Scene #7588: The Dream That Never Ends-1

Owner	Pose
Silver Carnation	NEVERLAND A SUNNY DAY OF FANTASY The invitation went out to the Concord through Silver Carnation. A boy has recently taken the name Peter Pan after deciding reality was 'no fun', and been transported to the world of Neverland, where Tinkerbell, a pixie, needs the help of the 'Lost Children' to support Peter Pan. They do not actually have to be children. The warpgate to Neverland leads to a large grassy hill, overlooking the a beautiful forest-y plains area, several small villages, a hunting grounds, a lagoon, and of course, the massive ocean and beachfront. It's picturesque, fairytale, and almost dreamlike in vivid colors, especially greens and blues. Silver's in the air, waiting for the others so she can wave them down to a small hollow in the forest, with a massive treehouse that could fit multiple people. The sign says 'PETER PAN AND THE LOST CHILDREN - NO ADULTS ALLOWED!' but again, you don't actually have to be children. Once they arrive, Silver lands next to the massive oak, leaning against it. "My fellow children at heart, welcome! We're gonna have the best summer time ever, and help this Peter Pan live out his childhood fantasies! For those who need incentive, they're willing to share any treasure they find with us!" Out of the treehouse peeks a green cap and tunic, as a blonde-haired boy takes a slide down, lands on the ground in a roll, and playfully brandishes his wooden sword. "Silver! You didn't say they were all going to be grown-ups!" "Relax, Peter. They're decent. Besides, we're all here for you." He huffs in response to her reply, but sheathes the sword in 'respect'. Tinkerbell, a very tiny blonde-haired pixie, floats over Peter Pan's shoulder. Her voice is loud enough to hear, luckily. "Hello, Lost Children! Are you here to make Peter Pan's dreams come true? 'Have fun, make friends, stop the evil Captain Hook'!" Her voice is cute but high-pitched, as she flutters around. She's obviously also the exposition fairy.
Cantio	Cantio is not the type to let the requests of children go unanswered. She might leave their questions unanswered in certain contexts, but when a kid asks for her help to do something? There's no way in hell she's going to turn that request down. Plus, Silver /did/ contact her about this. It'd be rude to turn down a recent ally. :I have a feeling my sister might get more of a kick out of this, but since we're here..." Cantio giggles lightly as she follows Silver to the oak, looking up at the sound of somebody calling out to those coming for the summons. "Don't worry, Peter. We're... Um. Good grown-ups! All of us." She says with genuine certainty. "Besides, something a little more lighthearted would be good for us, too, so it works out for everyone." She speaks with a reassuring and thoroughly big sister'ly tone, even forcing her voice to go just a little bit deeper to try and sound more reliable. She probably won't remember to keep that up for long, but still. "So who's this Captian Hook?" Clearly, she can tell who's going to be giving the exposition here as she looks towards Tinkerbell when she asks that.
Kaito Kumon	Kaito balks a little bit at 'no adults allowed', but continues on anyway. He balks again at being told that they're here to live out childhood fantasies, and then again at being told they're here to make dreams come true, and... ... He balks a lot. But then again, he realizes, if the wielder of the Banana Arms has to take part in ridiculous activity, he probably doesn't have that far to fall in terms of raw embarassment. "Alright then. We're here to make friends and... have fun." Kaito leans against the nearest convenient vertical surface, looking over those assembled and then to Peter Pan, as he thinks on this. "... Do you know how to dance?" he asks Peter Pan.
Hibiki Tachibana	Joining the crew today is one (1) Hibiki Tachibana, and by extension, her Servant who she couldn't leave at home if she tried. She is notably /not/ a member of the Concord and is sticking out a bit like a sore thumb in that respect, but maybe she makes up for it by actually being one of the few who sort of fit the 'child' bill. She's here because she was invited along by Silver, and that's definitely not something she could turn down. Hibiki wants to get closer to her, for sure, and this is actually a surprisingly great opportunity to do that and maybe also unwind a little. Also, it's Neverland. Everybody knows what Neverland is. It's a really magical sight, almost enough to completely distract her from feeling out of place here. Almost. That's not entirely possible because of at least one person here, but for their host's and also Peter and Tinkerbell's sakes, she's doing her best to avoid any open awkwardness and focus on what they're here for. "Hey, not all of us," she says back towards Peter with the slightest bit of wryness. "I'm only 16, y'know." She gives Tink a little wave a nod right after. This seems like the kind of thing she might get a little embarrassed over diving into, but Hibiki seems to be taking to it pretty well judging from the small grin on her face. "We sure are. We came all this way to become friends--and have the greatest adventure you could ever imagine, after all."
Staren	Staren has of course heard of Peter Pan, though more through mytho-cultural osmosis from the story being referred to across the Multiverse than any one particular version. Still, they kinda know the gist. 'Lost Children' are expected, but not literally required, but who knows how Neverland works? When you have a pile of magic and technology and are body-flexible, may as well try to game the system, right? That is the excuse, not wistful thoughts stirred by visiting the Decompression Chamber two days ago. Yup. Also: A /warpgate/ to Neverland? No needing to be given pixie dust and fly or other magic shenanigans, you can just /go/? Staren wonders if there are going to be a lot of children wandering here soon. ...They're not sure it would always be a bad thing. All the more reason to find out what kind of place it is. A kid who might be in like the 10-13 range steps out of the warpgate? It's hard to tell, they're maybe an inch or two shorter than the form Staren's been in lately but dressed in primary colored shirt, pants, jacket, sneakers lest they look out of place. The face is recognizeably similar to Staren's and there's the, y'know, ears and tail. ...And when they see in front of them the others gathered here and no actual 'lost children' save Peter Pan himself, it shows on their face that they Did Not Think This Clever Plan All The Way Through. There's a moment of hesitation and then... the decision to press on. Don't act like this was a silly idea and maybe no one will make fun of you for it. Staren can't help but act suspicious when Peter calls them all out as 'grown ups'. Then smiles at Tinkerbelle's friendliness, and then grins more eagerly when she gets to 'make dreams come true.' "Ooh, I love doing that!" They rub their chin. "Hmm.... Two of those are kind of vague but I'm sure we can work them out." They approach Peter with a hand held out to shake. "I'm Staren, nice to meet you!"
