Other Side of the Raid
Meet and greet (Part 1)
đť BBN Transmission Log
World: Post-Comet Earth
BBN Podcast: Latest Character Interview
đĄ Chapter Navigation
âŹ
ď¸ Previous: Homework (Part 2)
âĄď¸ Next: [Coming Soon (30.04.2026) - Subscribe for Updates]
đ Series Hub: Complete chapter list and series info
Previously on âThe Other Side of the Raidâ
Chapter 9, Part 2: Homework
Returning through a portal to Tokyoâs busy streets, Aria nearly walks straight into Hina Matsumoto, the social media personality. To keep the visit low-key, Aria explains she is simply collecting food from Ryuseiâs restaurant for a private gathering back in London. Ryusei, whose restaurant has grown busier than ever, agrees to prepare the order in exchange for Dungeon crystals to replenish his dwindling reserves. Aria makes a detour to Senso-ji Shrine, where she finds Vaeloria taking selfies during what she calls a routine âinspection.â Vaeloria cheerfully provides a handful of fully-charged crystals, brushing off Ariaâs concern by explaining that rare boss fights can occasionally drop them in that condition.
At the restaurantâs back entrance, Aria encounters an unexpected face: Captain Whiskers, the interdimensional feline content creator, complete with a professional camera rig trained on the alley. He informs her that footage of her confrontation in Los Angeles has spread across his quantum-viral network, reaching an audience of over a trillion beings across three galaxies. He also brings welcome news that Lily Zhang is progressing well through her recovery. When Ryusei emerges with the completed order, he is visibly baffled by the catâs sophisticated equipment, and Aria does her best to pass the encounter off as admiring a photogenic stray. After the exchange, she portals back to London, stores Ryuseiâs food in a time-frozen pocket dimension, and collapses into bed.
The following day, anxiety about her upcoming meeting with Lady Kitsune Starweaverâher first journey off-worldâdraws Aria to wander London on foot until she finds herself at her old Guild Hall. Mr. Wiskers appears beside her on the bench and, after learning the source of her nerves, reassures her that the Pride has contacts throughout the Pleiades Entertainment Hub and will quietly ensure her safety there. The conversation is interrupted when Kate arrives and insists on making tea. To Ariaâs great relief, Kate returns with a perfectly ordinary cup of chamomile, and an afternoon of Guild gossip and familiar company settles Ariaâs nerves before the extraordinary challenge that lies ahead.
Key Takeaways:
Aria makes an unofficial stop in Tokyo to collect food from Ryuseiâs restaurant for a private party in London
Ryuseiâs crystal reserves are running low due to the restaurantâs growing success and fewer Dungeon runs with Kaoru
Vaeloria supplies fully-charged crystals, claiming they are a rare drop from special boss encounters
Captain Whiskers reveals that video of Ariaâs Los Angeles confrontation has gone viral across three galaxies with over a trillion viewers
Lily Zhang is recovering well and expected to return to content creation soon
Aria stores Ryuseiâs food in a time-frozen pocket dimension, demonstrating casual use of Federation technology in her daily life
Aria is preparing for her first off-world visit to the Pleiades Entertainment Hub to meet Lady Kitsune Starweaver
The Pride has established contacts at the Pleiades Entertainment Hub and will monitor Ariaâs safety during the meeting
Meet and greet (Part 1)
It was the morning of the big trip. Aria had been ready since dawn, triple-checking her dimensional storage to ensure Ryuseiâs carefully prepared dishes remained perfectly preserved in their time-frozen state. When Vaeloria finally popped into her apartment via portal, trailing her usual sparkles of interdimensional energy, Ariaâs nerves were at their peak.
