Scene #5046: Nobody's Goddess

Owner	Pose
Kutsuuko Shiratori	Things have been a little quiet since the formation of Threshold Unit. Perhaps expectedly so, perhaps not. It's not as if things suddenly stopped being busy for Fenrir's Fast East Branch, not even for Friar's fledgeling unit, but it's starting to seem as if a great many of the extra-normal incursions and statistical outliers in Aragami movements have, rather than redoubling on the arcology with its A-team away, just sort of . . . chased after them. The series of helicopters Cradle Unit has been practically living out of over the past month have had their anti-Aragami armour changed frequently, leaving the Fenrir veterans pretty much just as busy as before, but with less TV in between. Troublesome. For once though, it seems they've run into the trouble themselves, or at least a point of interest the dispatch has kept very, very quiet on. People are to wait for a very specific time, and arrive in a window of no more than a few minutes, with no wiggle room at all. This seems to be because that the destination is so out of the way, the transport has had to bring parts for an artificial warpgate, and build it up on the spot, then shut it off as fast as possible before it attracts something. So people get to (unfortunately) skip out on the reception room, and arrive boots first into one of the last things one would expect to see here. While it seems to remain perpetually dusty and scorching nearer to the ragged, half-eaten coast, further inland, the temperature has weirdly plunged, leaving an arrival stepping on a thin layer of crackling frost. Despite that, the sky is frighteningly normal, adopting such a serene blue it's as if nothing had ever happened; a rare place in the world where the heavens don't seem to be setting some condemning tone on the works of man beneath them. Then, just to top it off: There are trees. A lot of them. People scientifically refer to this as 'a forest'. Granted, they are dead, brittle husks of greyish wood, but going in a direction arbitrarily deemed 'ahead', the land gradually slopes into what looks like some kind of ultra-massive crater, or an out of place shield-volcano formation, where the air warms up considerably at lower altitude, and the earth is covered in the first green anyone has seen outside of a rec room potted plant. If it weren't for how utterly dead silent this forest is, it'd seem disarmingly normal. The point of interest, however, is man-made. Not the skeleton crew of maintenance staff swiftly disassembling the temporary gate and loading it back on to the heli, or the ones unloading a quartet of what have to be God Arc storage devices, but a glistening dome of glass and steel sat flush in the forest below, roughly the size of a football stadium almost choked out by green, save for the massive skylight that is its roof. There's nothing about it that isn't insanely abnormal.
Yang Xiao Long	Boots down is just how Yang likes it. It's been a while since that training exercises, but the blonde bombshell feels confident enough in her ability to beat the crap out of live Aragami she's coming in to assist. "Alright, I'm here, Threshold 17 is on the ground." she calls in on her Scroll, using it like a radio as she pans her lilac eyes across the scape before her. "Whoa... I thought there weren't any buildings left undamaged by these monsters..." The Huntress doesn't go running off, no, that's suicide even when the Monsters aren't insanely tough and regenerate. Going it alone, unless you're /very/ good, on Remnant is a death sentence, and even the good Hunters tend to try and keep to a pair when going out into a dangerous zone.
Yuko Minami	Following not too far behind Yang is the scythe-wielding God Eater, that ever-pleasant smile beaming as usual on her face. <<"Yuko in position with Threshold 17. Supplies are in place, keeping my eyes open for hostiles.">> Once the more formal mission talk is out of the way, of course, she starts glancing around rapidly at the odd state of the forest. Destroyed forest skeletons are one thing, but the crater? The greenery? The people that may or may not be associated with Fenrir at all? Hell, the /dome/? <<"Apparently so. That, or whoever's working on this are fast builders. Still, to manage this all the way out here...">> It's all too strange.
