Scene #8064: Ishirou Invitational

Owner	Pose
Evehime Gevurah	Setting up a Warpgate, even an artificial and controllable one, at such a hotly contested point in a serious(ly angry) solar system-wide government's sovereign territory, could be considered cocky at best under ordinary circumstances. Unfathomably stupid more often than not. Even if nobody is able to secure direct access, it's still begging a covert team to try something and then bail through the gate before they can be caught. For the master of this place, it is an act of either fearless apathy, or outright condescention. Here, deep in a canyon valley of a barely half-terraformed Mars, there is hazy blue sky speckled with stars, one of which is Earth. There is warmth, radiating from a blazing pale gold light that is reachable by flight. There is dense forest, bursting with colourful tropical flowers. Within the circular expanse that splits the steep and narrow and shaded canyon walls wide open, a waterfall runs into a crystal clear lake, draining out as a narrow river, and the humid air is so oxygen-rich it tingles to breathe. That sun sits at the apex of a 'tower' of sorts; a brightly burnished double helix that smoothly forks into a spirograph of ten tines to support it, ensconcing a black obelisk within. It forms the head point of a strangely geometrically arranged settlement, divided up like an occultic diagram by white stone roads, a cluster of construction at each point. Here, a glittering greenhouse dome of wild plants. There, a complex of steaming buildings from which issues the sound of saw and pneumatic hammer and plasma torch. Over here, a block of interconnected towers hung with vines and windows. Over there, a windowless black sprawl festooned with sensor equipment that emits a constant, electric hum. Beyond, past the tower, a familiar field of barren rock and blackened earth.. The whole crater is interspersed with seemingly merely artistic pillars of geometric design and complex etching, some crystal, some onyx, some gold, mostly some variation of all three, arranged seemingly without meaning, like natural structures. Even from here, their warmth and glow and intractable energy is notable. There are people here. Ten thousand, it is known, though now maybe more. Most dressed in unfamiliar clothes that are impossible to culturally place, and each given to a tiny coloured tattoo mark each somewhere around the face. Mingled amongst them now are handfuls of the local 'Barsoomian' people, whether now-richly decorated android chassis or rust-red skinned Martian morph, for those too attached to their rural identity to change for their old flesh. The atmosphere is busy. Extremely busy. Filled with chatter and bustle and the sounds of travel and relentless industry, whether it be with cutter and welder or rake and shears. Without an ongoing war exercise, the tenor is slightly different. The sounds of raucous partying --perhaps more classically 'feasting-- can be heard from the far quarter. A gaggle of unsupervised children race each other around the perimeter of the lake. Scattered couples spend restive moments together in the shade, in quiet places to simply be. They'll be back to it before long.
Evehime Gevurah	Apparently, you're allowed to wander unimpeded for now, but the geometric paths make it abundantly clear where the centermost point of this all is, before the obelisk, its gigantic singular door raised. The Gevurah is just sending away a gaggle of white-robbed individuals with slate-like datapads, rolling up a physical silk scroll and sliding it into an onyx-capped crystalline case. It leaves the small plaza, its circular white path, miniature arboretum, and benches, completely empty save for her, but that presence alone is enough to make it feel oppressively full. There is no greeting. That feels reserved for someone or something else. She simply looks down, and says with perfect audibility from half a football field away, "If you need the open horizon to feel safe to speak, I will entertain you here. If you will drink instead, you will go inside."
Hiromi	Hiromi is, once again, not here. (She had been, alone, and on a different date.) Rather than the Archwolf (the definite article being an important distinction), it's a wolf-miko who shows up. A pair of ornate, white-bronze gauntlets hang from a harness, below her waist, and an unstrung bow is held to her back, a mostly-full quiver below it. She'd been here 'to learn,' before. It had been something like a scouting mission, the first time, though for others it was an attempt to extract some item. After that, she'd been not here, but nearby, fighting in a battle. This time, she's heard that it definitely won't be a battle (which is why her bow isn't strung, but isn't enough reason to leave it behind), and it could hardly be called scouting, but that very first motive still applies. That said, her own presence is tiny, comparatively speaking. She doesn't even offer an opinion on whether to drink inside or stand outside, looking toward Ishirou when the question is asked. To Evehime, she gives her martial salute, fist and palm barely touching.
Ishirou	Ishirou was here because he was the one who attempted to open up talking with Evehime and her people. To a degree, this is because he realized, after some soul searching, that he was not fair to them. He had been guilty of the accusations against him. He needed to start at the beginning, address this place and this situation as if he had never been here before, but with the knowledge of the world itself. He had to separate his bias out first, then...then maybe he could engage with this with the knowledge that it would be based on wisdom, and not simply the scars from his development. He could, if he wished simply used those scares as an excuse, but he knew he'd never grow. He'd just simply retreat back into helplessness. This was one of the first situations he ran into, where he couldn't rely on another's judgments to center and balance his own. It was scary, he thought, that he could make a mistake, that he could hurt people because of this mistake. He steadied his breath as he walked through the warp gate. He refused to run from his mistakes...it would be how he grew. He needed to grow, first. He does not approach Evehime first. Though he does make acknowledgment of his arrival, instead he decided to speak to people first. What were they celebrating? Why were they celebrating it? He asks questions of the people here, trying to take a better judgment of who they were. Yes, and of course, he checks for influence on them. Not assuming any influence is mind control, but rather trying to take a measure of the influence versus the answers he was getting. Perhaps trying to guideline...were they influenced like someone winning a debate was? Was it more like honoring a elder family member? Was it more cult-like? Was it somehow worse than the last one? Was it like the fabled Persepbee? He also takes a wider look at the colony. Was this nothing but a martial place? Was it strictly for war? The sculptures and the architecture say no...but Evehime was of a different culture. More than that...he realizes based on her data that she HAS not committed horrific acts of murder and wanton destruction since this place has been set up. Why did he wonder? That would likely only come by asking the woman herself...but he wants to understand this place more first.
Kukuru	Visiting new territories is always an exciting time for Kukuru. New people to meet, new meat to eat, and new places to sleep could be just around the corner with no end in sight, creating a new adventure for the wearily-pleasant looking woman wandering through the territory. She's dressed for the location, at least, looking more like a tourist or guest than someone that could ever be mistaken as a local with her usual white blouse (minus the sleeves) and green-to-brown corset skirt thing. She's also opted to bring one of those neck-worn portable fans today, having actually put some thought into how to best beat the potential heat of being on Mars (even if it is partially terraformed). "Neat face paint..." She murmurs as she passes by the tattoo'd locals, offering friendly waves in passing even as she picks up the pace. She doesn't want to keep anyone waiting, after all, especially since she's actually having a bit of trouble getting through the bustling crowds and party goers. Eventually, however, she hears a familiar booming voice, and she knows just how to get there. She leaps straight up, a good ten feet or so and catches a glimpse of the raised door to a strange obelisk. She sees figures moving away from someone in a plaza. A single figure. Someone important? Better. Someone she knows. Kukuru's ascent stops, then she starts coming down for all of a half second before she's swallowed up by a mass of dark energy, then spat back out by a similar-looking mass at the entrance to that plaza. Kukuru makes eye contact with Evehime, and raises a hand for a broad wave. "He-llo, Evehime! I brought the stuff!" She calls out with a genuine smile plastered across her face, not quite skipping over (because that's too much effort) but definitely strolling with purpose. She pauses briefly as she spots the wolf-miko, staring right at her for another moment before waving at her to follow and continuing onwards. She digs into her pockets, and out comes a cooler. "It's gonna take a second to get it all together. How're you feeling? Did you eat anything good today?" She asks while getting right to work at preparing drink cups, bags of ice, and several closed containers holding dark or colorful orbs in them.
