1256/The Candy Sea

The Candy Sea
Date of Scene:	03 January 2015
Location:	A Quiet World
Synopsis:	Some conversations are held regarding how to prepare for the inevitable... ... featuring some cute on the side with Kimiko and Melody.
Cast of Characters:	Kotone Yamakawa, Arthur Lowell, Staren, 183, 253, Riva Banari, Eryl Fairfax, 570
Tinyplot:	A Chime at the Precipice

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Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Beside the 'throne' is what could only be called a candy garden. In earnest, it looks like something from Willy Wonka's factory if such a thing could've been made at a much more modest scale as its 'flowers' happen to look quite a lot like budding peppermint spirals, and its grasses look like they could've been made from white chocolate. This whole affair is segregated from the standard candy walkway by small stakes of chocolate spirals that are connected to one another by liquorice that serve as ropes.

    Likewise, the garden tender - a girl no more than seven or eight years old with pink hair to match her ocean and blue eyes to match a more conventional one - pours yet more milk chocolate sprinkles upon the bizarre plants with a pitcher whose top resembles a cupcake, and whose bottom resembles a teapot. Truly, you can could traipse no nearer to Lewis Carol's imaginings if you tried, and it is every bit as unnerving as you would expect a world of utter nonsense to be as well. Kimiko, Psyber, and any others who have had experience with 'Witch's Barriers' may well have noticed the similarity that this entire world holds to one, in its usually innocuous way, but that feeling is strangely amplified in this specific region. This might encourage them to stay on guard.

    Two more familiar figures are present as well: the first, Sheep, was encountered in the Mystical Waterway as an agent of Apathy. She is as monochromatic and unpleasant as she was then, of that you can be assured, though the other figure, the Artist from the same locale, may seem quite a bit more agreeable should you care to approach her. She is rather distant from Sheep and the Melody girl, electing instead to roost with a canvas and tools by the edge of this miniature candy continent.

    Speaking of, it might be worth noting that that is where Mizuki has led you. Through said portal in the Monochrome Desert and directly onward over bridges of yet more of those chocolate wafers, all the way over to the whimsical (if not exactly glamorous) candy throne. Mizuki is quick to approach Melody from behind, opening her mouth almost immediately to explain the situation for her, but Sheep pre-empts this by, through a single fluid motion, skating behind the lady and laying her hand over her mouth. "Not so fast, lady." Sheep's voice isn't quite so abrasive as it was last time, quite. "There's stuff we need to talk about before you go taking anything. Sophie will be here in a little while, so you guys should just hang tight."

    Of course, Mizuki wrestles free seconds after, still considering whether or not to abide her rather rude 'request' before the others would have time to get situated.

Staren has posed:
    Staren steps out of the gate into... CANDY WORLD. His tail bristles and his ears flatten.

    But this isn't the same one. He sighs and tries to relax, tail lashing in annoyance. He notices the gardener and smiles to her, then turns to look around. His shifting is more subdued this time -- instead of rapidly changing shapes, he only shifts through several outfits, finally landing on what he's been wearing in GGO, which he was playing just before he came here (though his body doesn't change to look like his avatar.) It has a vague 'future military cowboy' vibe to it. The outfit comes with a gun -- reflexively, he checks the magazine, reinserts it, pulls back the slide, checks that a round has been loaded into the chamber, and then holsters it.

    He's been playing a lot of GGO over the past day.

    Staren looks up and catches sight of familiar figures. He smiles and waves and walks over.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl is here, looking around with a little bit of a grimace. Not because the scenery is distasteful to him. On the contrary, he finds it quite appealing, in a saccharine sort of way. But, the floating continents and the seemingly-impossible colouration of some of the plants has Original Face buzzing again. Though, he doesn't want to worry people, so he pushes away the frown and smiles softly.

     He is clad in a suit, of course. One gifted to him by Psyber. But over it, he wears Riva's gift. A full-length cloak that hangs to his ankles, black cloth with a silver chain to secure it. Though he has taken the greatest care to keep it dust-free with Ayako's brush, a little bit still clings to the hem.

     Looking around, he inclines his head to Sheep, keeping a wary eye on her, and a proper bow and smile to the Artist and the young gardener. When Sheep mentions Sophie though, his hands clench into fists underneath the cloak. "So. We wait, hm?" Removing the cloak, he neatly folds it into a cushion before taking a seat on the ground, sitting on it.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    The similarities between this area and places Kimiko has previously visited is unsettling. Rarely could one find a young girl so unhappy to find a world of candy. It's inevitable, though, as those previous experiences were of the type that ends in ruthless violence. Struggling to put aside that bias is a bit difficult for her--and recent events have hardly been relaxing, otherwise. Still, she's trying not to jump at anything and everything, and she's usually a good handle on controlling herself.

    She still looks a bit grumpy, even through the usual mask of passive observation, in her faux-Victorian dress. She is probably not going to talk to anyone like this. Instead, she elects to take a walk around.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber is here. The half-angel looks like he fits into a magical rainbow land of candy about as well as one would imagine he would: Not particularly well.

    He's like a black licorice bite in a world of skittles. He's like the coffee-flavored bean in a bag of Jelly Bellies. He's a shot in whiskey in a world of sangria. He's a black, no milk, no cream in a world of lattes and fizzy sodas. You get the point.

    A gritty, longcoat wearing half-angel who frequently smokes looks quite awkward in a world of candy and color. And so he's kind of just meandering about and waiting for the world to progress its personal plotline.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    Arthur Lowell is here.

    The Prime Arthur has followed Mizuki in his usual way, swaggering and confident as he drifts his way through the portal, nothing but wide grins and eager looks. The area around him doesn't fit his usual tastes, maybe, but something made out of trashy snack foods wouldn't look near as good. "HEYA," He says, with a wide grin, doing a quick fingergun to Sheep, who he recalls from terrible traumatic events previous. And then the Artist, from much the same! She gets the same too. Arthur doesn't like them. Sheep is part of the people doing the vast and terrible destruction he doesn't like, and the Artist is, well, frankly a jerk, but Arthur still gives them the friendliness he gives anyone and everyone!

    "If there's ONE THING that I LOVE, it's doin' some TALKIN'! So HEY, we wanna do a LITTLE MORE than the USUAL, don't mind at ALL!" A friendly, casual shrug. Melody, the candy heart of all this, isn't spoken to yet, in an attempt to adhere to the terms. The boy then floats, casually, drifting weightlessly in a reclined position with his fingers behind his head. "Besides, gonna be GOOD to see SOPHIE again, maybe she can DROP BETTER HINTS an' I can stop HOLDING OUT as much, god DAMN."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
So Kotone is just looking about at the candy land, seriously this does feel like somethin that escaped WIlly Wonka's Candy factory. For the moment however she's silent and just trying to take things in all the strange plants and eeeryone else she looks people she's run into before over and she has o wonder what's going to be happening thi time. She waves and makes for the group.

"Hello!"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "If you know what's good for you," Is Sheep's trite reply to Eryl as she plucks a lollipop from the ground, sneaking it into her mouth and her hands back into her pockets. "Play this any other way and we'll have some trouble. Believe it or not, this place is really consequential and shit. 'Fate' happens here later, and what you do now could seriously screw that up, so I'm here to make sure you don't. Or, Apathy is here to do that, but I'll do that until she does." She would give the rest of them appraising looks of somehow overstated disinterest. As before, her eyes remain constantly shut which makes it rather difficult to tell who, specifically, she is appraising at any given time, but a bizarre weight might still serve as an indication for any who exchange her weird, pseudo-glares. Seems she really -can- see despite keeping them closed, though.

    Next, Sheep's gaze comes to rest on Psyber, who gets a decidedly mischievous and coy smile. Nothing out of the ordinary, here. "Ooooh, this guy." She might take a few paces in his direction. "You're the guy who wanted to see Apathy, huh? 'Cause the stupid version of the loud kid did broke something? Well, there's probably more to it, but still. Guess you're in luck, 'cause she'll be here before you know it. She's pretty busy, but she gets things done pretty quickly. This isn't her first time doing everything she has to do, after all. You probably don't need me to explain that, right? Right. Cool."

    Melody, in the meanwhile, wouldn't respond to much of anyone. She would give them all curious looks and miiight edge behind Sheep for a few moments, but afterwards she would drop her water pail and... follow after Kimiko. She doesn't call particular attention to herself, but given her bumbling, somewhat clumsy manner, it's unlikely she'll remain hidden for long. Especially considering the other girl's relative sensitivity to the presence of others. Nevertheless, she would accompany her on her walk, which would likely take them both to a waterfall pouring down that same, viscous, sweet pink 'water'. Almost as soon as they arrive Melody would scoop some up into an appropriately tiny teacup, sipping with a contented smile. "Mmmm!" She would glance to Kimiko after she's sure she's been noticed. "You should really try some! It's good. Maybe it would make you feel better, too! You look grumpy."

    ... no, she's probably not going to leave you alone unless you're stern about it. She's just one of those sorts of kids.

