Scene #7838: Wolf Meet

Owner	Pose
Hiromi	The directions that Hiromi gave lead to a small, possibly recent warpgate, though this is a world that's been unified for at least a year, should one check either Paladin or Concord travel records. 'To the north' takes one out into a wasteland that only becomes worse, the further one walks, and it is a long walk, without any assistance in the way of transportation. 'Wasteland' eventually gives way to 'desert,' with hardly anything finding the purchase to grow in the hot, dry, blasting wind. How things sink and become covered up in the sand would be the main explanation for why it takes as long as it does to realize that a battle took place, here. The first sign is the wreckage of some darkened steel aircraft, strewn over a few hundred yards. There are multi-legged battle tanks with long-barreled cannons twisted and broken, bipedal walkers with pieces missing and blood dried over cracked viewports, then armored men in body armor and face-covering visors, most still clutching the guns wired into their arms and helmets. The 'other' remains form a stark contrast, and only begin to be noticed somewhat later, more of them being covered in sand. Men, women, and horses in armor that had been polished to a shine, once. Long swords and shields. Bright livery, much of it now stained and dirtied. Some clutch pieces of jewelry fashioned into stylized eyes, worn on cords around their necks. Others died with sword in hand, or spear, mace, or hammer. Others still carried crystal-tipped staves, in addition to chain armor beneath their livery. Unlike the other soldiers, more of these fought with their faces at least partly uncovered, making it easier to see how the young and the old fell together. And then there's the tree. It's spotted as a large, hazy presence, first, resolving into something truly enormous, as one gets closer. The roots could enclose a village, and that's just the ones that branch and twine above the surface, forming a dark and covered hemisphere that the sand can't cover. Above that, there must be only a small section of trunk before it splits into wide branches, shading and shielding the top of the root system. The wind causes the outer layers to constantly shake, but its size makes the motion seem gentle and gradual, from a distance.
Kale Hearthward	Kale minds not one bit the need to walk through the desert - not least because he does not need to actually walk, and via wind magic and a decent heat tolerance he's entirely unbothered by the climate here. He flies through the air a couple feet above and ahead of the rest of the group, keeping his eyes open and scanning for any threats - his eyes drawn to the various categories of wreckage, which he watches with curiosity as they pass. "There, the tree," he says, pointing ahead at it once it comes into view. "I'm assuming that that's the right one. We're not too far from it." A few moments later: "Wait, nevermind, we're not close, it's just big." On the actual approach, he comes in low on a nonthreatening vector - not least because they're invited guests, at least this time.
Ishirou	I4 hits the warp gate and exists. He waits for the others to arrive, but while he does so produces his new armor, sliding into it, and closing it up. Not because he expects to fight, but because he expects it to be a bit of a trip on foot. The armor adds pieces to itself, connecting with I4's internal storage to add pieces of the flight unit to itself. "Well, to the north from here, my scans indicate little life, so we might want to move through it quickly. We can always come back through it once we're done with what we're here to do today for a closer look. I can take scans as we're going to, just in case." I4 also offers a ride, though warns it's going to be rough as this is meant for one person. The armor flips mid-air, before transforming into its plane form, and takes off with speed once things are settled. On the wing, he takes scans as they go over the battlefield, trying to figure out what caused this. Was it a war against one large thing? Two sides locked in mortal combat? Arriving at the tree, he moves so that anyone riding with him can jump off before flying around the tree and flipping back over. It's not low, but it's more joyride-like than aggressive. He transforms the armor back into humanoid mode and takes it to land it on the ground near the base. He steps out, as the armor itself lets him step off, and then transports itself back into his pocket dimension. "This tree is huge..." he exclaims. Sure he could FLY around the tree, but climbing it would be way more fun! It's also letting him see things up close, that flying around might cause him to miss, even with his advanced sensors.
Kirishima	Being fast doesn't mean being able to walk indefinitely. Having passingly ship-esque qualities, if anything, means that Kirishima should actually be having a lot of trouble here. Between the arid desert devoid of any water generally needed for human life and the general sights of the former battlefield, though, she's more distracted than tired. Thankfully, the tree comes into view before she can really get distracted and lost, so the ninja ends up rejoining the group checking it out. Kirishima arrives in a decidedly ninja-y fashion, too, with two fingers raised in front of her face as she just sort of zips into position without looking like she's taken a single step to get where she's standing. "Magnificent... What secrets does this arboreal wonder hide within its grand shadow, I wonder?" She asks aloud while approaching the tree, scarfed furled around her face to keep her mouth hidden and billowing dramatically with each step. She stops after taking a few steps onto the tree, standing at nearly a forty-five degree angle when she hears I4 mentioning life to the north. "Is that our destination, then? Hm... Come to think of it, were we given a destination to meet this Hiromi? Or perhaps a sign of how to find her?" Kirishima asks while stroking her chin through the scarf. "Even a signal to let her know we have arrived?"
Trudy Grimm	Trudy arrives accompanied by a figure in samurai armor, his face hidden by an ornate oni mask; his overall color scheme is a deep, maroon red with white along the edges of the scale plates that make up his shoulders, the chestpiece being metal but cloth-covered, and sporting long ribbons. However, the samurai has seen better days. Arrows are lodged in his armor in various parts, some broken off, but totalling several dozen at a glance. Growths of green crystal cling to him in places as well, either stuck to the armor or seemingly emerging from gaps and cracks. Behind the mask, his eyes glow with jade green light. She is clad in her usual; the fuzzy boots and sleeves and skirt and all that, the Grimoire hanging by its strap, buckled neatly. Lifting her other hand, Trudy shades her eyes as she peers northward, "...Well. That's certainly a tree that can't be missed." Bringing up her other hand, she claps them together once, turning a silent but wide smile towards her much taller companion. SMASH CUT The samurai strides across the battlefield at a good clip, his running is tireless and fast. One hand steadies the large sword at his side, while the other steadies the sorceress riding on his shoulder. This gives Trudy plenty of time to contemplate the wreckage and carnage the path leads them through. She makes a mental note to come back here later; to check if anyone here wants to join her. No doubt they're all jealous of the might she gifted this noble samurai when he answered her call. That will have to happen later though; there's a wolf to meet! With a handy landmark, to boot. Her warrior only slows once they have entered the shadow provided by the tree's branches, her eyes fixed up into the canopy. With no small amount of reverence, the sorceress murmurs, "Very nostalgic... But clearly different." Her voice raises, "What a fine old tree!"
