1785/Another Day at the Office

Another Day at the Office
Date of Scene:	11 March 2015
Location:	Heaven or Hell Tower <HoH>
Synopsis:	A few Heaven or Hell members give Psyber a warm welcome back to the office.
Cast of Characters:	2, 92, 134, 176, 253, 255, Eryl Fairfax, 570, Ayako Hasekawa, 720

---

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Those already present in the office would be in total darkness. The lights - or at least, all those Madoka could find the switches to - are turned off, and the only relief one might find from the blindness-inducing atmosphere would be the gentle rays that sneak between the metal blinds and the windows on the walls. This is intentional; if the lobby was as bright as usual, Psyber would be able to see the decorations that Madoka has lain out immediately! They're nothing extravagant and she certainly wasn't ambitious enough to decorate the room, but a pair of columns near the center have been adorned with glistening grass garnishes that wrap around all the way to their tops. Several tables of concessions containing punch, mini sandwiches, sushi, and all sorts of other dishes both casual and fine would be collected there, just begging to be consumed by some ravenous onlooker. The centerpiece of all of that is, of course, a cake! Said cake would be pastel pink bordered by pure white frosting on each of its three tiers. She had to get something big -- Psyber has a lot of friends!

    Madoka herself would be there to greet any early visitors at the door, pointing them to ideal places to wait for the arrival of the guest of honor. Even in the dark they might be able to notice a trace of excitement in her voice, and should the faint light filtering in flash across her face for even an instant a pronounced rosiness to her cheeks would confirm her present zeal. She loves absolutely nothing more in life than opportunities for her to do things like this for friends, and it's been far, far, far too long since she last attended any kind of party. Her mind probably wouldn't be able to accomodate it if she realized, but in some ways this party is just as much for her as it is for Psyber. It is, after all, a chance for her to have fun and see all of the new friends she's been meeting in person, and to deal a final, decisive blow to the dark cloud that has hung over her head for the past several years. Of course, it would take more than that to banish it entirely, but at least for an evening, she feels, she can live more in the present.

    As soon as she's finished her conversation on the radio, she would quite literally skip to the lightswitch nearest the door and watch. On the other side of the entryway would be nothing out of the ordinary... aside from a telltale note with the following words written upon it in a whimsical, bright pink mixture of hiragana and kanji:

    "Knock first!"

    In retrospect, it might be a little rude to put up a note asking someone to knock before they enter their own house, but she's going to bank on the fact that all will be mended the moment Psyber lays eyes on that cake. Or maybe the plate of steak bites if he prefers that sort of thing? She tried to set up the buffet with him in mind, but that's a bit difficult when you've never eaten with someone before. Ohohoh, maybe in the future that could be her excuse to ask to eat dinner with him? That would -only- be so that she could learn what he likes for future parties, though. Of course. Absolutely. She has no ulterior motives, and certainly no seething yen for some second helpings.

    Nope.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    A surprise party?! Ayako loves surprise parties! And so Ayako was of course super on-board with this! The Water Spirit dressed as a maid of course helped Madoka decorate the columns-making sure that she could take them off easily after. She is a maid, after all and clean up tends to fall to her! Not that she minds.

    Now, as for hiding? Ayako isn't actually too good at that. When the lights go out, she takes the position where Madoka told her to wait and... Well, she's giggling. Softly. She can't help it!

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    It is an unfortunate reality of things that Setsuko Kaminagi's presence will be impossible to conceal. Psyber will almost certainly know she's there; hell, everyone and everything within 50 miles with even the vaguest hint of magical sense will know she's there. She can't help it.

    But she's a member of Heaven or Hell, so it's the demigod's hope that her presence for a visit won't be looked on too terribly askance before Psyber actually arrives. She can visit once in a while, can't she?

    (Oh please don't let this tip Psyber off.)

    Regardless, this is also an opportunity to meet the new Madoka. For the moment of her arrival, she simply offers a polite bow, and a greeting of, "It's good to meet you. I'm a friend of... the other Kaname," she adds with a touch of awkwardness. And then she's off to a corner of the room, standing in one of the deeper shadows created by the lack of lights and simply waiting.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Well, /Elliana/ can be good at staying quiet and out of the way. Once again she's dressed casually, but some might argue she's dressed a little /too/ casually, what with wearing a shirt that says 'BAD GIRL' in large letters across the front. Her hair is up in a ponytail, and were it not for the star-shaped scar and red eye that it surrounds, she could easily pass for a college girl relaxing against the wall, keeping out of sight.

Hastur (176) has posed:
    Hastur, of course, would not miss something like this for any reason. No doubt she's helped with preparations, particularly with some of the more lavish and excessive foods laid out for refreshment, and now she's simply waiting in the shadows, arms folded over her chest and head lifted in regal preparation.

