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Lyner Barsett      It's been a week since that day.

     Luke Faelan managed to send out a garbled communication, stating that the Phantom Cocoon was under attack by Soma. Everyone rushed over as fast as they could. And yet...

     ...

     ...Well, in any case, Ayla Es Sotiris, and her two robot guardians are gone. There was nothing that could have been done at the time. There was simply no time. Pushed to the limit against impossible odds.

     But now, after a week, things have calmed down. The Church of Elemia, as well as Shurelia up in Platina, were informed of the events. Ayla was given a proper funeral in the garden of the facility, attended by few, due to the secrecy of her involvement with the plan to make Sol Ciel fall months ago.

     And it's today, that one Suzunomiya has reached out to Lyner, asking him to come here and discuss a few things. Lyner for his part, seems to be coping well enough. He's visited Soma a few times, who's been locked up to prevent her from escaping and possibly rejoining Ar Ru. Despite multiple attempts at questioning, she wouldn't speak of anything.

     And so, he calls everyone and makes is way to the garden of the Phantom Cocoon. Stepping in to the place where everything happened, he frowns just a bit, but looks off towards the woman in purple robes, knelt down by a gravestone in the center. "You wanted to see us?" Lyner calls, scratching the back of his head as he slowly ambles in.
William Pauwel By what measure is a life?

Ayla was well and truly gone. There's nothing that anyone could do about her loss. Nothing anyone could have done. But that does nothing to soothe the pain and the heartbreak. Will's mood has been dark for the past few weeks. He's only been out of his workshop once or twice to take care of Official Business, but other than that, the young explorer has been... Morose is an understatement. Burnt out, maybe. Still, he comes when he's called, though the bags under his eyes are indicative of just how he's feeling right now.

"Suzy," Will says from over Lyner's shoulder. "...I'm sorry, it looks like things have gotten a lot... harder than they used to be."
Kazusa Ujikane     It would not be an exaggeration to say that seeing Ayla cut down, and what she found out later she did afterward, destroyed Kazusa. She took a week off school. She wouldn't take any of her friends' calls or texts. She broke down crying in the depths of Njorun's ruins over the simple act of finding a tiny little seed. But something about finding that seed, the talk with Priscilla afterward, has restored some semblance of will to the nerdy girl.

    She's still definitely not her usual cheery self when she arrives at the garden. /Especially/ once she actually arrives. Her expression is unusually cool, and she doesn't offer a greeting to Suzunomiya, either, just... listens. But she's here, and doesn't look /entirely/ like hell warmed over, so... that's something, right?
Reina Kinney It's true that Ayla is gone. Reina witnessed it first hand during her last time here in Ar Ciel. And naturally it's been rather harsh on her for awhile, but she's learned to put it aside and move forward. Because, as Reina will often tell you, "No one can change their past, but they can utilize the present to create a better future." And after what happened the last time she was here, she's more than determined to give it more effort than before to try to do better this time.

When she receives the call, Reina arrives in a short period of time. The firm look on her face conveys a lack of emotion, yet one who looks close enough might sense a hint of unease in her eyes. Just don't tell that to Reina, or she'll chew you out good.
Taro     Taro had had every intention to have been at the original meeting at its appointed time. Unfortunately he had been caught unaware and unprepared at the time of the attack, and by the time he could have arrived, itwould have been too late. Though whether he could have made a difference even if he had been there...
    As usual, he hides his thoughts and feelings behind that mask of a faintly dour frown, though his eyes have more of a downward cast rather than holding his head high...and his prayer beads are hitched through his belt to jangle alongside his tools.
    "My condolences...and my apologies." Quiet words shared when he joins the others, looking to each of them in turn though not meeting their eyes. Then, he shifts to regard Suzunomiya. If she has called them here, then there must be a reason for doing so. But he does not ask what it is, instead waiting for her to address them.
Yuna Kagurazaka Yuna is here. She's in her Light Suit as usual for visiting Ar Ciel.

She still looks unhappy. Not as bad as she was immediately after Ayla's death - she isn't curled up in a ball of miserable weeping, or anything like that - but clearly, Ayla's death is still weighing heavily on her heart. She didn't close herself off quite as much as Kazusa - she's been present for her classes at Beacon, she's been at Hikari Sea Port for her duties there, and after a couple of days, she's even managed to put on enough of a smile for her idol work - but her heart isn't entirely in it, and people who know her well can see it.

But she's here. Elner's with her. The rest of the Matrix of Light isn't in evidence at the moment.
Lyner Barsett      'Suzy's' brow twitches at the nickname, but she decides to let it go. Now is hardly the time to huff about willfully given nicknames. She stands up to her full height of a whole four feet and nine inches, after giving Ayla's gravestone one last read over. After that, she turns around and looks to Will and Lyner, nodding in greeting with an even look on her face. Jade eyes slide over to the sight of Kazusa's... well, she doesn't look entirely like death, so that's an improvement. "Pawel. Barsett. Ujikane. Kinney. Kagurazaka. Taro." She says those names in turn, and then looks aside, giving the grave behind her a glance from the corner of her eye.

