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Lyner Barsett      After everything that's happened on Ar Ciel in the past month thereabout, things have been harrowing, stressful, and full of unanswered mysteries. Beings calling themselves the Will of Ar Ciel, have waged war upon humanity with a seemingly endless army of golden alien creatures of all shapes and sizes.

     One, whose name remains unknown, has laid waste to both Karulu Village and Platina, while also commanding her army to clash with human opposition of any number of positions on Sol Ciel. The other, whose name is Soma, stuck to the shadows, working quietly to some unknown end. Both are severe threats to the tower itself. And yet still...

     ...It's been awfully quiet.

     Lyner, having stuck to Platina to help with the cleanup and repair efforts, as well as follow up with Shurelia on a few things, receives contact from an unknown source. One that simply tells him that, if he wants answers, to come down to Songstone Park in Nemo and bring his friends should he feel the need.

     To that end... Well, Lyner is incredibly suspicious, but... there are no leads. Shurelia's been less than informative, Luke Faelan is nowhere to be found. And Ayla is waaaaay way down in the lower lands. So this is the only lead he can follow.

     Making sure to arm himself, he heads down to Nemo, and contacts a few people along the way...
Kazusa Ujikane     So many things are going on it's hard to tell who's who and what's what on Ar Ciel lately. But Kazusa's heart has told her there might be a way through this mess that ends at least somewhat peacably, and after saving another reyvateil she was told 'had to die', dammit, she's gotta try.

    So here Kazusa is, arriving at Songstone Park surprisingly quickly. She is, in fact, kind of panting, out of breath. Someone booked it.
Yuna Kagurazaka It's going to be a huge relief to set foot on Ar Ciel and *not* need to transform into her Light Suit .... but Yuna has been a fighter long enough to know full well that just thinking something like that could mean it won't go that smoothly. If nothing else, they may just have to trudge through a labyrinth full of deathtraps, some of them independently animate and perhaps even living, to get from 'come here' to 'I'm the one with the answers you want'.

So Yuna is bringing the full Matrix of Light this trip, but - for once - they're all as close to civilian form as they get. Yuna herself is in her 'uniform,' which she's been taking good care of; Erina, Jiina, and Marina are in their human guises, and are dressed nicely but casually. Elner is still distinctly Elner, a robotic 'faerie' a few inches in height, plus the wings which spread upwards and outwards from his/her/its shoulders.

Yuna leads her small retinue out of the warpgate in Nemo, waving to Lyner and Kazusa with a smile - a genuine smile, bright and warm like usual. As stressful as things have been for her lately, she *has* apparently bounced back fairly well; if nothing else, she's at least managed to hang onto her optimism, and the chance of learning more about what's really going on is a promising sign.
Reina Kinney Back to Ar Ciel she goes, it's the red head known as Reina Kinney arriving rather quickly. She's been keeping an eye on things from afar as best as she can, and when she hears there might be something up, she wastes no time in heading there right away. Whatever's going on there, Reina wants to get to the heart of it, and fast. After all, that's what GUARDIANS is about: Resolving the matter in a quick and efficient manner.

Unlike Yuna, who just arrived from a warpgate, Reina materializes first in a silhouette of light then she completely materializes. She looks around and spots Lyner, Kazusa, and Yuna almost immediately, giving them all a slight nod but showing little emotion on her face.
Taro     In the time between the attack and now, Taro would have offered some assistance in the cleanup, in hopes of getting a few nuggets of information in exchange. Technical, historical, whatever he could get without asking too many uncomfortable questions that could result in his having a very sudden drop of a trip out of Platina. Then, he went home, fired up the fabricator, and made an improved version of the rifle that only survived long enough to prove the concept .
    He'd have also shared the chemical formula along with the weapon design to anyone who asked for it, if any.
    Presently, the android priests shows up at Nemo's warpgate about the same time as the others. He's back in his normal cassock rather than his field armor, and with his usual faint frown. There's a twinkle of a cyberelf following him, which warbles an electronic 'Hi~' to the others, while Taro himself simply gives a deep nod.
Jakuri     Lyner is armed! Armed with a pint-sized former genocidal maniac who happens to enjoy being overbearing with her presence. Mostly this means leaning against Lyner when he isn't moving, or even loudly declaring that he should carry her from time to time. In truth there's likely more to it than simply enjoying being a nuisance, but if anyone were to ask Mir she'd be unlikely to explain with anything approaching an honest answer. So, one must suffer! "It's kind of refreshing to have Shurelia proving useless and unhelpful in a situation like this," .... "Oh wait~" Mir actually giggles at her own joke then, eyes bright with the amusement of the situation and totally inappropriate for the serious nature of this clandestine meeting.
    Well, at least Mir is still capable of expressions besides 'sour' and 'murderous'.
William Pauwel Ar Ciel is so much like home, that it's no surprise to see a certain William Pauwel doing whatever is within his power to protect it. Also he got to see Shurelia. Shurelia is really pretty. This has only a little bit of bearing on his decision to help Lyner no matter what, but ONLY A LITTLE BIT. "I-is it really? Do y'all have a history with miss Shurelia, Jakuri? Like... Are you two... Sisters, or something?"

They do have... some mutual resemblance.

