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Mizuki	The Clock Tower, once bent hideously out of proportion by circumstance, stands now corrected. Echo still floats in its vicinity, perhaps more content to remain nearer its mother in the light of the recent scare. That floating city is not the only thing that now serves to make the horizon of the world's center more busy, though, nor is it the sole flying metropolis: it is now only one of a pair, the latter further up and away, clinging perilously close to the edge where the world's atmosphere fades back into space. Regardless of its precarious situation, though, the edifice(s) is/are only grander for occupying its/their bold spot, assuming the most prideful posture any building could muster.     Still, it should be a fairly short trip to that area. For those who recall their ability to manipulate reality here, they may simply will themselves to its entrance, but for those who do not (or prefer not to utilize said powers), a Zeppelin soon arrives at the warpgate before the tower to escort them. It is fitted with all the comforts of a posh soujourn, including but not limited to: an exquisite view, a buffet with a fine selection of cheeses for Faruja, and plush seats that would satisfy even the most discerning slumberer. The vessel is kept dimly lit in maintenance of that regal atmosphere, but thankfully the group will not need to suffer their lessened visual acumen for long.     Yes, because they arrive quite speedily. They are swiftly delivered to a protruding platform which serves as a landing. There, two doors lie open, held by a pair of girls in notably nocturnal dress. The first, short-haired, wears silks clad in cyan stars and a moon hairpin on her head; the second, with longer hair of the same silver hue, wears a complementary white ensemble run across by floral frills. They curtsy to the group with all due exuberance, the second with perhaps more zeal than the first, before they each fall inside, leading the visitors on their way.     "I'm Star!" The one in white chimes during the walk, "Sister to Moon, and servant to Insidia." With a small twirl, she continues, "Everyone is so excited to meet you! Truth be told, they've not met together like this in quite a long time. Too long a time!" Turning to Moon, she prompts, "Isn't that right, Moon?"     "It is, Star," She quietly confirms, following with a muted nod of her head. This earns a chuckle from Star, who continues,     "You'll have to forgive Moon -- she's a bit shy. Or, well, shy sometimes. Other times, she just isn't the most adept speaker. But that's alright! I love her just the way that she is," She takes her sister's hand, "and I'm sure that you all will too. Erm, or... if you get to know her that well. She's not really the one you're here to meet." Star continues to fill the room with chatter all along the trip should no one else take the initiative up until the moment when the doors to the Congressional creeeak open, and its name is revealed by their impromptu guide. "Welcome," She announces in a facetiously deepened yet still dulcet voice, "to the -Palace- of -White- -Lilies-!"     All of the Apostles, many of them familiar from the time the group had clashed with Shiori, look over to see what all the commotion is about. Insidia, the oldest of the group, would wave and tip her hat to them; Lillian refuses to acknowledge them; Chatrinelle leaps out of her seat and barrels over to the Nocturne Sisters, whom she hugs; Kowaru gives a much simpler nod without looking up from a book she's reading; Sutri simply glances back before returning her gaze to the skies outside a nearby window. Of them, though, Insidia is the only one to properly greet them. "Yes," She echoes, "welcome! It is so nice to have visitors. As you could well have guessed, it has been quite. Some. Time. Since last we entertained here." She, too, stands, offering a curtsy. "If you're looking for the Lady, she should be here -- ah." She glances to a doorway at the Northmost point of the room, adding, "How like her to be perfectly on time."
Mizuki	Mizuki steps in on cue. She is silent until she has come closer and given her own curtsy of greeting. Afterward, though, she wastes no time: "Hello, everyone. It's so good to see you. Here, today, we will -all- be getting better acquainted with some of my new friends, and perhaps the Palace itself if we can find some time to explore. For now, though, why don't we have a seat?" She gestures to the Congressional Rotary, the massive circular desk, which now curiosuly seems to have been topped with more food. "Some relaxing dialogue beforehand is never a bad idea."
Guest Psyber	Despite knowing (In one case), or at the least suspecting (In most other cases), his unpopularity among the 'Old Guard' of Mizuki's mind save for a few that do like him, Psyber has elected to arrive! It's an awkward sort of arrival, though, that sees him rocking back and forth on his feet, "Star. Moon. Nice to meet you. Same to... everyone else, nice to see you again."     He takes in the sights around him and keeps his hands in the pockets of his jacket. Having killed the close friend of so many of these beings with his own hands, he's pretty awkward-looking and generally seems to be uncomfortable in their presence. To break the awkward standing around image, Psyber takes a cigarette out of his pocket and lights it, smoking a bit. That disrupted the awkward for all of two seconds before it resumed.
Riva Banari	WHEE ZEPPLINS! Riva's never had a chance to ride on one, and for someone like her, the journey is /definately/ as important as the destination. The relaxing, comfortably regal ride gets to deal with a lounging Riva taking up space and snacking. Upon arrival, however, Riva proves to be able to match the entusiasm of Star as she skips in and gives the pair a bow, and then chuckles, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you both! I'm Riva. So how long have you all been here? Actually, never mind, this place is super duper ancient, isn't it?" She chuckles. "I wonder if they're going to remember us from the last time we met them, hmm? So what's it like working here? Do you ever get vacations? How about looking around the rest of the dreamland?" Riva continues to yammer and ply Star and Moon with questions as they arrive at the Congressional. Riva grins, waving to all present. "Hiiiiiiiiiiiii~, it's nice to see you all again!" Riva exclaims, and nabs a chair, sitting down and relaxing. "This place is pretty amazing, though it's sort of amazing the same way a dinosaur skeleton is amazing, if you know what I mean? How have you guys all been keeping up over the basically forever?"
Faruja	Faruja, aboard the zeppelin, pauses and stares out the window as he gnaws on a chunk of cheddar. There's a contemplative look to his face. Really, he feels a bit nervous. He still doesn't trust those they fought in the end, and images of nooses and stakes and other sorts of Inquisitorial paraphenalia dance across his mind's eye. But no, he should reserve judgement. AFter all, he and others helped rewrite this world, and preserved their friend. Finally, he sighs. "That is quite possibly the most ostentatious, disgraceful bit of puffed up architecture I hath ever seen outside of Burmecia's palace." Hmph's Faruja, deciding to nitpick rather than get into the bigger issues. He has to deal with /that/ on a daily basis. There's a nod to Psyber, and a worried look briefly. To Riva, he offers a bow, and a quiet word whispered. "Let us keep an eye on Ser Psyber, hmm? He seems a touch out of sorts." Ahem! There's two ladies before him and the Inquisitor duck to a knee. Both ladies would get a kiss on the palm if they'll allow it and a blessing! "Hail and well met, Lady Star, Lady Moon! I see thine Mistress keeps most polite and gregarious servants! Inquisitor Faruja Senra, at thine service, my Children! Blessings be upon thee and thine employer this day!" Then the rat grins a bit more. Out comes the apostles, and they each get a bow. "How good to see ye all again." It's side with the note of a politician, and his smile is equally glass. At least until Mizuki arrives. Hers is warm and welcoming. Another deep bow. "As lovely as ever I see, mine dear! Settling into thine new abode well I pray?" He glances around. "A touch larger than the Clock Tower." He witholds his previous architectural complains. /FOR NOW/.
Mizuki	For a fleeting moment, Lillian stares daggers at Psyber. Still, she is just as dedicated to the maintenance of silence as he is in this case, so her eyes eventually, inevitably meander away from his. She looks instead to Mizuki, who doesn't seem to notice her, then Insidia, who flashes her a placating grin. This seems only to irritate her more, and her eyes soon lock on a particular floral spiral carved on the floor... or at least, they do until Riva pops up. She looks to her immediately after her voice pierces the area, scowl renewed, fists balling in pure, unmitigated contempt. Sutri looks over from her window just long enough to notice, rolling her eyes 'sympathetically', as Kowaru speaks for the both of them.     Thankfully, she is infinitely more polite than her compatriots in her address of things. "Hey," She starts, raising a hand in the woman's direction, "would you mind keeping it down a little? No offense to you, and no need to apologize, just. We've been alone here for a long time without hearing anything from anyone. Having to parse sounds semantically like this is kinda... harsh on our ears? If that makes sense." She shrugs a bit before pre-emptively looking to Arthur. 'That goes for you, too,' Her eyes seem to say. If nothing else, Shiori's entourage seems to have mastered the art of non-verbal communication in this stint of however many years.     As far as an actual reply to her questions goes, since Moon and Star are too wrapped up in their hug, Insidia takes over for them. "Surely you understand that, in places like this, it's... really quite useless to make inquiries in that vein. We Were, and we Are. This present is all that we have of ourselves, along with certain, specific memories we choose to preserve. If we attempted to actually keep note of figures, we might well go mad from the paradoxes we all represent." Like everyone else in this world, Insidia quickly solidifies herself as a Cheshire Cat, intentionally or otherwise. In this case, though, she might genuinely be challenged to find more 'sensible' words.     Kowaru jumps over to respond to Psyber, too, when she realizes that he's been left hanging. She really doesn't care to tip-toe around things, either: "Hey, hey. Look, no hard feelings, okay? It's not like she really gave you a choice. And hey, if anyone can hold a grudge after -this long-," She shoots a meaningful look at Sutri and Lillian, "-they're- the ones with the problem." After a pregnant pause and an exchange of subdued yet angry expressions, she adds, "Seriously, you have as much right to be here as anybody. Take a load off."     Lillian's 'tch' reverberates throughout the room.
