Scene #8615: Lance Wonderworld

Owner	Pose
Kale Hearthward	LAST TIME, ON BALAN WONDERWORLD "What do you mean it's not 'wonderland'?" "Why's everyone dancing? What?" "Wait, which button is the jump button again?" "... Are they dancing again?" "Okay so what's with the bunny chicken things, do they have a point?" "Why are there so many QTE's of Balan punching floating rocks?" "I have to read a book? Like an actual physical book, the lore isn't in the menus? "No, really, what's with the dancing?" ... or, no, wait, actually none of those things were said. That's odd. Hang on, which timeline are we in? ... What do you mean, arrested for insider trading? What? Okay, okay, let me start over. LAST TIME, ON BALAN WONDERWORLD (FOR REAL) Our heroes (also Petra and Kale) received tickets to attend the Balan Theatre, conveniently located near wherever you happen to be at the time. Along with the Balan Apology Tour, Balan offered everyone use of a Wonderworld - via a door that took them to an island floating in a white void. On each person's arrival, the terrain changed - growing to add sections thematic to each person. Each person who's set foot into Wonderworld has gotten: A Courtyard: A mostly flat stretch of ground, intended to be mostly open and navigable. This appears automatically on entering Wonderworld, specifically from the moment someone's feet touch the ground. So far: Aidan's Courtyard was a grass field with farms. Arcadia's courtyard was a paved marble plaza. Futaba's courtyard was an oddly oversized Japanese suburbs. Hibiki's courtyard was a sunny grass field. And then: a Tower. Not a literal tower (but it can be), instead a challenging section. Something harder to get through, either for that person specifically or in general for everyone. Aidan's tower was a castle. Arcadia's tower is a jumping puzzle in a literal tower. And the others are still working on their tower. And finally, a Crown. Again, not a literal crown (though that can be part of it) - something special, highly personalized, at the end of your Tower and (generally) only accessible by going through the Tower. Arcadia set up a treasure vault for her Crown, the others are still working on theirs. Above, Balan flies about, offering advice and checking on everyone. "This space," he says. "Is yours for as long as you need it. Take your time! Work on it, or just relax!" --- Meanwhile, for whatever reason, the snack counter in the theater is now a mess and there's cigarette butts and trash on the carpet. Who could have done this? We'll never know for sure.
Arcadia	While the trip to Wonderworld may be a nice break, Arcadia still has the needs of her city-state and people, and duties to the Concord, to attend to. So she has actually come and gone a fair bit. But she had come back when she could, so maybe it was less strickly a vacation and more just a place she could take a break from her usual duties. Either way the Elder Scholars felt it was good having people keeping an eye on Wonderwolrd and Balan after they'd gotten the story of Arcadia's previous accounters, and had allowed the sphinx to go back and forth as she felt appropriate. Right now Arcadia had taken a few laps through her obstacle course, and was now making a little tweak here and there to make it challenging without reaching Kaizo Level difficulty. Save one or two intentionally counter-intuitive obstacles, because she was a sphinx and being a slight bit of a troll still comes naturally from being part feline.
Aidan Proudpick	A Longhouse. A pub. Most people might see it as an Adventurer's Inn. A common house. Where everyone is, and they know you. That is the crown. The ultimate safety. People having a good time. As for Aidan's activities. CRAA~AAACK!!! A spear hurls out, smashing Aidan's shield aside and shattering the wooden buckler, throwing him down to the ground. He doesn't have very long to think about the pain in his back when the next shoots over head. Aidan quickly flips over to his front and crawls back to the safety of the equipment pathway. The feminine knight statues overhead look on, impassive, perhaps slightly disapproving. Aidan has not gotten very far, but he also is not using his Breath Weapon to do so, instead relying on only his limited physical capabilities and mundane equipment. But given the blood that marks the ground, and the pile up of sweaty tunics, he hasn't stopped very much. He grabs up another shield from the refilling rack and pushes himself in again.
