Caelica`s mouth was wide agape, and she was in the shock of her life for once.
"Novus Orbis Librarium... The Novus Librarium... The organization my sister founded to develop measures against the Black Beast, to save humanity... is led by Terumi Yuuki and Relius Clover...?!"
She felt like she was about to faint, hearing that the work of her sister was completely and utterly turned for the worst by the two worst men in existance.
As such, she tagged along with Ragna, not leaving Bullet´s side as she was still in need of medical attention... though her train of thought was distrupted by the beastkin in the traincar.
"H-huh?" Caelica was derailed from her own train in her head. She had seen beastkin before, Jubei and a few mutations due to the Seithr influence, but none looked this.. cute.

Ragna eyes the beastkin for a moment, then ignores her to turn to Caelica and make introductions. "Caelica, this is Makoto Nanaya. She's a member of Sector Seven, a group opposing the NOL. She's pretty cool."

Makoto beams at the introduction as if it had been gushing praise. "Aww, that's sweet of you, Ragsy. Pleased to meet you miss Caelica!" she bounds forward to shake Bullet's hand, who obviously does not respond. Then the Beastkin turns to the other women, mischief twinkling in her eyes. "And who're you? Mr. Reaper blow up your house and now you have to follow him around doing his laundry to have a place to live?"

She drops her voice and leans in. "He only has one change of clothing. I pity you."

Makoto resumes normal conversational volume. "You look great in those skanky pants, Ragna."

Ragna scowls. "Don't get started. Seriously. These two are bad enough already."

Slowly. a smile crept back to Caelica`s face as she waved Makoto a greeting, then used both hands to finish up on Bullet. The merc was back to looking fine, although the bloodstains in the bathrobe were probably never going to come out again.
"I don`t have other clothes than my one outfit either... i kind of just arrived two days ago."
She let go of her friend to take a seat and smirk lightly.
"And you should see the back. Those pants are tight."

Ragna turns and eyeballs Caelica. "Is that why you've been trailing behind -"

"Your smoking hot tush?" Makoto interjects, smiling devilishly, and Ragna shugs helplessly before he turns away and carries Bullet and the laundry basket to an empty seat, setting them both down beside him and leaning his head back against the leather. "I ain't gonna fight the both of you." he mutters. "I'm just going to sit right here and take a nap before my head implodes."

Makoto prances two steps forward and deposits herself neatly on Ragna's lap, who chokes on his own spit. "So how did you all meet up?" she asks Caelica curiously, ignoring the man behind her coughing. "This looks like a pretty impropetu group, no offense. " The beastkin eyes Caelica with a considerate eye. "You look like you've been hassled pretty hard the last few days, too. The boy toy up to his usual shenanigans?"

Out of nowhere, Caelica was bombarded with questions by the beastkin, blinking as she took a seat herself.
Slapping Ragna on the back to get him out of his coughing fit, she started to think of an answer before the next question came as soon as she thought of one.
"Woah, keep them one at a time!" She pled, then settled down and took a deep breath.
"So basically, my niece Kokonoe brought me to this time thats about a hundred years after my own for something she was going to tell me before -bam- some time space distortion or whatever sends me five, sixhundred miles into a random direction, same as Ragna and Bullet here. So since we all had the same goals, get out of there and figure out whats going on, we decided to stick together."
At the comment of her clothes she blushed a bit and tugged down her shirt, remembering that Ragna didn`t give her enough time to put on more than just that oversized shirt and her shoes.
"Don`t remind me of that. We had to get out of that hotel pretty fast... and actually, the last days haven´t been that bad. Just this morning, when like, half an army of angry soldiers... i think Ragna called them the NOL, wanted us dead, with air support and everything. Thats why Bullet here is still knocked out, she kind of... hit her head."

As if on cue, a groan came from the mercenary, and a second later, Makoto`s cellphone rang as Kokonoe demanded an explaination why the squrriel hadn`t reported in over seventeen hours.

Makoto nods, face momentarily growing serious. "I have a spare outfit or two. Besides, you'd probably look good in yellow." she assures Caelica. "Unless you've got your clothes in that basket and you managed to wash them before heading on the run. Anyways, welcome to the new century! Hopefully it's better than the last, what with the Black Beast and all."

The beastkin winces as her cell goes off, and raises a finger. "Hold on, I got to take this." She scurries off to the other end of the monorail car, and Ragna releases a sigh of relief as his lap is vacated.

"Problems I'd never thought I'd have." he says wryly, searching through the laundry basket and extracting Caelica's skirts, which he offers to her with a crooked grin. "Or that you'd thought to have, for that matter." The Reaper adjusts Bullet so that she leans a little more comfortably against his shoulder.

