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Operator     The Kyoto Metropolitan Curse Technical College is initially a bit hard to find, in a way that feels very intended. Situated in the outskirts of the city with no warpgates nearby, only one bus goes out that far, seemingly abandoning those who take it on an empty forested road. However, Elites who answer the call are provided directions that lead to a very concealed turn-off further down the road. There's no signage outside or on the dirt path at all, but eventually you would reach a clearing in which the school is built.

    It's age is apparent, built in that enduring classical Japanese style of wood and tile built upon stone foundations, with only a few modern wings. High walls surround the compound, working on conjunction with the surrounding foliage to keep the whole area well-concealed from prying eyes or lost normies. A small carpark on the right as you enter only has about three vehicles but there's twenty parks in total, giving a general idea of how many people are expected to be attending or working at the school at once.

    A wooden bridge separates you all from the complex interior, and standing before it is two women. One of them looks older than the other perhaps in her late twenties or early thirties. She's dressed in the traditional miko outfit of a red hakama and a white kosode. She even has the white hair ribbons, using one to tie her black hair back. Her face has a massive scar on it, extending from her right cheek just under her eyes all the way across her nose and tapering to a point on her left cheek.

    The other looks to be a student in her mid-teens. Her hair is light blue with her bangs trimmed at an angle. She wears a suit... or is it the school uniform? A black two-breasted jacket with white blouse, a neatly tucked black tie, pants, and brown loafers. A katana hangs at her side in a red scabbard.

    As the Elites approach, the two bow, and the scarred woman speaks. "Welcome to Kyoto. I hope the trip out here was comfortable. I am Utahime Iori-that's surname first if they don't do that in the Japan's you know. And this is Kasumi Miwa, one of my students." The girl with the katana smiles and does a quick bow of the head. "It's good to meet you all," she says, doing her best to mimic her teacher's polite and friendly yet formal tone, but the wobble in her voice implies it's not coming naturally.

    "We were supposed to have another student with us, but he..." She looks askance at Miwa, who produces a smartphone and checks the screen, but shakes her head. "Well, he'll turn up soon I'm sure. Please, come inside. We've prepared refreshments and dossiers on our world and our current target." The two of them guide you all across the bridge and into the academy. Mercifully, the old buildings have been wired and contain modern amenities like air conditioning (Kyoto summers are brutal). All of you are lead to a sizeable meeting room with couches arranged around a low table that already holds cups and a lightly steaming pot of tea as well as a pitcher of iced water beside stacked glasses.

    "Well... we'll give my other student a few more minutes if you all don't mind. If you like, we can answer any questions you had about our world and cursed spirits. And then we could ask questions about you and the Multiverse until he arrives."
Sleek Shimmer     The Watch has heard about the call for help dealing with evil spirits. As that sounds pretty unambiguously a thing Sleek Shimmer would put on the good deeds list, she has jumped at the chance.

    However, for this journey she is remaining in fox form. Getting the crap kicked out of her has done a number on her confidence AND her qi reserves, which have not fully recovered.

    But given the local culture, it may or may not be all that strange when the little quadruped hops onto the bridge railing and crosses it in a relaxed manner not often seen amongst wild beasts. She wasn't present on the bus ride - at least, not in the traditional way, given that she was riding ON TOP of the bus...

    At the greeting, the little vixen answers with a short but sharp, squeaky "Kyiiiiak!" And proceeds to encircle Miwa and Iori a few times, sniffing.

    As everyone files into the room though, Shimmer's form erupts upwards with a faint glow, clothes appearing from storage in a flash. In a few seconds, a young woman with fox ears and four tails is standing there instead, looking over the room and the amenities. She's quick to pour a glass of icewater for herself and find a seat. "My thanks for the hospitality." She's quick to say with all due sincerity. "And I am Sleek Shimmer. ... that's my only name. No family name. Just Shimmer for short, if you like."

    "'Evil spirits' brings several things to mind from the world I come from. Not sure if they're anything like these 'cursed spirits', but the name alone says something. What are they? How much of a problem are they?"
Father Berislav      Isn't it nice to ride the bus? People need to be picked up. Father Berislav spends the trip in the pages of a romance novel. There is a look of mild and owlish confusion on his face when he steps out into the empty road. Book closed, red bookmark dangling from its pages, he removes his reading glasses and taps a finger to his temple thoughtfully. What had the directions said?

     That's right--a little further down the road. The novel, a paperback bearing an image of two embracing men in 19th century clothes (tastefully unbuttoned) disappears into a brightly burning orange spatial tear, along with the reading glasses.

     "What a charming little campus," he notes with a small smile, smoothing his cassock with both hands before striding up to the bridge. His silver eyes briefly meet those of each woman, radiating warmth.

     "Hello," he says, returning the bow. "I'm Father Waters Berislav," he says. "You can just call me Waters, if you'd rather not use the church honorific. Pleased to meet you, Ms. Utahime, Ms. Kasumi." He follows the two of them inside, graciously accepting tea.

     Taking a seat on one of the couches, "I don't mind at all, Ms. Utahime. I'm going to guess, by the appearance of this technical college--old mixed with new--that the cursed spirits aren't a new phenomenon. I'm not an exorcist myself," he explains. "The Episcopal Church is very quiet about such things, to avoid sensationalism. So," he adds, after a measured sip of tea, "I feel the most prudent question for me to ask is how best to deal with them. What have you found to be effective?"
Stanley Padgett     STANLEY PADGETT has been considering his Future Education. A technical college devoted to fighting evil spirits was... novel to say the least, but since that was the sort of thing he'd been working towards this school year, it was a natural chance for the young man to come out, meet other students, and maybe find a... a certification for fighting ghosts?
    He's not quite sure how that works in the Japanese systems of schooling. BUT. That's why he's here.

    The young Fool find himself a seat and some tea and he sits down. Lilian's comment does get him to raise his hand though. "...what is the admission process for a school devoted to fighting evil spirits, anyways? I'm close to graduation myself so I've been trying to find a good place to continue my learning..."
Karlan Nobles "I'm sure we'll have time to go sightseeing once we're done here."
"Yes, but... Nn. It's not like everyone's going to show up on time, right?"
"There might be one or two stragglers, but it'd look bad if that was us."

Two more representatives from the Watch join those coming by bus, one clad in black and blue with white hair and the other in white and red clothes with black hair. They definitely appear to be closer to Iori's age than Miwa's, and their clothes are on the fancier side complete with fancy logos indicating their affiliation with some place called Kjerag, and they're clearly not from here between the heavy coats and distinctly non-human ears and tails.