Hiromi	Scans along the way show a variety of causes of death. Many are in line with the types of weaponry visible -- explosives, high-velocity projectiles, and melee weaponry, supposing it was wielded with superhuman strength -- but some things look to have instead ben destroyed by artillery that isn't visible anywhere, or by being hit by some kind of chemical weapon that froze or melted metal. The most intact war machine shows no outward signs of trauma at all, but is definitely unpowered. Still other deaths were caused by what was most probably some giant monster, not in evidence, that deformed large swathes of terrain with its attacks or passage. On reaching the tree, there are multiple places, close to ground level, from which one could attempt to enter the space within the root system or, possibly, to enter some underground area. All of these, however, are presently inaccessible, unless one is willing to both cut and dig their way in, as the roots and walls of earth stop them. Finding an alternate, strangely obvious path isn't difficult. Without having been carved, guided or restricted, but 'merely' having grown this way on their own, an area of the roots come together to form a fairly easy staircase upward, partially shielded from the wind, leading to another root-formed, yet solid platform, with the canopy above it. Flying or leaping up, rather than taking the stairs, are likewise possible. The necessary angle of approach to arrive at the platform without hitting the branches above it is narrow, but manageable. Up here is where Hiromi waits, presently in her two-legged form, close enough to the vaguely-defined edge to look out over the desert, though she'll be staring directly at whoever comes to meet her first, instead. Her presence is something that's noticeable even if people aren't looking for it, before she, herself, is visible, though the way in which that presence can be understood varies from one person to another. It could be holy, or oppressive, or instinctively bone-chilling, or several things at once, though all of them are 'big.' From any angle, she commands attention, just by existing, and makes everything else in one's field of view seem less important by comparison, like the rest of the world isn't quite in focus. That makes it easy to miss the human standing near her, a moustached man in the same sort of round helmet and livery as many of the corpses out on the sand. There's dried blood on his scalp. He's more noticeable when he leaps to his feet and aims a loaded crossbow, though he freezes and, as if having just received an order to stand down, lowers the weapon, and (slightly) relaxes his posture, right afterward.
Hiromi	The mystery of 'Hiromi and radios' receives its most important clue on hearing her speak, without one. Once addressed, she repeats those same words, "I am Hiromi," and it has the same buzz as it repeats in every radio, but it's by actually being in her presence that one can experience the full effect. It's not that one hears some other word, nor that anything becomes visible. It's only an impression in the mind, or onto the soul, 'as if' one had seen blazing letters carved in stone attached to each listener's field of view, spelling out that name. With it comes every possible subtitle, layers of overlapping meaning that must be picked through afterward to be put into words. 'The Archwolf' is chief among them, as Hiromi is the Archwolf, and the Archwolf is Hiromi, and she and both are the Last and Final Hunter, the Terrible and Beautiful Tyrant, the Empress of Wolves. There are no words, at all, but only the raw concepts, each of which must be put into words before it can be spoken.
Ishirou	"Huh...a staircase! Neat.." I4 says, walking up to it with the others who have decided to also walk up the stairs instead of fly. Those who know him know this side of him well, which has only grown more in the last month or so. He's endlessly curious and likes to experience things first hands. Of course, it does lead him to go a bit overboard with things. Like Plum Soup. Which is likely not registered as a class E biohazard within the Paladins. Climbing up changes the curious I4 into a bit more nervous. He can feel Hiromi as he gets closer to her. She just /feels/ big, and he can feel her the closer he gets. He, somehow, expected this. Something to do, perhaps, with her words not entirely getting through the radio. Like there was some feature that couldn't be communicated because it simply couldn't be expressed with words. Regardless, at the top I4 finally arrives with the others. The man with the weapon causes him to raise his hands, indicating he wasn't a threat or wasn't intending to be. Though when he relaxes, so does I4. Stepping forward, I4 decides to say hello. "Hello, I'm I4, it's nice to meet you! I'm here to ask some questions, or rather, I guess we all are," And the mystery behind the radio gets a bigger clearing. Though he tries to suppress a shiver. "Thank you for meeting with us!"
Kale Hearthward	When there's no greeting (and/or ambush) waiting for them at the root of the tree... Kale then has nothing stopping him from going upwards. Well, the branches are technically stopping him, but not for long. He starts winding and weaving his way through, taking whatever openings he can find to keep going upwards, making sharp turns easily and squeezing through tight gaps without losing any momentum. It's just like sneaking your way in through an airship's intake valve and dodging around all of the moving engine parts to ambush the crew on board, except easier. Meanwhile those down on the ground can find their own way up. Probably. The hawk looks a little taken aback when he sets down on the platform and gets a crossbow pointed at him, and only halfway relaxes when it gets lowered. "Ah... Kale Hearthward, Paladins? We were invited? Looking for-" Oh, there. That can't possibly be anyone but her. "Hiromi, I assume," he says, taking a step forward, and making a sweeping bow and gesture. "Kale Hearthward, the East Wind. A pleasure." And Hiromi puts a lot of meaning into her own greeting. Kale blinks, taking a moment to process it. "... I gotta learn that trick..."