Petra Soroka	After a presentation, a horde of bunny-chickens, a crying meltdown, a conversation with Kale, and a phone call to Angela, Petra is finally ready to enter the Wonderworld. Or, rather-- not ready; she still doesn't think she'll enjoy it, and she's mostly entering with the idea that something will go wrong, but not too lethally or embarrassingly that she can't handle it. When the Theatre appears again on a commute home, she pulls her bike up to the building and heads inside. Approaching the portal, though, makes her pause again. Embarrassment really is the biggest threat here, and the communal nature of the Wonderworld along with Petra's own... tendencies, means that she can't be entirely certain what will happen when she steps through. If it's a space where you can just create whatever you want... it can't operate on the same science, right? It's, like, magic, so there's no way, I think, but.... Petra shudders, hesitating on the outer threshold. She's changed back into her EGO suit, just in case, and Pillar of Creation is strapped to her back. She grits her teeth, pulls out another cigarette and lights it, then finally steps through. After all-- if she ruins it, that's fine too. It's what she does. Inside the Courtyard, Petra's awful, sickening aura scrapes up against the magic of the Wonderworld, and-- doesn't do anything. It's a playground, not a psychic manifestation, so there's no problem at all. Petra winces in anticipation, of the subdermal pain and shutdown, and tentatively loosens up when neither happen. It's a little pathetic, for anyone who's watching her closely; the way she tenses up as if she's expecting to be punched, and then slowly eases her eyes open, looks around in a brief moment of wonder, then sighs out a plume of smoke. Her first steps in create disks of glittering, glasslike material, expanding out from her feet, and immediately recognizable to Hibiki. Petra looks down, frowns, and stomps on them, muttering 'stop that...', and when she tries to will grass into existence to cover it up, she can't quite imagine it right. Glass pushes against glass like tectonic motion, cracking and splintering upwards into a jagged approximation of flora, even spreading out with crude petals. Petra looks increasingly bothered by this, and turns away, her steps not affecting the ground at all now that she's focused.
Angela	Angela received her tickets but she didn't show up the first time because she wasn't sure if she really wanted to bother, but evenually she does elect to return with all the force of someone who wishes to speak to the Manager. When asked how the apologies were she got ambivalent answers and that annoys her more than if he didn't apologize at all (allowing her to know where she stood) or apologized well (she wasn't expecting this really but it'd be novel). Nevertheless, she arrives today. Sort of. She is still having to telecommute. Today the person carrying her Pad right now is Random who is wielding the EGO Gear from Child of the Galaxy, the most evocative of which is mace with a large orb at the end of it that swirls as if a galaxy were contained within it. Embarassment is the biggest threat here, so Angela is sure to be miserable about it. Angela gets a nice good view of Petra being a little pathetic, but Angela doesn't think it's pathetic at all. The world does like to punch down after all. Her gaze prevents her from getting a good look at the Hibiki, but Random sees it and tilts the pad down idly so Angela can get a look--for like half a second before she gets squished. She does wonder for a momen if Wonderworld will react to Random rather than her and instructs Random to guide the Pad around so she can get a good look at what's what--largely going off the clashing miniworlds she's getting glimpses of. "This seems gaudy," She tells Petra. "Is this a playground as well as a theater?"
Hibiki Tachibana	Balan has given them the ability to make their Tower and their Crown within their Stage, although Hibiki has been somewhat lagging behind the others on that front. A challenge that is key to someone...with something special to them as a person at the end. It might be that thinking on what form those would take to her has been something she's had to take time to think about. For her, after all, what's most important to her, and the greatest hurdles to get over, have always been 'people' and not 'things'. Even 'home', one of the concepts closest to her heart, is nothing without the ones who make it a warm place to come back to. The most even a world of wonders could give her in that vein comes nowhere close to the genuine thing, and she wouldn't want it to try anyway. As if her reaction to Lance's fabricated world back then wasn't evidence enough of that. ...She supposes a Wonderworld not being able to provide the thing someone really wants probably has to hold true for Lance, too. Or maybe she's thinking too hard about it. But she'd like to experience Balan's version of it as much as she's able to, if only for the purpose of understanding both it and him better, put against what they've been through. So it's something she's putting her mind towards, currently laid down in the lush green grass of her Courtyard with her hands folded behind her head, eyes cast up towards the sunny sky overhead. Occasionally, Hibiki has glanced off towards some of the others' work - especially Aidan's, for all the noise he's making - although right this moment, it's Balan fluttering around that her focus is on. "You really are set on making sure we enjoy ourselves," she notes, even when it's already the most obvious thing in the world. "...Which makes sense, when you feel like you have a lot to make up for. Sorry if the question I asked earlier hit a sore spot. But I think I'm starting to get an idea of what I want to..." Saying that in the middle of sitting up, Hibiki is able to get a look at Petra - plus Random and Angela - entering in. It'd be something she wouldn't otherwise pay a lot of mind to, as things are right now, but it's the crackling glass beneath Petra's feet that get her to trail off with her mouth hanging open mid-speech. After a few seconds, the expression reverses, brow furrowing and lips pursing tight.