    Back with Arthur, Sheep... just snorts. "Stop holding out? No. No, that's pretty much not going to happen, ever. It's in the rules. Once the world ends maybe you can tell everyone why it went to shit, though, and you can all cry together. Like Telephone and I have every ~ single ~ time before now." Her smile grows wider and wider still until a tooth like a small fang peeks out of her grimace. Just to accentuate the whole 'I'm a terribly evil bitch' thing, in all likelihood.

    For the Artist's part, she just keeps on with her painting. It seems all the background details are accounted for and the neck of the portrait has been drawn, but all that leaves a rather... disturbing blank space where the face should be. For Faruja's sake, let's hope the visage of his religious figure is accounted for when next he lays eyes upon this masterpiece-to-be.

Riva Banari has posed:
It's another visit to Mizuki's amazing imagination world, and Riva is right there. She loves the place, although over time she's gained some ulterior motives in making sure she's present as much as possible.

As she steps out of the Gate, the first thing she sees is Eryl wearing her present. Riva immediately hops over, giving Eryl a hug. "Oh, you're wearing it! I'm happy you like it, Eryl!" She grins, and lets him go so he can be quietly dignified again. Such things are important to being a diplomat.

Riva herself is dressed in her casuals, but she has a new black leather jacker that has a chibi Riva face giving a thumbs up on the back. She thinks it's adorable.

Next up is Mizuki herself, as Riva hops past the confrontation with her, Melody, and Sheep. Riva gives Mizuki a hug too. "It's been too long, Mizuki. If I didn't know better I'd think you were hiding from me~" She teases her. "Hey Sheep!" Riva turns and holds up a hand. "High five! What's going down in candytown?" She smiles a bit. "This place is pretty awesome. It reminds me of some stuff I've seen in the movies, I never thought I'd see it for real!" She chuckles at that.

As Arthur approaches as well, Riva flips, going sailing past for a 720 FLYING HIGH-FIVE. After she lands, she nods to Arthur. "Hang out in a candy wonderland with all kinds of cool people in it? I'm one hundred percent down with that. Don't worry about it, Arthur, you might be getting the whole CURSED WITH FOREKNOWLEDGE thing..." Riva does the spooky handwiggles at that. "But that just means you've gotta PLAY IT COOL. We're all going to make it all work out."

She then looks over towards the Artist. She'll get to you in a moment, she sw\ears!

Staren has posed:
    More friends arrive! Staren smiles and waves. His ears twitch as he hears mysterious candy-water offered. While it's true that his appetite for candy-world is rather... dampened by a certain past experience, finally curiousity wins out. He conjures a mug and scoops up some of the curious pink goop before levitating it back to him and trying a sip. Maybe it's strawberry-flavored! That would be nice.

    "So. We're here to talk to Apathy? What does she want to talk about?" he wonders.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko's look to Melody is one of perfect neutrality, hiding her curiosity at the one they were not intended to talk to following her out and beginning conversation on her own. Not that she's likely to go against Sheep's wishes--Kimiko is ill-equipped to begin the pertinent conversation on her own.

    Rather than answering, or else as her way of giving an answer, she walks to the water's edge, leans over, and tries to divine what it is via smell. This is not her keenest sense, and so she may learn little. Again, she reminds herself that this is a land unlike any she's previously entered.

    "I lack a cup." Oh, yes. Right.

    Holding out one hand, she tries to imagine and conjure a tea-cup. It's difficult for her, being both like and unlike her own abilities. Conjuring porcelain niceties is far outside of what her magic allows, but here it should work... right?

    If successful, she'll make good on that invitation and sample the mysterious, pink water.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    Arthur makes a dismissive noise intended to cover up his own disappointment to Sheep. "YEAH, YEAH. Guy can DREAM, can't he?" A heavy sigh, and he keeps in reclining position. "Well whatever SOPHIA decides we need HEARIN', gotta HEAR IT, I guess. This ends the SAME WAY EITHER WAY." He unclasps his hands very briefly to do a quick highfive, spinning around once from the impact. And there's a quick laugh. "YEAH! You're right." Arthur gives a firm nod. "If there's ONE THING I'm fuckin' GREAT at, it's PLAYING IT COOL."

    Staren gets a more hollow kind of grin. "WELL, there's a LOT. If I HAD TO GUESS? Some NECESSARY SACRIFICE, a lot of BOGUS DEALS, some RUDE CRYPTICISM, and somethin' that'll make me REALLY FRUSTRATED by the end of it. Try not to HOLD IT AGAINST HER, yeah? She's in a TOUGH SPOT."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Yeah, that's me. Guy who wants to see Apathy," Psyber says, taking a huge cigar out of his jacket and promptly lighting it with a match that he then tosses away. It's as if his natural grittiness is directly endeavoring to protect him from the sugary sweet world he has become a part of.

    He exhales a cloud of smoke in a casual gesture, gripping the cigar in three fingers as he taps his foot, "I was hoping for a more private venue, but since this seems to be the best I can get at the moment, I will have to settle for it." He taps the cigar, letting some ash fall to the ground and then scuffing it with his boot toe.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl smiles and bows his head to Psyber when the investigator arrives. He certainly stands out, doesn't he? Well, Eryl isn't really one to talk in that regard, with his dark suit and all. He winces again as Arthur comes in and acts like himself, his loud voice not really helping with the headache he is getting.

     When Sheep addresses him, he turns his head to regard the monochrome woman, inclining it slightly. She really is terribly abrasive, but... if what she says is true, about seeing this all play out over and over, maybe he can forgive that. A little. "Very well then. We shall wait."

     But, then Riva comes to greet him with a hug. Rising up, he returns it, mentally calculating how long to hold it before it might get weird, and releasing her long before then. "It is a marvellous gift. Thank you," he says sincerely. Then, he does indeed go back to sitting on the cape in a dignified fashion, taking up one of the lolly-flowers and nibbling it as he waits.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is not so enthuastic as Rivs ia about Mizuki's world but it's not because of hate, it's because of the temptation she must not give into. For something she can likely never have again. Still it was a fantastic place and to say she'd not enjoyed her times here when it was peaceful would be a bald face lie.

Kotone atr the very least does try some of water to see what it tastes like she glances over to Psyber for a moment as he brings up wanting a more private venue.

"If you need us to go off while you talk to her Psyber, you just need to ask."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Sheep would quirk her brow at Riva, her expression straightening to something a bit more neutral to appropriately contrast her overflowing enthusiasm. "... hey, square," Is all she gets in the way of reply, at first. "Yeah, this place doesn't suck as bad as some others. And I'm pretty sure this was here the time when the Head Honcho found me and let me live here, so it's kinda nostalgic. You know Telephone and I met on a beach like the ones in Leviathan? ... yeah. Good times. That one wasn't called Leviathan, though. Back then the name wasn't terrible." A few moments later she would reach into the ground and pluck another lollipop, offering it to Riva. "Here. You look like you need more sugar." Grin~. Okay, that one might've been real.

    Mizuki is almost relieved to be addressed by Riva, here -- it gives her an excuse not to respond to Sheep right away. So with a deep breath and a comforting sigh, she would give the girl a weary smile, and a nod. "It has been a bit long, yes. But... 'hiding'? Perish the thought! No, I've only been busy, and rather preoccupied. I'm sorry to say I expect to remain 'busy' and 'preoccupied' each in the near future, but even so my doors are always open should you fancy a visit. Do let me know if you would ever like to come when things are not so dismal. It feels as though they have always been after so many months of travail, but I assure you there was a time when things were quite halcyon."

    Then, to Staren. Her face grows a bit more severe at his question. "Goodness only knows, really. I'd prefer not to, but I suppose we've no choice if we wish to avoid confrontation." This statement might be accompanied by a small glare from the girl. "... really, one would think that she would be -eager- for us to take the girl's life and be done with it seeing as she's playing the part of 'heavy hearted guardian' and whatnot. Peh. I do wish she would make up her blessed mind so that we may put this all behind us."

    Back with Kimiko, Melody would reply: "Oh, you can just --!" Oh, but she's got that covered, huh? Melody practically bounces on her heels as she waits to see what will come of Kimiko's imaginings, and what eventually does is... rather bizzare. It's somewhat lopsided, perhaps, but it certainly seems to be a 'cup' at least. One made of the promised glassy porcelain, and decorated with a simple, blue line of 'waves at the top and bottom rims. Now, the top nor the bottom are perfect circles, but even so it should be easy enough to scoop some of that liquid into them, and to sip from it. A bit awkward to hold, though; while the top is a trifle too large, the hole for her fingers is a trifle small. Probably not china she would wish to take home even if she could, but alas.

    To Arthur, Sheep just shrugs. "I won't blame you if you don't blame me for being kinda jaded about the whole thing. I mean, listen. When I moved here, Mimi told me this, basically: 'Things will be peachy forever, there are no rules, and your scumbag parents won't be around to treat you like crap anymore'. The second two things were true, I guess, but I don't consider this 'peachy forever'. And if you saw where Sophie, Telephone, Swan, and I had to crash every night, you would probably get kinda depressed, too. It's about as colorful as our names are back there, seriously. It sucks."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Then she turns to face Psyber with... a blink. It's really hard to explain her expression, but he looks like a dark black silhouette sitting in front of a brilliant sun in the background. That's to say, really mismatched. She almost laughs, but stifles it at the last moment in favor of an almost apologetic smile. "/Woooow/." She shakes her head, slowly. "Man, what in the hell are you -doing- here? You look like you've just come out of a detective show. Granted, we could probably really use a hardboiled detective around here, but... sheez. You being in this place, specifically, just seems eleven different flavors of wrong." With that she would folds her arms and gently fall into a plush column, not at all dissimilar from a Twinkie, that rises as she leans into it. She probably imagined that into existence, in other words. "But as far as meeting Sophie in private goes," She rolls a hand, "that can probably happen. She actually doesn't have a whole lot to say this time, so you'll probably have all the time you could ever want with her afterwards. That sound 'kay? Cool."