Kirishima	Ascending the tree is easy enough. Although Kirishima sees the way upwards from that likely path heading into the tree, she opts to instead stay outside of the tree. Seeing a path upwards along the outside of the tree, she just starts walking up the side of it directly. There's no visible wires or special boots or anything, either, as she just walks right on up. There is, however, some visible regret over wearing her usual ninja-y outfit in the way she kind of keeps her arms tucked against her sides the further up she goes and the stronger that wind gets. She'll probably take the normal way down later when it's time to leave. Upon reaching the top, she can already feel Hiromi's presence before actually seeing the archwolf. As she did at the base of the tree, she simply appears with a few well-placed zipping teleports to get into that upper area, and her scarf masks her tension only from casual view. "Hiromi the Archwolf! I am Kirishima, formerly known as the fourth fast battleship of the Kongou-class, currently known as the leader of the Spirit Liberation Front. I must thank you for granting us this audience today. I assume you know why we are here." Kirishima launches into a brief monologue, lowering her hand after a moment (which had two fingers pointed up in front of herself, of course). The human with the crossbow, meanwhile, goes largely ignored. There is an occasional glance sent his way as if letting him know that she sees him, though, as she continues speaking. "But before that, do you have any questions for us? As our host today, I feel it is only fair to answer your queries before we begin with our own."
Trudy Grimm	When I4 lands, Trudy raises her hand in a wave and then follows him up the staircase of natural roots. Or rather, her minion does, with the witch still content to ride on his shoulder. Her grimoire shudders until she places a hand on it, glancing down at the book before lifting her eyes to the goal at the top of the stairway. And it is there at last that the samurai places his mistress on the ground once more. The guy with the Archwolf goes for his crossbow; immediately, the samurai's right hand goes for his sheathed sword, but does not draw it. When the archer relaxes, so too does the swordsman, straightening his posture with the faint rattle of steel and lacquer. Trudy glances his way during the exchange, then returns her eyes to Hiromi proper. She proffers a little bow, one hand on her book while the other sweeps out a bit in a flourish, "Nice to meet you. You really are bigger than life, just as I suspected, Archwolf." Straightening her posture, the witch offers, "I am Trudy Grimm, a common witch of no reknown, and this is..." She glances at the warrior towering behind her, who simply glances down at her without moving his head, "...Toramaru?" He shrugs. She shrugs back, returning her gaze to Hiromi, "Toramaru. A humble bodyguard." Both of them smell of death and blood, with the added tang of steel and rust from the armored figure. The samurai is clearly dead and reanimated, to those who can tell such things, and several of the charms hanging from Trudy's jewelry are carved from bone of various origins.
Darren	Darren is chilling in a reclined position, sitting on the empty air. He wears a white tank top, a black visor, navy track pants and pristine sneakers. Beside him, there is a little alien in a trenchcoat. They're both seated a little away from Hiromi, so that she's still the first person newcomers will see, but they can both easily be seen shortly thereafter. "Hey, what's good, man?" Darren waves casually to I4, very much out of place in the middle of a desert yet not bothered by it at all. "See you brought some friends. Kirishima," he says cordially, a two-finger salute. "Trudy. Don't think I met ya boy there," he says, nodding towards Kale without really getting up. Or even offering an explanation.
Kale Hearthward	"Kale Hearthward, the East Wind," repeats Kale, to Darren, as though he wasn't just in earshot for it.
Kirishima	"Ah, Darren! I didn't know you were here to meet..." Kirishima pauses, then strokes her chin through the scarf briefly before tugging it on a little tighter. She's still a little chilly from before. "I didn't know you were within the Archwolf's inner circle. This bodes well for our meeting, then."
Hiromi	"I4, seen, before," is the only acknowledgment he gets from Hiromi for his politeness. "Kale Hearthward. East Wind." She says every name and title like she's rolling something over her tongue to taste its shape. "Trudy Grimm. Common witch." She moves for the first time, head tilting just slightly to the side, eyes boring into her bodyguard. "Toramaru." Then, continuing, "Kirishima. Kongou-class." At the latter's question, Hiromi immediately comes back with her own. "What is best, most important, in a hunter?" The word carries flavors of additional meaning, beyond the sounds that comprise it: a warrior, a fighter, a provider, one with proper maturity and strength, or one who chases and seeks.
Persephone Kore	For such a sedate and serene person, Persephone is usually seen in motion. When other Elites meet her, she tends to be acquiring something, or defending something else, or furthering some miscellaneous point of the semi-shadowy agenda of her semi-shadowy project. Here, finally, she manages to not be busy, instead sitting on a nearby prominent root with her crossed legs dangling off. Lazy rest completes her. Her own 'presence' is tastefully muted today. Its worry-melting warmth, its tension-eroding comfort, its slightly ominous gentleness are an undertone to Hiromi's overtone at the moment, an aftertaste to the main flavor. They're here to meet you, aren't they? Haha, I wouldn't take the full impact away from them! That'd be too cruel. Of course, it still compounds with the aforementioned to make keeping one's head on straight altogether exceedingly difficult. "Aren't they wonderful?" she says to no-one in particular, holding her cheek in her hand and beaming warmly. Her eyes are half-closed as if expecting a laugh. "Two I've never met before, and one I barely have. Your hearts are just as precious as I'd hoped!!" For opaque reasons, Kale in particular gets a friendly wave. "I'm Persephone! Your friends have written lots of stuff about me. Haha, but I don't blame you if you haven't gotten around to reading it!" Equally opaque is her reason for presently wearing a cute pink apron.
Kale Hearthward	Kale makes a mental note to read and re-read all of the stuff people wrote about Persephone once he's back at home. "Oh - yes, I did say that, didn't I. Didn't expect to run into you so soon, though..." He makes his way over towards Persephone and offers her his hand. "I suppose I have the advantage - I know at least some about you, and you haven't been inside my head," he says, a statement that is probably by this point in the scene at least a little bit unknowingly ironic. He's distracted by Hiromi putting a whole theatrical act's worth of meaning and nuance into a single word. "I have got to learn that trick," he repeats, to himself. "... What is most important in a hunter? Knowing. Knowledge of where you stand, what you'll lose if you're defeated, what others will lose if you're victorious. What you've got on the line, and what you're bringing to the fight. That includes those you're protecting or caring for back at home, whatever cause you're championing..." "... You need to know, fully, rock-solid, where you stand. Once you're on that solid ground, once you know who you are, victory flows like water."