    She's not even wearing her normal robes, either. In fact, she's dressed up a little for the occasion. A sleeveless turtleneck, a knee-length skirt, a pair of somewhat high heels...all of it colored a bright yellow, of course. Still, it's nicer than her usual outfit, and she's even bothered to put on /shoes/ for once and tidied up her messy lavender hair a little. That's definitely something, right?

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Homura is behind the couch.

    It is exactly as lazy as it sounds.

    Closer examination reveals she's actually laying down and reading from university books with a small flashlight. Can't keep a good student down, not when they can abuse the laws of spacetime to pretend they were ready all along. She is dressed casually for once, wearing a nice white blue and white blouse with dark blue jeans. The red ribbon is in her hair, which is loose. You can't escape that. Glasses, too.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl was actually here early to help Madoka set up. But, his involvement extends even further back than that. Recently, over the Heaven or Hell radio, he posed a question to everyone listening about their ideal meals. Of course, he was fishing for what Psyber would most like to eat, but by asking everyone, he hopefully avoided tipping the detective off.

     As such, among the buffet is a tray of barbequed ribs. Eryl also went out of his way to buy some fresh catches for a pot of seafood chowder. When you're literally homeless while working for the Union, you have a lot of disposable income floating around for such luxuries.

     Of course, he had no ulterior motives in the same way that Madoka had no ulterior motives. But hey, when you've literally eaten dirt at several points in your life, you wouldn't say no to a nice spread.

     His hiding method is standing very still in the corner, with his coat all buttoned up and his cape covering his head, the black material aiding him well in hiding in the shadows.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Between teaching classes in the morning, an early afternoon meeting with Ainsley, and then commuting back to Boston? The half-angel looks tired. All his scurrying around today at least bought Homura time to escape their drive home together after classes.

    Carrying a leather messenger bag over one shoulder, Psyber heads back to the tower upon being summoned. Thankfully for all the food that people have brought, he is not eating. He simply has been chugging, among other things, energy drinks for most of his day. And that is why, tired as he is, he goes to push open the door of his office and finds the note on it, he stops.

    Okay, so he can sense Setsuko. But she was probably just checking on Homura or the new Madoka. The woman was very protective of the Puella magi. Either way, he does bring up his hand and knock on his OWN OFFICE DOOR three times.

    "Hello?"

    He pushes it open shortly after.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Before Psyber arrives, Madoka would smile to Setsuko. Quiet as she can, she would whisper back, "Hi! It's good to meet you, too!" She might poke her fingers together, though, and emit a shy giggle. "Ehehe... it seems like everyone here already knows who I am. It's a little weird, but I'm glad that you're friends with her. She seems really nice!" God, she hopes that doesn't sound like she's complimenting herself. From what she saw, though, she seems... pretty distinct. That is, different from her. Enough to warrant compliments... right? Right? She would shift in mild discomfort. "But, um. What's your name? I don't think I've ever heard you on the radio before, but if you're friends with the other me then I hope we can be friends, too!"

    Ayako, likewise, would get no small show of her enthusiasm before Psyber arrives. It's very likely that she squee'd with utter delight an hour or so ago when the decorations had first been put up and subsequently broken into a fit of 'Thankyouthankyou~!'s that would gratify any such endeavor. Also, if Ayako should have informed her that she isn't the best with stealth in advance, Madoka would have been careful to designate her a position further away from the door. She really wants this to go over well, after all! But Ayako would also get a special request: to really give it her all when the lights go on and everyone comes together to say surprise. The water spirit strikes her as a very happy and playful sort, so she thinks she would be an ideal candidate for some boisterously fun social shenanigans. She might be wrong, but you can't blame her for trying!

    Now, unlike some people here she doesn't have any idea who Elliana is. That means she isn't aware of any of the stigma surrounding her or even the simple fact that she's in the Confederacy. So she would greet her in the spirit of complete innocence, waving over with the same warm grin she shared with all the others before. The only reason she might seem dissonant to the puella magi is because of those -clothes-. You have a bunch of people getting dressed up, some others who look like they're from associated forms of fantasy media... and then that. She would giggle, but that would be rude! So instead she just contemplates how her particular choice of dress might reflect on her character, if it even does at all. Any dark energies or negative emotions emanating from her would be glossed over entirely in the warmth of the atmosphere, too, so she's likely to spend the entirety of this evening thinking Elliana is an entirely normal person unless she's told otherwise. For better or for worse.

    Hastur, like Ayako, would get a plethora of appreciative commentary, but but her would have inspired a much stronger reaction. All throughout the cooking process Madoka would have loomed over her, asking at intervals to act as a taste tester or idly commenting on how good something smells. Of course, she would -try- to pass this off as her just passing through the area coincidentally, but that might be a bit hard to believe after the 25th time. In the past half hour, that is; the scent of gourmet goods is, as always, positively magnetic. Homura would get a bit of a giggle when she notices the simplicity of her chosen hiding spot, but then a moment of pause when she notices the textbook. And... maybe another when she notices the ribbon. For a moment, she would gingerly pinch at the corners of her headband, but... no. No, now's not the time for that. She should try to have fun tonight and to not think about anything. She would nod to herself.