Pramanix returns the greeting with a polite curtsey and low dip of her own, and Courier offers his own bow and trained smile that wouldn't be out of place on a butler or customer service rep.  

"It was quite comfortable, thank you. I am Pramanix, Saint of Karlan."
"Courier of the Snow Realm, contact of Karlan Trade and aide to Lady Pramanix. It's good to meet you both."

Heading into the academy proper, Pramanix breathes a heavy sigh of relief when the air conditioning hits her, and Courier already has his arm out and ready to take her coat and his own so they're not sweating their asses off more than they already are. Courier stands aside at first to take everyone else's coats if they need somewhere to put them, too, while Pramanix heads to the table and holds a seat for him while sipping some of that tea already.

"Lovely... Ah. These cursed spirits, then. Do they wander wherever they please, or do they have certain... Place they favor?"
"Like ghosts?"
"Yes! I mean... Yes."
Nephra Tangent     It's hard for Nephra to avoid staring at the compound's grounds, at least in passing, as the group is led onwards to the meeting ground, and it's similarly hard to avoid being a tad self-conscious of the heavy footsteps her boots scuff into the dirt path. She's even younger seeming than the blue-haired greeter, barely in her twenties, but with similarly electric hair. This commonality brings a smile over Nephra's lips, though she makes no remark on it. Being surrounded by new faces, and herself being a new face, it's comforting to have a crowd to follow and feel just a little bit hidden in- at least as much as someone decked out in gaudy neon colors from head to toe can be. But by the time the group arrives in the meeting room, the sudden onset of blessed air conditioning makes her break her own cautious silence with a sigh of relief. She made the mistake to walk here, in wrist-length gloves and a stifling plastic raincoat, and that's not one she'd make again.

    It's not her place to shun the expectation to introduce herself, but in doing so, she crunches down on the hard candy of the blowpop she's been nursing, and pulls the empty stick out of her mouth. With it, and while collapsing into a couch, she gestures a wave to the whole group- Elites and representatives alike.

    "Hey hey. Nice to meet you all. While we're giving names, Nephra Tangent." She turns the blowpop stick back to point at her own face. The confidence of the gesture doesn't seem to be upheld by her posture, shoulders tight and booted heel tapping against the floor. There's no immediate questions that spring to her mind to ask, so she leaves off at that, listening for what else may get answered.
Lilian Rook     Given that Lilian is ostensibly headed to another school, what to wear is relatively set. When coming to meet students in uniform, the typical courtesy is to arrive in uniform as well, and until later this year, she still has one. Might as well use it.

    This turns out to be a mistake, because it is Kyoto. A high collar button front blouse and ribbon is already begging for it without the dark red school blazer and pins over it. Even the skirt had to be black, and tights don't do any favours. Whilst she appears perfectly, radiantly at ease on the inside, Lilian is internally begging to get inside before she starts sweating through the strap of her bag.

    Being met by Iori, her eyes drift in the predictable way, though the pleasant smile never leaves her lips. Her hand slides upwards, drifts to her cheek, to touch the nearly mirrored scar --though much thinner and cleaner, clearly done by a blade-- before she disguises it as pushing back her hair, let down long today.

    "Very pleased to meet you." says Lilian, in the shockingly fluent Japanese she has since learned over the past few years for excruciatingly obvious reasons. "Lilian Rook. If we aren't worried about titles, then I'll simply say that I'm in my final year of a . . . loosely, equivalent establishment." Miwa looks nice. And a little flustered. Enough that Lilian indulges her a separate little nod and slight inclination. "That would be lovely." Lilian says to Iori. "I have some time to spare. I don't mind waiting, if believe your plus one will arrive shortly."

    Staring around the temple-esque grounds as they enter in a vaguely sparkle-eyed touristy fashion is perhaps understandable.Though maybe she could do without murmuring aloud "Ah, it's such a shame I couldn't get Tamamo to come . . ."

    Once indoors, Lilian seats herself with a sigh of relief, removing her bag from her shoulder and smoothing down her skirt (to the very attentive, a shape stands out against her thigh when she does), then excusing herself for a glass of ice water, quaffing it down in the shortest order that is still polite. Plying the obligate permission for the intrusion of taking tea that was already made for her comes shortly after.

    Once she's seated, she bothers to ask Pramanix, "Oh my. Where is your brother today? I've never seen you apart." And then a very different look goes to Stanley. Pretty green eyes grow hard and distant, subtle shine given over to deadened pinprick focus on something that isn't him. "Don't. This isn't a place you go to get an education. This is the sort of place that's chosen out for you before you ever see it, whether you know it or not. Please, if nothing else, remember that I told you there isn't an obligation to fight just because you were given the power to."

    Breathing out, clearing her throat, and turning back to the two women, Lilian smoothly folds one leg over the other, laces her fingers over her knee, and continues. "I suppose the most salient question is the original matter for arrival. 'Cursed spirit' is a rather broad descriptor. What danger does this one present? How will we recognize it? Or its traces? Do you have any suspicions as to any likely targets or haunts? Most importantly, do you have access to the site you last saw it?" A beat. "I'm rather good at finding things, you see."
Operator     A fox wandering in doesn't seem to phase the two women, but Miwa makes shooing motions to Shimmer until Utahime stops her. "I believe that is one of our guests." Miwa is confused but relents, shifting to looking a little stunned at the sight and title of Pramanix. Her eyes practically scream, "Wow, a princess?!" Berislav gets a similarly dazzled look. No doubt a proper man of the cloth is rare in Kyoto. The thought of "Same hair!" crosses her mind when she sees Nephra too. Utahime is all business though, not blinking at all at the eclectic cast that answered the call. But the corners of her mouth do rise a little higher when she sees Lilian touching her own facial scar. Miwa just seems in awe of the woman, totally taken in by the faux air of being unbothered in the Kyoto heat with that uniform.

    Once inside and blessed by the conditioned air (Miwa yelps a little when Shimmer changes form) the Q&A begins. First looking to Shimmer, Utahime begins to explain. "A cursed spirit is an existence borne from a mixture of cursed energy and the negative emotions from humans. Primarily their fears, but they can arise from any of them. There's many classifications, and they vary in strength. But they are constant threat, which is why we sorcerers exist."