"Thats a good.. meat pillow..." Bullet muttered, her arm raising up to rub her temple as it was throbbing from the concussive impact on the balcony.

Caelica just snickered and put on her skirt, not that it changed much, but it shielded off curious eyes a bit better.
"After that experience this morning, i`m really not sure what to think of this century yet..."

Kokonoe growled while nibbling on a lollipop, the claws of her left hand scratching her desk to relieve stress.
"Makoto. Its been seventeen hours and i`ve yet to hear a single report from you. Have you found Azreal yet? And if so, found out what happened? I really got bigger fish to fry."
A mumbling response from the red devil was met with an agressive sigh from the catgirl.
"I heard that, Tager. Shut up and get in line. First this, then i`ll fix your limbs, then i`ll take care of Neon`s software problem... or whatever the hell it is that makes him so annoying, and then i`ll find out where the hell Caelica went."

Ragna's head turns, curiously. "Hey, is that the fucking cat?"

Makoto makes frantic 'shut up' motions with her hands and laughs nervously. "I ran into Ragna, Caelica, and some other girl on the monorail towards Azrael's containment unit. They look pretty banged up; I'm thinking it's more important to bring them back in then to go hunting that guy by myself." She grimaces. "I'm, uh, not certain I could take him."

Ragna nods, quite serious. "Oh yeah, there's no way you could. That fucker's tough. He rumbled with me and Bullet at the same time."

Makoto squints at him. "Will you stop interrupting my phone call, please?"

Ragna shrugs and turns to Bullet, pulling up one eyelid to check dilation. "You girls seem to like bashing your heads into things." he chastises mildly, letting it close again. "It's a bad habit. Try to stop that. But asides from that, kick-ass maneuver you pulled there. I'm buying the next time we go somewhere nice. Again, I suppose."

Bullet chuckled slightly as she eased herself into a more comfy position.
"Trying to be John McClane while dressed in a bathrobe isn`t very cool though... plus, minus points for -not- landing in a convinent pool of water after jumping off the Shebalve."
Her eyes perked up at him and she grinned lightly.
"So what -are- you buying, anyway...? Just the drinks or the entertainment t-"

"WAIT, WAIT, WAIT."
Kokonoe interrupted, hearing Ragna talk into their conversation. Her claws were digging into the table now, and Tager winced a bit as he knew what was coming.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE FOUGHT YOU AND BULLET."
She spat out her lollipop and tried her best to control herself.
"YOU GUYS ARE THE CAUSE OF THIS DESASTER, AREN'T YOU?!"

Caelica ducked her head, slowly covering her ears as the cat woman got louder and more agressive by the minute.
"I don´t think i wanna go back to her anytime soon..."

Ragna ropes his other arm around Caelica's shoulders and hugs her in a silent gesture of reassurance. "I'll buy the drinks. I'm pretty sure I manage to provide the entertainment by myself, but if you don't like clown shows, I can try looking into something else. Take your time and think about it before you cash in, eh?"

He glances over at Makoto and smiles, vaguely aware of what he looks like at the moment, with a girl under each arm, a ragged-ass shirt on, and droopy pants. "Yeah, after I got dumped in the middle of nowhere and seithrfog, I broke into this crappy-ass old S7 base to see if there was anything to loot. Instead there was a crazy person so we beat him up and hijacked a rail counterweight so we could go chill at a hotel."

Makoto stares at him, then places the radio flat on a cab seat and backs away from it. "Well, if that's the fight you want to pick, Mr. Reaper." she mutters.

Kokonoe`s claws had found way through the sheet metal of the desk and were now digging into the materials underneath. She reminded herself to stay cool and calm down, otherwise this idiot would just nag her until she would faint of a heart attack.
"Okay. Cool. Hope Azreal enjoyed that, but- You do realize you owe me for this, right? I mean, you don´t see ME breaking into your sorry excuse for a house and try to rob you, do you?!"
Her fangs bared and her fist balled, she came to a resolution.
"I hope you remember that i rig all of my toys with remote explosives in case they go rouge on me. So watch your arm in the meantime."
That was a blatant lie, but it might get his attention.
"But if you do want to apologize- there`s something i need to have, something in -the neighbourhood- so to speak, and something i was gonna ask Caelica to do anyways. I might forgive you if you find it and bring it to me."

Caelica was now hiding under Ragna`s coat she got out of the laundry basket and was afraid to look.
"My sister has taught her well... she used to be a lot meaner herself, but this Kokonoe... the bitch is strong with this one."

Bullet snickered, trying to hold back to keep listening in and bumped her fist into Caelica`s side to nudge her and signal her to stop before it would spiral out of control.