    Yeah.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Back to the present moment, though, Madoka would be just as grateful - if not even more so! - for Eryl's participation in the night's proceedings. As was said before, she really has -no idea- what Psyber would like to eat, so Eryl knowing to make ribs was nothing short of a godsend. Between him, Hastur, and her own odd experimentation, she supposes, things will go over just fine. Which is good! She was worried for a bit when she first came up with the idea for this get-together, but now it seems that everything has come together just fine. But, ah --! There's a knock! Madoka tenses up and darts against the wall, the pace of her heartbeat quickening. In contrast, time seems to slow, and the moment that the door begins to slide open her reaction is almost reflexive:

    "Surpriiiiiiiise~~!"

    The light would beam on the moment he peeks his head in, and Madoka would wave excitedly with both hands from her spot near the door. After that, there would be absolutely no way of missing the buffet before the columns (some the food there still sizzling from its stint in the oven) nor all the people who have likely gathered and sprung from their places of hiding themselves. Madoka would wait briefly for the situation to quiet before returning her hands to a demure position at her waist and explaining herself somewhat. "Welcome back, Psyber! When you left for that other apartment I felt like you might need a little bit of a pick-me-up, so I talked with some others and we put this together!" She would bow deeply for a moment before rising and finishing, "I hope you like it! I know you're probably tired and everything so don't feel like you have to stay, but I think you'll at least like the food." Smiiiile~.

    There really are no words to describe quite how happy she looks right now, but the atmosphere would, for once, likely be a mirror of her unbridled joy.

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako giggles brightly and cheerfully flings her arms up into the air as the lights come on. "Suuuuurprise!" Okay, so her timing is just a bit off from Madoka's surprise, but it's not too off. As her arms go up, colorful paper confetti showers out from her palms as she giggles brightly. She might be a maid, but being cheerful is just what Ayako is! The confetti goes flying everywhere, although most of it is thrown at the door. Curiously, though... the confetti dissolves into thin air the moment it touches something solid. Water vapor to be exact!

    What? Of course the maid would clean up her own mess and make sure not to taint the food.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "Setsuko," the swordswoman replies just before taking her place. "Kaminagi Setsuko." She seems like the cool, stoic sort of person - so it probably speaks volumes that Madoka gets a faint smile from her as she takes her position.

    From there, she is as silent and still as a statue until the lights come on.

    Only when the room is lit up does the swordswoman step away from her position, giving Psyber a quiet nod and a look that almost seems to say, 'Look, she even got me here to visit.' She does not, however, actually say anything. Not even 'surprise'.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     When the lights are turned on, Eryl pulls his cape off of his head, revealing that underneath it, he had a party-blower in his mouth. As the puella magi lets out a girlish, drawn out 'surprise,' he blows on it, letting out that telltale sound as it unfurls and flutters.

     Letting it drop into his hand when he's done, he grins and says, "Yes, surprise." Gesturing at the table, groaning under the weight of all the food, he adds, "I helped in some of this. I had to make some guesses as to your specific tastes, so I hope everything is satisfactory."

Hastur (176) has posed:
    Fortunately for Madoka, none of that excited checking really /bothered/ Hastur. The Great Old One is always pleased to have her pride reinforced by an outside appreciator, and while Madoka may certainly be young, her repeated appraisal is good enough for Hastur.

    At the moment, while others may opt for more obvious and flashy greetings, Hastur doesn't do much more than stand there and...smile. It's a satisfied one, but gentle, and more than a little...what is that? Hm. It's gone after a moment, in any case, partially obscured by a finger crooked and lifted over her lips.

    While she doesn't walk over to Psyber yet, a brownish tentacle tipped with a long, golden spike slips out from under her sweater and winds across to him. It carefully lifts off the ground and loops under the straps of his messenger bag, acting as a helpful - if unusual - relief from whatever he's been carrying around all this time.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Oh, Psyber is here.

    Homura appears next to Madoka, no longer wielding a book and a flashlight. She deadpans a "Surpriiiiiise." to the best of her ability, and confetti (and glitter) magically rain on Psyber out of absolutely nowhere. It's a god damn mystery how she did that.

    She does not really have much more to add! Well, an idle wave at Setsuko, since she was already addressing Madoka. And she hands Madoka a glass of strawberry juice.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana, however, does know who Madoka is! Sort of. She doesn't know the details of the girl's story, but she knows a Puella Magi and what that means. So she smiles politely and keeps Wrathborn quiet, so there shouldn't be a large amount of dark energy leaking.