    Next, Berslav asks how to deal with cursed spirits. "Rituals of exorcism have been used in times past, but they proved wholly ineffective," Utahime says, frowning slightly. "As far as we've learned, only cursed energy can kill a curse. That is why we sorcerers must deal with them. As people who can see curses and manipulate our own cursed energy, it falls to us... but when we Unified, and learned of Elites, I began to wonder if they-you all-could assist us in this. When this vengeful curse escaped into the Multiverse, it seemed the perfect time to put that to the test.
Operator     Stanley asks about enrollment, and Miwa starts to answer about her own experiences, but Lilian interjects, causing the girl to flinch back a little and keep her mouth shut. She knows better than to talk over old drama. "Er, yeah. She's kind of right. I was scouted myself," she finally says. Utahima nods, and goes into full Teacher Mode. "Right now, these schools are primarily for instruction in the manipulation of cursed energy. If it turns out Elites have this too, then perhaps we could aid you in learning to use it. But the human side of this world is... well, suffice to say, I had to argue tooth and nail to get the higher-ups to agree to us even having this meeting. Accepting an off-worlder and working with them on how to use their powers against curses... I would love to do it, but I think you should keep your options very wide open." Both she and Miwa look bummed about this.

    Pramanix asks about where curses tend to be found, and Utahime smiles slightly. "An astute observation. As existences made of cursed energy, they like to linger in places where said energy is thickest. Places of great tragedy, places that are feared. Curses flock to them on an instinctual level... but this is why vengeful spirits born of human lives are so dangerous. Their human intellect allows them to ignore those instincts and go where they please, as we see with this vengeful spirit. It's unclear if they could even survive out there, but we're not leaving that to chance."

    Looking to Nephra to confirm she has nothing to ask, Utahime instead answers Lilian's two questions. "Well, in the case of this vengeful spirit, it's exceptionally difficult to say. You see, we sorcerers present a much greater chance of becoming a vengeful curse when we die, given that we cultivate our cursed energy deliberately. A curse born of a sorcerer will generally exhibit similar techniques to those they used in life. But this curse was borne of a non-sorcerer, who had no jujutsu techniques to speak of. When we first fought it, they were very clumsy in the application of their cursed energy, mostly using it to flee and defend. I had Miwa launch an investigation into their life, and hopefully that will give us some more insight. And yes, we marked a map with their trail, so your expertise in tracking would be valuable. Miwa, get the folder."

    The swordswoman nods and rises form her chair to go over to a filing cabinet, but heavy footfalls coming from the hallway outside captures both of their attention. "Oh, here he is," Utahime says, audibly relieved. The door opens, and an absolute gorilla of a man walks into the room sideways. His rugged face bears a massive scar too, coming down over and completely surrounding his left eye from the top of his head. His black hair is pulled back into a loose topknot and he wears a more traditional school uniform of a black high collar jacket with gold buttons and black pants. However, he wears the jacket open to reveal a purple top, and the pants are held up with a blue sash rather than a belt. Under his arms are two cardboard boxes when he immediately dumps on the table.

    "Where were you Aoi?!" Miwa says sternly. "We had to greet our guests without you. Show some respect!" "Yeah yeah. I was running some important errands." Aoi says, before looking to the Elites and bowing his head. "I'm Aoi Todo, and I heard you asking questions from down the hall. It's our turn now, so I got something real important to ask you all."

    "What kind of girls do you like?"

    The look of exasperation on Miwa and Utahime's face betray that he is always like this. Standing up straight, Aoi cracks a huge smile and continues, "For full disclosure, you should know that I like tall girls with huge asses!"
Stanley Padgett     Stanley siiiiiiiiiighs a bit as Lilian interjects into his question, but holds up his hands. "I'm just trying to get options, Lilian, it's not like..." He sighs, realizing she's not /precisely/ talking to him, but at him. The placating gestures continue, as Padgett listens to the speech, and then nods. "I figured it'd be something like that anyways. These sorts of..."
    He wobbles his hands, and looks to Utahima. "It's a private sort of thing, isn't it? I'm guessing people here... the-" He nearly stumbles on the next bit. "-the normal people around here don't like to acknowledge that there are spirits and spooks and ghosts endangering them on the regular, do they? I get a lot of that at home too, so..."

    A look to Lilian. "And if it makes you you happier, I'm getting feelers from like, regular schools too. Theater colleges. Apparently, I'm both a charity case /and/ a potential elite student, so... uh."
    He's about to explain, when Aoi comes in, and drops that question on the room. Stanley looks between Father Waters and Nephra and Lilian and Shimmer, the Karlans... And to Miwa and Utahima's faces. Those say a lot too. The Fool does... Let's say *relationship calculus* here. What is the fastest way to Make Friends with this Stout Fellow?

    Stanley sits up straighter. "Hi, I'm Stanley Padgett. I prefer slim girls with cute faces." And then he holds out his hand to Aoi.
Father Berislav      "Hello, Nephra," says Berislav, nodding courteously. "It's good to meet you in person." Another sip of tea. The cassock might have been a poor choice for the heat, so they have that in common--as well as the relief felt over air conditioning. "I love your choice of colors," he asides. "Neon is such a statement, isn't it?"

     One leg folded over the other, he listens patiently to the discussion of what, exactly, a cursed spirit is. The notion of being put to the test doesn't seem to surprising to him, entertained with a slight nod. He refrains from comment, all the way through the explanation of how sorcerers combat the cursed spirits.

     The entrance of Aoi has Berislav standing, offering a bow of greeting as had been offered to him at the gate. His question draws a beaming smile to the priest's face, and a soft laugh. "Goodness, what a question," he says. A thoughtful hum, finger tapped to his chin, as he takes his seat again and lifts his tea. Sip.

     "I appreciate the disclosure, Aoi. For myself, I tend to prefer men, very slightly," he says. "But as girls go... hm. Intellectuals, terrorists, counter-culture sorts. Dangerous women, with magnetic personalities and loaded guns."
Karlan Nobles Although most of the faces here are unfamiliar to Pramanix and Courier, there's still af ew voices they can pick out. Lilian's is one of the few that's recognized on sight by Pramanix, and she chuckles lightly at the question. "Ah, Miss Rook! He had other business to handle back home, so I'm afraid it's just myself and Courier today. Not that I mind the change of pace or anything. If anything, it's..."

Berislav introducing himself as a clergyman seems to get Pramanix to relax a little more and Courier to relax a little less. "Waters, was it? What a fun coincidence~" Pramanix comments with a pleasant chuckle, although she doesn't elaborate further.

Neither of them say anything while Shimmer's getting shoo'd at.

Stanley's a familiar voice, at least, and Courier mirrors Lilian's warning with a slow nod of his head (while still smiling politely the whole time). "It's definitely a career path, but you should really consider what you want to do long-term, too. Not that this is a bad one or anything, but unless you have money saved up, the tuition might be something to worry about?" He looks to Utahime and Miwa for clarification there.

Nephra's a new voice and face entirely for the two, so they greet her with a curtsey and wave as well. Courier offers to take her raincoat, although he'll soon realize he has no idea where to put all of them.