Hibiki Tachibana	Of course Hibiki is here today. During the events that transpired within the Martian Parking Lot(tm), she made her decision to stand alongside Ishirou, and fight beside Hisako. She'd definitely do it again, if she had the chance to repeat things in that same exact scenario. Even so...it's funny. The way she started feeling about things, the longer things went on. The way Evehime spoke of her people. The way she spoke of her vision. What she wanted. Her total faith in her path. Humanity. And of her very own self--the decision she made, why she made it...that moment where she compared at least some of the Gevurah's ethos to that of the Archwolf. Someone who she once fought, and fought harder, and now... Your fighting betrays naivete, but not immorality. You truly do not believe in this rotted world at all; it is painfully youthful earnestness that compels you. I became Gevurah to decide how war is allowed to be fought. She's had a lot to think about on it. So that's why she's here today. Because she wants to understand. Whether they can come to an understanding in the end or not. Admittedly, she can't help but internally draw some parallels between here and her brief time in Hiromi's domain when she sees it all. It might just be the abundance of nature in the area, more than anything...or maybe it's the children she spots running around the lake reminding her of something. The atmosphere in general is a lot different than she would have expected not that long ago. She takes her time, going through it all on the way to the center. The strange architecture. The Barsoomians, mechanical or no. The sounds of merryment...and the sight of couples. Hibiki takes in as much of this culture, when it's not at war, as she can before she inevitably finds her destination. "...I'm fine either way. It's not really about feeling safe or not. I just don't drink. Sorry." The feeling in the air around the Gevurah is still incredibly strong to her, but even so, she still has the ability to walk up to not-half-a-football-field's distance away, give Hisako a small nod of greeting, do the same for Kukuru (along with a slight blink of surprise), and then turn her head up to look at Evehime. There's a moment of silent staring before her head turns to follow the white-clad group who had just walked off. "...Who were they?"
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	An armored warrior shreds in the light of a blood-red moon, framed by the gnarled, pointing branches of a dead tree. OTHER PEOPLE ASK WHY, reads the slogan above them. Across the bottom of the shirt, it continues, I ASK 'WHY WHAT?' BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT. Yes, it's Bercilak, dressed casually in the aforementioned shirt, along with an olive drab biker vest reading GALAHAD INC upon the back, black jeans and motorcycle boots. But he's brought someone else! It's Phreak--the black-haired, golden-eyed, grey space elf. Dressed in a high-waisted red-and-white windbreaker, black crop top and matching star-print leggings, he just might look like one of the very 'professionals' the very upset government might conceivably hire. Fortunately for him, he's not! "Let me guess," he says flatly to Bercilak. "You're gonna drink." "O, wagen thou thy asse I shalt," Bercilak grins. "But ifirst, I lest to espy an othere--to ofhere his questiouns to she, and to inrede what I may from thire ofaxing." His grin takes on a familiar, mischievous bent, as he motions with a sweep of a meaty green palm to Ishirou conducting his investigations. "And to fraist him." "Okay," says Phreak with mild annoyance. "What?" Bercilak glances over, green brow quirked in confusion. "Nothing. It's fine," says Phreak in a tone which says that, actually, it isn't fine, complete with crossed arms and a look away--towards Evehime in the distance. "Have fun fraisting." "I shalt," says Bercilak with happy obliviousness, approaching Ishirou to bother him in his investigations with a hearty clap on the back. "What itides, bicche? Art thou yet hard?" He hasn't forgotten Hiromi's request. Phreak, left alone, sighs, and approaches the plaza, for lack of any other ideas. He ends up looking up at his second menacing strengthlady in as many days, briefly touching his temple in a fit of momentary awe. Catching himself, he pinches the bridge of his nose and forces a question. "What's, uh... what's with the big mystic diagram thing that's built into this place? What's it do?"
Hiromi	Hisako sees Hibiki, and says, "Oh, Ms. Tachibana! Hello." Her tail wags. Bercilak is an entirely new face (whenever he arrives at the plaza). Being closer to 5' tall, the wolf-miko has to tilt her head back to see his face -- and then tilt to the side, as she spends some moments of confusion attempting, but failing, to understand his shirt. It would probably help if she could read English. "Hello, Ms. Kukuru." Hisako gives her an unbowed, precisely angled and held, fist-to-palm salute, as well. They haven't met, but she must have been described, at some point. It's not like the Concord is full of Kukurus.
Evehime Gevurah	Given free run to scan things, as is his nosy nature, rather than on a nuclear time limit, Ishirou has considerable leeway to draw his own conclusions. Nobody is particularly opposed to his presence, and people speak to him with an uncommon lack of concern. They act as if they have no reason whatsoever to fear or worry about anything in particular; probably because of being immortal, amply self-sufficient, and utterly convinced their leader is invincible and infallible. The celebration appears to be for no event in particular; the bulk of individuals present are the red-marked martial caste, and the green-marked hospitality caste, but for the most part it simply seems to come down to 'having all tasks completed for the day, and thus blowing off the accumulated stress with hedonistic pro-social indulgence'. It's a pretty simple piece of psychology, rewarding the dumb monkey with delicious berries and bonding for having succeeded at the difficult hunting task, creating a reinforcing loop of confidence and satisfaction. It also ablates a lot of the inevitable trauma involved in being violently killed in practice, and works to dissolve grudges that might build up, for those whom it applies to. It's hardly rocket science. Soldiers without morale are useless in particular. The bulk of the infrastructure appears to be dedicated to establishing martial readiness, but doesn't seem to be exclusively designed for it. There's really no sugar coating the fact that it's structured and run, culturally and logistically, as an independent military organization, with actual combatants being the majority, and a bulk of the industry dedicated to fortification and armament, kept with complex timetables. Even the 'morph' development appears to focus on attempting to innovate further physical fitness and athletic/kinesthetic ability over everything else, and most of the medical equipment is for repairing injuries. However, food is food, shelter is shelter, creature comforts are secured on an individual basis in the spare time of craftspeople, caste or not. Everything has a clear, utilitarian purpose, but it'd be amply possible to simply live one's whole life here and need for nothing save the internet and a bank account; there appears to be no monetary system at all. The 'mental influence' he has been obsessed with is difficult to pin down. There are no traces of magic, nor of psychic action. The abnormality is the way that the parts of the brain responsible for humanity's most basic and intuitive sense of social structure --the tribe-- are extremely hyperactive. The dim semi-conscious reflexes that lead people to assume tall people are smarter and to show off their work to verify their worth to the group are extremely amplified. Their absolute deference to Evehime is like the subconscious deferential treatment given to tall, loud, attractive, rich, physically fit people by default, cranked up to thirteen out of ten.
Evehime Gevurah	For reasons that yet remain a mystery, Evehime seems distantly amused in some vaguely fond way by Hisako's attendance. "The Archwolf's acolyte. For one who has yet to fully understand why she bids you explore, you are diligent." She recognizes Hibiki already. She doesn't incline her head to look at her, so her eyes sliding down to behold short girls from her natural vantage is extra intimidating. "Planners. Archivists. Designers. Future-seekers. Call them what you wish. Their role is to ensure that all works as it should, efficiently and harmoniously, in pursuit of a greater whole. A people who push in a hundred competing directions accomplish nothing. All must contribute in their own ways to the most pressing priorities in well-chosen sequence. The people of this world lack even a foundation of civilization. Their work is long." Phreak is halted with some nearly invisible shift of body posture that exponentially magnifies Evehime's half-ready posture into an instinctively unapproachable boundary of personal space. "You will tell me your name." she says. She doesn't ask. Actually, she only seems to ask anything of certain people, or in certain contexts. Once she has it, she says "The smallest configuration of the ten resonances that is made to civil ends. There is no magic to it. This is the optimal pattern in which to build a settlement of this size, so that each point is given to its proper task and state of mind, without waste." "The grade of what there is to prepare has reached an acceptable level. So yes, I will say 'good', Tired One." Obviously that's to Kukuru. She peers a little bit at the cooler, but is otherwise ready to move on. Turning her back, she gestures loosely for the group to follow, and enters the obelisk.