Eryl Fairfax	It's taken several weeks of constant travel without complaint, but ReGenesis eventually forgave Eryl enough for that three days he was missing the last time he visited Mizuki's world. Although, it had taken quite a bit of convincing to let him come back again, even if it's just for a party.      But, convince them he did, because here he is. Thankfully, it seems that he took a quick shower and dressed in a spare suit before showing up, judging by his still slightly damp hair. He greets everyone he runs into around the warpgate before looking up at the straightened clock tower, a satisfied smile on his face. Though, he's carefully trying to avoid looking at the floating city far above. This is meant to be a fun occasion, and he is not about to let Original Face ruin it.      As a result, he takes the zeppelin instead. Ignoring the buffet, he immediately sinks into one of those soft chairs, and lets out a quiet, tired sigh that makes him sound like he's every second of those 129 years. Since a zeppelin is a sensible mode of transport, he also takes the time to appreciate the view. But only out the windows that face away from the flying palace, of course.      When they arrive, he disembarks neatly, quietly marvelling at the architecture. At first, he seems to ignore Star and Moon as he mentally insists to Original Face that this place totally has supports that reach the ground don't be silly. This goes on juuuuust long enough to be a little awkward, but he does snap out of it and bow to the sisters. "Thank you both for the extremely kind welcome."      Stepping inside, he is all smiles and polite bows to everyone that greets them. He notes Lillian's refusal to greet them and files that away. "Thank you, Miss Insidia. I hope this gathering makes for a fine break from that period of isolation." Verboseness is the true way; this is Mizuki's world after all. And speak of the devil, here she is now.      He bows to her. "Thank you for having us." He takes a seat at the fancy circular desk, not touching any food for now.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur Lowell is back to how he was. Not too much forced swaggering nature, but also not so somber intellectualism. Just upbeat energy! For his own part, Arthur insists on flying the old fashioned way, relaxing and reclining on the zeppelin while sipping on a drink rather casually while snacking on the contents of the buffet. As soon as they're docked, though, it's his usual ways of getting there. A quick weightless anti-grav'd flip out of his chair, and then he spins and drigs leisurely off towards the landing platform.     He comes to a slow stop somewhere around the landing platform, and then heads on in behind the pair. "STAR and MOON, huh? Nice, really workin' the NIGHT themes here, I can DIG IT." He is a god of space, that's exactly what he can appreciate. "Let's not keep 'em WAITING." And then a few chuckles at Star. "'Ey, I don't mind the QUIET TYPE, she can do THAT all she wants." There's a quick aside to Riva too! "Man, remember MIMI here, these dudes are all about OLD STORIES and MEMORIES, ain't NO WAY they've forgotten. Just how it is." And then he lands, stamping his feet down dramatically and standing with his hands on his waist eagerly.     Lillian is noted. Still not going to let go, it looks like... Arthur's energy is deflated, just a bit, 'till he sees the others! People who, well, aside from Chatrinelle he's not quite sure if they've forgiven him or not, but he's hopeful that it's only Lillian holding what he did against him. Regardless of the mild discouragement, he takes his seat with a stylish twirl of the chair and a slick slip into its seat.     Kowaru is noted. Arthur keeps the emphasis regardless, but tones down the volume, in a way. That also gives him a bit more certainty, and in a way, discouragement. Well, looks like that's one more forgiving and one more not. "DIALOGUE, huh? Hell, yeah, pro'lly a good idea to CATCH UP after all..." He waves his hands in a general way indicating 'the past'. "ALL THAT." He tries to not get opposite or next to Lillian, keeping his own perspective perpendicular if possible, and then gives a few friendly finger-gunning gestures of greeting! "SO! What's been up since, uh, well it wasn't THAT LONG AGO for us, but been a DAMN LONG WHILE for YOU GUYS, what all's been the HAPS? I know shit's kinda NON-LINEAR PRESENT-MOMENTS, I kinda get that, but I'm tryna figure what's DIFFERENT now. Y'know, the story that needs tellin'."
Ayako Hasekawa	While Ayako definitely remembers how... malleable Mizuki's world is towards how it's reality may be manipulated, she really isn't the type to abuse it. And so she cheerfully rides the Zeppelin, her amber eyes darting about to absorb the almost excessively regal atomosphere. Once the Zeppelin arrives, she pats herself down and makes sure she didn't forget anything and nods her head once. She's dressed in her witch clothing today, and it wouldn't do to forget her hat or her broom!     Ayako curtsies in return to the two girls and... well, not so surprisingly looks their clothing over. "Oh oh... I like your clothing! It suits your names quite well!" She then giggles softly. "Oh, but I should probably hold off on introductions until we arrive properly... it'll be all awkward otherwise." Nonetheless, she continues to chatter with Star during the entiretly of the trip to their destination. It's just the way she is.     Once they have properly arrived, she curties towards everyone in the room. And then... well, she can't help it, really. "Hello hello! I'm Ayako Hasekawa, a water spriit! It's nice to properly meet you all!" What? She was holding it in the entire time. It's sort of almost automatic for her to default to that when she first meets someone, after all. Ayako then cheerfully sits down on one of the chairs at the huge round desk.
Mizuki	At Faruja's appearance, Moon's eyes grow -wide-. They glitter as her mouth grows wide in surprise, in discovery, before Star... well. Before her sister 'explains', in her own little way. "Oh. My -gosh-." Her arms falls slack after she has slipped out of the hug, then her hands clasp together. Much like her counterpart, those celestial bodies after which she is named sneak behind her pupils, lighting up her entire expression. "Are you seriously a -talking mouse-? You're so... so...!" She bites her lips on that final syllable, some unseen force holding it in. An attentive Mizuki might well have caused this intentionally, but she can do little when Moon jumps the gun.     "... c-cute," She shyly mumbles, the tips of her left foot's toes skating modestly across the tile. "YES!" Star bursts out, "What she said!" She begins to bounce on her heels, quite obviously holding in the urge to pounce on him as Chatrinelle had on her. For her part, Moon just inches behind Star, occasionally glancing out at the poor nezumi. Occasionally. Insidia sweatdrops, both due to the antics of her worker bees and the... diplomatic atmosphere of Father Senra's words. She has few words to offer that she has not already, so instead she only joins her hands at her waist and bows faintly. It's the most humble thing she could think to do.     The exuberance of the Nocturne Duo is clearly unfaltering, for they have energy to spare for Eryl as well. Without skipping a beat, Star proclaims, "You're cute, too! Just in a different way, maybe~." She winks at him as sparks literally bounce off of her eyelashes in response to the gesture. It may seem to him quite a long moment before she bounces back, wrapping her arms behind her back and saying just as boldly, "Oh, don't worry, I'm just kidding! Mostly~." Moon's lips pucker, and it's clear that if she were a bit more loud herself she would be giving her sister a pap on the head. As it is, though, she can only sigh.     Then, Mizuki! She inclines her head quickly for both Eryl and Faruja, saying, "Ahhh, no no! It's no great pain for me to prepare these get-togethers. If anything, I should be thanking you! And, perhaps, our new friends for agreeing to make an appearance." Turning to the lot of them, she gives a supplemental bow. "Thank you, again. I appreciate it." -Most- of them nod, with the exception of Sutri and Lillian. As always, they're the hard cases.
Guest Psyber	Psyber gives Kowaru a slight nod, "I, personally, have no hard feelings over the matter. But I understand that my actions also harmed someone dear to them, so I don't hold them any ill will over their feelings," He notes, looking to Sutri and Lillian in turn. Lillian he remembered being upset with him, but Sutri is new information.     "It's the nature of the actions, I imagine," Psyber says deferentially. Wanting to take more reponsibility for Lillian and Sutri's feelings than is probably responsible. He looks to Faruja a moment later and says, "I'm fine, really. Just an awkward meeting. They likely all remember my actions towards Shiori, which means that I would have a certain... stigma. Mythos. Aura."     He waves a hand, "It's nothing to worry on."     And then back over to Kowaru, "How have you been?"
Faruja	Suddenly they are too amazingly adorable sisters staring with wide mouths and eyes at him. Faruja Senra has been in this position before, but not quite in such a surreal, or discomforting environment. One moment he's all politeness and political knives barely out of site, the next he's trying to look dignified as the two girls faun over him. He turns, ears folding back, blushing a little. He coughs, trying to get his dignity and thoughts together. "N...now, now, mine dears! There art far more 'cute' nezumi than I, I assure ye! But never shall I dissappoint a Lady, nor such kind ones as thineselves!" Clearing his throat, he makes his eye go nice and wide, and then lets out a textbook adorable mouse squeak. Sometimes, one must abandon dignity for the love of other children of the Lord. Then he winks good naturedly at the pair, tail occasionally flicking in their direction. Such a fluffy tip! Ahem! He latches onto Psyber's words. "How glorious! The Lord blesses us all, and grants all parties forgiveness and sanctuary that we fellow Children of Faram shall know peace, happiness, safety, and /harmony/!" It's overblown even for him, but he's clearly come down on the side of peace, if only for Psyber and Mizuki's sake. There's a glance to the Apostles, Sutri and Lillian most of all. "Ye art granted absolution for thine Sins in the Heavenly Father's name." Then it's back to Mizuki. "Quite. How fares the world now? Any outstanding issues? Odd changes?" Comes Faruja to the woman, leaning on practical concerns.