Ragna's smile goes flat. "My house got burnt down. Also, you're the fucking one that apparently dumped Caelica out in the middle of the badlands with the only thing nearby being some insane dipshit's prison. She arrived with her head in a rock. Literally in a rock. You're goddamn lucky she didn't die right there. You owe her for that bullshit, cat."

He shakes his head and takes a breath, calming himself down. "Pissing contests aside, if this package is gonna help, I'll grab it." The Reaper says quietly. "But just because you think Caelica is alone here in the future doesn't mean you can use her - because she isn't, understand? You try to treat her like Lambda and I will personally skin you."

Ragna folds one leg over the other and stares balefully at the radio. Fuck with his mother, would she? Hell no. "Where is this package, anyways."

"Listen, asshole, i`ve got fucking squat to do with that time-space distortion. I`m STILL trying to find out where it came from. My guess would be Ookoto."
Kokonoe growled in frustration. If she wouldn`t like this guy that much, she would tear him a new one now.
"Besides, you`re talking to a member of -my- family. I think if i would try to use her as a tool or a weapon, i would be a disgrace to said family."
A groan later, she finally got to her senses.
"Right. The package, then. There´s a couple of ruins southwest- about a hundred miles from your current position. Should be a quick detour with the train, nothing more. Thing is, somewhere in the very core of those ruins, there`s a fortified bunker entrance- probably blocked off by debris, but its there- leading to a pre-war science installation built by Sector Seven and operated by the Sin Architects."
She took a deep breath, knowing whats coming next.
"Somewhere in that ruined laboratory, there`s a notebook lying around. A personal log of one of the head scientists, Professor Ayatsuki. Aside from Miss Mercury herself, the best chance to take Terumi`s plans apart is to find that book and study it... plus i`m hoping to learn a thing or two from that guy, but thats beside the point."
She exhaled, like she was having a smoke, but instead the lolli went back between her fingers.
"You love disrupting Terumi`s plans, don`t you? Well, here`s your chance, sport."

Caelica`s eyes widened, and she looked up from underneath the jacket.
"Did... did she say Ayatsuki...? ...I`ve been looking for that log, or anything else from that man for years before Ragna and the six heroes formed an alliance... are you absolutly certain its there?"

Kokonoe nodded on her end of the line, then gave a positive "Yup." as a response.

Ragna shakes his head and exhales, hard. "Fair enough then. Sorry 'bout accusing you." About sending Caelica here. He fucking knows Koko Puffs doesn't have a conscience anymore, what with how she treats Tager and Lambda. But saying that wouldn't do anything positive, so he chokes down the ire and moves on. "Sounds like a two-for-one." he agrees. "You and Cae both want that thing. Fair enough - I'll make a stop for supplies first at a depot, and then head out to there. I ain't really got much choice in that, I haven't got anything left for everyone to eat, we've got basically no clothes, and we definitely need a tent now. Soon as that's done I'll hit up the science place."

He glances over at Bullet, then Caelica. "You two want to come along or go your own way?" he says directly. "No hard feelings if you don't want to go - it's been a rough ride - but, honestly, I'd miss th' two of ya. Not to mention ye're damn good at what you do."

Makoto pipes up, "Want me to tag along, Kokonoe? Make sure everything goes smoothly?"

Bullet, groaning in her migraine, simply gives him a thumbs up and then rolls over to snore into his belly.
"Azreal is taken care of... my mission is over anyways." She muttered. "And you`re hotter than him."

Caelica nods as well, content about the situation.
"If there`s anything at all left of my father, its that book. Its probably worth even more to me than to Kokonoe, and it contains-"

Kokonoe cut her off right there, approving of Makoto`s plan.
"Excellent idea, Makoto. Azreal is only second priority in that case, i`ll just send Tager or Neon or who the hell ever to pick him up. Maybe Noel."
She snickered deviously.
"Nah, don`t worry. I doubt we would hear from her again after that."
It was scary how quickly her mood was lightened just by Ragna accepting this mission. She must be wanting that book really, really badly if she desired to humor him so much.
"Oh, and by the way- if you need resources, use Makoto`s credit card. I´ll send some extra cash to it for the duration of the mission."
Really, really, really badly.

"Good to know I look better than a crazyfuck prisoner trapped in a military base." Ragna says sardonically, but the arm around Bullet's shoulder starts to stroke through the mercenary's hair as she dozes off tenderly. "Right, we'll do it, Kokonoe. And thanks for the the help, I guess. Any defenses or whatnot I should be wary of?"

Makoto eyes bug out at the credit card comment, and she mutes a squeal as she dances in her seat happily. "Shopping spree~"

Ragna gives her a dubious look.