     "Things have indeed grown more difficult." She looks back to the group, looking overall not quite as ready to save the world as they were several weeks ago. Her eyes close and she bows her head a bit. "To begin with; I am, of course, sorry for your loss. I do understand that Miss Ayla was a friend to many of you." Her head raises and her eyes open at that. "However... Be that as it may, time continues to march forward for those that remain."

     Saying that, Suzunomiya takes slow steps forward, making a casual, patient approach. Her expression, even as it usually is, slackens just a bit into a faintly warm smile. "I will not demand that you throw away your feelings or cease mourning right this instant, but with each day that passes, the Demise of Ar Ciel becomes closer and closer to being a reality." The Will's gaze hardens a bit at that, and she gestures with an arm aside.

     "I called you all here today in order to confirm a few matters regarding this site." Her arm lowers back to her side at that. "One would assume that without Miss Ayla, this site cannot function in the manner that it is meant to." She raises a sleeve up to her face, obscuring her mouth. "But there are no hard facts, yes?" She looks over the entire group. "Are any of you intimately familiar with the functions of this facility and the project it was born from?"

     Lyner, at that point, speaks up. "Uh... Not really. There's Luke, but he's been hospitalized and hasn't woken up. ...Other than him..." He looks up in thought, taking a few moments. The cogs turn in his head, and then. "...Oh!" He seems to realize something, and then looks to Will. "Hey Will, uh, did you manage to get any results on those repairs?"
Deelel So here Deelel is again and she's in her own light suit, not her normal suit for wandering in material space outside the data core. She wonders about this a little bit as she was indeed one of the ones called. She hears there are things they need to talk off and she simply nods for a moment.

"It is a near thing with Luke I'm lucky I was able to fdo something for him"
Yuna Kagurazaka "All we know is that it was designed to take a Reyvateil into the planet's core, I think," Yuna says quietly, moving to stand by Kazusa's side - assuming the card-user lets her get close, anyway - and attempting to take Kazusa's hand in her own. It might be offering comfort, or seeking it, or - just as easily - both at the same time.

If Kazusa accepts it, it does seem to help Yuna. Just a little, at least.

"Beyond that ... I really don't know," Yuna admits, looking to Will for whatever information the Chaser possesses.
Kazusa Ujikane     'Time continues to march forward for those that remain.'

    It's something that Kazusa has had to tell herself. Something that the seed helped to remind her of. So she can only nod her head a little, taking a breath to try and muster herself for paying attention. "No, you're right. We gotta do what we gotta do. She'd..." Her voice drops a little. "She'd be sad if we didn't, y'know? If we let this place die."

    Having her hand squeezed seems to surprise Kazusa. There's even a little jolt. But the look on her face is one of gratitude. It's enough to keep her mind on here-and-now. "Is... is there someone else we could use? Is that what you're saying?" There's a pause, and her face hardens a bit. "...if it's Soma, I don't..." She stops herself. If Soma were the only person who could save Ar Ciel and all the people in it, what choice would they have? "...nevermind." It's a bitter pill to swallow.
Reina Kinney One thing Reina hates is being addressed by her last name, except in situations like this. When her name is said, Reina gives a slight nod of her head as if to acknowledge 'Suzy.' Of course, when there's the mention of Ayla, Reina bites her lower lip a little bit, as if trying not to show any emotion on her face, although there is the hint of tears stinging her eyes a little. Apparently, she's not fully over this yet.

After a moment of trying to blink away the tears, Reina raises her right hand and uses her thumb and index finger to try to stop the tears from forming in her eyes, before putting her hand back down again. "It's unfortunately true," Reina mutters to herself, about how time continues to march forward. "If we don't do something now, there won't be much time left either." The last part may sound sarcastic, but Reina's not being sarcastic this time around.
William Pauwel To say that she was a friend is... An understatement. Ayla was the subject of a promise. A promise to live, to see the world, to...

...No. Best not to think about that now. The repairs. Yes. That's a good distraction.

Will frowns, tilting the lip of his hat vaguely down over his face. "...Well." He sighs, rubbing gently at the dark ridges hanging pendulously beneath his eyes. "I won't say it was easy, but..."

Will fishes into his coat, retrieves what looks like a cartoonish little remote control, and pushes the big red button.