Kirishima	Hiromi's question is asked, and Kirishima takes a moment to mull over what single quality she would pick. As she does, she spots a strangely soothing woman in a pink apron, and she stares at her blankly for several moments. She nods at Persephone briefly, then turns back to Hiromi. Although she doesn't say anything about that outfit, there's a clear confusion about something in her expression. "Persephone... Ah! I've heard your name mentioned in passing as well. Your reputation is... Confusing, but not unwelcome." "Consistency. That, above all else, is the quality I would want most in a hunter." She states firmly, crossing her arms over her chest and standing tall to assume a different, but still distinctly ninja-like pose. "A powerful hunter may fell a powerful beast, but a village cannot sustain itself eating only a single meal or being protected by a single overwhelming threat. A consistent hunter will bring everlasting food to their village, however meager it may be, each and every day so that the rest of the village can grow stronger, eventually able to become greater hunters themselves to reach higher peaks for their people."
Ishirou	I4 nods to Hiromi, "Though I was a bit different of a person than as I am now. This would really be the first time talking to you as I am now! It's exciting, getting to do things as a human might, instead of as what I was!" he says, waving to Persephone as if on cue. Darren greets him too, to which I4 waves back. Darren is weird, and I4 feels he's going to argue with him about things, but it's also something I4 will get to enjoy. With that question posed to them, I4 takes time to answer. What is said is hunter, but the meaning to it runs deeper. It'd be easy to ignore that and just run off that but it'd also feel very...wrong too. There is something about Hiromi that runs deeper than words. It's actually very interesting, and I4 can't help himself to try and understand that. Trying to SCAN the larger presence. Perhaps trying to see or understand it in a way that he can contextualize it. However, he DOES at least try and answer the question honestly. What is important as a provider...as a leader? "Wisdom and knowledge. Knowing what to do, how to do it, and why to do it. Knowing that one solution isn't the same fix to every problem and understanding nuances. The knowledge to provide the right answer, or to know when to provide comfort and when to fight." I4 is confident with this answer, feeling wisdom and knowledge are often things overlooked. It is easy to be strong, or fierce...it is harder to restrain oneself and to act for betterment for all. To find what is the best course of action, and then when to act, or to not act on it. "What about yourself?"
Trudy Grimm	Trudy nods once when her name and title are repeated back. Toramaru...doesn't move at all, remaining stoic and quiet save the occasional noises made by his arrow-filled armor. For Darren's benefit, though, the witch does move aside and raise a hand to gesture to her samurai companion; assuming he means the warrior and not the birdman, "Isn't he great? I met him a while ago." She flashes him that shark-toothed grin of hers before she returns her attention to Hiromi. "I don't know much about hunting. I do agree with knowledge, wisdom, and consistency but I shouldn't just let my comrades answer for me so I'll add my own;" She raises one hand, finger raised and eyes closed, "Knowing when to quit! If you can't catch your prey, obsessing over it and still not catching it will do you in before any knife or fang."
Persephone Kore	Persephone's handshake is soft, softened further by the Concord arm-warmers that cover her palms. She smiles so sunnily that her eyes have to shut to fully convey it. "Aw. But that's wrong! I promise absolutely that you'll never have me at a disadvantage, Kale Hearthward." I already am in your head, after all!! "Hiromi's a great teacher, I hear," she responds to his repeated remark. "Maybe you should just ask her?" Kirishima's confusion is, of course, immediately picked up on. Whether she misattributes its source on purpose, or on accident, is hard to tell: "The apron can't have a keyhole too," she explains patiently. "That'd defeat the point of an apron!" Then, after a little laugh: "I can't say I've heard anything about you yet, Kiri! You're really new, aren't you? Welcome to the Multiverse! It's a really, really wonderful place. You're making good friends already, right? Or if you aren't, you should be. The Paladins are full of really great people." I4 just gets a little wink in return. He knows what she's about. Phony returns to her default posture if not addressed further, which in this case, seems to be "watching Hiromi with doting expectation and both hands cupping her chin". One can only wonder what she's expecting to see in the Archwolf, or if she's already seeing it.
Darren	"We got all kinds in the Concord," says Darren amiably to Kirishima. He folds his hands over his stomach and listens to Hiromi. The little alien beside him mimics his movements. In fact, every time Darren shifts his posture, Roswell does, too. Darren's smile conveys that this is likely something Roswell just Does, and has done for a long time. It bmight be because of Persephone's passive influence of worry-smoothing calm, but the both of them seem rather at home here despite the fact that this was very recently a battlefield, still littered with the leavings of war. "Kirishima's fighting a battle for liberation," says Darren to Phony with audible esteem for her. "She got a cool head and a good mind for tactics. Took an offer of asylum from the Paladins." There is an unspoken something in his inflection. Rather than speak it, he says, "She handled a difficult situation like a pro." After a moment of further pause, "Determination." That's his answer. He doesn't elaborate.
Persephone Kore	Persephone nods along thoughtfully with Darren's description, her eyes drifting over to fix on Kirishima. They're a brown so vivid it's nearly orange, glittering with a warm expectation that makes you feel as though you're a fascinating jewel revealing new facets with every action. "You wish she came to us instead," she guesses, without bothering to read Darren's mind and double-check. "Haha, I do too. She's really cute, isn't she?" When Darren says 'determination', she frowns a little- "Oh, were we supposed to answer, too?" Then, without hesitation: "'The willingness to nurture those weaker'."
