Mid looked a little solemn as Celes told her about her own history. A 'war orphan' wasn't a phrase Mid had ever thought to use, but it was disturbingly accurate. But moreover, it was her description of what had happened to her. She'd never heard of the Empire she mentioned, but Mid had already come to terms with the idea that people hadn't come to Zephron from her world alone (besides, it was like, question one in the Pamphlet she could see), but it was somehow disheartening to hear that the same kind of Imperial might existed everywhere.
"See, that's my point, right?" she said after a moment, channelling a chipper energy into her words to hide her sadness. "We had same in our world. I mean, from what I can tell, magic works differently here, and I'm guessin' everywhere, but in our world, people born with magic, we called 'em Bearers, and they were just fodder to be used. Experimented on, messed with, used like slaves. Don't matter which world you go to or how far you run. There's always people willin' to treat others like cattle. Sometimes, I wonder if me Dad was crazy, dreamin' of changin' that. Dreamin' of a better world. Like it was ever gonna happen. There's always gonna be someone wantin' to be an Empire. Someone wantin' to use others. To hurt 'em," Mid said, before pausing, and contemplating what she had just said.

"Sorry, though. That you went through that, I mean," she said after a moment. "Dunno if this means nowt to you, but, I think me Dad woulda liked you. You n' him, you sound pretty similar. He was jus' a weapon for his army too. I mean, got his money's worth out of it. Promoted to Lord Commander, they looked up to 'im, but only 'cause of his power. An' then he realised how wrong it all was too, an' ran away. Formed the Resistance, tried to fight back. Make a world where Bearers could be free, be equals, to pick n' choose their own life. Sounds like you did similar. He'd of really liked you..." she repeated the point about liking her, smiling a little sadly at the thought.

And then her chipper smile was back.

"Wouldn't show it though. Never do, us Telamons. We start insultin' you, that's how you know we like you," she said playfully, with a teasing grin. "For example, you be offended if I suggested the first thing I invent for you lot is a shower?" she teased, looking over Celes's filthy, muddy, sweaty appearance. Although maybe that would be good for them. Most places didn't really think about running water. It was one of Mid's preferred innovations.

"And I 'ppreciate it, by the way. Not havin' to make weapons," she added. "And don't go 'spectin' me to swing a sword 'bout neither! Fightin' never were my scene," she said with a quick point for emphasis.

"Huh. We always 'ad our own blacksmith, back in the Hideaway. But no biggie. Looks like a big town out there. I'm sure I can find someone. Maybe even introduce them to a few of me Dad's inventions for blacksmithing, might get 'em to knock a few gil off our orders then," she suggested, with her usual enthusiasm and optimism. "Need someone to make the bell, for starters..."


"Sure. Here to help. 'til I figure a way back 'ome, I figure it's the least I can do," she nodded. "An' that's if I got a home to go back to. Pretty fuzzy on that. Was kinda an 'end of the world' thing before I came here," she explained.

Celes Chere

Mid just gave Celes a quizzical look when she told her that her bell suggesting wasn't a 'bad idea'.
"'course it's not a bad idea. Look who gave it to you," she said jovially, playfully putting her fist to Celes's shoulder. Okay, so maybe she wasn't quite used to having to prove herself again. Most people already knew what she was capable of. Even if sometimes she had to sell them on her wilder ideas.

"Turn it automatic?" she repeated to Celes's suggestion regarding the crossbow. "Nah, I weren't gonna suggest that. I mean, to do that, you'd need some kinda automated cog system, probably built usin' elastic to carry tension an' linked into the trigger an- 'Ere, hang about a mo..." Mid said, as the idea that she hadn't been thinking about took over. She glanced around, and rushed over to the desk, where she found a scrap of paper with some kind of information on it. She flipped it over, and fished a pencil out from behind her ear, and quickly began sketching. A few moments later, she had a rough design for a potential automatic crossbow sketched out. "There we go. That oughta do it. 'course, I'd need a couple of things for the prototype..." she said, showing the paper to Celes. And then glancing down at the paper again, and reconsidering. An automated crossbow. That was quite the weapon. Rapid fire. It could mow down people quickly. In the wrong hands...

For a moment, she saw her Dad in front of her. Cid. He'd probably have liked the idea. Said it would have evened the odds. But it only evened the odds if it was in the hands of the right people. And she didn't know these Dragonblades yet. And even then, what if it got out?