Persephone Kore	Persephone is- as seems to be her habit- dressed twenty degrees too warm, bundled up in a knitted scarf, a thick ribbed keyhole sweater, and comfy arm-warmers even over the sleeves. She radiates a saintlike aura despite the modern clothes; an arresting warmth, a vast gentleness. Her face was built for smiling, and so of course I am! Why shouldn't I smile? Silver really has struck gold here. This is wonderful. She bends down to pluck a wildflower, tucks it behind one ear, and then floats up telekinetically to to follow Silver in the air. "You really know how to pick them, don't you," she says to the magical girl as she lazily drifts along. "I like it a lot already! Thanks for giving me this chance." Chance for what? She does seem a little more relaxed than usual; her smile a little bit more effortless. This is my secret- a message in a bottle on the sea of dreams. So don't tell anybody, okay? But I never really got to be a kid. I wasted a few years just figuring out who I was. And as soon as I solved that, I got really strong, and that came with so much responsibility. One way or another, I never got to be that carefree girl. So having permission to be childlike for a while... don't you see how that'd tempt me? She touches down alongside Silver when they arrive. Other people have their questions, but Persephone's question doesn't need to be spoken aloud. She's nosier than that. I'm curious, is all! Don't be mean to me. She tunes herself to the wavelength of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell's thoughts, trying to pick up the psychic residue of the events that have shaped them. If what she's asking were put into words, it would be the question: "Why are you the way that you are?" Everybody's got their own reason to want a better childhood, after all.
Hiromi	Hiromi doesn't resemble a child in any way. At the moment, she's a towering mostly-human figure with a few prominent wolf features. Though not so fully oppressive a presence as she has been on a few occasions, locking eyes with her makes it difficult to again look away from her unblinking stare. 'Good' is somewhat arguable, 'decent' likewise, along with her reasons for being here. She's here at Silver's invitation, and a highly questionable decision, that was. Peter Pan draws his sword, and that takes Hiromi's interest, a vague sense of approving anticipation, until he sheathes it again. Sheathing it may have been the correct decision, in this instance, but... well, she can wait for the 'evil' to arrive to see how it's handled. Hiromi leans in all the way to Tinkerbell, nearly touching before she sniffs a few times, then snorts. "Dusty." She straightens. Or rather, relaxes back into a posture that leaves her knees bent, heels raised, balanced like she's about to jump somewhere. "Little one. What 'dreams'?" There's a different scent that reaches her after this, and while others may value things like 'avoiding awkwardness,' the allure of fulfilling childhood dreams for Silver's new friend isn't enough to distract Hiromi for more than a couple moments, then zeroing in on Hibiki and practically sliding over with smooth, low side-steps. "Weapon-armor. You are Silver's friend? Or do you 'seek'?" One would be forgiven for having an immediate reaction to her approach of 'extreme danger,' even though her hands are just hands, at the moment, and not claws.
Muramasa	Really, I'm just glad she didn't try to sneak out again. Muramasa thinks, giving Peter a genial grin after he sheathes his wooden weapon out of 'respect'. The cavalcade of figures gathered was an odd one, he supposes -- but at the end of the day, everyone here had come to make a child's summer dream come true. In that regard, there was one person suited precisely for such a job, but ... He'd only pop up if he really needed to. He was busy fighting a super bancho beach beatdown, after all. Instead, Muramasa would need to fill in until such a time came, "Hook, eh?" he says to Tinkerbell with an amused glint, "I think .. I heard a story about that guy." Hibiki is correct indeed, in her assertion that just about everyone knows about Neverland, though he wasn't privy to the thought. His easygoing demeanor evaporates pretty quickly, though, and he interposes himself between Hibiki and the approaching Hiromi, recalling their previous conversation. Talk about terrible, bad, no good luck. It was good that he came along after all, it seemed. The warning was wordless; it did not need to be said, and furthermore, it would be ineffectual even if it were. Seriously. First she said she liked me, and wanted to help me, and now she's looking like she wants to swallow my Master as if she were a tasty morself -- like a hound and a rabbit. This is terrible.
Hibiki Tachibana	If anybody didn't know that Hiromi was the one responsible for any lingering uncomfort in the way Hibiki is carrying herself, it becomes cripplingly obvious in the way she tenses up and spins on her heels to face towards her exactly when she feels the sensation of her coming closer. Her hands are already clenched into fists and buckling up into a readied stance, but she stops and freezes at the question. Several seconds pass by where she's just looking back silently at the wolf's unblinking eyes, with tightly pursed lips, before she lowers her arms back down with some effort. "...I'm her friend," she ends up saying tentatively, still treating this like a staring contest, and finally moving to put a hand on Muramasa's shoulder as he steps in as if to say 'it's fine'. "She invited me here, and I want to help Peter out. That's all there is to it." Hibiki holds her gaze a little longer, then manages to glance off towards Silver and then back. "...Are you guys friends, too? Or are you...'seeking'?"
Hiromi	Someone asks a question, and thought they did it quietly, Hiromi doesn't deliver her response through the same. Radios are incapable of carrying it. Instead, she turns her head in the direction of the speaker, locks eyes, opens her mouth, and introduces herself. She's already done this for several others present, and the feeling will be familiar to them. The sound is something an animal would make, but it accompanies a wordless understanding that hits the mind just below the processing of language, like a memory yet to be articulated. It's simplest to remember the experience by thinking that what was heard was "I am Hiromi," but it's closer to 'the concept of self-identification' followed immediately by an overlapping amalgam of titles that together form a precisely defined, unique concept. She is the Archwolf, the Final Hunter, the Wolf Empress, the Terrible and Beautiful Tyrant, and on and on, every piece of her introduction encapsulated, such that saying her name is to say all of it together, this fact immediately and fully understandable upon hearing it just once.
Silver Carnation	Peter Pan just scoffs at Cantio. "Yeah, yeah, you all say that." But when Kaito asks him if he knows how to dance, he starts doing a jig. No, he does not know how to dance. "Like that?" Staren and Hibiki both get much friendlier waves (and a shake for Staren, gentle), at least, because Peter believes they're both children. Phony gets a decent wave, because of her calming aura. "Awesome! Fantasy summer vacation! No more school, no more future! It's great!" Tinkerbell, meanwhile, answers Cantio's question. "Captain Hook is a vicious pirate, who fires cannonballs at the villages and steals treasure and harasses everyone! Peter Pan and the Lost Children can surely save the day and stop him once and for all, though!" She doesn't so much as react towards Hiromi, until she finally says. "Yep! Fairy dust allows you to fly!" "Peter Pan dreams of having a neverending childhood fantasy, where he can defeat the evil grownups! Luckily, that's just the kind of place Neverland is! Lost Child, won't you help him conquer the evil pirate, make friends with the locals, and have a forever fantasy?" "You may all explore at your heart's content! Or ask me questions. I'm a friendly pixie!" She's genuine about that. Tinkerbell, at least to the telepath, who has received much information, is not their enemy. Silver, still here, talks to those who addressed her. "It's nice to finally meet you, Phony! Isn't this great? Like a dream come true. I watched the old Disney movie when I was a kid. This is...wonderful. I feel like Wendy Darling! But cuter." Flip of blue hair. To Hibiki, "I wouldn't say we're friends yet, but we work together! This is basically a work party, but I invited you (and Muramasa I guess) because you're my friends!" When Hiromi roars her greeting, Peter tilts his head and takes a step back, confused. Tinkerbell, on the other hand, just smiles and nods. "Well then! What do you want to do?" Peter, off-set, balances back and turns to Tinkerbell. "Well, Captain Hook's out at sea, so we can't go fight him yet. Maybe we should explore? We'll have plenty of time before the fight!"