    Finally, Sheep just stares to Eryl a while before her head slooowly bobs up and down. "Ooookay. Glad I have your seal of approval, Mister Robot." And then she would remain mercifully silent for a while, resting her eyes...

    ... until a new figure emerges from the same portal the rest of the group had come from. This one makes herself known with a few very loud steps intended to make her arrival less of a surprise, but these steps quiet shortly thereafter to something more normal. Her form is, at first, pitch, with her eyes appearing as a pair of blue flames, but this 'dark mist' clears away very shortly thereafter to reveal an almost angelic girl with snow white hair, matching flesh, and a dress whose colors are perfectly opposite from Mizuki's. Actually, Mizuki would tense up the moment Apathy arrives, but she would not say anything or make any moves at this point that would make her seem properly threatening. One has to admit, though, it's a bit hard to ignore the skeletal hand, arm, and the probably skeletal section of her face that an especially long lock of her hair now carefully hides. It's also worth noting that her expression budges no more than would the most bleak stone.

    "Greetings, sojourners, and thank you for having me." She would bow her head faintly here before taking her place beside Sheep. "As Sheep has stated, I've only a brief few words to exchange before my departure. Bear with me, and you'll not need to suffer my presence for very long."

Staren has posed:
    When Mizuki raises a twinkie column, Staren grabs a piece of it and takes a bite. "You know, this isn't structurally sound at all..." he starts to quip, when Sophie arrives. He turns to watch her, frowning. After a moment, he folds his arms. "Well, let's hear it, then."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    Arthur looks a little forlorn for a moment, his face actually taking a serious expression. "Well if that's how it went down, you deserved some peachy." He says, briefly. Then he's back to his normal mannerisms! "And getchaself some SICK PAINTS, maybe it'd EASE UP on your MIND if ya had some COLOR!" He says, brightly!

    Arthur Lowell has arrived. Twice. A pair of boys are walking, next to Apathy. One has his arms wrapped around a large book, an anxious look in his eyes, and the other swaggers intensely, uncarringly with each step, a briad grin and somehow even more energy than Arthur Lowell Prime. The pair of Shades made of Arthur Lowell have arrived, both the demure and the deafening. "WHAT'S UP." The louder Arthur says, primarily to Psyber, with a bit of smugness. "HERE YOU GO, SOME TIME TO TALK. AND HEY, CHECK IT OUT, THIS TIME THERE'S NOTHING TO BE SCARED OF, AND YOU GET TO SEE WHAT'S WHAT. NOW MAYBE YOU CAN NOT GET YOUR SHIT IN A TWIST."

    The other Arthur remains, incredibly, silent. He's here, but any eyes on him are going to create visible discomfort for him. He takes a position somewhere near Apathy and prepares to collaborate in the discussion.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva totally takes the lollipop from Sheep and pops it into her mouth. She totally needs more sugar. "You guys are pretty amazing, really. I mean, even with the whole thing Sophie going on and all. Beaches are awesome places to meet people."

Mizuki looks super tired, though. Riva nods to her, and smiles. "YEah, I guess I know the feeling. Everything is super crazy these days. Even as much as I complained over the holidays about nothing to do, I wasn't /really/ all that bored. And you, well... You're always up to your eyebrows aren't you?" She leans in on Mizuki. "Stop by my place sometime, though. We should hang out and talk."

But then Sophie arrives, the subject of the moment, and Riva watches her curiously. "Wooo, you're getting the ominous on pretty hard there now, little lady." She smiles to Sophie. "Just relax a bit, okay? I can't speak for the others, but you're not making /me/ suffer with your mere presence."

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     While it may seem that Eryl is just sitting quietly, he is carefully listening and parsing what everyone says, especially Sheep. So, she was not always here, Mizuki invited her. Her parents were abusive, and she was promised a better life. One that did not entirely pan out, it seems. Poor girl.

     Although, his jaw clenches a little when she addresses him as 'Mister Robot.' "My name is Eryl, Miss Sheep, and I would rather that use that. If you must address me by what I am, I prefer 'Diplomat.' Or 'Cyborg,' if it must positively relate to what I physically am," he says. His voice is even, but there's a little bit of steel behind it. It seems Sheep found one of his buttons.

     But then, Sophie arrives, with the other Arthurs. One of which is even louder, somehow. Eryl's eye twitches as the headache steps it up a notch. Although, even as it does, Original Face is drawing links between the two Arthurs and the original, drawing assumptions. One is loud, the other silent. One walks in a way to deflect attention, the other to draw it. Perhaps there is more to the loud man than being loud? Hm. Rising to his feet, he bows to the new arrivals calmly. "It is good to see you all once again. I do look forward to what you have to say. I am sure it will be terribly cryptic and vague, but I will do my best to decipher it."

     Yup, this place is started to get to him.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa there's a fair bit to pick up as she listens after all sometimes she knows it's better ot keep her mouth closed for a moment and see what others have to say She hears the the reply to Riva and has to wonder if that's true or delberate she's not sure and there's no way to know on that one.

She sees that Pysber can get what he needs and she thinks good, she's also had some thoughts forming on the whole situation as of late but she isn't sure n them entirely not with what's said stioll there's a lot to think about.

"Ah see very well."

IF they have little time she's not going to eat up their time of those who need mroe out of them.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko frowns at her creation. She's tempted to use it as is, but then shakes her head. The strange piece of porcelain is set down, and she falls back on her own abilities. A round piece of steel, the size of a buckler, appears over her palm in a flash of silver light. It bends at every edge, twisting up and together intricately, the rough surface polishing itself to a mirror sheen, bending just so near tip and base, and only finally extending a place for her finger at the end. It's a tea-cup, most definitely, though made primarily of silver, and therefore rather unsuited for terrible hot beverages, given the thinness of it.

    The water does not seem terribly hot, so this should do. She pulls herself a half cupful, and tastes it.

    She does not, of course, know anything of what's happening back at the throne and garden.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber blandly replies, "Dames is trouble and I knew from the second I met her that Mizuki was the baker's dozen. The only question I had about her was if I'd wind up glaed over and half-chewed up by this world, or stuck in the oven with the heat turned up till I was burnt and darkened by yet another dame." He pauses a moment and then continues this monologue, "But either way, I knew it was the least of my problems and I had to rise to the occasion. It was gonna take a lot of dough, because the problems in this world were baked into its very core. Thick and dense like a rye bread that someone dipped in water, but it was soggy and falling apart at the seams. Any way you sliced it, the dame had buttered me up and I was sandwiched between problems."

    He exhales a big plume of smoke after saying this, as if checking if he had satisfied his noir quota for the day or not. He taps some more ash and then turns towards the Arthur that is actually EMPHASIZING AT HIM CONSTANTLY.

    He looks at the Arthur that is talking right at him and says, "Yeah. It does look like some time to talk. My shit will be sufficiently un-twisted by either this or my next meeting, so long as you don't off-handedly endeavor mass murder and require five across the eyes." Psyber says, flexing his hand a bit.

    He looks to Kotone, "It's fine, if I need a private meeting, I'll just arrange it on my own time."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Sheep raps her fingers on her wrist a moment before turning to Arthur. "Everyone who lives here and comes from a different world has a shitty backstory, and that's not a coincidence. Mizuki specifically looks for people who have had awful lives so that they can live here, and somehow that's been true every single time. In fact, almost -everything- is the same every time. It's almost like... you know how in psychology there's that 'nature vs. nurture' crap? I think this world is set up so that it will continually 'nurture' Mizuki back to being the same way that she was, because even though /she/ loses her memory, the world itself somehow remembers things." After several seconds her eyes would light up and she would slap a hand over her mouth, turning her gaze just in time to see Apathy returning with the closest thing she can manage to an intense scowl. Sheep whimpers a 'sorry', but it's likely far too quiet for most to hear.

    Sheep would remain mellow as she looks back to Riva, her expression almost... melting. "... they really are. And, you know? I don't think I ever would've met Tele if this weird world stuff wasn't happening, so there are good things about it. I guess." With that her gaze fixes on the ground, looking somehow apologetic and lost in a daydream all at once... at least until she's broken out of that by Psyber's mini monologue. An... extended cooking analogy? Well, it kinda makes sense since they're all in candyland, but still. Does this make him fit in more or less around here? If she had to pick one it would probably be 'more', but she's seriously uncertain. "... God, where did you even come from? You are one weird, weird cowboy." Her smile might suggest that that whole piece endeared him to her, though, however slightly. For whatever the feelings of an errant sheep may be worth. She is not, however, falling for him. Yet.

