You just now realized this, Anna? Voice

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Archer isn't here. My SON is not going to be here ever and while I'm here I can't...

This just got a lot more urgent. Anyone who wants to compare notes about what they found, meet me at the Orchard. Ask a cat for directions there's something I never thought I'd say while in the Wake if you don't know the way.

Comments

[Video]

[brustriese.livejournal.com]

Please calm down, miss.

You were brought here with us, but your son wasn't? In that case, he's likely safe.

Re: [Video]

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

And only two years old. I... the rest of the resistance is there, but it's still disconcerting.

My offer stands, though.

[Video]

[brustriese.livejournal.com]

I'll make my way there.

...you haven't happened to run into anyone who's identified themselves as a member of the Time-Space Administration Bureau, have you?

Re: [Video]

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Yes, I have. A Master Sergeant Ginga.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

You had a child?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Yes.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

Now that really is quite rude. Obnoxiously so.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Someone as young as me having a child... It used to be a big deal, and not in a good way. Sorry I was curt about it.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

I was referring to those who took us here.

Child bearing years have gone back and forth through the ages. I won't judge you. Nor will I fault you for caring for your child...quite the opposite.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

I fight for him, and with his love. I am not being metaphorical here, by the way.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

Let me guess? More "sufficiently advanced" technology?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Reverse engineered from the invaders war machines. Derek was fond of throwing the word 'soul' around to describe the ANIMa's functions.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

Who is this Derek person you keep mentioning?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

The person who proved the ANIMa could work, and built it. Saying he designed it is giving him too much credit.

And the vastly overprotective brother of one of the Pilots under my command.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

Fascinating. So are they some sort of weapon?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

It translates relationships, emotional connections, into weaponry and armor.

...Apparently my being a mother bear to Archer was best represented with an electromagnetic machine gun.

[border-phantasm.livejournal.com]

I've heard of the power of love, but that seems like too much.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Blood counts for a lot. Love counts for a lot. It's... unusually powerful for an ANIMa weapon, I'll admit.

VIDEO

[thevenusian.livejournal.com]

I'll be there! If these cats cooperate...

Re: VIDEO

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

They will. It's because of them that I know about the Orchard.

VIDEO | ACTION

[thevenusian.livejournal.com]

Alright! I'll give it a shot.

----------------------------
[ACTION]

[Indeed, Minako does ask the cats for directions, and after some effort, appears at the Orchards, with only a few leaves sticking out of her hair. So she thought she could take a shortcut! It turned out otherwise.]

Re: VIDEO | ACTION

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Anna is... eating an apple. Which is apparently from the tree she's sitting against.

In fact, there are a lot of fruit trees and vegetables here.

"Minako," she says, by way of greeting.

ACTION

[thevenusian.livejournal.com]

[Minako smiled as she came out of the trees, raising a hand to wave. And upon seeing the apple, her stomach let forth a loud grumble.]

Hey! Lin-san, right?

Re: ACTION

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Yes, that's right.

This area of the Gardens, apparently, is the only one where you can hunt, fish or forage without inviting... unspecified punishments.

ACTION

[thevenusian.livejournal.com]

[Well, she doesn't need too much invitation, before she trots over to an apple tree and grabs a low-hanging apple. There's only a little jump and awkward wobble during the process.]

Well, then, might as well!

... unspecified punishments, that sounds creepy.

Re: ACTION

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

I'd rather not find out what they are until I'm sure I can risk them, yes.

I have some experience hunting for game and cooking, so food won't be a problem. And the stream is groundwater. Should be safe enough.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

*she'll just brush aside the fact that Anna looks rather young for having a child, that's not really important here-*

I'm afraid I haven't found much of note since we last talked, but I'll be there as soon as I can.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

You are greeted by an apple being tossed to you in a high arc.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

*she'll easily catch the apple*

Thank you, Major.

*asking if she's alright was obviously not going to be met with a positive reaction... perhaps cutting straight to business would help get Lin's mind off the matter-*

Have you found out anything new?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Not really, no. Although I can tell you that whatever this is, it's not a dream - I haven't yet explained what an ANIMa is, but ANIMa training is how I can tell.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

At this point, entirely too much time has passed for it to be dismissed as a dream even without training.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Some dreams have a rather long relative duration. But yes. It's a more continuous experience than a dream.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

Though, on the other hand, it could have been magically induced. Does your ANIMa training cover anything of that nature?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

We wouldn't call it that, but yeah.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

That eliminates one possibility, then... *one of the least likely and out of countless others, but there's no sense in adding that on*

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

You specialized in dealing with... interdimensional warfare?

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't exactly call it 'warfare', but I am involved in inter-dimensional matters.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Does the word "Anchor" have any meaning other than the literal to you?

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

*she thinks a bit, but-* ... no, it doesn't

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

...Another administrator of the Garden accidentally, or at least against the orders of the Queen, mentioned in public that "the Anchors are holding, but it's only been a day."

I really doubt that it's what Anchor means back home, but it was a bit of a jolt. Still, it's a lead.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

Offhand, I would guess it might be referring to something that... anchors this dimension into place. But with little other information on our hands...

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

I just realized. We don't know what there is here OTHER than the Gardens.

...Are you armed?

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

There's really too much that we don't know altogether...

Fortunately, yes, I am. Why do you ask?

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

I'd like your help. We need to find out what else is on this rock. If there's something out here that isn't Gardens, or someONE... well, I'd want someone with a weapon at my back.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

A scouting mission, then? There very well could be something out there that we could find...

I'd have to speak with the commander first about it, however.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Your commander is here? That's... both reassuring and very, very ominous.

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

There's quite a few of us from the Bureau, too.

... she's not actually part of the 108th Battalion, but unless anybody else from the Bureau shows up that outranks her, she'll be my commanding officer for the duration of this incident.

[hotshot-momma.livejournal.com]

Good to know. I'd like to meet them at some point...

Anything else you managed to dig up?

[not-giga-drill.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, any concrete information has been just about impossible to come by.