Lenka Utsugi	Lenka's naturally be terribly busy in the recent weeks. The Aragami don't rest. Neither does he. ..Except when he needs to. And also when his God Arc needs maintenance. But beyond that, he was out there in the field, contending with the Aragami threat. Today, there's another mission on hand, which has him out and in the field once more. Along the coast, into the cold, with the blue stare hanging abovehead. They eventually make it to a forest, where the god eat quirks a brow. "......" He's quiet, quiet, but watching all the same. Those trees could hardly be said to have life, but the fact that they stand at all was miracle enough, in the grand scheme of things. It only gets stranger with the arrival at the volcano. And more surprisingly; green. Actual green earth, untouched by those monsters. His eyes are drawn to the dome of glass and steel, and a frown forms. ...That's a man-made structure, obviously. Given the stringent details provided, this must be an important place. ...But what's it housing? They'll see, won't they?
Yuna Kagurazaka	A civilian settlement on Fenrir Earth? As unusual as that may be, and as likely as it is to be a good sign, Yuna's staying alert as she joins the others; as usual for her visits to this world, she's got the full Matrix of Light with her, Elner flitting about near her - but her three 'doubles' are actually hanging back and looking not merely like humans, but like casually-dressed civilians. Which may not actually be THAT bizarre for God Eaters, given how Yuna's seen them dress ... At any rate, Yuna takes a few moments to look around and get her bearings; the fact that the gate is being dismantled behind them is a little disturbing, although it DOES make sense to her. "And your people just recently found this place?" she asks Yuko and Lenka. "Seems like the construction should have been noticed sooner ..." Which is exactly what Yuko was just saying, admittedly. "Elner," Yuna asks her robo-faerie ally, "scan the trees and such, see if there's evidence of Oracle Cells in them?" The robo-faerie sets to work, actually 'inspecting' several trees to compile and compare the data.
Tomoe	Tomoe had not joined up with any of the new factions but she'd not sought to burn connections. While Fenrir had allied with the Paladins? Tomoe had still kept her offer to aid them from before the multivese went into utter madness. So here she was and the cold was nothing to laugh off. She felt it and shivered a little bit. She looked over her shoulder to Kirito for a moment she had dawn breaker across her back, but no Mourning wall just yet. So you thinking ground or air for this Kirito to help out with this? We could get to the air and map things out better. The Salmander seemed in decent spirits all things considered and just was waiting to see what Kirito thought of the whole matter.
Kirito	Exploring dangerous-as-hell countrysides could be called a hobby of Kirito's by now. The Spriggan does have an advantage in this field though: flight. He has forgone just walking in favor of hovering over the ground and matching the others' pace on approach to the strange domed structure. "Hmmmm... some kind of shelter, no doubt about that. Sealed off against the Aragami?" Kirito posits, thinking aloud. He's been briefed on the situation via Tomoe. He floats down to land next to Tomoe, stretching his arms in the way people who've been flying a while tend to do. Despite him having no muscles that can become sore like this... "Hmmmm... well. If there are people down there, what's wrong with finding a door and knocking?"
Reiji Arisu	What would Japan look like if it were a blasted wasteland which not even nature would dare reclaim? Probably something not too much unlike this place! In truth, it's unsettling in many ways, especially one so used to feeling the beating heartbeat of a living land. This place is different, inhabited by dangerous, foreign gods. The Aragami are not the spirits of his homeland, they are wrathful and merciless, not unlike the blasted land they inhabit. But here... Here it's almost as if whatever apocalypse consumed the rest of the world just didn't happen. The trees grow. The earth is alive. The ebb and flow of nature proceeds normally here. Sure, much of the forest is dead, but the fact that SOME trees live is astounding given the context. "Careful," Reiji cautions the others. "We might not be particularly welcome here. Though on the other hand, I can't imagine anyone living in that thing have had too much contact with other human beings recently." If indeed the inhabitents of the dome ARE human and not, like... Lunarian or something.
