A blank canvas

[Shiotaro Yuki]

Everything was black. A voice was heard briefly but it faded off like a scene from a dream that would be forgotten when you woke. Suddenly, everything was bright... A brilliant whiteness flooded over the black, banishing the darkened shade and revealing a vast blankness all around. The first thing to see in this blanked canvas was a pool of water with some tufts of grass around its edges. Though from continued staring, the grass seemed to be reabsorbed into the blankness.

Yuki took a deep breath and looked around. For some reason it's felt like forever since she last breathed. What is this place..? Where am I? She saw her reflection in the pool. Something felt off but at the same time, things felt like they should be as they were. She wore a simple dress with a skirt that flowed over the floor. She had silver jewelry accented in blue opals decorating her body. Her hair was in a gradient with deep blue roots and turning to a silvery white at the ends, the length all the way down to her ankles.

The girl sat near the edge of the pool, though its form felt as if it was dissolving...Rearranging itself into something else. This place was strange. It didn't feel at all familiar. She heard voices around and noticed there were many other beings here. Some entering, some leaving, some conversing among each other. Maybe... Others knew of this place. ...But...Who do I talk to...?

[Amaterasu]

A smell of alcohol came over, dragged through the air by a breeze coming from some portal, perhaps, or from the Nexus itself. It lacked the sharp scents of booze as served in a tavern, of cheap beer or sour wine served to a patron demanding more whilst slamming their hand onto the counter to grab the barkeeper's attention, but wasn't pleasant either, as the stronger, unpleasant smell of fermentation was accompaigning it. Indeed, the source of those scents wasn't an inn or the like, but a brewery.

It wouldn't take much effort to see where that brewery was located - it was the only building located close to the fountain, and possibly the only building in the whole Nexus if one counted out the eight gates. Someone had set up a simple place there and was, as has probably be cleared up by now, brewing some alcoholic drink. Sake, to be exact. If Yuki kept her eyes on that hut she could eventually see a woman coming out, short and of asian origin, with a large barrel in her hands. She was wearing practical brown clothes suited for tough work like this, and a wide hat with three little barrels on it, indicating her profession. That woman wandered towards the brewery, opened a lid on one keg then emptied the barrel into it. One could catch a glimpse of the contents, namely rice, as they fell into the larger wooden container, ready to be turned into the strong drink considered the national beverage in Japan.

As she finished, the woman who was in fact Kushi, the sake brewer of Kamiki village where Amaterasu had started her journey years ago, took notice of Yuki when she turned back to get to her hut, and how she seemed quite lost. She put the box aside next to the brewery and stepped closer, still in the working attire but she didn't mind presenting herself in it. "You seem to not be in the best state, stranger. Would you like to come in for a proper seat and a bite, or to explain to me what your issue is? I may be able to help."

[At the gate to Coruscant]

Three Stormtroopers stepped aside when Amaterasu emerged from the gate and carefully navigated the horse she was mounting around them, then picked her pace back up as soon as she reached the open fields of the Nexus. They let her pass without further comment as she was neither wanted nor causing any trouble to the best of their knowledge, and Amaterasu had no intent with interferring. She made a beeline for the center of the Nexus, intending to meet Kushi there and inquire about Arturia. Despite her best efforts she had not had any luck, nobody in Coruscant had seen or heard of anyone like the King of Knights. It was quite frustrating, really. But perhaps she had passed through the Nexus and not met Kushi, or she had not been able to call her for any reason? This place was unpredictable. There was no telling... so, no other way than to check in with Kushi, and replenish her supplies while she was at it. Wouldn't want her friend to starve out here.

She checked the distance and tried to remember. It'd take her a little while to reach Kushi's hut, but as far as she could tell from the distance everything seemed fine. She was starting to wonder if having left Kushi to herself was a good idea: the number of bloodthirsty Primes was higher than she'd thought, from what she had heard in Coruscant. A lonely defenseless woman was easy prey for all sorts of evildoers. Well, if she left without Kushi she'd have to summon a few powerful helpers. With such thoughts coursing through her head she spurred her horse on to go faster.

[Shiotaro Yuki]

Yuki noticed the seemingly out of place brewery. The rest of the scene seemed to make this place pop the more she looked at it though; catching more refined details such as it was turning more opaque in contrast to the empty whiteness around. Upon hearing a voice, Yuki looked over to the figure speaking to her, the woman who ran the brewery. “I.. I would like that, thank you.” The scent itself was overwhelming at first, but Yuki tried her best not to show it. “May I.. ask for your name?”, she asked, her voice was somewhat quiet. She looked around, looking at the barrels stacked around, each with a specialized labelling that decorated their container.