Hiromi	Even hearing it repeatedly does not reveal the secret behind Hiromi's ability to speak in layered concepts. Radios still fail to communicate the same. Sufficiently sophisticated models blink a little warning light reserved for psychohazard risks, though just hearing her speak, so far, hasn't provided solid evidence of one. "Knowledge," Hiromi repeats. "Self-place-awareness. I see. Do you know who you are, Kale Hearthward? Does your victory flow?" "Consistency." When she says it, it's the same word as 'reliability,' a kind of trustworthiness, to be known to achieve a result. "Do you bring food to your pack, Kirishima?" Family, nation, fleet, people--the word is a combination of all these, the closest the listener can understand to a self-belonging group. "Wisdom. Why-knowing." I4 gets a somehow-dangerous look when he claims to be 'a bit different,' as if the smallest flex could carry Hiromi over to his position, and find out what had changed by taking him apart. That moment passes without anything happening, and the results of his scans come a bit later. Scanning the 'presence' establishes that it is Hiromi, or perhaps her 'light,' or else her 'shadow.' It's the heat emitted by a fire, if that fire was a sapient force. Some quality of it more resembles a force of nature than anything a person could possess. It's 'magical,' broadly speaking, but not related to the more specifically magical readings he could gather from examining Hiromi, herself. Something about Trudy's answer appears to amuse Hiromi. Her lips curl, her posture relaxes one notch. "Discretion. Better than valor?" It's a broken but recognizable reference to the saying. Her own answer comes at the end. "Strength." Power, might, the capability of motion, of doing, of exerting influence, of overcoming, the measurement by which a contest is decided. "Without this, there is no hunter. There is one who tried, but failed. Or, one who didn't try. Without this, death. Other 'good' things, all come after." Aren't they wonderful? Hiromi gives a noncomittal, pondering hrmmn in response. She does not, in fact, know anything about the meaning of pink aprons, having only a bit more interest in the wearing of clothes than most other wolves do.
Staren	Staren returns to the observation deck(?) wearing a pale cloak over the sort of black-and-dark-grey bodysuit that serves as a sort of underlayer of armor on futuristic worlds, either to be concealed under clothing or for piloting power armor or other vehicles with an incredibly cramped piloting compartment. She stops in the door upon noticing that the Paladins are here, taking them in in rapid sequence and trying to appraise their manner -- she may not have Phony's power, but she still has her own AI to assist with reading social situations -- Oh right. I guess they don't interact with Persephone or Hiromi much. For all they'd remember... Wasn't the first thing Hiromi did when she showed up eat some little lizardpeople? That's... bad... why did I accept it at the time? I was just so desperate to have a place to belong... Staren looks down at the floor, then rapidly scans the room again, relieved to confirm Lilian is not here. She smiles awkwardly at Kirishima and I4 and more certainly at Trudy, who's only been friendly as long as they've known eachother. She leans over to whisper to her allies and then remembers: Psychics. So she just wonders mentally, Why are they here?/What's going on?
Kale Hearthward	Kale flinches a bit when she makes herself known mentally. "I... see! Alright." Kale constantly tries to be sincere and forthright about the image he puts forward. He's certain in his sincerity (or at least he tells himself he's being sincere) but he also feels awkward about someone seeing his utter lack of yomi layers inside. And then Hiromi asks. Does Kale know who he is? Does his knowledge flow? There's a moment of self-examination - not of self-doubt. It's the sort of hesitation someone gives when they've breezed through a test and are double-checking the questions and the answers to make absolutely sure that, yes, they did understand the test, yes, there is no trick question here that they can see, and yes, it was that easy to come to a conclusion. He steps away from Persephone, and closer to Hiromi. He stops just short of her, and looks her in the eyes - or, at least, to his perception, where her eyes are. He crosses his arms. "Yes. And yes." "I know myself better than a lot of people know themselves. I know where I'm steel and where I'm soft, and how to protect both." "And my victory flows like the wind."
Hiromi	Determination. Rather than repeating this one directly, Hiromi gives a small nod, and rephrases it together with her own answer. "Will-strength." The willingness to nurture those weaker. "Parents. Teachers, who know-by-doing. Best hunters are these, too. But, not all are, yet." That feels like a partial agreement. It would be the right answer to a slightly different question.
Trudy Grimm	Trudy closes her eyes, lifting her hands in a shrug, "If you want to call it cowardice, then go ahead. I know what I meant." A skim of her thoughts yeilds a sort of internal conflict. Too many people, which one is going to knife me? Stop. Is that one plotting to steal the Grimoire? Stop. This wolf is powerful, what kind of artifact could be behind it? Stop. What if I took it? Stop. Despite these conflicting thoughts, Trudy lifts a hand to wiggle fingertips at Staren, a big genuine sharky grin on her face. Her attention returns to Hiromi, hands folding behind her back, "I see, that philosophy makes sense. But how did you come to that conclusion? Was it something you learned, or something you had always known?" A hand unfolds, holding out palm-up, "We know 'what' is Hiromi. The hunter, the wolf of wolves, the Archwolf. 'Who' is Hiromi? How did Hiromi come to be as she is now?"
Ishirou	I4 wonders at that moment it looks like Hiromi was going to take him apart if she was doing that in her mind. Does it feel like that when he looks at others in the weird way that he does? He's not entirely sure what to think about this. On the one hand, he doesn't mind revealing who he is now to people...it's a lot more freeing than he used to be. On the other, he rather not be taken apart. It'd be messy... Though he does get some better understanding of what he's standing before. What we're seeing isn't entirely 'here' but there is some...entity that exists around that is. It's not that different than the creature in the river they found during the operation into Lilian's America. He wonders if she is just a bit more human accustomed than that other creature, and that is why she can interact with them better? If she had not wanted to interact with humans, then why take their form? "What about Hunters who do not address their problems directly? Some do not rely on strength entirely. I understand the word isn't exactly the entire meaning of what you're getting at. It...does imply a force, rather than a thought or a feeling. It is not a condemnation, but...there are those who do not have pure force. I don't personally think I will ever have that." "Are we less for not having it? I can lead with intelligence and wisdom. I can understand problems, and break them down with logic and intuition. Is there a problem with this, or is what you think can truly lead is Strength?" There is a pause, "There is also another question...to you, what does it mean to be alive, what does it mean to be a person?"