Kutsuuko Shiratori	"You and literally everyone else." comes Yang's answer. Kutsuuko seems to be sticking with the helicopter, as well as the hooded young man in a similar white jacket denoting his assignment; probably to kill anything that might have picked up the signal and come sniffing around for tech to devour. "There's no record of it being here, but then there aren't a lot of records of much." she admits. The two members of Blood Unit are well provided by the extras taken along for Cradle's sorties, including shots of portable P-66, stored in minority alongside the usual P-52 and extracted P-76. "You know our job, right? We've been checking out the former Japanese continent for the past few weeks, scouting Aragami movements, culling them and seeing how they change, reporting new breeds and possible salvage, but most importantly, Paylor has been calculating their patterns, and trying to pick out places where they just don't go. Either they've eaten everything of interest in the area, or a really strong one murdered everything around before moving on, or maybe it's just annoying to get to, I don't know, but for whatever reason, some places rarely ever see them. We're looking to expand; put smaller, satellite facilities in these areas, that don't need huge infrastructure to protect them, and let the human population multiply." The God Eater sighs. "Looks like, somehow, someone else got to it first here. The forest is proof that nothing lives here." And it is indeed. Elner scanning them finds that they are a breed of tree she doesn't recognize, but ostensibly perfectly normal; that is genetically non-standard, but exhibiting no un-Earth-like qualities. Kutsuuko shrugs to Kirito. "Maybe nothing, maybe a gun to the face. That thing looks enough like an arcology to tell me that they may not want visitors. Ramshackle bases like what used to be all over the place out in the urban areas are one thing; you want as many hands as you can get to gather supplies and replace casualties. Here, it makes more sense to keep people off your little piece of paradise, maybe even get rid of them before they can tell anyone about it." She then slaps him on the back, potentially hard enough to bowl him over. "So get on it, fresh meat~ Unless you guys want to wait around here and cross your fingers nothing /really/ nasty shows up while we go instead. Trust me, I've seen some weird shit out here in these past couple of weeks."
Yang Xiao Long	Yang looks at Kutsuuko as she speaks, then back at the building with a furrowed brow. "Hey, I'm all for punchin' stuff in the face or face-analogue, but that's not what you called us out here for is it?" she remarks, turning back with a lopsided smirk. "I'll go put on my nice girl face and make nicey times." The blonde then begins sauntering off toward the facility, keeping her pace measured and even. No running up to the doors, not exactly a cautious approach either. If someone /is/ inside, they'll likely either shoot from some concealed position and put her down quick, or ignore her and hope she goes away. Gunfire might attract unwanted attention, after all.
Reiji Arisu	"For all we know, the people inside this dome are the ones responsible for the regrowth in this area," Reiji murmurs. "If that's the case, then we may not be able to afford not making contact with them." Being able to restore the wasteland to something resembling its original state is an incredible feat in a place like this, after all. It would be a waste to just let the chance to learn more pass by. And so Reiji joins Yang on a stroll towards the dome. And if they get shot at-- well, it wouldn't be the first time Reiji would have to literally dodge bullets.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Well, if they don't want visitors, then the lack of a doorbell should tell us that much, right?" Yuna says with a carefree smile. "Not that we can't check for a door that we can knock on ..." Elner reports to the group, "The trees are unfamiliar, but they seem normal; I'm not detecting signatures which would indicate any Oracle Cell presence within the trees I scanned." Yuna nods to Elner. "Keep your sensors going ... and see if you can get high enough to monitor things over a wider area? If Kutsuuko's right about wandering Aragami, any forewarning we can get would help." Elner bobs as if nodding back to Yuna, then flits skyward, checking along the way to see if anything cuts it off from being able to keep tabs on the people who are walking. Yuna quickens her pace a bit, catching up with Yang and Reiji, and matching their pace. She doesn't have to 'put on her nice girl face' per se - that's the same face Yuna normally wears, open and friendly and cheerful.
Kirito	"'Maybe a gun to the face' could happen from flying up onto the dome too. ... approaching the front door is infinitely more polite." So, by being polite, at least nobody can say Kirito's being unreasonable... right? That's his hope anyways. And why he decides to tromp along with Reiji, after making sure his sword was still there. He doesn't draw it but he does reach up to check it, as if comforted by the weapon's presence... Hopefully he won't need it.