"You guys'll see. I did everything I could."
Taro     "I am not," Taro readily admits with a small shake of his head. "I know only that which has been shared with me and in my presence, and thus have only a partial view of the truth." His gaze shifts to Will as Lyner calls attention to the man, falling silent again to let him share what he knows. Or doesn't know.
    "I am aware that Ayla Es Sotiris was the most qualified Reyvateil to have completed that which was necessary. This leads to the question of whether there is anyone qualified to take up this burden. Or multiple persons, if the burden can be shared?" He's uncertain on this point, and so the last few words are spoken as question as he looks to Suzunomiya again.
Lyner Barsett      Suzunomiya nods her head at Yuna and Kazusa both, settling her arms in front of herself and pressing down her robes in a proper looking manner. "That much, I am aware of. This Project Sotiris is meant to create a cocoon to pierce through the Sea of Death, as it is called, with Miss Ayla on board to reach the core of Ar Ciel." Her eyes close as she speaks no further on that line of thought. That's obviously not going to happen now. Best not to dwell on what's gone.

     The subject of Soma earns Kazusa a wry smile. "Use the Will of Catastrophe to save Ar Ciel instead?" Her eyes open, jade orbs peering at the nerdy girl. "A bold move. And yet, I do not believe that it is entirely plausible. Perhaps it may be, and yet..." She brings a sleeve up to her chin, hand rubbing thoughtfully, listening as Taro speaks on the matter himself. "That is the chief matter which requires clarifying. If this void can be filled by another, then..." She trails off, her hand lowering back to her front. "Regardless, there is a lack of information on all sides."

     Which is why Lyner and Will's exchange is a welcome addition. Will says that he did everything he could, and he presses a button, which causes remote to beep once, and then... nothing. It's after a couple moments that a new figure appears at the entrance to the garden. A robotic entity. To put it nicely, it looks like it was hobbled back together with duct tape. But to be more realistic, it's actually some sort of combination of both Phonon and Sonnet's parts, mixed and matched in a way that looks odd, given the two had different armor sets. But nonetheless, the robot moves, stepping into the garden quietly.

     "I believe that I was called?" The machine asks, blue eyes unblinking. She's got short purple hair, and really, it's impossible to tell if it's Phonon or Sonnet at a glance. But given the dour demeanor, it's got to be Phonon. "How may I be of service?" She goes on to inquire of Will and the rest in monotone.

     Lyner looks off to the frankenbot, hobbled together from two different units and a few stock parts, "Whoa, uh...Phonon?" He'd recognize that monotone anywhere at least. "It's good to see you. And... Sorry about Ayla." He says, looking down. Phonon blinks slow at that and tilts her head. "I do not understand. Apology to me is not necessary. I am merely a tool created to fulfill a duty. Nothing more."

     She gestures with a hand. "Your business?" Lyner looks a bit bothered, but goes on. "Well... we need to know more about this place. Can you answer our questions?"

     Phonon nods once at that. "Affirmative. Please make any inquiries you wish to. I will answer to the best of my ability."
Jakuri     Somewhere, lurking, is a Reyvateil. She hadn't been showing herself initially for whatever reason, but after a time she leaps out of a tree and comes to a landing beside Lyner. Whooo... promptly ends up with her hugging one of his arms in a rather uncharacteristic show of affection. No words to offer beyond this, her dark eyes fixed upon Suzunomiya as she listens. Indeed, Mir seems rather... Well, subdued. Which is unusual in itself. In truth, things have been weighing on her heavily for one reason or another, and who else can comfort her but Lyner... Apparently.
Yuna Kagurazaka Phonon wasn't 'just' a bodyguard, really; she was *Ayla's* bodyguard. And ... apparently not dwelling on the fact that she failed. That seems odd to Yuna, at first, but she happens to glance at Elner.

And it makes some degree of sense. Maybe the data focusing on Ayla was damaged somehow, maybe Will deliberately left some memory unfixed, maybe Phonon is conscious of Ayla's death and isn't dwelling on it. If it's the latter - well, Yuna is hardly the first Savior of Light, and she's actually on fairly good terms with her predecessor. However many others there have been, Elner and the others have been there for, if not all of them, then for many.

So a similar dynamic might be at work in Phonon's case.

Thinking too hard about that is going to make Yuna break down again, so she drags her brain back to here-and-now specifics. There's one first question which seems particularly relevant: "Why was Ayla the Reyvateil chosen for the Cocoon project?"
Deelel Deelel listens for a moment and wonders about this whole mess and will answer what she can do if it's askedf of her. She looks at the machine fore a moment her eyes sizing her up for half a second. Yuna asks the question she was about to and she's fine with this.

"Yes that is something that may be of great imporantance to trying to figure out this situation better."
Kazusa Ujikane     ..."Phonon?"

    It's impossible to tell at first, but when Phonon speaks? Oh that's the cue. That's the tipoff right there. Something, someone, survived. Everyone else has questions, everyone else is wondering something or other. But the card-user, upon seeing the patchwork robot, looking so utterly worse for the wear but nevertheless /alive/ (after a fashion), has an entirely different reaction.

    Kazusa is latched onto Phonon in three seconds flat.