    For Mizuki's part, she would return Riva's words with a gentle nod of her head and a smile. "... I keep myself rather occupied these days, yes. But in a way, it's merciful: I think less the more I'm kept active. And the less I think, the less my mind can traipse into the dark crevices it is wont to find. There is mercy in my being occupied, to be sure." Her eyes close a moment, leaving time for a short pause. "... though yes, I would be curious to see where you spend most of your days. And what you've done with the paintings I've given you." She follows up with a sly look that seems to forewarn, 'they had best not be collecting dust in a corner'. She's confident this will get across.

    Sheep would regain her usual, snide manner just in time to respond to Eryl. Her gaze picks up and she calls that smug smirk back to her face, adding, "Mister Diplomat Cyborg it is, then." She keeps her eyes trained on him a moment. "... anyone tell you how transparent you are? 'Cause I /know/ you're just fighting back the urge to --" But before she can go any further, she's interrupted by a quick, irritable gesture from Apathy. "That is enough." Apparently this constitutes anger for her in a way that only Sheep can identify, because the girl cringes and returns to her quiet, apologetic mode. "R-Right."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    This finally gives her the time that she needs to speak. After a quick glance to the quieter Arthur, she would begin. "First, I would have all of you know," She looks particularly to Riva and Eryl, here, "that, for one reason or another, I was created with the intent to appear ominous. My manner is oft dictated by nuance I cannot control, and it is a wonder that we find ourselves working together at all. Nevertheless, you all have proven exceedingly helpful thus far and of pure intent, so I will simply thank you for your patience concerning my... methods of delivery. Where it is not the byproduct of some insufferable behavioral quirk, it is out of an interest to protect this world as it currently stands. As I am sure you are all well aware, there are instances when certain quantities of information can indirectly lead to devastation. In our case, if certain people were to know certain bits of information," She would look briefly to Mizuki, "it would lead directly to this world's destruction. If you do not believe me, then ask any of the incarnations of Arthur, and they will tell you the same."

    "But all of that aside, you are all likely far more invested in why I've chosen today, specifically, to intervene in your affairs. Firstly, because I know the precise locations of the next numbers, and I am certain that Mizuki, however sure of herself she may seem, does not. I will divulge this information to one of you," She would steal a lasting glance at Psyber, here, "as I did before, but only if you agree to another of my terms, collectively. I do not demand the creation of another shade this time, but rather that you leave this specific realm's number for last. This is location can be accessed more immediately than any other, and we will have the least difficulty retrieving it from this Sentinel. The other locations... are far, far more difficult, and as soon as the final number has been retrieved, time will be of the essence. Hence, it would be in all our best interests to leave this place be until we absolutely must retrieve the number."

    She would pause here, looking over the group. "What say you? Do you accept this?"

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva munches on that lollipop. She's not worried about taking candy from almost-strangers in this wonderland of dreams and candy, after all. She's pretty strange too! "It's kind of hard to find something that's completely bad... And also hard to find something that's completely good. But I'm glad you found someone to hang out with. You two are pretty cool together." She grins, then looks back to Mizuki, who gets a confident wink.

"I guess I can empathize with that. It's not good to sit around getting into one of those brainy doom spirals. The world is wide and wonderful and we gotta keep it in perspective!" She gives Mizuki a thumbsup. "I'll break out the tea when you come. Or maybe even the wine~" She laughs, teasing. "Don't worry, the paintings are going to good use!"

Psyber gets his noir monologue on, and Riva giggles. "Man, it's just like watching one of the old movies... And oh God, those puns!" She gives him a playful whap on the shoulder. "That's a nice coat, detective boy. Thankfully, you already have enough Troublesome Dames to deal with."

And then, Sophie! "Is that really what you want to be, though?" Riva replies to Sophie. "I guess if you're created from this world it's not quite the same, but then... Hasn't there been a lot of situations where things haven't quite gone according to plan?"

Riva ponders, though, listening to the Terms of Service on this thing. "Huuuuuuuh, It makes sense, though. And if it's easily accessible, that means it's probably closer and easier to get to than we might expect." Riva puts on her Thinking Riva Face. Since she's still got a lollipop, it probably looks silly.

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    The Loud Arthur rolls his eyes. "YOU'VE GOT NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU." He narrows his eyes a bit. "YOU WERE TALKING LIKE YOU WERE GOING TO THREATEN SOPHIA." He reacted to pain before, but it's true: He did only seem to show actual regret when Psyber got aggressive about Apathy herself. "BUT SINCE YOU DON'T KILL CUTE GIRLS IN FRONT OF ACTUAL PEOPLE, I GOT TO REALIZE: I DON'T GIVE A FUCK ANYMORE!" He retreats casually back to Sophia's side.

    The Quiet Arthur clutches his book tightly to his body and speaks up as well. "sophia is correct. a certain amount of obfuscation is necessary in this. mizuki's mind is inexorably linked with the fabric of this reality, so conscious awareness on her part will cause a violent and intense cascade of events that none of us want." His face gets a bit twisted and his grip on the book gets somewhat white-knuckled. "i don't like it. this is awful. i don't like these lesser evils for greater goods. but sophia is right. and we dont really have a choice but going along."

    The Prime Arthur narrows his eyes at Apathy. "WELL, can't help what ya ARE, right? Askin' YOU not to be CRYPTIC would be askin' ME not to be LOUD." He crosses his arms. "So we hold off on THIS ONE, 'cause of REASONS." He stops, thinking to ponder. When he speaks up, the other two Arthurs speak up in unison.

    "IT'S THE SENSIBLE PLAN."
    "It's the SENSIBLE PLAN."
    "it's the sensible plan."

    The Prime Arthur makes another noise of frustration. "Take the EASY NUMBER 'cause then that's where the REAL TOUGHNESS comes up. Fucking WONDERFUL, we've got a CONVENIENT SLOT to put a bunch of GODDAMN PAIN into." He settles down out of his relaxed, weightless drifting and sulks a bit.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl smiles a little as Sheep speaks of how transparent he is. Looking down for a moment, he gestures at himself, as if saying 'I dunno, I look pretty opaque to me!' before answering, after Sophie shushes her. "By choice, I assure you. Everyone has some capacity to read body language. When you betray nothing, people notice that and become a little more guarded. So I allow myself to show some things, so that people feel more at ease around me." To be honest, he was rather curious to hear what Sheep had to say, but this is not the time to goad the girl.

     But then, the white-haired girl begins to speak. Eryl listens close, paying careful attention to her words. So, she is literally the 'dreadful villain' of this piece. The being who inspires fear by presence. And she hates it. "I understand, Miss Sophie. I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be to be dissatisfied with what you were literally created to be. You have my condolences."

     Then Sophie lays out her offer. The location of the next number, if they left this one for now. He rubs his chin as he mulls it over, looking around the Candy Sea. There didn't SEEM to be anything of import here, anything they might sabotage. Dimly, he recalls a piece of information taken from some ancient computer. A term used by those who played video games in the Before Times.

     'Sequence breaking.' The practice of violating the order of events the game suggested the player take. Some games would react badly, but others would reward the player for such ingenuity. If all these events have played out before, and Sophie truly did wish to keep it from happening again... maybe doing things in another order would be beneficial.

     Assuming this story was the latter kind of game, and not the former, that is.

     "I do believe that I would accept such a deal," he finally says with a nod.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I came from the city of Boston, Massachusettes, circa 2014. I run a moderately successful investigation firm that specializes in the paranormal and supernatural," He notes in a pretty cordial tone to Sheep. He calmly smokes his cigar and gives Riva a wide grin when she slaps him on the shoulder, "I try to at least play to what people expect out of m-"

    Psyber seems to halt dead mid-phrase as ARTHUR says something that crosses multiple lines. In the Social UN of boundaries you do not cross, ARTHUR just did something on par with China Occupying Tibet in terms of social mis-statements with that singular statement. The half-angel gets a hard and serious look on his face that is akin to 'someone is about to get fireman-kicked in the damn chest'.

    It's an awfully specific look because it's an awfully specific reaction. The half-angel doesn't have the mental presence to react to anyone else, much less Sophia, owing to the fact that he seems to abruptly vanish from his spot and reappear in front of the Loud Arthur, aiming a straight-booted kick to the center of his chest with almost all the force he can muster.

Staren has posed:
    Staren listens. Apathy's words raise a number of questions... and then he just kind of stares at Psyber as he starts NARRATING. When Psyber is finished, he looks back to Apathy. Then to Mizuki. "Is it true, what she says about the last number?" Then back to Apathy. "Otherwise, how do we know you won't take it first? And why does it matter that Mizuki takes people in from... bad circumstances?" He sighs. "Look, maybe we can agree to this, but unless you're willing to work with us on a whole new kind of solution, we're still going to have to fight you. You say if she finds something out the world's gonna end, and Arthur believes you. Well, it does sound pretty plausible. But... when we collect a number, that part of the world ends /anyway/. So if we collect all the numbers..." He rubs the back of his head. "Do we have to destroy the world, to save Mizuki?"

    Staren adjusts his hat, then looks between them. "Hey, new idea: Can we evacuate /everyone/, collect the numbers, then let them back in to whatever... new world you create next?" He looks to Apathy. "That's what's gonna happen after we get all the numbers, right?"