Tomoe	Tomoe is still wondering about what's going on here what did the people have? Which kept the monsters from this world /eating/ them all. She understood how dangerous the things were, right. Then with Kutsuuko's ord she nods "They could be hostile, there's not way even you or I would walk off a gunshot to the face, Kirito." She notes but well they wil tyr to find out what they can do. "I can't let you go alone, let's go Kirito." She'll fall in with her long time friend.
Yuko Minami	"We definitely didn't see it before. That's what makes it so strange, though. For something this big to just escape detection is.. Maybe it's not unheard of, but it's still strange for this to be sitting right under our noses." Yuko shrugs light at Yuna, then takes note of Kutsuuko's warnings to Kirito before stepping forward. "Well! No sense annoying them by sneaking around, at least. If they really want us to leave them alone, they can tell us after the introductions~" And with that, the brunette steps forward to join Yang, Reiji, Yuna, and Kirito. The God Arc is still slung over her shoulder in a relaxed position, of course, as is her usual bright smile, but her stance is still that of someone ready to spring into combat should the worst happen. "He-llo in there? Is anybody home?"
Kutsuuko Shiratori	Kutsuuko is a little too old now to be sticking her tongue out at Yang in implicit "you know it" agreement. By like, maybe a few months. Maybe. "I'd have a tough time imagining a bunch of randoms could make anything grow out here. Signs point towards it having somehow lasted this long already, climate change given, but I'm not totally sure." she admits to Reiji. Soma, off on the other side of the heli, has already released Evil-One's docking clamps, slinging the saw-toothed blade that makes even Kutsuuko's weapon look small over his shoulder and wandering off, rather than socialize. She rolls her eyes a little, before excusing herself. Indeed, proceeding further into the mountain bowl does start to warm up. Usually cold air settles and warm air rises, but either there is some serious altitude going on, or it's something carried in the air, as the frosty crunch disappears where the green sprouts up. It's not exactly dense, old woodland. The layers of bushes and vines and new and old growth that comes with long establishment is all but absent, mostly comprised of just rows of trees, tough shrubs, and pervasive moss. The terrain is a little bleak and stony otherwise, but falls short of being depressing under the shadows of an actual canopy, even if its rustling is slightly eerie without the other comforting sounds of birds and insects. Amazingly, nobody gets shot on the way in. Unlike the Far East Branch, this place doesn't seem to have modernized on unification with big-ass gun towers, looking for all the world more like a greenhouse or terraforming dome belonging on Mars than a fortified stronghold, like what /should/ be necessary to survive here. The early days of Aragami not being able to shoot back are long passed. Getting very close though, it shows signs of hasty construction; not in a sloppy or slipshod way, but in how much of the exterior is obviously pre-fab, and where corners have been cut re-using the same templates. It's not an old building. It's also significantly friendlier looking on foot. The glass doesn't get any closer to the ground than four stories, which is the height of what could be construed to be 'the wall', but the gate in, whilst heavy, metal, and mechanical, is more industrial than 'gigantic scary military fortress'. Charmingly enough, there is a literal booth built right next to it, as a cozy little shack with some polished up leftover materials. It's /manned/, even, by a young-ish gentleman in a warm sweater vest, starched collar, and parted blonde hair. He doesn't look starving or anything. The little window desk is clearly designed to be folded up to block the window, however, and hanging on the wall behind him is an emergency phone line and a number of heavy-looking guns. He has a tablet computer out. He notices the group pretty quickly though, pausing his application and waving them over, like visitors to a park. "Ah, welcome! I wonder if word got around! Over here! No need to worry! The Aragami don't come out here!" Getting even closer, one can see a logo stencilled above the entry. Opposed to Fenrir's fearsome, stylized wolf and crescent moon, the icon is purely symbolic rather than aggressive, involving crossed arrows and a tree. "Welcome to Nemos Diana!" He then stops very abruptly at seeing Lenka and Yuko, his expression hardening. "Are you all with Fenrir?"