    "Oh my god, you're /okay/, Phonon, we thought we lost you too!" Squeeze. Hug. She might be tearing up a little.
Reina Kinney Phonon. Interesting name.

Reina's got little to say at first, but after Yuna and Deelel are done speaking, Reina finally speaks up. "Any information you can provide us with will be greatly appreciated, no matter how irrelevant it might seem." She glances a little at Kazusa, but otherwise shows little emotion to Kazusa's response to seeing Phonon.
Taro     Taro arches an eyebrow at his first sight of the machine, and he almost but does not completely conceal the wince. "Perhaps it would be best if you let me have a closer look at you later. If that is acceptable." He tries to keep voice diplomatic. After all, Will did the best he could. Still, as both a living machine and as the foremost roboticist of his world, Phonon's current state is rather painful to witness.
    Then, to the reasons why they are all here. "Do you know what Ayla Es Sotiris planned to do? If so, are there there any other Reyvateils that are capable of completing this now that she cannot? Or did she have a unique genetic or similar qualification that's required?"
William Pauwel Will did basically all that he could to put Phonon and Sonnet back together. It wasn't easy. They were hacked to pieces, vital electronics broken to tiny irreprable fragments. The only small fortune is that they are hardly Ar Ciel's only servitor units. There were spare parts, but that wasn't all that much help against the... overwhelming amount of damage. He managed, somehow, to combine the two machines into one, but even after trying to wire their cyberbrains together, well...

...It looks like Phonon is the only one to have made it through the process.

But that's still better than nothing.

"Phonon," Will says to the ramshackle robomaid, stuffing his remote back into a pocket. "I know Ayla was supposed to sing to the planet, but there's... Got to still be some way to drive this thing down to the core, right? If we can manage a vehicle, then... We can figure out a way to talk to Ar Ciel."

"...I think we could probably fit a few dive machines in here, anyway."
Lyner Barsett      Suzunomiya is quiet. Everyone is asking the questions for her. And really, she's merely an observer to these events once they get going. Here to give them a push, but nothing more. A faint smile forms as things seem to get moving, and she just waits to hear where the conversation will go.

     Meanwhile, Kazusa latches onto Phonon and the maidbot looks down, unblinkingly, and stares for a few seconds. "I am uncertain as to what appropriate measures to take." She says in her usual monotone. However, a hand comes down and numbly pats the girl atop her head awkwardly. "My sister does this when Lady Ayla feels sad. ...Is this effective?" After saying that though, Phonon pauses oddly, expression unchanging.

     "Sadness. Am I supposed to feel sadness for the departure of both Lady Ayla and Sonnet?" She blinks slowly. "I do not understand human emotions. Therefore, I cannot tell." That's a robot for you. Nevertheless, she leaves that subject aside and starts answering questions, starting with Yuna. Blue eyes turn her way and there's a slight headtilt.

     "Chosen? That is inaccurate. Lady Ayla was not chosen for Project Sotiris. She was created specifically for it. Crafted to synchronize with the structure perfectly. It was to circumvent having to find any other Reyvateil to test the systems with." Aha, so that's how it is. "Be that as it may, Dr. Lin Faolan did not fail to leave alternatives. Though Lady Ayla was indeed created for the sole purpose of Project Sotiris, this structure, known in my system files as 'The Cradle of Hope', is capable of being helmed by another." Unblinking and unflinching, she speaks on. "I believe Soma may be a fitting candidate." She doesn't factor in the danger at all. "If not Soma, then I would advise that you find a Reyvateil willing to take control of this facility and complete its objective."

     Then to Taro, "If you are capable of offering proper repairs, then I will allow it." A glance to Will, "You have done all you can. I offer... gratitude, for your efforts." She turns back to Taro. "However, my weapons systems are non-functional, and my cognitive functions are also somewhat damaged. I am capable of moving and speaking, and little else." She's a glorified paperweight.

     But there are questions to answer. Phonon gets back on target and answers Taro, "Lady Ayla planned to fulfill the duties expected of her as per the Project's mission statement. Pierce through the Sea of Death, reach the core, offer the Heart of Gaea to the planet, and save Ar Ciel." Her eyes close momentarily. "It is a project that has been delayed for hundreds of years due to extenuating circumstances." Blue eyes open. "As I have explained, other Reyvateil may take control of the Cradle, however, they will need to familiarize themselves with the systems on board in order to effectively replace her. There are no genetic codes required."

     That answer's that.

     Phonon turns to Will then, "The Cradle is capable of functioning purely as a vehicle, however, I do not believe that this will allow for the completion of the project without a Reyvateil on board." She tilts her head just a bit. "There are Dive machines on board. From when you and your associates dove into Lady Ayla previously." They never got removed.

