"When Two Hands Crisscross..."

Nodding, Seimei allowed herself to be led through the city. Distractedly returning Kage to her proper place atop her head, she distantly noted that she probably should've tried memorizing the route they'd taken. But then again, she was completely unfamiliar with this city. It would have been useless anyway. Besides, finding a major road wouldn't be too difficult if necessary anyway. Urban planning would make sure of that.

It took several minutes, but Nadia eventually led Seimei carefully toward a enclosed dumpster next to an auto factory. She made sure there was nobody nearby, then removed her left glove and pressed that hand against the ground to the left of the dumpster, exactly three inches from the wall. After about three seconds, there was a soft click. Nadia backed up, pulling Seimei with her, and a five by five opening appeared as the concrete receded. Nadia carefully climbed down, then held her hands up to help Seimei down. "Come on sweety."

Seimei stared as the wall receded, her surprise and awe only mutely visible on her face. When Nadia descended and held her hands out to her, Seimei's head tilted. She could just jump. Even if she wasn't a Milletian, ten feet probably wouldn't hurt her as long as she landed properly. She could've also had Kage helped her, or used her wires. But all these things would stand out, so she carefully lowered herself over the edge and allowed Nadia to assist her.

She had to admit, though... This was cool. She was both relieved and disappointed Miyori-chan and Keishin didn't think to do something similar, though she wondered if the property owner knew about it.

Nadia gently lowered Seimei to the ground, then pressed a button on the wall, causing the hatch to close. The tunnel was lit, and Nadia let out a breath. "Okay, we can deactivate the cloaking now. Just press down on the middle of the disk, I'll put them back in my bag. We just need to travel a bit further down... see? Stairs leading down. It's where the portal room is."

Seimei blinked. There as already an elaborate hidden corridor, but it led to a portal? Just how much stuff did Nadia and - presumably - her group - have? Following the instructions she was given, Seimei deactivated the cloak and returned the equipment she was given to its original owner. "You have... a lot of things." She noted.

Nadia chuckled a bit. "Well, Graham is paranoid. We have bases all over the place, with portals connecting. And then there are various entrances to each base, the number depending on the size of the city, some entrances needing portals to connect, and... well, Graham is nothing if not prepared."

Seimei hm'd. But wouldn't so many entrances be a risk as much as an asset? Granted, this corridor - for instance - was very well hidden but... she could think of several ways to detect it. If one knew to look for it, at least. Though, if 'Graham' was really so paranoid... why was she being allowed anywhere near here? Could Nadia not have just dropped her off at a place with access to the authorities? Why was she being trusted? "Then... is this okay...?"

Nadia waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, it's fine. Graham's allowing it." Sort of. She led Seimei down the stairs and to the end of the corridor, where there was a strange machine. With her bare left hand, she slipped a finger into a slot, winced, and pulled it back out. The screen lit up, the words 'Blood Signature: Nadia' showing up. She then took off her right glove, placing that hand on a panel, which scanned her hand. 'Print Scan: Nadia'. Next, was a retinal scan. 'Retinal Scan: Nadia' Finally, she leaned in, and spoke in a sing-song voice. "Now let me and this little cutey in, baby brother!" 'Voice Recognition: Nadia'. A chime sounded, and two rods rose out of the nearby floor panel. Electricity started to spark and flash between them, and then with a sudden flash, what appeared to be a window appeared, showing a room on the other side... with Graham standing there, looking at Nadia with obvious irritation. Nadia happily skipped through the portal, gently pulling Seimei along. She hit a button on the other side, causing the portal to close behind them. "Hello, baby brother!"

"...You're an idiot."

Seimei watched as Nadia went through all the security measures, somewhat surprised that they were so... mundane as to actually be recognizable. Blushing lightly at the voice recognition, she let herself be pulled through the portal. When Graham greeted Nadia with the words 'You're an idiot' though, she tilted her head, Kage mirroring the action. So he wasn't as accepting of the situation as Nadia had let on. Well, that was to be expected.

Still, she was raised in Japan. Socially awkward as she was, there were some things to be done.

Bowing politely, with Kage mirroring her once more, she introduced herself.

"Ah... I'm Iyoku Seimei." She straightened, pointing to the puppet, "...this is Kage..." she trailed off, glancing about quickly, "you have a nice home?"

Nadia blushed and let out a noise somewhat like a squeal of joy. "Isn't she ADORABLE?!" Graham looked unimpressed.

"Yes, she's adorable. No, that doesn't make you less of an idiot." He turned to Seimei, addressing her directly. "I am Graham, you already know this idiot, and you... are not what you seem to be. At the very least, you are not a child. I want an explanation."

"Come on Graham, you don't have to be so-"

"Shut up. She's an unknown variable and I want answers before I allow this to go any further." Graham gestured to a chair off to his right. "Sit, Iyoku Seimei."

