It doesn't work that way here

Rei

“You are the rudest person I have had the misfortune to meet,” I say softly, blinking at this young brunette woman who’s dared to storm up to us out of the blue and start making demands on Inquirer.

“Am I talking to you?" the blonde demands, hands on hips. "If not, then I suggest you butt OUT of this. This is between ME and her now!"

. . . .

Give this woman red hair and an Eva unit and I would swear that she’s just like Asuka in one of her more belligerent moods. . .

. . .

No, that is not right. That would be an insult to Asuka.

As you may have guessed, I did not get along with the pilot of Eva 02 and I foresee the same results with this . . .woman.

Suddenly, two gray hands reaches out from behind this woman before any words (and BOY do I have a few choice words for her) and pins the arms of the blonde behind her back.

Rather painfully by the looks of it!

Chiana

This fetic has to go and ruin a perfectly good bonding session with the girls and tops it off by mouthing off to a young girl who calls her on it!?

Oh, this is gonna be painful . . .for HER!

"Quiet down," I coo into the young girl's ear as she gasps in pain. "Quiet down or I'm going to have to hurt you."

"I believe you're already managing that quiet well enough, Chiana." Inquire says deadpans. "Do me a favor and let me handle this one. Promise I won't be overly long handling it."

. . .

Sigh.

"Alright," I sniff, shoving this girl a little roughly away from me before standing back.

Frell, we save this woman's life. We even tell her about that little ambush the Sandmen and giving that (nothing but the truth) for the reason why she'd been knocked out and dragged here.

There hadn't been enough time to discuss it politely back then. Why won't she see reason?

Her travel companion had already given up on her, muttering something about this "Two Girl's" prophecy scroll he'd been studying being even more compromised than she'd thought by her treacherous apprentice.

. . .

Oh right, somehow this Elaine had managed to fool his teacher (who'd been in a rather decrepit state of mine due to some kind of mental affliction some old mages are prone on getting).

. . .

Pardon the shiver, I have this . . .thing about things that frell with the mind. Whether manmade or nature, I do NOT like the idea of my mind being mess with in THAT manner. Had enough worries about THAT back when I'd been running from the Establishment of my homeworld. Now that regime was SCARY...

Inquirer, meanwhile sighs slightly and shakes her head slightly.

In the end, she just pulls out a sack of coins and tosses it at Fred the girl's feet. That and told her in a calm, normal tone of voice that if she was so dead set on leaving then take the money. Go out into the world and live as well as she is able. That and never cross our path again.

"The funds in that bag are more than enough to give you a decent start," Inquirer continues on. "You're traveling companion has already departed. Decided on casting her lot with the Academy, joining the rank of the knights and all that in order to make her way."

. . .

Oh right! That institute is open to just anyone to join up and after a bit of something like a VERY intense schooling (in all SORTS of drad scholastic fields. . . .. FRELL, if I'd been presented with that stuff back in the ways they teach HERE on Terra Prime on Nebari Prime I'd have skipped school a LOT less). After you graduated (IF you could tough it out . . . not an easy task), you get a LOT more benefits, legal and social.

Basically, you'd worked your way up from peasant to knight (with all the perks and responsibilities that go with that status). Good enough system as systems go, I guess. Better than what I grew up under, anyway.

Myself, I'm kinda glad that they allow for other ways into this knighthood deal. As good (or whatever) this merit system may be, I'm not . . . exactly the studious type. More action oriented and all that dren, but being a Champion is one way I avoided it. They see that the dren we have to go through with THAT job sometimes and say it's more than enough to qualify for the ranks, thank YOU!

Heh, that also was the reasoning why Inquirer's people also say that I'm allowed to vote in their government (automatic Citizenship).

Heh. Nice to know that that while it's not automatic (not sure about this stuff of "No service no franchise" dren) I'm happy enough to be allowed the opportunity and benifits. Not like they're saying I have to jump through a billion hoops before I can join the club like some snooty resort clubs out there back in the Uncharted back home . . .

But . . . all that is not really important, eh?

Oh, it really relates to one of the things that really is eating at Fred the girl here, but not exactly . . . .totally.