    "Surprise!" Yes, she actually puts some enthusiasm in her greeting. Her smile, however, is a little apologetic. She is pretty sure that the arguing over her is what lead to Psyber taking that trip anyway.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Once the lights are on, Setsuko would get another, quick nod from Madoka. "Well, again, it's nice to meet you Setsuko! I hope you have fun tonight!" She would wrap her arms behind her back, still happy as can be. "This is Psyber's party, but I want everyone else to enjoy it too. I'm sure he feels the same way, so don't be shy to ask for... anything!" She gets the impression that she probably won't be doing much asking at all, but she still wanted to put it out there. She doesn't have a lot of experience with stoic people specifically, but what little she does have combined with what she knows about other guarded sorts of personalities would suggest that her usual excitableness won't bother her too, too much. In fact, she might actually enjoy being around people like that! ... just, you know, not necessarily being like that herself. Still, she may be wrong, so she'll be as careful as she can.

    But did she actually hear a -party blower-? Eryl would get a look of pure elation. She doesn't even fully understand why, quite; it might just be that her mood was already good, but the fact that he thought to bring one of those is just the best thing ever to her. And it really does wonders for the atmosphere as everyone calls out to him upon entry! It's the perfect accompaniment, as though the whole thing was a song and that noise was the triangle, or the cymbals, or some other such seemingly obtrusive but integral piece in the performance. It might not be an understatement to say she's as appreciative of that singular moment as she is for the culmination of all his efforts over the course of the day. That might seem a bit silly, but... but! It was just neat, okay? She wishes she thought to bring a party blower, too!

    Though, um. Did she just see something out of the corner of her eye? There was something... wasn't there? Long, and thin, and... admittedly, a bit hard to describe in words. There's no small amount of glancing around and time that passes before she finally finds that thing she's looking for, but when she does, she -freezes-. She stops, she stares, and her mouth opens slightly in sheer awe. What is it? It's -serpentine. It's...

    ... there's a -tentacle- on the floor.

    Why is there a tentacle on the floor? Did someone bring octopus to eat? She glances to the table -- no. No one brought octopus to eat. Oh, and it's moving. With some trepidation her eyes follow it back to its source, and her expression just becomes even more shocked as her gaze falls upon Hastur. She stares for a bit longer than is likely polite before she literally -spins- around to look at the buffet table, or Psyber, or -anything- else instead. She might be breathing a little heavily right now.

    She's not gonna ask.

    ... but seriously, how did she not notice that before? Oh my God.

    ... though, her thoughts do become slightly more lighthearted as her thoughts progress. The one that calms her down the most is one that says, 'Wow! No wonder she's such a good chef!' And it's true! Suddenly, she's absolutely captivated by the notion of having extra appendages to help you cook. And maaaybe extra appendages to eat, but that's neither here nor there. At the least, though, she's seen enough witches to not be shocked by this anatomical anatomy for too, too long.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Ah, but something else happens to break her out of this small trance: Homura! Her inflection is phenomenally inexpressive, but it still draws her attention as much as a shout far louder would. The voice of a... a friend that you haven't seen in a while has a tendency to do that, and that effect hasn't quite worn off yet. Still, the ensemble of her voice with the appearance of the confetti in sparkles would get a giggle from her. She hadn't really thought to ask, but what -are- her powers like in this world? This is just another one of those things that literally everyone else knows that she doesn't. Oh, but! Strawberry juice! She would give Homura a small but sweet smile in thanks before taking a sip. This, of course, would only make her grin widen even further.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Heeeeeeeeey, it's a lot of my favorite people!" Psyber says with some genuine surprise to his voice. He manages a bright smile in response to Madoka that has a bit of a tired feeling to it, but definitely one of some genuine happiness. He's tired, but he appreciates the effort people went through to coordinate this. Everyone who says it to him, or even just gives him a nod like Setsuko, gets a grin in return for it.

    Except for Homura, who just doused him in glitter. That he doesn't appreciate. He'll get her back for that later. Or maybe this was her getting him back for the hand-cuffing thing. It's hard to keep track.

    The bookbag that Hastur takes from him is heavy. He keeps his teaching materials, plus whatever he's working at on a given day, plus at least two guns in there with spare ammo. So it's not a light load for her to be taking off of him.

    "Thank you, everyone," The half-angel rustles his hair some, trying to clear glitter out of it and probably just driving it deeper into his scalp, "This is a real surprise and a great gesture. I know it's been a hard couple weeks on everyone, and you didn't have to do this for me, but it means a lot." He smiles again.

    Elliana's apologetic smile gets a special response. In that Psyber takes a handful of the glitter that Homura dumped on him and tries to throw it on her.

    This is generally a sign that the party is well-accepted by him and allowed to get under way.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka would wave with some emphasis when Psyber shoots her his grin, but her hands soon return to their natural position at her waist and she begins to sway. Her cheeks are -very- red, but she's clearly not embarrassed -- just really happy! She would likely be one of the first to say "You're welcome!", following that up by finally closing her eyes in her smile. It's hard to fight the urge! When her eyes do reopen, she would continue, "I just wanted to thank you. Well, I wanted to thank everyone, really; this is definitely your party, but I'd like it if everyone to enjoyed it! You've all been so nice to me since I came here, and it's important to me that you all know how grateful I am. I couldn't think of a better way to do that than to give you all a chance to have some fun together, though, so here we are." She would almost sweatdrop here, but not quite.