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    There's a wet sort of crack from Loud Arthur's chest.

    "LOTTA PAIN IN THAT ONE. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANTED, RIGHT? PAIN, I MEAN. PRETTY SURE A COUPLE RIBS ARE JUST, BAM, SNAPPED THERE. YOU DONE?" Arthur says. He stays on his feet, though, standing in front of Psyber. In fact, he plants both hands on his sides. "'CAUSE I'D LOVE TO DO THIS, BUT SOPHIA DOESN'T WANT A FIGHT HERE. BEEN STICKING TO THE WHOLE MORTAL FLESH THING FOR A WHILE, BUT YOU'RE MAKING IT PRETTY TOUGH TO KEEP THAT ANGLE."

    The words drip with just an overwhelming sense of absolute disdain and lack of caring, as if the Loud Arthur doesn't care in the least what Psyber does to his body. As long as he's not talking about hurting Apathy like before, Arthur seems to just not care in the least. He was caring about it plenty, when Psyber was, but... Strange!

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa listens for a moment ad she gets a bit more information from Sheep as they talk to Arthur about this place. Humm it makes her wonder a bit more. So her friend has somehow been losing her memories and almost reforming again? What is this? This is some pretty serious information. She looks over to Riva and Mizuki and slinks over that way at this point.

"So you keep your self busy to keep your mind from wandering to bad places? I admit I never got to see any of your work Riva I'd like to see it. I'm glad you didn't give up on being an artist even with the bees dragooning you."

She also takes a closer look at Psyber and just gets a goofy grin on her face she's right, she's totally right about this but she can't let her self get distracted much longer and it's hard to ignore Arthur after all, evne Loud Arthur right?

Psybers mention of he works in looking into the paranormal and supernatural. That's certainly worth noting anf she might just seek him out to talk to him on it later.

"Humm so get people out do what has to be done and let them return when things are done? That.. I feel like an idiot for not thinking of that one Staren..."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "that would be the ideal approach." The Quiet Arthur speaks up to Staren. "it was the first i proposed. i have attempted it myself, and continue to do so, daily. unfortunately, i cannot establish an exterior projection of the world similar to what mizuki maintains for a sufficient number of individuals. there is simply not enough space. add to that the fact that the inhabitants of each world are connected to the sentinels, and the sentinels are so connected to flaws in mizuki's mind, and it doesn't work."

    His whole body seems to tense up with frustration. "i tried so many times and i'm going to keep trying. it just won't... it doesn't work like that. the narrative in this world keeps not working, and that's how reality works here. there's no way to make this plan work without..." The Quiet Arthur seems rather more obviously distressed by the assorted implications of this. It's clear that he cares rather a lot about even the non-sapient "NPC" projections here, and has been hard at work on finding ANY options to do this without the Lesser Evil routes.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    At first, Sheep returns Riva's look with a smile. But then she notices the wink, and a peculiar, dark color begins to cover her cheeks. Her whole body is colorless so one could never tell for sure, but is she... maybe... blushing?

    The people who live here are all very strange.

    Mizuki's face would twist into a grin that lies somewhere in the interstice between embarrassment and a desire to laugh. Looking to Sheep now, she almost feels as though she could think of Sheep as one of her many 'troubled children' despite not remembering accepting her into her home to begin with... and she really can't fathom why. It's a strange experience, to speak to people who remember you but whom you do not remember in kind, and she might feel just a trifle... sad. For both the girl and for Apathy herself, in a way. Still, she maintains her smile for Riva. "Ah, yes yes. Never fear, I can never remain despondent for long when I've so many friends lingering just outside my world's borders. But alas, I believe I would rather stick to tea. Even if wine does not... impact me how it might impact a biological creature, I would likely still need to alter my form subtly to keep the piece. And I would rather not do so if I can help it, for a spell."

    For Sophia's part, she just sighs. Sigh. "... what I care to be becomes relevant when this world finds balance, and not a day sooner. Until then, I am not a person, but the personification of the very things that threaten to tear this world apart. And even after that time has passed, there is a good chance I may never differentiate myself from that, and if I cannot..." Her eyes pinch closed. "... then there truly is no salvation for me, and you should not concern yourself with my woes. There is no use in stewing over the inevitable." In this specific instance, it seems her own ominousness is genuinely painful for her.

    Then to Arthur Prime, Apathy would nod. "Were it my choice, I would be... in a very different position from this one, to be sure. If it were up to me, I would build a castle in the Monochrome Desert and become a part of this world in earnest. I would watch over the land and content myself each day knowing how lucky I am to be allowed such happiness. And I would be sure to repay each of my debts to all of you as well, of that you can be assured. And also... I would like to find it within myself to forgive you." She would look to Mizuki. "I... have seen you in almost every aperture you could possibly imagine. At times, we have been friends. At times, we have been mortal foes. But at the culmination of all of this, I would be glad... if we settled on the former. Truly." Mizuki... returns her look with one of sheer astonishment, for a while, which prompts Apathy to recognize just how... heartfelt her words had become, in spite of herself. She silently bows her head to the rest of the group in silent apology.

    Once she has recovered, Mizuki would gently pat Arthur's shoulder as if to comfort him, slightly. Beyond this she does and says very little, instead continuing to stare at Apathy with some degree of awe as she turns to face the group for another round of dialogue.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Mizuki looks to Staren next. "... if it is true, I do not know. But it is true that my Clock Tower has immense control over the structure of my world, and once its power is restored I do not know what it is capable of doing. I am beginning to suspect that these events run on a... narrative track, so to speak; things are meant to happen a certain way, but how they occur changes every time. In this case, the 'how' has shifted to an iteration in which people from another world have entered the story as well. For the moment I believe we must assume that what they say will happen will in the interest of our own safety. Far better to prepare in advance than to take the last number, and..." She bites her lip. "... find that I have returned to tabula rasa, along with my home." She would allow for a pause, here. "As far as that... other thing. The fact that I tend to 'rescue' people rather than accepting just anyone into my world is, if you know me well enough, rather telling evidence of some of my deeper personality characteristics. So it serves as particularly good evidence of the consistency of my character across resets. And if you are confused as to /why/ I believe her so readily?" Her countenance slowly slips into a sort of frown. "... it is because I learned about who I am, and who Apathy is, through the books stored in my library. All that I know comes from iterations of myself who have been doomed before, but until now all those records have noted Apathy as a villain. Otherwise, what she is saying... sheds light on my past that I have no other leads on. I'd like to believe her until contradictory evidence is given, for the sake of my own curiosity."

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     'Let's not fight, we need to make a deal,' Sheep had said, and what happens? A fight breaks out. Because nothing can ever go to plan, can it? Well, time for him to get his diplomacy on, and defuse this bomb of a conversation. Moving to stand between loud Arthur and Psyber, he raises his arms so that a palm faces each man, looking from one to the other at a measured rate, speaking in a calm tone.

     "Okay, you have both made your points. I will admit to being ignorant as to what you are talking about, but that does not matter right now. What does matter is that we are here to parlay, not fight. What results from this may decide the ultimate fate of this world. Do you two really want to put that on the line to scuffle like children?" He looks each of them hard in the eye before lowering his arms. "I do hope the answer to that is 'no.'"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    As for Kimiko, she would find that the water does indeed taste like fresh, lukewarm strawberry milk. If she takes another sip, though, its taste would mystically alter into something more similar to pink lemonade. It seems specific instances in which drinks are taken have more impact on the taste than what is actually coming from the body of 'water', which might be a strange thing to adjust to indeed. Still, it most certainly doesn't taste /bad/, if a little sweet. Melody would resume her bouncing up and down with elation when she takes a sip. "Eeee~! How was it, how was it, Armor Lady? Wasn't it good? Everything here tastes amazing! Does everything taste amazing where /you/ live? I kinda wonder where you live. And where all of those other people live, but I can't really ask them right now..."

    As hyperactive as her diet would've suggested, and this is perhaps why she rockets almost immediately to another topic of discussion when she's done. "Oh, oh, oh! Wait. There's lots more to see! Do you want to see the Leaning Tower of Lifesavers? That's on a lower level, but I can take you there. Ohhh, or we could try some of the umbrella hang gliders! The umbrellas have candy cane handles, and they give the prettiest views of all the castles, and waterfalls, and other stuff!" She beams up at her. "Does any of that sound cool~?"

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko regards first the drink, taking one, small sip after another, as much to satisfy her curiosity as anything else. She then regards Melody, speaking mildly, "My world is very different from this one, but I have seen something similar. It is... more pleasant, here. No less amazing. But I am used to amazing things being equally dangerous. I would not drink the water, if I saw this in my world. It would try to kill me." Despite the difference from her own manner, she doesn't have too much trouble keeping up with the hyperactivity. She's used to being with more energetic girls than herself, well enough.

    "Mizuki wanted to ask something of you, I think. I imagine they'll be ready for that, now."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "Boston, huh." Sheep nods an almost weirdly calm, even sort of nod. "I'm from Earth, too, actually. Or, one of them. In fact, I think most of the people here originally comes from Earth. Otherwise it wouldn't make any sense why we had so many volumes on Earth stuff in the libraries, and why we all look like humans. I mean, if I wasn't human before, I doubt I would choose randomly to look like one after I got here. And I'm pretty sure the first Mizuki came from Earth, too. But..." She looks to Mizuki, now, smiling. "... I think you guys will know more about that than I do, pretty soon. But I'll let Apathy tell one of you why."