Eryl Fairfax	Eryl stares deadpan at Star when she calls him cute. He inclines his head after a moment and says, "Thank you for the compliment." Does he really have no idea how to respond to this kind of thing?      Although, he suddenly smiles and says, "But there is no need to try and spare my feelings. After all, we cannot all have twitching whiskers like Father Senra." He injects his voice with as much warmth and humour as he can, to make it clear that he is joking.      Looking back to Mizuki, he shakes his head. "I would think that you of all people would understand that there is more to things than the amount of effort that went into them. I would say that everyone here likely needs an excuse to unwind and spend time with good friends. That you are providing such a thing means a lot to everyone, I am sure." He also smiles and bows to the new friends, adding Sutri to the same file as Lillian.
Mizuki	"We've watched," Is Sutri's terse reply to Arthur. "We watched everything that you all did, from here. We watch every moment leading up to our loss. We saw your side of the story." She locks eyes with him a moment, giving him a hard stare. Her expression dips just faintly enough to be noticed, and so do her eyes narrow. "That's the last thing in recent memory, I think, besides sleep and swordplay." She only allows her gaze to linger on him a moment more before it cycles to Lillian, then again to her window. It bears mention that every word she breathes is somehow disconnected -- even moreso than the others, she seems distracted, her thoughts elsewhere.     Again, Kowaru gives her a look, then a sigh. "Like she said," She begins, "we watched your little journey through the world. We watched you fetch the numbers. We heard everything that you said, and some of us picked a favorite character and analyzed them more closely." At that, Kowaru's countenance might betray the slightest of smiles. "But, well, that isn't -all- that's happened. We've also had a few meetings, talked about how we want to go about things in the near future. We've also been keeping dedicated logs of each Mizuki's life -- we've watched all of those, too, so that she could recall them in more minute detail if she ever cared to do so. The rest of our time has been wasted -- er, 'occupied' -- either sleeping or watching space. The supernovas are worth the wait." She flashes him a knowing smile, mimicking his fingerguns.     ... is she being friendly, or creepy? Maybe both.     Back with Ayako, Star gives a dainty twirl. "Awww, thank you! I love this dress, too! Mommy made it for me, though, so that's only natural~. I was born with it on!" In this case, 'Mommy' is most likely a reference to Insidia. Moon's response is, as one would expect, much calmer, constituted by a small sway and a bashful look to the ground. Then when she introduces herself, Chatrinelle is the first to respond. "Hi~!" She chimes. "I know you! You're the, uh. You're the water spirit girl! Oh my gosh, you're -so- -cool-! You remind me... um. Of some of those guys who live in Leviathan! And you know your fashion, too! I would really like to have tea with you some time, or something!" Her words are delivered with a few verbal oddities and perhaps a stutter here and there, but she's clearly not nervous: more, it seems the result of natural tendency.
Mizuki	At Psyber's next words, Lillian's eyes dart to him. Her eyes narrow further. The flesh of her cheeks begins to wrinkle, and when she can no longer keep that annoyance condensed in her sitting posture, she stands. Perhaps unintentionally, she sends her chair flying back with a slight screech, but she quickly regains control of herself by locking her arms behind her back in a manner... eerily similar to how Mizuki would. Outside the range of visibility, her hands clamp tightly around the opposite wrists. Afterward, she is silent for a long time. When she finally sees fit to act, though, she says only this:     "You must excuse me briefly." With a rigid, extremely forced sense of courtesy, she bows, leaving through the Eastern door.     Kowaru waves her hand in the air, loudly announcing, "Oh, she'll be back." She is sure to do this before Lillian is out of earshot, and with the most taunting tone that she is able to muster. Sutri hunches a bit in her seat, forcing her eyes to remain locked on the outside airs. In stark contrast (and, perhaps, defiance,) Kowaru grins at Psyber. "I've been alright. Looking over these babies can be a little bit of a chore at times, though." Insidia playfully puffs up her cheeks, placing her hands on her hips. "Come, come, Kowaru -- that's my line." Kowaru sticks out her tongue.
Riva Banari	Riva nods to Faruja at his covert comment, and she gives him a wink. THE RIVA IS ON IT. Contempt beaaaaaams! Lillian stares at Riva, but Riva seems to counter with a smile. She doesn't seem intent on letting Lillian wreck her groove yet anyway. Kowaru explains, however, and Riva pauses. "Oh." She says, more quietly. "Sorry. Hopefully you'll get more used to it in time. Lots of people can only talk, you know!" Riva rubs her chin, thinking about what Insidia says. "So kind of like Mizuki, you preserved yourselves by forgetting..." She thinks for a moment. "Hmm." She looks over to Arthur with a questioning gaze, but says nothing. This isn't the time to compare /those/ notes. She looks back to the assembled group and smiles faintly. "I'm sure there's a lot to learn about each other at this point, since we're all going to be sharing space to some degree or another. I certainly have no intention to abandon Mizuki after all the work we put into helping her, after all." She gestures, then. "So, wow, where do we even begin? You guys have probably learned a lot about us when you were watching us. Did you have any questions? We can take turns!"
Mizuki	"Boooooo!" Is Star's drawn out reply to Eryl, alongside a very obviously overblown frown. "He didn't even blush or anything, Moon! How boring is that? What, we never see -any- boys around here, and the ones that -do- come don't even get embarrassed!" Moon has absolutely no reply for that except to... giggle, modestly, as if in agreement. It seems that she has a bit of a treacherous side to her after all, in the midst of all that quietness. This satisfies Star who rebounds with, "That was SO not an empty compliment, though. You're not the furry-bunny-puppy kind of cute, but you still -are-! For real, for real!" Lillian waves her palms down gently to get her attention, then gingerly presses a finger to her lips. "Star, dear, you're going to drive our guests away. Calm, please."     Star folds her arms. "Oooo~kaaaay."     Mizuki, for her part, just does her utmost to ignore them. She soon lays her palms out in a shrugging gesture, saying, "Well, if you insist, then you are quite welcome. Earnestly, though, I get antsy if left to my own devices for too long anyway. Even if we are speaking of 'favors' here, I must insist that this one is mutual." She pauses briefly before adding, warmly, "Welcome back, Eryl. It's always so good to have you."
Ayako Hasekawa	Ayako giggles brightly when Star and Moon fawn over Faruja. It can't be helped, really! Faruja is cute, after all. And so is Eryl! She smiles comfortingly at Psyber and then giggles softly towards Riva. "Riva! Don't compare a place like this to a dinosaur skeleton! That's just a weird thing to compare it to!" She nods her head once to Arthur. "Yes! What are the Haps? Because I'm sure you all have something on your minds!"     Her head inclines to the side as she quietly listens. "Hmm... so you were watching the whole time, huh?" Ayako's witch hat almost falls off from her keeping her head inclined to the side for too long, but she catches it by the brim before it can fall off. "So what sort of things do you all have in mind?"     Ayako stops inclining her head to the side and fixes her hat. "I'm glad you're comfortable with the clothes you were born with!" Of course, Ayako herself isn't so comfortable with the clothing that's standard for her, so...     When Chatrinelle responds, Ayako smiles brightly in return to her. "Un un! That I am! I-" She blushes lightly and diverts her amber gaze off to the side quickly when she's called '-cool-'. "I... Umm... thank you." She looks back to Chatrinelle and nods her head quickly. "Oh, tea? That would be nice!"     Her eyes do blink when Lillian has to excuse herself, though.     And then Riva says that word. "Yes! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!" She smiles cheerfully, closes her eyes, and folds her hands in a clap in front of herself.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur is stared at with a pretty harsh stare. For all his bluster, he can't avoid the limits of his own humanity. Color drains from his face and energy drains from his eyes. It's one of those experiences where you sort of feel all your anxieties validated, and everything is exactly as awful as you suspected it might be in that deep, insecure place inside your heart. There's a palpable feeling of the stomach dropping, and Arthur gulps. "Right." He says, and that's about all he can, awkwardly, manage to muster.     He does his best to try to emotionally disengage from something that is, at the moment, doing the psychological equivalent of clawing at his heart. "Hah. Yeah, well, uh. Hope I gave you a... Good show, then." He's sweating a little bit, and has decided to cheat, for once in his life, using Mizuki's world's laws to make that go away as quick as he can. There's a forced grin and a nod. "Hell yeah, right? Seen 'em up close, they're boss as hell. So, now that you're back in this humble timeframe and not gettin' your Big Sister Is Watching You thing on, what's the plan? Probably... Shouldn't just screw with your world and then /not/ stick around and help out."