    The ensuing GLITTER ATTACK on Elliana would get another widening of her eyes. Whoa! She has half a mind to hold out her hands soothingly and implore them 'not to fight', but upon seeing the looks on both of their faces she thinks better of it. They aren't the most obvious expressions, but she can tell that, in some way another, this lady and Psyber are good friends. That's enough for her, and she would steal the opportunity to giggle again. She miiight sneak away in the chaos of the moment to make her way over to the buffet table soon after, spooning up some water and a cookie. Surprisingly, it isn't for her! Rather, she would skip right back over to Homura and offer them to her. In exchange for the strawberry juice~.

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Eryl does a quick scan of the room now that the surprise has been sprung. Psyber's surprise is a pleasant one, it seems. And everyone seems ready to have a good time. Excellent. Although, the seemingly spontaneous sparkles that appear over Psyber's causes Original Face to buzz angrily in his skull, as does Hastur's tentacle creeping across the floor.

     The only response to that he shows is a fleeting grimace which quickly fades back into a casual smile. Going to the table, he loads up a plate with ribs. Not for himself, but for Psyber, whom he offers the plate to.

     "That question I asked on the radio was to fish some information from you." He grins sheepishly. "It was not as subtle as it could have been, but time was limited. Please, enjoy."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako blinks her eyes quickly when she sees the glitter. And then whimpers softly. Glitter... cleaning it off the floor is easy enough. But now there are going to be two people who will be shedding glitter constantly for months to come. Oh well. That's why she's a maid!

    A puddle of water actually sneaks out from her shoes and quickly and quietly cleans up any glitter and confetti on the floor, seeming to absorb it. Said water vanishes back into her shoes, leaving the floor clean.

    Ayako bows her head as she curtsies. "Welcome home, Psyber." She then straightens up and giggles brightly. "Kyaha... the surprise was a success!"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    The initial surprise is done, and it seems to have made Psyber rather happy. That alone makes the whole thing worthwhile, Setsuko thinks.

    However, there are parts of this plan the swordswoman forgot to think through... like, 'everything after arriving'. She's never been the most social person, and usually finds herself standing on the perephiry of parties. In Heaven or Hell that doesn't actually seem possible. And she can't just leave; that would be horridly rude of her, and actually kind of make her feel bad. So for the moment all she can think to do is stand to one side of the room and watch quietly, occasionally eyeing the food that's been laid out. Maybe some sushi in a little bit.

Hastur (176) has posed:
    Madoka just gets a faintly confused look from Hastur when she looks at the woman in yellow in that...perplexed way. She's grown so used to people knowing her nature that she doesn't even think that the presence of a tentacle emerging from her body is all that strange. Maybe she'll put two and two together later.

    The bag is surprisingly hefty, but while the tentacle sinks for a moment, Hastur's telekinesis reinforces it to make carrying the load all the easier. The bag is hefted off to be placed behind the front desk for the moment, and that tentacle slips back under Hastur's shirt, vanishing from sight completely as it sinks back into her body.

    Finally, she strides over to Psyber, each step taken with a little less certainty and grace than usual. She's still getting used to these heels. She finally stops rather close to him, her ethereal scarlet gaze fixated on him with a note of expectation. "I hope you haven't gone and ruined your appetite today. I put more than a little extra effort into this, so you had better be able to savor it. Of course I wasn't entirely /alone/ in the effort, but..." She gives a little wave of her hand to Eryl and Madoka, then manages a soft smile. "Still. Welcome home again, Psyber. Anything I can get for you to enforce relaxation?"

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    Kimiko was not here. Or maybe she was? She has no stealth capabilities when in motion, but she is capable of standing very still, very quietly, for as long as necessary. She could, perhaps, enjoy fishing.

    She is only definitely here after she gives a very mild wave to alert Psyber to her presence, and perhaps establish that she is also here for the same reason as everyone else. There are a lot of things on which she knows too little to comment, but if it seems like Psyber could use a little happy surprise, then she is not at all averse to helping in the very small way in which she's capable.

    Very soon after, she's gone to stand by Setsuko, so they can be quiet and socially awkward together.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Sputter! Glitter in the face! That has Elliana backing up with a shake of her head. "PSYBER! This is going to get all over the Drasillum!" She then pauses, rubbing at her hair and causing some glitter to fall. Then she adds thoughtfully. "And Saber. Hmm. Carry on."

    She claps Psyber on the shoulder, then turns and smiles to the others, "Pardon me, I will get out of everyone's way for the greeting." She doesn't want to stand and mill about TOO close, probably thanks to the side effects. Her eyes flick to a few of the ones she hasn't really met, like Eryl, but she isn't going to say hello unless she's greeted.