Darren	"Yeah," says Darren, grinning back at Persephone. He doesn't bother elaborating verbally on which part he's saying yeah to, but his tone makes it fairly obvious that it's both. When it comes to whether the Concord here were expected to answer, Darren is more specific. He shrugs at Persephone, and so too does Roswell, synchronized with his movements. "I dunno." He honestly doesn't! But he thought it'd be fun to answer anyway, apparently. The amiable finger-gun he makes at Hiromi when she answers is mirrored by Roswell, who, for lack of fingers, blinks one of the lights on his arms at her. Why -are- they here? Darren answers Staren telepathically. To learn, prolly. Hiromi seems like she always got a lesson in mind and a test around the corner.
Kirishima	"I am indeed a new arrival. At least, compared to..." Kirishima gestures around herself vaguely with both hands, still maintaining that otherwise perfectly solid stance that would probably be more fitting for someone on rooftop than just standing arund. "I've made quite a few trustworthy companions, indeed. Were it not for their aid, I probably wouldn't be here meeting everyone here today." She looks over at Staren as well, then pauses to look around again. "... Come to think of it, only three from that day aren't here. Everyone else is." Darren's explanation to Hiromi in particular gets a satisfied nod from her. "Your projection efforts did quite a bit for our visibility as well. Although we haven't found an possible base of operations just yet, it's only a matter of time until we make our next move. Please look forward to it." And then Persephone calls her cute. What is with people doing that the past few days? First Lilian, now her?! And with that outfit, too... Although Kirishima chooses not to respond to that, the fact that she's retreating into the safety of her scarf without really being able to hide her face completely probably says more than enough. Wisdom, knowledge, and when to quit. Kirishima can't really dispute any of those answers herself, and she listens intently when Hiromi begins her analysis of the Paladins' answers. It's a good way to keep her mind occupied, at least, and the question has Kirishima thinking for only a moment before nodding. "I do. Although we yet have a land to call our own, I've secured lodging and food for them already, and we will be securing a true home for ourselves sooner rather than later." There's a pause, and then she closes her eyes. "... Ideally, anyway. I have yet to demonstrate my own consistency as a leader to them, and they're swayed more by my strength and my will more than my actual results. I do intend to provide them with both strength and consistency, though, as surviving on scraps is no way to live at all."
Staren	Staren smiles a little wider back at Trudy and returns her finger-wave. She smiles back at Kirishima's look, smile going from awkward to genuine as she hides in her scarf at a compliment. New to being human, "New to that feeling, huh? It's nice, isn't it?" She comments warmly. At Darren's reply, though, she slumps mentally. Lessons and tests are so tiring. I was always good at academics, but not these kinds of trials... can't I ever just have some time to figure out who I am before it's test, test, test, never knowing what unspoken weight it has on others' opinions-- and that train of thought just runs into the whole 'wants to be good' 'wants to be accepted' 'can't comprimise on either without feeling awful' mess in her head and she tilts her head forward slightly and makes a frustrated, closed-mouth groan. Staren lifts her head. What were people saying, again? She pulls up the running transcript on her HUD. What does it mean to be alive? What does it mean to be a person? Geeze, I go to the bathroom and come back and suddenly it's philosophy hour... She considered saying it outloud, but suspected it might be bad diplomatically, somehow. Normally I love discussing philosophy... why must I be so tired? I'd never see eye-to-eye with the Paladins anyway, though... we'd just go from argument to shouting match... She lifts her gaze back to Kirishima, and speaks softly: "It's rough, having to take on a position of leadership... worrying about the approval of others... But someone has to do it, don't they?" We're not all cut out for it, though. Does it have to be you? But if no one is cut out for it, her people will be fed to the woodchipper. "I hope... I'm sure your allies can help you with this. And we will too, in whatever ways you'll let us."
Hiromi	Hiromi, lacking mind reading, can't answer Staren, but Darren has that covered. Kale approaches. To someone from a world without carnivores, the sensation that increases as he gets closer to Hiromi might instead be more understandable as staring into the eyes of something else. "I see," says the towering monster with the many sharp teeth. "I'll test victories, other-time." Hiromi gives Trudy another look. It's not exactly readable, but after a moment, she says, "Survivors, I don't dislike." But to her question, she says, "Hundred-season-turns, I don't have, for you. Long tales, ask again, other-time. Some long questions have short answers. But, not this one." To I4, Hiromi says, "With small strength, hunt small prey. Without strength, seek strength, or die. Pups need parents, to survive growing. Are you the same? Recent-born. Or do you already overcome? Lone-standing, unaided." And then I4 asks that particular question.
Persephone Kore	"You do see," she says to Kale, beaming over the hands holding up her cheeks. "Haha, I'm really not sure of everything that happened after I got shot. But didn't I tell you, a long time ago, that I 'understood everything'? I haven't started understanding less!!" Phony accepts Hiromi's correction with a moment of thought, then a smiling shrug. "Oh, right. You have to learn before you teach. So those things must be more foundational, right? Haha, you're a lot smarter than me at this! I like your ideas a lot, actually." Instead of belaboring the point about Kirishima being "cute"- which she really really is!- Persephone knowingly moves on before her victim's even finished being flustered, which really makes it worse. "So you want to be a 'provider' and 'nurturer' for your people, too? Life hasn't given them the good things they deserve, and you want to fix that. Is that right? You really are wonderful~" Trudy gets a gentle mental 'pulse' of warmth and appreciation sent her way. Phony meets Trudy's gaze with a glowing smile, but that isn't necessary for the communique that follows. She is utterly oblivious to the idea that acknowledging those thoughts might be intrusive, and is instead innocently sweet: You're trying really hard to be good, aren't you? Especially because it's hard, I love and appreciate it. Thank you for being good to us, Trudy! Haha, even if I'm not as strong as you are, I'll try my best to be good to you too.