Evehime Gevurah	The inside is almost drowsy warm, and heavy with a mixture of scents that are hard to pick out individually, given to a character sort of like incense when taken altogether. The floor plan appears to be no more complex than single, extremely large, circular chambers, stacked upon each other, and two spiral staircases around the outside, aggressively tiresome to climb for people with small-sized legs. She stops at one of the lower floors, brushing aside thick veils rather than a door, leading a following procession into an open chamber build with a wide ring around its outside and a circular depression dominating its center. The former is mainly occupied with odds and ends of aescetically conservative furniture of utmost quality, mostly formed of metal and glass, favouring low tables, diamond shelves, standing jars and tiered plinths for objects of convenience. Barren space between them is occupied with specimens of greenery from outside, and wall banners penned in incomprehensible geometric design, threaded gold, giving the vibe of being arranged in some feng-shui-esque auspicious way. The center is mostly just a huge pile of cushions --there don't seem to be chairs around anywhere actually-- arranged into a kind of circular lounge-like arrangement, suitable for meeting, at most, nine other people at once, if all given respectful space and a low desk to put things on. Heat radiates from somewhere below. The sound of water, lightly active and exposed to the air, somewhere above. Evehime throws off that asymmetrical shawl-item onto a bare stand, removes her metal-shod footwear, and, with surreal casuality, finds a favoured seat at the 'head' of the circle facing the door, picks up an enormous decanter of what is most certainly some kind of alcohol, and slaps it down in the geometric center, with its matching array of glass bowls. "Sit. Speak. I have graciously given you my time. Use it."
Ishirou	Ishirou is trying to learn more than not, and trying to contextualize things into his worldview...he avoids judgments because he wants to make sure he has all of the information before he starts coming to any decisions. Trying to judge a culture by his own is...well, that's doing an colonialism. Don't do a clonialism kids. Yes, never mind that he will sometimes simply already have opinions about people who've pushed him into not liking them. CoughStarencoughtSarraceniacough. A caste system does make his heckles rise a little. This is, mostly, because of what was done to androids in his world. It's hard to look at any kind of caste system in any good light when one was forced into chattel slavery because of 'being a robot'. He DOES, however, try to bring up the caste system to people. Trying to poke at just how it is established. Are you placed there from 'birth', nevermind that this place probably hasn't had enough time to have any children grow up TO being adults yet. Does it look at ability? Does it look at the desire of the individual? Is it the community, that becomes the deciding factor...or do they leave it to their leader? The celebration doesn't...really bother him. That's just rest and relaxation, that's community bonding. That'd be like getting mad for him wanting to go see Hibiki's friend perform. It'd be stupid, and honestly a little embarrassing. Though he does focus on the how and why of how everything is geared towards war and fighting. He brings this up with people. What is the goal? Is it just to take down the system they used to be a part of...is it to be a martial society? What happens when there are no more enemies to fight locally? Do they want to conquer or fight to where they can be left alone to live and be with their estranged family? What really is the goal they have, according to /their/ desires? He knows not to expect magic or psychic action. Evehime's abilities seem to defy such logic. What he's really looking for is signs of enforced infiltration. Twisting of their ideas, their minds, or things like that. Then looking at if there is any sort of memetic triggering, some sort of attempt at manipulating the local psychosphere (the group collective unconsciousness.) Though it SEEMS to be an emphasis on those who are 'tall' being more desired than those who are not. Is this...enforced, or is it simply something that happened when she freed them? Is it even consciousness on her part? Or...is it what he feels, but they were in such a state that it took a greater hold? Is it something that could be interfered with...and would it change how this person acts given all other things being the same? His eyes, sensors, and the like look for answers without taking anything to action...yet. He's seen more in thought as he's approached by Bercilak first. To the question, he takes a moment to run it through his head...not (only) because he's hard to understand, but because Ishirou's mind running so many thought processes at once. This causes him to realize people had come. He gives a wave to Hisako and Hibiki. Then realizes he almost forgot about the large man asking him if he's hard. "I don't know about /hard/ but I'd say I'm more...uh...focused? Less unsure and more..." he takes a moment to find the right word. "Honed. Though right now I am very soft and bruised...trying to help a friend out, the Secundus stuff, and then having to dislodge Staren out of my stuff and into babby jail because she is mad took a toll on me and my suit...to the point, the suit is now a pile of debris."
Evehime Gevurah	As far as Ishirou is told, the castes were chosen by personal ability and temperament after people got uploaded to bodies again, one at a time. A lot of people essentially have the closest equivalent to their prior job, but a lot don't. Universally, they appear to prefer their new work; which admittedly isn't saying much, given they were probably doing meaningless corporate garbage or menial drudgework to make ends meet if they couldn't afford bodies after dying. For some reason, it is arbitrarily important that there are ten of them. The children were children when they died. They've been on ice for years. Getting back child bodies instead of work-ready adult sleeves is a decision that people appear to believe must be a moral one, as dubious as that probably is. As far as military aims go, everyone Ishirou speaks to is very much on board with the idea of establishing an independent nation, if not independent Mars, and has a very dim opinion of the Consortium, though he may want to take it with a grain of salt, as they must also necessarily be the people most wronged and disadvantaged within it to have wound up here. Equally, if not more present, is the desire to expunge the quarantine zones teeming with rogue machines and fearful cognitohazards known to litter the planet after the TITAN war. The monstrous AI were a common enemy and shared point of trauma and hatred long before anyone who could simply (hypothetically) punch them in the face showed up. Most interviewees generally assume that the militant focus is just because the currently most pressing priority, now that self-sufficiency has been sorted out, is the fact that they're ten thousand and some people up against the world. One of the 'archivist' caste that Ishirou speaks to, however, conjectures that this is simply the way Evehime knows how to run things. Ishirou's brain scans show the abnormal activity universally goes back to 'the minute they first laid eyes on Evehime and she spoke to them'. Social unity and heirarchy and fitness instincts go into overdrive from the simple experience of being downloaded back into thinking flesh and simply exposed to a platonically perfect peak human leader. Anything she asks them is received with utmost confidence and faith and desire to make good on it. If he had to compare it to what he knows, he might classify it similarly to Persephone's passive aura of beatific relaxation, vulnerability, and trust, in the way that the more Evehime means something she says, the harder it seems to be to want to think or do otherwise. These are, ultimately, perfectly ordinary people.
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	"Nay," says Bercilak to Ishirou, placing a beefy hand on his shoulder reassuringly rather than boorishly as before. "To make a stond and wagour thy welnesse upon hit, to assist a frend, and al-owhils thy asse ben bete... Swich is hard behavinge." The pain lessens, the longer Ishirou stands near the smiling knight. Bercilak keeps quiet during the investigation--but he is shadowing Ishirou, undoubtably. "What is thy awening, boy?" He's not a mindreader. Back at the plaza, Phreak locks up, like a deer caught in headlights, a croak escaping his gray lips at the sight of Evehime's shift in posture. "Elineve Smith," he blurts out, when bidden. "B-but my handle is Phreak." Having gotten his answer, he nods, swallowing nervously, following into the obelisk. His eyes drink in each circular room eagerly as the short ascent to the chosen room is made. "Oh. My bad," he says, kicking off his futuristic running shoes and removing his jacket. It disintegrates in a tide of blue energy, stored in his cloud for later. He then sits, as bidden. "Do you mind if I hold off on drinking? I gotta be up early tomorrow 'cause I might need to kill my boss." After that question, he asks one more pertinent to the meeting. "So, like, what's the endgame, here? This place is super self-sufficient, people seem really happy. Once the asshole neighbors are out of the picture, and you got the run of the place, what then?"