Cantio	"I can dance pretty well, I think." Cantio answers Kaito plainly, although she does look just a little bit hesitant to elaborate. "I mean, it's one of those... Things that I've just gotten dragged into enough times to pick it up, you know? But it's not really a specialty or anything like that!" Hibiki's enthusiasm (and also existence) gets an approving nod and a friendly wave from Cantio. "Ah, hello! We're running into each other a lot more, huh? And it's not even when I'm..." Of course she has to make it awkward immediately. Clearing her throat, she glances over at Muramasa to get some small relief in the form of recognizing him at all. "Ah! You're Hibiki's new partner, right? Cantio, pleased to meet you. Um... So! What do you think the treasure's going to be?" Staren's appearance is unfamiliar to Cantio at first, but talking confirms their identity easily enough. "How are you able to do that so easily? I wonder if... Can that be used on other people?" A beat, and then she adds quickly "Just out of curiosity! In case... Something." Persephone's a familiar face for Cantio, at least, and a reassuring one judging from the light wave in greeting. Good timing, too, because Hiromi's appearance startles her considerably enough that Cantio goes stock still and looks from Hiromi towards Silver to see if the latter even recognizes the towering figure. Tinkerbell not seeming to react much towards Hiromi, however, catches Cantio's attention. She watches the fairy briefly, clearly contemplating something closely before looking towards Hiromi again when she hears... No, feels all of that information hitting her head at once. She's nearly floored by that, too, but regains her composure with a deep breath (and visible intimidation) before turning to Peter. "We can't? But if he's... Actually, I guess it would be problem if we don't have a boat to get you and some of us there." She replies with a firm nod, looking around at everyone else before turning to Peter again. "Do you know how to build a boat? So that we can all get to the battle in style!" Cantio sound eager enough despite conveniently ignoring the fact that she and several others present can fly. "Exploring would be nice, too. I'm curious what we could even find on this island besides the usual supplies. Rare materials, maybe some buried treasures or equipment..." And without further ado, Cantio starts moving already! She has no idea where she's going, but heading towards the center/what looks like it's the center of the island might work. "If we start from the middle, we can expand outwards and cover a lot of ground quickly."
Persephone Kore	Persephone puts both hands on her cheeks, eyes open wide in... adoration? Childlike wonder? I love it, I really do! "That's an amazing name! I've never met anybody who could talk like that before. I don't think I can pronounce it right, though." "Hi-ro-mi," she hazards, as if the syllables were foreign to her. With each one, the 'feeling' of her aura shifts, though it never loses that soothing warmth even as it cycles through other, seemingly-contradictory emotions: first awe, then ominously vast gentleness, then regal pride. It loses so much subtlety and meaning, but it's a sincere and earnest attempt at approximating it- like a crude but charming crayon doodle. "Most people just call me 'Phony'," she adds companionably. "It's not as impressive as that, but it's a lot easier to say."
Hiromi	"Shield-smith," Hiromi says by way of greeting, reorienting eyes onto his only after he interposes himself. Her head cocks to one side. "Following, or leading? Who is alpha?" It is, as always, a lot harder to understand exactly what she means when she's using real words and not raw-concept howling. Hibiki gives an answer, and the menacing aura, if such wasn't imaginary in the first place, recedes several steps, though it doesn't quite disappear. "'Friend.' 'Work friend.'" She tries out those words for a few moments, rolling them on her tongue, before answering. "I 'seek,'" and the next word that-isn't-a-word she says could be "knowledge," or 'proof' or 'understanding' or 'judgment' or 'evaluation,' or all of them. "Recent meetings."
Kaito Kumon	"... No, not like that, that's terrible," says Kaito, about Peter Pan's ''''dance''''. "... Hmph, defeating the evil grownups... that is a fantasy..." he says, as he stops leaning and stands back up straight. "But fine. Where is this village?"
Muramasa	With Hibiki's hand on his shoulder, he relents enough to wind down -- if they could talk things out without it boiling down to having to avoid having his Master eaten, well, he was fine with that. "Ah, yeah, that's me. Saber, Muramasa." he introduces simply, with a small quarter-bow, "Let's get along." With the formalities; as improperly as he did them, out of the way, Muramasa takes a moment to answer her ice-breaker and says, "Well ... probably gold. Or chocolate gold and a treasure trove of sweets. It's child's treasure, after all." with a half-grin. "Though, really, I guess we could find just about anything, here in 'Neverland'. It's just the kind of place it is." Almost instinctually, he grasped that 'things' worked differently here. Or, as someone more properly educated about the subject might say -- common sense was different. Although it wasn't necessarily the case, one could use the example that if you were to say the sky is blue, normally, then in Neverland it would be possible that that isn't the case. That is 'common sense'; the fundamental nature of the day to day phenomenon of the world. Neverland was a place the defied the 'common sense' of the world of adults, and as such, there was no real way to discern what would or wouldn't be possible, he supposed. After all, a child's imagination could be rather vast. His eyes crinkle in seriousnessness as he turns back to Hiromi; as it was evident who was the Master and who was the Servant at Hibiki's earlier motion to stand down, he didn't feel it necessary to clarify any further. She was a perceptive wolf, after all. "Is that so? I see." he says, So she's more or less here to broaden her horizons.