    Then, Staren. "You remember how Mizuki said once that 'nothing can leave this world if it was made in this world'? That's actually right. That's also why only Seekers can go find the souls of other people and bring them back here: even though the world has changed us so we can live her for a long time, we're still mostly individual, and we can leave. No other people can leave. People like us are destroyed with the world when it blows up, but Apathy has a special way of protecting them. And that," She points to herself, "is why I look colorless and dead. I basically survived the collapse of a region like the ones you've been seeing. But trust me when I say -- some NPC or Sentinel could never survive that. It all hinges on having origins /outside of this specific place/, far away from Mizuki's thoughts. Naturally, that means Mizuki comes from somewhere else originally, too, but that was probably obvious."

Staren has posed:
    Staren winces as Loud Arthur is kicked. He's not sure if he should be concerned or not. He sighs as he hears that Quiet Arthur had the same idea and has already found it won't work. "What do we need, to sustain these people? Is there any way to... break them from their reliance on Mizuki and this world? What if we... sent them to the future, somehow? After the world has been reset?"

    Staren thinks. "But... is it just the world that resets? Mizuki, if it's /you/... we don't want that either..." He starts pacing. Sipping his mug of strawberry milk.

    Finally he turns to Apathy. "What is it /you/ want anyway? What's your goal here? I mean, if you beat us and stopped us from collecting the numbers... what then?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "That was way over the line. And you know it."
    Psyber glares at Loud Arthur in the aftermath of the attack. The force of the kick dissipated into his opponent, he simply stands there face to face with Loud Arthur. Those red eyes of his just lock into his apathetic opponent. There's a part of him that does just wanna do this here. He thinks he could win the fight, owing to it not being the real Arthur, though it does possess enough of his power to be a which would probably wear him out substantially.

    There's numerous paths that play through Psyber mentally as he tries to figure out the optimal choice when Eryl steps between himself and Arthur. The man had a point that Psyber, however valid his reaction was to those who knew his past, looked incredibly brash from an external perspective. Eventually, the cold and calculating math of it all comes to a single conclusion, which he proceeds to say aloud:

    "You are correct, Eryl. I am sorry." He states, saying it with a certain firmness. He flicks his cigar into a lake of chocolate nearby and proceeds to walk towards Sheep, "I request an exit be made for now." He figures most entities in this world can conjure one up. He has not left yet, however.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva continues to think until she sees/hears the confrontation between Psyber and Loud Arthur. The ribs comment garners a wince, but she just stares at Loud Arthur for several seconds. For once, however, she says nothing. This is totally not her business, and something Psyber is more than capable of handling on his own.

Instead, she looks over to Staren, then blinks, thinking. "So wait, Are the people we've been meeting people who came from /outside/ her world and settled in, or..." She thinks again for a moment. "I think I'm getting confused." She looks to Sheep for clarification.

This doesn't stop Riva from asiding to Kotone, "You should stop by sometime, I can show you a few things. Nothing spectacular though, I like doing just... whatever comes to mind."

Sophie causes Riva to ponder some more. She's having to do a lot of it. "So you're kind of like the... unresolved issues? Are you going to get more skeleton-y as we try to work them all out?" She does poke in her direction though. "Look, you can't make me /not/ care about someone. You're hurting as much from this as anyone else. If only we could just... I don't know." She sighs at that, but she smiles as Sophie admits to wanting to be friends.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Apathy turns to Staren. "What I am about to say is going to sound contrived as well as ominous, and you will likely want to reject it outright. I pray that you don't. Listen." She takes a deep breath. "I have no interest in keeping you from the numbers. What I must do is be absolutely certain that you lot are fit to inherit this world. No matter what happens, after things come to pass, this world will be more impressionable than it is now. It is my mission to not only be certain that this world may be saved by you, but that once it has been, that the changes I predict you will effect across this world will be favorable ones. Suffice it to say: when it comes time for this story to be rewritten, you all - together - will be its scribes."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "NOTHING WORTH FIGHTING ABOUT." ARTHUR says, shrugging and grinning to Eryl. "THAT'S WHY I'M NOT. I'VE GOT NO IDEA WHY HE WANTS TO. WE'RE HERE TO SAVE THE WORLD. WHAT DOES IT MATTER WHAT SOME PEOPLE SAY WHILE THEY DO IT? IF HE DECIDES HE WANTS TO GO AGAINST THAT, THEN I START TRYING TO DEAL WITH THAT PROBLEM, AND IF HE DOESN'T, THEN WHAT DO I CARE WHAT HE DOES?"

    There's a wide grin to Psyber, and even more apathy from his words. "I'M A GOD. I'M SAVING A WORLD. THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS LINES. AS LONG AS THE WORLD STAYS TOGETHER, I DO WHAT I WANT, SAME AS ANY OTHER GOD. AREN'T YOU EXACTLY THE KIND OF GUY WHO'D KNOW THAT?" His chest makes more disgusting noises as he rolls his shoulders relaxedly. It's wrapped up in faux-coolness, but somehow, the apathy and posture is incredibly reminiscient of the disregard that a divine being at war with hell might have for humans on their battleground. Just cast into a new light.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "... amazing things being dangerous sounds sad. I don't think I would want to live in your world. But you can stay here, if you want. I mean, if you think you would like it more here. I dunno why, but I think you would make a good friend! So I would like it if you could be here more. No pressure, though." She would keep smiling, likely swaying gently from side to side at intervals.

    Though the next thing... gets a rather exaggerated tilt of the head from the girl. "Huuuuh? I... don't know why she would want to talk to me. I mean, I'm not really important. I just stay here and tend my gardens and play games with the animals. It's really nice, actually! ... kinda lonely sometimes, but if the world outside is really as dangerous as you've said it is, then I'm glad I never leave. In fact, I may stay here forever! Then I can always be happy." She's smiling so widely that her cheeks are flushed. "... but I bet if I asked you to stay here forever and be happy, too, it would sound like one of those scary movies that I watch. So I won't. Just, come back if you ever feel like it, okay? Please?"

    Then her eyes get wide again. "OH! I never even asked you what your name was!" She looks up at her, eyes glistening. "Before we go... could you tell me your name? Oh, and could I hold your hand? I like it when people let me hold their hand. And I promie I won't swing your arm! ... okay, I might swing your arm. But still! Please?"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa watches as things play out before her she wonders now as Staten get his reply and she ponders for a moment.

"So your saying it's some sort of set up story we're forced to play out so to speak like actors in a play?"

The subjec to reseting comes to play out and she wonders what will hapen when they get ot the end of this trial. She's not certain now, but they can't stop now they need to see this through to the end.

"So only non natives will surive it then Sheep?"

Then it hits her after a moment.

"No Riva I think I get this, this is kinda like how people with cyberbrains can link with eachother in my world directly. I heard accounts of people ... how to say it somehow fusing when they dived too deep. I think IT's kinda like that but they are not lost persay? I'm sorry this is often a bit over my head I admit."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Apathy looks to Riva. "The people you have been meeting have been an assortment of Sentinels, who are individual thoughts who have attained self-awareness. Otherwise you have been meeting Seekers, people who initially lived elsewhere and were brought here by Mizuki or other Seekers when their souls were judged to be well-fitted to this realm. The 'Seeker Adoption System' is one that is consistently created one hundred years after a specific iteration of Mizuki has existed, with the exception of a single instance that ended too early for that system to be put in place."

    "However, there is a third group of unknown quantities to all of this, such as the woman you recently met in Echo. Not the Sentinel, there -- I am referring to a woman who you saw in the palace at the beginning of that venture. She was accompanied by a pair of pink-haired twins. I do not know where she has come from, but I am certain she is a foreign presence. Through many, many hours of thought, I have concluded that these are likely past Seekers who have found some alternative way of preserving themselves. If this is the case, they could have some impact on this story as well. I would urge you to be incredibly wary of them."

    "As for myself," She continues, "I do not ask you not to concern yourself with me out of some misguided attempt at humility. I am being very literal: the events that transpire with each cycle are, inextricably, bound to my existence. If they cease to be, it is incredibly likely I will as well. That is all."

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks at Riva. "Huh? Mizuki dreamed up most of the people here. Most of them are like NPCs, but a few are... real enough. Some of the real ones are people who, somehow, she brought here as their afterlife. If I didn't already have immortality... well, you can see why people would take that deal, right? And maybe some of them just chose to stay here while alive." He shrugs.

    Staren looks back to Apathy. "So. You're more of a guardian than an enemy? Well... /do/ you think we're fit to rewrite the world? Do you think we /could/ be?"

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl breathes a sigh of relief as Psyber backs off. The last thing they needed was the discussion to be spoiled by violence. "Thank you Psyber." The fact that he demands a portal to leave makes him quirk an eyebrow. Whatever this Loud Arthur mentioned must have left a deep scar in the investigator's psyche. Best not to ask now though.