"Oh shut up." Makoto replies with a wave of her hand, "Like you know their sizes and what to buy for them." Her face grows impish. "Unless you . . . do already know, for some reason."

"No." Ragna replies, voice dry. "Caelica, when y'all go shopping, make sure we have actual things to eat and a tent, as opposed to just clothes."

Caelica whimpers.
"I wish i could agree to what you`re implying, but... for all the time two perfectly fine, single ladies have been with him, i fear he might be into men~"
Her tongue started to show, and Kokonoe couldn`t help but burst into a fit of giggles as well, aware of the problem he`s had with Jin in the past.
As she finally found enough breath to answer, she coughed firmly.

"Well, no defenses whatsoever. There might be some debris blocking the path, the whole thing might be in danger of collapsing and, oh, i forgot to mention, the seithr levels are seventy times higher than on the normal ground level... but Caelica can take care of that."

Wiping a tear away, the witch nodded in agreement. "Yes... yes... i`ve kind of been there once, but we were attacked by a leftover piece of the beast that injuried both Ragna and Jubei badly, so we had to pull out... I`ve never been there again, i`m afraid."

Finally, Bullet managed to bring up a few words of wisdom while mumbling into Ragna´s chest.
"When we go shopping, make sure to look around for a rocket propelled grenade launcher. I could`ve used one earlier today."

Caelica made a face.
"How the hell am i supposed to find one in this wierd world with their semi-magical weapons?"

The mercenary sighed.
"Ask the kids. The toys they have these days are dangerous enough."

Ragna blinks, and then makes a face. "Well just because I don't jump right into it doesn't mean I'm gay." he mumbles. "Besides, when the hell am I supposed to be doing anything about it? In between dodging bullets, carrying around injured women, and ransacking old military bases? Right, that's the proper fuckin' way to do things." He sighs and offers a wry half-grin at Caelica. "Get two tents and I'll set your fears at ease, eh?"

Makoto giggles and waggles her eyebrows at Caelica devilishly. "Ooh, an open invitation, miss Mercury ~ you'll have to break out the special panties."

Ragna coughs, and changes the subject. "I don't like the sound of that Beast fragment. Five to one odds it's still there hiding." he notes. "Whatever, still need that book. Bullet, I am definitely procuring some explosives this time around, but attaching rockets to them may be counterproductive. We can both pitch shit through concrete anyways."

The monorail creaks to a stop and he peers outside at the familiar sight of a towering steel outpost, with the triple-walled rings of a trading centre just below. These constructions stood between the Hierarchial Cities, rerouting cargo to its respective destinations and carrying up precious minerals from the badlands where it could be mined semi-safely. "You ladies ready to go?"

Caelica rolled her eyes, but smirked nonetheless.
"First i`ll have to -buy- the special panties... But i`ll get back to you on that."

As the train stopped, Bullet finally managed to get back up on her own, sighing once and reminding herself to get painkillers for later.
"Right. I`m ready. For anything." She looked back at Caelica, who then jumped to her feet and joined her.
Then she looked back at the man of the group, nodding lightly.
"We`re all ready to go... but i`ll pass on the clothes shopping, i think."
Since the concussion didn´t give her the time Caelica had to dress semi-decently, she was in no way able to run around in public like this.
...Caelica, on the other hand, had her long shirt still on, along with her skirt and Ragna`s jacket, which she put on after she no longer needed to hide from the angry cat girl. It fit her more like a coat, her hands didn`t come out of the sleeves anymore.

Kokonoe, in the meantime, had gotten Tager locked into a hydraulic operating table to repair the damage he had recieved on his last mission.
"Okay, Makoto, Ragna, i´ve got shit to do. Tell me if you have any news. Sector Seven out." She turned off the radio on her dashboard and picked up the screwdriver for ultra-large, electromagnetic screws. "Alright, time to fix you up, big guy... again."

Ragna nods, squinting. "I'll handle the groceries. Bullet, you're the best with demolitions - I never use the damn things - so you go pick some of those up. Here . . ." He tosses the bottle of gold dust to the mercenary, still half full of precious dust. "Use that. Should be plenty for anything you need. Caelica, Makoto, you two go handle the clothes end, I don't know a damn thing about getting those. When you're done come pick me up because I won't have anything to pay the grocer with. Sound fair?"

Makoto giggles. "Sure you don't want to come along and judge our outfits, Mister Reaper?" she turns slightly and puts her finger to her lips, pouting. Her tail lifts the tiniest bit.

Ragna swallows and turns, hurrying towards the grocer's. Makoto laughs and turns to Caelica, winking. "I can see why you do that so much."