Author notes:
The long awaited Q&A chapter is here! Well, although it's Q&A, I had to make sure not to spoil much as to not ruin the story for all of us. Now, the reason why it took me this long to post this chapter was:
First, I struggled quite a bit to put it into a writing format.
Second, my mom and I took quite an avid interest in Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock series. Yggdra blesses the man for he delivered the show with a stellar performance. Been accompanying mom in her viewing of the seasons, was and is a fun family time. Especially more so after what happened earlier.
Other than that, I hope you all have had and will have pleasant days. Peace!
Fashion Week
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*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Door's not locked!" Mobius shouted lazily to the person on the other side. Having been working on perfecting the serum used to make Ravens for days, Mobius is tired and is now resting by lying haphazardly on a bouncy object. Near her spot is a well-kempt Einstein who is sitting behind a desk, her fingers typing away at a computer while reaching out for her coffee at the same time.
With permission granted, the person behind the door opens it, revealing to be Yuki who has arrived, bearing snacks and drinks. The Marshal of an entire nation raises an eyebrow at the sight of a very nonchalant Mobius, still draping in her lab coat and her trademark green shirt, back skirt, and black tie. Currently, the green-haired doctor is lying on her back, her legs rocking in the air while her head is situated lower than her waist, eyes staring shiftlessly at the stylized ceiling above. The only thing out of place is the thing Mobius chose to lie on... It's a damn slime and a big one at that.
To be more specific, it's Slime-san, the friend of the family that is now made into a bed by an unenergetic Mobius. Yuki can't help but ask. "So, how's the bed?"
Mobius listlessly replies. "Comfy, cool, alleviate my ache."
"Great." Yuki commented before raising the two bags she was carrying. "Pizza and milk tea?"
Mobius immediately rolls over on her belly, ignoring the state of her attire. "Yes, please!" Mobius said with audible anticipation, eyeing Yuki's bags hungrily like a predator, a snake if you will.
Yuki smiles at her eagerness before stepping to the kitchen area on this floor, greeting Einstein in the process. "Afternoon, Einstein. You wanna take a break with us?" And before you ask, yes, this is one of the floors that are reserved for Yuki's family, Mobius's, and Einstein's personal floor/home nowadays to be exact.
Einstein looks at Yuki, smiling warmingly, and nods. "Sure, my work is just about done anyway." Einstein then stands up to join Yuki in the kitchen. "Here, let me help you with that." The bespectacled doctor helped Yuki in carrying the bags, directing her smile at the Marshal.
Yuki, being cared for like that, giggles. "Feeling gallant today, aren't we." With a grin, Yuki leans in and pecks Einstein on her lips. "Thanks."
The good doctor blushes at that but otherwise expresses her giddiness by aiding Yuki in getting out the food and drinks with zeal. Moments later, Yuki and Einstein come out with trays of aromatic pizzas and glossy milk tea. Stopping just in front of Slime-san who is gazing at the trays with curiosity, Yuki taps her sole on the floor once, thus conjuring an ice table. She then coats it with an enchantment, preventing the cold from dissipating into the air and thus melting the table. Finally, Yuki and Einstein place the tray on the newly created table, with the former saying.
"Pizzas fresh from Hepahaestus' Oven." Yuki's words prompted Mobius to perk up instantly, a shine in her emerald eyes. "You got them from that legendary pizzeria!? That place takes an entire year before they can handle your order!"
Yuki chuckles while Einstein pulls out a couple of chairs for Yuki and herself to sit on. "Thanks, Einstein." Yuki turns to Mobius with a smile. "I was actually visiting the restaurant belonging to Hephaestus's descendants. But then the old God decided to welcome me into his establishment instead. Though I tried to say otherwise, the citizens had been very forthcoming in letting the Greek God make my orders first before theirs. I couldn't exactly refuse against that kind of peer pressure, you know."
Mobius nods a bit absentmindedly as she gazes at the hunger-inducing pizza. "May I?"
"Go ahead, cheese pizza for you and pepperoni for Einstein and me. Milk tea with or without boba depending on your fine taste." Yuki then points at a dish on the table. "And seeing that we are now hosting Slime-san, I have brought out a tray of cookies."
