02 The Girls Arrive in the East / Kisuzu Usagi

Previously, on Usagi Days: The four girls stop for ramen. Even though Orcs have left the Earth, Ruby Hanasaki believes they are still here. After all, they burned down her village, when she was young. She declares she will take revenge and rid the Earth of all Orcs, once and for all.

- 2.1 - The Girls Pay for the Meal -

Anemone popped open the trunk. She gathered a few bottles of acrebrew. Seasoning, various spices and dried herbs. Plain old salt. A box with medicines, like dried rootbark and powdered leafdust. Bandages. Sugar buns.

Ivy, watching the sugar buns leaving the trunk, sheepishly: "Ah … Maybe we could keep … a few buns? Mayhaps? … Perchance?"

Violet: "(Ivy … you can't just say perchance …)"

Anemone ignored her, and presented the contents to the old man. Payment for a delicious meal. He bowed deeply, and thanked them.

Old man: "You're very generous. The village will be so grateful. We have been short of medicine lately." He bowed again. He chuckled. "And of course, one can never get enough acrebrew. But ah, that's the old man in me talking again."

The girls laughed.

Old man: "Ah … Before you leave … Would it be rude to ask for …"

Ruby smiled, her eyes lit up. She already knew what he wanted.

After all, everyone always asked for it, at some point.

How could they not?

- 2.2 - Violet Gives a Tour of the Car -

Violet cleared her throat. With an affected, semi-professional voice, she launched into her usual spiel: "A-hem! In the year 2001, at the start of the new millennium, Kisuzu Motors debuted their famous 'Usagi' line. This is the first generation, with the 'Bunny Pink' body paint, as you can see. And under the hood we have a 4-cylinder, in-line engine. Top of the line, naturally aspirated."

Ivy, rolling her eyes: "(She doesn't even know what that means.)"

Violet, pretending not to hear her friend: "If you follow me into the driver side"—she opened the driver side door—"you got your standard steering wheel, infotainment, gauge cluster. All the good stuff."

The old man marveled in wonder. "My. It's so spacious on the inside. You wouldn't expect it from looking at the outside."

Ruby: "Yeah, she's a beauty, for sure. How about a ride?"

The old man stared at her, eyes wide.

Ruby smiled. "Just around the block."

- 2.3 - Ruby, Anemone Take the Shopkeeper For a Joyride -

Ruby drove around the village perimeter with the old man sitting shotgun.

Anemone sat in the back, rifle in her lap. Ivy and Violet had stayed back.

The ramen owner pointed out to the girls various points of interest. He reminisced to them about happy times. Sad times. Hard times. Sometimes he sat in silence, and thought about the world and the village. And other times he just sat, enjoying the ride.

Old man: "Where are you girls headed next, if you don't mind me asking?"

Ruby: "We got a few deliveries to make. We'll be heading up to Confier Village. Have you ever been up there?"

Old man: "Oh, heavens, no. I'm not fit for long travel these days."

Anemone: "How about Ithaca Station? Hear any talk about that?"

At the sudden mention of Ithaca, Ruby suppressed a wince. She looked back at Anemone in the rear view mirror, uneasily.

Old man: "Ithaca? No … No, I'm afraid that's just a legend, my dear. There's just no possible way something like that exists. I'm sorry, but it's true."

Anemone folded her arms, and said nothing. She looked out the window blankly. Then she scoffed, and said, "Yeah? Why don't you tell that to my sister."

- 2.4 - The Girls Say Farewell -

After a while Ruby drove back. When they returned to the ramen stall, the old man sat for a bit in silence. He ran his hands over the car's interior, admiring the car's interior, the craftmanship of the materials. At last he got out and looked at the four girls, and sighed contentedly. He said, "That was really something else. Thank you. I don't know how to repay you girls."

Violet, giving him a thumbs up: "Don't worry about it, gramps! Just be sure to keep the ramen shop open for us next time we come around!"

Old man: "You got it. My shop's open anytime for you girls. You take care now."

Violet and Ivy gathered up the rest of their stuff and loaded up the car.

They exchanged a final round of farewells, and then the girls were off.

The old man waved to the Usagi as Ruby drove away. Violet and Ivy, in the backseat, waved through the rear window as the old man shrunk from view.

Ruby: "Can you believe that? Here's a man who has lived through the worst years of the Orc Menace. And he hasn't let it destroy him."

The other girls nodded solemnly, in awe at the man's resilience and strength.

Little did they know, he was thinking the exact same thing about them, at that moment.

- 2.A - Appendix -

Lore entry #001: Orc Invasion of 2002

In the summer of 2002, the course of humanity was forever altered by the invasion of a monstrous, extraterrestrial species. These beings, characterized by their large, muscular physiques and greenish skin, were quickly and informally dubbed 'Orcs' by human observers due to their appearance.

The Orcs possess technology that far surpasses that of our own, as demonstrated by their capacity for interstellar and faster-than-light travel. Efforts to reverse engineer Orc technology have produced no results, and we are no closer to understanding the mechanics behind their most widespread and significant device, the Stochastic Disruption Field (SDF), the effects of which continue to plague humanity to this day.

Even simple attempts to merely utilize their technology, without regard for why it works in the first place, have similarly proven fruitless; and as a result, Earth continues to be littered with alien technology, such as leftover anti-entropic devices, their full potential power waiting to be harnessed by us.

Paradoxically, despite having access to such advanced technology, Orc weaponry is simple in both its brutality and effectiveness. Entire armies and nations have been conquered with nothing more than crudely-constructed edged weapons. All the more perplexing, given that Orcs are perfectly capable of intricate and complex metalwork, as evidenced by interstellar fleet of ships.

Some have posited that perhaps Orcs enjoy the physical act of slaughter. Or perhaps it is a testament to humanity's own comparative weakness that the Orcs did not deem it necessary to employ a more advanced arsenal against us.

Perhaps historian K. Hayabusa phrases it best, in his self-published account of events: "… after all, when an Orc can rip apart a human with their bare hands, and our bullets and bombs do nothing, what need do they have for anything more advanced than a sharp stick?"

Indeed, the physical sturdiness of an Orc body is beyond human understanding. Entire cities have been levelled by our nation's own armies, to little effect and minimal losses to the Orc population.