Sakura Haruno (134) has posed:
    Sakura will turn up, only about twenty minutes late. Except that she didn't really turn up for any surprise party; she'd missed her invitation. No, she's here for something more critical.

    Namely, she's stopped by to feed and visit the turtle she'd adopted, which she'd put up in her old room here instead of subjecting it to the harsh winter of Dun Realtai.

    Still, it's not like even the occasionally oblivious ninja can miss that a party seems to be going on, and she'll siddle on up, trying to stay unnoticed, which is doomed to failure on something like eight different fronts starting with her brilliantly pink hair and continuing to the fact that she's still wearing three hats atop it, none of which match. She mostly looks confused about what's going on, particularly with the glitter.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Once that moment of confusion has passed between Madoka and Hastur, she would offer her a faint smile in response to the acknowledgment of her help. She was happy to! She would say that out loud, but she's a bit worried it would sound redundant. So instead she just looks on as Hastur pesters the guardian angel in sheer glee, content now to take more of a backseat to things. As far as she's concerned, this is their party to enjoy! She was just the one who was there to light the fuse, so to speak. Still, that doesn't mean that she'll just leave the less engaged to their devices! After some time she would meander over to the food table, fixing a plate of the exact sort of sushi Setsuko was eying, fetching some punch, and bringing the small assortment to her with the same happy look as ever.

    "Here!" She would offer her the plate. "Just in case you want some later." There are a few more moments of silence after that before she actually thinks of something to say, but it's only a matter of time before she continues... albeit with some modest degrees of worry that she might be intruding. "Um. Are you in Heaven or Hell, too? I think most of the people who are here are, but I'm not really sure. It's... it's all about paranormal stuff, right?" Leave it to her to not know the nature of the organization she's in before joining it. And then to awkwardly ask someone else who may not even be in it for clarification about it. /Sigh/. She would notice the silliness of this herself, though, and play with her hair a little to cure her nervousness. "Do you like ghosts and that sort of thing? I always liked thinking that there were other people around even when it seemed like I was alone. It's comforting..."

    Though speaking of ghosts, how long has Kimiko been there exactly? She would blink, glancing over from Setsuko to Kimiko with some surprise. "Oh! H-Hi, Kimiko. I don't think I even saw you come in." She would not-sweatdrop again. Unable to think of anything more interesting to say, she just asks, "How are you today? Sorry if parties aren't really your thing. There will be times for more quiet get togethers, too! Probably. I think." Apparently she gets a bit flustered when people don't reciprocate her emotion and enthusiasm, but that doesn't mean she likes either of the girls any less. Quite the opposite, really! She's doing this to try and find more ways to approach them in the future.

    Beyond that, Elliana would get a bit of lingering look and maybe even an amiable wave if they lock eyes for a long enough time. Eryl and Ayako, too, would get glances and yet more smiles. She'll probably bug them soon too!

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Muahaha. All a part of my master plan, Elliana," Psyber says with a threatening wiggle of his glitter-covered fingers, "You cannot escape the glitter. We're marked now," He smirks and then looks towards Hastur as she approaches him.

    "I promise to eat lots of food, Hastur. You, Eryl, and everyone else clearly put just a ton of work into it all," He notes, smiling at the King in Yellow and then waving his hand a bit, "I'll take a plate of everything, because it all looks so good," He says in response to her offer to get him something. It's hard to pick anything, and Hastur DID offer.

    For the moment, Psyber stays near Elliana. The side effects of doing so are ones he's content to deal with, in order to keep the woman sociable, "So I'm surprised you'd come out, Ell. It means a lot, I know you must be busy."

    His eyes look around the room and he spots Kimiko, giving her a wave. Haruno gets one too, though she looks mostly confused. Psyber is still trying to process the existence of the party, himself.

    "Thank you to everyone, again."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    "Busy..." Elliana hmms. "Yes, I suppose I am. But I've also had a lot of time to think. Besides, with the recent... revelations... I thought it best to try to relax a little bit with..." She trails off, then gestures. "Hmm. Friends and acquaintances."

    Turning about, Elliana leans against the wall again, taking a deep breath. "I don't think I've met some of these, at least in person. Though I have heard most." She folds her hands in front of her, clearing her throat. "Lady Shinobu, hello." Stiff and formal, as usual... for a formal girl. The surprising part is what she says next. "Madoka here has really gone all out, has she not?"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    Blink. Blink blink. "Oh. Thank you." Setsuko certainly did not expect to have food brought to her, and she's actually a little unsure quite how to respond for a moment. She does take it, though, with a grateful nod to Madoka. "I am, yes. It's... an eclectic assortment," she decides, looking out at the others. "It seems to handle all sorts of things, but most of them do tend to be supernatural in nature. I'm more of an... occasional member, I suppose. I've never had much time to worry about the supernatural, though." She smiles faintly, perhaps a bit rueful. "...Amusing to hear coming from a demigod. But it's always been my way simply to fight for what I think is right, regardless of the enemy."