Staren	The words 'Why do you feel you need a fantasy to make friends?', or something like that, crossed Staren's mind, but they didn't say them. It... doesn't seem like the right avenue to take with a child. Staren shakes his hand, but when Peter says 'no more future' they wince. And look... concerned as Tinkerbell keeps using works like 'neverending' and 'forever'. But then... don't some people react as if it's the same thing when Staren talks about eternal life? Can Staren really pass judgement on this? Or is the idea that people need to grow up just another adult excuse used to brush aside concerns about how crappy the world is at times? Staren looks at Tinkerbell. Their internal cyberware may have enough data to send back to the prediction AI to determine if she's Up To Something, but at that thought Staren pauses. So what if Tinkerbelle is a fairy who wants to make someone's dreams come true, when others find those dreams inadvisable? Is Staren really any different? 'Kid' Staren hangs their head at these thoughts. But then their ears perk up at Cantio's questioning. Exposition is easy and probably not fraught with moral quandaries! They turn to the psychic magical girl, brightly explaining, "In the Multiverse, you can be anything you want!" There's a flicker of... solemnity over their face as all the 'if you have resources' 'if you have the right friends' 'if you're lucky' caveats go through their head, but... Neverland isn't the place for that, dammit! "Technology and magic make changing or replacing your body eas-- well, doable! People just don't because they think of it as impossible, as not something you do. My family are shapeshifters, so I guess I'm more used to the idea than most, but even others in my world do get cybernetic bodies sometimes..." "As for how specifically," the cheerful lecture continues, "I've studied various ways to detach the mind from the body, using technology, magic, augmented psychic abilities, or a combination thereof. It's also useful for immortality and curing all manner of bodily ills, after all!" Beat. "...Yes, it can be used on other people. Peter's getting his dreams, and so should you! Talk to me later." Then Staren's back to the quest at hand. "Well... we /will/ eventually need a boat, clearly, but are we really ready to fight Captain Hook already? Peter's only got a wooden-- err, the sword he started the quest with! There's probably all manner of artifacts, or helpful spirits, or /something/ on this island that can give him the power to fight the nefarious pirate captain! Heroes don't just run straight at the bad guy from the start, that wouldn't be a very thrilling adventure, would it?" Staren turns to Peter. "It's your quest, leader of the Lost Children! What do /you/ think might help you fight Captain Hook? Don't be afraid of it sounding silly, we all walked past that sign, and only an adult without imagination would tell you something sounds silly!" Staren is mentally preparing not to laugh if Peter does say something that sounds silly, and also trying to push the mental image of Peter taking Hook out from here with a sniper rifle out of their head.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...I see." Hibiki says that towards Silver and Hiromi both, following the latter in the sense that she finally lets her arms fully drop to hang at her sides. She can't entirely let her guard down, but she can do it enough that it won't get in the way of anything--and it helps that the wolf goddess is willing to just talk this time. "I guess--technically, since I'm the 'Master', I'm the alpha...?" She considers it. Yeah, she thinks she's interpreting that the right way. "And you don't have to stick to calling me 'armor-girl'. I'm Hibiki...so now we know each other's names." Keeping that confusing mental explanation of what she's 'seeking' in mind, Hibiki remembers where they are and that there are other people to address, too. She's glad to see Cantio again, for one, with a wave right back. "We are, aren't we? ...It's nice." Either she didn't notice that awkward moment or she's glossing over it for the other girl's sake. Could go either way. "The treasure...maybe if I remembered the stories better, I'd be able to make a guess. Pirates do usually have gold, don't they?" Her agreement is with Muramasa there. Persephone also gets an equally warm greeting, at least before a bit of radio back-and-forth gets Hibiki covering up her mouth and glancing off to the side in obvious embarrassment over the teasing. She knows exactly what it is, and still can't stop herself from reacting to it. But much like Peter himself, she's remarkably quick on the bounceback, and addresses Peter and Tink again with a cross of her arms. "A boat wouldn't be a bad idea, yeah. No better way to beat a pirate than at his own game, right? I bet exploring would help us find plenty of things to help get ready. Maybe even some more friends who'll help us..." Lingering on that last thought, Hibiki nods to herself and turns to give Muramasa a nod. "C'mon, let's go see what we can find. There's a whole forest to check out, after all." She has about the same line of thought as Cantio - dive right in and see what springs up first.
Persephone Kore	"It really is amazing," Persephone says offhandedly to Silver. She seems more like she's speaking personally than just sympathizing! "I've met you before, though! Even if you haven't met me, haha." Right- when she was at the Sapient Heuristics lab, the presence radiating from the other side of that door she didn't enter. Did Persephone 'feel' her then? She walks- not floats! People get spooked when you come up behind them without footstep noises- up behind Staren, gently laying one hand on her shoulder. That aura of gentle, soothing, worry-erasing warmth cranks up a notch. She doesn't say anything out loud, but- Hey, Staren. Let me worry about that, okay? You're with me, and that means you're safe! Just relax and have a good time. You could really use a Neverland vacation, couldn't you? -the psychic impression of her intent is clearer than words could be.
Hiromi	Fairy dust lets you fly. Hiromi seems to accept this. Tinkerbell's apparent lack of a self-preservation instinct, while clearly odd for creatures of her size in a wolf's presence, still passes without mention, though mostly because it isn't nearly as strange to her as how the fairy answered her question. "'Neverending' dreams. 'Evil grownups.' 'Neverland.' 'Lost.'" Arms crossed, she ruminates, only snapping back out of it to answer the question. 'What do you want to do?' "Land, explore." Hiromi's foot scratches the ground. "'Treasure.'" She grins. "I dig well. Let's find 'treasure.'" That's a childhood fantasy she has no difficulty with at all. To Persephone, "'Phony.'" Almost everything Hiromi says, she says like it's foreign to her. Everything that's spoken like a human would. "Phony." Then, magnanimously, "Few 'talk' properly. Yet, I understand, all." By implication, having difficulty with her name won't stop her from recognizing it, at the least, and she doesn't appear offended so much as naturally intense. Her ears catch, and orient for a moment, on something Staren said. "'Shapeshifters.' Your scent, similar, but different." Then back to Hibiki. If Muramasa's still on guard against Hiromi, that'll be rough, because 'looking like she's about to try something' is Hiromi about 80% of the time, even when she's looking in some other direction. If he's just paying attention to his sixth sense--well, how much does he trust 'not hearing any danger'? "'Hibiki' is armor-weapon girl. I will remember."