Trudy Grimm	Trudy lifts that hand to cradle her chin as she considers the Archwolf's response, a pensive look on her face. After a moment, she closes her eyes with a big shark-toothed grin, "I understand, thank you! I'll take you up on that later, then. But what you have shared already tells me a little, and I appreciate it." She rests her hand on her hip, the other clinging to the strap of the Grimoire while having a bit of a grin at Kirishima's flustering, right up until something pings across her mind. All of her thoughts, conflicting or otherwise, go still when someone else just kind of barges in there. The intent eye contact tells her exactly who it is. The normally smiling and affable Trudy Grimm's face very quickly transitions to 'mortified' before she turns around and distracts herself with very intently examining the distant battlefield. She heard that?! She then starts drowning her thoughts out by thinking about a song very intensely. It must be bleeding over because, next to her, the tall samurai attending her starts bouncing ever-so-slightly in place to the beat.
Darren	Ay, it's cool. You can just vibe, you know? Take a minute to figure yaself out. Kick it with us. -Passively- learn, feel me? No pressure, blood. Hiromi's cool. His mental presence is quietly encouraging. Roswell beep-boops at Staren, from his perch on Darren. "Maybe you don't got physical force," says Darren to I4, crossing one leg over the other, relaxing on a chair of his own telekinetic force. "But I've seen you on the field, fam. You got force of will. That keeps you focused. Goal-oriented. You're like water. Water can -be- forceful, when it's gotta." "But the real strength of water is how, in motion or at rest, it's gonna seek that path of least resistance and wear it down. You give it time, water'll break anything down." Roswell, spotting Trudy's samurai, unknowing of the reason for the idle bouncing, hovers off of Darren and begins quietly dancing himself. It's the same dance from a hip hop video that was all the rage years ago--when Darren would've been in middle school. As Roswell cranks it, Darren grins, but glances curiously over towards Trudy. "You good, Trudy? You staring down that battlefield like it owes ya money."
Hiromi	What does it mean to be alive? "Don't you know? Can't you feel warmth? Breath?" Slowly, she rises to her full height, stretching out her arms, as if to encompass the world. "'Wind' has these, but not life. Life grows from life grows from life. Endless ties to mists beyond the world's edge. But," her hands come together, measuring the smallest space between the tips of her claws, "this has no importance. This is known. Better ask, 'What is spirit?'" But she doesn't answer that. Maybe if he asked, but there's no guarantee that would have a less circular definition, either. What does it mean to be a person? "Yes, this, this is why you've come. You see, you hear, The Final Hunter, and you wish for wisdom, to know what is 'person' and what is 'prey.' You wish for this most, yes?" It could be idle, 'powerful animal' motion, or it could be a very slow, deliberate, controlled flex down shoulders to her arms and claws, digits that can't quite be called 'fingers' only because of how difficult it is to imagine that they'd be stopped by any armor. "I said this. 'All people grow.' Grass grows only to seeding-height, then falls. No rabbits, no hares, grow to eat wolves. Living things grow. Most, stop. But, not 'people.' 'The end' cannot be seen. More can be taught, can be learned. Some think, 'no more.' Some think, 'I can't.' Some think, 'never, for me.' But, they're wrong. They can become like I am." Like Hiromi, the one at the top, the strongest, without dispute. Though there's a contradiction, there. There isn't room in the definition of 'Hiromi' for there to be more than one.
Ishirou	"Today I'm here to learn, Hiromi," I4 says, "Because we want to understand you better. It's hard to understand without knowing your motivation, and without understanding it's easy to attribute malice where there is none," I4 continues. He stops, though, listening to what Darren says about him. He smiles, "Thank you for saying so. It feels good to hear it, though I have a long way to go to be strong like others here. That's okay too, you know? I'm not 'satisfied in my place' like others might think, but content with who I am. Part of who I am is also wanting to grow into a better and more reliable person." "If you want to teach, then I will learn," he says towards Hiromi, "That is something I always am willing to do. Learning is what I like to do best, and no knowledge deserves to be lost. Even if I disagree with the idea, having the knowledge destroyed is something I can not abide." "The Kobolds that built that civilization, that worshiped the dragon? Were they not people? As I am told they were sapient, they understood thought and spook. They had thoughts and feelings, what separated them from the man who stands next to you..?" he asks about the crossbowman. To the question of what it means to be alive..? Well, he was speaking more philosophical, but it seems to have been lost. It does appear Hiromi is very...literal in some ways. Does this explain why power is central to her philosophy? He'll have to look into this more. "So to be a person is to grow...so did the kobolds who worshiped the dragon stop growing in your eyes? To you, is someone who rejects growth not worthy of living?"
Kale Hearthward	Kale doesn't have a frame of reference for Hiromi's sensation. He doesn't have a name or a ready response for the feeling of facing down something like her. After a moment, he looks away and down, breaking the eye contact, and forcing himself to not shiver. Focus. He's had to back down. Take the hit, focus, press onward. He takes a step back first, and then looks back up. "... I wanted to ask," he says. "How do you do... that?" "Where you say something, but then you make yourself... perfectly understood? I want to learn how to do that."
Trudy Grimm	"I'm fine!" Trudy insists without turning around, "It's just very interesting and I was thinking of heading back out there to take a closer look." Her posture relaxes a bit, at least, "Maybe ask those guys some questions, you know how it is." Just raise them all, there's two whole armies out there. Only the ones who want to. That silly rule really limits me against these powerful foes. I am not in danger. But what if I am? Stop. She's listening. Then I should be prepared, open the Grimoire. Stop. The samurai beside her goes still when the music leaves her head, but does shift his gaze to look more directly at the trenchcoat-clad alien pokemon now dancing before him. Whatever expression the undead warrior might have is concealed behind an intentionally grotesque ogre mask with large exposed fangs, and the implied malice of those small green points that serve as his eyes. After a good long moment, though, he simply nods once in respect to Roswell's antics.