Kukuru	The familiar faces are all over the place today! "Hibiki? Oh, I didn't know you knew Evehime here. What a fun coincidence~ Oh, if you're worried about alcohol, this stuff doesn't have any. Just a lotta sugar." She explains, gesturing at those empty cups before retrieving some more bags of milky brown liquid from the cooler. ".. Oh! And juice, in case you've got bad teeth. You've been taking good care of them, right?" Anyone that's had bubble tea before will recognize that distinct liquid in those bags and the shape of those cups. Hisako, seeming to know Kukuru's name, gets a friendly beaming smile as well. "He-llo, you~ Have we met before? I'm sorry. Names are kinda hard to remember sometimes." She admits with a chuckle, then lets out an intrigued 'ooh' noise once she's identified as a student of Hiromi. "Oh, welcome! Any kids of Hiromi's are kids of mine, too." Ishirou's investigation seems to be keeping him busy and getting Bercilak's attention, so Kukuru just opts to wave at them really high over her head when it looks like they might be looking in her direction. She'll save the actual greeting for once everyone's together. Phreak, meanwhile, gets that same bright smiles once she hears and sees him drawing closer. "He-llo, Phreak! This place sure has a lot of cool designs, doesn't it? So artistic." She comments, clearly not understanding the purpose of it all and only barely comprehending it after Evehime's explanation. She still digs it anyway. Evehime, strangely enough, gets one of those vaguely flustered chuckles from Kukuru. "Aw, I'm not that tired today. Still, thanks for worrying." Her smile grows a bit brighter at that, and she shifts right into following Evehime into the obelisk. The heat hits her right away, but there's something more calming about it than the heat from before. It compels Kukuru to yawn, and one of her eyes stays closed afterwards as she keeps moving further in. The pleasant smells make it even more tempting to just find a spot to nap, but... Kukuru's here for a reason. She can't afford to sleep now while Evehime's counting on her! With renewed vigor, she continues onwards, although she still can't help but gawk at all the architecture and high-quality decorations made of things she could never justify buying herself. The cushions, then, are a welcome relief as Kukuru pulls her cooler behind one of them, then takes a seat and gets to work assembling those drinks. "What kind of ball flavors do you want to try? I've got regular tapioca balls, strawberry, mango, orange, apple. Um... 'Blue'." The tapioca and the tea are the only things homemade in that pile of stuff. The juicy pellets are clearly store bought, but expensive and made with real fruit juice (even the blue one)! Despite all appearances, Kukuru isn't just here to bring Evehime some novelty human drinks. She actually has a thought of her own to share. "You sure got a lot of stuff figured out here... It's really nice seeing everyone working together so well. Is there anything you're worried about going wrong, though? Like..." She hems and haws for a while. "... Is anyone bothering any of your people out here? It's a big space, and humans can be kind of... What's the word?" Territorial. "Space... Wanting?" Territorial. "Trying to take too much stuff?"
Hibiki Tachibana	"Nice to see you too, Hisako. I hope you've been doing good. Hiromi, too. It's been a while since I got to see her." Hibiki has a small smile on as she returns Hisako's greeting, placing her hands in her jacket pockets. There is a moment, where her eyes shift down a bit, towards the swishing tail behind the other girl, and she has a slight look of surprise in the same vein as when she saw Kukuru come in here with a cooler at the ready. "Ah, yeah," speaking of Kukuru. "...Sort of. Not really. But I'm here to get to know her better. ...I might take some of that, though." Non-alcoholic means she's in. Back to Evehime, Hibiki absorbs that explanation. She makes a sound that could probably be regarded as thoughtful. "Everyone working together and towards what they're best at, huh..." Another one. And then, it's time to follow the Gevurah on in. Phreak gets a glance over her shoulder and a small shrug, for whatever reason. Perhaps one of empathy. They've both been hit with the girl big intimidation. She's just trying not to let it show too much. At least she's had some exposure therapy already. Ishirou gets a quick nod as well, once he waves their way. A smile, too. Inside the massive chambers, the atmosphere is...once again, something else. She once again can't help looking around in slight awe on her way towards the gathering of cushions making up the center of it all. Upon one of them, she starts lowering herself down to sit cross-legged--though not before removing her shoes herself to set them aside neatly on the oddly-warm floor. There's a long moment where she just sits and listens to the sounds of water from overhead. And then. "'The nature of humanity is to unfalteringly pursue what one believes in'." She repeats something the Gevurah mentioned during their last encounter. "...You said that, before. And that you became what you are to decide how war is allowed to be fought." She shuffles, a little bit, where she rests. Her hands clasp together in her lap. "...What is it you believe in?" It's a genuine question. Slightly adjacent to Phreak's. Simple and encompassing a whole lot at the same time.
Hiromi	Diligence being among the most well-known of virtues among her people, Hisako responds to Evehime's praise with a subtly visible straightening of her posture (and ears), an increase in alertness, three-quarters focused onto the Gevurah, that, apparently, takes the place of words like 'thank you.' A nonverbal reaction would be considered less than polite in some worlds culturally similar to her own, but the minute details (and the lack of follow-up) give the opposite impression. This is, somehow, trained. 'The smallest configuration of the ten resonances that is made to civil ends.' Hisako looks around to try to see the configuration, but without getting a lot further from the ground, that's not really possible. Stairs, at least, aren't any problem for her. She can climb a lot of stairs. Hours of stairs. Stamina is one things humans and wolves have always had in common, and the combination certainly hasn't weakened hers, though she does have to lean into bounding up each step, thanks to her height. 'Sit. Speak.' Once others begin sitting, Hisako finds a place over on one side (preferentially near Hibiki, though this may be some subconscious height-sorting at work), setting herself down in seiza, both legs under her, and-- --stops to think. What did she want to ask? What did she want to use this time for? 'For one who has yet to fully understand why she bids you explore...' She really doesn't know. Knowledge that should be sharp is soft, unformed. To mold it into a recognizable shape is a struggle, like peering through water that will not cease to ripple. But, eventually, she can see a past battle through the surface, and remember the words that were said to her. "You said... that you didn't need a military force. And that you didn't... intend to conquer the planet. Then... why?" It's an innocently unclear question. She doesn't know how to frame 'why this particular style of society, and its given priorities' in philosophical or even historical terms. She only knows that it's different from what she's been taught to value, yet similar to what she thinks of as 'war preparations,' an inherently undesirable state of affairs to be undertaken only out of desperate need, as well as a sign of wrongness of the world. The Archwolf doesn't like 'war.' It's for humans.
Ishirou	Well...sure, he can't /blame/ them for liking this more than before. It does seem that Evehime isn't running every part of the settlement...and it does seem there are organizers and intermediaries. Obviously, she is kept informed, but he can't see her putting her fingers into every decision unless as a judge. It very much seems based on ability, temperament, and need...which does line up with Ishirou's views on things. Better that people are in the job that not only they are good at, but also makes them happy...but some consideration for the collective should be considered. People first, then the collective. If they were children in adult bodies, Ishirou would be not happy right now. Though the thought chills him if that's the same in other places. He looks for that answer in their heads if they were forced to work in adult bodies while still being children. Their goals are reasonable, the idea of freeing themselves first, then taking back the planet from singularities. It goes to consider that they'd want to do this going forward, but starting with internally first, then externally goes without saying. Though something interesting happens, the archivist caste points out that this is done because this is the only way that she knows how to do things. This indicates that there is something critical in their head...which seems to settle him a bit. He might find it hard to challenge her directly, but...he COULD be critical. This works with what the brain scans show him. Marc seems willing to be critical of Persephone, even though he's likely been in her thought field for so long that he couldn't help but always think of her favorably. He runs the thought in his head some, trying to come to a conclusion. His biggest concern was... The thought is interrupted by Berc, which gets him a thoughtful expression. "Well...thanks for that.." obviously the words, though he's perhaps more critical of himself /there/. "I think I'm still a work in progress..." he does feel better, thankfully his body will still need more time to heal. "As for what I think.." He pauses his thought to wave to Kukuru. "The people here seem to fall under collectivist, but also honor individual deed. An emphasis on 'Big', to use a Phonyism. It makes sense that Evehime comes to the top of everyone's respect, and I think she could get anything she wanted out of them if she wanted it. The current military bent is both because that Evehime can only see this as a way to run things, but also because of the nature of the threat against them." "In fact, it wasn't my conclusion. One of the 'Archivist' caste came to that conclusion...so it really can't be the insidious control that I thought, nor can it be memetic..." He seems to speak through his conclusions and what he's come to understand. "My conclusion has not been determined yet. There is still one thing I would like to hear and understand. That would be the linchpin of understanding here..." he says, looking towards the tower and the door that lead deeper and he walks. He can feel her from here, and he /swears/ that his feet feel like they want to become jello under him. It's very hard to be brave right now, but he can't help himself. He /has/ to know. Well, maybe it'll be easier with people who support him there. "Sorry for being late," he says upon arriving. "I had to take a better assessment than the first time...something about a nuclear countdown," He says, with a pause, and lets others speak first, taking a seat. He was the late one, so he didn't want to interrupt.