(Only a little bit.)
Deelel After everything has happened? Deele needs to know more nd she should file a report ot the watch but her distrust of the Watch higher ups is still there she just expects themt o be almost viral in their behaviour and she wonders was it a mistake accepting Fadind Sun's offer to join them? The Red headed man had been very convincing still maybe she should after this. She'll proccess n that for the moment as she fall in with the gathering at the park and she likes the name though she seem chipper enough as she arrives and will fall in with Lyner the moment she catches up.

"Greetings organics."
Lyner Barsett      Lyner is waiting, and he ssmiles as Kazusa...comes barreling in. "Whoa, uh... you okay there?" He asks with a mild bit of worry. Because really, she didn't need to run. Yuna and her entourage get a wave from the knight, whose similarly dressed down. No cape and armor. Just a simple white jacket over his sleeveless red sweater, and his sword pod fixed behind his waist. Armed and ready, but not too imposing. "Glad you could make it, Yuna, Elner, uh-" In all the time he's known the idol, he doesn't think he's ever gotten the names of those... androids? People? Android people?

     Reina's arrival is met with a nod in return. "Hey, Reina." And then there's Taro. Lyner waves, "Oh, Taro! Glad to see you." His arm lowers and slips into a pocket casually. "The engineers at Platina are working on mass producing that formula you provided. It's been effective on the warfront, Radolf's reported." But of course, things are far from over.

     ...And well, okay. Lyner had two weapons. His sword. And then there was Mir. A rather demanding weapon, really. Constantly leaning on him, demanding to be carried, and all sorts of annoying things! Really, where is Ayatane? He can't keep up with this nonsense! Maybe. Still, hearing her remark about Shurelia's uselessness gets a wry chuckle out of the knight. "Ahahaha....ha... don't let Shurelia hear you say that."

     Which of course means that Mir would no doubt do the exact opposite.

     Troll.

     But Will. Will understands when Lyner says that Shurelia is really pretty. Like bunch of stupid fanboys. No, exactly like a bunch of stupid fanboys. Of course, he asks a pertinent question of the raven haired terror. ... Naturally, the blonde avoids chiming in.

     Instead, he leads the entourage off, to go to the appointed place. ....Somewhere. Uh. They didn't say where to go. Crap, uh... Lyner looks terribly unsure for a while as he walks, but before can come out and admit that he has NO IDEA what he should be looking for, a woman's voice cuts through the air and calls for them all.

     "So you have finally arrived." Aha. Over there, on a bench right before a large tree is... a terribly short woman clad in violet, oriental style robes. She's seated calmly and quietly, green eyes squarely on the nearly passing group. Her arms are folded neatly in her lap and her expression is plain, almost not even there.

     Lyner blinks a bit, frozen midwalking. "....Uh...-" He looks at Mir. "-You know this girl?" Because he sure as well doesn't.

     A vaguely amused smirk forms and the black haired lady shakes her head. "You know me not. But I know you. I have seen your struggles against the enemy. And I have taken it upon myself to provide your kind with answers." She brings a hand up to her chest to indicate herself. "To begin with; you may call me Suzunomiya."
William Pauwel "Su--" Will blinks at the woman under the tree. He shakes his head at Lyner, "Uh. Hold on. Suzuno... Suzona--" The Chaser frowns, but plucks his hat off his head and bows regardless. "Uh. We're much obliged. And I've got a lot of questions to ask, but first I've got somethin' important."

"Y'all mind if I call you Suzy?" Beat. "It's... It's easier to say. I'm Will, by the way. S' a pleasure!"
Jakuri     "Like she'd be able to do anything about it if she did," Mir replies with an airy tone, still smiling. Of course, then Will makes his almost-but-not-quite-reasonable observation and... Well. "No, i'm not related to that airheaded bimbo, not at *all*. It's MIR_TEIWAZ_ARTONELICO, certainly *not* FEHU_EORIA. WHO TOLD YOU SUCH SLANDER I'LL DESTROY THEM." M-Mir... Mir, no. Mir plz. There might be a little steam coming out of your ears there, geez. Blowing a puff and stanmping her foot once, the dark-haired Reyvateil crosses her arms and returns to the much more usual scowl while standing at Lyner's side. "This whole trek better not be a waste of time or another fight. I'm bored of that crap for a little bit." Grump.
    On to the appointed meeting place, and thus they discover a purple... Someone. "Cool, we'll call you 'Suzie'." Mir replies tartly, tilting her head slightly as she regards this mysterious figure. "...You look a little like Misha. If she were taller and lost out in the chest department."
Kazusa Ujikane     Pant. Pant. Pant. "I'm. I'm fine. I just. Haa. Wanted. To make sure. I was here." Kazusa makes the universal 'just gimme a sec' wave, trying her best to give Yuna and Reina both a welcoming sort of smile... but it really just kind of comes out looking strained.

    She's not in great shape, folks, she might need a minute.

    By the time they're walking into the park, she's... more or less recovered, but she does have some sort of bottled sports drink she's chugging. Naturally, it's not hard to spot the girl on their approach, long before they actually reach her; and the closer they get, the more the nerd girl goes from a mix of curiosity and faint wariness, to a wide-eyed look that those who know her well might recognize.

