Golden Age: Revival

Ari: <B-But how will I find him?>

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Allina: <Where are the muffins!?>

*Euryale stands up & follows Roatha & Nero out because she doesn't have time for this bullshit.*
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<Oh, he'll show up sooner or later. I imagine he'll try to rebuild his kingdom, in which case the obvious plan is to confront the European Union. But that would be a mistake, as it's been controlled by his archenemy Claudus ever since Camelot fell. Come with me, this will take time to explain.>

*She walks towards the city, pointing at a towering skyscraper a few blocks away.*

<That is where I live.>

Lune kicks Isaac in the shin which wakes him up with a yawn.

"Come on, lets go."

Isaac and Lune follow Roatha and co.

Ari: <T-That's tall.>

*He reluctantly walks with her*

[Rebuild Camelot...?]

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*Allina follows them out with a package of chips*

Allina: <Your kitchen sucks.>

Taiyo:<...Today sucks.>

"Yes. Yes it does."

Mimiru:<Stop being stupid.>

*Mimiru elbows Azuma in the ribs and goes to join Taiyo.*

Mimiru:<Today's not over yet, it can get better.>

*The day ends with them packed together on a plane. But at least it's first class. They're sitting in the following formation:

Mimiru|Azuma|Ren
Roatha|Euryale|Taiyo
Nero|Allina|Issac*
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*Roatha threw Lune out of the bus when no one was looking & I have no idea what he's doing now.*
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*There's a chime as the glass doors slide open. She escorts him into an elevator. When the doors close & it begins to ascend, she speaks without looking at him.*

<Are you familiar with Alexander the Great, Ari?>

Mimiru:<(Why is this asshole here?)>

"(Which one? There's at least three of them here.)"

Mimiru:<(The asshole beside you.)>

"(I don't know.)"

Allina: <Great. I get to sit between the creepy stalker and the emo pervert. Does this thing have karaoke?>

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Ari: <The Greek emperor?>

Lune managed to buy a ticket at the last minute somehow and is on the flight with them but in a different class.

---

"Uh... Allina..." Isaac says.

Ren snickers.

<Yes. After his death, his empire was split 5 ways. A Russian Tzar came to the new emperors and proposed an alliance. Eventually, they all came around. But 6 people alone can't rule the world. So as they expanded territories, they picked up new members. After Emperor Lucian died, King Claudus had uncontested control of Europe. Naturally, he was approached. He accepted their proposal. And when he died, the torch was passed to his son. And his son's son. When the age of feudalism ended, the society itself began choosing successors. But the organization isn't flawless. Through various revolutions, they lost control of the Americas & Africa. And Europe is now composed of many small countries, instead of a few empires. Because of this, the latest successor to the title of "Claudus" is planning to use the European Union to seize control from the shadows. But he's just one head of the monster we're faced with. Are you following me so far?>
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N"It's a plane. Why would it have Karaoke? Shit. I wanted to sit by Euryale you know, but Roatha went high, Taiyo went low, & I didn't have a chance."

E"How did you guys get all of our stuff past security, anyway?"

N"Secret compartment in my suitcase. Your stuff wasn't a problem. There isn't a law against lugging around old-ass armor."

"What does your grandma think of all this globe trotting you're doing?"

Mimiru:<She says she's happy I get to see the world and something about "that Haruka boy". Probably had something to do with looking out for your dumb ass. She gave me some weird things she threw together using God knows what that's suppose to deal with jungle sickness and who knows what.>

"Are you serious?"

Mimiru:<Yes. I wasn't going to argue. I'm pretty sure she sure she was a witch doctor in her younger days.>

Allina: <....Yes, creepy stalk--Aidaac?>

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Ari: <I think so. W-What is the European Union?>

"I uh... got this... for you" he produces an opal necklace and gives it to Allina. His face is ten shades of red.

"It's something that's happened in modern times. Basically, the countries of Europe are trying to work together. Use one money system, that sort of thing."

*The elevator stops & she pushes a series of buttons. When it next opens, they enter a spacious office with a marble floor, red carpets, a fountain made to look like a waterfall amidst Chinese plants, with a desk & various couches. Every wall is a window, the only entrance being the elevator.*

"And with the press of a button, I can control the opaqueness or transparency of the windows. Like this."

*She walks over to the desk & presses a button repeatedly, the windows turning blacker & blacker, until they're like sheets of onyx, then slowly cycling back to being ordinary windows.*
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R"Does it actually work?"

*Euryale looks uneasily from Taiyo to Roatha.*

N"If some asshole hadn't forced me to the window, I could reach out...just a little bit...& then...."

R"Why are you grabbing my chest?"

Mimiru:<I don't know. I can't say I've ever gotten jungle sickness. I'm a little afraid they'd actually have to be used.>

"You don't trust your grandmother's freaky medicines?"

Mimiru:<In this case, no. Something about an untested concoction made from herbs grown in a closet is a little unsettling.>

*She widens her eyes*

Allina: <What? I--err--No, it's yours.>

=====

*Ari stares at the elevator for a few seconds*

[This thing brought me to a different room.]

*He turns around and widens his eyes*

Ari: <...W-Wow. What is this place, a palace?>

"Its... fine... " he turns a deeper shade of red.

Ren whistles jokingly.

<More or less. Don't look so shocked, you had elevators in your time. Sure, they're a bit more widespread now, & they run on electricity & have all kinds of safety features, but they're still basically the same as they were back then.>
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*Nero checks his watch.*

N"Holy shit, it's 1 in the morning. We still have 9 hours to go before we touch down. Maybe we should get some sleep? Try not to get jet lag?"

"One thing at a time."

*Azuma pushes the sttewardess call button*

Allina: <Well, it IS pretty. I'll hold on to it. Thanks. I guess.>

*She takes it and looks away awkwardly*

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Ari: <...But t-they looked like elevators. Do you know about Seraph, Senthose and Mordred?>

*She waves her hand impatiently.*

<Yes, yes, died long ago. Or sent to the Underworld, in Mordred's case. In fact, I have reason to believe that Senthose's remains have been uncovered by the organization I was telling you about earlier. I believe they're trying to revive vampirism with science, instead of magic.>
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*The stewardess hurries over.*

<What is it, sir?>

*Azuma points at Ren*

"This guy is being a bother. Is it possible for him to be relocated or even crammed into an overhead compartment?"

*Taiyo is slouched in her seat sleeping.*

"How am I being a bother?" Ren asks.

Isaac smiles then blushes some more when Allina takes it.

*Allina puts it on and stares at the opal*

Allina: <Shiny. ...Did you steal this?>

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Ari: <So they were defeated? (I'm glad.) Does this mean Camelot is part of the European Union now?>

"Ari, Camelot hasn't existed since the day you disappeared. Mordred may have been defeated, but Seraph put his plan into action from beyond the grave. It was all King Arthur could do to stay behind & seal the world's magic away. Only recently has it started to re-emerge. If my sources are to be believed, Emperor Lucian took over after King Arthur's defeat, then King Claudus after his death."
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*The stewardess glares at Azuma & walks away.*

R"Hey...you wouldn't mind if I leaned on your shoulder, would you?"

E"Hm? Umm...no, I guess not."

*So he does. Nero leans forward.*

N"I think you made her mad. She has more important things to do than listen to you bitch about your seating arrangements, you know."