Slime-san, despite being made a bed by Mobius, forms a thumbs up at Yuki. The small group then starts dining, with Mobius picking up the cheesy slices with glee while Einstein starts feeding Yuki a bit too naturally. Seeing the latters' action, Mobius rolls her eyes, feeling a bit envious herself. Hence, Mobius picks up the cookies and brings them close to Slime-san too. The slime bed accepts them, tossing the cookies inside its translucent blueish body while fist-bumping Mobius as a thank-you. They then continue on into light chats, light being they discuss the topics that ONI agents will kill to make sure they stay hidden. Midway into their meal, Yuki asks while sporting a healthy blush on her cheeks. "Say, how long have Slime-san been here? I can't help but notice that our slime has been awfully comfortable being a bed." Yuki is blushing because Einstein is using her fingers to clean the pizza crumbs on the former's lips. Einstein then proceeds to eat it, quite sensually natural at that, if you could even put her manner that way.
Mobius, who is lapping up the cheese from her pizza, stops to look down at Slime-san. The latter also stops turning the cookies into nutrients, seemingly looking to Mobius before shrugging their body. Mobius mimics the action, saying. "Long enough and frequent enough that they are used to be my assistant. Though most of the time I request for Slime-san to let me rest on their floaty body, it helps me think." Slime-san forms a tentacle, waving it up and down in agreement.
Yuki, not sure how to respond, just says. "Ok... You've been treating Slime-san right, I presume? The last thing we want is for Ningyo and Mei to bring a gauss cannon to bear."
Mobius twitches an eyebrow at the mention of a Gauss cannon, nonetheless, she replies while ignoring the image of a collapsed mansion flooring. "Don't worry, I've got it covered. We just need to answer a few questions from our good friend, right here." Mobius pats Slime-san's body, prompting them to jiggle a few times.
Yuki and Einstein share a look, with the latter saying. "I don't see anything wrong with that. Slime-san has been very helpful around here. A nice distraction, if you know what I mean." Einstein smiles meaningfully, causing Yuki to roll her eyes good-naturedly before nodding.
Mobius finishes her pizza before wiping her hands clean with a napkin. "Alright then! Slime-san, you suggested something about a list of sorts, am I correct?" Mobius pats Slime-san before reaching out for her boba milk tea. Coincidentally, Yuki and Einstein are enjoying their milk tea without the floaty treats inside. Their loss, Mobius thought.
Slime-san, on their part, somehow reaches inside their jelly body and pulls out a sheet of paper, filled with neat writings and even color-coded for ease of reading. Mobius smiles, saying. "There we go! Now let's see if anything is interesting." Mobius grabs the paper, skimming over it before taking a gulp from her boba tea. Tasting the sweet and chewy drink, Mobius stops before shrugging and holding the tea out for Slime-san. "Want some?"
Slime-san seems to look at the boba before slowly extending a tentacle at the big straw, sucking a bit of the drink up. Surprisingly, Slime-san's body turns a milky white, and floating inside the not-so-translucent body are pearls-like objects. Mobius, and also Yuki, and Einstein, stare at Slime-san in utter confusion at the transformation. On their part, Slime-san seems to investigate their body before making a face-palm gesture with a tentacle. Slime-san then points at the boba in Mobius' hand. A Marshal and two doctors look at it before simultaneously saying. "Yeah, I blame the Boba."
Slime-san sighs, acting exasperated with their jiggling body but ultimately accepting their recent change. Mobius shrugs before reading aloud the first few lines on the paper.
"First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have helped my mother and me through a period of tough time." Mobius and the other two look down at Slime-san. "Hey, it's not a big deal for us at all. However as I said before, it would have been easier if we could just bring her over on this side. If that was possible, you wouldn't be in such a bind every now and then."
Slime-san shrugs, expressing that it can't be helped. Yuki sighs, adding. "As much as it pained me to say this even with Yggdra's help, getting them to come here is nigh impossible, not without upsetting some serious balance in the Omniverse... But that would be a story for another, preferably a long time in the future." Einstein grabs Yuki's hand in an attempt at comfort. The Marshal smiles before squeezing Einstein's palm.
"Moving along then, no offense, Slime-san." Mobius said, leading to the Slime giving a thumbs up. "First question..."
We know that Nicolae is an important part of the cast due to her being on vacation by the 'Boss of Bosses'. Her power and intellect, when combined with others, have elevated Belka to an unimaginable degree. but what about the Duke of Indochina? Just what is the plan for this particular Duke going forward?
"Oh, we are starting with a big one right off the bat, eh?" Mobius commented while Yuki placed her fingers beneath her chin, answering.