Yang Xiao Long	Yang picks up the pace a little bit, grinning at the guy in the booth. "Heeey partner. Just came by, check up on things." she looks back at the others, subtly gesturing for Lenka and Yuko to step back a bit. "Well, that question's a bit complicated... My name's Yang Xiao Long, I'm a Huntress in Training on a world called Remnant." she offers up. Unification is a weird subject, but maybe it'll diffuse the situation a bit. "I'm here helping keep these Aragami in check. So, yeah? I'm helping out the Fenrir guys, but it's just because it's the only way to get a good handle on these things." She leans on the booth a bit. "What's your name?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	"That's a bit complicated," Yuna says to the guard with a sheepish grin. "We're helping Fenrir out, and for organizational purposes we're part of a Fenrir-structured unit, but most of us are from other worlds, as weird as that might sound to you." Yuna hadn't really expected that all of this world would show signs of Unification, even though it's been years since Fenrir Earth first Unified. Warpgates don't necessarily pop up EVERYwhere on a Unified world, and a world that's Unified might not even realize it until somebody from the Multiverse ventures into it and makes contact. Such as happened on Yuna's own iteration of Earth. All most people noticed was that language barriers stopped being a thing, and that was about it up until the Confederacy tried to invade. Those memories force a brief pause in Yuna's greeting, her smile wavering until she manages to stuff the less-than-pleasant memories back into a shadowy corner of her brain and kick a door closed on them. Shoring up her smile, Yuna bows politely to the young guard. "My name's Yuna, protecting people has been my job since well before I met Fenrir's God Eaters. 'Nemos Diana,' you said ... ?" She looks up at the door and the tree-and-arrows icon. "Diana ... like the mythical goddess of the hunt?" she hazards. "Not sure what the 'Nemos' part could refer to, though ..."
Reiji Arisu	Nemos Diana? So that's what this place is called. It looks like Kutsuuko's assessment was probably right; the somewhat roughshod nature of the dome seems to suggest that this place was built relatively recently. Ah well, it is what it is. Some hostility towards Fenrir, though. Interesting. "Reiji Arisu, I'm with the Paladins through the Shinra Organization. We've been working with Fenrir to stabilize the region, but I myself am from a different group altogether." He inclines his head towards the dome, "You said that you sent word out. Were you expecting refugees?" Beat. "Moreover. How long have you been out here? This construction seems... Not as old as the forest. I'm intrigued."
Kirito	"The name's Kirito!" The Black Swordsman introduces himself warmly enough, stepping forward at being addressed in a far friendlier welcome than he was expecting. "Something of a wandering swordsman... but yeah. For now I'm here on Ferir business. ... Strange to see so much green, next to what else is out there..."
Yuko Minami	A friendly reaction! And then... Not such a friendly reaction. Yuko's still smiling brightly all the while, of course, but that shift in tone doesn't go unnoticed. Glancing over at Lenka, she gives him a brief nod before stepping back to let the others do the talking for the time being. It gives her an opportunity to really take all the sights around her, at least. The vegetation's the most obvious oddity, but the new 'architecture' does have the rookie God Eater watching the walls themselves for signs of movement. No, she doesn't have much faith in its ability to stave off attacks!
Tomoe	Tomoe wonders bout this place it's alive, it's very alive. She pauses for a moment at the sounds of the plats rustling in the wind. She tkes a deep breath she isn't sure what ot think but she's on her guard, she's very much on her guard bnut she makes no hostile act as they run into someone alive and not hostile she looks up. Well not hostile yet. "Not with them but I am lending them a hand. As is my friend Kirito here and I am Tomoe! I'm anotehr wandering woman with a sword nothing more really. IT's odd to see so much plant life here, though."