Silver Carnation	"Of course the treasure is gold! And rubies, and emeralds, and..." Peter starts going on and on, excited. "Maybe chocolate, too. That sounds delicious." But, to Cantio, he shakes his head. "Nope! And Captain Hook destroyed all the boats around here so nobody could follow him!" To Kaito, Tinkerbell responds. "The nearest village is just that way!" And points out the forest. It's not far - literally visible in the horizon if he climbs a tree or something. Cantio's middle passage takes her back up to the hill. Once again, she can see the lagoon, the hunting grounds, the villages, the ocean, and the beach. Using her abilities, she can get a closer view of any of them. The lagoon has pretty women swimming in it. The hunting grounds are full of animals and hunters. The villages, people. The ocean...water. And the beach, sand, which is very coarse and gets everywhere. Staren has a lot to say. Peter nods, not once suspecting they're an adult. "Well, I'll need a better sword, like you said. If we're going to send Captain Hook into the depths of the ocean, I need it to be able to match his! This is just a training sword." And then Peter just blurts to Persephone as she talks, "You seem really nice!" It's that gentle aura. And also a kid's tendency to not be able to keep their thoughts to themselves. Silver flies upwards as if she's been sprinkled with pixie dust (she has not), humming. "So, should we split up or go together? Shouldn't be too dangerous if the pirates aren't here! Tinkerbell was telling us about the other natives of Neverland, so we can make plenty of friends!" Hibiki's already left, though, so Silver flies off after her. Peter gets some fairy dust sprinkled on him, and joins as well. They head towards the LAGOON. Rocks jut out of the crystal blue water, past the stepping point of the beach that leads to it. A few pretty women are resting in the water, their lower halves completely concealed. One of them, probably a leader of some sort, lounges partly on a rock lazily, singing. She has a yellow seashell bra and pink hair done in a ponytail. The Mermaid Leader spots the group approach, but continues her song. It's a ditty about the beautiful blue ocean. Once it's done, she just turns and waves. Hiromi, meanwhile, goes to the HUNTING GROUNDS, because that's where her nose, sniffing for treasure, takes her. It's a mixture of a rocky area and a lightly-forested one, unlike the forest they were in, with mounds hidden behind trees full of small treasure chests (nowhere near the payday Hook will bring, of course). And also... Near one of the forest-y areas with treasure, is a group of people who can only be called scouts. Like the old traditional scouting. Except, uncharacteristically, they're led by a female leader. She's got short-red hair, a feather in it, and a bow and hunting knife slinged to her back. Her outfit is otherwise outdoors-y, fit for hunting. They've got a deer, and are busy carving it at a campsite. The scent is easy to track. Should Kaito head to the VILLAGE as he saw interest in, he'll find people working as if it was the 1800s. There's no electricity, no real technology. It's a peaceful ocean-side village, with lumberjacks and villager's daughters. One with light blue hair is humming as she shops for fruit. All types, despite not all types fitting here. Even bananas!
Hiromi	Hiromi watches Peter Pan fly off in a different area, but she gives a huffing verbal equivalent of a shrug, and continues on her way. Whether this can help fulfill his dreams if he isn't there, she doesn't know, because she doesn't understand the basic idea of Neverland in the first place. Digging, she understands. Loping into a run, she shifts forms midair, now a dark-furred, four-legged wolf, and even taller at the shoulder. For all that size, she's uncannily quiet on her feet, disturbing it less than her weight would suggest. She knows, somehow, exactly where the treasure is beneath the dirt, and retrieves one in short order, breaking it open to sort through the contents. Shiny things, shiny things... but in the end, none of it really catches her attention. She digs a new, different hole, reburies the treasure, paws the dirt smooth, then slips deeper into the forest. When she emerges again, it's in her humanoid form, carrying a wild pig with a very clearly broken neck over her shoulders, all the way back to where she remembers spotting the scouts. "Hello! I bring game. You share?" She's not even that hungry, but it's polite.
Kaito Kumon	"Hey," says Kaito as he steps up to the fruit stand. "That fruit," he says, pointing at whichever one the obviously important character has picked up. "I was about to grab that one - if you don't mind..." He pulls out his Dorado Black Card, and effortlessly tosses it to the vendor without looking at them, it landing neatly in the vendor's register or basket. "I'll take care of both of our orders, if you let me have that one... and answer a few questions I have." It does not matter that the village doesn't have electricity. The Dorado Black Card works regardless. "Specifically - about Captain Hook, and if he's made a visit to this village."
Muramasa	"Oh..?" Mermaids, is it. Their scales really are pretty, just like the stories of treasure carp. Aha, I wonder what'd happen if I put a scale on my tongue? Although, that'd probably give people the wrong impression. The experience of flying without assistance was novel, and thanks to his previous experience utilizing his Kite-Leaf Swords, he was able to get enough of a hang on it to be on his way not far behind Hibiki and Silver. With a small, pleasant grin that said 'how do you do?', Muramasa returns the Mermaid Queen's wave. Now that he thought of it, he hoped all the various colorful fishprints he wore on his clothing wouldn't make any of them uncomfortable ... he really had no prior experience to draw on for that, he supposed, as he makes his approach by land. " 'scuse us for the intrusion; we were hoping to ask some questions -- and maybe make some new friends along the way. Is that alright?"
Cantio	"Gold would be surprisingly useful. Not even for the monetary value, but for its use in electronics, in computers...! A trove of it really would be worth more than its weight in... Itself?" Cantio tries to laugh as she answers Hibiki and Muramasa, but even she can't make that 'joke' land. "Sweets, though... Hm. It probably wouldn't be practical for the final battle, but it'd be useful to maintain our energy." She speaks with an even and thoughtful tone, but there's also a bit of drool coming out from the side of her mouth when Muramasa mentions chocolate gold. "And to binge on when we're ready to relax..." "Technology and magic to change your appearance... That could work." Cantio replies to Staren next, tapping a finger against her chin as she looks from Staren to Persephone and Hiromi. "Being taller would be convenient, for one. Although I'd have to be careful, or I might become a little too... Imposing?" She says, not quite realizing how unimposing she might be at a solid five foot nothing. Nevertheless, it's time to get to searching! Upon reaching the top of the hill, Cantio has a pretty good view of where she might want to go next. She even throws one of her drones up to get a second perspective on everything, and she watches as several of the group are already headed to separate locations. With that information in mind, Cantio heads towards... The beach! "Too bad Hook already destroyed the ships here. Otherwise... No, no. Skipping right to fighting him would just be boring if Peter's looking for some kind of real adventure. Even if..." She talks to herself, using that opportunity to sort out her thoughts while looking out towards the sea. "... We would just be dogpiling onto one person, all things considered. But he asked, and Silver asked, so..." She claps her hands together, then turns right back to the beach. "Might as well make the most of it!" And with that, Cantio gets to work scouring the beach for anything remotely valuable. It does't take long before she realizes that just looking for stuff might not get her far, though, so she switches gears and starts pulling out tools. If she's not interrupted, it'll take her a couple of minutes to put together another creepy-faced robot of her own design. It's function: Finding buried treasure! It's a bootleg sonar and automated shovel more than anything else, blasting sounds into the ground to try and find something besides more sand beneath Cantio. Also, that same creepy face that Cantio's robots all inexplicably have.
Hibiki Tachibana	THE GANG goes down the yellow bri--wrong story. With Muramasa, Staren, Hibiki, and Peter in tow, bearing the magical power of pixie dust, Hibiki pauses briefly as they come across the shining lagoon. Both because of the natural wonder of the whole place, and also the song that the seeming leader of the group of mermaids here is singing. It's probably not all that surprising she just listens and basks in it for a few moments, before taking a breath in and moving forward as well, sending a wave back in the process. She allows Saber and Staren to ask their questions first, before she pitches in herself while finding an empty rock to rest on. "...You guys have a beautiful place here," she says while making sure she won't fall off of it or anything, and then sitting up straight. She takes it on herself to handle introducing everyone in their ragtag band here, and then adds on to what Staren mentioned, "'Course, we'll be happy to help with anything you need too. Can't really become friends if we're not willing to have it go both ways, right?"