    "Oh my gosh," Kazusa says. "That outfit. Oh my gosh it's adorable, /she's/ adorable."
William Pauwel "Um. Miss Jakuri, I didn't-- um--" Will is being waylayed by a tiny angry girl. He seems distinctly out of his element. "I'm... Sorry? But... FEHU_EORIA? Uh. Isn't that... Kind of like Shurelia's--" NO WILL DON'T "--Surname thing??"

NOOOOO
Taro     "Excellent." Taro gives Lyner another deep nod. It's nice to see his efforts put to use.
    Off they walk to the park, to meet their mysterious purveyor of information, who finds them before they find her, as would be expected. It is a meeting called at her leisure, not theirs...
    ...and he resists the urge to facepalm at Will's and Kazusa's immediate reactions to her. He does allow himself a 'tch' of disapproval, though. Then, to show he is not a complete heathen, he bows formally to her, hands at his sides. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Suzunomiya. Taro Daisho, Bishop Engineer of SHODAN."
Jakuri     "YES WELL DONE IT IS BUT IT'S NOT MINE NEVER WAS NEVER WILL BE NOPE SHUT UP I HATE YOU AAAAAAA," comes the swift and thunderous reply. It really is a sort of grim artwork seeing such a smol bearing down on Will as if she were several times larger. Unless kept in check, this may lead to Will being comically chased around by a Reyvateil, arms flailing at him as she utters loud insults.
Reina Kinney Reina gives another nod to Lyner, but other than that mostly keeps quiet. She's not in a grumpy mood, she's just keeping to herself for the time being. The others get a slight glance from her but little else, and when Lyner leads the entourage on the way, she follows along wordlessly. One might think she's an emotionless person until the woman's voice cuts through the air, and that's when Reina's head snaps in the general direction of the voice.

When Reina spots the woman, she lowers an eyebrow with a hint of suspicion and uncertainty about her. She then turns to face her and stares, but says nothing still.
William Pauwel "AAAA," WILL IS BEING CHASED. He flees like a rat before an angry and/or hungry cat. Hangry. Hangry cat. "I'm sorry! Don't worry, we won't tell anyone! Promise!" It's not the best kind of promise, especially since now EVERYONE HERE KNOWS plus whatever kind of traveller might have been passing by just now. "WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEEAAAAL?"
Yuna Kagurazaka "Oh, you haven't really had a chance to meet them, have you?" Yuna smiles apologetically, and makes introductions. "This is Erina of the Sky, Jiina of the Earth, and Marina of the Sea. Elner usually calls them my 'doubles' or 'alter egos'; they're the partners I combine with when I need more than just the basic Light Suit."

The three girls wave or nod as they're intrduced, and then the whole group moves along to the park; Yuna and Elner stay pretty close to Lyner, while the three android girls hang back a little. It would seem almost like *they're* the ones who anticipate some kind of ambush or surprise attack ...

But they weren't expecting the absolutely beautiful young woman who greets them. Still, unless cuteness or beauty can be tapped as a weaponized force in their own rights, Suzunomiya's greeting isn't an *attack*.

Which doesn't entirely explain the faint blush in Yuna's cheeks as she bows - politely and formally, hands folded against the front of her skirt. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Suzunomiya; thank you for inviting us to see you!" The blonde girl stands up straight again - straighter than before, really. "I'm Yuna Kagurazaka, appointed in my native cosmos as the Savior of Light; I'm hoping you can help us save this world. I have a bunch of memories from helping the people of Ar Ciel, I really don't want to see it destroyed ..."
Lyner Barsett      "M-Mir, calm down! Mir please!" Lyner states, trying to diffuse the situation caused by Will's stupidly kind of apt but not really statement. Thankfully a certain someone speaks to them before lasers start flying.

     'Suzy' blinks ever so slowly at the remarks that start coming her way. Jade eyes settle on Will, then Jakuri. "No, you may not address me as 'Suzy'. My name is Suzunomiya and I expect that you will say it properly." Her eyes narrow just a bit at the Chaser and Reyvateil.

     But then there's Kazusa.

     ".... ....." Blink. Blink blink. "A...dorable?" Those eyes close. "Please do refrain from referring to me with such childish decriptors, if you would." Lord, these people are exhausting. Just what kind of nonsense job did Saki pawn off to her anyway? Seriously. Suzunomiya breathes out a faint sigh. Especially as Will continues to dig is own grave in the background. More and more and more.

     "Ah ha hahahaha..." Lyner... just laughs. He really can't do anything else in the moment. Other than stand vaguely between Mir and Will to keep the Chaser from getting murdered in cold blood. Because that was a very distinct, but probably not really, possibility.

     Suzunomiya settles her eyes upon Taro, after having watched the three idiots banter for a few moments. There is a war going on, and yet they're so carefree. It's kind of amusing. "Well met, Sir Taro. I am glad that at least one of you has some sense of urgency about you." After saying that, Reina is glanced at next. And that wary squint is met with a faint little smile.

     And those two are at it still. Her eyes narrow severely. "You two. Stop causing such a bothersome ruckus and settle yourselves at once." Her eyes close. "My time here in this space is not unlimited. If you would expand your understanding, then open your minds, and cease your useless horseplay."

     There's a deep breath, and then Suzunomiya looks to Yuna and smiles faintly once more. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Miss Yuna. I have seen your struggles to protect this land. One that is not even your own. And I do believe that my heart has been moved."

     A deep breath, and then she starts.