Realizing that she's getting a little snippy with someone that's not even there, she quickly adjusts course and turns back to Miwa with another laugh. "Oh, no, nothing like that. More like..." Wait. She kind of is.
"In some sense, but her position was earned rather than hereditary." Courier explains, making a quick save.

When the topic comes back to the subject of curses themselves and the Kyoto school in particular, though, the two are all ears. Pramanix looks particularly proud at her guess that the cursed spirits might be ghosts that haunt places, although the realization that this one they're being called in to handle isn't quite following those rules does give her pause.

"How troublesome... Best to catch the spirit before they can wander too far, then."
"Miss miwa's map should help a lot. Once we can track the target-"

Before they can provide much input on THE PLAN, a new arrival makes his presence known! He's a big one, too, that gets both of the animal-eared people staring for quite some time. That goes on a bit longer when he asks what seems to be a vague question at first, then clarifies it in a more pinpointed way. Pramanix and Courier exchange blank stares, then both consider Aoi's question more seriously than perhaps they should.

"I think I would prefer... Someone a fair bit taller than myself-"
"Much taller than me-"
"-with a strong body."
"-with long legs."
Sleek Shimmer     Sleek Shimmer offers a slightly mischevious but friendly grin for the startled Miwa. She listens attentively though once the explanation begins, and nods in understanding at the end of it. "Similar ideas to what I know. Well worth trying to stop, too. Strange that only 'cursed energy' can kill these things, though, and not something... clean. Pure... water is used to clean away filth, not filth." She can only shrug a little at the strangeness of that.

    The appearance of Aoi gets a rather wide-eyed appreciative stare from Sleek Shimmer.

    It's not long, though, before her own exasperated groan is added to Miwa and Utahime's expressions. "The friendly kind?" She ends up answering in a doesn't-appreciate-the-question dissuading tone.
Lilian Rook     'When this vengeful curse escaped into the Multiverse, it seemed the perfect time to put that to the test.'

    "Ah, I see." Lilian says, looking awfully smug and noncommittal for hearing that someone had just admitted to using her as a guinea pig, if taken uncharitably. "You're clever, aren't you? What a perfect opportunity. Or perhaps a perfect excuse?"

    'Er, yeah. She's kind of right. I was scouted myself'

    "I suspected as much." Lilian splits her hands, placing an elbow on her armrest, so she can recline with her knuckles to her cheekbone and sip from her tea. "I expect the number of people who can use 'cursed energy' here is extraordinarily low? My own class has barely nine people in it, after all. I know what that's like. Though, in my case, my family decided for me."

    'I had to argue tooth and nail to get the higher-ups to agree to us even having this meeting.'

    A less pleasant grin spreads across Lilian's lips. "I know how that is as well. Don't worry. I have a way with old-money types like that. They'll certainly approve of me, if I can get a moment with them."

    'A curse born of a sorcerer will generally exhibit similar techniques to those they used in life.'

    "I see. So the question of cursed energy is . . ." She allows a moment of polite delay for thoughtful emphasis, even though she's already pieced it together in her head. "The best known way to utilize mystical arts in this country, perhaps this world, is to tap into the very thing that gives cursed spirits their form. Human emotion. Negative psychic energy. If humans can pool their essentia to create spirits, then an individual can cultivate that substrate to the point of manipulating it themselves." Another moment. "I expect some may have trouble with this, but for my own part, I expect our methods will largely be compatible." She glances at Miwa's katana meaningfully. "Would it be gauche to submit something to your inspection?"
Lilian Rook     That's where her head is going anyways, up until the absolute unit slides his way into the room. Hearing Miwa's recognition of him, Lilian stands, about to perform her well-rehearsed little half-bow, her own words fresh on her mind.

<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "You know, I get the sense that miss Utahime is fairly strong. But I wonder about Kasumi. Is she new here?"
<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "It seems like an odd pairing to greet us with."
<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "Typically you use your star pupil."

    "Lilian Rook. Final year at Nova Heliosanctus. A pleasure to meet you."

    'What kind of girls do you like?'

    Lilian abruptly ceases speaking.

<J-IC-Scene> Father Berislav says, "Yes, although being a star pupil does come with certain associations. Responsibilities..." With a touch of amusement, "Foibles."

    She, of course, looks terribly taken aback by such a crude and direct question. Subtly straightening upright in tension, she opens her mouth, and then goes silent. Her eyes sweep away, and she closes her lips again. Probably to object, then thinking better of it. Her fingers curl against her chin. Deep discomfort slowly grips her features. Like she's making a very difficult decision about how to approach this situation.

    §What kind of girls? I haven't really thought about it very much. Obviously there's Tamamo. That's settled. But it's a question of attraction, not dedication. Does she have anything in common with Persephone? Kana? God forbid Hiromi. They're pretty different, aren't they? What do they even share with Tamamo?§

    "Confident?" Lilian blurts out, sounding half sure of herself. She slides her fingers up her cheek, glaring downwards thoughtfully, deeply in serious thought. Moments of furious deliberation go by. Then, understanding sparks in her eyes.

    Simultaneous with Todo's grin, Lilian suddenly looks back up, snapping her fingers, hips cocked. So filled with pride at figuring it out, Lilian commits the grave social faux-pas of talking right over him by accident, though she has no hope of drowning out his voice.

    'For full disclosure, you should know-'
    "Confident and a great ass. Preferably taller than me. Either a soft or hard figure is fine, as long as they have curves."

<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "I've never had a foible in my life."

    Lilian stops in delayed realization. Her eyes widen slowly in dawning horror.

    "Wait-"
Nephra Tangent     "Haha. I'm glad you think so, Father. I like it because it seems like it's saying something, even when it's not." Nephra's laugh doesn't come with a paired smile, or any real tone inflection, but she throws the good Father a double-nod. The offer from Courier goes unanswered, as Nephra's gloved hands shove themselves into transparent plastic pockets. It's clear she wants to keep it on.

    However, when Aoi's introductin rings out, after all the question answering, Nephra's face immediately pales. She was prepared for meeting new people, she was prepared for hearing about ghosts and magic, hell, she even packed spare clothes and water in the duffel bag at her back.

    She did not, however, prepare to answer a question like that. But as people start to answer it in earnest, her fate is locked in- of course she has to too. Any flimsy air of casualness about her is instantly crushed by the stammer of the called-for response.

    "That.. you're serious? Is this critical..?" Even as she questions the question, Nephra tries to put thought to what her answer would be. Sighing, she puts the barren paper stick of her blowpop back in her mouth, chewing on it. A critical step in being able to think at full power.