Vaeloria: âOMG, youâre like, totally ready already!â She bounced excitedly, her feet barely touching the ground. âAnd your outfit is perfect for meeting Lady Kitsune Starweaver!â
Aria: âThe foodâs secured in time-frozen storage,â she replied, trying to maintain her diplomatic composure despite her growing anxiety. âThough Iâm still not entirely sure about the gift protocol...â
Vaeloria: âChill! Itâs gonna be literally amazing!â She began crafting a portal with more flourish than usual, the edges shimmering with extra dimensional energy. âThough we should probably mention the whole time-frozen food thing to security. They get super weird about temporal anomalies and stuff.â
The portal opened to reveal the gleaming entrance of the Pleiades Entertainment Hubâs Primary Reality Checkpoint. The architecture seemed to shift and flow, adapting its appearance to each viewerâs cultural preferences. To Aria, it appeared as a fascinating blend of classical British governmental buildings and advanced technological elements that defied Earth physics.
SENTINEL: âWelcome to Pleiades Entertainment Hub. Beginning standard reality verification protocols. Please maintain your current quantum state.â
The AIâs voice managed to be both perfectly professional and somehow comforting.
Vaeloria: âUgh, SENTINEL, itâs just me and my totally VIP guest!â She rolled her eyes dramatically. âCan we skip the boring stuff?â
SENTINEL: âIdentity confirmed: Location Manager Vaeloria. VIP protocols activated. Temporal anomaly detected in guestâs dimensional storage. Initiating specialized scanning sequence.â
Aria watched in fascination as various scanning fields swept over them, each one seeming to analyze a different layer of reality. The air around her dimensional storage sparkled as the security systems carefully examined her gift without disturbing its temporal stasis.
Vaeloria: âSee? Totally standard procedure,â she waved dismissively as they passed through the security checkpoint. âThough usually people donât bring time-frozen Earth food as gifts. Thatâs like, super creative!â
They entered a gravity tube that would carry them to Producerâs Row. Through the transparent walls, Aria could see the vast expanse of the Hub spreading out below them. Millions of beings from countless species went about their business, while holographic displays showed real-time rating statistics from across the galaxies.
Vaeloria: âQuick heads up,â she said as they approached their destination, suddenly showing a rare moment of seriousness. âWhen we get to Lady Kitsune Starweaverâs office, like, donât be surprised if everything looks totally different than you expect. Reality gets super flexible in Producer spaces.â
The gravity tube deposited them in Producerâs Row, where the architecture became even more fluid. Corridors seemed to extend impossibly in multiple directions, while doorways occasionally phased in and out of existence. What appeared to be windows displayed scenes from various shows across different planets, the ratings for each floating in elegant holographic displays.
Vaeloria: âLike, donât try too hard to make sense of the geometry here,â she advised, noticing Ariaâs bewildered expression. âProducer spaces are totally custom-reality zones. Just focus on where weâre going, not how weâre getting there.â
Easier said than done. Aria tried to avoid looking too closely at a corner that appeared to bend in five different directions simultaneously.
They passed what appeared to be a meeting in progress - though âmeetingâ seemed inadequate to describe the gathering of beings from various realities all somehow occupying the same space while existing in different dimensional planes.
Vaeloria: âOh em gee, looks like the Andromeda Network is pitching new show concepts,â she whispered, then quickly hurried Aria past. âTrust me, you do NOT want to get caught in one of their brainstorming sessions. Last time, three writers accidentally wrote themselves into a parallel universe!â
As they approached Lady Kitsune Starweaverâs office, the reality distortions became more pronounced. The corridor ahead seemed to exist in multiple states simultaneously, each version slightly different. Some showed elegant wood paneling, others gleaming crystal, and one appeared to be made entirely of solidified starlight.
Vaeloria: âKay, so like, super important Producer etiquette time!â She stopped just before the final approach. âWhen you first enter, the office will try to adapt to your expectations. Donât let it! Just like, let it settle into whatever Lady Kitsune Starweaver wants it to be. Fighting reality shifts in a Producerâs personal space is totally awkward.â
Aria nodded, though she wasnât entirely sure how one âfoughtâ reality shifts. Before she could ask for clarification, a small group of beings emerged from a nearby office, all looking slightly dazed.
