Part 40: Talk with Tyria

They all had a bit of down time after stopping Ayatane. This gave Tyria a chance to ask Aoto something.



…Tyria?
Correct. How did you know?
I can tell from your voice. It’s…pretty distinct.
Distinct or uniqueness is a subjective evaluation. You think so only because you’ve not met one like me before.
Well, I guess, but…is that what they call the Generation Gap?
Perhaps, but that may not be all there is to it.
…You strike me as very different.
If you ask me, from my viewpoint, you are the one who is different.
That’s impossible. I’m just a normal guy.
…The average man drowns in delusions of grandeur. The abnormal man believes he is sane.
Are you quoting something? I think that applies better to you.
You’ve piqued my interest. Do you mind if I observe you a little more closely for a while?
I guess, but can you not phrase it like I’m an insect or animal used for your research?
All these creatures are the same. All are forms of life. But, I thank you for your permission. May we speak at night?
I must acclimate myself to your culture. I can learn it from you through both observation and discussion.
…Sure. Go for it.

Aoto brought up something right off the bat that had been bothering him.



...Sorry, I can't see you as a holy being in all appearances.
That's fine.
I've never thought of myself as holy before.
But the Clustanians and Katene worship you...
I don't care what they think of me. I'm me. Nothing more, nothing less.
So, you can believe whatever you think is true.
Then, from now on, I'll see you as a fried-bread-loving, natural-born slob.
...Aoto, your eyes are rotten.

She, meanwhile, was sort of put off by what the Doctor had said at one point in the Tower of Origin.



There's an outrageous womanizer in this party.
What are you talking about?
Hikari Gojo. He's such a player.
Those suave lines he says show how lascivious he is. He sure is a predator.
Are you talking about what he said to Richa after he saved her?
Of course! Seemingly, that woman has fallen victim of that pervert.
That woman is Richa! And please don't call him a pervert. Please call him Doctor or Doc.
And first of all, he's not what you think. He's such a square.
Apparent nerds are more dangerous. Even more dangerous than regular perverts, like you.
R-really?
A man who a woman calls "not fair" is always a predator, without exception.
He uses his charm as a weapon and gets his way with women. He's a perverted, delinquent quack.
...I know what you're saying is completely unfounded nonsense, but...
I don't know...is it because you're so agitated? I'm starting to feel like it's true...

After being the Tower for so long, one thing she was enjoying was being able to eat again.



...Is that BBQ? That looks delicious.
Do you like yakiniku BBQ, Tyria?
Yes, I do. I used to go to yakiniku restaurants very often.
Was there a good restaurant in your neighborhood?
Heck yes! They served fresh and delicious meat!
Hahaha. Can you even tell fresh meat from regular meat?
Yes, it was also a slaughterhouse. They demonstrated how they turn cows and pigs into meat.
Okay! Stop talking about it!
I'll lose my appetite for meat, permanently.
But it was a good place to learn how to appreciate food.
I wouldn't want to learn that at a slaughterhouse-slash-yakiniku restaurant.

Even if there were terrible travesties against food being perpetrated in the modern age.



There are many counterfeits in this era.
Counterfeits? You mean like Funboons and stuff? So one of them is real and the others are fake?
...Aren't there Funbuns here?
What is that? I've never heard of them.
It's the crystallization of collaboration between world famous cake bakers.
Compared to Funbuns, all those others are nothing more than bogus crap.
Really? I think they're all delicious.
They may be tasty, but in an empty way. You bite them, chew them, and swallow them. That's it.
They don't warm your heart. It's too low-quality, even for counterfeits.
Funbuns are that delicious!? I didn't know that. I wanna try them.

You kids are just lucky you haven’t seen how Spica produces those things.



…
You've been awfully quiet. Don't you want to talk about something?
I do, but I'm savoring a candy. Do you want some, Aoto?
Oh, sure.
Oh, this is Kitty Candy, right?
Yes, it is. It tastes interesting.
Really? To me, it's just another candy.
I think children in Sol Ciel would love it.
What? How do you know that?
Because I'm a gourmet.
Don't you mean a glutton?
…
...That was a joke. Aren't you gonna deny it?

Tyria was a bit tired from all the fighting they’d been doing.



Aoto, you've been using me quite often in battle.
Of course! You're so strong! How can I not rely on you?
Am I that strong?
You're super strong. I was amazed. If you were that strong, you should've told me.
Oh...not that I mind you relying on me...
But I've been fighting so many battles...I'm kind of getting tired.
I just awakened, so I'm not in the best condition yet, you know...?
Oh, yeah. That must have been tough.
It wasn't tough. As I said, I just woke up from a long sleep, so I'm kind of being lazy.
Oh, that's what it is? Then, come on. Help me.
You're such a sadist. *sob* I can't help crying.
I don't think I abused you or anything, but...sorry.

Aoto getting messed with is always much more funny, I think. Anyway those Antibodies were so tough they weren’t totally able to stop them breaking through now and then.