Eryl Fairfax	Eryl's eyes follow Lillian as she suddenly storms out, listening to Kowaru's mocking tone and spotting Sutri tensing up. The meeting hasn't even begun and an intragroup schism is starting to widen. Not good at all, he shall have to bring his A-game.      But, he looks back to the sisters and smiles. "I apologize for being poor sport, but I am a diplomatic cyborg. Having strong emotional regulation my whole purpose. But, uh... if you want a man who is easy to tease..." His eyes flick around, and he beckons with an index finger for the two to lean in.      Should they do so, he begins to whisper in a conspiring tone. "I would recommend you turn your attention to Mister Lowell. All that bluster of his tends to vanish when complimented by girls." He briefly ponders on teaching them to bring up 'Cosplay Planet' for maximum embarrassment, but ultimately decides that doing so might be too cruel.      He leans back against his chair, giving the sisters a smile and a thumbs-up, catching Lilliana's return out of the corner of his eye.
Mizuki	Kowaru... actually looks to Riva with genuine surprise a moment. "... ah. Right. Yes. I..." She holds her forehead in her hand a moment, rubbing. "I, uh. Actually forgot that there -were- people who can't communicate using telepathy. I mean, none of us -ever- talk -- we're always beaming messages to one another via the Collective Conscious." After a momentary pause, she asks, "Uh. Mizuki -has- told you about the Collective Conscious already, right? Gosh, I hope so. I'm not too great at explaining thing like this." She just awkwardly trails off after that before recovering later with, "Ah. But, uh, thanks for the understanding. Glad it didn't come off as too rude." She gives a thumbs-up before providing her own voice some rest.     Then comes a nod from Insidia. "Something like that. The individual presence is limited to a certain degree of understanding. In much the same way as one's brain becomes 'full', we are rather inept at processing the sheer volume of information that we are tasked with remembering. This is why this world is so littered with memorabilia and tomes. We need mnemonics -- codes that will allow us to recall information that we are not constantly aware of. In that way, our brains are much like yours, only far better trained and locked into a specific functionality." She bats her lashes once. "But, ah. That was a bit more than you might've been looking for, there. Apologies." Another small bow is given.     When Riva finishes her address of the whole group, though, Sutri smiles. "Entrapment," She quietly intones. Insidia and Kowaru both stare at her, eliciting a sigh, then a return to her initial habit of staring out the aperture. There is a brief silence on the part of the Celestial Library before finally Insidia asks, "What do you make of us, now that you're here? A vain question, perhaps, but a pronounced curiosity of mine nonetheless." Kowaru nods her approval. "Yeah, let's start there. I can't think of anything better."     Lillian re-enters, though she stays on the periphery of the room, leaned on the Eastern doorframe.
Mizuki	'Don't compare this place to a dinosaur skeleton', she says. This garners a giggle from Insidia, and another dismissive wave. "Hehehehe~. Oh, it's no trouble. This place is quite a lot like a museum of sorts and we, familiar as the title may seem, are its curators. As such, it's really more apt than it may seem, even if the connotations of that particular phrase may not be entirely... 'elegant'." She smiles, bobbing her head. "Still, I... we, appreciate the consideration. Personally, I tend to prefer the term 'antique'." Kowaru grins, here, and were they in closer to proximity to one another might exchange high-fives. Another one of those oddly specific, nonverbal communications on their part.     Kowaru tanks the next query. "What do we have in mind for the future, y'mean? Well..." Kowaru procures a pair of sunglasses from out of nowhere, donning them and saying, with falsified severity, "That's classified." She also accrues a peculiar, small metal cylinder which she holds out to the group, thumb raised as though she were about to push a button. This... this seem may seem familiar, somehow, but the girl does nothing to clarify her spot of humor before both the sunglasses and the cylinder vanish into thin air. "No, but seriously, we'll get to that. Not now, though. We need a little more time to debate, first; you've probably noticed by now that not everyone totally agrees on everything."     Back with Chatrinelle, she does not waste a -second- when question time is opened properly. "H-Have you ever tried wearing your hair in a Celtic Knot before??" Much like the Nocturne Sisters, the girl clasps her hands, eyes sparkling like... well. What simile haven't we used for that yet? Nevertheless, the question stands, and this time no more polite people are around to intervene with this line of digression.
Guest Psyber	"Mmm... she clearly dislikes me," Psyber observes as he reaches towards the interior of his jacket. A flash is removed a moment later that he takes a sip from it before capping it and putting it back. Despite the reassuring smile from Ayako, he still seems vexed by this.     His attention turns back towards Kowaru and he asks pretty honestly, "I don't mean to make your duties any worse. Would it help you if I left? I don't want to diminish whatever we're supposed to be accomplishing here today," Psyber concedes to the girl in front of him, rubbing the back of his head with his hand. He's pretty passive about the whole matter, probably just wanting to avoid conflict.
Mizuki	Finally, another sound pervades the room. A rapturous 'squeak' -- lo, a heavenly, divine squeal! Verily are the sisters given pause by its soft, melodic hymn of adorability, and swiftly is Star... made to fall down. That is, quite literally, Star goes shooting, directly on to the tile floor. Or she would have had Insidia not warped directly behind her and caught her in time. For her part, Moon is frozen in place, grasping at the ruffles of the skirt of her dress, eyes locked in full openness. This persist for some time as the bug-eyed girl slowly, slowly inches toward him, step by precious step, inch by tentative inch, until, if she's allowed, she softly wraps her arms around him.     "S-Soft," She murmurs. "like a pillow."     Good luck getting her to let go of you.     On a less lighthearted note, however, Lillian and Sutri do not take kindly to Faruja's 'forgiveness'. Both of them hold their position for a long time, Lillian going so far as to grind her teeth. In the end, though, both of them manage not to make any rude comments. Instead, they rally together, Sutri rising from her seat to meet her only support at the doorframe. There they stand, united, watching the rest of them with a sort of seething, although admittedly quiet and resigned, anger. Kowaru opens her mouth to comment, but Insidia is there in a blink to cover her mouth with her finger. She shakes her head meaningfully, then Kowaru returns with a nod. Stares are exchanged between the four of them, sure, but the timebomb still has yet to launch.     For now.     Then, back to Mizuki, who promptly rests her chin in her palm. "Hmmm," She ponders. "Nothing in particular, though Ap... Sophia, and I did work together some time ago to create her a more fitting abode. She now has a castle of her own in the heart of the Monochrome Desert. Rather than employing Sentinels, we now share control of things between the two of us. I'm very happy to say that things have remained quite stable this way thus far~." She adds a small smile.     Also, she might whisper, "Give them time. It's been many years, yes, but in that time they had no direct contact with you. If they get to know you, the people rather than the memories, better, it may be better for all of us." Followed by a finalizing nod, and a preemptive 'thank you'.     A bit pushy today, it seems.
Ayako Hasekawa	Ayako blinks her eyes quickly when she watches Kowaru rub her forehead with her hand. "Umm... it's true! I can't communicate with telepathy and I can't receive that type of message as well." She waves her hands in front of herself frantically. "And you definitely shouldn't try to with me! That headache would get even worse." Her amber gaze swivels around awkwardly. "I... I like talking, though." She pushes her pointer fingers together... "I have no idea what the Collective Conscious is, either..."     Ayako does keep listening, though. She's always really good at that. "Huh... But... it sounds kind of..." Ayako pauses. And tries to think of the right word for this. "Aggravation-inducing. I mean... once in a while you should be able to go collect information on something else. Or at least slightly related stuff."     Ayako then blinks her eyes when she gets answered by 'That's classified.' by Kowaru. She sticks her tongue out slightly. "I see, I see! And... yes, I've noticed."     Ayako smiles brightly in response to Chatrinelle. "I have! But it gave people headaches when they looked at it for too long and... well." She giggles brightly. "I try not to make my appearance pleasing to look at, and believable! Not headache inducing!"
Riva Banari	"She's explained some things like it." Riva says, though she still looks a little lost. "I get the idea, but not many of us are telepaths even here. Maybe it's something we could learn, but..." She shrugs. Insidia's explanation causes Riva to ponder again. "That makes sense." She says, nodding to her. "So this entire place is littered with things that could help you remember specific things. With how long you all have been here, I wouldn't be surprised that's why this place is so huge. You would need a /lot/ of room for that." And then another pause. "Well, I'm no catboy scientist, so some of that might have been more than I could really get, but don't worry, you got the gist across!" She says, smiling to Insidia again brightly and giving her a thumbs up. the word from Sutri causes Riva to glance over to her, the woman's eyes becoming speculative for a moment. This gets distracted when Insidia asks, however, her question. "What do I think of all of you? Hehe, well..." She ponders. "I haven't had much time to really learn about you all. On first impressions, though, I think you all have a variety of interesting viewpoints. I really like Star and Moon, they're fun to talk to. You've all been pretty tolerant of us walking in and mucking up all the Master Plans that were going on in here, and now you're..." Riva pauses. "... Stuck here... Forever, aren't you." She frowns for a moment, looking down at the floor. "Um... I'm sorry about that." Riva glances over to Psyber and shrugs at the suggstion that he leave. "I think it would be more productive if they actually told you what they wanted to say. Get a room, maybe do a little swording if you really gotta, but we're not leaving, and you guys aren't leaving, so it'd be best if we all got it out of our systems and started learning how to coexist before we start taking bites out of each other." Yeah, she might be triggering something, but Psyber can handle it. And maybe she can. She hopes.