Hiromi	'He-llo, you~ Have we met before?' "Oh, I'm sorry," the wolf-miko says to Kukuru. "My name is Hisako. Please take care of me." Then, "What's a ta-pi-o-ka?" Her world might not have manihot esculenta. 'Nice to see you too, Hisako. I hope you've been doing good.' "Yes! I haven't had anything as--" Exciting. "--dangerous as the battle, near here, happen, since then. Did..." Hisako's tail stills while she's remembering, "...the fox comes back?" 'Hiromi, too. It's been a while since I got to see her.' Hisako considers something for a few moments, before saying, "We don't see her in person often, either, but if you came to visit, you might see her. The festivals are the surest time, and on ritual days." Hibiki might remember a certain ritual, too. In this environment, Hisako will, with a mixture of trust and curiosity, attempt to drink almost anything someone hands her, no matter how dangerous.
Evehime Gevurah	'Do you mind if I hold off on drinking?' Evehime leans over to reach for a different, massively oversized bottle. She then thumps it down next to the decanter. "You will drink." she says. It at least appears to be water, albeit with a crisp and lightly sweet taste. "You as well." she says to Hibiki. 'cause I might need to kill my boss.' "Good." 'What kind of ball flavors do you want to try?' "Let us start with the first." says Evehime, which would logically mean tapioca. "Start with the foundation in all things. Dealing only in permutations and variants will leave you without understanding of why they are." While waiting for Kukuru to share drinks and food, she pours herself a full bowl of her own shimmering amber-red drink, and tips it back not entirely dissimilar to a sake dish, though gripped somewhat like a wine glass for the more rounded bottom. 'So, like, what's the endgame, here?' "The Consortium is insignificant. Were my goal first to be rid of them, I would wade into their cities and hunt their leaders like vermin. I would crush their edifices of so-called leadership with my bare hands, and pile high their corpses until they surrendered or all their people joined me." Evehime says with all the intentional vehemence of someone being asked what their favourite colour is, and yet so much intensity there is no question she means it. "This, these people, are my 'experiment'. My 'search for truth'. This place is one that would allow me to easily seize the minimum number of souls I would need to see for myself. Without possessions, without nation, without even bodies, I am able to be sure of every single factor. The Consortium simply happens to be their enemy." A beat. "Their 'TITANs', I will judge for myself." A long quaff goes by in unhurried thought. "What I wish to know is their 'limit'. If they have one, where it lies. And if so, if their children will exceed it. And if they cannot, whether it is my own incomplete method, or if they are crippled in some capacity innately. I will shape them with all the methods I know, and as best my memory will allow of the methods of exalted others, and see if they are able to exceed what they were. If they can become more like the humanity I know. If I have done anything correctly, then when their current foes are defeated, they will find greater ones." 'Is there anything you're worried about going wrong, though? Like...' "I worry for nothing." Evehime says, and means it. "Worry is rooted in fear, and I have no need of it. What would displease me most, if you feel such need to know, is not that they might suffer trial and tribulation. If I deem it is inappropriate, unfair, to their current state of growth, I will dispose of it myself. Otherwise, all else are tests of mettle, valuable for me to see, so that I might know. What would displease me most would be for them to fail utterly to exceed what they believe to be their 'human limit'. If, after being given everything they require, taught in every correct way, protected and unified, they become nothing more than a picturesque example of what the Multiverse seems to believe is 'human'." "If they disappoint me so utterly, I will erase them with all the others. Until then, I will force myself to have hope for them, and stay my hand."
Evehime Gevurah	'You said... that you didn't need a military force. And that you didn't... intend to conquer the planet. Then... why?' Evehime seems to find the question interesting in some way, though as usual, she divulges nothing that nobody has asked for. "I have no peers. But when I did, I called them comrades. Comrades are peers in strife, forged in it. But strife merely breaks humans down, destroys them, if it is taken in beyond their grasp; too much, too soon, too long. Soft humans must be forged ready for it. The raw material must be melted and folded and hammered free of impurities, before it is tempered. There is no value in struggle that cannot be possibly overcome in one's present state. There is no learning in giving up. Comrades must be prepared. Preparedness requires training. And this is the way of training I know best." Evehime leans deeper into her heap of enormous cushions, hair splaying out behind her, chest pushed out. "I am the Last Warrior. War, battle, strength, is what I have mastered absolutely. I could attempt to model the Truths grasped by the nine others of my station, but I would never be able to render it so perfectly as they. I would not be satisfied, if they failed simply for my inadequacy as a mentor. Your master knows the way of Wolves, and thus teaches her disciplines in the ways of Wolves. They must be 'made wolves' before they become anything more. Thus I will make these people 'like warriors'. Their ultimate destiny is not war. But warriors are that which I am certain I know best to raise." '...What is it you believe in?' Evehime slowly reaches over and takes a bubble tea from Kukuru. She holds it up to her eye level, swirling it thoughtfully. "I believe in the Tenfold Truths. I believe that the universe is not 'the way things are', that humanity exists in 'in spite of everything'. I believe that the universe is written without a single wasted character. 'God' is embodied in the designs that can be found within all things. That this design is meant to teach. To elevate humanity. That 'God' would teach humanity the joy of 'his' craft, and through his machinations, exalt them to be his peers." "To be incarnated in human form is to be given an infinite capacity to 'become', and with it, the solemn responsibility to become all one can. It is the destiny of humanity to become 'God's' equal, and then take from him the creation he has left, and write it into the form that most pleases them. To be human is to be comprised of a 'belief', a 'conviction', a 'path', and a 'destiny', built true over countless lifetimes." Apparently vaguely annoyed by how 'small' bubble tea cups are, time becomes a flat circle as Evehime simply plants the vessel on the nearest stable surface that is within straw's reach of her mouth, and sips with her arms up on the cushions. Chewing a tapioca ball for a second, Evehime pauses just to add one thing. The floor subtly vibrates when she speaks from the diaphragm "The humans in the Multiverse are nothing like what I know. I despise your humanity. And I would kill them all if it brought me any pleasure." She goes back to casually drinking bubble tea through a straw with the most debilitating aura of sheer menace anyone has ever done so. Ishirou enters. "Sit. Drink." The same as before. "Speak. I have given you my time. Use it."