I'm sorry I couldn't always protect you perfectly in battle. Are you okay?
I'm fine. That was nothing.
Really? If you're exhausted, you can take a break.
I don't need that. This really is nothing.
...But it's not very pleasant when someone disturbs me from singing a Song.
So, please promise me you'll protect me better from now on.
Sure! I'll never let you get hurt!
...Then I forgive you. Alright, let's not talk about it anymore.

While she was rooting through what Aoto had to eat, Tyria was really concerned by a weird pale apple they’d picked up earlier.



Aoto, is this apple edible?
You mean this Pale Apple? Of course it is.
But it's color is creepy... Are you sure it's okay?
It is a "PALE" Apple.
...A Pale Apple? I've never heard of it.
I thought there were only red apples, green apples...
Green apples? I've never heard of those...
…
A lot of things have changed in 700 years...

She was also concerned about Aoto’s sense of fashion.



I love spangles...
Aoto, don't stare at the Synchro Evo Sap.
But look at this! Spangles are so beautiful.
It looks gorgeous.
I can't understand how you take your likings to spangles. They just seem chintzy to me.
Well, I know you can't just use them for anything.
But if you use them like a fashionista, it'll turn out to be gorgeous like this.
So, you're saying THAT thing in your hand is gorgeous?
That's right!
...Okay, you've convinced me. Now I like spangles.

Aoto said something during one of their conversations she hadn’t really expected to hear.



Aoto, you protected me so hard in the battle. Are you alright?
Are you worried about me? This is nothing.
I'm nothing if I can't protect a girl.
…
What?
...You're treating me like a girl, even though I'm a Reyvateil Origin?
Is that weird?
Not at all. I'm just a little surprised.
You can treat me like a girl even more than before.
Well, if there's any other way of treating you, let me know.

I guess he didn’t really ‘get’ why that wasn’t how she was used to be treating. Anyway, he was starting to get concerned by how she was dressed.



Hey, why do you always talk to me half naked?
I'm not half naked. I'm wearing clothes.
This is the least you wear in battle, right?
If you were Saki, it would be like talking with me in her underwear.
...So, you mean you want me to wear more when talking with you?
Well, I'm asking if you should wear a little more.
...Well, then...

She really did a good job of showing why it’s sort of awkward to have a normal conversation in a Linkage.



...Actually, can you take that off? It's too weird.

Aoto was wondering if Tyria could figure out something that had confused the rest of them for some time.



Hey, there's something I want to show you.
The levitating stone tablet?
I was wondering how it can fly.
Uh...I'm actually curious, too. I'll take a look...
…
Did you find out anything?
...This is just a piece of stone, isn't it?
Yeah. Why?
Why is a piece of ordinary stone levitating?
...You can't even solve this mystery...?

She wasn’t terribly satisfied with some of the items they were carrying around, either.



Aoto, can you fix this stuffed animal?
Which one are you talking about?
...This...Stress Doll.
Yes, its innards are coming out of its torn stomach. I feel sorry for this doll...
Well, this is for punching and venting stress on...
But I want to use it as a hugging pillow, so I want you to fix it.
And it's got such a cute face. You shouldn't leave it like a gutted fish.
...That sounds appalling. Okay, sure.

After thinking awhile Tyria came up with the single best way to mess with Aoto.



The Steel Grinder is...your weapon, right?
Can't you tell? Who else would use a drill?
…
What?
I just noticed something.
I think drills are weapons that look cool only when robots use them.
…
Am I wrong?
I didn't hear anything!
I guess I wasn't wrong.

Aoto had some plans for more powerful equipment than they’d been using. He got started on a sort of strange piece of clothing.



What is the most vital thing to being a superhero?
Being able to act like one without having to think about those things.
...That's not motivating at all.
Well...um...ah! The costume!
If you're a superhero, you have to have a cool costume!
Yeah. I've never seen a superhero in shorts, a tank top and a straw hat. Not a good one, anyway.
I kind of want to see that. A superhero in shorts, a tank top and a straw hat.
...Is that really necessary for a true superhero?
No... Alright! Let's make an awesome costume for a superhero, like 'Kiss Ass'!
I'm really worried about his sense of fashion... Or rather, his lack of one...

How do you start at superhero and end up at a costume for a girl ninja? It is poison for the mind to consider.



How is it!? It looks like a superhero costume, doesn't it?
...This is a ninja costume.
A hero always hides his face. Well, who is a masked hero? The ninja!
Everything he comes up with is always a little off for some reason.
Don't say that! How is it, Tyria? Isn't it cool!?
...It appears to be a female costume.
Yeah. I made it for a female ninja. Why don't you try it on now?
That's impossible. This isn't the same size as my body, so it's impossible for me to wear it.
Oh...it's a little big.
The size looks to be more fitting for me or Aoto, so Tyria can't wear it.
What? What's that supposed to mean!? Do WE have to wear it?
Don't push yourselves too hard. But if it is strong, you should wear it.
Are you serious!?
I'd like to call it Sasuke Red or something. How do you like that name?
Please at least let us call it Infinity Cos Armor.
I just can't wear it unless it's got a manly name.
...But why can I wear it, when Tyria can't?

Aoto hoped that maybe helping him create a new drill would make Tyria understand his bizarre fascination with them.