     Lyner is quiet while all of this is said, jumping in surprise as Mir suddenly comes out of literally nowhere and grabs his arm. "Oh, uh, I thought I lost sight of you along the way. So you *did* come." He grins, thought a bit tiredly, and ruffles her hair. Then he looks back to Phonon as she speaks on.

     "..Huh...So you're saying Soma might actually be our best bet?" He brings a hand to his chin. Rubrub. ... ..... ........ "Oh! Wait a second!" He snaps his fingers as he realizes something, again. "If this place can be controlled by someone other than Ayla, and a Reyvateil is needed to complete the project..." He slooooooowly turns to glance down at Mir. "...I think we have someone we can ask before Soma, don't we?"
Kazusa Ujikane     Pat pat. Kazusa looks at least a little soothed by this. "Eheh... that'll do for now, I guess. Just don't go and get yourself so beat up again, okay. ...you're all that's left. And we'd miss you." Sniffle.

    She does give some space after that, backing off far enough to not be crowding the poor bot. From there, she's silent, at least until Lyner points out the obvious. "If we have another option besides Soma, we gotta take it," she declares firmly.
Jakuri     "Wouldn't that be a seriously ironic thing?" Mir asks, wrinkling her nose a bit. She's still leaning upon Lyner, not even reacting to the ruffling of her hair. "After all, a large part of why Ar Ciel is the way it is... is my fault." Her dark gaze is cast to one side then. "I didn't do *all* of it, but you know... I was around for some of it, and didn't make it any better. I'm also not..." She frowns slightly. "I'm the only one of my brand of Reyvateil, I don't even know if I can... Fit." She makes a lame hand gesture, sounding increasingly like she's making excuses. Then she sighs, dragging that same hand over her face. "What i'm trying to say is, maybe i'm... Not good enough. Even if I want to be."
Yuna Kagurazaka "Maybe I should remember this," Yuna admits, "but what's the 'Heart of Gaea' again ... ?"

Still, she seems a little more with-it now. Just knowing that the efforts to save Ar Ciel have a path to success helps her out, and while nothing really makes up for Ayla's demise, Suzunomiya was right - saving this world is still the priority, and there is ultimately a time limit to deal with.

As for Mir's self-deprecation, Yuna turns a determined gaze to the Reyvateil. "We can still give it an effort - there are things we can check before committing to the descent into the core, so ... let's make sure you *can* interface with the Cradle. If you can't synchronize with it at all, then we look for someone else ... or," she makes a face, "we ask Soma."
Taro     "Mm. I see..." Taro closes his eyes as he considers the information that Phonon has provided. "...I believe the probability of convincing Soma is low. Even though we are trying to repair the damage done, based on her past and current actions, she is actually working against this purpose. She may not be able to be convinced to assist us. Or she may be too much compelled to complete vengeance for her to help us even if she wished to." A pause. "I should be able to improve on Will's repairs, Phonon. Robotic engineering is one of the things I was created to do."
    His eyes slip partway open as he turns his head toward Mir. "We are at times called to work beyond what our original designs intended. We will not know if you can fit unless you are first willing to try."
William Pauwel Will gives a slight, sad smile at Phonon's thanks. Damning by faint praise, is it? "...Just be careful. I managed to bootstrap your CPU with Sonnet's, but it's a delicate thing. If you mess with it, it might... Not go so well. But she's probably still in there, in the unrecoverable sectors. I hope y'all have better luck than I did."

At least he made that first step, right?

...Well.

"...I think, one way or another, we're going to need to get down there," Will say, folding his hands slightly. "And when we do... I have an idea, but it... It might not go well. I've done some reading, about what might happen if you dive into something with powerful enough H-Waves, and the strongest H-Waves on the planet are... The planet."

"But if we could make some kind of... buffer. We might be able to dive into Soma, or Suzy, and try to make contact with the planet directly, if we can't sing to her, then..."

He looks up to Suzunomiya, frowning, "Do you think maybe... If we can get enough of the other Wills to help, they might be able to... buffer the H-Waves? So we don't just get annihilated if we try?"
Reina Kinney Meanwhile, Reina is jotting things down on her DataPad. Not saying much for the time being, just taking some notes to make sure she remembers everything that's being said. She's got a lot to digest and not a lot of time on her hands.
Deelel Deelel was of an odd state as synthic beings go. Her people felt the full gambit of emotions that humans did perhaps save one or two. There was enough in cmmon though for her to understand how powerful of a force it can be. She now pays close attention to what is said to WIll.

"I can think of someone we could ask."

She looks to Mira for a momen but doesn't say a thing as it seems she knows what Deelel and a few of the others were thinking.
Lyner Barsett      Lyner frowns as Mir shoots herself down. "I know what you did, Mir. We all do." Pause. "Well, I mean, the original crew." That is, Jack, Krusche, Radolf, Ayatane, and Shurelia anyway. "But we didn't hold that against you." He smiles, still a bit of a dull edge, but regardless, with sincerity. "You went and helped those people over at Metafalss a few years back, didn't you? I think that's proof enough that you've changed."