     Looking back at Loud Arthur though, Eryl winces at the... sounds his chest is making. As he talks, coming across more and more like an uncaring god, the corners of his might tighten very slightly. The idea of such a being went through Eryl's mind more than a few times over his 108-year journey, and now that he is face-to-face with one... part of him wants to ask what he would think if the world was saved single-handedly, but doing so required tormenting Sophie. Would those words 'not matter?'

     But. This is a parlay, no need to needle the other party. So he simply bows his head, and lets the words of others wash over him, saving each, parsing for hidden meanings. They would be the scribes of the new world, should they succeed? There is a third faction? Sophie will cease to exist if this cycle is broken? That part... "Now, Miss Sophie, do not worry about that. I am certain that you will be able to become just another part of this world." He offers a cheer-filled smile to the girl.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko inclines her head, in place of a bow to the other girl. "Thank you for the offer. You're right--it is often sad. But because I am able to deal with it, I must. It is my job to do so, as it is for all those capable. I... will remember your offer to visit." There is so much more she could say on that subject, but she does not, neither by word, nor expression.

    She tilts her head to one side, then, showing a small sign of her own confusion on the subject of Mizuki, and Melody's importance, here. "I don't understand. But if we ask her, we'll know whether and why she wishes to speak with you. That would be easier than guessing." Matter-of-factly, this sounds like the obvious path to her.

    Another nod, and she holds out her hand, palm up. "Shinobu. Shinobu Kimiko."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "the world remembers. inscribed into its fabric. whether or not mizuki recalls in her own memories, this place is her soul and even the clocktower can't change that. but it can make things more impressionable. this quiet world can over a place for souls to stay, but it can't change them any more than your brain implants can when they let yours reside for a while. what happens when we attempt to restore the world will be determined by you." This is, of course, the Quiet Arthur, responding to the more academic issues.

    "the people are thoughts, though. we don't have any means of transporting them to the future that wouldn't potentially land them in a doomed timeline or require foreknowledge of the results of the reset that we can't establish. i've tried several times to establish a relay point. my doomed future selves have indicated that this is a non-option. i will continue to try regardless." He is... Almost robotically still when he's speaking, just sort of keeping his arms wrapped around that book and staring at the person he speaks to.

Staren has posed:
    Staren looks at Quiet Arthur. "You can only contact doomed future selves? Shouldn't it be, well, your /non/-doomed future self that establishes it as a non-option?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Sheep nods to Psyber. "Hey, sure, sure. Gimme a sec." A scythe appears in Sheep's hands and, with one, swift stroke of the thing, she cleaves a gaping temporal-spatial wound in the fabric of the world. "This will send you back where you came from if you put on the Ruby Slippers and just keep thinkin', 'there's no place like home'. It will also send you back where you came from if you don't do that shit. Either way, good luck, alright? I kinda like you, so I don't want you to stay mopey for too long. Cool? Cool. Okay." Just before he can step out, though, Apathy would briefly turn her attentions toward him. Then she would add:

    "I believe you would be the best candidate to know where the next numbers are hidden, and this is convenient as I have been told that you seek a more private conversation with me as well. I am willing to indulge your request so long as you and your comptariots are willing to indulge mine. It seems that we are in agreement, so I will assume, for now, that this is a negotiation fitted. Return to this world tomorrow and Sheep will guide you to me."

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "no. i mean what i say. timelines where i attempt to jump into the future have indicated that this is a non-option. they continue to occur, as i despise the necessity of this evil far more than you do, believe me." The Quiet Arthur says, his face twisting, briefly, into an intense look of raw distress.

Staren has posed:
    Staren blinks and his ears flick as he listens. "Ah. I see. Drat."

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva listens to this explanation and looks confused, but Staren summarizes things and provides a breakdown. "Oh. Wow, that's pretty complicated, but I guess it makes sense when you think about a world where all thoughts are real, some of them would... Get moving on their own." She ponders. "I wonder if it's like how it is when suddenly you just get reminded or think of something out of nowhere, and you're all, 'Why did I even think about that?'." She then shakes her head at Sophie. "Humility isn't one of my better virtues. I'm concerned about you because I like to empathize a lot. I like trying to put myself into other people's shoes and see things from their side, because no one side has all the answers. It's why we have two eyes, you know? One can't see eveything properly. You're a person too, even if you're caught up in all of this narrative and being an anthromorphic reflection of unresolved mental and emotional issues as well as an active function of enforcing that narrative impetus even as you're tormented by it."

Riva then shakes her head at that. "I don't like making deals without knowing what's up, but I don't see another choice in the matter. We've really got this held over our heads. So we can either scour everything tooth and nail to find it, or we let her tell us what to do."

Riva blinks as she says that. "You know... If everything runs on narration, and the narration keeps repeating itself... What if we found some way to... change the narrative?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Melody looks to Kimiko a bit... distantly, for a moment. "Wow..." She would stand still a moment, staring directly at her yet through her all at once. "You sound like a superhero or something when you say stuff like that." A small smile reforms on her face. "You're really cool, Miss Kimiko. You remind me of Miss Nightingale when she wasn't so upset all the time. She used to talk about justice and how innocence should be protected and all the ways that she wanted to make the world better. I think Miss Mizuki talks about stuff like that, too, but if I'm being honest I haven't seen much of her before now. She's really busy! And I think she does a lot of it to impress you guys, actually. You know she was making a whole new section of the world to impress her 'Multiversal Friends' before everything got scary...? She had to quit, but still!"

    "But, yeah! Come back and play with me some time when you're done being Miss Awesome Superhero!" She's bouncing on her heels again as she takes her hand. "And I'm sure everything will make sense when we go back. Everyone here talks in riddles, but I understand them because I live here! It's kinda like knowing this special, top secret language within a language that only I understand. I speak riddles, but I don't speak -in- riddles. If that makes sense." She eventually quits mouthing off long enough to flash her another smile, swinging her arm gently. As promised.

    "Oh, and it's good to meet you, Miss Shinobu! I'm Melody. I don't think I have a last name! Not many people here do. Or maybe I don't have a first name?" Shrug!

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    "Fucking hate these STUPID GODDAMN SHADES. Fucking WEAK LITTLE SHIT and an INSENSITIVE GODDAMN ASSHOLE." Prime Arthur is not having fun being around the two Arthur Shades. He's still sulking. "We take the DEAL because we got NOWHERE ELSE to put the PAIN, obviously. And..." More muttering and sulking.

    He sighs. There's a moment where he looks up at Riva. "WISH we COULD, right now. But can't. There's a time where we WILL be able to, MAYBE. But NOT NOW. So of course we gotta patiently go through a bunch of AWFUL WORLD DESTRUCTION before then." He's then shaking his head at Kotone. "Nobody's FORCED to go along, but, I mean, there's not..." He makes a brief sort of hand-wringing gesture. "There's nothing GOOD to FIND in going OFF the RAILS."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Apathy nods slowly as Riva elucidates her personal investments, but gives no real reply until the very end. All she says then is fairly trite: "In order to alter the narrative, you must first give yourselves access to it. And to do that, we must continue on our current course. Allow me to make one thing clear, though: in order to end this permanently, we must willingly place ourselves upon the precipice. We must take a risk. The outcome, ultimately, will depend on what we are able to do in the limited amount of time that we have, and what planning we are able to do beforehand."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko shakes her head lightly. "I do not think I am a hero. Thank you, though. It is a pleasure to meet you, Melody." There's only the faintest trace of actual warmth in her voice. In that sense, she certainly is cool--though her hand is as warm as any other's, at least. "I might like to meet Miss Nightingale, as well." Regarding riddles, she gives a nod, as if understanding the point.

    Taking the mention of 'when we go back' as agreement to go and meet with the others, and without letting go of Melody's hand, she'll lead back the way they came. Recalling that Mizuki never mentioned a surname, she voices no comment on that point.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I'll be back and you'll see me around, I promise, little lady," He says as he reaches out and pats her on the head. He gives her a slightly weak smile and says, "So don't worry. You're fun to be around too," A thumbs up is then afforded. He's pointedly ignoring the Loud Arthur out of not wanting to make Eryl's life harder today.

    To Apathy, Psyber nods his head, pausing at the portal, "I will return tomorrow," The half-angel affirms, thinking mentally that it means he will have to prepare himself to deal with more strife. But he keeps an outwardly standard appearance, "I shall see you then, Miss Apathy."

Riva Banari has posed:
"So /that's/ how it works." Riva replies, getting confirmation from Arthur and Sophie. She punches her hand in determination. "Then that's what we've got to do. Everything is a risk, and the more important something is, the more of a risk that is. I'm willing to put it on the line if it means you guys won't have to suffer anymore... And this has been prety hell on Mizuki too."

She sighs again. "Sometimes, to make something new, you've got to clear the old stuff away, I guess. That's been a theme ever since I've been here. You do realize that's what's going on, right?"

She nods to Arthur. "The rails are there, but..." She pauses, her face lighting up as if she's coming to a realiztion, but she says nothing, just looking around at things, her gaze watching Mizuki carefully. "Maybe I didn't catch this... But if everything is running off of a narrative, and it's only accessible at the end... Who wrote the new narrative? Was it you, Mizuki?"