Drills are so cool! I'm already excited about making one!
Really?
Of course. Drills are every guy's fantasy! How could I not be excited?
I don't know if it's possible to be any more excited than you are without being medically worrisome.
Drills are all the same to me...
Wait. What was that? Did you just say what I think you said? I can't just let that slip by unchallenged.
Well, it's just a circular cone with a spiral line that can spin and dig forward...
I can't understand why you enjoy making drill after drill when you can't even tell their differences.
I agree with Tyria, actually. One drill is the same as all the others to me...
I...I...I'll prove how deep the art of creating instruments of penetration is!

In his zeal he actually sort of ended up with something that’s technically not a drill.



Behold! This is the embodiment of my love and dedication to drills!
Oh! You made a formless laser into the shape of a drill!
What do you think? Drills aren't all about digging forward like a mangy gopher! They can do other things!
That seems formidable. It can definitely penetrate many things that regular drills can't.
...Now do you see the depth and versatility of penetrating instruments!? Praise this Drill!
...But that's not actually a drill.
What!?
It doesn't spin or grind anything. Lasers can only burn obstacles, no more, no less.
So, it's wrong to call it a drill, wouldn't you agree? It's a new type of weaponry.
It's a Hyper Laser Grinder, if you will.
Hey, stop giving it such a weird name! This drill is called the Pile Crusher!
So long as it's a useful weapon, no one but you cares if it's called a drill or not.

He was also working on a new version of the compact medical kit he had made for the Doctor.



Well, we don't need this component, and this one could be the same as this, and...
Aoto, are you sure it's okay to toss out so many components?
No worries. I mean, there's no way it'll all fit if I leave them in.
What I'm making right now is a portable hospital.
I wonder where these eccentric ideas come from...
Don't you think it would be really convenient, though?
Well, sure. If it wasn't impossible, it'd be great. I'd love it if I could treat patients anywhere.
To make the impossible possible, I have to make the entire hospital fit inside a single bag.
...If you want to make everything smaller, you don't need that component.
Huh? Really!?
Uh-huh. These tools can share the same component. That way, these will complement each other.
There are other ways to make things more compact. Do you want to learn about them?
Sure, why not!?
...Oh no. I have a bad feeling already.

Thanks to Tyria it actually turned out as an impressive product if you didn’t look too closely.



How is that!? The concept was to make a mobile hospital!
I dub thee, my greatest creation of the day, Mobile Hospital ER!
Mobile Operation.
Worry about the names later... Did you really do it? An entire hospital? That's amazing...
I was worried the entire time Aoto was making it, but it seems like it functions properly enough.
I've done the quality assurance, myself. Don't worry. It's as solid as this game. -rm*c dev_as4.g1
Well, so what's the funny ending for this scene? I'm a little excited to see it.
No. There's no comedic ending to this. This was made perfect by my impeccable manual dexterity!
...If any one of these stops functioning, this entire thing will become useless.
…Huh?
This bag has been loaded with a host of medical tools and machines.
They are too big to fit in one bag like this, so these small components are dependant on each other.
So, if any one of these components fails, the whole thing is pretty much done.
...So, that means it's pretty fragile?
You know better than all of us how fragile medical devices are.
I see. It's that kind of fragile...
...I kind of expected an unhappy ending like this. Your mad science never goes perfectly.
Well, as long as he doesn't break it, it'll work awesomely, so don't complain!
Did you ever think of reinforcing it?

He also was working on a new board for Cocona.



...There, that's good. Why don't we call it a day here, Aoto?
Nah, this is still way too plain.
I kind of like it simple like this...
Aoto, are you drawing something on the board?
Oh, this is nothing. It's just a little doodle.
Hey, wait! Don't draw on it if you're not gonna take it seriously!
Don't worry! It's still in the middle of synthesizing right now! Nothing's set in stone yet!
If I consider it as part of the synthesis, I think it'll come out better. Just let me handle this!
Ahh! What is that supposed to be, a cat? One of Saki's kids could've drawn better than this!
It looks more like a yawning raccoon to me.
It's a wolf!

He ended up painting over the raccoon fortunately.



…
…
What? don't you like the painting?
...No. I like both the board and the painting. Somehow...
Then what's with your reaction!?
That painting...is really well done.
But how did that raccoon end up looking so much better than the original drawing?
It's a wolf...but I'll admit that the painting was originally hideous.
Hideous is putting it lightly. A child using a crayon in their off-hand could've done better.
But it was a painting of a creature... Weird.
I guess I'm better at painting landscapes.
...Is that really the reason for the incredible difference between them?
I don't know anything about fine art, but it would probably be impossible for anyone besides Aoto.
Well, it is what it is. If you like the end result, that's all that matters to me.
So, as far as the name, why don't we call it Tsunami Dance Queen?
Are you talking about the name of the board, or the painting?
I think the name should be Landscape: The Tide.
Why don't you accentuate the waves more?
Because then it'll seem like the painting is the main part of the board...

That’s quite enough for today, I think. Perhaps next time we’ll talk about what happened when they returned to the Think Tank.