Priscilla	Priscilla has been here the entire time. Totally. There was no point at which she was absent, and far be it from her to arrive late. She's just been very quiet is all. Yes. In the spirit of not remaining a sullenly silent statue for the entire visit, already made awkward enough by Psyber and a couple of the Apostles, Priscilla draws some small amount of attention to herself by clearing her throat, as if trying to smooth over for Riva. "With enough said towards the past, what is it that thou aimest for the future? I hath some measure of understanding for the situation thou findst thineselves in now, but not likely to be as detailed as thine own."
Mizuki	Kowaru and Insidia look to eachother when they are again asked about their 'plans', a topic that they seem just as reluctant to divulge concrete information on as Arthur and the rest may be to receive. In that few moments, though, when the more bengin pair is silent, Lillian pipes up. With her emerald eyes aimed directly, deeply at Arthur's own, she asks, "What good would that knowledge do you?" She shakes her head. "... no, don't answer that. I don't want to hear anything you may have to say in response, so I am in the wrong for asking it of you. Instead, I will give you information that may better temper your eventual reply." She clears her throat, looking pointedly at Riva for the ghost of an instant.     "You," It's unclear whom she's speaking to here, quite, "know full well what our plans are, or at the very least, you know what -my- plans are. There is no need for me to repeat them, and I will not. This entire 'conference' is a farce. What point is there in speaking with you? We live in mutually exclusive worlds, Arthur. Should I live, you will die. Should I die, you will live. Developing any sort of relationship with any of you would be more than useless -- it would make the future more difficult. I have no intention of leading you on, as some of us might be interested in doing, and so --"     Suddenly, her mouth is... sealed, for lack of a better word; her lips collapse on themselves in a motion that may cause another concussive response from Original Face. "Enough," Mizuki commands. Her voice in this instant is flooded with a sort of authority which, though she often plays at, she rarely demonstrates in earnest. Her glare is severe. This message seems to stick, as even when Lillian's mouth reappears, she remains silent. The lecture continues briefly as Mizuki adds, "You speak of 'leading them on' while you yourself spout nebulous, villainous platitude for which the majority of them have no context. We will speak of this later, and you will -not- behave like this again if you wish to participate in that discussion." Then, in conclusion, "That is all."     Then she turns to Arthur, offering a bow. "... forgive her, Arthur. And forgive me. It is nowhere near as dour as she makes things out to be. Be still your heart." Turning to the rest of them, she adds, "... your hearts. There is no cause for alarm."
Mizuki	None of them call attention to Lillian's words, for now. They figure that any retorts would only be further encouragement in favor of her rebellion. Kowaru still tries to salvage things, though, but framing things a bit less miserably for the lot of them. "Things are pretty fine is this world, now," She says. "Mizuki wants to try 'hybridizing' things here more, though -- making the flow of thought and concept a bit more variable and diverse. To do that, we all agreed that it would be a good idea if some of you trustworthy sorts could create your own sections of the world. And, well, after that..." She scratches her head a moment.     "Well," She waits on that word a moment. "... things are pretty okay here, now -- I don't think any other, large-scale catastrophes will be going down for a while. So we thought, maybe, we would look to the rest of the world. Help people out, you know? I mean, we all have skills, but we're all just sitting here twiddling our thumbs. And we thought that, first," She glances to Eryl, "we might focus on helping out Mister Fairfax. We'll get to that later, though. Probably not the best discussion for a friendly meet-and-greet, y'know? Usually best to keep war councils separate." She gives the friendliest smile that she can.     Lillian sighs. Sutri mimics her.     Insidia's expression, for whatever reason, seems to dip.     Mizuki just kneads her forehead.
Faruja	The pair storm out, enraged, and with them leaving the political daggers visibly leave Faruja's eyeball. It's a ticking timebomb, and has been for some time, but he'd rather be the one to see lit than let it explode on Psyber or the others. Sometimes making oneself out as an enemy can help. With considerable self control, he manages to not look smug. It was /satisfying/, too. But any more is utterly halted as the utterly distracted Faruja is subjected to adorable. Hugs! Faruja lets out another squeak, lower and in surprise, wobbling a bit as he looks to the collapsed Star and Moon who has latched onto him. After so much tension, Faruja can't help but laugh! Reaching back, Moon will get a gentle rub atop the head, ruffling her hair. She is just too adorable to push away. There's an apologetic look to Mizuki! He's stuck! Faruja considers for a moment. "I /do/ need to do the rounds. I shall add her palace to the list. Still, caution is in need now more than ever. Meddling bastards like ourselves are the world's greatest threat. If we couldst effect so much, just imagine what those with more sinister motives might do." Warns the rat, not for the first time. Then it's his turn to gape a little, taking in the conversation between Arthur and Lillian silent. He rubs his head. Mentally add /that/ to their 'current problems' list. He'll have to grill Arthur on that one soon. For once, Faruja offers a bit of encouragement. "Right, right, methinks bluntly that getting out and solving minor problems wouldst do /everyone/ a lot of good. And if we art to do so, mayhaps we aught do so together, hmm?" It's addressed to everyone at large. "I wouldst like to propose join ventures between us all. If naught else, we canst all learn to work together and do some bloody good, and maybe come to terms with one another." Offers the rat.
Mizuki	For a moment, Kowaru spaces. It takes her a moment, then, to reply to Psyber, but when she does, it's a fair bit softer than he might be expecting. "Oh, no, no, no. Don't worry about it. It's..." She sighs. "It's like this whenever we all gather in one place. This is why we all stay separate most of the time. But really, you being here... you don't make it worse. That... that much worse. Just, really, don't worry."     Mizuki inches over to him and breaches her usually formal demeanor just slightly to give him a soft, yet firm pat on the shoulder. She cants her head and gives a small, rather meek smile, all in an attempt to make him feel better. "... they may come around," Is all she's really able to say.     Sigh.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur is a giant pop culture nerd and seems cheered up by the reference Kowaru makes at Ayako to what is, for him, by now ancient history. Really ancient. "Haha! Yeah, okay, I get it. S'all cool." He grins, chuckling at the little joke, and then resumes. "Alright, yeah. Some debate, uh..." He looks to what's going on between Riva, Psyber, and the Apostles, and bites a lip. "Yeah, I can handle that TENSION and the DEBATE and shit. I'm up for that. Just..." He looks a little pale again. "Tough to broach, y'know? I mean we all got a lot of reasons for the differences in opinion, but, man, I've not even had the chance to hear what you guys feel on this." It looks like Arthur is quite willing to have this talk, but is far from genuinely confident in being able to really hold his own in the talk.     One hopes that with enough distraction he'll pull himself together a bit. For now, focusing! "Look, I mean, you guys got to see everything, right? So you... Probably know everything there is to know about what I did. I got plenty idea what general things there are to disagree on, but... Y'know, not specifics." And then Lillian speaks up properly. Arthur is, very clearly, legitimately hit fairly hard by the outburst from Lillian, kind of shocked out of his ability to really deal with her. He is NOT liking the sound of mutually exclusive living, /that's/ for sure.     He's gonna need a moment to sort of recover, and then once he does, shakily, he tries to reinforce his recovery with a bit of the usual bluster. "HAHA, Mimi, it's... ALL COOL, don't worry. I'm FINE, I'm FINE." He doesn't seem too fine, but he's holding on. "Just, y'know, anything I can do to NOT be ACCIDENTALLY KILLIN' GIRLS is a GREAT thing to tell me about."     Time now, to focus on Kowaru! "Oh, HUH, that right? Wanna MAKE MORE WORLD? I'm up for THAT! Gotta lot of EXPERIENCE on that shit, it's GREAT. I can give the REST of the crew some HELP." And then a wide grin. "HEY, sure, we'll put off the HEROISM TALK for later, but YEAH, let's GET TOGETHER about that sometime! I'd LOVE IT."
Mizuki	For their part, Star and Moon actually... cling to Eryl, somewhat. Moon buries her face into his sleeve, peeking up at Lillian again just in time to see her mouth disappear. Needless to say, that's a bit scarring. "Lillian is scary when she gets angry," Moon says, softly. Lillian seems to hear her, and for the first time she shows the faintest sliver of remorse in the form of a downturn in her expression. She takes in another, deep breath and holds it a moment before she exhales, turning away from the group. Sutri pats her on the shoulder which seems to function as the 'okay' for the girls to emerge from their impromptu hiding spots.     Before, they had been prompted to visit Arthur. Rather than rushing to tease him, though, they instead both go to take one of his hands. "It's okay," Star says, "Lily gets mad at everyone. It's alright. It's not just you." Moon nods along with her, though for the time being she doesn't conjure any new words of her own.
Mizuki	With a bit less vigor now, Insidia turns to Ayako. "Ah, well..." She steeples her fingers, soon collapsing them into a tight clasp. "The Collective Conscious is... well. I'm sure you're familiar with the term 'Collective Unconscious'? The idea that stipulates some tendencies, thoughts, and feelings are unconsciously shared by the whole of humanity? Well, the Collective Conscious is a system endemic to our world that allows all individually cognizant entities to selectively allow others to directly access their thoughts. It's much like telepathy, except a bit more... visceral. It isn't something that I can quite encapsulate in words, which is... the point, unfortunately, of the whole practice. I'm sorry. I hope that that made some sense, at least."     Chatrinelle, previously stunned by the exchange between Lillian et al, seems to spring back to life when Ayako responds. "... o-oh! Well... hey, I think it would be cute! Definitely not headache inducing! Next time you visit, I'll bring my kit of accessories or something! I'm a very good hairdresser, you know!" She poses proudly. "... only if you wannu, though. But you -do-, right?"     She's insistent. And resilient!