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Apathy looks to Eryl somewhat serenely, and smiles. She opens her mouth to respond, but she is cut off by something that would likely terrify all three Arthurs far more than any of the others present: the world shudders. A monochromatic blast like a bolt of lightning sails across the western sky, cleaving a hole in it at least a mile wide, and disturbingly thick. This 'wound' disappears moments later, but the world around that specific locale begins to... droop, as though the sky itself were wet paper whose contents had been distorted. Though others may be left to wonder, Apathy would immediately know what this portends to, and would wince before rocketing into the air.

    "... I must go. I must never speak to you publicly like this again. Any further contact must be kept to small, person-to-person chats that do not, in any capacity," She points to Mizuki, "involve her." Afterwards she would look to Staren and conclude: "You will continue to retrieve the numbers, and I will continue to judge you. It matters not whether I am with or against you, only that this world sees a conclusion. That is all. Good day."

    And with that, she departs into yet another portal that she summons for herself, leaving a rather surprised Sheep in her wake. Mizuki would appear equally perplexed, and might cast a curious glance in Arthur's direction.

    Oh, if only she knew.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
    Eryl flinches, looking towards the sudden blast in the sky. It hurts tremendously, Original Face like a knife in his brain as he takes in the hole in the sky, the sudden desideration around the area when it heals. But, it might be important, so he saves everything he can record about it, before slumping to his knees.

     Wordlessly, he offers Sophie and the two Arthurs a little wave with one hand as he presses the other against his forehead. His implants begin to reboot, something that is almost a tradition every time he visits Mizuki's world now. "Ugh..."

Staren has posed:
    Staren listens to Apathy, then responds with a shrug and watches her go. What more is there to say?

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Still rather disheveled from the blast, Mizuki is gently cradling her head when she manages to reply to Riva. "Did I... write it? I... would have to assume so, but I suppose I could not say if it was me as I presently am or the me of another time. I feel... like a child, now. I know nothing of my own world, nor its history. I have grown accustomed to this feeling, and so I do not feel I can answer that question with any confidence. Apologies." And with that she would conjure herself a seat of red velvet and mahogany. She doesn't look too good.

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Sheep looks to Kotone, arms cradling her head in a decidedly casual gesture, considering what just happened. "Yeah, usually only non-natives survive, but the Sentinels that come back are always similar. So in a way they don't -die-, they just... take some time to be born again, sorta. Same goes for most of the NPC thoughts. Non-Natives usually can't survive, and actually only three of us are still around that hang with Apathy. 'Cause, you see..." She lets her arms fall to her sides. "The things she has to do to 'preserve' us really, -really- screw with your brain, because it's like taking the /whole thing/, scrambling it, then pouring it back out and hoping it comes out the same again. The people who help her usually go insane after the tenth run through or so. Telephone is probably on run seven by now. I'm on run eight."

    "As for the 'actors in a play' thing, don't think of it that way. Think of it like you're visitors to a snazzy resort, and this is just part of some tour you're on. This place is like a rubber band, and it really, /really/ doesn't like to change. So you've gotta surprise it at just the right moment so that it does. There's only one way to actually get to the right moment, though, sad as it is."

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    Melody looks a bit downcast after Kimiko mentions wanting to 'meet' this Nightingale person. "... uh... uhm..." Her voice is quiet -- morbidly so, especially for a child. "You... can't, anymore. She's dead. Mizuki and everybody had to kill her to get the number from her. They had to do that to my Mom, too. I..." She trails off for a moment. "... I'm not -mad- about it or anything, but I do really miss them. I just wish... they could come back somehow. I've tried to imagine them back into existence, but every time I try these... weird, really scary dolls end up appearing instead. So I stopped."

    Her head would continue to hand for some time after, and if she's allowed to, she might creep just slightly closer to Kimiko. For any modicum of comfort she can get.

Staren has posed:
    Staren listens. "So. The Sentinels are reborn, the Seekers are... corroded, and everyone else just..." He hmms. "So. Par for the course is rewriting everything... including Mizuki." He looks at her. "I suppose we could stay on that course while looking for something better. But how do /you/ feel about it? I'm sure you can guess my opinion on what it would mean to be 'reset'." he finishes the sentence coldly.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa finds out more about how the world works and kinda gets a sympathic look on her face as Sheep regales the tale. She's starting to get an idea about what's driving them really. %R "So I think I get it that sounds like it's a very hard experince to go through and you done it right times? That's something I'm not sure I could endure."

She looks at Sheep some more as they explain how things basically are stuck in an eternal loop.

"So your saying everything's been overall stagnat for a very long time... I think I have a better idea now thank you Sheep."

For once Kotone is in agreement with Staren about something and the Reset does not seem to be the best idea.

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko doesn't turn her head, nor nod, nor cease walking, but she does say, when Melody is done speaking, "I'm sorry." Even if it was necessary, and even if Melody isn't mad about it, and even if Kimiko is going to continue helping in that very thing--she still feels that regret, and her words are, for the largely expressionless Puella Magi, audibly genuine.

    She does not mind the closeness at all, as they continue on their way back.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Having rebooted, Eryl finally rises back to his feet, dusting himself off and retrieving his cloak. As he puts it back on, he goes over to the throne Mizuki conjured and gives her a pat on the shoulder.

     "I know. It's hard, and scary, dealing with the unknown. Like walking down a flight of stairs in the dark and forgetting how many there are, we're all afraid of missing a step and bringing it all crashing down." He offers her a wan smile. "But. You have us. We shall see it right, and bring about a conclusion that satisfies everyone. I swear it."

     Giving her shoulder a little squeeze, he grins. "So, don't look so disheartened, okay? A smile suits you best, after all." Finally, he lets go and looks over at Sheep. "I request a portal, if you do not mind?"

Arthur Lowell has posed:
    The titanic gash in reality gets all three Arthurs looking at it. All of them have the same look of concern and the same levels of understanding, biting their lips and making stressed noises abruptly. The three look between each other. "Get the HELL outta here, go DO YOUR BUSINESS." Arthur Prime says.

    "we have no other options."
    "BUT YOU DON'T GIVE US ORDERS ANYWAY."

    The two Shades flicker away abruptly, transporting with a sudden shift in space. Arthur himself is going to Mizuki now. He's one of the only ones left here who knows the answer to that, and so he slips to the side of the fancy chair she's summoned and puts a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "I can't answer that. But I can say, don't blame yourself. I know more about what happened here, but you shouldn't, okay?" A few pats and then he's shaking his head at Riva. "Don't worry about the author of that side of things. That's stuff we deal with later, not now."

Riva Banari has posed:
"I guess I'm just getting ahead of myself. I do that a lot." Riva says with a little embarassment, before she yelps at the crackling explosion and tear in the sky. "Whoa, was that caused from..." she looks at Mizuki and whre Apathy used to be. "Hmmmmm." She gets up at this point and heads over to give Mizuki a pat on the shoulder. "We're here for you, Mizuki. Don't worry, we'll make it all work out. We'll be believing in you, so just keep believing in us, okay?" She then looks over and nods to Arthur, before she finally parts from the main group and goes to talk shop with the Artist. Things just keep happtning to use up all of her tiiiiiiime...

Mizuki (183) has posed:
    "I... believe that, if we do nothing, I will be 'reset' anyway. What we are currently doing is comparable to surgery when one has been afflicted with cancer. When you are dying from that illness, you are presented with two choices: to either live the rest of your days to their fullest knowing you are going to expire, or to endure the treatments knowing that there is only a very slim chance that you will get better. In this case, I suppose if we continue on our current course, I will be doing the latter. As far as the Sentinels and other people are concerned... they would likely die anyway as well. If things continue as I presume they have been, they would likely be born again in a similar fashion, only to die again in the same way. So they may either be sacrifices where they cannot be saved, or they may receive new lives with precise deadlines, on into infinity. It all seems very dismal."

    Melody would remain close to Kimiko as the pair returns, but she would also give a smile and a wave to Sheep, who returns each one in kind. Sheep would meander over to both of them, actually... going out of her way to pat the little girl on the head. "Did you make a friend, Melody?" The girl would nod her head vigorously in return, obviously having recovered from her earlier bout of depression. Sheep would rest her hands on her hips and laugh faintly at this before girls are approached again by Mizuki.

    She addresses Melody, first. "Ah, so is that where you had been all this time? I... will be quite frank, but we've all been so caught up in other discussions that we had quite forgotten you. It sounds so horrid when I put it so plainly, but it does mean that we need not make any decisions with regards to you just this moment. So in a way, this is a good thing." She would hesitantly stroke the girl's hair, and she seems mercifully receptive to it. Not upset about Mizuki having 'forgotten' her, at least. She raises her gaze to Kimiko next.

    "Miss Shinobu... thank you for watching over her. It so happens that, in your absence, we've gleaned new information that has led us to believe it would be best if we did not take this girl's number today. Rather, we are going to take hers last as this location is, quite likely, the safest and easiest to access of all those still remaining. So we shall return here. When that time comes, anything you might've learned about this place will likely help us to get in and out of here as swiftly as might be feasible."

    To be honest, she sounds a little... out of it. Distant. It seems like a lot happened while she was out.