     "First, I should explain what exactly is happening here." The woman gestures aside vaguely. "I trust most of you are aware of the history of this planet, yes?" They should have known from dealing with the Phantom Cocoon. "Well, there is more. The land was destroyed, and the surface of our world died." Her hand settles back into her lap. "But this planet is alive. There are several 'Wills' that govern varying aspects of Ar Ciel's workings." A hand comes up to her chest. "I am one of them. And the two that are attacking humanity are also 'Wills'."
Kazusa Ujikane     Mir and Will go comically darting by in the background. Kazusa is too distracted by adorable to notice. Adorable that adamantly insists it's not adorable.

    The look on Kazusa's face goes through several permutations of emotion before settling on 'amused but obstinate'. "But it's true. And it's a /complement/." Armfold. "You're adorable and that's that. Your outfit just looks too perfect." Beat. "O-oh! Right! I'm Kazusa. Ujikane Kazusa. I can turn into sorta-copies of other people with the power of my cards. Pleased to meet you." There's a bit of that Japanese polite formality there, right down to the bow.

    But there's some actual formal discussion, and Kazusa... goes quiet to listen! Huh. She's pretty intent, in fact, focused and paying attention, and for once actively mulling it over with what she knows instead of going off on a wild flight of fancy. "...so... so, so so so wait, wait! It's possible for different aspects of the planet's will to be in disagreement? You're here giving us information instead of out helping them..." If they can disagree, that means their minds can probably be changed. It's a ray of hope.
Taro     Taro casts a sidelong glance at Lyner, and says in a quiet aside to him, "Is she usually this...excitable?"
    Thankfully Suzunomiya steps in to (hopefully) put an end to the nonsense going on behind him. They're here for answers, which he hopes that Will and company have not forgotten that. "I am only minimally aware of this land's history, madam," he admits at the probably rhetorical question, "but I am a quick learner." He falls silent after that, so she can speak and they can listen.
Jakuri     "IIII WIIIILL EEEEEND YOOOOOOU!" Mir says, face leaned into Lyner's hand and arms still windmilling feebly. 'Suzy' manages to catch Mir's attention however, and she straightens up in order to stare daggers at their walking font of exposition. "Cool. /Suzy/," she replies curtly, clearly one to buck the rules. Always and forever, Mir is an anarchist.
Yuna Kagurazaka "One of the Wills of Ar Ciel," Yuna repeats softly.

It actually makes sense, from a mythological perspective - not just Japanese mythology, but ... well, pretty much any polytheistic religion: there are always conflicts and disagreements among gods and goddesses. But for the other side of it -

"Think of it this way, Kazusa," Yuna suggests. "You know how sometimes, part of you wants to do a certain thing, but another part says not to? I think it could be a little like that ... except with wholly separated manifestations, in this case. Part of Ar Ciel wants humanity wiped out, but part of it *doesn't*."

A sad look crosses her face. "If all of Ar Ciel wanted humanity gone, I don't think there'd be anything we could do ... we might not even still be here to find out." Of course, for Yuna and the other offworlders, 'not being here' would probably just mean back out in the Multiverse, hearing the bad news or something. Maybe trying to evacuate people. But that's getting onto a depressing train of thought. Yuna prefers to be optimistic whenever she can.

"So the Wills that we've encountered in battle have turned hostile to human and Reyvateil life, maybe to all life that lives on Ar Ciel," Yuna reviews out loud. "Is there a way to persuade them to allow life to continue? Talking to them, offering prayers or worship, fighting them head-on ..." She sounds really skeptical about that one. "Or have they gone full tatarigami, and there's no way to draw out their benevolent sides again?"
Reina Kinney It's when Yuna repeats what the woman said that Reina's expression starts to look a little unhappy. And then after Yuna speaks about humanity ending, Reina finally breaks her silence for real this time. "It's true that it's not the most pleasant of thoughts to have, but we must also consider all possibilities at the same time. I know we shouldn't always think the worst, but still..." She trails off a little, listening to Yuna's suggestions. "I think we need to look more at what's happening in depth before we can really do anything."

Reina then looks to the Suzunomiya and then adds, "I admit there's still some things I don't understand either, so forgive me if I'm speaking without realizing what I'm saying."
William Pauwel     "I'm sorrryyyyyyyyy!" Will whines, totally not at all prepared to have been assaulted by a... A tiny girl. It's not exactly something that regularly falls into his wheelhouse. But fortunately, Lyner has rescued him, which is good, because Suzunomiya is getting... Impatient.

"S-sorry, miss... Miss Su..."

"..."

"Suzu. No. Miya." Yes. That's how you say it. "Suzumiya." NO. "So um. I'm sorry, did y'all say that the planet is... Alive? Because... Aren't most planets like..." Will gestures a little, "...Big rocks in space? What do y'all mean when you say it's alive? And part of its will is trying to kill everyone, but you're a will, and you're not?"

Beat.

"Sorry, not from around here, you know? Could you... Clear things up as far as what's happening, and what we need to do to fix things?"
Deelel So Deelel is just haning back for more or less this time she's got a lot to lisena dn she's not so worried about weapons. No basic program is ever unarmed after all, it was one of the key things Flynn did when making them all and setting up the grid. She was unware of the likely reason for them to have the ability to protect themselves. Either way she's listening now as she keeps with the group and she pauses at mir for a moment then she just kinda /stares/ at Will. She just stares at him for a momen before she snaps out of it and shakes her head.