     He nods over to Kazusa and Yuna in agreement, then back to Mir. "We're doing this to prove that life on Ar Ciel deserves another chance. Are you part of those people that deserve another chance too?"

     So Lyner makes his point, and while he does so, Phonon answers Yuna. "A Heart of Gaea, also known as the Heart of the Land or the Fourth Dimensional Core Square Ring, is an object of varying size that has the ability to stablize the existence of something that is is tied to." She nods slightly. "One of these is on board the facility already. The plan is to bring one to the core of the planet and allow it to take it in to stablize itself." So it goes. But it's not quite that simple, is it?

     To Taro, Phonon nods. "Then I will leave further repairs to you. If my databanks can be restored, I believe that I will be able to offer more robust assistance than I currently am." Or they could fail and turn her into a paperweight. No pressure. To Will, the maidbot pauses. "... ... I can see fragments of Sonnet's system files in my databanks. However, They are incomplete. I am unsure if they can be restored." And even if they can, who will control the body? Will they share? That sounds cumbersome!

     Suzunomiya speaks up when addressed, and looks to Will. "You have been studying, I see." She smiles just a little bit. "Correct. Attempting to dive into the planet itself would be sheer suicide by itself. However..." She brings a sleep up to her mouth, looking thoughtful. "We Wills are linked to Ar Ciel herself. If you were to use us as buffers, then diving in to the metaphysical core would become less suicidal and more simply dangerous." She shakes her head after. "But you cannot accomplish this with just myself. You would need to convince Soma, and Ar Ru is still out there." Facts plain as day. "Your first priority is to stop Ar Ru before she destroys Sol Ciel in some fashion, I would imagine."

     And that's about it.
Jakuri     "I wasn't 'designed' to do the things that I did," Mir snaps at Taro, offering him a glare. "I'm an experiment, to make something better than the Origins. The only one of my kind to live, in fact. I helped end the world as it was before I was contained, and then when I woke up... I just picked my campaign of genocide back up again, molding a Virus into a son in the image of my dead crush. Until this idiot helped to remind me that I wasn't as alone as I thought." At this point, her gloved hand comes down to grip Lyner's, whether she truly thinks about it or not. "So what if I went to Metafalss and helped, that was just selfishness... And look. I lost one idiot already, and if I screw up, i'll lose another and worse besides. So, i'm sorry but... Maybe I'm..." She frowns and casts her gaze aside again. No need to finish that sentence, surely? .... "S-Stop staring at me, damnit!"
Kazusa Ujikane     Arms wrap around Jakuri from behind. Hug.

    "Oi, oi, none of that. Doesn't matter if you went 'cause of 'selfishness' or whatever. You went to help. And you came here to help. When someone keeps doin' something, it starts to say something about 'em. We don't care about all that, alright? If you wanna help, you can help. That's all there is to it." Kazusa grins. "If you really gotta, maybe think of it as penance? 'I gotta save the world to make up for what I did'?"
Yuna Kagurazaka "Then we stop Ar Ru," Yuna replies.

She says it so plainly, like it's a simple, straightforward task. Never mind how often Yuna and the others have already fought Ar Ru and those destroyer beasts, fortunate to come away with their own lives.

They'll fight and win because they *have* to. For Yuna, that's all there is to it. She may not have any idea how to win this time that hasn't worked before, but she'll try anyway - because that really DOES have to come first.

As for Soma ... well, she stopped fighting them without being killed or knocked unconscious, so there *is* that. (Granted, Yuna herself barely even noticed when Soma stood down; Elner likely had to fill her in after the fact, but still, Yuna knows what she missed by now.) Whether that's going to make a difference - time will tell.

"If we can't forgive people, Mir, we wind up with more enemies than friends," Yuna says to the Reyvateil, offering a smile (still kinda weak as Yuna's smiles go). "Even if you helped out of selfishness at Metafalss, you *did* still help. Even if you're helping us now out of selfishness, you're still helping. I don't care if you really are just that selfish; as long as we're on the same page for the sake of saving all of Ar Ciel, that still makes you our ally, and closer to 'friend' than 'enemy,' right?"
Taro     "I will take all possible care," Taro says, his gaze shifting to Will. "You are also welcome to watch or to assist, if you like." Another pause. "I will likely need to bring a few things from Neo Arcadia..." He then shakes his head to cut off that thought. "But that can be discussed after this."
    He does not flinch under Mir's glare, meeting it with that same dour frown he's been wearing for most of the meeting. "And if you do not at least try, if you instead do nothing, what do you risk losing then?" he answers coolly.
William Pauwel Will peers at Jakuri. And also at Kazusa. He frowns, tilting his hat down over his eyes again. He approaches, and...

...Pats. One. Two heads. Pat-pat.