Staren	Staren doesn't quite jump at the touch, thanks to Persephone's calming aura. You could really use a Neverland vacation, couldn't you? Staren hangs ther head. I probably don't deserve one-- You're going to say if I think that, I need (and deserve) one. Maybe you're right. They didn't exactly have a normal childhood, thinking so differently from most others, and then starting - by choice - training to be a hero at the same age the magical children of Silver's world become one without even the chance to choose or train. Right now I need to be there for Peter though. Helping someone else with a pure wish without it devolving into an innavigable sociopolitical mess is kind of my own fantasy, anyway. At the brief focus from Hiromi, Staren looks at her. And then suddenly is a half-grown black cat. And then is Staren again. Staren smiles up at Cantio. "Don't let anyone tell you it's a silly wish, or too minor to care about! If you really want it, go for it!" Staren would have expressed the same sentiment anyway, but the mood of this place gives Staren a bit more cheer and enthusiasm when saying such things. They hold a finger to their chin. "Ah, well, maybe you can get to try one of the Decompression Chambers, or VR or something, to see how it feels first?" And then they notice Peter and Silver heading down to the lagoon and -- intent on being a good Supporting Character today -- run after, turning into a cat to bound on all fours. Heh, that's his role in Afterus mythology, isn't it? Who knows, maybe he'll end up helping Peter get the airship, although this quest doesn't seem like it will be long enough to need a way to traverse an expanded world map. <X-Concord-Chatter> 4 Persephone Kore says, "Hey, Staren! I can carry you, you know. It'll be easier than running." Staren-cat, apparently a half-grown north american shorthair with black fur, stops and considers this, and allows Persephone to pick them up. The cat is plenty content with being petted and such. This is part of Staren too, after all, and Persephone wouldn't have offered if she thought it was weird. Eventually, Staren's ears perk up at the mermaid's song, and they hum along, waiting for her to finish, then smile and wave a paw back! "Hi!" If Peter doesn't say it, Staren adds: "My friend Peter here is leading us Lost Children on a noble quest to vanquish the evil pirate captain Hook! Is there anything you can do to help us? Perhaps you know of some lost artifact, or a ship left here long ago, or some magic of the sea that would be useful on our quest?" Look, clearly a magical talking cat can only ADD to the quality of Peter's fantastic quest!
Silver Carnation	Hiromi approaches the scouts with a pig, after finding and reburying treasure. The scouts salute her, nodding at her pig. "Hello, Lost Child! A trade would be very fine indeed." The woman says, looking over it. How did she know...? "What a fine pig! Fit for a tiger's feast. I am Tiger Lily, leader of the Neverland Scouts. If you have any questions or need any help against the dreaded Captain Hook, please ask!" The deer is offered to her. It's a good one, too. Kaito comes up to the village girl and asks her for her bananas. She blinks, looks down at it, and after a moment of thinking about arguing, nods. "Of course! Here you go, kind sir. You're not from around her, are you?" A Japanese man looks very distinct in an English-style village. As she moves to pay, and he pays instead, she nods, but the shopkeeper has No Idea what to do with the card. So, the blue-haired girl takes it, presses it against the pay receipt, and boop, the payment is done. "Sorry about that." She says to Kaito, not the shopkeep. The shopkeep simply replies. "Thank you, Wendy! And you too, Lost Child!" She flinches slightly at the address towards Kaito, but responds anyways. "Captain Hook has attacked this village before. We always repair, but the attacks are becoming too frequent. He must be stopped...but it's likely going to come to violence before then. I don't know what to do." The group at the lagoon start talking to the mermaids. The Mermaid Princess, as she can more accurately be referred to, speaks up as Staren introduces them. "Lost Children! Peter Pan! My friends! Welcome to our lagoon. Please, sing and swim with us, if you'd like." Staren's 'specific questions' are avoided, but they answer the same on how they can be helped and help in turn. "We've been trying to reinforce the lagoon before the vile Captain Hook attacks! In return, our scales can be provided to make a sharp sword when mixed with steel." Muramasa may think the thing is dumb, but if they're magical scales like he believes, it also might be brilliant. Hibiki will notice no specific words have been directed at her. Weird. Peter also finds it weird that Staren's a cat, but also kinda cool. "Woah! You're a cool kid, Staren!" Silver sighs, knowing Staren's bluffing, but doesn't give them away. Cantio goes digging on the beach. She does not find treasure, because it's all in the hunting grounds(?). But she does find...a note in a bottle. A very Plot Important note. An older man's handwriting, not a child's. Once she reads it, the note crumbles away, as if it was never supposed to touch the light of day.
Persephone Kore	Persephone bends down and makes the "uppies? uppies??" gesture at Staren- but like all the doting things she does, it's too sincere to ever interpret as condescending. She doesn't pick them up with her hands at first, instead scooping them up with ever-so-gentle telekinesis right into her arms. It gives her a vaguely witchy vibe as they drift lazily towards the Lagoon together. "Never think about whether you deserve nice things," she scolds gently while they're in flight- no need for telepathy; nobody's close enough to eavesdrop. "Only good people think they're not good enough for nice things. So thinking that way only makes the world less fair!" They touch down together at the Lagoon. Again, other people are doing the talking! So Persephone gets a bright idea for how to make a better sword for Peter. Casually lifting a nearby large rock with her mind, I tell it to stop being that shape, and gently crush it with unimaginable force into pebbles- into sand- into dust. The dust itself is compressed further, crunched down by the kind of pressures normally found in a planetary core; impurities steam off as vapor or fall to the ground as ashes. What's left is a solid piece of diamond in the approximate shape of a kid-sized sword. "Here, Peter Pan! Give this a try! It's-" Cradling cat-Staren in one arm, Persephone grips the diamond blade in her other hand and gives it an experimental swing. It immediately snaps halfway down the blade, because diamond is actually shit by every metric except hardness. "Oh. Oops! Haha, don't worry, though. I'm sure we'll find you a better sword somewhere."
Kaito Kumon	To be fair, Kaito wasn't quite sure what to do with it either, he'd been told 'it just works' and hadn't gotten more instruction than that. He assumed money would just appear from the card, or something. "That's as I thought," he says to Wendy, taking one of the bananas and peeling it. "But... there seem to be a few things out of place here. Me, you..." He holds up the banana. "These - unless there's regular shipments coming in..." "... But nevermind that. If he's attacking this village, then I shall put a stop to it. This place is now under my protection, and part of my territory." He snaps his fingers into the radio - and a motorcycle emerges from a hole in reality, bearing two more people that are dressed just like him. "Raise our colors," he says simply to them - and the two nod, and spread out, putting up posters and draping flags all over the village, all of which bear the Team Baron logo. And they make sure it's explicitly visible from out at sea.