    She could say something plain to cover herself like cute girls, she could say something boring like kind girls, or partially true like strong ones. What she does say, clearly slightly wistful and half lost in her own thoughts, is:

     "I like girls that could beat me up, and.. wouldn't keep me on a close leash."

    Maybe the Kyoto heat got to her.
Father Berislav      Berislav beams at Pramanix, pleased to make another acquaintance in person.

     "Great abs are also a plus," he adds, with a playful wrinkle of his nose.

     Once the matter of his favorite sort of woman is out in the open, he returns to the more pressing topic--cursed spirits. "My own talents are hardly what you'd call supernatural, and they don't draw directly on emotion, but I'd still be happy to help, however I can."

     After another sip of tea, he adds, "If my... martial skills prove ineffective, I do have other ways to contribute. I make it a point to maintain contact with networks of aid, which can provide things like surveillance and medical supplies. I'm also fairly good at makeshift repairs, if that happens to come up. Tell me something," he asks with a slight tilt of his head, legs crossed again.

     "These spirits are borne of intense negative emotion," the priest continues. "Exorcism doesn't work, and sorcery is the first line of defense. In your experience..." He takes a moment to search for words, setting his cup on the table. "How effective is it to *confront* these emotions, in a non-martial sense? To try and... untie the tangled knots that create these spirits, by tugging on one end?"
Operator     "Don't encourage him!" Miwa bemoans when people actually start answering the question, but it's too late. This large lad's confidence and charisma has totally derailed the meeting, and Utahime just lets it wash over her as she massages her temples with a technique that implies she does it often.

    Lilian actually answers at the same time he gives his answer, and he stares at her agog. Every bit of embarrassment she feels is matched by every bit of glee he feels. "SISTER!" he booms, moving forward to put both his hands on her shoulder. "You understand! I was so worried you Elites would have shit taste like everyone here, but you get it!" Backing off in a clearly good mood, he begins hearing out everyone else's answers.

    "Hmm... a cute face is nice, but you need to understand the appeal of meat on the bone!" Aoi booms at Stanley. "But hey, at least you know what you like. I'll turn you around eventually." The offered hand is taken and crushed in the most macho handshake you've ever seen.

    "Oh huh," Aoi says in response to Berislav asserting his interests. "I thought your church didn't like that kind of thing. But whatever. Interesting taste in women, but tell me what you like in a guy too, I wanna know."

    His grin widens as Pramanix and Courier give their answers. "I guess they raise you right where you come from! Hardly anyone around here gets the appeal of tall girls, it's a travesty. Good to meet you!" Both of them get claps on the shoulder that could dislocate an arm in normal people.

    The look of sheer disdain that crosses his face when Shimmer gives their answer however seems to cool the room more than the air conditioning. "Boring," is all he says in response, in a tone that one would usually reserve for calling someone a slur.

    Nephra's answer actually gets Looks from all the sorcerers present. Utahime is agog, and Miwa's face has lit up red. Aoi raises one eyebrow, before a slow smile crosses his face. "Heh... I guess you're more experienced than me." He bows his head in a semi-reverant way before flopping back into a seat. "Okay, I'm satisfied. I can live with one dud and one with bad taste. Looking forward to working with you all."
Operator     "Okay, let's get back on track," Utahime half-says, half-snaps. Answering Lilian's question, she says, "Please, present anything you like. The point of this meeting is mutually shared information." As Berislav talks about what he brings to the table, she smiles. "Thank you. If everyone else could lay out what they can do as Miwa presents what we know, we can start formulating a plan."

    Relieved that the slumber party talk is over, Miwa finally grabs that file and starts laying out the documents contained within. "The human that gave birth to this curse was named Hayato Ishiguri. He worked in a kinda shady financial brokerage that would buy and sell stocks and bulk items with the intent of making fast profit on them in the short-term." She lays out a photo of a lean, gaunt fellow in his 40s or so with slightly greasy greying hair wearing an off-the-rack suit.

    "Officially he died of a heart attack, but from what I could tell, this was a karoshi. That is, he died from overworking himself. From what I could gather, he would convince higher-ups to buy into things that didn't work out, and they weren't happy with him. He was having to pull longer hours with less pay to stay in their good books, and it took its toll."

    She now lays out a map of Kyoto, with one area near a shrine circled. "After he died, we heard reports of haunted activity at this old shrine. When we... that is Aoi, myself, and Mai-she's another student, absent due to family matters-investigated, we found the curse created by his death. He seemed confused and scared, and when we confronted him, he fled into the hills." She traces a dotted path on the map with her finger that terminates with a circled area with exact co-ordinates. "But as he fled, we found a warpgate that he escaped into. When we reported it in, Utahime advised us not to follow."

    The teacher nods, and looks at Lilian. "And to be clear, I made that call for the safety of my students. Curses are dangerous; they innately seek to harm humans. I would not let one go free for my political benefit. But we don't understand the Multiverse yet, and I was not about to send them sight unseen into it."

    Looking to Berislav, she frowns. "Don't try to absolve them, or give them therapy. No curse is going to sit around long enough to let you forgive them. We call them 'curses' for a reason. It's not just to differentiate them from ghost stories." Exhaling a soft sigh, she continues. "It would be nice if it could work that way. But as far as we can tell, it doesn't. And letting them live long enough to find out puts lives at risk. Try not to think of them as this person. More like an angry grudge that has their memories.

    With that said, she leaves the floor open for people to explain their skillsets.
Karlan Nobles "You're still thinking about that strange robotic woman, aren't you?"
"Wh...? No! Of course not."
"Sure you aren't. It's alright. We can be honest here."
"I'm not...! Nnh."

Courier hides his face in his hands with Pramanix teasing him, and he only tucks his head down further when Aoi encourages both of them. Pramanix even buckles a bit at the shoulder clap, but she keeps it together far better in comparison.

She's also trying not to look in Lilian's direction at her delayed reaction to giving such a similar response to Aoi.

Thankfully, Utahime gets things back on track, and Pramanix nudges Courier to let him know it's safe before introducing herself by placing her bell on the table. "I command the snow and the wind from my homeland of Kjerag. If we need something big or a lot of things to stop moving while everyone else beats the tar out of them, leave it to me!"

Courier follows up with his own longsword, keeping it sheathed as he lays it on the table in front of his seat. "And I'm skilled with a blade, even if it's not the flashiest. If there's any blessed swords or things of that nature, though, I'd be able to do a decent job with those."

"Or bows! I'm a good shot with those, too." Pramanix does not have a bow with her today, so she just takes the bell back afterwards.

The cursed spirit's origins are laid out, and the pair listen closely while peering at that map. Pramanix frowns slightly when Utahime shoots down the idea of fixing the curses, too, but she eventually nods solemnly after giving it some further thought.