Eryl Fairfax	Eryl has been allowing the conversations to wash over him, building up a database on the seven women that occupy the Palace of White Lilies, and where they all stand with each other. It seems that Lillian and Sutri are opposed to the rest of the group, not wanting anything to do with the outside Multiverse.      But, the sudden sealing of Lillian's lips does indeed make Original Face ping, a pained wince crossing Eryl's face for a moment. He analyzes her words: some form of mutually exclusive survival paradigm? Curious. But then Kowaru begins to explain their plans in vague terms. "I would be honoured to create a section of this world," he says, in a voice full of quiet awe and gratitude. The chance to actually recreate something to his own whims? YES PLEASE. But then, she gets to mentioning his own world. With a soft sigh, Eryl gets to his feet and places his hands on the table.      "The official response to such an offer of intervention would be a positive one," He begins. "But, the individual responses you would get from others in my world would be... less than stellar. As some of you might be aware," He glances at Ayako and Mizuki here. "Those ReGenesis-supported Syndicate missions seem to be staffed by only six soldiers from the Eden Defence Force. This is not because they are understaffed: they are the only six who responded anywhere near positively to the idea of working with extraversial Elites."      His eyes remain fixed downward, staring at the table for a moment. But eventually, he looks back up and smiles at Kowaru. "So, my off-the-records response to such an offer would be 'you would be better off spending that time doing something else.'" As Star and Moon cling to him, he actually reacts a little more than 'not at all.' Specifically, he puts his hands on their shoulders and pats the reassuringly before saying, "Not to worry, this will all be sorted out," in a kindly tone. He smiles as they both go to comfort Arthur, and takes his seat once more.
Priscilla	Well that didn't go very well. Priscilla had been hoping it would move the topic to something less adversarial, not spark an outburst and subsequent bizarre disciplinary action from Mizuki. She seems a little taken off guard by Lillian's mouth vanishing, not from the actual sight of it, but from the fact that the Author was the one to do it. She realizes that Mizuki has technically already known these girls for a very, very long time, and is in fact their creator, but it's difficult for her to fully contextualize it with the uncharacteristically strict and authoritarian action taken against the women she's only just recently met herself.     "Yes I . . . I do believeth we wilst hath to speak of this later." she says to Mizuki, extraordinarily vaguely, but with a significant measure of certainty. She's not going to be left in the dark about this one, even if she's not going to push it right now. "To look outwards wouldst most likely be a beneficial course of action." she says to Kowaru to change the subject. "But I am uncertain of the value of any of us establishing a permanent stake here. There is precious little I couldst imagine that is outside the scope of this world."
Riva Banari	There is a fire in Riva's eyes when Lillian begins laying out ultimatums. Her body stiffens, switching from relaxed and pleasant to tense and aggressive. "No." She says simply. Her tone is calm, businesslike. "You're not getting at Arthur without getting past me first, Lillian. And if you try that you're just setting yourself up for a world of frustration." She pauses, looking over to Arthur, and then back to Lillian, before she relaxes again, shaking her head as her tone becomes more neutral. "Maybe we can talk later about it. Without coming to an understanding, there's going to be no way to come to any kind of resolution." The mention of creating more worlds causes Riva to ponder. "A lot of the fabric of this world was made from a mostly singular source, wasn't it? Maybe you're right, getting some other people involved might help things out here." She bounces one leg a bit as she gets back to lounging in her chair. "We'll be happy to contribute however you might see fit. After all, we're going to be spending a /lot/ of time together, I think." Riva says, smiling again faintly, perhaps even /particularly/ at the Lillian and Sutri.
Mizuki	Kowaru smirks, replying to Riva's uncertainty with a decidedly casual pair of air quotes. "'Master Plans'. What Master Plans? Trust me, we're nowhere near as good at planning or as organized as you seem to take us for. Seriously, we're a... we're a group without a leader. Or we were. We never really had any chances to make plans, outside of the occasional ideas that Lily had. She sorta took over as our de-facto leader, but I mean, that was never formal. And now..." Sutri taps her foot against the tile, hard, interrupting her train of thought. "We're still without a leader, Kowaru. We will -always- be without a leader. But at least now we aren't trapped in that little cage anymore."     Kowaru's own eyes narrow, now. "And what the hell are you going to do with that freedom, Sutri?" She turns to face her. "Go preach to someone else if the people here are getting sick of listening to your and the primadonna's crap? Seriously." With another, exaggerated sigh, she turns away, regarding Riva again. "... sorry. Geez, I can't imagine that we're making the greatest first impression. We never got along too well. I mean, there are reasons for that, but it's still kinda pathetic if you ask me." She scratches her head again before finishing, "Anyway. It's fine, don't worry about it. Yeah, we're kinda stuck here, no, we don't really mind. We're way used to it by now."
Ayako Hasekawa	Ayako blinks her eyes as she listens to Lillian. And then her amber eyes widen when her mouth is sealed. It's true, Ayako doesn't really have context for this sort of thing, and so she has no idea what that was all about. At least Lillian's mouth returned.     She listens quietly and nods her head slowly. "While... I don't think something like me should try to create a section of this world," Ayako's normally bright and cheerful eyes darken severely as she says the word 'something', but return to normal once she makes it to the comma. "Helping people out, seeing the Multiverse, and-" A significant glance and smile is given to Arthur, "Having adventures out there does sound like a good idea." The sighing and headaches are everywhere it seems. "Oh brighten up, all of you! Or I'm going to have to distribute a loooot of green Healing Water!" She smiles softly. "The fact that you're all here and trying is something positive at the very least!"     Ayako nods her head when Insidia tries to explain the 'Collective Conscious'. "Un un. I see. Sort of. As well as I can, I mean. Because I can't really, but... that did make sense!" She just basically chalks it up to another thing that she's deaf to. After all, she can't taste or smell either.     When Chatrinelle springs back to life, Ayako smiles softly at her. "Oh? Eh heh... I do! Although I do admit that I'm not particularly fond of overly showy things."     Ayako blinks her eyes as she listens to Eryl as well. Only those six wanted to have anytihng to do with the Multiverse?! That's ridiculous! Absurd even! Ayako's too nice to actually say anything like that out loud of course. Although anyone who knows Ayako well enough could very easily note the confusion in the way she blinked her eyes.     And then she nods her head once. "If you can... you probably should try to spend some time outside each other's thoughts. After all, even the best of friends need some time away from each other so they don't drive each other nuts." Ayako nods her head once. That might explain why Ayako isn't always in the aquarium at Riva's apartment, if Riva would come to think of it.
Mizuki	Sutri opens her mouth to say something to Faruja, but before she can get the words out, Mizuki catches her. It's unclear whether she's really so displeased with them as her severe expressions suggest that she is or whether she's just trying to establish herself as an authority here out of necessity, but either way, bearing witness to this process is likely extremely uncomfortable. Still, it's successful, and whatever Sutri had been about to say is caught in Mizuki's metaphorical net. "Any problems that we have," Mizuki asserts, "will be better handled with the counsel and aid of our -friends-, yes. I am sure that you will find these people far more amicable should you not make express efforts to antagonize them." She's careful not to aim too much of that statement on Lillian, whom she is fairly certain has already taken all that she's willing to take.     After a few more moments of pause, she adds, "Thank you, Faruja, for being patient with us, and for always so readily offering us your hand in help." Somewhere in the distance, a reinvigorated Star insists 'Paw!', though Mizuki does not seem inclined to rescind her previous statement for correction. Not this time, anyway.
Riva Banari	"Master Plans? I mean back with the original plan Shiori had going." She thumbs over her shoulder. "We kind of booted that thing hard, Sorry about that. I'm pretty sure you guys might have had something more intensive planned if you succeeded." Riva then folds her arms. "I dunno, you guys have Mizuki /right there/. You want a leader, you have one. It might take some getting used to but..." Riva shrugs. "I dunno, I can't imagine having been sitting around for God knows how long and suddenly having to cope with these changes. I know you guys are all frustrated but there's some lines we can't be crossing, you know?" Sutri causes Riva to consider her for a moment. "Kowaru's right. You're free now. As free as you can be, anyway. You can do whatever you want... But couldn't you basically already do whatever you want? I mean, what /do/ you want?" Kowaru gets a nonchalant handwave, as if Riva wasn't declaring that she'd knife fight Lillian if she started stepping on Arthur's grill a few minutes ago. "It's okay. You guys are all basically a bunch of roommates stuck together for elevnty bajillion years. Of course you guys are going to have some friction. It'll just take some time to let things breathe and work out."
