╠╣ello⁇

It was in the mines that Tselel found out that his puppeteer was high leveled — at least compared to himself and the enemies around this Zone.  The octet of spectres that surprised them were handled with relative ease.  Traversing the mines went without much incident and offered some fairly good experience; Tselel and Alpha had both gained two levels in the process. 

With the east mines blocked, the only route available was up a ladder the exited in front of some unmarked buildings.  Before they had the chance to begin exploring, an Elsen approached them, informing them that the barns they were seeking were filled with spectres.  They had just gone through similarly-infested mines; Tselel didn’t believe that the barns would pose much of a challenge.

But that was then.

At the moment, his real concern was the fact that Tselel had pulled him back - once more so far away from his goal of seeing the cows - and behind the Batter. What was going on?

He leaned past Tselel and Alpha to see what they were so hostile about, and paused. The sight that greeted him was a small group of teary-eyed elsen, all stammering and clammering at once to a tall monstrous man in a trench coat that hung to his ankles. "Big teeth..." Was all Signal could murmur in surprise as he studied the man.

As if hearing him, the elsen stopped chattering and looked at the pair and the Add-On, the man turning his head as if to follow their gazes. Despite his appearance - rough and crude and dangerous - Signal couldn't help but feel...calm.

No hostility radiated from the man as he stepped over to them, back straight like a soldier's. "What is your business here?" He asked, his voice surprisingly gentle despite the firm tone he was using. He turned his gaze to Signal when the boy held up a hand in greeting.

"Greetings, Tall Sir!" Signal exclaimed, smiling behind the screen. "We are here to see the bo...bo..." A frown. "The cows."

Ah! No! I am just a boy who likes to be a TV a lot of the time. 

Static is very nice and comforting. 

The Judge purred and flicked his tail, apparently pleased that the Add-On had been retrieved. "It appears it has decided to accompany you both." He said, standing and stretching. He arched his back before turning and began to walk away. "We shall meet again soon, interloper and puppet." 

Signal waved after the Judge. "Goodbye, Pablo!"

Ah! No! I am just a boy who likes to be a TV a lot of the time. 

"My file, Yes it fucking is. This file is my kingdom and you are trespassing here. I am not fond of those who come waltzing into my kingdom without a warning first. Who are you and why have you’ve come here?" he snarled, barring his sharp teeth at the strange boy.

"I am Signal, and I have ventured from Zome 0 to explore! I am thinking that I probably file hopped somehow. That is a thing that is possible I think." He said, not an ounce of fear displayed.

It was a strange reason to be willing to fight the Chief of the Spectres for, but the actions lead to the mission continuing, so Tselel thought nothing against the plan as he followed his player into the tertiary mineshaft.  

Signal looked past the Judge to the floating ring, likening it to an onion ring almost before dropping his gaze to the Judge. "Ah...Hello, Pablo!" He greeted in a light and cheerful tone, raising a hand in greeting. "Are you what the Elsen above was talking about?" He certainly hoped not. Otherwise Tselel might try to purify his Zone-mate.

The Judge looked mildly appalled at Signal's question, flicking his tail in agitation. "Aha, no no, certainly not. I am only passing through, not unlike the smoke which is being extracted from this pale and metallic place. However, I believe I know where the one you are taking for an ectoplasm can be found." 

As the Judge turned and began to approach the floating ring, Signal looked up at Tselel in confusion. After a moment of studying his friend's face, he followed after the Judge, stopping a few paces behind him and studying the floating ring. He was barely listening, just watching the pulsing ring and trying to figure out what it was.

"...called a spherical Add-On. I have very well tried to accroach it, but the operation has failed systematically so far. But I am thinking...maybe you will succeed in affiliating this spiritual entity to yours." The cat finished, watching the pair with eyes that told that he knew, already, how this interaction would go.

How the future would go.

Alright! Then let us go and find him, shall we? 

[Signal holds up a hand as if to wave, then turns on his heel and points towards the yellow building.] We will investigate his home first just in case. He is a cat after all.

{ ✖ } “It would seem like the feline’s                                     dwelling                                           would be a good place to                                                start.” { ✖ }

[Signal led the way inside, cupping his hands in front of where his mouth would be and calling, voice echoing in the first room they had entered.]

Pabloooooooooooooo!

 Perhaps the mission meant for this to happen.  He recalled a phrase, ‘everything happens for a reason,’ and decided that it must apply to this situation.

He wanted to see a cow, a real one, and if fighting some spectres was what it would take to see them, than so be it! 

"If you are sure, but only until we are able to be seeing the cows, yes? Do not want to purify too much!" Signal chirped, patting Tselel's arm gently as if to quietly tell him to calm down. "So! Friend elsen!" Signal exclaimed, turning his attention back to the elsen that he had been speaking to moments before. "Where must we go?"

The elsen before them blinked owlishly, not sure of how to handle the situation. "Ah...uh. W, well...I can't let you into the mines...like I s, said. It is way too dangerous...but...one of the miners said that they saw something strange over there..." He pointed toward a set of stairs in the ground that traveled downward. "I, it might be the chief of spectres?"

No. Well, perhaps a bit, yes. But it is okay. Pablo keeps me company, and lots of people visit me sometimes, though they never stay long sadly. The Sporty Sirs are very rude sometimes, and I do not like them very much. One tried to hit me.

Everyone else has been kind though!

Where do you live, friend?

Tselel seemed to relax. “Good.”  He noticed the other looking at him and turned his head, looking in the direction of the Elsen.

And then he was looking back down at his own arm.  The hem of the sleeve Signal tugged at was already stretched out from Tselel’s constant pulling.  He appreciated that Signal was attempting to stay close to him; being near one another meant he could protect the Player as soon as an enemy appeared.

"Hm? Oh, yes.  Let us ask."

Signal tilted his head a bit. "No, I do not think so. We are just hear to see the cows."

"Cows?" The Elsen asked, confused. 

"Yes. Cows."

"Um...W, well, the entrance to Pentel is currently closed...the only way to get there would be through the mines, but, but they're closed." The Elsen said, sounding more confused than nervous. At the curious head tilt he got from Signal, he continued. "Spectres have moved into the mines...it's made work very difficult for us, and has made mining smoke difficult..."

One of his hands reached up and felt for his cap.  While he did not like to take it off — he does not recall the last time he removed it — he knew he should do something to help his player.  The material seemed breathable enough without being too rigid.  

"For now.."

Tselel gripped the edge of the bill and tugged off the hat. He inspected it and yes, it could work as a makeshift facemask.  He offered it to his player. 

"Try breathing through this."

Once Signal took the hat, Tselel used the free hand to run through his hair; an attempt to ruffle the hair that had been flattened by the cap.  While all of the hair that had been visible from under his cap was black, removing the cap revealed white hair where said cap had covered.

It was almost relaxing for some reason...strange.

He looked up at the Batter, studying him for a moment before nodding quickly. "Yes! It is helping greatly. Thank you very much, Sporty Tsesel." 

Smiling behind hat and TV, he reached out with his free hand and grabbed Tselel's sleeve between his fingers and thumb. He tugged on him lightly, indicating that the was ready to walk and stay by Tselel instead of running ahead like he had before.

Ahead of them, an elsen in a hardhat watched them warily, not quite sure what to make of the strange pair - especially colorful TV wearing one.