Being rammed to the floor by telepathic feedback was never fun, and when the feedback in question was from other versions of yourself who were as happy - or not happy - as yourself about the general situation they found themselves in...
Gaaaaah.
Though it might be worthwhile to try and set up some sort of mutual support group later, she supposed. Though several versions of things like that had come and gone over the ages, in this kind of situation, having some kind of support system seemed to be... prudent.
But that was for later.
Now was for trying to figure out just what kind of world she belonged to, currently...
The racecars raced around and around and around the tracks, the crowds cheering wildly.
"Tennou Haruka, TENNOU HARUKA, Go Go Go Windsprite!!"
Michiru cheered from the sidelines, emphasizing her words with a great harmonic chord of something that sounded like horns, flutes and violins.
It was very strange, Meiou Setsuna thought numbly, that - that - was still recognizable as Kaiou Michiru.
Though she was a very elegant car, Setsuna did have to admit. Even the numerous instruments all over where her back seats should have been - seats? Why did they even have seats, anyway? What was the use? - looked aesthetically pleasing, somehow.
Cars that talked. And obviously thought. And had expressions. And even reproduced in some fashion or another.
Setsuna grabbed at the space behind her seat, opening up a cabinet. Surely there should be - yeah, there it was. Whiskey. Perfectly aged, in acorn kegs.
Ahh, a girl's best friend, indeed...
Setsuna took a slug directly out of the bottle. Why the hell not, it wasn't like anybody was watching -
She now belonged to a planet in which the main sentient species were - living, intelligent - cars.
Setsuna lazily looked at the scanners, pleasantly lightheaded for the moment. Cars, cars, cars everywhere - cars working, cars at rest, cars at play, cars - dating? She had to figure out how those things reproduced themselves, didn't she?
She thought for a moment, and got the anti-hangover pills, just so she wouldn't have to scabble for them afterwards. There. Who said she couldn't plan ahead? Not she, that was for sure...
Well, those cars had quite active souls, even though they weren't configured quite like human ones, and that usually meant more-or-less active Starseeds, so that was a relief, she supposed. Some version of the Senshi probably could and did exist ... she thought, anyway.
OK, then, what was this? A horde of somehow young-looking cars with the somewhat similar paint jobs - well, similar patterns, anyway - heading in the same direction? Setsuna studied the patterns for a while, before realizing that it had to be the equivalent of school uniforms.
"Hey, hey, Usagi, stop guzzling the gas and hurry! We'll be late..."
Usagi - who was a vaguely boxy car which had 'family-friendly' written all over her, with a blue and vaguely sailor outfit-ish bow pattern on her bumper - burped and turned back to her friend, a somewhat sleeker looking car with the same coloring and patterns.
"Sorry, Naru-chan..."
Same pattern meant they went to the same school, Setsuna supposed, suppressing a hiccup.
Well, well, well...It was good that Tsukino Usagi actually existed.
Even if she was a, well, car. Who talked. And thought. And was a living being, in all the ways that mattered.
It was better then her not being here at all.
Really.
She was being...drawn thin, seemed to be the only word to come to mind.
She would have to leave this place, she knew that, somehow. But when she did...
She thought about it. And thought about it some more.
And then, downloaded as much information as possible in as many of the Time Gate's functions as she could think of. Including her own memories, even though she knew that they'd just be a pale frozen shadow of the original.
And then, she took a deep breath.
And walked out of the Gate.
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(Posted Sun, 17 Sep 2006 09:46)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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