(Preshow) Staging Area

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

As more attendants began to filter into the atrium, Nanaki found himself straying to the periphery. He’d never fancied himself a sociable individual, even among his friends back on Gaia. Luckily, his presence was overlooked by the majority of the entrants; being an animal in a world of humans sometimes had its benefits. Though he was often annoyed at his treatment by mankind, he’d count this among the few victories. The pair of portals at the end of the hallway continued to birth entrants as he made his way to the far wall. He spied a few doorways around the area, being careful to keep away these to ensure he went overlooked.

Better savor the anonymity while I can, he thought, taking a seat along the wall. Red was sure that in an event such as this, he’d be forced to meet the other entrants at some point, whether it be during the competition or at some grand ceremony beforehand. God he hoped there were none of those. 

Survey of the area told the burgundy beast that there was some sort of eatery in an adjoining room, as well as what appeared to be a study area or library. Another door seemed to lead outside, or at the very least into somewhere with grass and wildlife (it was hard to tell in the Omniverse). He felt himself immediately drawn to the stream of sunlight and the cool breeze floating through, though he dared not venture through just yet. His desire to remain unnoticed stemmed not only from his shy nature and distaste for humanity as a whole, but from an attempt to remain as indecipherable as possible to anyone who might be sizing him up. Nanaki had heard throughout Coruscant that Dante’s Abyss was a game of survival, but everyone knew that survival in Karl Jak’s backyard entailed murder more often than not. Remaining quiet and solitary was his best option, without a doubt.

The rest of the facility seemed unremarkable; a simple metal door at the far end of the room and a larger roll-up steel door nearby that looked to lead to some kind of storage facility or the like. Perhaps this was where participants were to store their supplies before heading out? It was beginning to dawn on Nanaki that it would have been a good idea to ask a few more questions before jumping straight into the competition. He didn’t really have any idea what he would even be doing--other than not dying, that is. 

Now just where is Vincent…

Red XIII looked over each entrant as they came through, as well as the gathered staff and anyone else who had been in the room since he had arrived, yet the gunslinger was nowhere to be found. He was not exactly shocked by this; after all, with this being a different year and supposedly ‘a little different’ than things were last year, it stood to reason that perhaps the facility was also quite different. He made a mental note to search through some of the rooms in the facility, though he doubted he’s see results. It was getting increasingly more likely that he’d have to ask Karl Jak personally to get any kind of a lead. Sighing, he lowered himself to the cool tiled floor. Despite the excitement, fatigue remained from the slumber from which he had so recently awoken. Maybe he could catch a quick nap before the area filled up entirely.

“Oh shit...” 

Evidently not… Nanaki thought, opening his eyes and gazing up at the source of the expletive. 

The individual stood over him, mouth slightly open. He towered over the fiery feline, standing around six-feet tall. His dark skin was interrupted intermittently by some variety of metal armor over various parts of his body, covering a well-muscled physique. His eyes--one brown, one glowing red--were fixed on Nanaki. 

A long pause hung between the two before Red finally spoke up. “Yes?” he inquired after a moment, somewhat annoyed. 

The being continued to stare for a moment before speaking. “You can talk?” he asked, taking a step toward the canid. He wore an expression closer to interest than shock. 

“I can,” the beast replied, raising himself to a seated position. He felt his annoyance shrink slightly as the individual began to grin.  As much as he disliked smalltalk, it was nice to get a break from the usual disbelief that most people seemed to display. It didn’t hurt either that the man reminded Red XIII strongly of Barret. 

“That’s so cool,” the man said, donning a friendly smile. “I’m Cyborg, by the way.”

The burgundy beast paused for a moment, considering the cybernetic human’s strangely apt name. “Red XIII,” he finally replied, nodding.