Cantio	Maybe coming out here wasn't such a good idea. The sand's getting everywhere, and Cantio's starting to wonder why people get so excited about beaches when her robot makes a weird noise. It's not an alarm, though, but a noise of DETECTION. She scrambles over, she finds the Plot Important note, and she only has enough time to get excited and read it once before it just craps out in her hands. <<"Uh.. S-so! Some good news and bad news. I finally found a note in a bottle! That's the good news. The bad news is that it... Er. Broke.">> She relays over the radio, not sounding particularly certain if she had actually seen anything at all. <<"It said something about missing a thing or place called 'London' and... Wanting to see it one more time? And then it broke.">> She still sounds utterly confused. With little else to go on besides that, however, she packs the robot away into a more compact cube, sticks it in her pocket, and then she heads towards the LAGOON. Maybe she can find more weird stuff in the ground there, too.
Hiromi	Hiromi is confused for a lost child. This has never happened before, but she doesn't correct it, instead just boring a stare into the scout leader, then circles around her, as if her scent might change from a different angle, revealing that no one was there, after all. Assuming she does not cease existing upon examination, Hiromi accepts the trade by tearing a leg off the deer, squatting down, and tearing into the thigh with her teeth. Even without 'hunger,' she can be a ravenous eater, but this is just for formality's sake, having been previously told of customs of human hospitality. "'Tiger Lily.' 'Of the West?' Strong name for pup." She wipes up the blood on her face with a licked finger. "Why seek 'Captain Hook'?" She's heard Peter Pan wants to fight the guy, but that's not enough of an answer. "Is Captain Hook strongest?" That would be enough of a reason to seek someone out, for someone of her own persuasion. "Tiger Lily. Is this your dream?"
Staren	Staren-cat attempts to leap into Persephone's arms and looks briefly confused when snagged by telekinesis but accepts it. They also accept that her logic about deserving things seems airtight, at least here and now, and Staren nods. At Peter's comment, Staren looks exactly like you'd expect an intelligent cat that has just been praised to look. Then continues Supporting: "You're a cool kid who attracts cool helpers, Peter Pan!" But what was his real name? Why did he change it? Reinforce the lagoon, huh? Staren could supply robotic defenders... but that doesn't quite seem like the right feel here. Same with defense turrets. Metal walls seem kind of unsightly... Ah. Magic. A forcefield that only raises when needed, or even better, perhaps the sort of spell that makes the Lagoon impossible to find by people the mermaids don't want to find it. Staren doesn't actually know how to do that, though. But... Perhaps this can serve as an unorthodox field test. Staren sends everything seen so far back to the lab, along with a question for the magitech computer: What course of action will lead towards protecting the lagoon in a suitably story-appropriate way? And if Tinkerbell is here Staren will also just ask her if she knows of any great protective magics that could be used here.
Silver Carnation	Kaito: Wendy turns to Kaito as he calls in the motorcycle squad and starts putting up his colors and logos. She's blinking. This is very confusing, and very weird, and very scary, but there's a reason she can't argue. Kaito will notice immediately. Nobody else in the village notice, or if they do, react in any way. They're just letting it happen. Hiromi: Tiger Lily reacts only when addressed. She doesn't mind the scenting, but she continues to exist. "Captain Hook is a vile pirate. If he's not stopped by Peter Pan and you Lost Children, we'll lose the hunting grounds!" She does not respond to the dream question. Hiromi could ask again, and she still wouldn't. It's like...she doesn't know how to.
Muramasa	The redheaded Servant looks audibly very excited at the prospect of receiving their Mermaid Scales. "Well ain't that generous, eh, Master?!" he says, suddenly going from a calm and composed Japanese gentleman to -- well. One could just say he became very energetic and leave it at that. Of course, he was the sort to go and offer his help whether or not he would be acknowledged or rewarded for it, because it was the right thing to do, in his book; but he absolutely wouldn't turn down such pretty and valuable affectations as a reward. Seriously, how else could he get something like that without having to awkwardly ask about it and cause misunderstandings? Talk about a boon. "You can leave reinforcing this place to us. Let me think ... " Plopping down on a crag to sit cross-legged, Muramasa begins thinking. He was more of a hot springs man himself, and while the cool waters looked equally inviting, he had to buckle down and get to work. His questions had mostly pertained to the day to day life of the Mermaids, as well as their experience with Hook -- which, he'd received a pretty straight forward answer in the form of the knowledge they were trying to keep Hook out of their lagoon. Incidentally, he'd also asked them about their names; if they had them, after he'd introduced himself. "Alright, I think I've got it," he says, mashing his fist into an open palm. "I'll have this place defended in a flash, just wait." Using Projection magecraft to obtain an axe suitable for woodcutting, and a saw for turning it into timber, he then accelerates the process of construction by using Alteration magecraft to transform the timber into long wooden poles, wooden links, as well as long pike-like spokes with hardily tapered tips. It was a lengthy process to ensure that every piece functioned as it should, connecting the poles by link and spreading them out to the entrance of the lagoon from the sea, a second use of Alteration was needed and utilized to attach the long, pointed spikes, tipped upwards at an angle. With the construction anchored in thoroughly with hardy spigots, he completed his task by utilizing Reinforcement magecraft to slowly and painstakingly reinforce the structure piece by piece. If he could reinforce paper to be as strong as steel, then one could rest assured that although the construction of the defensive line was wooden, it would be much stronger and far more dangerous to Hook's ship than its appearance would suggest. "There ... " Muramasa sighs, wiping his brow with his haori's lip, "Now, I think it's time to cool off and relax for a little bit in the water." It /was/ the Summer after all, and, who else could say they got to swim with Mermaids?
Hiromi	Hiromi reaches out and feels Tiger Lily's head, carefully checking it for signs of trauma. This place is giving her new, even lower standards for what to expect from humans. But maybe there's some extenuating circumstance. "What is 'pirate'? 'Captain Hook' is on sea-boats. Does he come to grounds-hunt? Is he strong?" She's already heard he's vile, but that's only relevant if she wants to eat him. "Are you strong?" That one word is off. Why 'stopped?' "You want him scratched, beaten to submission, or torn, heartblood spread over field? Which?" Hiromi looks slowly around at the other scouts while she asks her questions, searching for... something different. She isn't sure what.