"Actually, nevermind, not quite there yet," she said, glancing down at the sketch, and then screwing it up and thrusting it into her pocket. "Nevermind, eh?" she added. "Anyway, that weren't what I was gonna say. I built this," she reached back into her satchel, and produced... what looked like a potion tied to a lemon strapped together with various pieces of copper wire, haning in a metal case. "See, idea behind this is the lemon produces an electrical charge, like the type you'd get from a crystal producin' lightning, an' it magnetised the metal casing. Someone fires a crossbow bolt at you, an' it picks up the metal bolt, an' pulls the bolt right into the device, which in turn smashes the potion bottle. Not only does it reduce the impact from the bolt, but covers any potential injury in a curin' liquid too. Sure, really, you gotta drink the stuff for it to be really effective, but it should cover up the slight bruise from the impact. An' there you have it. Someone shoots you, an' you're basically immune, if you got one of these strapped to yer chest," Mid explained. "'Course, there's some drawbacks. It only works once, so you'd have to carry a whole bunch of 'em to be safe for a long time. An', well, you need fresh lemons each time, which, I guess, at least, keeps your armour smellin' lemony fresh, yeah? But it's only a prototype I knocked up with no money an' no idea where I am to show you what I can do, so, gimme a bit of time, an' I'm sure I can fix those problems." Mid had no idea how. But, well, half of engineering was figuring it out as you went, right?

Mid was, at least, a little surprised by the pamphlet. She took it, and looked over it.
"Wow. I were thinkin' you'd be prepared for this kinda thing, but that takes the biscuit," she remarked, as she looked over it. "Honestly, it ain't the gil I'm interested in. I mean, it'd be nice n' all, but I weren't never paid nowt back home. Did it for the love of doin' it. An' 'cause I believed in the cause. That's why I'm here, and not sellin' my skills to the nearest bunch of shiny knights or whoever's in power. I learned what I learned to help people, not to hurt 'em. Me Dad you see, back home, he-" she hesitated for a moment, not particularly wanting to touch upon any actual, real emotion. "Well, he ran this organisation. To help the people who weren't gettin' none from the people in power. Gave up a lot to do it too. An' that's where I were raised. What I believe in. So, if you'll 'ave me, bein' with you is where I wanna be," she finally explained.

"So, we good then? You got a place I can stay, an' maybe work too? I mean, I'm a genius, but even I can't build stuff outta thin air. I'm gonna need some materials, an' somewhere to cobble 'em together. Don't have to be nowt fancy, just a table somewhere will do at first," Probably best not to demand a workshop out of the gate, Mid thought. "An' maybe I can borrow some of your strapping Dragonblade fellas to round up some materials fer me. Used to send me Dad's mate, Clive, to get all me bits, but he in't here now, so, guess I gotta get someone else to do it," she said with a smirk.

Celes Chere

Mid had theories. Of course she did. The new world in which she found herself had clear similarities with her own. Gil was still a currency, there were still crystals, magic spells had similar names, weapons and technology seemed similar, although she had to admit, there was some impressive engineering in the town she had learned was called Torensten. Actual airships! Of course, airships had existed in the past, but as magical constructs of the Fallen. Not like here. Somehow, the idea that airships existed and yet the world hadn't dipped into war was incredibly comforting for her. Maybe she had been rash in her plan to bury her plans...

But fascination at the airship technology aside, the question of what had actually happened lingered. Ultima's plan still rang in her head. Ultima was a God, and Mid hated magic, mostly because it was difficult to quantify. With engineering, you knew what every part could do, and if you didn't, you'd find out, but with this? Who knew what Ultima was capable of? His plan had been to create a new world, devoid of humans, right? Had the plan gone wrong, but had he carried it out anyway? Was this that new world? She had thought Clive stopped him. She had seen Origin destroyed.

And yet, here she was. In a whole new world.

Of course, there was a hole in her hypothesis. And that was that not only was nobody else from the hideaway present, but nobody here seemed to have ever heard of Valisthea, or Bearers, or anything that was familiar to Mid. That suggested this new world was already populated. Was it possible? A lot of astrologers had theorised that the stars in the sky could be home to other worlds. Could it be that Ultima had picked another world that was already populated? But if that was true, where was Ultima?

Of course, the questions weren't actually her first priority. Mid realised that for someone who had spent her entire life as the daughter of an outlaw, she wasn't actually very survival minded. The Hideaway had always been her home, and then the University. She had never really had to fend for herself. She was the engineer; she had other people to do things like gather food and money and fight. But here, she was entirely alone. She could solve the great mystery of the cosmos that had happened later. Her first priority should be securing food. And lodgings. Even geniuses needed to eat and sleep. Sometimes.

Then there was a question of how to find somewhere to stay and earn gil. Being a genius was all very well and good, but it didn't help when your only credentials was that you had studied at the University of Kanver which didn't exist in this world. However, Mid wouldn't be Mid if she couldn't talk anyone into anything. She just had to find a place worthy of her talents.

And that was how she'd heard about the Dragonblades. She wasn't crazy about the idea of hiring herself out to a mercenary army, but at the same time, it was an option. They seemed a pretty decent sort. They didn't fight for any government and weren't involved in any wars. They'd do for now. Besides, Mid didn't have to give them the good stuff. Although she had knocked something up to demonstrate what she could do.

And so, she strode confidently into the Dragonblade headquarters, taking it in and looking for someone.
"Heyup, anybody about?" she called out into the room. "Figurin' I could lend you lot a hand," she said loudly. "If you're interested in a genius, that is..."


Celes Chere