Kimiko Shinobu (570) has posed:
    "Not at all, I'm fine here." Kimiko calmly protests, seeming very relaxed, if not very happy. She doesn't want Madoka, or anyone, to have the impression that she is not a party-capable person. It is a truth she is simply not prepared to openly acknowledge. She does acknowledge that trying to support her claim with a smile would have a chance of failure, in her case, and therefore avoids changing expression.

    She also avoids mentioning anything about having once, possibly, been a ghost. That probably didn't happen, anyway.

    She turns to Elliana, when addressed. "Miss Fairchild." Rather cool, as she usually is. Not particularly hard, because her calm overrides harshness. No need to speak harshly in this setting, in any case. Rather, she gives an agreeing nod, continuing, "Kaname-san is very thoughtful. It is reassuring." One could take that as an odd choice of words.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber smiles at Elliana, "I don't think it's that bad to want to be around friends. You should endeavor to do so more often," For whatever other drama is in the office, Psyber still encourages Elliana to be sociable. He agrees with her just a beat later, echoing Kimiko, "She went whole-hog. It makes me wonder how long she'd been planning it for, considering she's only lived here at the building for a week or two."

    "So don't you think the shirt is a bit on the nose, eh?" He asks to Elliana teasingly, his smile switching to a playful smirk.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Given her proximity to Kimiko when Elliana speaks to her, Madoka can't help hearing, and this time her blush most certainly -is- due to embarrassment. She would clasp her hands together and might even squirm, eventually lapsing into another one of her long, nervous giggles. "E-Ehehehe... l-like I said, I just wanted to give back somehow. I didn't do much. If anyone went all out, it was Hastur and Eryl! Oh, and Ayako too! They did most of the work." She would cast her eyes to the ground briefly and mumble, "I just came up with the idea, really."

    Setsuko's words draw her gaze back from the floor, though, and soon enough she would be smiling again. She would chime "You're welcome!" when she thanks her for bringing the sushi over, but would promptly become quiet as she responds to the rest of her commentary. She would nod along cleanly and courteously until she says one thing in particular -- 'coming from a demigod'. Her eyes would enlarge themselves yet again, though this time it's slightly less noticeable; it's no less surprising than the tentacle to hear that she's in the presence of virtual divinity, but she's sorta getting to the point where she's had too many shocks to respond to each one with the same amazement anymore. Still, she would quietly echo 'D-Demigod?' under her breath before pursuing the topic further.

    "You're a demigod? Are you of any special, uhm... kind? Like, are you the demigod of water, or fire, or something like that? Or is it different where you come from?" It seems like everyone has something special about them around here. I mean, she just has the whole 'magical girl' thing. To be honest, she feels pretty mundane. N-Not that that's a bad thing! But... still.

    ... a-ah, but she was already flustered enough with what Elliana said! After Kimiko reiterates that she's 'thoughtful', the girl would briefly glance her way before shrinking in attempt to hide. She might eventually wander behind Setsuko, too, if she lets her.

    N-Nothing to see here...

Eryl Fairfax has posed:
     Looking around at his... co-workers, he supposes. Eryl isn't sure how to feel about that. All his life, he's been an agent for ReGenesis only. And this feels a little more personal than joining the Union. Less paperwork, more 'hey wanna join?'

     But, the medic-Sakura Haruno was her name-suddenly comes in. "Greetings Miss Haruno. Fashionably late, I see." He smiles at her and pours her a plastic cup of juice, offering it to her. "Given your apparent confusion, am I correct in assuming you didn't get the memo? We are having a party to celebrate Psyber's return from that whole apartment affair."

     While he speaks, he is listening to the everyone in the room. Not to eavesdrop, but to ensure everyone is getting involved. It seems there is a lot of antisocial sorts here. It won't do to let them sit out on the fringes because they're bad at socializing, no sir!

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako smiles softly and then walks over to Madoka, Setsuko, and Kimiko. "Oh, I didn't do that much." She nods her head once. "Besides, coming up with ideas isn't always easy!"

    "But, now that things are going smoothly..." Ayako does a little twirl and curtsies. "I can properly introduce myself! Sometimes a witch, sometimes a maid, but I'm always the Water Spirit Ayako Hasekawa!" She winks slowly. Yes. She just did all of that without any seeming embarassment. "Please call me Ayako!"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "It's different where I come from, but not in the way you mean. I have no divine parents," Setsuko explains. "I took up the sword of a long-dead god, and now I'm not fully human anymore. To answer your question, my domain is 'war'. It's nothing terribly pretty or heroic, but gives me strength I can use for good causes." When Madoka sidles around behind Setsuko, the demigod merely gives her a brief glance of curiosity, but doesn't object at all. She's good at being someone's protective barrier.