"Well, Duke of Indochina is... Blessed, to say the least. The Duke himself is not just an important chess piece but also a few key people under him. They're needed to bolster the Ustian Reformists, more specifically Princess Rosa Bonaparte's power. They will be integral in not just Rosa's faction but also in Belka's plan to pacify Southeast Asia and develop that region. Quite frankly, they are a crucial piece in my long set-in-stone V2 plan. So yes, you will be seeing their names coming up now and then."
Einstein adds helpfully. "In short, Yuki has plans for them but she just doesn't want to spoil it for others just yet."
Yuki chuckles. "My point exactly. The best I can say is that the man supplies us with good coffee. That's what he builds his entire duchy on, now that I think about it. Other than that, his descendants should prove to be useful in the long future. There's always a need for good figureheads."
Mobius smirks before moving on. "Next question then... And this one belongs to a patron of Slime-san, Dan."
So once WW2 is over, what's next for Belka and maybe, the entire world at large?
"Now that's an interesting question." Yuki grinned, obviously invested in the question. "So what will happen when Belka rules the world, eh? Einstein, my dear, do you want to take a shot at this? Obviously, I can't say everything so I would rather have you answered the question than me leaving things hanging."
Einstein hums while nodding. "Sure. If plan V2 is made for Belka to take control of the world and eliminate all borders via any means necessary, then there's also another plan concocted. One that is only in effect when V2's criteria are completed. This plan will focus more on blurring the lines of ethnicities and previously ingrained nationalities. Once the unity of all races and identities is achieved, thus stamping out any attempt of insurrection, a new Golden Age will be ushered in. An age of economic and military development on a planetary scale. After that, a solar-wise expansion before, eventually, the Reich will become a universal spanning entity. There are places to be and things to explore."
"And things to kill." Yuki added with a smirk.
Einstein follows soon after. "Suffice to say, Yuki plans big."
Mobius interjects. "That would be an understatement. We all know just how bad Yuki can be once she's in the groove. She even has my trademarked maniacal grin whenever she plans someone or something's downfall."
Yuki rolls her eyes. "Pot, meet kettle. Also, trademark, seriously?"
Mobius shrugs. "What, my smile is fabulous."
Even Einstein rolls her eyes at that narcissistic comment. "Next!"
With a perpetual grin on her face, Mobius reads the next question.
What does Nicolae do on a daily basis?
"Well, I think I can take this question on." Mobius spoke up.
"Over to you, Mobius." Yuki said while sipping on her milk tea.
Mobius takes a sip from her boba before saying. "Iterating what was said before, Nicolae is on vacation. Hence, most of the time, unless we ask her for help on, let's say, improving the Reality Anchor technology, Nicolae is off doing whatever the Hell she wants. Sometimes, she would take Ningyo and Mei out to play, other times, Nicolae would strap jet engines into a Leopard MBT just so she could take it for a drift game. And I shit you not, she actually did it without flipping the fucking thing."
Einstein frowns. "Language, Mobius."
Pursing her lips, Mobius replies. "Yes, mum! Anyway, the point is, Nicolae is just being Nicolae. She is just a bundle of fun and surprise and I would like to see what's cooking up next in her mind. Other than that, she is attentive and a dear friend of this family... What the fuck are you two doing?" Mobius stopped as she watched Einstein handing over Yuki a 20-Reichsmark bill.
Yuki and Einstein shrug after sharing a look. "We had a running bet whether you would acknowledge this family as, well, your family. Einstein lost, obviously."
With a twitching eyebrow, Mobius asks. "I would ignore that there's a bet I didn't know of... What did Einstein bet on?"
"That you wouldn't say it aloud." Einstein explained.
Mobius glares at Einstein. "I find your lack of faith most disturbing."
Einstein doesn't react to that but Slime-san facepalms while Yuki has a weird look on her face. Nonetheless, Mobius carries on with the next inquiry.
Will there ever be a 501st Yuki's Fist?
"Yggdra damn it!" Yuki planted her face into her palms while Slime-san ran their tentacles along their 'face'. " My only division is the 404th Ironblood and I am not narcissistic enough! Next!" Yuki commanded, leading Mobius to shrug but abiding by her will.
How did Rosa manage to blow up three ovens?
"She did what now?" Yuki asked, looking up and utterly confused.
Einstein raises a hand. "Oh, that I can explain. I managed to hear the words coming from Mary's mouth. Rosa used too much flour in baking her croissants, then accidentally overheated the ovens, and lost track of time when she accosted Mary for kisses. The end results, three wrecked ovens."
