Empire City (United Federation)

Mana: *seems a little unsure how to go about it, but figures being blunt is the best way* He's actually kind of an asshole.

*Whip gives Mana a look of shock and slight annoyance, but Connar doesn't seem to budge*
Connar: "Lot of assholes out there."
Whip: "You're telling us."
*Connar glares at Whip, whom returns the glare, but to a decidedly less intimidating effect. Connar gives a quiet scoff and returns to his chore*
Connar: "What makes you think I know whoever you're looking for?"

Mana: *had been gauging Connar's reaction, and her frown seems to suggest that it didn't go as planned*
Tanya: *looks inside Connar's house* Ne ne, is this where you live, Ponytail?

*Connar disregards his sweeping very quickly to address Tanya's snooping*
Connar: "Hey! That's my house! Get away from there!"
*Whip shrugs*
Whip: "You got something to hide, huh?"
*Connar snarls defensively at the orange rabbit*
Connar: "What do you want from me?"

Tanya: *jumps in surprise and hops back behind Whip, looking at Connar with wide eyes*
Mana: *her lips thin* Connar... how much do you believe in magic?

*At this, Connar watches Mana, as if expecting her to turn into something odd*
Connar: "A little bit."
*He crosses his arms, his pupils darting all along Mana's form curiously*
Connar: "Why?"

Mana: *playing with her hands* The reason why we we're looking for our "friend" is because there's a lot of complicated magic at work, and we could really use his help. He doesn't know us though, even though... *her hands pause, and she simply lets them drop to her side to look at him sadly* Even though I know him very well.

*Connar seems to mull over her words for a few moments, looking up and down the three several times, before he sighs and shrugs his shoulders*
Connar: "Fine. Come inside, you'll get mugged looking like that out here."
*Connar motions for them to follow him inside of his house, though Whip seems preoccupied looking down at himself and wondering what could be so muggable about bright orange and flashy jewlery*

Mana: *seems pleased and follows him inside* Thank you~
Tanya: *following as well* Well they can have the stupid tiara if they want~ But I guess Nii-san would throw a fit if someone stole an earlet~

Whip: "I told you I don't wear those anymore!"
*Whip rumbles and growls quietly and to himself, but eventually the group finds themselves in a small apartment room. There is only an oven and a fridge more appropriate for a human than a mobian, and on the other side of this apparent kitchen sits several small cushions around a low wooden coffee table. A small kettle sits atop the stove next to a pot, and some silverware lays scattered amongst the unused side of the stove top, but otherwise, the entire apartment room is devoid of furniture or decorations. It is also somewhat cramped, though that much was to be expected considering the area*
Connar: "Try not to steal anything valuable."
*The sarcasm dripping from his words could fill more of the room than the appliances he owns*

Mana: *looking around, smiling a bit* It's actually not that bad.
Tanya: *sits on one of the cushions, crossing her legs* Ne ne, Ponytail, what do you do for a living~? And what made you live in this place?

*Connar attends to the kettle, apparently needing to keep his hands busy as he's bombarded with questions. Whip quietly sits next to Tanya in a rough manner*
Connar: "...I'm a mechanic. I repair all the vehicles people around here use at a scrap shop not too far from here."

Mana: *seems surprised at Connar's job* A mechanic? You... enjoy fixing things like machines?

*Connar shakes his head, looking away from them as he pulls down some glass mugs*
Connar: "I can't mess with computers or anything. Just... old cars. Vintage ones, like the kind that still run on gas. Air gears and Extreme Gears are a cut above me."
Whip: "Did you ever try to learn?"
*Connar goes silent again, tilting the kettle until a stream of chocolate drink pours from the steaming spout*
Connar: "...Hey, uh... Mana. You asked me about... if I believe in magic, right?"

Mana: *is watching in interest about his choice of drink but her ear twitches at the mention, and she looks at him* Yeah. I did.

*Connar doesn't add anything to Mana's affirmation, and instead brings around a few mugs filled with piping hot cocoa. He hands one to anyone willing to receive one, and then steps back and leans against his stove, swirling hid own mug in his hands as steam billows from the rim*
Connar: "...You can here looking for me, didn't you."

Tanya: *has taken the hot chocolate and cheerful sips on it, somehow immune to the heat* ^w^
Mana: *hesitates, but then nods* Yes. We came looking for you. *looks up at him* Have you... experienced anything weird in your life...? Weird dreams, maybe? Or just... odd sensations?

*He scoffs, taking a sip from his cup briefly*
Connar: "You could say that."
*Connar looks down at his mug solemnly*
Connar: "I don't even remember... when the hell I bought hot chocolate in the first place."
*He takes another swig, this one much deeper despite the scalding heat, to which he sighs deeply after*
Connar: "If I had a family... or friends or anything, I can't recall. It's like... I experienced my whole life, but... nothing happened until a few weeks ago. It's as if I just, never did anything eventful for 18 years, and then suddenly I gained a lifetime of skills overnight."
*He gives Mana a quick glance*
Connar: "Don't know much about magic, but...How else...?"

Mana: *seems troubled by his words and contemplates her next words* ...How much do you want to know, Connar? *looks at him with a concerned expression* We have answers, but... *her mouth twists into a frown* It might... It will definitely be upsetting.

*Connar's ears flatten as he contemplates everything*
Connar: "...Can you explain to me first what is happening? Why am I like this, or, why do I need to be told about me?"
*He shakes his head a little, though none of his motions have any energy in them*
Connar: "I don't understand anything..."

Mana: *nods seriously* How much... do you know of other worlds? Or believe in them? Like the idea of different dimensions.

Connar: "...Honestly..."
*Connar puts his mug down on the stove and crosses his arms*
Connar: "That sounds like the dumbest thing I've ever heard."
*Whip snorts*
Whip: "Then prepare to be disappointed dude~"
*Connar glares at Whip once again*
Connar: "On second thought, I think I've heard dumber today."

Tanya: *pauses from slurping on her hot chocolate to comment* I think you'll hear something even dumber then...
Mana: *sweatdropping* Well... It may sound dumb but it's true. There are alternate worlds other than our own. I've been to some and I have heard about people whose duties are to protect these worlds, but nonetheless... *looks at Connar seriously and sincerely* They're very real places. Places where people have made different decisions and their whole world differs from ours but the people there are still there. And in one of these worlds... You used to live there.

Connar: "..."
*The lion closes his eyes contemplatively, his tail idly swaying below him*
Connar: "So let's say for a minute that I believe you at all. That I don't begin to suspect this memory thing is some kind of trick. What happened? Why am I not there then?"
*Whip speaks half-way through his sip, causing it to become a little gargled*
Whip: "Ib bubbed ub-!"
*He coughs from the heat and wipes his mouth of the spilled drink*
Whip: "It blew up~"
Connar: "Blew up."
Whip: "Or died, or something. I'm a little hazy on the details~"
*Connar looks to be a bit impatient by that point*

Mana: *gives a half-lidded, unimpressed glare at Whip telling him to shut it before looking at Connar* It collapsed, for all intents and purposes. Because... *looks at her hot chocolate cup sadly* There was... there was another me. That world, Nova Thorn, where everyone made that one choice that changed everything...

*her expression becomes an impossible mixture of heartbroken and torn and fond and determined*

I decided we didn't need a world with so much sadness. I took the chance where I could turn it back to this world, in hopes that the people from that world would be so much more happier here. *a twisted and ironic smile finds her expression* It had surprising effects though. I don't think the other me ever planned for there to be a second chance.