"...Y'all're good girls. Right?"

He glances back at Phonon, then. And then shrugs. "I'm not sure either, but... She might know something we don't, you know? And at the very least, maybe we can... make her a new body? Separate the two of you again? He sounds hopeful. It may be misplaced.

But then, Suzunomiya. Will's... eyes narrow slightly. "Are... Are you saying we should try to convince Ar Ru to help us?"
Reina Kinney "Stop Ar Ru, right," Reina says with a firm nod. The obvious solution to the problem is to try to stop the person (or whatever) causing it. But then something occurs inside Reina's head, and she opens her mouth to speak. But before she can, William speaks up, and she narrows her eyes too. "Wait a minute, Ar Ru is trying to destroy Sol Ciel, and you want to convince Ar Ru to HELP us?" It's obvious Reina's trying not to laugh at that, based on how her facial expression is for a moment.

When she finally recovers, she says, "That sounds so crazy that it just might work!" Although, based on the way her eyes are rolled upwards, it's pretty plain to see that THIS is one of her moments where she's showing just how sarcastic she can be sometimes.
Deelel Deelel Says "Yes it does deserve another chance. Men can not be held accountable for what their fathers did." Deelel seem to think this is something imporant but leave it at that what is there el to say other than that. She listens a bit more a Layner and Phonon talk more. She listens she plans for a moment.

"Like a fire wall?! I think I see where tyhis is going that would keep ourselves from being overwhelemed."
Lyner Barsett      Suzunomiya just looks off at nothing in particular when Will asks her what she's implying. "I will not implore that you do any one thing or another. Merely that if you want to decrease your chances of failure with this path, that you take these steps to do so."

     And Lyner meanwhile just smiles at Mir as everyone pretty much doubles down on getting her to seriously reconsider this whole deal. "I won't tell you to do one thing or another, Mir. If you don't want to do it, that's okay. We'll find another way." With Kazusa hugging and Will patting, there's no much more for him to add, so he lets that be that. He doesn't say anything further out of interest to not come off as guilt tripping, because that's the last thing he wants to do. Instead, he looks to Yuna and nods.

     "You're right. Before we can even consider taking off, we have to stp Ar Ru, somehow." A hand comes up to his chin. "If we leave before that, Sol Ciel might come crashing down into the Sea of Death after us, and that's... not good." To put it lightly. He looks to Suzunomiya after. "Do you have any idea where she might be?"

     She shakes her head. "I am afraid not. I do not keep contact with her, nor did I keep contact with Soma. You must cross that hurdle on your own." She doesn't ound sorry about it, but at least she's not helping them, huh?

     Phonon nods to Taro. "I will stand by and await a time that you can better discuss this subject then." It seems like she's done all she can here. She steps aside to let the dicussion continue on without her.

     Lyner glances at Reina at that point. "Ahahaha... well, I don't know if Ar Ru will HELP us, but... we *do* need to stop her and all." He chuckles a bit and scratches his cheek with a finger. "It'd be great if we could, uh... avoid killing her too. I mean... we did manage to avoid killing Soma." Even if that was a bit of a miracle, given the circumstances. "But still... I'm not going to ask anyone to risk their lives unecessarily. If we can't then... we can't."
Jakuri     "Much the same, but also maybe your smug face," Mir retorts to Taro with a narrowing of eyes. Then she stiffens upon being hugged, still holding onto Lyner's hand as everyone starts offering varying sorts of comfort. "Hmpf. I don't care about saving the world. Just my idiot." Wait, 'your' idiot, Mir? Then she gets patted on the head and this proves too much invasion of her personal space, Will getting a kick in the shin a moment after he addresses Suzunomiya. "I-Idiot!" She casts a glance aside again at that, frowning. "If we need to prove to Ar Ru that we're worth helping, we're going to have to do something.. Spectacular. Oooor we hit her really hard until she listens." A glance is given to Lyner then and she sighs, managing to offer him a smile. "Idiot..." Without any regard for the others around, she hops up to give him a quick kiss on the cheek. Just because! Aren't they cute, holding hands?
Yuna Kagurazaka "I'm sure Ar Ru will make her location known to us soon enough," Yuna reflects, politely not-looking at Jakuri's moment of peak doting affection towards Lyner. "Kazusa, are you okay? Or ... well, getting there? Working in that direction, at least?"
Reina Kinney "Yes, I agree," Reina says in a firm voice indicating she's no longer being sarcastic. "We don't want to have to kill her if we can avoid it. I'm hoping to avoid using violence if possible, but that might not be an option." She sighs a little, running a hand through her long ponytail. "Nevertheless, I'm willing to keep all choices open."
Kazusa Ujikane     Headpat.

    Kazusa lowers her head a little, cheeks heating up. The conflict between being complemented, and being called a 'good person' by someone she has very recently been rather violent towards, has her feeling more than a tad off-balance. But she marshals just in time to see a swift shinkick.