Rubi-Kan Vagrants	Bercilak enters in with Ishirou, taking a seat beside Phreak. "Al-heil, Gevurah," he says with a smile, taking a seat without removing his boots. Phreak nudges him lightly. Bercilak's palm whaps into Phreak's shoulder, nearly pushing him from his chair. "I'faith, oure last imetinge bisemes fern ago," the Green Knight continues, unbothered. "Ak onli bicause 'twas so sporteful. Hop I we shalt maken batail ayen sonli, for Bercilak hath ben practisinge." A hearty chuckle escapes him, and he settles in. He and Phreak both drink--the former from the decanter, the latter from the water. "Thanks," says Phreak, after his sip. His leg bounces under the table. Anxious? Maybe--she was certainly very confident about completely wrecking the major power in this solar system, and in the most direct, violent way possible. It dies down, when Evehime begins talking about what she wants to see. Limits. Transcending them. Finding new, more powerful adversaries to test themselves against. This has his golden eyes searching her for some insight, studying for a question he's putting together only gradually. "The humanity you knew... did they become God's equal? What kind of, uh, 'form' did they 'write creation into?'" 'Kill them all' jolts him into silence, but does spur Bercilak into a rumble of rumination. "'Tis not thire sin," he says, "For which thou wouldst quell, but the sin of theim that riched art. Of 'Consortiums' which maken usual that which is ivel, 'til hit shalt be an ev'ry-dai custumance. To lif withinne swich is to poisoun the soule in peces-mele o'er the wholesum of one's lif. Forthy 'tis liti wondre thou awene humanite ugsom."
Ishirou	Ishirou does, really without thinking. The moment he realizes he's sat down he frowns. Seems he's not completely immune to it...which is slightly frustrating. Though for a moment, he's struck with a question. Why is it okay for it to happen with Phony, but not with her? Is it because Phony doesn't exude a murder aura? Is it because she can drink the tea like she does but not look like she could easily strangle someone without even losing her balance? Is it really because of the murder? Yes. But it shouldn't be just because of the murder. Thoughts for another time and place...because the murder engine is right there. She hasn't murdered anyone yet, though...but she did say she'd kill every human out there. "What is a human, then? Is it only those things you've said today? By that token, anything in the multiverse could be considered human. Me, the androids I was born from. Is it a physical look, a psychological profile? Is it whatever you say it is?" The words are not accusing, they simply are. He's asking a straight question. "You are also running this place the only way you know how...which right now works. What after now? After the tyrants that hurt these people are gone? After the singularity is either destroyed or stops being a threat? What happens when no more enemies are there to fight? Would you continue to prep them for combat? Do you continue to desire conquest?" "You said you want these people to become closer to your comrades...but what were they like? You claim to hate the humanity of the multiverse, but these humans you want to lift up," He says, looking at her through doing everything he can to control himself. "Do you miss what was, and you want it to come again? What are you willing to gain? What if these people do not want to become that, but something else?" "If it's potential, then what if your people want to be happy? To gain their loved ones, to have a chance at life they did not have because of the greed of others?" Ishirou sighs, "The problem with the potential for anything...is that they could choose to be anything. Not everyone WANTS to reach higher and higher, even if humanity as a whole does. I really...truly want to know. What if they chose something you don't want, what then?" "I ask...because in these people I see something of myself. I see what happened to me, and someone else lifting them up. The thing here is...while I see my initial judgments were done in haste, and I assumed the worst because of my own scars. I do see though that you have instilled in them a desire to grow and become larger. It's that self-same desire, that deference to being large...that could allow them to accept anything you say." "Or is that the point..?" he starts to think. "To guide them to a point where they can tell you no, to where they can take their own will into their own hands so that you do not have to worry about them coming under the same system you broke them out of?"
Kukuru	And so, Kukuru distributes the bubble tea made to order! Crushed ice, milk tea, tapioca and/or juice bubbles by request, and then it's all closed off with a lid before being presented with the oversized straw. Only after that does she finally bring out some snacks, too. She didn't forget what she promised Evehime, after all: Fried crispy shrimp balls with just the right balance of crunch on the outside and tender shrimp meat on the inside. A more discerning palate might even notice there's little bits of ginger, mushroom, and traces of pork fat mixed in there as well. Hisako gets a mix of tapioca and juice bubbles on each side of the cup, ensuring that she'll be able to try multiple new things all at once! "It's chewy and sweet! Like a... Mochi, but wetter." Hibiki gets a drink as well, and Kukuru giggles softly when Evehime obliges her with that non-alcoholic drink without saying as such. "Oh, you'll get along great, I bet. I've only talked to her two... Three times before now? It's always fun, even when she's talking about stuff I don't really get." She gestures at Ishirou for emphasis when he comes in. "Nuclear...? Oh, is everything okay?" There's a definite tone of concern there, but whether or not she understands the context is clearly a 'no' answer. Evehime gets a drink containing only the tapioca and no juice bubbles, and there's a brief swell of pride in Kukuru's chest (mostly because the tapioca is actually homemade) (it's got that right balance of sweet and chewy without being too mushy or too hard). Evehime speaks of the Tenfold Truths, and Kukuru exhibits an uncharacteristically focused stare. Even though she's struggling to understand, she's visibly struggling instead of just defaulting to the sort of 'oh that's nice' nod with the glazed eyes that might be expected. "Humans really are amazing, right? So much potential, so many options around... They can really do some fantastic things when things work out just right." Letting out a pleasant hum, Kukuru shuffles over briefly to pour some of Evehime's red drink for herself (and anyone else that wants something alcoholic to drink, too). Kukuru takes a sip while Evehime starts talking about her (lack of) worries, and there's not even a spit take when she reveals her intent if the people here fail. Instead, that has Kukuru looking... The thinking look actually remains. "Isn't that kind of a waste, though? To put so much work and hope into one generation, then to wipe it out before the next can learn from them? I hear humans can be pretty weird like that, too. There might be some really great parents, and then their kids turn out really disappointing, but then their kids end up being even better after seeing how bad their own parents are..." Kukuru takes another long sip, then lest out a satisfied noise. "Unless they really do all end up being that bad. Then..." She cricks her neck, then strokes her chin. "... It still feels weird, for a parent to hurt their kids like that even if they are that hopeless. It'd be like... Erasing my own responsibility for them turning out that way, you know?"
Hibiki Tachibana	She WILL drink. Hibiki glances at the offered beverage. Well. Between this and Kukuru, she'll be fine. Probably. "...Yeah. I hope so," she murmurs back to 'getting along great'. More important is listening. Evehime's explanation is thorough. Honestly, quite a bit of it goes over her head. But she thinks she gets the idea of it, more or less. The more she listens. 'That this design is meant to teach. To elevate humanity.' 'To be incarnated in human form is to be given an infinite capacity to 'become'.' 'They must be 'made wolves' before they become anything more.' The answer given to Hisako helps her understanding of the answer to her own question, a bit. What she's trying to do. Raising all of these people as warriors as only she knows how to do, so they might win their battle and continue progressing...or fail, and be wiped out. The drink she receives is clutched a little tightly in her hands. The first thing she says is, "If you tried, I'd still try to stop you. Just like before, even if I'd lose. Because...that's what I believe in. Or what I want to believe in." A bit like Ishirou, those aren't words with any vitirol, they're just a statement she elaborates on after a moment with a little less tension in her whole body posture. Not devoid of it, though. Not with that raw aura of dread surrounding the tapioca-devouring Gevurah. "...I know our humanity isn't perfect. I've seen plenty of how crappy they can be. Exactly like the Consortium. Real far cry from being on peers with any god. Fighting each other...hating each other...killing each other..." There's a glance back over her shoulder, ostensibly back past the veils and vaguely back towards everything they had passed by on the way here. It sounds like there might be another resolutely heroic declaration after that. It doesn't come, and she instead faces back forward and takes a long sip of her drink. It's pretty good water. "...I guess I also wanna believe they can be better than what they are. Or maybe that they already are." She makes a Face, the kind of slightly scrunched Face of someone who realizes what they're saying probably doesn't make much sense, and half-hides it without another long drink before putting it back down. Phreak's question gives her pause briefly, and it sort-of-kind-of leads in to her next question. "...You also mentioned...humanity does not need your hand to survive, but it has to be built again. That you're one of the only ones who can do it." Pause. "...Do you think humanity could never do that on its own? How did yours do it?"