"Suzie huh? Name registered."

Did deelel get a bit sassy? Yes she did but she's not being hostile and she's also pauysing to look over the oufgi for a moment.

"ALl right then Suzunomiya."

She does back off however for the moment she would like to know just what the heck is going on.
Lyner Barsett      Finally. Lyner breathes out a mild sigh of relief and urges Mir not to vaporize Will. They still need him. And he settles down to listen to Suzunomiya as she explains further the history and nature of Ar Ciel. How there are 'Wills' of the planet itself, and that she herself, Soma, and that other girl are all 'Wills'. "Huh... So that pink girl wasn't kidding when she said that she was the Will of Ar Ciel..." He muses, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

     Their willing informant nods. "Indeed, there was never any lie in those words. Yet still..." She trails off, then sighs lightly and looks to Kazusa. Jade eyes narrow once more, but it only lasts a moment before the violet clad lady relents. These people are too much. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, I am sure, Miss Kazusa." And an important question is asked. "It is possible, yes. However, I happen to be a special case." She gestures to herself. "I am the Will of the Planet that represents Song and Feelings. However, long, long ago, when the surface of Ar Ciel was destroyed by humanity's wars, Ar Ciel herself lost the will to sing." Her arm settles into her lap to join the other. "Symphonic energy faded, and I was eventually sealed away into the darkness, as the planet itself gave in to despair."

     Her eyes close for a moment, thinking. Then, Suzunomiya speaks up. "However, it was only in recent years that I found myself back into the world." She smiles. "And if I am here, then that means that there is some small ray of hope within Ar Ciel. One that believes that perhaps man can redeem themselves."

     Lyner glances at Taro and... well, just chuckles and rubs the back of his head. "Kind of? It depends." Depends on what you insult, really. Or insinuate. Like Will did. But he keeps his mouth shut on that. Nope. Mir's (relatively)calm. Not gonna start that back up!

     The Reyvateil gets a withering look from Suzunomiya, who then nods at the robotic researcher. He's willing to listen and learn. Good. That will be important.

     Yuna explains the gist of the 'Wills' situation to Kazusa, and Suzu nods. "Generally, yes. That is the basics of it. However..." She raises a finger. "While we all have different thoughts and feelings on humanity; I will state with great certainty, that of the Wills currently awake, only I truly think that humanity can make amends. Soma and Ar Ru, the girl who leads the Antibody forces; do not think that humanity is worth saving. That they deserve to continue existing after the countless mistakes that they have made."

     So those gold things are called 'Antibodies', huh? ..An eerily apt name.

     And Yuna asks another important question. "I cannot say for certain what Soma and Ar Ru's inner thoughts may be. All I know is that they work to end humanity according to the will of the highest Will of us all; Ciela." Her eyes close. "As for stopping the fighting... there is a way." They open again. "In fact, I believe that you already know that way." She raises a hand, index finger extended. "Project Sotiris, I believe it was called? That, is the best chance to attempt to make things right. However-"

     Another mild sigh. "Soma and Ar Ru will not stand idly by as you attempt to ride this 'Cradle of Hope' down through the Sea of Death, and contact Ciela right under their noses." Her head shakes. "No, they will destroy everything while you do so, therefore-" Suzunomiya shrugs. "-We arrive at the current impasse."

     Will gets a pointed look for getting her name wrong. Deelel gets the same for calling her Suzie. These people. Really.

     Nevermind.

     She glances at Reina. "You have no need to be apologetic. The only way to cure ignorance is to ask questions and learn, yes?" Back to Will, the violet clad lady explains. "It is as I said. Ar Ciel is alive, and has thoughts and feelings. Humanity lives on Ar Ciel, and their actions have inspired her feelings since time immemorial. And now... Well, you have seen what her feeling are now."
Yuna Kagurazaka "Song and Feelings?"

No *wonder* Yuna felt something about Suzunomiya. Just hearing her say that about herself makes Yuna want to sing to her - but she can hold off for a little bit. Still, it's a thing to remember, a card that may be playable to help prevent Soma and Ar Ru from wiping out all living things. For now, though ...

"Does that make you the progenitor of the Hymmnos that Reyvateils sing in?" Yuna asks, genuinely curious. "- Lyner, wasn't Project Sotiris what they were working on behind the Phantom Cradle? If the hardware is all still there and functional, then we may be able to get it working ..." It's a thought, anyway.

"In the meantime ..." Yuna trails off, biting her lip gently. She can't help but think of *her* name, now - not the given name, but the family name. Kagurazaka - the promontory of songs and dances offered to please the gods. And it's the 'Kagura' part that she's really thinking of.

"The power of song is so important on this planet ... I doubt I could do enough to help inspire Ar Ciel to try to sing again, but the fact that you've been able to reach out to us, Suzunomiya - could we help this world lift its voice in song once more? Would that help stave off the Antibodies' assaults?"

