pause then. "Oh, sure! Long as you don't call me 'JoJo'." He grins. And then the question of how he's so unruffled. "By what?" he asks. "The weird stuff in my world? Sapient animals? The weirdness outside?"

    Nort shakes his head, but it is Scar who is talking now. "Yes, World War III, though there were... complications. Many things went wrong, and even the starship-" Nort coughs. Scar corrects himself from a longer story. "It has been centuries, and most of the world only know it in tales. They are climbing out of barbarism."

    Nort finally takes over, "We are with the faction that wants mutated animals to rule, but considering an alliance with the faction that wants to restore some of the past technology. There are those ignorant of the past repeating it, and those who try to avoid it. And some who... are not sane."

    Scar nods, after that. "Yes. And yes, you are more familiar with strange things. Like the... Angelo over there." One eye whrrs as it focuses on Josuke. "You don't look like a liason."

    Nort adds, "Scar is very intelligent, but tends to be direct. He sometimes forgets his manners."

Josuke listens to this with wide eyes, taking in all these details eagerly. "Starship? Wow... your world must be long in the future compared to mine," he notes. "Only thing we know about a 'starship' is... well, nothing really. There's this weird kid in my school that says he's an alien, but we're not really sure." He shrugs a little.

He thinks about this whole 'faction' business. "I dunno, I'd just want the people who were best at it to lead, I wouldn't care if they were mutated animals, or people, or... something else," he notes. "I mean... just my opinion on it, if it happened here."

There's nothing overtly weird about Josuke's biology, if Scar is looking. He's a perfectly healthy fella in his late teens, though his energy readings might be a bit high. And he has psychic potential, if there's a way to see that -- Stands are basically poltergeists, so essnentially Josuke has a poltergeist under his control.

As for being intelligence but direct? Josuke offers a quiet chuckle. "Yeah... Jotaro's the same. He's super-intelligent -- got his Ph.D before he was thirty. But he's also pretty... terse. I wouldn't say rude, he just doesn't say anything unless he's got something to say, and then he says it and not much else." From the sounds of it, he's not offended.

"But well..." Josuke raises a hand to rub at the back of his neck. "I guess I am, really. The Speedwagon Foundation wants to learn as much as they can about what's outside this world, partly so they can defend the people in it from threats that might come from outside. And I guess if people are better-disposed toward the people here, they're less likely to want to mess things up here. Besides, I'm better at this than Jotaro." The thought of Jotaro actually trying to show someone around makes him laugh.

    Scar rumbles, but Nort looks thoughtful. His expressions are human at least. He resumes talking, "Makes sense to us. We're afraid we don't have much of an authority to do the same, but we're glad your foundation has a pretty good idea. We've seen some dangerous things already, and making enemies isn't a good idea."

    Nort looks a little more grim then. "And we're one of the most militarized factions. The Ranks of the Fit. Partly because the area north of our headquarters is run by a man who wants to enslave everyone and turn them into cyborgs."

    Scar rumbles again. "We aren't at full blown war, but between the Created, the Knights and the Seekers, there are too many dangers to be fully at peace."

    Nort nods. "We can appreciate protecting your home."

Josuke nods. "Forewarned is four-armed, right?" Yes, he did say 'four', as in the Japanese word for 'four'. Which also could mean 'forewarned is death-armed' because Japanese language be weird, yo. As for the Foundation? "Most of us Stand-users, if we're not hostile, we're associated with the Speedwagon Foundation a little. Even a few of the hostile ones are. They just see better payoff not causing trouble."

Scar's mention of a guy wanting to enslave and 'borg everybody up gets a wince. "Geez... that sounds like a bad sci-fi movie," he notes. "Not that I think it's not a major threat. But yeah... I think I see why there's not a lot of peace there. Too many people who want to think they're right and everyone else is wrong?" It's worthy to note that he's ASKING if that's the problem, not just automatically assuming.

As for protecting his home? "I'm sure it's what anybody would want to do," he replies. "I'm glad to do it, but I know I'm not the only one. If it wasn't me, there'd be somebody else in my shoes."

    Nort scratches his chin, thinking about the foundation. "Heh." He knows quite a few with four arms! "Yeah, giving the violent ones a place to direct themselves is good. Even we aren't sure what happened when the world burned, but uncontrollable powers were involved."

    Scar grunts softly, "It does, but Quade is not sane any more. You are right though. Before the war our tech... well, Nort's armor is pre-War and isn't even the most advanced that existed. And then there are newer things that we don't know anything about."

    Nort nods, "But you're right about why. It isn't that bad though. A few of the factions aren't sane. The Knights of Genetic Purity... well, the name says it all. But MOST of them are just a difference of opinion and can work together decently enough. Bandits and the lack of infrastructure cause more problems right now, we just worry that will change with the influence of the outside."

    Scar growls. "Speaking of, we were looking for the vine out before we stumbled into this fascinating encounter. We should return to that. If you don't mind, Nort and I would like to hear more about this. And if you need an outside perspective we would be happy to provide on as thanks for showing us a well-adapted world."

All this information is listened to, and mentally filed away for later -- Josuke is definitely going to mention as much of this as he can remember to the Speedwagon Foundation later. Specifically Jotaro, since the two of them seem to understand each other relatively well. Which, in Jotaro's case, is a freaking MIRACLE. But he does nod. "That's kind of what they're doing, yeah. Even I have shows of temper, and that's dangerous with anybody who has... 'abilities beyond those of normal people'."

He tilts his head as what he thinks is a name is dropped. "Quade?" Though it sounds more like 'kueido'. He's trying though! "Oh, I think I see. You guys were... well, my world would call it 'futuristic technology' -- you guys were using that when everything went to hell?" This draws his attention, and rubs his chin, with a thoughtful pout. "I wonder if anybody here would try to find off-world technology and use it here..."

And yeah, he makes a face at 'The Knights of Genetic Purity'. "There's people like that here, even -- they drive me nuts," Josuke replies. More calmly, he agrees, "Yeah... things could go from bad to worse in that situation. Come and find me if there's anything I can fix. I can do more than just punch things. I might be able to repair some of that infrastructure, at least physically. Roads and stuff, you know?" He's not sure if it's been too long for Crazy Diamond to fix, but he can try, right?

The mention of the vine out? "Oh! Yeah, I know where those are. They're pretty random, but they do tend to more reliably show up in a couple of locations not too far from here," he offers. And as he turns in the direction of the last place he remembers seeing a vine, he replies, "C'mon, I'll show you where they are."

    "That would be appreciated," Nort says. "Showing us out that is. Repairing the infrastructure... will have to think about that. We're zoologists, not engineers, we don't know exactly what needs done first. But... maybe we can put something together and point people to someone who does know."

    Scar rumbles, "Asphalt and concrete roads aren't useful without the rest, but something small scale and growing from there... that has potential."