Seimei's light blush intensified as Nadia continued speaking. It was annoying. Both because she was somewhat put off by being treated like a child, and because... well, frankly it was embarrassing. It reminded her of Miyori-chan's constant teasing. Was she conditioned to blush like a tomato at the slightest compliment, no matter its source?

Still, Graham's question allowed her to sober up. Blush still stubbornly in place, Seimei coughed some, "Yes... I'm... stuck this way," she responded, "I am a Milletian. From Erinn... or maybe I should say... Tir na Nogh? I was lonely... so Nao looked for my friends. She thinks they are... somewhere here. Ah... and I am... thirty years old." Despite herself, she couldn't get rid of the nervous hesitation that came with speaking. That, too, was irritating. Would it make her more suspicious? Would it make him think she was lying? This was why she didn't go out and talk to people much. It was too nerve-wracking.

Graham raised a brow. "I see. And I repeat, sit in the chair." He walked over to sit in a chair across from the one indicated, while Nadia was looking at Seimei with wide eyes.

"...Thirty?"

Blinking, Seimei realised she had missed his request before. Blush intensifying somewhat again, she seated herself in the indicated chair. In response to Nadia's bafflement, she felt the need to reassure her somewhat, "Don't worry... I am used to... that sort of treatment. I am... small. I always have been."

Graham sighed a bit, rubbing his forehead. "It doesn't help that Nadia seems determined to never use her brain. She's far more intelligent than she'd have anyone believe."

"I'm super smart, yep!" She HAD to be going cross-eyed on purpose.

"...Anyway... as the safety of myself and my sister are on the line here, I apologize for the lack of hospitality." Suddenly, Seimei would hear a soft humming noise all around her. Graham reached forward, and tapped the invisible force field that had apparently formed between them. "You are trapped in there for the moment, but don't worry, it won't harm you. I have no desire to cause harm to anyone that does not desire to harm us. So, I'm going to ask you some questions, and you are going to answer them. You can be honest, you can lie, or you can decline to answer. As a warning, declining to answer will only be accepted if the answer is not important to determining your threat level to us. Lying, will not reflect well on you. I will know if you lie, so I would greatly recommend honesty. If you'd like to test it, tell me three things; one lie and two truths. You'll see what happens. Again, it will not harm you, simply alert me to a lie, assuming I cannot tell myself. If you do not wish to test it, let me know and we can begin."

"...I'm sorry about this, Seimei... I promise, Graham's not that bad, he's just socially retarded!" Her voice grew harsh at the end as she glared slightly at Graham, who seemed unperturbed.

Seimei blinked, staring at the field. It looked like a mana barrier, but it was probably created via technology. It was somewhat irritating to be imprisoned like this, but as a show of good will she wouldn't try to escape as long as Graham stuck to simply asking questions. It was a good thing Eien-chan wasn't here, for once. She would have been much more aggressive.


"I have not... and will not... lie... nor do I desire... to harm you."

Graham eyed her for a moment, then nodded. "A good start. Are you aware of any plans by others to harm me or my sister? Furthermore, is there anyone else that you do have a desire to harm?"

Seimei blinked, "...No... I have only... just arrived here."

Again, Graham was silent for a moment, then sighed heavily. The low hum faded. "I still have questions, but you can get up from the chair if you wish. I'm satisfied that you don't mean any harm. That does not, however, mean I trust you. It does mean that I'm willing to make the attempt. Now, do you mind explaining how it is that you ended up appearing suddenly where you did?"

"Thank you." Seimei expressed, before blinking and trying to answer his question, "I... do not... for certain. Nao had help... but she has never... attempted what she did. She could probably... only make sure I landed... on land."

Graham raised a brow at that. "The only Nao I am aware of with the power to transport people places is Nao Hita, the Goddess of Life. Is that who you are referring to?"

Seimei perked, before remembering that Nao had a parrallel here, "Ah... somewhat? My Nao... is not your Nao... but still Nao. She is... a goddess. Of life...? She gives life... so yes? We do not... know her official purview. She... takes care of us. Milletians."

Graham leaned back in his seat, thinking about that for a moment. A different Nao? Interesting... "Who was this person that helped your Nao send you here?"

Seimei tilted her head, thinking back, "Anya, she said."

Now that was interesting. "Well, if what you say is true, then it seems likely you came from outside of the Multiverse itself... hm. These friends you are looking for, what can you tell me about them?"

"Nao said she felt... two. I don't know... which two. But... there is Issun Keishin... Tachibana Miyori... Dairoku Eien." Seimei paused, thinking about how to describe them, "Keishin... writes... security programs. He's tall... and smart. Miyori-chan is... a lot of things. She's much smarter... than even him. She's very... playful. Eien-chan is... a gynoid. She's very strong... and protective."