"That certainly makes our jobs easier, but.. I would imagine that stopping them is more than just a matter of beating them in a fight. Er. Is it?"
"It'd be easier if it was. We wouldn't have to split our attention that way, and you'd be able to get home sooner once it's all handled."
"... Please tell me it's more complicated than just hitting them."
Father Berislav      "The Bible is words *about* God," Berislav says, on the topic of discussing his 'interests' so freely, and where they lie. "But God *is* the Word. Nuance, allegory, and historical context are all too often lost on modern readers. Sometimes intentionally, I find. There are many passages, even in the Greek scriptures, which are not expressions of God's will for all time, but how best to manage sin for a particular people at a particular time. Besides--my church hasn't asked celibacy of priests since before my parents' parents' parents were born." He smiles impishly.

    "For men... hm. My favorites are tall, well-built, and with a substantial rear-end," the priest replies calmly. "Bonus points if they're particularly blunt or brusque in manner." In other words, odds are even that Aoi would be in Berislav's strike zone, were he interested in such things. He reaches up and brushes a lock of silver hair over one ear, and takes another chaste sip of tea, uncrossing his legs and setting down the now-empty cup.

     Berislav listens with rapt attention to the explanation of how this particular spirit was formed, leaning forward in his seat. The explanation of karoshi draws the corners of his mouth downwards. "Understood," he says. "It isn't Mr. Hayato, but a current of feelings and grudges left behind by his passing. Your expertise is appreciated, Ms. Utahime." He nods his head once.

     "With that in mind," then a gently swept palm to gesture to Pramanix, "And my own suspicion it may be more complicated than simple martial prowess on our own part, I'd be glad to field any questions you or your students have about the Multiverse. I was a Watch asset for several years before I became a member, and traveled between worlds on sabbatical before that."
Sleek Shimmer     Sleek Shimmer makes a weird face. She is clearly surprised that the question she'd thought was stupid and out of line has been taken seriously by everyone here, and she doesn't hide her confusion glancing around at the others after that accusation from Aoi.

    But no, she decides not to press him on the matter and instead focuses on the matter at hand.

    "Died from overworking himself, pushing too hard for other people holding his leash... a leash of money." She echoes, ears drooping as she thinks that one through. It's a sad tale, and she's no doubt jotting down a mental note to figure out what sort of workplace could let this happen...

    "But you say this curse isn't a ghost... it's a separate thing. The soul has moved on to the next life, and not left a ghost... I'd really need to see this cursed spirit for myself to figure out if I can deal with it. ... do people normally work themselves to death here, in this nation?"
Stanley Padgett     Stanley accepts that BEEFY HIMBO HANDSHAKE with aplomb, and refrains from snickering too much directly in front of Lilian, before giving both Pram and Courier thumbs up on their choices too... "...I can see where you're coming from, Aoi, but..." A cough. "We'll get to it sometime."
    Nephra gets a *look* but Stanley coughs.
    'What can you do?' Stanley sits up, and then takes a breath. Aoi, Utahime and Miwa will feel the shift, as Mercutio, his Persona, comes to the forefront. The towering, faceless fencer hovers behind Stanley for a moment, before vanishing. "...I have experience fighting Bad Emotions and Shadows, I'm fast and can use wind and poisons, and I have a good sense of danger. And I've been working to fighting those sorts of things on my world." A beat. "Though, karoshi? We haven't had... people don't typically *work* themselves to death where I'm from, they just die *of* work or what they were doing at work. It used to be a steel town, and there's... There's haunted places." He rubs his chin. "You didn't get a chance to see where that particular warp gate was pointed when your grudge jumped into it, did you? Give us a head start on where we could find this thing?"
Nephra Tangent     Curses. Think about curses, Nephra, not muscles, or asses..... This is a job, not a.. not a...

    Shrivelling only slightly under the gazes her way, Nephra can't even begin to guess what one could call this combination of events and emotions. It's the bastard child of a schoolclass's icebreaker, drunken and delirious party games, and a work meeting- three things she has very little real experience with. But as the conversation winds its way back towards seriousness, she can let out a pent-up sigh.

    "The ghost of white-collared hell.... Haha. Figures a bunch of suits would drop like flies, every now and then. Myself, ah.. I'm kind of straightforward. I deal with the physical. If it can't be touched and doesn't have any mass, the best I can be is a dense object in the way." Nephra knocks gloved knuckles against the side of her head, just to the left of her prosthetic eye, on the jaggedly stitched remnant of a years-old scar.

    "I like spears, I mess with gravity, and I can throw around a whole lot of metal with my suit, but I don't have a lick of anything magic, or... sup-ra-natural. But it's not like I've got much to lose for trying, yeah?"

    Nephra leans forwards on her couch, and the black metal caterpillar of her undeployed suit is made far more visible against her spine through the transparent material of her coat. Mumbling, now that she's answered up the real question, she spits out a quiet "Hope fighting a curse is as fun as it sounds.."
Lilian Rook     Lilian actually flinches when Todo approaches and slaps his hands down on her shoulders; something she could have avoided with trivial ease if she were in her right mind. "Wait, wait! That's not what I-- No, no, it's . . . It's a reference! Look!" she says, fumbling out her smartphone, swiping to get to the internet to cover her ass.

    Her wallpaper choice, as came up not long ago, has been a beach photo with Tamamo in Secundus for months upon months. The shot isn't so unnecessarily low such that get would be visible, so she just looks nearly six feet tall next to Lilian. "Oh f--"

                -----[stop]-----
    "--uck me sideways! I can't believe this! What does this have to do with--"

    About five minutes pass this way.

                -----[start]-----

    "--orget about it!" Lilian carries off almost seamlessly. A million tons of vibrating tension flows out of her over the space of a singular sigh, with all the gentle subtlety of a reactor core gushing steam. "Leaving the subject f men alone, I apologize for my unseemly introduction. I can tell that you're strong, so I'll consider it an eccentricity between us." As if psychically knowing that someone is going to ask 'how', she counts off on her fingers.

    "You were meant to be present to visitors, which means you're a prized student. You're allowed to get away with violating timetables, which means nobody can stop you. Our adult professional liaison is working around it, which means they've given up trying. And you have such . . . contemporary interests, in a field dominated by the old-fashioned types, which means you're too good to risk letting go of." She looks back up. "Am I right?" The question is rhetorical.

    "So, I'll say again, it's a pleasure to meet you. I may not look it, but I'm something of a star pupil where I'm from as well. You'd never guess, though~" It is of course, pure bullshit to anyone who knows what to look for. You don't get that kind of posture from inexperience. You don't get that kind of attitude from mediocrity. And you don't get that kind of stare from living a peaceful life.