[Amaterasu]

"I am Kushi", the woman replied. "I hope you don't mind the smell and the disorder. I'm brewing up some sake to pass time as I wait for someone, and those boxes are provisions." She opened the door to the hut which held a single room and needed its furniture moved about to use most places - the table and chair in the center, most of all. Kushi only needed to move it a little to access a crate and produce several rice cakes as well as bread and fruits, which she placed into a bowl on the table. Most were orange-sized berries of sorts, not needing to be peeled to eat, and coming in various colors and shapes. Kushi only laid out half a dozen, but of those none looked like the others, and Yuki may be able to sneak a peek into the box to see that the others were all different too.

"Please, help yourself. I am in no hurry, and if you aren't either we can take as much time as we like." She briefly left the hut to grab a stool which she normally used in the brewery when working around the kegs, but as there was only one chair and she wanted Yuki to have that one she needed an alternative.

"I'm Yuki", the other one spoke as she helped herself.

"A beautiful name. But please, fill your belly first, take your time. There will be plenty to do explanations."

[Shiotaro Yuki]

“Thank you, Miss Kushi. I hope I’m not being too much trouble.”, Yuki murmured. She seated herself and watched the woman prepare a bowl with foodstuffs in it, almost able to completely ignore the strong scent of the sake that wafted around the hut. “I’m afraid I don’t really have much of an objective here, so I am in no hurry. If I may ask… What is this place? It’s quite.. different.” Yuki picked up one of the rice cakes and nibbled on it. It was quite tasty, thought she was sure she had something like this before somewhere…

[Amaterasu]

"Trouble? What are you saying? You are more than welcome, Yuki", replied Kushi with the brightest, most warming smile that would indeed make just about anyone feel welcome. She took a kitchen knife and began peeling one of the fruits while listening to Yuki, and replying. "Well, I am not completely certain myself, I have to admit. My nakama may know about this more than me, but here's what I know." She waved the hand with the half-peeled fruit around, motioning at no specific direction. "This place is called Omniverse, and we are in one of its parts, the Nexus to be exact. Surely you have seen the structures off in the distance? Those are gates leading to other parts. I counted eight, but there may be others. So as the name says, the Nexus is probably some form of crossroads for most, if not all, of the places that exist in the Omniverse."

She finished peeling the fruit and put the single long spiral of peel on the table, then began plucking the fruit apart. It had segments like an orange, but was dark blue inside, like a blueberry. "To my understanding those inhabitants of the Omniverse that are called Primes have a number of powers, most notably they are able to use a substance called Omnilium to create items and even people. I myself was made this way. Primes are also effectively immortal as they will revive here at the Nexus if they are slain, but this doesn't apply to beings like me. I'm a normal mortal." She didn't look sad or frustrated by that though, after all she had always been mortal, so nothing had been given to her and taken away again, and she wasn't one to be jealous of others. "That's also why I am here. The one who summoned me is searching for her nakama, who will reincarnate here if she ever dies. If she does I will speak to her."

For a moment, Kushi went silent as she ate a slice of the blue fruit while she reflected on what she had told Yuki. Was there anything she had forgotten? "I don't know what lies beyond the gates, unfortunately. You'll have to find that out for yourself. I would recommend to be careful as they are quite hostile. A number of Primes have come past me, and not all seemed friendly. You however have appeared when nobody was nearby so I believe that you are a Prime as well... so you need not fear death. But I cannot imagine that it is pleasant to be killed, so just try to be careful. That's all I know." With a graceful movement she then plucked another slice out of her fruit and put it in her mouth, giving Yuki time to ask questions, or simply enjoy the rice cakes and fruits. If she wanted the latter, the knife was there on the table for her to use.

----

Not very far from the hut now, Amaterasu was dismounting after she arrived. Due to Kushi having finished speaking she believed that nobody was home, but nontheless decided that knocking would be appropriate.

Translations:

Nakama: Comrade/Partner

[Shiotaro Yuki]

I really hope I’m not being a burden., Yuki told herself quietly. “The...Omniverse..”, she echoed quietly. She listened intently on what Kushi had told her. “I thank you for the advice and information. This place is quite mysterious. It feels spacious in an abnormal sense.” Yuki looked towards the entrance of the hut. Not many friendly being here… Oh dear… “I’ll try to stay out of trouble, but if there are as many unkind beings as you say here… I’m simply hoping I do not run into them or at least get into any conflicts.”

Yuki thought for several moments. There were so many people here, all new faces and all of very different origins, eras, lifestyles. What did lie beyond those gates? What worlds did those gates lead to? Kushi said it was a crossroad of sorts, but it felt as though… The diversity of beings in the Nexus was hint enough that it was a multiple realm dimension. There were many worlds within this one and this was its core. And as its core, there was everything and nothing while the worlds it led to held specific properties. And she was this… this entity known to be a prime. To be reborn if killed. To live practically infinitely. Yuki took off an arm brace and ran her fingers across its beveled edges, its softened silver sheen reflecting on her pale skin and a blue opal glittering vibrantly in a multitude of colours within. How did she get here? She still did not know. And she had a feeling no one really held an answer except maybe the ‘God’ of this universe.