    No, Kazusa didn't just giggle. You're imagining things.

    "If it's hitting Ar Ru until she listens, I think I'd be up for that," she says, resting a hand on her purse. "All my cards are reset. I got Priscilla stocked in The Cutthroat, and I can borrow Saber for The Knight, or maybe..." Golden eyes track to Yuna. "Hmm..."
Taro     The others use gestures of affection and reassurance. Taro does not. It saves him from getting any of the physical parts of Mir's outburst. "Then do not save the world. Save those you care for." To the others, "If we can convince either Ar Ru or Soma to join us, or to at least stop interfering, all the better. But we must not hinge our plans on that, either."
William Pauwel What does Will get in return for his brief moment of tenderness? A KICK TO THE SHIN! It... It kind of 'thuds' there because Will is in his adventuring outfit and that means he has hidden armor plating. He still frowns though, but only a little, because like some kind of TERRIBLE BROTHER FIGURE, he reaches over and gives Jakuri a rough ruffle of the scalp for her trouble.

"A-anyway... There are some other ways, maybe, we could improve the buffer... But I'd need to do some work for that." He scratches at the back of his head. "...Not sure it'd be safe anyway, but it's worth a try. Anyway... Let's say we do try to... bring Ar Ru on," he says to Suzunomiya, "Do you know much of anything about her at all? What she's like? What she wants?"
Lyner Barsett      Lyner bursts out laughing as Mir kicks Will in the shin. It's stupid and ridiculous and really, the silliness of it made for a way to take off a bit of the somber edge from the atmosphere. But then suddenly Mir kisses him on the cheek. "Ahahah-" Pause. Tick.... Tock... Tick.... Tock. "-KJhbgjdsanj!" He scrambles aside, putting distance between him and Mir. "Wait what, huh? What? -Hey, wait I'm not an idiot! And what's this about be 'your' idiot? That doesn't even make sense and-"

     Suzunomiya politely tunes Lyner out of the picture and starts talking over him. "Ar Ru is honestly a bit of a mystery to me." She says, closing her eyes. "I know who she is, and what her purpose as a Will is, however... that is all." She shakes her head. "We never have spoken at length, and her movements have continually been a mystery to me." Her eyes open and she smiles slightly. "But I have faith that you people will somehow find a way to stop her, even if you do not convince her to join this cause."

     At that, she turns to look down at Ayla's grave. "If you have all your affairs in order, then I believe that this meeting has run its course. Do continue to be careful. Ar Ciel is counting on all of you."
Jakuri     "It took you this long to even figure out a *little* bit of what's been going on, and you're somehow not an idiot?" Mir asks dryly, crossing her arms as she gives Lyner a reproachful look. "I don't know, someone else can explain this all to you. Idiot." One last look is given to Suzunomiya as she brings the meeting to a close, and then Mir moves over to Will. A finger pokes his chest. "You. Explain to Lyner. Good luck." And then she stalks off, back to walking as if a thundercloud surrounds her at all times.
Reina Kinney At that, Reina salutes and nods. "We'll be careful out there! Don't worry, Ar Ciel will be safe!" She narrows her eyes a little as she speaks, indicating the sternness of her tone here.
Deelel Deelel also seeing Will's doom at Mir's hands she starts to laugh out loud as well, and Deelel seem to ahve needed it. She does stop however a Mie kisses Layner and she now seems to get a bot old grin on her face for a moment.

"Hey your our idiot if anything Lyner and I like you the way you are."

She looks to them for a moment and sees they are almost at an end.

"I will do what I can to aid in these matters.

"We will take care we haven't lived this long by being wreckless."

Pay no attention to anything Deelel did on Afterus.
William Pauwel Will stares after Jakuri. What is this mission he was given? What is he expected to do? Will is approximately as dense as Lyner is! He wouldn't know romance if it was seduced right out of him! "...That was weird," he says, then. He hoped Lyner would agree.

...Well! Whatever. It'd probably be fine.
Lyner Barsett      Lyner watches Mir stalk off.

     He crosses his arms, standing next to Will and nodding. "That was *really* weird."

     There's no hope.
Kazusa Ujikane     "Aaah, I'm so torn, what to do, what to do..."

    For once, Kazusa seems to have lost her sourness of mood entirely. She's entirely shifted into 'girl watching an adorable love story' mode. "Oh, I just love watching the tension develop, but I could also tell him just to see his reaction! Oh, what do I do, what do I ~do~..." She actually digs out a hundred-yen coin and flips it. "Heads I tell him, tails..."
Kazusa Ujikane     "...nehehe. Hehehehehehe. Well, it'll be fun to watch~," Kazusa lilts.
William Pauwel Will cranes his head owlishly at Kazusa. He squints like a confused cat. "...What're y'all on about now, Kazuzu?"