    Seating herself again as if nothing had transpired, Lilian resumes her prior posture, leaning in closely to examine the material. "Death by overwork, is it?" she repeats. The relevance glides right over Lilian's totally normal head. "Well, he does look rather hold and unhealthy. Get rich quick schemes like that, when you aren't at the top of the pyramid especially, must be stressful." She goes quiet again, gently tapping her cheek with her fingertip. "That is odd, though. You identified the curse as his, simply by interacting with it? If he didn't have any notable power, that seems awfully odd."

    She glances from face to face in steady sequence. "Are you currently suspecting that someone else made him one? Perhaps he was already cursed before he died. No matter how you look at it, a cursed spirit can't be born without power as a catalyst, so if it isn't his, then wouldn't it stand to reason that it belongs to someone else?" Allowing the question to stew for a bit, she adds, "If I have the beginning of its trail, I'll get it sooner or later. Amongst other things, I'm a diviner. Precognitive. If I can set an objective and a starting point, it won't be able to hide from me."
Lilian Rook     However, Utahime has so thoughtfully suggested that they share information, in response to Lilian's question, and so she obliges. It's what she'd meant to ask about and compare anyways. Her fingers unbutton the top of her collar, dive a little down her neck, and then withdraw the polished black links of a magnetite pendant, the adornment like a sword serving the crux of a celtic cross. Lilian picks the side free of obstructions, pulls it from her throat, and dissolves the glamer with the extended flick of her wrist, causing a plume of swirling inky blackness to rush from her hand, weightlessly splash the near wall, and fade away like smoke.

    Lilian, of course, lays Night Mist out on the table, carefully and with both palms under it. The sword would be comfortable for someone Aoi's size, if somewhat narrow. It's outright precocious on her. Mirror smooth and reflective black magnetite for a blade, turned translucent at its edges, hilt wrapped in braided gossamer, etched end to end in continuous semi-floral markings, it'd stand out by merit of design alone. What matters more, however; what stands out immediately to the sensitive, is--

    The sheer malice in the weapon is palpable. The vengeful single-minded hatred of its lifelong smith. The terror and resentment from countless mingled bits and pieces of slain spirits folded into the metal. Centuries of blood soaked into its edges, inhuman and human both; passed down for countless generations, the faint marks of each wielder's personal war lingering on its grip.

    It's astonishing that it's already so heavily obscured by such recent darkness. Fresh and wet, like recent paint, still soaking in. It feels awfully similar to Lilian herself. Indeed, just by drawing it, the link between the two is obvious. It's like hearing a sound that had been slipping beneath notice until now. Like looking upon the blue light spilling from the cracks in Chernobyl from afar, and suddenly noticing the taste of metal in your mouth.

    "I'd prefer to keep my techniques to myself for now, but do you suppose this would suffice?"
Operator     "Chilling or freezing them... now there's a technique I've never seen. That would be helpful, thank you," Utahime says to Pramanix. Miwa adds to Courier, "We have plenty of cursed swords here at the school. You can borrow one in case your usual sword won't cut it!" She smiles, both in solidarity with her fellow sword-user, and at her own pun.

    As Berislav makes his taste in men clear, Aoi smirks. "Sorry pops, I'm not into dudes or people a lot older than me. Thanks though." As he and Pramanix both express their doubts that it'll come down to a plain fight, he interjects. "Oh no, fighting them to a standstill works. I beat curses to death with my fists and raw cursed output all the time. Don't even have to use my technique unless they're special grade." This sounds like macho posturing, but neither Miwa nor Utahime contradict him, so maybe he's serious.

    As Shimmer asks if karoshi is common, Miwa makes an uncomfortable face. "Well... it's at least common enough that we have a word for it. But it's not like... an officially recognized medical term. It gets mixed in with plain exhaustion or cardiac arrest." Utahime's face remains impassive and she interjects. "I understand if it's surprising to you, but we can't worry about grander societal issues when there's a powerful curse on the loose. Stay focussed, please."

    Stanley asks about the warp gate, and Miwa shakes her head. "We didn't even peek in. Utahime called us back. Aoi wanted to chase them, but we managed to pull him back." The boy lets out a disgruntled sound. Meanwhile, checking any Multiversal atlas would reveal where that warpgate leads. Another, much more mundane Japan. Still around Kyoto but closer to the city. The curse would have had plenty of places that were familiar enough to go to ground to.

    As Nephra explains the capabilities of her suit, Aoi raises an eyebrow. "You a mech pilot? Shame Mechamaru couldn't make it. Where is he anyway?" Miwa looks a little glum and says, "He's having one of his bad weeks I think." "Tch. Shame." Back to Nephra, Miwa says, "Hopefully, Elites can just... bypass the whole cursed energy thing. But we have some big cursed tools you can use. I'll see if we've got something suited for you later, just in case."
Operator      "Damn right I'm strong," Aoi booms to Lilian, his grin only widening as she acknowledges all the leeway he gets. "Unfortunately, we can't just expel someone who became a grade 1 sorcerer at his age," Utahime concedes grudgingly. "Honestly teach, I'd give you more respect if you put me forward for consideration as a special grade," Aoi says with a smirk. "I will not be responsible for half of the living special grade sorcerers being pains in the ass!" Utahime hisses, clearly seething as she recalls someone who belongs to that category.

    As Lilian raises the possibility that this was not a random accident, that someone intended it, an uncomfortable silence fills the room. "We... cannot deny the possibility. Strange things have been happening lately. But..." Utahime gestures to Miwa, who says, "Ishiguri-san was a very private individual. He lived alone and had few friends. Apparently, he had a really sharp tongue and a low opinion of others. If someone did approach him, or if someone did hate him enough to curse him, I couldn't find out." In response to Lilian asking how they found out who he was, Aoi has a blunt answer. "We asked the curse and he gave his name. Easy as that."

    When Night Mist comes out, Utahime gasps. Miwa stares at the blade with wide, slightly fearful eyes, and Aoi lets out a low whistle of appreciation. "... I'm not an expert. But my gut says we would rank that as a special grade cursed tool. It... will be more than adequate." Utahime says softly, as if scared that speaking too loud would awaken something in it.

    "Gonna be honest, I'm getting less interested in all this. It seems like this lot will be more than enough. Won't even get a chance to show my stuff!" Aoi booms. "So with all this said, let's get some grub. The cafeteria here isn't half-bad." He rises and exits the room, causing another sigh of dismay from Utahime. "Well, any sense of propriety is gone, so we may as well." She gives a wan smile and adds, "I am heartened that you all seem more than capable though. I think I made the right choice pushing for this."
Father Berislav      Berislav grins at Aoi. It is undoubtedly one of the most unusual first impressions he's gotten, but he doubts he'll forget it soon. His brow raises in mild, pleased surprise, when the younger man mentions that brute strength is absolutely an option. "That's quite a relief," he says.