This place certainly is interesting… I can’t help but feel as though there are parallels to...home... Her thinking was distracted from a sudden knock. That must have been the being Kushi was talking about.

[Amaterasu]

Unfortunately some retconning must be done, because Amaterasu did not have the time to knock before being distracted, and never got around to visiting Kushi in the end. We can just pretend that some breeze caused the window shutters to bang against the hut.

"It is indeed mysterious. But I'm certain that there's people out there who know more than I do, who can help you out with more information. If you are an immortal Prime though I suppose that you have relatively little to worry about, even if you do get into a conflict." She popped the last bit of the blue fruit into her mouth and went silent for a bit while Yuki was visibly lost in thought, until the knocking disturbed them. Kushi sighed and opened the windows, then locked the shutters in place with a pair of tiny hooks, closed the windows again and returned to her seat.

"Sorry about that, it seems like I forgot to properly close the windows again. Not the first time it's happened though, there's more wind in this Nexus place than back where I lived. I keep forgetting that the shutters here need to be locked." She remained standing while waiting to see if the shutters were indeed secured, then sat down. "But as I was saying, you will likely discover that the Omniverse holds many more secrets for you to uncover than if you sit here and listen to what little I know about. I would recommend that you seek out the more populated places, but not every place has a lot of people from what I understand." She pointed through one of the windows. "See, that way there's a bunch of men in white armor who guard one gate. That leads to a very odd place, with flying vehicles that function without anyone pulling it, as an example. I don't quite know what lies beyond the other gates., if you are curious you'll have to check them out yourself."

[Shiotaro Yuki]

"I see..." Yuki sighed and got up. She was glad the first person she met was at least kind enough to give her something, even though it wasn't much to go off of. "Thank you, Miss Kushi. It was wonderful to meet you." She bowed to the woman before her rather deeply and turned to leave the hut. Hopefully I can see her again in the Nexus and exchange stories of what I find. Though maybe her friend she's mentioned may also do that., she thought to herself. Yuki kept Kushi's warnings in consideration. She knew there were many bad people in any world as much as there were good. She was just hoping that she'd have more friends than foes and few fights to get into. "I hope we can meet again. It'd be nice to keep in contact with a kind soul like yourself."With that, she exited the hut and decided to walk around the Nexus, to look around and try to figure which gate to walk through.

[Amaterasu]

Kushi nodded as Yuki readied to leave and stood up to open the door for her. "It was very nice to have met you as well, Yuki. No need to thank me - I'm happy to have had you around for company, it was lovely." As Yuki did bow so did Kushi. "If you want to meet me again but I'm not in the Nexus anymore when you come back, search for the Prime called Amaterasu. She's in the Frozen Fields, though with the inhospitality of that verse I wouldn't recommend making that your first destination unless you want a dangerous frozen world to travel." Not that she was worried about living in such a world. She might not be used to the cold but she was certain that she would be able to adjust. "I'll see you in the future then, Yuki. Thank you for stopping by."

Once she was gone Kushi returned inside to finish her meal and pack some things. She had a feeling that someone would soon come to bring her away from the Nexus.

[Amaterasu]

Note to readers: This post is unrelated to the prior ones, and takes place way in the future of it.

This is a continuation of the following post:
http://omniverse-rpg.com/showthread.php?...4#pid86984

Once Fiara stepped through the Nexus Gate, finding Kushi was a relatively easy task. After all the Nexus spanned a vast empty space and every detail stood out like a bloodstain on a white shirt. Kushi's hut however was quite far away from her and she needed to search for a bit before she found her hut, near the central fountain. From there it was a swift ride straight towards her. Her never-tiring horse carried her past a handful of Primes. In the distance she saw a raging battle with... a large number of people, the sight of which made her shudder. It was a chaotic, wide-open battlefield. Best steer clear of that, she could really not afford to get into another fight at the time. Luckily Kushi's hut was nowhere near that battle.

When she arrived, she swiftly dismounted and knocked at the door. Kushi had to be there, right? She couldn't have gone very far... unless something happened to her. But what if some Prime had found her and- her train of thought was swiftly cut short when she heard footsteps within that were too light-footed to be anyone's but the rice brewer's that she had grown to know and like back in Kamiki village. The door opened and Kushi, with a mortar and pestle in her hand, looked at Fiara before smiling brightly. "Fiara-chan! I did not expect you so soon! Please, do come in, make yourself comfy!"