Kutsuuko Shiratori	Sadly, it seems as if the friendly moment has passed. The young man goes back to his tablet, tapping through several screens in rapid sequence with a thoroughly stoney expression. "Ah, you're from the Multiverse then." he says tonelessly, casting a brief glance at Lenka's and Yuko's God Arcs. Yuna is correct. This world did technically unify three years ago. Relatively few people have actually seen an outsider, but it is common knowledge for the most part. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to be more specific. People affiliated with Fenrir are not permitted to enter this area. Nemos Diana does not recognize any sovereign authority from the Fenrir corporation as a governing body." He then directly points to the two members of Blood Unit. "Please leave." That statement alone is pretty ballsy for a regular guy to be saying to Friar's super soldiers. He has slightly more patience for probing questions from Multiversals, but not much. "Nemos Diana has been an independent, self-governing organization for two and a half years. Our Forest of the Goddess is thanks to the imagining of those rejected by Fenrir, and those who rejected it after they could stomach its policies no longer. Those people are welcome."
Yang Xiao Long	Well that could have gone much better. "Hey, if it means anything? I'm just here to punch Aragami and protect people. If I could do it without Fenrir, I'd do so." Yang offers next, easing off from the booth and shoving her hands into her pockets. "I mean, it's what a Huntress does. We protect those that can't protect themselves. The Grimm aren't as dangerous as an Aragami, not even close, but they're a constant threat that people like me need to be on constant watch for." As the guy speaks about a Goddess, Yang blinks a bit. "Goddess?"
Kirito	"Wasn't sure you'd have heard of the Multiverse." It's hard to detect but there's hints of apology in the black swordsman's words. "Yeah, Multiverse. Well, my connection with Fenrir... man, it's just a 'friend of a friend' kind of deal. This one in a million hole in the ground caught our eye. Exploring dangerous wilds is kind of a hobby of mine by now." This time around, Kirito has no desire to try bluffing for any reason. So he just tells the truth.
Reiji Arisu	"Hmmn, I see." Yes, quite a lot of animosity towards the Fenrir folk. How curious. Maybe they had... encounters in the past? But for humans to conflict with humans in the current state of the world... Well, that's just unfortunate, isn't it? Reiji shakes his head-- all he can do now is mine for more information. "You mentioned that your people disagree with Fenrir's policies. Could you maybe go into more detail as to the nature of this divide?"
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Forest of the Goddess ..." muses Yuna. Then she sets that question aside for a bit; she's pretty sure Diana means the goddess in question, but more importantly? "The best way to keep Fenrir from sending more people to investigate your town here is probably if some of us can come in and look around a little bit," Yuna suggests with a slightly rueful look. "Then we can tell Fenrir that there's nothing to worry about out here. - You said the Aragami don't come nosing around, though? I mean, that's most of why Fenrir would want to take a look at things, I think, to make certain there are no Aragami lurking around here ..." She's not totally sure about that, but if the guard and the people of Nemos Diana want no part whatsoever of Fenrir, Yuna's happy to figure out how to help keep a buffer between them; it's easier that way than leaving Fenrir's higher-ups mulling over the possibility of forcing their way in. And Elner said there are no Oracle Cells in the trees .... They're in a volcanic crater. The pieces click into place in Yuna's head, and while she's not entirely sure WHAT they mean, the fact that forces other than other Oracle Cells can destroy the Oracle Cells of an Aragami's body - or at least force them to decohere and discorporate - suggests that something of the sort is likely at work here. "Anyway," Yuna resumes with a smile, "I promise not to represent Fenrir's interests or personnel while I'm inside, if you'll let me and a couple of others in? We might be able to arrange trade, although I'm not part of any organization empowered to make such decisions about Multiversal relationships, treaties, or other forms of formalized interconnection."
Yuko Minami	"She would! She's quite good at it, too~" Yuko pipes in briefly to follow up after Yang, flashing the guard a brief grin before sighing and turning to Lenka. <<"Well, you heard the man. Seems we're not wanted here.">> She speaks normally and through the radio for that last part, raising her free hand in a light wave as she starts to move. She's not just going to leave outright, of course. No, the rookie's got other things in mind. Even as she's heading away from that security booth, Yuko's already looking around to keep watch for something shadier under this weirdly peaceful surface. Cameras watching from above, stalkers watching from the shadows... It all just seems too easy. It couldn't be this nice without something odd underneath it all.