Faruja	Sometimes one has to concede a few points, and Faruja finally lets out a sigh. There's a peer at the pair in particularly, before the kitchen knifes of politics reluctantly go back in the drawer. "...Fine, fine, I do suppose I am crossing a slight line here. So long as ye lot doth not threaten Mizuki or Ser Lowell, I shall leave the daggers at home." Faruja takes a deep, calming breath and mutters a prayer. God help him, but he still doesn't trust these people. His work here hinges almost entirely on Mizuki's good grace. Star, however, gets a 'paw' waggle at her! These girls he much prefers. One final glance to the group. "As ever, Lady Mizuki. Ye aught be given an award for thine ability to draw me into moral and metaphysical quandries mine dear. Take it as a compliment." /Right/, new subject. There's a placating smile. "How fares dear Ser Boris? Settling into his role well? He really /aught/ stop by Mullonde for Inquisitorial Poker Night."
Mizuki	Lillian's contorted expression eases a fair bit when Eryl speaks again, and for him alone, she offers something more... mild; a kinder suggestion. "Mister Eryl, if I may?" She looks to him directly, firmly. Certainly Original Face has picked up many of her 'moods', some of her priorities even, but this may be the first time that he gets the physical aspects of her straight. For an undying entity free of any sort of illness or need, she looks... oddly mature. Her pallor is pale to a point of sickness, and her eyes, rather than full of any sort of malice, seem far more resigned and fretful. Even so, she speaks with a sort of poise and dignity that seems to have been copied over from Mizuki herself.     ... again, it's almost eerie just how similar this behavior -is- to Mizuki's when one gets right down to it.     "I know how it can be, you know. People so often misunderstand promise that comes in the guise of an invasive presence. The common opinion... often favors stagnation over progress, simply out of fear. But." She trains her gaze, fortifies it, focuses it. "You have a good amount of sway over them. You are a leader. You are also a diplomat who knows how to frame things in a way that can show these people just how much promise their paranoia belies. I have faith in your abilities because I have seen them in action. I have seen how you helped handle Sheep. I have seen how you aided in the calming of so many of the Sentinels."     She blinks. "... we should speak of this later. This is one of the few ways in which we of the Celestial Library -do- have a plan. And it involves you. You can help us, and in so doing, help your world. Together, we may save your world, and guide it firmly in the direction of -your- dreams -- dreams that you know very well have been custom tailored to suit the majority, the objective betterment of humankind. All I ask you to do before we consult eachother further is that you trust in your self, and in your resolve."     She... bows, and rather politely. This soliloquy garners another round of looks from the others, but Mizuki can't quite bring herself to respond violently. No matter... no matter how laced with intrigue her statements might have been.
Guest Psyber	Interestingly, despite a lot of people telling him not to pay too much attention or mind to the two of them, Psyber is pretty insistent in his stance. If nothing else, he's defending Lillian and Sutra's feelings in a pretty calm manner, "Their feelings in this situation... the existence of the hostility, that is, is not unreasonable. They had a goal, something they sacrificed everything for. Someone they were bound to." Psyber begins, kinda rubbing at the back of his head, "That was fucked up for them. We broke that plan because we liked ours more. Was theirs the right plan? No, not really. I guess, subjectively there, though. Ours was more selfish..."     He's bouncing points a lot, because he's no Nathan and doesn't really have that cohesive conversational tactic or underlying organization, "We did what we thought was best, they did what they thought was best, we clashed, and we won. But while a lot of people remember how the winners felt, gotta remember those that did not succeed in their goals," Psyber waves a hand towards Lillian and Sutri.     He looks towards them both, "If you need to take your aggression out, hostility and all... you should find a more productive way. Work towards Shiori's goal, do... something that can still honor what she wanted. If you can't channel it productively, then I understand that too. You can focus all the hostility on me that you want. Just put me on blast all the time and drop all the insults and jabs you want, I'll take it," Psyber says seriously, before he shakes his head, "But leave Arthur out of your cross-hairs. He did enough on his end just to get here. So if you have to portion out the hate, I'll take double shares so he can just go un-aggressed, I guess."
Mizuki	Mizuki smiles to Priscilla. She seems to take a good measure of solace in simply linking eyes with her -- she's always a peaceful reassurance in times like this, and it seems that, right now, she needs that very much. Even if what the crossbreed goes on to say might still be mired in a rather uncomfortable subject, Mizuki can still relax somewhat in the knowledge that she has no ill-intent, and is not one to skip to quick judgments. Or at least, not from what she's garnered about her! So, she nods, and with a sort of renewed confidence. "Yes, we will speak of this. And when we do, I trust all of us will leave with fewer worries."     Regarding 'adding' to the world, though? Mizuki waves her hand. "Oh, nonono. What we need isn't necessarily something outside of this world's 'scope', but rather your particular method of framing things, envisioning things. The way that you uniquely organize the same concept is what we're looking for, so I am certain your additions could be helpful! If you should choose to grace us with them, of course."
Arthur Lowell	Arthur gets some comfort from Star and Moon! Thank god, he's looking a little run-ragged, like he's gonna fall over and break or something without a little support. "Alright." Is about all the words he can muster for the pair. "Thanks. Won't take it personally." He's taking it personally, admittedly, just not in the offended sort of way.     Priscilla is the one he responds to here, oddly! "Man, TRUST ME, when you get your ass RIGHT IN FRONT OF THAT CANVAS and get the JUICES GOING, it just FLOWS. Give it a shot! WORST that can happen is you decide to STOP, y'know?" He shrugs, and grins wide! Riva and Psyber get in to help him out, and there's a palpable, sense of wordless relief; he doesn't speak too much about it, because showing off how fragile your emotional state was before isn't cool and all, but good lord you can feel the sense of relief just washing off of him in waves right now. Backing him up is helping out a lot. "Right, thanks." More minimal words from the kid who's always got a much more sharp tongue than that.     He tries to reinstate his personality, get more stabilized. "ALRIGHT, so there's the... WHATEVER'S goin' on with ERYL, and then we got the NEW WORLD STUFF, and I KNOW I can help with THAT shit." He seems quite eager to get into something that he has a lot more.
Eryl Fairfax	Eryl meets Lillian's gaze, noting her softer expression and more mature words. He leans forward once more, paying close attention, even as Original Face starts drawing parallels between her and Mizuki. They all really add up...      He nods to her first statement. He has seen as such constantly in his journey. The people who distrust him when they first meet him, thinking him a conman or a sly bandit. But as Lilliana begins speaking of the sway he holds over ReGenesis, he starts to bite the inside of his cheeks. Maybe, over the older generations, but the current one seem far less invested in him... but she is right. It would certainly be in his ability to convince them.      And then she begins to speak of his dreams. He can tell that he is being played a little here... but she is right. What he wants /would/ be objectively better than what his world has. "Very well, Miss Lillian. I will bring your offer to ReGenesis once we have discussed it further. I suspect that they would be more responsive to an organized effort over needing to marshal extended platitudes. It shouldn't be a problem. Thank you for the offer." He notes the looks her words had drawn from the others, and smiles. "Thank you all."      Psyber's words draw a long look from him, and a nearly inaudible sigh. It sounds like he has something to say, but this meeting has already been bloated by bickering, no need to add to it. He'll hold his tongue for now.
Mizuki	For the first time, when Riva asks Sutri what she wants, she's at a loss. Her face twists slightly. What... what exactly is she supposed to say? She's in that awkward spot where there are a million and one trite things she could throw out in response, then those few genuine replies which you can't say. She can't say them because then this conversation really and truly would become about -her-, and that is something which she seems very keen on avoiding. Lillian seems to grasp this easily, and actually... demonstrates unprecedented humanity by grasping her friend's hand. With another deep breath that betrays a bit more emotion that the girl is perhaps used to plainly demonstrating, she says,     "I want what Shiori wanted. I want... a world where I, and everyone, can live without feeling the sort of anger that I am right now. We've tried and we've tried, but even if we can 'do anything that we want', imagine 'anything into existence', we still aren't truly omnipotent. Omnipotence can't exist for us because we can't give birth to new concepts, we can't imagine a way of being and thinking that would circumvent just the 'bad' while keeping the 'good'. We followed Shiori because that's what she promised to -do-. And now that she's gone... I don't know anymore."     There's another long pause before she says, "So I guess -that's- my goal, Riva. I want to help people out there and try to come up with an answer for myself. I'll never be content otherwise." Lillian nods deeply repeatedly, as if to corroborate her sentiment.     For once, the others do not dissent.
Riva Banari	When Sutri answers, Riva leans forward, paying rapt attention to what she has to say. It's not a trite response. It's not sass. And Riva looks very happy to hear it. "/That's/ what I wanted to hear." Riva says, enthusiastically as she points to Sutri. "That? That I can understand. I can work with that. You felt powerless when we came in and stole your future from you. You are angry through all this because you have up a /lot/ in order to try to make this work, and now you're wondering if a bunch of dorks from outside the world walked in and ruined everything." Riva nods, closing her eyes and sighing. "Psyber was right. What we did was kind of selfish. But then... I suppose no one is innocent of that. We all do what we thing is right at the time. Arthur knows, we can't sit in judgement. It just closes things off." She opens her eyes then, and smiles a little again, nodding. "Mizuki and I talked a lot about a bunch of things. I didn't understand all of it, but I think she also, in her own way, wants what you want. And I want to learn more and understand. Maybe in time I'll also want what you want. There's no way to know until then, right?"