Kaname Madoka (720) has posed:
    Madoka would briefly poke her head out from behind Setsuko to nod in acknowledgement of Ayako. And even if she's a bit too busy being shy to give a response bearing her usual emphasis, she might still, subtly, playfully whisper, "Always adorable," after Ayako finishes remarking on the things that she sometimes is. Just for good measure!

    When Setsuko mentions that she doesn't have any divine parents, though, and goes on to explain the meaning behind the term 'demigod' where it pertains to her, Madoka would begin to nod again. She's wearing the sort of expression that would accompany one's utterance of a long, drawn out 'Ooooohhh' of epiphany. She would keep silent, though, instead continuing to listen with rapt interest as she clarifies her domain, and what it means. She nods to herself. Okay, so she's in the presence of someone strong and notably nice, but not someone who literally owns heaven or anything like that. Right, that's a little easier for her heart to take.

    Her response to her remains quiet, though, and she doesn't offer any new conversation for the time being. It seems like she's still content to linger in semi-obscurity for the time being.

Hastur (176) has posed:
    Hastur just gives a short chuckle at Psyber's response. "One of everything? Fine, it's up to you if you can actually /carry/ it." The Great Old One slips off, then, vanishing toward the table and beginning to gather Psyber's request.

    When she returns to his side, eyes closed and a faint smirk of satisfaction on her lips, it's with a small mountain floating beside her. She didn't /literally/ get everything on the table - that would be a terrible insult to the rest of the party - but even a little of every individual item is a lot. And Hastur's piled it all onto a precarious mountain of delicacies, all topped with a slice of the brilliant pink cake like some sort of castle left to its fate on a crumbling island peak. A fork is helpfully stabbed into the bottom of the pile.

    And at her other side floats a glass of scotch, just in case.

    "Your 'everything,' sir," she remarks coyly to Psyber, letting both items float beside him. At least she's supporting them with her telekinesis, so he doesn't /have/ to try and carry two volatile items all on his own. "That should tide you over for the night, I believe."

    Her playful smirk simmers down a little once she turns to Elliana. "Fairchild. I haven't seen you in person in quite some time. Everything going well these days, I trust?" A pause, then a soft laugh. "...well, I suppose that may be a little up for debate, from what I've heard, but it's still good to see you here."

Ayako Hasekawa has posed:
    Ayako blushes quickly when she hears the whisper. Her amber gaze goes off to the sides quickly as she rests one hand on her cheek. She opens her mouth to say something, but gets all tongue-tied. As it is, the only thing she can do is a soft, enbarassed 'Eh heh heh'.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana glances at Setsuko, but doesn't interrupt. The demigod and her would have a lot to talk about, if they were on the same side. For now she'll keep a polite distance, inasmuch as hanging out in the same general area allows.

    "Thank you, Hastur," she says to the King in Yellow. "I am doing well, health-wise, but of course there are other concerns." She makes a face, then smiles again. "I am trying to let things go and just... mingle a little."

    Psyber gets a look, then her tongue pokes out. Huh? "You said you liked me in casual clothes. I thought I would welcome you back with this look. I truly do apologize for the trouble I have caused, and I hope we can sort it out soon enough."

    This might be why Sakura gets a small nod, but no attempt to socialize.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    For the moment, Setsuko remains quiet as well, not venturing far... well, not venturing at all from her position to one side of the room. Ayako gets a warm nod, Elliana a cooler (but polite) acknowledgement, and for the moment the swordswoman simply stays near Kimiko and Madoka.

    ...and tries a few bites of sushi. Apparently, she likes it.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber has a literal pile of food brought to him. The half-angel starts to take the tray and wobbles from balance. Hastur's telekinesis spares them all an awful mess. So Psyber instead switches to a fork and digs into the food, prying off some rib and then sticking the fork in his mouth.

    "I love it when you dress casual," He remarks off-handedly, grinning at her when she pokes her tongue out at him, "As for the trouble, well." Psyber thinks for a long moment and looks to Elliana, "Proverbs, Chapter Seventeen, Verse Seventeen is most applicable," He knows Elliana, and MOST people here, don't really follow the bible. But still.

    "It says that: 'A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.'." He rocks on his feet a bit and smiles, "I needed some time to clear my head, but I never abandon the people I care about. I'm here whether you, Nate, or anyone else wants me to be or not."

    From that, he gives a genuine smile that could probably light up a room.

Hastur (176) has posed:
    "Of course. Ah, don't let me distract you from that. There's so much to make this a happy occasion, so just go ahead and lose yourself in it!" Hastur gives a satisfied smile to Elliana, then a light nod. And the Psyber's quoting again.

    Hastur gives a little roll of her eyes before glancing sidelong to him. "Really, you pull one of those out at almost any given opportunity. You can be so...so.../cheesy/ sometimes. Ugh, and making me resort to such a base word to describe it, as well." She huffs slightly, shaking her head with no small amount of distaste, but the light grin she fails to hide is enough to show that she's simply teasing him.