Tomoe	Tomoe watches as he gets icy cold to them. He pauses for a moment as she hears what he's saying he is asking them to leave and he hasn't shot at them yet for a moment. She listens for a moment and tilts her head a bit. It sounds like there's something else going on here and she knows picking a fight isn't the best idea. She looks to Kirito then nods. "Ye we're from it, mine? I was working with them containing attacks before the Union exploded. I'm pretty much freelance now at this point." "So your Goddess has found a way to keep the predators away?"
Kutsuuko Shiratori	The gentleman doesn't seem terribly impressed by what he no doubt perceives as people dropping Fenrir's name when convenient and readily rescinding it when it isn't. Still, he isn't touching the guns on the back wall. "People affiliated with Fenrir are not allowed beyond this point." he repeats firmly. "Anyone who wishes to proceed must understand that they relinquish all authority vested by Fenrir, and must be checked for any instances of possible surveillance or sabotage." So . . . not . . . no? Nobody's getting searched right? "You don't seriously think that people can only live with Fenrir's help, do you?" the man replies to Reiji, briefly breaking his curt, clipped, professional tone. "Fenrir is a company with a monopoly on everything. They were never a government, never run like one, never beholden to anyone but shareholders, and those all disappeared a long time ago. The United Nations let them do basically whatever they wanted because nobody could live without their technology, and that was back when it still existed." "Have you ever been overseas? Visited another branch? HQ, perhaps? Have you ever seen what it's like there? The Far East Branch almost only exists because of funding to the Aegis Project; Fenrir's failure of a humanitarian PR project, 'built to protect all humanity' they said. Even then, the corruption ate it from the inside out. All that money, all those resources, into some mad man's pet project, meanwhile millions are left out in the cold because they 'didn't have the capacity to take them', though who knows how many are even still alive." "People live under Fenrir because they think they're lucky. Fenrir tells them that they're the only ones left, and that they're the only ones who can protect them, and they give them everything and teach them nothing, so they can't survive without them. Even the children they practically abduct and arm don't have any freedom; if they walk out, they'll die on their own." He finally breaks his impassioned tirade, taking a deep breath and smoothing down his sweater vest. "We will not harbour an investigation at this time. Even if I would, it's not up to me. It has to pass through our city council first." He pronounces the words 'city council' with pride. It's odd to hear, instead of 'branch director'. For all his ranting however, Yuko has something to find. Having lived surrounded by them all her life, scoping around the area tells her all that she needs to know. Nemos Diana is built on an anti-Aragami wall, same as Fenrir's in basic design. It's patchwork, to say the least, but it's proprietary technology, and it's working. It's also technology that absolutely requires the extracted cores of Aragami to work; something that should be impossible for an organization that does not tolerate God Eaters.
Yang Xiao Long	"Yeah, Can't really travel any distance without the Fenrir guys transport. I mean, I could take my motorbike, but that'll only get me on this island, can't really cross water on it." replies Yang. "But from what I've seen, at least the guys in this Branch are doing what they can... it's not perfect, but Dust, who is? I'm certainly not perfect." she shrugs, setting hands on her hips once she removes them from her pockets. "Like I said, I'm a Huntress first and foremost. I'm only helping the Fenrir guys. I don't take any authority from 'em and you can search me for any recording devices if y'want." "I'd like to have a chat with this Council, if they'd be willing. Maybe the Kingdom of Vale or even just Beacon Academy ccould offer some assistance."
Yuko Minami	Now /that/ is peculiar. For how little the doorman seemed to trust Fenrir, the fact that the domed city appears to be built with technology that should be restricted to Fenrir itself isn't lost on Yuko. She hums a little to herself as she keeps on moving, seemingly content with not drawing too much attention to herself and her allies for the time being. There'll be time to look into this place later, but for now? She'll trust the others to figure out what's going on from the inside. Or at least get some inroads in. Who knows? With any luck, she might be able to figure out a different way inside another time.