"Thank you, Kushi-san! But I was really not intending to stay, we should depart soon and-"

"Nonsense. You smell of someone who's traveled, so have a seat. I've got some tea at hand that will revitalize you." She tugged Fiara into the hut and hung up a kettle all the while continuing to grind the items inside the mortar. "Besides, I have to pack things still. We can't take off immediately."

"Oh! You're right... I'm sorry." She stepped up to the fireplace and adjusted the position of a few logs to get the best out of the flames to heat the water. Being a Phoenix, she was a specialist at this after all. "I'll take out the mugs and prepare the tea, Kushi-san, so you can focus on packing up."

"That's nice of you! Right to your left, the bottom cupboard. You'll find the tea leaves there too. I'm not packing up yet though. I have a sake I want to finish setting up... a strong brew as a gift for our hosts, when they recieve us. I want to thank them appropriately for their hospitality."

"The dwarves? You know about that?" asked Fiara as she placed out two mugs and tossed the tea leaves into the kettle. Immediately a delicious fragrance spreaded through the room.

"Ama sent a messenger my way who informed me of everything. I didn't pack up yet because I wanted to bring along my tools and a lot of items, but I can't work if everything is stashed away."

"Hmm. Come to think of it, you were not very surprised to see me. So you were expecting me too, huh?"

"Yes, you were mentioned in the letter too. You had something to take care of in another of these locations, didn't you?"

"... I'd rather not talk about that." She took the kettle off and poured the tea into both mugs. "I got an item that Amaterasu is going to need though, and knowing her she can't stay in one place for very long. I'm worried that if we don't hurry it up a little she is going to be gone from this... dwarf city before we arrive there."

"Item?" asked Kushi. She poured the ground paste into a barrel and added a few spices. Fiara had no idea about fermentation processes, but she could tell how much effort was going into the sake Kushi was brewing right now.

"Yeah. There was a bar of some weird metal. I'm pretty sure that it's something useful, but I have no idea what it is. There was more in the vault, but Amaterasu isn't going to have much use for it." That, and she felt like the action figure belonged to her more than to Amaterasu. Just like the letter.

"I see... well, I am confident in that we will find her before she takes off again, and if not she knows that we will be in Dwarfholm. She'll find us, and she'll want to get the items that you found in the vault from your hands."

"You're right... thanks, Kushi-san. By the way, the tea is ready."

"Oh, right." The brewer took her mug into her hands and took a sip before putting it back aside and locking the lid of the barrel. "I'll go pack up, then. If you want to help, Fiara-chan, you can pack the two crates labeled 'sake' with the barrels that are next to them. Just be sure to add plenty of hay for cushioning."

"Got it. I came here by horse, by the way, but once we get to the Frozen Fields we will have other methods to get around, or so I understood."

"Oh, yes. Frozen plains cannot be navigated with a horse, after all. They are much too treacherous. Amaterasu isn't someone to send us in unprepared though, I am sure that whatever she has left behind for us will be more than adequate. And hopefully something capable of transporting my luggage... I would hate to leave too much behind."

"You know that Amaterasu can recreate any items that you lose, don't you? She's a Prime. Hell, she even created us..."

"I'm aware, Fiara-chan. But I have a lot of prepared items, mainly provisions and my sake, which you cannot simply recreate by thought. It is much too complex than that. Creating rice, water, maybe simple sake is possible. But something with the rich, deep flavour that my sake offers has too many facettes for a regular mind to imagine from scratch, and Amaterasu has never tasted my brews so she wouldn't know what it tastes like, to recreate it from memory." She smiled brightly as she packed the lid onto a box and put it out on the table, then sipped her tea again. "Besides, I am traditional in my works. Remember, Fiara-chan, unlike Amaterasu and yourself I am no goddess, I never was more than a mortal girl. I never found a reason to rely on supernatural powers to accomplish the goals that can be achieved just as well by effort, skill and knowledge."

Fiara frowned, but nodded and stacked a pair of boxes on top of the one Kushi had put out. The sake barrels were inside those, fermenting away. They would be a delicious offer to the dwarves, she was certain. "You're probably right. Now that I no longer have the most of my parent's powers I must learn a lot of things anew. But I cannot allow myself to fall behind... not if I want to pull my weight and aid Amaterasu in this world, with whatever her plans are."

"That's the spirit. Well then, Amaterasu has left me with a carriage, so we can transport everything to the gate with your horse. Let's load up and take off, shall we?"



It took them nearly two hours between preparations, tying everything down safely and closing the hut down, which they left behind should any Prime or Secondary ever need a shelter for a while. But then they climbed into the carriage and took off, towards the Frozen Fields gate. Their luggage: plenty of fresh provisions for the journey and sake for the dwarves. With the carriage the horse moved a lot slower, of course. But that was no problem. Fiara had a fair amount to share with Kushi, about what she had learned of this place. And of Dante's Abyss.