Hiromi	Hisako ends up drinking boba tea (with her hands on the cup), straw making a slow circle around the bottom to sample the 'wetter mochi.' This is followed, not at all long after, by something from the decanter of amber-red. She doesn't go for the water. Supernatural toxin resistance... she doesn't have, but she'll probably be fine. Evehime answers, and while the attention is there, a look of understanding only starts to cross Hisako's face when she mentions 'Wolves.' This, together with the earlier answer, makes something click for her. It still sounds like a circuitous route to reach a 'proper' society (which means the same thing as every sense of 'good'), but she nods, satisfied, at Evehime's admission of this being what she knows how to do and, therefore, what she must first do. 'To be incarnated in human form is to be given an infinite capacity to 'become', and with it, the solemn responsibility to become all one can.' 'The humans in the Multiverse are nothing like what I know.' "The ones I've talked to... I think, they look like they're real people," Hisako says, as if this were the same thing Evehime had just questioned, "but I don't know if I can see very far, nor very deeply."
Evehime Gevurah	Though the alcohol is shockingly strong, it doesn't really taste like it. It lacks the tannic bite of more familiar drink, going down warm and sweet, spiced and honeyed. 'The humanity you knew... did they become God's equal?' "Yes." says Evehime, currently only occupied by emptying her bubble tea without moving her head at all. "Two generations after my own, we had surpassed 'him'. Your question is absurd. You could not describe the entirety of your reality to me in a single year; I will not describe all of reality to you in a single night. I will however describe that each fitting aspect was given over to each of us ten who became able to perfectly embody the Truths, to then do with as we saw fit. As Gevurah, it was my wish that no warrior would die an unworthy death, no machine or device could win victory from a human being in conflict, that oaths given freely be unbreakable, that victory in combat or competition be binding as one, that responsibility be intuitive from birth, that 'justice' require no peers, but be innate to physical laws themselves, and that discipline, training, struggle, and strife, should be enough by itself, to hone anyone in any shape they may so desire." "And it was so. No human suffered betrayal or deceit, nor murder or decline of age, no right was violated, no promises broken, no conflict wasted or ignominous. And the door was opened so that many more could be like me. And then there was war on Heaven." 'Tis not thire sin' "I will judge so myself, Hound of the High Wastes." Evehime half-growls. "Whether it is the masterful orchestration of degenerate fools who wish to see no human outstrip them, or whether it is the innate weakness of the species that has allowed such things to rot them from inside, even as they proliferate into the billions and trillions, amongst the stars." 'What is a human, then? Is it only those things you've said today?' "What is life? What is thought? What is it to be?" Evehime replies, entirely rhetorically, as she has ever asked of Ishirou with a metaphorical question mark otherwise. "I have spoken plainly. I am human. If one cannot contain even the potential to stand in my shadow, they are something less. It is the very question I speak to, whether the humans of these worlds are sick, oppressed, cursed, or simply a lower form of human-like being. I would not so much as raise my hand to see for myself, if there were not such rare exemplars amongst the teeming infinitude. And yet . . ." 'By that token, anything in the multiverse could be considered human.' "No." She doesn't elaborate. 'What happens when no more enemies are there to fight' "There always more enemies to fight." says Evehime. "If they become able to demonstrate wisdom enough that I believe them capable, then their next goals will be of their choosing. I will continue lead those who seek strength, but the very purpose of elevating your weak and primitive people is so that they might take the burden of independence upon themselves, and not throw it away in fear; surrendering it to the most vile creatures of their own number, and to forces that live entirely within their fevered imaginations."
Evehime Gevurah	'Do you miss what was, and you want it to come again?' The Gevurah's voice takes on the audible texture of fire smoke in the eyes and the back of the throat; an edge of hoarse heat and prickling burn. "Of course I do. Not a day has gone by in a hundred years that I have not thought of them. I am far from so foolish to believe that I can fashion again a perfect duplicate of those times. Those people I knew, and trusted, and loved, and hated, whom I fought for and bled for, whom I guided, and faced at the end. I would never do them such an insult as to make mere copies in vanity." "But a century of solitude, to emerge amongst infinite worlds, and still find no one, is a fate I reject. I fought 'God' and won before. I will fight all the gods of the Multiverse --I will fight the entirety of the Multiverse itself-- before I forsake the ways of my people. I would render extinction upon all the worlds before allowing myself to forget them." 'The problem with the potential for anything...is that they could choose to be anything.' "The potential to do nothing is not 'the potential to become'. Not any more than a shadow is simply 'black light'. All humans contain the desire to matter. Those who believe themselves content simply being free of menace are either too exhausted to feel it, or damaged beyond repair." 'Isn't that kind of a waste, though? To put so much work and hope into one generation, then to wipe it out before the next can learn from them?' "I am not so impatient, when engaged in my own work. Gevurah encompasses all forms of 'withholding'. This includes withholding those impulses that work against oneself. If it takes thirty years to be absolutely sure, then I will watch them for so long." 'It still feels weird, for a parent to hurt their kids like that even if they are that hopeless.' "I am not their mother." says Evehime, briefly sounding rough-edged again. "My children are long dead. These people are infinitely unworthy to be considered the same. These people are those I have given the privilege of representing your humanity." A few moments of monching go by. Evehime sits up and removes the cup from its holding spot to pass it back to Kukuru. "You have my interest. Next, the sweetest fruit." 'If you tried, I'd still try to stop you. Just like before, even if I'd lose. Because...that's what I believe in. Or what I want to believe in.' "Then they would be unworthy of you. Perhaps in the crucible of an unwinnable war, more examples like you might emerge. At least enough to fill one world." says Evehime. She absorbs the remainder of Hibiki's appraisal in silence. '...You also mentioned...humanity does not need your hand to survive, but it has to be built again. That you're one of the only ones who can do it.' "I have trod hundreds of worlds already, and the most I have seen humanity achieve is spreading the insatiable greed and pointless hatred of their most powerful from end to end of their native galaxy, still cowering in fear of the inhuman. Clearly, I am the exceptional oddity." '...Do you think humanity could never do that on its own? How did yours do it?' Evehime actually pauses thinking about this one. "I have met one human, nearly worthy to be called Hesed, though she is very young. Whomever produced her are scarcely able to comprehend how, nor how to produce another. But were there more like her, then perhaps. I am not all-knowing. I am simply all-powerful."
Evehime Gevurah	'The ones I've talked to... I think, they look like they're real people' "My own world had countless people, ensouled beings, who were not human. I am certain it still does. A 'person' and a 'human' are not equivalent concepts, as much as the naive charity of many would use the term to simply mean 'deserving of consideration as conscious individuals'." says Evehime. "The Archwolf is fond of humans, but she knows that humans are not wolves. She wastes not her time on declaring every thinking being 'wolf' and mandating they be treated no differently. She values the strengths and wisdoms that wolves possess, holds them above others, and aims to elevate these humans to such a level herself. As they are so pitifully weak and foolish, I have no objection that she might first make them something stronger and wiser." "As she would teach these people to be 'Wolves', I will teach them to be 'Humans'. We have coexisted since fire, after all. I will judge the other races as I come across them."
Hiromi	Hisako takes a bit to take in these answers, drinking deceptively strong drinks, unaware of the strength for its smooth sweetness. She might pay for that, soon. It wouldn't be the first time she was, by surprise, overwhelmed. But for now, she's still perfectly lucid. "My elder sisters told me about the fake people made in ancient wars. Dolls that can remember, and some can talk, but they can't grow. The Archwolf guides humans, so that we can be more like her. So that we can grow. Because humans... real people can do that. Dolls, rabbits, deer -- if they're not 'people,' they can't be more than tools and prey." With the trace uncertainty of one uncertain they're properly remembering something important, Hisako finishes, "That's what I've heard, so... if they're real, then they should be able to grow like you want them to." She doesn't add in the obvious fact that growing to be some variety of 'a strong human' must necessarily be easier than growing to be 'a wolf.' One is a higher, farther goal.