... Come to think of it, part of Project Sotiris was going to involve sending a Reyvateil into the core, wasn't it? Yuna knows she can't sing Hymmnos - that's a talent unique to Reyvateils - but if mundane songs will do any good at all, Yuna will gladly sing her heart out.
Taro      Names are finally provided, and Taro associates them accordingly. It does make writing reports and missives easier...
    the android's brow furrows more deeply as he mulls all of this information over, his gaze not fixed on Suzunomiya so much as looking past her as some unfixed point. "Why strike now, though, when the humans who were more directly involved and therefore responsible for the world's destruction have long since died? What of the reyvateil - where do they fall in Soma and Ar Ru's line of thinking?"
Kazusa Ujikane     Once again, Kazusa goes quiet and listens with rapt attentiveness. This is important stuff. And where a /lesser/ mind might falter in keeping track of all these details, someone whose mind was raised on a steady diet of ridiculously intricate fictional settings has no trouble keeping it all straight. "...So what it all boils down to..." She reaches up and adjusts her glasses... then breaks into a grin. "Is that you're our hope, Suzunomiya."

    And finally, Kazusa stops remaining still. Step by step, she's... approaching Suzunomiya? "The fact you're here means it's not impossible! So we've just got to show Ar Ru and Soma that there's something worth seeing. We've got to get the planet in touch with its own hope! I wish we could make you stronger some how, but I guess it doesn't work that way. So instead-"

    Kazusa. Kazusa let go of Suzunomiya's hands. No stop. You just met her and she is a grumpyface. Let go.

    "We'll just have to give you something to sing about. And that's a promise!"
Reina Kinney Meanwhile, Reina feels a bit more at ease, although the way her response is given sounds a little sarcastic. It takes Reina a moment before she realizes that it's not sarcasm, and Reina's one who knows quite a bit about sarcasm. Instead, she nods a little and acknowledges what is being said. The talk of singing makes her intrigued. "I'm not the best at singing, but I can carry a tune. So if I can help, let me know."
William Pauwel "Uh."

"Well, all this... singing stuff goes way over my head," Will says with a frown. Tell him to fix a giant robot, and he'll do a fine job of it. But this kind of thing? It's... Not exactly his forte. At all. Magic is bad enough, but Will can't even carry a tune!! "But... Ain't humans part of this planet, too? Why's Ar Ciel want to kill them so badly? Will that... Somehow heal her wounds?"

Beat.

"Well. Seems to me..." Will sighs, shrugging. "What we need to do. Is make it so that we have some folks up here to distract Soma and Arruru, and others to head down and make contact with whatever they need to make contact with. Cover both our bases, you know?"
Lyner Barsett      Suzunomiya nods to Yuna. "That is correct. In basic terms. However... None of that is particularly important right now." So she says anyway. Lyner meanwhile looks to Yuna and tilts his head a bit. "Oh yeah, if I rememeber right; the Phantom Cocoon is the name that Dr. Faolan called the Cradle of Hope after the project fell through and he swore revenge on Sol Ciel..." He brings a hand up to rub his chin thoughtfully. "But it's original purpose was to be used as a high speed shuttle to pierce the Sea of Death and reach the planet's surface." He shakes his head. "But like Suzy said-" 'Suzy' glares dully at Lyner. "-We definitely can't do it and ignore Soma and Ar Ru. So then... Hm."

     What to do?

     Suzunomiya shakes her head at Yuna. "As long as you put thoughts and feelings into your song, then I am certain that you can help. However, I cannot say for certain that singing will move the hearts of those two." She smiles wryly. "They are... rather driven in their purpose. I imagine that they would even slay me, were I to stand in their way."

     Taro asks a very important question. And Suzunomiya considers it. "Because even though humanity had committed a grave error and damaged the planet, Ar Ciel still chose to hold out hope." She gestures to the land all around them. "If she truly wanted to end humanity with finality, then the Sea of Death that lies below would devour the Towers of Ar Tonelico and the people with them." Her arm lowers. "Therefore, Ar Ciel continues to test humanity. But she has grown impatient. And her life force is reaching the very limit." The raven haired woman shakes her head. "Even if you defeat Soma and Ar Ru, that will not save humanity from destruction." Her eyes close. "If Ar Ciel's life gives out, then all is truly lost." They open, and now there is a faintly sad look on her face. "However, it would seem that she is on the brink of giving up. And she refuses to die before mankind."

     But then there goes Kazusa saying that *Suzunomiya* is there hope. Jade eyes widen in mild surprise. "Erm... me? Surely you jest. I did not call for this gathering to name myself some sort of savior to the planet." Her head shakes. "At this juncture, I am merely an observer that is offering fair information to even the playing field. there is naught else that I can do." But there is a bit of a smile on her face after, even as Kazusa grabs her hands. "I believe that there is hope for this world. That you will overcome the trials set before you, in order to bring true peace to Ar Ciel. All of you."

     And then there's Will. Who can't even get anyone's name right! Damn it Will! Suzu is giving him the the narrowest of narrow eyed stares. But... He has a point. "Hm. Do you really have enough manpower to split your focus? Ar Ru is the Will of the Planet know as the Antibody Brain. It is through her will along that the golden army moves. With a near limitless force of Antibodies to strike with." Suzunomiya gestures vaguely as she speaks on.

     "Soma is skilled and powerful beyond reason. And she moves through the shadows like a wraith. She is the Will of the Planet that is known as the Violent God of Catastrophe. She is the very embodiment of natural selection. She cleaves through Ar Ciel's errors, and now, her target is all of humanity."

     Those jade eyes looks across all present. Calmly, and evenly, she asks.

