no_compromise | 1st Chapter [Voice/possible Action] Forward Dated to May 8

[It was raining, something that rarely happened in the arid region of the Far East on his homeworld. It was raining when he pulled himself up out of the mud three days earlier with a soreness in his shoulders and a baffling block of missing time that he could not explain. With his immortal body, sleep was optional and even unnecessary--the last time he slept was over seven years ago, just before the fall of the Spiral King and his army.

The black out bothered him more than the wings, but his inherent pride as a warrior and a beastman kept him from more than a cursory question here or there over the journals. Soaked to the bone and thoroughly irritable about the information he absorbed via the strange journal that arrived with him, Viral finally emerges from the silence he had built up around himself.

The video feed opens to the beastman sitting in relative comfort in a shabby fort he built for himself amongst the fallen branches from the winter. It was obvious that this wasn't the first time he had broken his needless exile, as the new feather pants had been traded out for his comfortable travelling gear, including a very ragged brown cloak and an equally worn red scarf. Though dry for the moment, his hair was still tangled and not fully cleared of the mud.

Clearly his isolation was more important than finding an apartment. Though, if pressed, he would explain his thoughts on that manner.]

[Very Broken Filter away from all possible members of Team Dai-Gurren]

Luceti. I am Viral. [Pronounced like the word 'virile.' There's a subtle pause, either from the inherent awkwardness of this or his noticing that the filter is terribly broken.] If any of you here have ever encountered someone by the name of Simon [pronounced 'see-mon.'], from a place called Jeeha Village, who also calls himself 'the digger' and is currently ranked at High Commander in our world, if you have met his brother Kamina or any of their friends in Team Gurren or Team Dai-Gurren, I will not ask you to disregard anything you may have heard about me. Whatever they said is likely true.

[From a certain perspective and point of view.] I only ask that you keep an open mind.

Also, is there someone on this network who can explain why the animals are talking? Does the rain normally last for this long? [Another beat.] I've been here for a few days now, so I understand enough, but this climate is unfamiliar.

[With that he ends the feed, not wanting to say much more. Though tempted to just shut the journal, his questions about the local fauna and climate are pressing enough to be a bother. He's there, in the woods toward the west. Feel free to find him.]

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...That's entirely possible. [He hadn't stopped to consider that, but it didn't surprise him. It was weeks before he realized the truth about Simon and Kamina, and that Simon was always the one that was truly his rival.]

Was he a friend of yours back in your world?

Not really.

[Do rivals count as friends?]

Wait... you aren't enemies, are you?

[HE IS NOT TELLING YOU ANY MORE ABOUT SIMON THEN, MAN.]

Simon is currently the former High Commander of Kamina City and in a prison cell right next to mine. Friend or foe, it doesn't matter any more.

[Doesn't matter--your information would be very outdated.]

He's in prison? Why? What happened to him?

[Sorry Viral, Emil is not unlike a puppy-- he is very curious and does not know when to stop.]

...his people became exactly like the ones they fought is what happened, and his government just as big a mess. As a race, humans have done nothing but disappoint for the passed seven years.

A crisis happened, and they didn't bother trying to understand.

... oh.

[He... can sort of understand that. Humans in his own world haven't exactly been great either.]

But that doesn't mean they can't understand! Sometimes people just need something explained to them first. That doesn't mean they don't want to, they just don't know any better.

Can they? [The tone is rough, but the question is sincere.] There's less than ten days left to resolve this crisis, and they've imprisoned the one man that can do it.

I don't know if they can do it in ten days, but people can change their opinions on things. I used to... I used to be afraid of half-elves because I'd been told they were bad and dangerous and I didn't know any better. But then I met some and traveled with them, and I realized that they were just the same as me. There wasn't any reason to be scared of them at all.

[Those words would have been good seven years earlier, when the humans were still high on their victory and asserting their dominance over the surface. Many beastmen like Viral were imprisoned during that time for dissent. Others were integrated, but not without some degree of prejudice.

The ideal, while lofty and something to strive for, means nothing when the 'crisis' is the destruction of their planet.]

...I am aware of these things. I'm just tired of the injustice and dishonor of their activities.

[Part of his recent career was as an insurgent--the other part was acting as a shield for the humans that wanted to keep their old way of living.]

I'm sorry. I don't think that's something that can be fixed by just one person. I think everyone needs to work together for something like that to happen.

Don't apologize. It has nothing to do with you.

[He pauses, not intending the quick reply to come out as rough as it did. Carefully, he continues.]

...I understand what you say better than I'd like, but that's there and this is here. Simon is neither enemy nor friend right now--he is a rival--but I was only asking the village to do as you said to me. Keep an open mind.

[Fortunately Emil is quite used to people who are gruff like Viral and isn't bothered by it at all-- if anything, he's pretty good at being able to read that sort of thing.]

I don't remember them saying anything about you before, but you don't seem that bad at all to me.

[The kid wouldn't be saying that if he knew that Kamina died in combat, or the part that Viral played in the affair. He nods on his end, even if the motion is unseen. Bitterness tinges his tone when he speaks.]

...At least that seems to be the general case here.

[It worked fine for him. He was tired of fighting.]

[ACTUALLY, given some of the things Richter had done... yeah, even that might not discourage him.]

... is there a reason I should be wary of you?

[Guerilla fighter. Rebel dissident. Viral stares at the book, perplexed.]

Most people are. I'm just looking to avoid unnecessary battles.

I don't think you have to worry about that here... there isn't much fighting at all, unless you count the drafts.

So it says in this book. I was just making certain.

... I'm sorry, I never even told you my name. I'm Emil. It's nice to meet you, Viral.

[So many people that apologize in this village...]

Thank you, Emil. Hopefully the rest of the residents are as reasonable as you are.

I'm sure they will be. Most of the people here are really nice-- it's kind of amazing.

['Amazing' wasn't quite the word he would have picked, but it was good enough.]

So it seems. Flaws aside, it might not be too bad here.

Yeah. I hope you end up liking it here too!

1st Chapter [Voice/possible Action] Forward Dated to May 8

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