Kirishima	Staren's comment gets one of THOSE looks from Kirishima, and Trudy gets a similar look when she notices the grin. She can't quite come up with anything concrete or audible for several moments until she makes sure that scarf is back to billowing dramatically and drawing attention away from her face. "Not that new. Just... New enough." Persephone can totally confirm that. Getting flirted at is one thing, but getting flirted at by people with actual power is something else entirely! Both Persephone and Staren get the same answer, too, when it comes to being a provider and leader. "If a ninja's duty takes them onto the path of leadership, then that is just something else I will adapt to. Whether I lead to prosperity and freedom among or away from their creators remains to be seen, but that much will not waver." There's some slight comfort, then, when Hiromi addresses further questions. There's also a bit more awkwardness when Kirishima realizes she didn't ask anything yet, but there's still plenty to work with here. Her idea of personhood in particular grabs Kirishima's attention, and she takes several moments to try and collect her thoughts again before finally speaking up once more. "Do you believe that there can be a cost too high for growth? Something that allows a person to grow, but makes them no longer people in the process?" She takes a deep breath to try and keep her stance, then lets her arms down after a few moments as the posturing no longer seems necessary at this point. "Cannibalism for power, as an example. Done by choice, or even forced upon those that would gain those powers. Would they still be people in your eyes?"
Staren	Staren smiles at Darren and listens. Hiromi says something interesting. Staren turns her smile to her -- less appreciation for kind words, and more... excitement at an intellectual insight. "That's it." She observes, with quiet enthusiasm. "The difference between people and clay dolls." Although, do I want to be like that? (No) But maybe I don't have to be like Hiromi, or Lilian. Maybe I can be like Persephone or Seilatiya, one day. Something isn't quite right with that thought, but now's not the time. "Maybe not on an individual level, every single one. But on a societal level. Selflikes grow to eat their 'wolves'; Limited physical capability, disease, all of nature's cruelties that make life nasty, brutish, and short for nonselflikes. First they band together, like any social animal, but then they communicate with the power of ideas, the past shining a light into the future that can grow and grow. With this, everything that lacks the power of growth falls under their sway, as a tool, or a defeated obstacle, or a pet or hobby." "No rabbit dreams of going to the moon, and its descendants will never build rockets and ships that can cross the stars, carrying and nurturing life even in the airless void..." Staren turns her head to look at Phony. "...nor can it seek to change what being a rabbit means and make such a state of being better for all rabbitkind." I4 brings up the kobolds and Staren frowns. That kind of ruined the mood, but he has a point. Does being a clay doll really make someone food? Kale and Kirishima have interesting questions too; Certainly, Staren's heard words like 'exhuman', 'rampancy', and 'Expiration' before from one thinker or another considering the issue.
Hiromi	Haha, you're a lot smarter than me at this! Her answer to the primary question given, Hiromi accepts Persephone's praise as her due. But what you have shared already tells me a little, and I appreciate it. Trudy, as well, gets an acknowledging, (definitively) wolfish grunt. The lack of words doesn't, in Hiromi's case, make it possible to misinterpret, even before she confirms, "Yes." Some other time, there may be long stories. How do you do... that? "True speech," communication, the claiming or transferral of knowledge, the perfect concept of information before one can know the word 'information,' "few can, minds filled with words, instead. If you wish for learning, I'll remember your need for a test." This follows naturally into her next response. If you want to teach, then I will learn. "Teaching begins with finding what is known. What can be done." Cryptically, "We will see." They had thoughts and feelings... "All prey have thoughts, feelings. All wish for life, to be spared hunter's claws, or farmer's knife. All prey have speech, though not all have ears to hear, to understand. Hares curse their fate before neck-snap. 'Words' have no value. 'Civilization' has no value. Stacking stones, building taller towers, raises your feet, but not your worth." ...did the kobolds who worshiped the dragon stop growing in your eyes? "Small-lizards had reached their end. Their value was this, only: By their deaths, their ruler would come. He did not. Others did, and satisfied me."
Persephone Kore	Persephone's expression shifts from that placid dumb smile to something briefly giggly, then sharply swerves into earnest concern as Trudy responds. Awww, I'm really sorry!! I never wanted to make you feel bad. Here, I'll try not to focus on you, okay? Even as pretty as your heart is. But really, I am still proud of you. True to her word, unless Trudy tries to think 'at' her in response, Phony does her best to avoid prying into her thoughts. Unfortunately, it can't entirely be helped; there's an element of passive reception, as well as an element of "don't think about pink elephants". Phony doesn't find anything to object to in Hiromi's explanation; she listens along with only sunny appreciation, though part of that might be that she's simply not clever enough to intuitively follow the ideas to their logical conclusions. At the end, though, she is at least astute enough to point out the obvious. "They can become like 'you are'. But you're 'the strongest', aren't you? And there can only be one person who's the strongest. What does that mean? Would you share, or would you fight about it? If you fought about it, what would you be if not 'Hiromi' anymore?"
Ishirou	I4 listens to what the wolf says, and he crosses his arms. She was bigger than, him, stronger than him, could probably grind him into ground beef with just her abs alone. He also does not act defiantly to her, because that's not what he's here to do...he's here to learn. Right now, he feels he's got an understanding. "Thank you for being honest and open with us..." a breath, "And I will say I disagree with you. Maybe prey is as you say it is. I do not believe those who can reason should be prey. Civilization has value, but like anything else, civilization has its own problems and problems that are often overstated." "The King of Heroes says that there is no value in individual life, but I don't agree with that statement either. Civilization collectivizes advancement, allows people to grow from a higher point, instead of all the way at the beginning. It fights against the horrors that visit people...disease, preditors. It allows everyone to grow, not just physically, but to allow them to explore culture and art. To learn and understand, to start wiser..." "But...there are those in it who think themselves preditors and use what it offers to weaken all to their own benefit. I won't deny its troubles...but I would not throw it all away. If you will teach me, I will learn. I will also teach in return. Perhaps knowledge will be exchanged...or perhaps I am wrong!" "It'll be exciting though, to learn and grow. That's something I do think that civilization needs more of."
Staren	Staren nods along with I4's observations. "Individuals may decide not to grow, or not believe they can, from all manner of external factors. A civilization grows, or doesn't... but depending on the external factors, could any of those kobolds, put in another environment, have grown? Could any of the clay dolls in the lostbelt have grown? They were humans like any others, but held in stasis by mightier gods. It seems like an observation that can be made about a society, but one impossible to make about those making up that society."