Kukuru	The fact that the alcohol doesn't taste strong is enough reason for Kukuru to go back for seconds. It won't affect her ability to pour Evehime some more menacing tea, though, and she even has it together enough to make sure to include a nice balance of all those different juice bubbles for both flavor and color variety. She is, however, getting visibly redder in the face by her third dish of the spiced drink. "Waiting that long... Yeah, that sounds like a decent amount of time to figure things out. I know there's some humans that take a really long time to... Figure it all out themselves, but it's... So complicated if you wanna do the big picture thing that smarter people than me could explain better." Kukuru replies with a satisfied nod, leaning back on her pillow seat with her dish-holding arm propped up on a raised knee, decency in a skirt be damned. Before she can ask if Evehime wants to be these people's mother, her question is already answered with a resounding 'not' and 'these people'. "I guess that would make things a lot easier, then, if they're not even family. It looks like there's a whole lot of them here, and that'd be a lot of... Yeah, that'd be a lot to worry about. It's real different if they're not your own." There's a bit of a relieved sigh there, but then Kukuru goes quiet as she finishes her third dish. "Long... Dead?" There's a longer pause before something finally clicks, and then she stares straight at Evehime. "Are... Are you okay? Do you wanna...?" She can't quite finish that sentence, already starting to tear up and looking like she's about to choke up. She probably shouldn't have had that third drink.
Ishirou	Ishirou heaves a sigh after the questions are answered. He's...honestly, not sure what he feels. He's trying to engage his emotions and his logic in this, and it's very...hard to come to an agreement. Though, after what seems like a long time, he lets out a breath again and speaks. "I am sorry for what you have lost," he says, speaking with empathy, and not sympathy. "I don't think we'll ever be that, and honestly, I don't think that is a bad thing. There is one thing I value over strength and even wisdom...and that is the freedom to act in whatever means you want to, as long as it does not cause harm to others." "The desire to be self determinate. One can be guided, but the path has to be chosen...and if they do not choose to take a path, or choose a life that does not harm others but is quiet..." "Then it is their right to," he says firmly. "That is the foundation on which all should be based first. Once needs are met, others can live without fear of death, hunger, thirst, and fulfillment. How one chooses to be happy should not be a value judgment of others in this case." Silent for a time, "I will see what I can do in what can be done with the consortium. What can be done for the people of this world."
Hibiki Tachibana	'Then they would be unworthy of you.' Hibiki makes a small noise from somewhere in her throat in response to that, to which the vocal equivalent would likely be a 'you're right, maybe.' Her feelings on that are mixed. Very much so. Even so... 'I have trod hundreds of worlds already, and the most I have seen humanity achieve is spreading the insatiable greed and pointless hatred of their most powerful from end to end of their native galaxy, still cowering in fear of the inhuman.' "...I've seen a lot of worlds, too. Maybe not hundreds. And I don't think any of them were perfect. There's been a lot of greed and hatred, for sure. But a lot of good, too. Maybe not anyone fit to guide humanity, or anything like that..." She says that, slowly. "...but plenty of people who I think aren't any less of an 'example' than me." 'I have met one human, nearly worthy to be called Hesed, though she is very young.' Is she talking about...? A long moment of thought passes on Hibiki's part, too. "...If we're thinking about the same person, then I think I know what you mean. Yeah...yeah. The multiverse is supposed to be infinite and all of that. So I wanna believe...there's more 'exceptional oddities' out there than either of us. I think believing that is part of why I feel the way I do." There's another sound...and then a nod. She thinks she's gotten some of the understanding she wanted. At least, a little bit of it. But a little bit is a start. After a small period of looking down into her cup, she glances back up - after Ishirou's mention of the Consortium. "I will, too. I said, back then, that I was going to protect them because that's what I came to do. I don't regret that. If people need help, I want to help them. But now that we're here, and I know a lot more about them, and everything going on..." She glances over to Ishirou himself. There is the tiniest, barest of smiles. "...Well, if people need help, I want to help them," she repeats, as if saying that in of itself is justification enough. "And it's not like it's the first time I've tried to do something about crappy corporations. You wouldn't mind some more Paladins and Watch collaboration, right?"
Evehime Gevurah	'That's what I've heard, so... if they're real, then they should be able to grow like you want them to.' "You are correct." says Evehime. There's that cryptic amusement again. "Good girl." 'I know there's some humans that take a really long time to... Figure it all out themselves' "I myself took nearly as long to accept the reality of who I was." Evehime idly replies. Decency is not exactly an issue here. The Gevurah apparently thinks nothing of wearing essentially fuckall above the waist in this environment. 'I am sorry for what you have lost' "You live in hell and do not even realize it." Evehime drones back. "You are sorry for the idea that I have lost something. If you understood what it was, it would break you to pieces." 'That is the foundation on which all should be based first.' "Humans are born into the world helpless and screaming. They are utterly vulnerable, unable to even control their own limbs, having no concept even of their own existence. Their mother chooses where to carry them until they walk, and chooses what they eat until they are able to feed themselves. Their father chooses how to shelter and protect them until they can fend for themselves, and chooses what to teach them until they are able to seek knowledge themselves. This is taken as natural. Correct. A responsibility. It is either vanity or fear that leads you to believe that you no longer require any choices to be made for you." "As an infant is helpless to protect itself from the elements, so are you helpless to protect yourselves from me. Is that not so? Be grateful that I am able to feel any 'responsibility' at all." 'So I wanna believe...there's more 'exceptional oddities' out there' "I would as well." says Evehime, her voice cold and hollow. "I must believe it. Abandoning that foolish dream is something I will not return from." 'You wouldn't mind some more Paladins and Watch collaboration, right?' "You are a fool to offer." Evehime replies. "I am the greatest hero to ever exist, but not a hero of your culture. We will never understand each other. For time and age, conviction and deed, culture and language, an immeasurable barrier will always separate us from mutual comprehension." Evehime sets down her second empty drink. "As long as your sense of 'justice' will allow you to, you will be free to aid these people. They are representing your very species. I trust your interest to be founded in sense. But I will show you not the slightest mercy should we come into conflict. I will bend not the least in any belief." "So is my power as the usurper as the Arm of God to choose what is permitted and what is denied. I have taken pupils and later slain them before. I will only not fault your 'hope'. Your 'conviction'. To do so would be to deny myself." 'Are... Are you okay?' Evehime sits up. Her feet scrape across the floor as she brings her knees up, and leans her elbows into them. Resting her face in her fingers, her eyes shaded by her hair, a third of her size seems to disappear. Her voice cracks, just by a sliver, but all the way down to an untapped well, an inconceivable vastness, of hoarse and paralyzing nothingness. "No. I am not." "How could I be?" A deep breath, heavy as a mountain, is slowly drawn through her fingers. Lightning blue eyes glimpse up from between them. "Leave. You are welcome to stay within the crater, but do not trouble me again."
Hibiki Tachibana	'I must believe it. Abandoning that foolish dream is something I will not return from.' Hibiki understands that. More keenly than she might even let on at first. She doesn't say so, but returning her full focus to Evehime, there's a small dip of her head. 'We will never understand each other. An immeasurable barrier will always separate us from mutual comprehension.' Her head slowly turns back up. "...I don't know. It's not really that much. Just the tip of the iceberg, really...but I think that barrier's been crossed. Just a tiny bit." Her own drink, almost entirely gone by now, is sat back down in front of her. Her now-free hand comes up to rest lightly on her chest. 'I will bend not the least in any belief.' "...And I'll try not to, either. Even when we do fight again." And a little more understanding is still coming. Evehime's response to Kukuru's question says enough. She doesn't think she could ever imagine hearing that voice crack, before. Not in the slightest. But it does, and that tone in her voice, the way she spoke about solitude... ... ...In the end, even the peak of humanity is still only human, it looks like. Hibiki silently nods, and reaches for her shoes.