She had been a belted knight before this and was NOT at all comfortable with the idea of having to start up from nothing. Hell, he'd been BORN into that station and was not happy with the idea that NOBODY was taking his knighthood (granted from another reality . . . something that he's not buying despite our attempts) seriously. The idea that he is now considered a peasant is . . . disturbing to him.

Granted, I could see why but then again when you constantly insult the ones who COULD have just with a word grandfather her into the ranks there are BOUND to be consequences. We're all . . . kind of close enough to family (a clan of sorts . . . nice) where it would be socially acceptable for a kinsman from another reality to be granted that boon. I mean the more traditional means of being born into this aristacracy station/dren (knighthood the old fashion way) still exists here on Terra Prime (but is falling more and more out of favor as the newly elevated kind of . . . are making their presence and power known on the increasingly dismayed "traditionalists".

However much they complain and try to turn the clock back however, the more frustrated they become. The "upstart" countries who gained dominance (like Aqualaria, Ethiopia, and the Manimal Nation to name a few) after the chaos from that Enemy/Alliance war . . . .they had too much sway (and took steps to KEEP it that way).

. . .

Take that as you will. Not everything is all sweetness and light here on Terra Prime, I gather sometimes from Probe's muttering about this cell or that set of . . .

Yeah, anyway.

Bottom line, Fred the girl has managed to cut her own throat by alienating Inquirer. While not the Head of House, her word does have a lot of manna. If she gives the thumbs down, especially since NONE of the Fred clan shall speak for Fred the girl (who they had NO doppleganger reaction . . . .meaning . . .she's frelled for support from THAT corner), then she's got few options left.

IF she wants her knighthood, she'd better hustle for it and EARN it. The belt she had won on her homeworld--which is well beyond reach, lost to us in the multiverse of possibility--isn't worth anything. Not even to hold her pants up . . .

Well . . .if she was wearing any pants. She DID arrive wearing a dress, you know . . .

AHH, you know what I mean!

And as said now de-knighted knight? I see it in her eyes (slow on the uptake, perhaps, or just too prideful to let herself see until now) just before she's escorted out, to await the next shuttle to away from this remote desert region. She's just lost the last chance of an easy way to . . . .some kind of life she'd enjoyed before all this befell her.

. . .

I am told by Fertal later on how one of his analogs (another Fertal, which number I forget right now) had an encounter with a "funhouse" version of himself. He wasn't an elf, but human still . . . and something more than a bit of an idiot.

It might be THAT bad, but this girl really, REALLY needs to get her head on right. But whatever. Her temper will get her into a LOT of trouble, now. Not our problem now, thought. We've DONE everything we could do for her. Offered our hand in aid repeatedly, only to have it slapped away. She's done and we're done, now. PERIOD.

She can make her own way in the world now. This ain't some kind of prison Inquirer's running here, the displacees can leave any time they wish . . . and succeed or fail on their own as they wish. Fred the girl? Well, I do hope that she has some kind of skill base to make her way in the world IF she decides against Academy. Or all else fail, she can take up the OLDEST profession I know of (had a little . . .fun back in the UT, you know).

She's got the body for . . .

. . .

Let's drop this. I don't mind it but some humans out there might be . . . embarrassed or offended if I continue more.

. . .

You humans can be strangely prudish at time, ya know?

Inquirer

Sigh, at least we only now have the remaining set of centaurs to take care of and then a MUCH needed vacation over at Blake's place for a month or so . . . until all this looping about in space and time is done.

. . .

We've got EARLIER versions of ourselves doing things in the immediate future and I is best to NOT run into them (or trip them up accidentally with our present actions). Not a good idea in the time travel business, I'm told by the Doctor.

And I could use a vacation after all this.

Man, they are so VERY right that time travel can screw with your mind at times, even IF I'd married a Timelord. . . .

But let's concentrate on important things right now, okay Inquirer?

"Now that that's taken care of . . . ," I begin, only to pause as I hear several stomach rumble in hunger.

1. Rei being one who's stomach is sounding revelry . . .

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