"..." Yuki brings her fingers up, massaging the bridge of her nose. "Why the Hell did nobody report this to me?"
"Probably because it wasn't important enough?" Mobius hypothesized. Yuki then waves a hand, signaling Mobius to continue with the questioning.
Is it planned for the Raven program to grow larger than it currently is?
"I thought we went over this before?" Yuki asked, not very sure. Mobius helpfully answers the question in her stead. "Not yet in full, I think. Either way, Whenever we have enough funding, we convert or induct disabled veterans and experienced volunteers into the next batch of Ravens. Other than that, Yuki has ONI run a few orphanages, rearing gifted children to be potential seedlings for the next generation of Ravens. Of course, everything is done on a voluntary basis and it will be a while till the second-gen will make an appearance."
Mobius then says. "On that note..."
What is the supersoldier serum, to be exact?
Mobius takes the lead on answering this, her pride is evidenced in her voice. "My greatest accomplishment, of course! The serum is a layman's term for a magical potion that I invented. Its original intent was to unlock humankind's unlimited potential, allowing humans to achieve limitless growth in physical, mental, magical, and astral departments, much like other magical races. Gone will be disease and illness, and their aging will be virtually non-existent, given the right condition. Alas, I am still very far from attaining the perfected potion. I can only settle for the imperfect serum and help Yuki create an army of superhumans. But mark my word, I will perfect my baby! The rules of nature are never meant for me!" Mobius ended it with zeal.
Of all the reactions she was expecting, Mobius never guessed that Slime-san would be clapping their 'hands'. "... Moving on."
When is the next 'dates'? And what are the next destinations?
Yuki blushes heavily after hearing the questions. Coughing into her fist, she speaks up with a shy tone. "I should have expected this line of query considering my romantic escapee tends to involve... Carnal acts."
Even Mobius and Einstein are stealing glances at Yuki, waiting for her response.
Sighing, Yuki answers while crossing her arms. "The next date is yet to be determined as the last one was a bit impromptu. Nevertheless, my next" Yuki makes air quotes gestures. "'partners' will be my mom and mama, Lu and Hel to be exact. After that..."
Yuki links hands with Einstein while directing a meaningful, albeit boastful glance at Mobius. "I would love to have a journey with Einstein and Mobius."
The pair of doctors share a look before simultaneously saying. "That would be our pleasure!" Yuki nods at them with an indicative grin.
After that, Mobius says. "Oh, we are reaching the end now. This is the last question. And it's right up Einstein's alley."
Will there be big bada-boom mechs? The finest development in badassery warfare?
Einstein flinches. "Was that how it was worded?"
Mobius shows Einstein the paper before chucking it back inside Slime-san's body. The slime, on the other hand, forms a thumbs up as a thank you. "Down to every single letter, Blue."
"Fine." Einstein moves on to say. "Yuki said that there's always a reason why she insisted on sticking with the name of Raven for our supersoldiers program. Apparently, Yuki would like it very much for these exceptional talents to be paired with a Magitech mech to further boost their operational capacity. In short, overkill for everything out there in the wilderness. But then again, consider all the threats out there, having more firepower is always a good thing."
Yuki follows up on that train of thought. "Keep in mind that the restriction on mana will be gradually lifted. This means that a Japanese God would go from being to create a pond to forming a localized tsunami. A Kraken would not just stop at being a sea menace but would go on to be a deadly scourge among the sky... Many things could go wrong if we do not prepare sufficiently."
Mobius interjects. "I still want my sentient zombies."
"Bad Mobius, no!" Yuki shut her down immediately, causing her to pout.
"But that's it for the Q&A. To be honest, I didn't expect we would be doing one after so long." Yuki commented.
"Last time around was fun though, more chaotic with Slime-san and a Takodachi duking it out." Mobius added with a smirk.
"Ended in a stalemate, if I recall correctly." Einstein remembered.
"But let's not do that any time soon. The last thing we need is another temporal mess to clean up." Yuki sighed. "Other than that, Slime-san has been a very good friend to us. So why don't you click or copy-paste the link down below to support them, yeah? Supporting their little family of two would aid them in transcribing this little slice of the omniverse for you all, did you know that?"
"We hope to see you soon!" All of them said at the same time, while Slime-san saluted.
https://www.pa-treon.com/Heartbreak117