     "I practice a style called Two Cannon Fist. You might consider it a heavily modernized descendant of the old 'long fist' styles from a certain imperial China." He beams. "It's good to know the martial arts will likely be effective."

     'Grub' has him leaning forward, rubbing his palms together and scanning for Utahime's reaction. "I'm glad to hear that," he says through a chuckle. "I'm always ready to lend a hand in the interest of public good. Sometime when you're not up to your elbows in cursed spirits, feel free to call on me regarding some of those... broader societal issues you mentioned."

     Berislav stands, dusts off his cassock, and departs, in the pursuit of food.
Karlan Nobles "Cursed swords? Not a blessed one?" Courier sounds utterly confused by Miwa's recommendation, and Pramanix shares some of that confusion in her own expression when Aoi mentions just beating curses to death with 'cursed output'. With the mention of cursed energy earlier, though, things start to click!

The two continue listening to the briefing on the situation surrounding this rogue cursed spirit, and they chuckle lightly at Aoi's annoyance at having to relent in giving chase. Their mention of someone named Mechamaru gets their eyebrows raised, though, and Miwa's mention of whether or not they can bypass the use of cursed energy has them considering their options.

"It couldn't hurt to try both! Maybe our powers and yours could even combine into something bigger. Oh, I don't suppose you have cursed arrows or bows, too, would you? I'll bring my own bow as a backup next time, but I wouldn't mind seeing some Japanese bows up close, either."
"I'll have to take you up on borrowing those swords, too. Mine's well-made, but any advantage we can get should make things a lot more manageable."

A clearer idea of who Ishiguri was is given, and that gets their brains ramping up again regarding Lilian's potential theory. "It wouldn't be the first time I've heard of someone using others' misfortune to their advantage." She says with a somewhat bitter tone.

"Th.. That said, it might not even be someone that knew him personally, if that's the case. Maybe he just made for a convenient..." Courier scrunches up his face briefly, nodding at Lilian after a moment. "Catalyst. Someone that probably wouldn't be missed because of his personality, his lack of connections, but still have just enough to make us look at the few he did have instead of the culprits."

Aoi recommends food, and Utahime seems to relent. "Oh, lovely. I've always wanted to try ramen straight from Japan!"
"But you've had it from the cups before, haven't you?"
"That's not the same."
Lilian Rook     'Sorry pops, I'm not into dudes or people a lot older than me. Thanks though.'

    "You do seem the type that takes to popular upperclassmen-type women." Lilian sighs blandly. She then blinks. And remains emphatically seated.

    'Oh no, fighting them to a standstill works. I beat curses to death with my fists and raw cursed output all the time. Don't even have to use my technique unless they're special grade.'

    But that gets her to look more pleasant. "Oh, perfect~ That's terribly convenient. And it's something we have in common. Even if I'd consider it a bit of a bad habit of mine." Toxic machismo posturing is one thing that Lilian is always quick to call out, but here she just looks greatly pleased to be speaking star pupil to star pupil. Wavelength of the strong, and all.

    'I will not be responsible for half of the living special grade sorcerers being pains in the ass!'

    "Only half?" Lilian says before she even realizes it. The mix of sarcasm and sympathy is accidentally genuine. "Though, I'd been meaning to ask about these 'grades' you keep mentioning."

    'We... cannot deny the possibility.'

    "That's answer enough to me." says Lilian. "It tells me everything I needed to know, at least." Smiling reassuringly, she says "Don't worry. My abilities don't stop at just finding the target. I'll learn all about the situation once we're there."

    'Apparently, he had a really sharp tongue and a low opinion of others.'

    "Ah. An anti-social twat." Lilian can't help but remark offhandedly. A perception roll marked 'very easy' is rolled and failed in the background.

    '... I'm not an expert. But my gut says we would rank that as a special grade cursed tool. It... will be more than adequate.'

    Lilian finally smiles in a way that reaches her eyes. Fond, and without pretense. As if someone were saying something favourable at her daughter, rather than a sword. "I'm glad to hear that~" she says. "I can fight barehanded as well, but if that's what you wanted, Todo is here already." There is, sub-translated, a -san appended, outside of Lilian's usual tone band. "I'd like to show off a little, you know. Represent myself well~" When she picks the sword back up, she is fair less cautious than putting it down, easily flipping the hefty blade up over her shoulder one-handedly, and then disguising it as a pendant once more with a flick of her arm and another cloudburst of underwater-ink-fog.

    'Gonna be honest, I'm getting less interested in all this. It seems like this lot will be more than enough. Won't even get a chance to show my stuff! So with all this said, let's get some grub. The cafeteria here isn't half-bad.'

    "That sounds fine to me." says Lilian, reattaching her necklace. "I did reserve a fair bit of time, expecting you'd all be more disagreeable." Buttoning up her collar. Brushing her hair back. Standing from her seat again, facing Aoi. "If you really feel like showing your stuff, I'd be glad to see it later~"

    'I am heartened that you all seem more than capable though. I think I made the right choice pushing for this.'

    Lilian smiles. "Don't worry. Even if all of these guys, I'll see it through."
Nephra Tangent     "Oh, I'm no mech pilot. This suit's just armor. Really good armor, but it's still me there at the center of it all. But.. Haha. Can't say I'm not tempted by borrowing toys, though. Haha. Especially anything long and poke-y." Her flat laugh fades off her mostly-blank face.

    "Happy to do some science for you, though, if we're enough as-is to struggle through it."

    From her pocket emerges another wrapped blowpop. Cherry. She spins it between her fingers as the focus gets shifted from situation ponderings to the idea of lunch-at which point she accidentally puts the stick to her lip for a split moment- before correcting herself and setting it back spinning. She coughs once, closed-mouth. Just slightly different than clearing her throat.

    Her eye falls to the sword on the table, giving it a once-over, and silently hoping she never has to feel what its edge could do.

    "Lunch. That sounds pretty much divine right now. And hey, Mr. Aoi? If you won't be getting to strut your stuff, make sure you get a good seat to watch the show, alright? I'm a little jealous I won't get to sit back and watch. Haha" She flashes a grin- with a pair of silver-colored fake canines gleaming in the indoor light- as she stands up, and looks at the others.

    "Exciting group.." She mumbles, the remnant of a smile not yet fading, even as the time comes for them all to filter on out.