Junior Producer: âThe ratings projection models look promising,â one was saying, their form shifting between various species as they spoke. âThough Iâm still not sure about that timeline where Earth develops FTL travel next Tuesday...â
Vaeloria: âReady?â She asked, positioning herself before what appeared to be either a door, a portal, or possibly just a more organized section of chaos. âRemember - Lady Kitsune Starweaver is like, super impressed with your performance metrics, so just be yourself! Well, your totally awesome interdimensional celebrity self, but you know what I mean!â
Vaeloria waved her hand in what looked like an unnecessarily complex gesture, and the space before them... transformed. Aria couldnât quite tell if they stepped through a door, walked around a corner, or simply shifted into a new reality. One moment they were in the corridor, and the next they stood in what had to be Lady Kitsune Starweaverâs office. The space defied easy description. At first glance, it appeared to be a traditional executive office, albeit one that could comfortably fit inside Westminster Abbey. Then Aria noticed how the walls seemed to continue into infinity while somehow remaining cozy and intimate. Reality rippled subtly around the edges of her vision, like heat waves rising from summer pavement.
Vaeloria: âLady Lady Kitsune Starweaver,â she announced with uncharacteristic formality, âmay I present Aria, our rising star from Earth!â
At the center of this impossible space sat an elegant desk that seemed to be carved from a single massive crystal. Behind it, Lady Kitsune Starweaver rose with fluid grace, her nine tails moving in perfect choreography. She wore what appeared to be a business suit made from quantum silk, the fabric shifting colors with each movement while somehow remaining professionally understated.
Lady Kitsune Starweaver: âDarling, weâve been absolutely dying to meet you,â she smiled warmly, though her golden eyes held calculating intelligence. âYour performance metrics are simply extraordinary.â
The air around her shimmered slightly as she moved, reality itself seeming to adjust to accommodate her presence. Her fox ears twitched subtly, catching sounds from dimensions Aria probably couldnât perceive.
Lady Kitsune Starweaver: âPlease, have a seat,â she gestured, and comfortable chairs materialized perfectly positioned for conversation. âWould you care for some tea? I have a simply delightful blend from Omicron Persei 8.â
Remember what Vaeloria said about letting the reality settle Aria carefully sat down, trying not to focus too hard on whether the chair had existed before she saw it.
As Aria sat down, a delicate tea service materialized on a small table between them. The teapot seemed to be brewing tea in several quantum states simultaneously, the liquid inside shifting between various shades of purple while releasing spirals of iridescent steam.
Lady Kitsune Starweaver: âI must say,â she began while effortlessly pouring tea that somehow remained perfectly stable despite its quantum state, âyour solution to our Senso-ji situation was quite inspired. Ratings are up 300% since implementation, and the youkai are positively thrilled with their new creative freedom.â
One of her tails moved with elegant precision to pass Aria a teacup that looked like it might have been crafted from crystallized starlight.
Aria: âThank you,â she replied diplomatically, accepting the cup. âThough I hope I didnât overstep any boundaries with those changes.â
Lady Kitsune Starweaver: âDarling, when you achieve numbers like yours, thereâs quite a bit of flexibility regarding boundaries,â she smiled, showing just a hint of fang. âThough I must admit, your latest performance...â her tails swished with barely contained excitement, â...the metrics were simply astronomical.â
Vaeloria, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, bounced slightly in her seat.
Vaeloria: âThe fight with The Efficient Exterminators literally broke our quantum rating systems!â She burst out, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands, glancing apologetically at Lady Kitsune Starweaver.
Lady Kitsune Starweaver: âIndeed,â she agreed, seeming amused by Vaeloriaâs enthusiasm. âThough perhaps we should discuss your... creative approach to conflict resolution over some proper refreshments?â Her eyes flickered to the dimensional storage where Aria kept her gift. âI understand youâve brought something special from Earth?â
Before Aria could respond, loud voices echoed from outside the office.
đĄ End of Transmission
Oliver here - That was quite a chapter! Our dimensional frequency is picking up intense emotional resonance from Ariaâs world. What did you think of her decision? The comments below are buzzing with theories from other interdimensional travelers...