Kirito	"Y-yeeegkh." Kirito, upon hearing this, is not pleased. The Union was affiliated with such a gang? He makes a weird and ponderous face, scratching his chin... and turns a thoughtful gaze Reiji's way. Not sure what Shinra's making of this either, just yet...
Yuna Kagurazaka	Yuna nods to the guard - who still hasn't given his name, come to think of it, but she's not going to pry. "Well ... I can't really blame you. And I'm not going to represent Fenrir's interests if I get to visit Nemos Diana," she's careful to get the name right, "so - I promise, if I'm allowed to set foot inside your town ... city? ... then it'll just be as me." Given what he has to say about the rest of the world, though? Yuna has to admit he's got a point, and even if she doesn't admit it out loud, all he'll hae to do is look at her face. Yeah, his logic is fair - Yuna really HASN'T seen much of this world, and truth be further told, she's kind of terrified about the prospect of doing so. But that just makes the guard's case all the more relevant. "I don't mind letting the city council decide whether I'm allowed in or not," Yuna finally says. "But I can offer an alternative reason for me to be let in, too ..." She smiles - And a brief flare of light surrounds her, the Light Suit vanishing to be replaced by the outfit she was wearing before she had to hurry to rendezvous with the others: a relatively-frilly yellow dress, the kind of outfit she was probably wearing for a live appearance of some kind, whether to sing or to sign autographs, more likely the former. Yuna's smile brightens as if to make up for the short-lived flash of light, and states, "I'm also an idol singer. I'd love to come by and do a concert for your city's people sometime; I don't know how much music you all get to listen to normally ... ? That's one more thing I'd kind of like to find out, and I'd be happy to perform for whomever wants to attend!" Meanwhile, Elner is wishing it could facepalm. Some things really never do change.
Tomoe	Tomoe is starting to get he idea here it's poltically for a moment. Then gain there may be rotton things in Feniri too, but what is the truth of this? Tomoe doesn't know at all . There's a lot to look into and she isn't going to pick a fight here. She does get hs'a ranting she does at least listen she looks back to Kirito and got more than what she expected to hear. She's not sure what to think. She's knows not what to do and even Reiji along with Kirito seem about as lost as she is.
Reiji Arisu	To what may be this random anti-establismentarian doorman's surprise, Reiji actually listens as he speaks his piece. That's part of his job, staying quiet and listening. It's only when the other man finishes that Reiji nods and says, "Thank you for telling me this. I'm sure it must not have been easy, to survive in this wasteland without assistance. The threat of the Aragami alone is terrible enough, but to try to find food and shelter in a place like this..." He shakes his head. It's almost unthinkable. "While I am foreign to this world and its plight, the support of the public good is something that I and the Paladins as a whole take very seriously." He produces a card and slides it across the counter. It has his name, number, and the Paladins logo emblazoned across it, "Please, communicate my regards to your council. My commanding officer has authorized an extension of aid and good-will from the Paladins if they are willing to accept it. We want to do what we can to help you all survive out here; it's not exactly the most hospitable place, even without being an Aragami migration route." "You call can use that to get in contact with us. At the very least, even if you don't decide to take us up on our offer, you will be able to reach us in case of an emergency," he steps back, then, lightly adjusting his combat jacket. "Seriously though. I'm impressed. It takes guts to survive out here, and I'd like to make sure you do so for as long as you possibly can."
Kutsuuko Shiratori	The gateman's cold demeanor breaks somewhat as the God Eaters wander off, and above all else, the strangers at the door stop insisting they should go inside, and start offering something more concrete than 'pretty please'. His gaze is still unfriendly, but calculating; enough that his finger stops on his tablet for a minute, hearing out something transactionally. After another moment of pause, he takes the Paladins card, and relents with: "I'll forward this information to the City Council." He still pronounces those words with pride. Democracy, out here. Preposterous, but apparently worth satisfaction. "Please, don't come here again until something has been arranged. If it is."