Silver Carnation	Tiger Lily has no head trauma. She responds to Hiromi simply. "Captain Hook must be slain, by your group and Peter Pan! For the protection of Neverland!" And that's it. The other scouts are just... Rotely working on the pig. They only respond if talked to, and only to say generic nothings.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Hm?" Hibiki blinks. Not getting spoken to directly is indeed a little weird. That's something she's pretty good at noticing for--reasons. The way the princess glosses over Staren's questions and gives a more general response too, sort of. It works in a way, sure. But what's the deal with that? Or... Oh. She also already knew they were the Lost Children, who Peter was...what does that mean...? "Eh? Oh--yeah, really generous. Thank you very much," she says towards Muramasa, and then the Mermaid Princess. She hasn't seen the Servant this fired up since he asked to look at Tsubasa's Symphogear, and can't really help a 'what can you do' kind of grin as she watches him suit up and prepare for work. Really, despite the nickname of 'old man' and the name he goes by, seeing him like this, especially after that dream... ...She has other things to think about for right now, though. Normally, she'd be happy to pitch in and help him get all the materials he needs. But something's not sitting right with her. Not after what Kaito and Hiromi brought up over the radio. <J-IC-Scene> Kaito Kumon says, "There's a village here... that I'm not sure is real." <J-IC-Scene> Kaito Kumon says, "I'm putting up my colors to provoke Captain Hook... and none of the people in the village are reacting to it." <J-IC-Scene> Hiromi says, "Smells real. Looks real. But... moving, speaking, real as hunter's bait." While Muramasa and Staren are busy, and hopefully Peter and Tink are too, Hibiki slowly hops off her rock. Treading through the water doesn't bother her--but she's moving towards one of the mermaids loitering around. A few waves are given, to try and grab attention. This is followed by a few splashes of water to see what kind of reaction it gets. She's going to keep this up until something happens, one of the group notices her, or she gets to the point of actually approaching the princess herself to just sort of wade around her a few times, looking at her from different angles without actually saying anything.
Silver Carnation	Muramasa creates his massive blockade. The Mermaid Princess swims over to him, and wraps an arm around his shoulder. "How lovely, Lost Child! Here. Use these wisely." Several mermaid scales go into his hand, as her breasts briefly press against him before she moves away. The EMIYA curse. Staren can build cannons, as the best result, they find. Tinkerbell just kinda shrugs about the protetive magic. And Hibiki...gets no reaction at all. She could punch a mermaid in the face and none of the others would react (though the one being punched would recoil and flee). This is bizarre. Too bizarre.
Kaito Kumon	One of Kaito's teammates notices what's going on first. "Hey, Kaito..." he says. "Zack, what is... ah." The team leader considers for a moment. "Keep putting up the colors - but..." He goes over and brazenly trespasses in one of the houses, grabbing several items, and then walking out with them, dropping them on the floor. Zack recoils a bit, seeing this. "You sure pushing it like that's a good idea?" "Pushing - I haven't yet begun," says Kaito, coldly. "If they aren't going to react - real or not - we can just move on in and use their houses as defensive positions."
Staren	Weapons are fine as long as they LOOK like they fit, the computer returns. See also: Queenstown Harbor. Staren nods at the assessment, the computer even referencing the famous pirate port that was once known as Cleveland centuries ago and is now kept independent by soldiers and ships famously looking like something out of the victoria era but souped up with magic. He can work with that! "I can have defenses up in..." Staren looks out at the lagoon. "Well, I might need days to get materials and everything organized..." Then up at Persephone. "But if you can do that trick again to get me metal and wood and gems, I might be able to begin work immediately." It isn't fast, but Staren has plans to set up cannon emplacements. They'll LOOK like old-fashioned cannons of the sort appropriate to this mileau, but will actually be tricked out with magic enhancements to fire powerful blasts of telekinesis -- and, of course, be protected from attack by forcefields and aimed and fired by AI -- programmed only to dissuade Hook and try not to actually sink him, of course -- that honor should fall to Peter!
Hiromi	Hiromi isn't getting much further like this, so she considers how best to beat some reaction out of the scouts. The problem is, humans tend to die when they're killed, on account of how weak they are. But she has a way around that. It's just a lot more effort than she, the inexhaustible and tireless hunter, would expend on anything that wasn't this bizarrely confusing. A knife-like claw bursts through her skin from just above Hiromi's finger, and she stabs it into her own chest, digging deeply, pulling it out again after she's certain she's gotten enough blood for the job. "Come here." The order is an enforced Command, something even a mindless automaton would be required to follow, but whether or not that works, Hiromi grabs Tiger Lily by the face, and drips the blood from her claw onto the scout leader's tongue, force-feeding her the obviously mystically charged flesh of the Archwolf. Even that small amount, purposefully given, is enough to establish a connection, a sixth sense of understanding, and share something of her own power with those of her pack. She waits. Then she stands up again, the disappointment clear on her face, but already fading back into apathy.
Silver Carnation	Kaito gets away with robbery and destruction of property. Wendy's the only one who protests. "Just because they can't do anything...don't just destroy their stuff! It's important to his dream!" But she doesn't try to stop him. He's got numbers, and size, and age. Hiromi commands Tiger Lily to follow. She does so. But the connection proves something - she does not have a spirit, or a soul, or anything that could forge a contract. She seems very dreamlike, if anything. But she's absolutely not a person.
Muramasa	Only vaguely familiar enough with the story to understand that the Lost Children were Peter Pan's companions, he accepts that its the role he's fulfilling and takes being called so in stride. Not that his awkwardness with the Mermaids, or their Princess, was anything less than the so-called EMIYA malady would dictate. Sometimes, it really was a crime to be born. With his scales in hand and a weighty conversation behind him, Muramasa uses what time was left in the day to them to relax in the lagoon and pal around with the Mermaids -- a much needed reprieve from everything that'd been going on in his own day to day life. He could understand, after all, the necessity for a pleasant dream. And, in a spot of curious mischief, making sure no one was looking, Muramasa sticks one of the scales under his tongue. Maybe there was something to those old stories? Supposedly, you'd receive eternal youth, vigor, and fitness to surpass your peers. Stories of those who ate mer-flesh, and of the properties of eating treasure carp, tended to cross-pollinate as they proliferated. It was once said that you would be given the power of a dragon by doing so. A silly fancy, even he knew, but what were you to do in a place like Neverland, if not indulge in such things? I'm already getting a great idea for a new sword using these. Ah, I can't wait.
Silver Carnation	Muramasa tastes a scale. Surprisingly...it works. He feels stronger. Physically, at least. He's already a Heroic Spirit, so it's not like he's gaining immortality, but while in Neverland, he can expect a definite buff to his physical stats.
Hiromi	Still disappointed with something deeper and much harder to articulate than 'trying to get a reaction didn't work,' Hiromi launches herself into the air. That's a simple matter of flexing her legs and not caring about what happens to the ground under her, which is only demolished in a tight, mostly-safe radius. This carries her high enough to look around, get a lay of the land, spot the port village, and make her second leap reasonably close to on-target.