     "Will you do it?"
Taro     Taro's eyes slip shut at some point during the conversation. He hasn't lost interest. Not at all. It's a sign of him thinking deeply. "I see...Mm. the information you've given us is valuable indeed, Lady Suzunomiya. Thank you for this. We would no doubt be in worse straights without it." He opens his eyes, casting another glance at Lyner. "Does anyone here know where this 'Phantom Cocoon' is now? If not, is there the means to construct another?"
    The corners of his lips tighten into a deeper frown at Suzunomiya's question. "My will is not entirely my own," he admits candidly. "I will need to consult with my Master and CyberGoddess before I can truly commit. I fear all I can give is a qualified yes."
Reina Kinney For a moment, Reina closes her eyes and thinks things over silently. No sign of emotion or anything, almost like she's meditating while standing up. But then her eyes open again and she gives a firm nod. "I know not entirely what may happen, but it means nothing. I will gladly assist in any way I can help."
Kazusa Ujikane     Kazusa shakes her head slightly. "You don't gotta be a savior or anything! That's our job. It's the fact you're awake at all." She grins, a goofy sort of look. "You said it yourself, right? You were sealed for ages. The planet didn't think there was anything worth singing for. But..." She turns and sweeps an arm around. "The people on this world, they're getting their stuff together! They're finally starting to get it right. And now you're awake. Which means Ar Ciel thinks there's a chance yet, right? So just by being here, you're proof there's still hope. That's why I say /you're/ the hope."

    She reaches up and thumps her chest. "Leave it to me. To /us/. We'll get this done." She folds her arms over her chest, and frowns faintly. "Though, I kinda wish there was a way to do this where we could get Ar Ru on our side. When we talked to her before, she said she wished there were more people like us even a thousand years ago." Technically, she said that of /Yuna/, but still. "...almost makes me think we could still get through to her somehow. ...But I don't wanna tell her about Sotiris before that happens, she might just go and destroy it directly... hrrrmrmrmr..."
Yuna Kagurazaka "I'll do everything in my power to help save Ar Ciel and restore peace for all its inhabitants," Yuna pledges.

It's an incredibly tall order, and she knows it. She may be verbally committing to more than she can possibly pull off, despite the constraint of 'everything in my power' .... but honestly? She's the Savior of Light, even if she's still growing into the role in some ways, and saving planets is very much part of her job description.

And more importantly, if Yuna *didn't* do everything she could to help save the world that some of her friends are from, she'd never forgive herself. To know that Lyner or Jakuri or anyone else she's met from Ar Ciel died, or even survived the destruction of their world, when there was something *she* could have done that she held back from, would be a greater burden than she could bear.

They might still fail. For that matter, even if Yuna *does* everything that she possibly could, she'd still be plagued by doubts and worries after the fact - if only there'd been something more, if only she'd approached something from a different angle, etc.

But right here, right now, Yuna is whole-hearted in her desire and her will to save Ar Ciel and its people. She's not giving herself any excuses; she's just going to do whatever she can.
William Pauwel That's the question.

'Will you do it?'

Their enemies are the very force of natural selection made manifest, alongside an entity whose sole purpose is the destruction of humanity, whose resources are functionally infinite. These are the forces arrayed against them. The foes that they must overcome. All while simultaneously shuttling a fistful of planet-saving goodness right down Ar Ciel's gullet like the most terrible kind of horse-pill.

Will tips his hat back and puts on his best grin. "Well. Y'all never been to Tellus, but there ain't nothing that'll out natural-select a Tellurian. We've gone through thick and thin and terrible turkey stampedes to get to where we are. There ain't no way I'm letting some scythe-slingin' sweat fairy put me in the grave! 'Sides, I wasn't ready for her the last time, but this time...! This time I ain't gonna be surprised!"

Also this time Will is packing extra firepower.

You know, just in case.

"Don't worry, we'll make it work! Somehow! Me an' Judgment and all the others."
Deelel Deelel does however back off for a moment and she will stick with the full name from now on, and she does take careful note of what's being said even if she can recall it at will. She is now wonering for a moment just what the heck caused this. She now has a better idea of what's going on tat this point.

"I'm a creation of humans, who are unaware of what their gift for creation can cause."

Shr tils her hed a little bit.

"I find humans keep getting up when they fall down where many things would just ... not give up. I find their will to not give up and try for something better makes them worth while. I will not say that I am not an unbiased sort but I am not one to spit in the face of my creators in such a way."

From Sass to some pretty serious inward thinking it seems.

"Yes I will."
Lyner Barsett      Taro is given a look from Lyner, who raises a hand a bit to answer the question. "The Phantom Cocoon's still here. It wasn't destroyed. We just turned off it's harmful functions. Ayla Sotiris, the Reyvateil of the project, and her two robot servants Phonon and Sonnet live there." He smiles and gives a thumbs up. "And I got word from Radolf that Luke's down there too. So we've got eyes on the place. ...I think. No need to build another!"

     Suzunomiya nods at Lyner's explanation and then addresses Reina with a small smile. "The people of Ar Ciel will no doubt be grateful for your contribution." And to Taro, she says,"I will not demand that anyone assist. Especially considering that this world is not your own. Have your discussions. There is no need to report to me afterward. I am simply-" But then there's Kazusa, calling her 'hope' simply from the fact that she's here in this world again. "... I-" Well, the girl's not *wrong*. But somehow, it's rather embarrassing nonetheless. "-If that is how you feel, then I suppose that I will just have to accept it."