Mizuki	Faruja's remarks are met with a series of nods all around. Sutri and Lillian seem satisfied with his 'apology', or at least his recognition of his own vehemence. Mizuki awards the nezumi, too, with a pat on the shoulder. Were so many people not in their immediate vicinity, she might even hug him. She has no forgotten the philosophical hurdles he has to jump through simply to maintain his friendship with her, and he is always grateful that he does so... that he is able to do so, really. She only hopes that that glint in her eyes can communicate some of that, however quietly.     Boris? Mizuki smiles. "My, my, I continually forget just how attached you are to him. The most pious undead entity this side of the Multiverse indeed." She hides her mouth momentarily with her sleeve. "... though yes, I believe he is doing fairly well. His old friends from the Township seem to have found him, and have likewise fallen in with his new way of thinking. So the abbey actually has a trio of guardsmen now -- Three Musketeers, if you will. It all seems so fitting, to me; fated, almost." She gives him a sly wink.     "Though, yes. We shall have to get together there some time. It would be such a waste, not at least visiting that lovely bit of architecture you brought into being now and then."
Mizuki	Lillian's head inclines in recognition of Psyber's words. It's... easy enough to tell that he's stressed, which actually is -not- something that she had expected. If she's being honest, she's actually pretty caught off-guard by how obvious he's being compared to what she had come to expect from watching their Saga. This all makes her a bit more tender, a bit more receptive to his attempts at kindness, and so... she gives in to that. With a long sigh, she meets his gaze, nodding several times in acknowledgment of his 'assistance'. After a slight delay, though, she says, "We are always working toward Shiori's goal. I am the bearer of her torch. So will I always be, if I must, until I find my proper brazier."     She closes her eyes and folds her arms. After all this, she looks... strangely content. While she had come in with all the right expectations of these people, she had thoroughly underestimated the impact they would be able to have on -her-. That's slightly worrying to her, and at once she begins to wonder if she is being 'corrupted' in the same way she considers the present Mizuki to havebeen. At that thought, she rubs her temples.
Arthur Lowell	Arthur seems to accept what's being discussed. "Look, yeah, Riva's right here. Psyber's right. I was selfish, and I know I didn't..." He rubs his forehead. "Look, strictly speaking I probably sacrificed that answer when I didn't pull through and bring out the transcendental uber-Shiori at the end of this. I will straight up admit that. It wasn't the best thing to do, speaking in purely moral terms, and I'll agree with that. Friends are the greatest good I got. Mizuki rates higher than your answer for me, but I'll one hundred percent admit that ethically, she shouldn't. That's just how it goes."     Then he makes a plaintive sort of gesture. "But, I mean, that doesn't have to be mutually exclusive. Listen, I am all about the human condition. All the little flaws you're talking about, the bad you're trying to circumvent. That is /my jam/. But, I'm not gonna sit here and act like I don't owe you some good or that I got any excuse not to help out around here. The point I'm making is that just 'cause I got what I wanted, doesn't mean I shouldn't help you get as much of what you wanted after this. Leaving you in the lurch and going off to go cruising wherever would be shit." He pauses. "Uh, the, um, actual literal cruise aside." Awkward. "So, look, if there's stuff you want me doing to fix this up, you give me a call about it, okay? I don't like making people unhappy." There's a particular kind of stress on that last bit.
Guest Psyber	Psyber nods to Lillian and then promptly... puts his arm around Arthur's neck and then puts the God of Space into a headlock, using his freehand to vigorously and mercilessly tussle Arthur's hair as Psyber chides, "Dude! You're not supposed to wait for me to finish agreeing to take all the hostility for you and then put yourself right back on the firing line. Come on, guy."
Arthur Lowell	"I thought you were talkin' about GRUDGES! HOSTILITY is fine! You can HAVE THAT. I'm talkin' HELP! HEROISM stuff!" Arthur says, flailing comically! This is helping his emotional state a fair bit though, getting him to disengage from his anxiety a little.
Mizuki	Lillian nods quietly to Eryl... and he would see her first smile. Considering the circumstances, this is probably her first in quite some time -- possibly even years. "Good," She says, still bobbing her head. "Good. That's all that I ask. I will tell you precisely what we have in mind soon. We have an idea that could potentially advance the healing of your Earth by thousands of years in a single instant, if it comes to fruition, and if Mizuki agrees to it." Still smiling, she asserts, "I feel that we have very bright things in our future, Eryl. Thank you for giving us a chance. And," Yeah, she's going to nip this in the bud, "you must pardon my propensity for guile in my speech. Much too often is it a necessity, but I do not feel that it should be with you."     Sutri looks... a bit mystified, actually; it's pretty freaking evident that she hadn't expected anyone to give them the time of day.
Faruja	The pat on the shoulder finally eases the last bit of Faruja's agression. Ainsley and Mizuki both were good for that. Also for his blood pressure at this point. A nod to the group, and then he focuses on happier things. The rat actually smiles. "...Oh really now!? Dear Lord /subordinates/! I /knew/ he wouldst measure up to the challenge! Felt it in mine bones! Good on him!" Faruja sounds pleased as punch by the revelations. "...Though I prefer the term 'hallowed deceased'." It's better on paperwork. Faruja nods, and pumps a fist. "Right! Next monday, 'tis Inquisitorial Inspection day. Tell the dear Ser he shall bloody well better hath his men in order!" It's a promise.
Mizuki	... and Riva only knocks Sutri further off-guard. "... really?" Her response comes in an extremely uncharacteristic, even meek tone. With a swallow, though, she regains her usual posture, along with her standard manner of speech. "I... see. You'll forgive some of our guardedness -- we are not used to that sort of reply from people. I am glad to hear that there are at least overlaps in our goals, though. It calms me down, somehwat, to know that the current Shiori... that Mizuki knew such understanding people." She glances to Lillian, then her eyes dart away at the -speed of light-. It seems that she's putting on airs at least somewhat to appease Lillian's expectations.     If only she were to notice that Lillian doesn't particularly seem to mind, in this case.
Eryl Fairfax	Eryl returns that smile with one of his own! Positive reinforcement for such a prosocial thing, but also he is genuinely thankful for her offer. But then what she says... it actually blows right past his regulatory implants, making his jaw drop a little. "Thousands of years in an instant..." he mutters, eyes flicking to Mizuki.      He nods and stands, walking around the table to take Lillian's hand in his own, giving it a firm shake. "I am more than happy to listen to your offer, especially if it delivers on what you say."      He chuckles at her apology and shakes his head. "Nothing to apologize for. Considering who I am, you should not feel that you need to change. If I wish to know something, and you're dancing around it, I will notice and ask directly. It is no trouble." Can it really be said that when everyone is a wordsmith, no one is? Perhaps we'll find out!
Mizuki	A silence overtakes the room for a while. What was previously characterized by nervous tension slowly, gradually transforms into a more pure iteration of 'awkwardness', which the presiding moderator swiftly attempts to break. "Well!" Mizuki's voice breaks the quiet, as does the resounding clap of her hands that follows. "I believe that this meeting has gone better than many of us, if not all of us, had hoped. I'm very glad to see that we've been able to overcome at least ~some~ of the stigmas which initially segregated us, and to bear witness as we give birth to the potentiality of cooperation in the future. This is quite an accomplishment for one evening, so I have very few qualms in officially saying that this meeting is adjourned."     All of the girls not already on their feet stand, filtering out in their respective directions. Chatrinelle is the first to bounce off to the South, in the direction of the libraries, but not before she cautiously meets Sutri's glance. She gives a tentative wave, but is met only with a folding of the other girl's arms and a dismissive break of eye contact. This may be seen as curious by some, considering they didn't seem to have any problems with one another, before, but perhaps there is some other problem between them? As it is with all other things, only time will tell.     Moon and Star depart to follow Insidia, too, but not before each one of them gives Arthur a hug. They seem to like him! ... or at the very least they don't like seeing him so rattled. For her part, Star also goes on to offer Ayako some smiles and high-fives, all before rallying with her sister and mother at the Western doorframe.     Lillian sees off Eryl with a smile, then Psyber with a more cautious, although undeniably respectful, nod. Her parting words to him are that "She may make good on his offer to allow for venting one day," Though it seems she is going to hold it in for the time being. It's clear that she's still not -comfortable- with him outright, but at the least he's begun to make headway. Similarly, Sutri offers a somewhat staggered, even nervous nod to Riva upon her departure, careful to head in the opposite direction of Lillian.     Then, Kowaru. With her hands holding the back of her head, she offers, "I'm sorry that things got so... chaotic. Tense. It really was good to see you guys, though. Meet you, in some cases." She raises her hand, leaving it still a moment before she begins to wave. "But, ah, ciao. Be seeing you all again, I'm sure." She departs with as little ceremony as possible, heading up a spiral stair to the upper levels of this central spire.     Then they're all gone, with the exception of one. Mizuki sees them out and even accompanies those who choose to ride it on the Zeppelin. Those who are still rattled are offered refuge in her Clock Tower for the time being, where Palora has temporarily returned to play a game of Spade with Callia. The atmosphere there is, needless to say, much calmer.     And much less foreign.