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

[no_compromise]

[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.]

Comments

[justicereigns]

Kamina was a bit more busy with trying to find inventive and completely insane ways to break the barrier than to talk about home.

In fact to my knowledge, you've never come up.

[no_compromise]

['The Great and Mighty Kamina...']

Tch. That does sound like him. What did he try to do, send a horde of pigmoles barreling toward it?

[Yes, he is well aware of Kamina's misadventures, no thanks to several stragglers from Jeeha Village that he's met over the years.]

[justicereigns]

Actually... yes. Well, "bears" anyway. [So this guy definitely knows Kamina.]

And he was you know, loud in general. He left a long time ago. Almost a year now I guess? I don't even know who his friends here were.

[no_compromise]

[Kamina at once has forever been the bane of his existence and one of the ones that defined it, much to Viral's eternal chagrin. He's not certain how to even begin explaining it.]

That Simon is one, his brother. There was a woman as well, called Yoko. There were others, but Team Dai-Gurren has too many members to name anymore.

[This man, however, had met Kamina as recent as a year ago. How did time work in this place?]

[justicereigns]

I'll take your word on it. In any case, I'm not sure any of them are here, although I don't always pay the best attention to the journal.

[... Kind of a lie, but he does miss things, occasionally.]

[no_compromise]

They're not, the filter was broken.

...thank you for the information, however.

[justicereigns]

[Shrug.] No problem.

Though I am curious as to just what you think they would have said about you.

[no_compromise]

We're enemies, and rivals. It's natural to be less than flattering in that situation.

[justicereigns]

And yet you said it was likely true.

[no_compromise]

Because Simon and Kamina are not likely to lie.

[justicereigns]

But you are enemies, correct?

[no_compromise]

Yes, but Simon and Kamina were never once dishonorable enough to lie.

[justicereigns]

Oh well. Like I said, Kamina had other things on his mind. [Honorable? Smoker wasn't sure about that, but he's not going to argue it either.]

[no_compromise]

[Kamina was like that, he would be surprised if it were any different.]

Of course he did. He was a madman. [Anyone that chooses to fight a Gunman on foot with a katana is mad.]

[justicereigns]

[Congratulations Viral you actually got Smoker to laugh a bit, though they tries to cover it up. It's so true though.]

Heh, no arguments here.

You don't act much like enemies however.

[no_compromise]

[While Smoker is amused, Viral sobers. The man was clearly fond of Kamina on some level--how to tell him?]

That's why I said 'rivals,' although his brother was always truly my rival. That was a long time ago too.

[justicereigns]

Hm. Understood I think. How long?

[no_compromise]

Seven years. ...You won't like the news that I have.

[justicereigns]

What...? How do you mean?

[no_compromise]

Kamina fell in combat against one of my commanders. It was war--I didn't realize what had actually happened myself until several weeks after that battle.

[justicereigns]

I see.

Do you know how old he was at the time? [In Luceti, he has to ask. For all he knows, Kamina was like 90 when it happened. Though he rather doubts it.]

[no_compromise]

Not old enough to be an adult, but old enough. His brother, Simon, defeated General Thymilph immediately after--and then defeated all of the other Generals I served under as well as my King.

...It was Simon, not Kamina, that was the real driving force. I didn't realize that until I learned about Kamina.

[justicereigns]

Hn. Good for Simon I suppose.

What army were you serving with again?

[no_compromise]

[Of course the question was going to come up as soon as he mentioned his military career, although anyone familiar with soldiers and how they act would have been able to figure it out. Viral tensed at the question, not wanting a fight but ready for one.]

...I'd rather not say.

[justicereigns]

[... All righty. Smoker shrugs.]

I didn't think Kamina was with any military. Much less fighting one.

I'm a marine myself, vice admiral now.