     Her throat clears, and then she looks to Yuna, smiling faintly. There's a nod as nothing further needs to be said on that front. As for Will... "Tellus, you say..." Suzunomiya mutters in mild curiosity. She'll likely never leave the planet, but hearing about other worlds out there is a rather intriguing prospect. Still, he pledges his support to the cause, calling Soma a sweat fairy. Were Suzu less serious, she might have laughed. But she resists the urge. "Do be careful then."

     And to Deelel, the violet clad woman brings a sleeve up to her mouth, to hide her amusement. "I see. That is rather... apt. To put it generously. Your existence reminds me of those not quite unlike Reyvateil of a certain kind... Your support is no doubt welcomed." And with that, Lyner steps up.

     "Well, there you have it, Suzy-" Another dull glare. "-Uh, Suzunomiya. We're not going to back down no matter how tough the going gets. This is the world that I live on, and I'll make sure that it continues to do so far into the future." That's a promise. Not one he's sure he can keep, but a promise nonetheless! He's going to try!

     Suzunomiya finally closes her eyes and takes all of this in. ".... ...." And then they open. "In that case; I have nothing more to say." She stands up and brushes her robes off lightly. "I have imparted all necessary information to you lot. What comes after is up to you." Stopping to give all a prolonged look, the raven haired lady adds, "I wish you all the best of luck, overcoming this harrowing trial. The planet's fate rests in your hands."

     That said, she moves past everyone, and heads off on her way, with no further fanfare.

     ...There she goes.
William Pauwel "HEY WAIT!"

Will's not letting you get away so quickly!!

"Back home, we've got a tradition! Y'all gave us work to do, so--" Will... extends a hand!? "Let's call it a deal! If we save the planet, y'all have to show up and let Kazusa dote on y'all for a while. Sound good?"

His hand is waiting there.

To be shaked.
Yuna Kagurazaka Yuna actually raises her hand to facepalm at that.

Granted, she has a possibly-atypical amount of respect for deities and divine spirits, but she still wonders sometimes. if she's the only Elite in the known Multiverse who defaults to trying to show divinities proper respect and reverence. 'Gotta let the fangirl fawn over you' is *NOT* the kind of reward you ask of a planetary quasi-goddess when she just tasked you and your allies with helping save her world ...

Then again, Yuna wants to sing to her, maybe go out for Ar Cielian karaoke or the equivalent. So she can't ENTIRELY argue against Will or Kazusa ...
Kazusa Ujikane     Kazusa looks at Will. She looks at Suzunomiya. She looks at Will.

    "I-I was just gonna say my price is 'you gotta let me hear you sing when all this is done'," she murmurs, shuffling in quiet embarrassment.
Lyner Barsett      Suzunomiya pauses.

     Suzunomiya turns just a little bit. Enough to give Will a most severe and incredulous look. As much as her somewhat plain look can manage anyway. Which was more like a faint knitting of the brows and a slight narrowing of the eyes.

     "...... ......."

     Lyner holds his breath.

     Suzunomiya closes her eyes and slowly takes in a breath. Then those jade eyes open again. "There will be no 'doting'. I am not a child that requires minute attention." But she does reach out and take Will's hand, shaking it. "-But I suppose that I can sing a song or two." Her lips curl into the first genuine smile she's put on since they've met her.

     Will's hand is released. Lyner lets out the breath he was holding. And the woman in the robes turns away. "Lyner has means to contact me. Please do so if you must. But do not abuse it. I am technically a neutral party."

     And she's walking off again."
Taro     Somehow, through great effort, Taro refrains from mimicing Yuna. Instead, he sighs and shakes his head at Will's antics. Does the man have no idea how to act in front of people worthy of respect? At least Suzunomiya had not taken extreme offence, thank the CyberGoddess. (An odd thought there, given that she herself likely falls under the heading of deity...)
    Then, he addresses Lyner, Yuna, and the others. "I will return home and pray for permission to join you in this venture. I could not honestly say that I would be told 'yes'. However, I have not been told 'no' yet."
Yuna Kagurazaka Yuna bows politely - and deeply - as Suzunomiya departs. "I look forward to seeing you again, when we get the opportunity!" Then she straightens up, looking to Taro and nodding. "Here's hoping ... good luck. Let me know if I can do anything to help propitiate her?"

Although if Yuna knows just what SHODAN is, she might be a lot more reticent about calling her a 'goddess'. She's not going to disrespect Taro's religion to his face without suitable provocation on the subject, though.
Deelel Deelel says "I'll do what I can, a bunch of people who didn't really understnd what I was acted without much thinkingto help me and saved a lot of progeams who had a death mark for only being what the system made them."

She looks abck to Suzunomiya for a moment but then she's gone on her way out. she won't move to try to stop her leaving, nope she's not going to try to stop her at all.

"Well we have some answers now."
William Pauwel Will... Succeeds in shaking a literal goddess' hand.

And he wasn't smote for the nerve of trying!!

Today is a watermark day!

"It's a date, then! Y'all better not renegue, or we'll be coming down for you," Will grins before turning towards the others and flashing a confident A-OK. "Well! Looks like we've got our jobs cut out for us, y'all! Let's get to work!"