Petra Soroka	Petra's Courtyard, once she gets to crafting it deliberately, is a stark contrast from the fields and neighborly environments of the others. A sprawl of grey artificial rubber surfacing, dotted with plastic constructions in an almost playground-esque way, but without any clear interaction point for 'play'. Structure build upwards, connected by bridges and stairs, dotted with seemingly random alcoves and lounging areas. Shade covers most of the area, provided by trees that sprout implausibly through the rubber, drooping branches curled protectively over the structures. The entire area seems designed to allow someone to run and jump around freely, like an exceptionally gentle parkour course. Petra doesn't do any of that, though, instead just clambering on top of a plastic overhang and sitting with an arm draped over her knee, the other holding a cigarette lightly between her fingers. She plucks a leaf down from a branch she can reach, and idly tosses it over the side, watching it flutter down and land on the circles of broken glass that still dot across the surfacing. It really does look like a playground, which makes Petra a bit embarrassed by Angela's question. "He had this whole presentation last time. That was just as gaudy, really; the whole thing is just him showing off. I wouldn't trust him for a fucking minute, he's just as much of a narcissist as Lance." Petra looks up, to scan around the other Courtyards, not focusing on making a Tower yet. "You know, like, fields and everything exist in real life. I don't really see anything particularly impressive about this, this setup. This kind of thing is really just, a novelty, before it gets boring super fast."
Kale Hearthward	Balan takes a turn through Arcadia's obstacle course, laughing as he encounters her tricks and turns. "Very good! Very tricky." Next he appears near Aidan. "It's been another hour," he reminds him, just as he did for the hour before that. > "You really are set on making sure we enjoy ourselves," "That's the idea! I'd be a poor host if, say, I just set you loose here and neglected you. All set figuring things out?" And then over to Petra - where he doesn't speak up. He watches for a second - she's clearly dealing with something, but not in distress, so he moves on. Best to leave her to whatever's going on, for now. Then to Random, who the world does indeed react to instead of Angela. Angela's tablet gets a curious examination from Balan, though. "I remember you being on the invite list, ma'am - quite sorry you can't be here yourself. If I may see your device?" Balan holds a hand out towards Random. Kale arrives. His Courtyard forms the streets of a pre-industrial city, cobblestone streets with the occasional building. He messes with it a bit, but then ends up wandering over... ... to where he ends up perched on a statue in Aidan's courtyard, watching Aidan.
Petra Soroka	> but not in distress A girl with Intrusion Immunity··· can never catch a break. "If I may see your device?" That causes Petra distress. Petra immediately whips out her spear and jams it into the soft plastic terrain she's on, vaulting into the neighboring tree. She runs down the branches and leaps to the rubber ground, skidding to a halt in front of Balan with her spear out. "Hey--! If you fucking do anything funny--!" Petra glares at him, hand held to the side to stop Random from offering up the tablet. Her itch digs into the skin of the people on either side of her, as she brandishes her weapon threateningly. "If you do anything funny, I'm going to ram you through and tear down your fucking Wonderworld while you bleed out. You got it? Fucking watch yourself."
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan looks over at Balan, "Wh-" WHAM A mechanical arm slams up against Aidan's shield, but hits it on the edge. Aidan rolls with it, just barely preventing his arm from snapping. And slamming himself up against the wall, the mechanical arm pinning him there, face against the rough wood of the fence. His eyes travel back towards Balan, voice muffled with his muzzle smooshed up against the wall. "Thanks," he croaks, "One more hour. I should go out and get dinner with the team then." He forces himself back as soon as the arm retracts. Enough to lean back against the wall and grab a bucket of water. He brings it up, gulping from it with such little lack of decorum that it slops down the front of his tunic. And then he pours the rest over his head. Long enough to catch Petra and Angela entering. He takes some time to watch Petra craft her area with interest. A forest. Oh, it's a forest made of plastic, but it's a forest, in a sense. Plenty of places to climb, hide away, rest, think. Aidan cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, "IT LOOKS GREAT!" Over at Petra. Oh, and then stabbing. Well, she's busy. Another shield off the rack, another stance taken. Aidan carefully pushes up onto the balls of his feet, then darts forward, towards the first spear. He turns with it, pushing it away with his shield, only to see Kale watching him. "What do YOU w-" WHAM
Arcadia	"Thank you!" Arcadia practically purrs at the praise. "It's difficult to keep reminding myself that not everyone will have the same abilities I do, and balance the level of challenge between being exciting." Balan probably poofed off on his way before she finished explaining, but she doesn't notice. Though she does decide to take a break and actually enjoy the relaxing part of it being a retreat spot for herself. She glides out of the obstacle tower and down to her marble pathed courtyard. The crystalline lamps flicker on as she does, adding more of an ambience than an actual light source since it isn't dark. "The capacity of this world to be reshaped to the whims of those given such control is pretty impressive." Speaking of, the courtyard is still missing something... Ah. Arcadia brings a small fountain into being, if only so she can sit down and lean back against the edge of it, the light trickle of water from the spouts giving a little more ambience.
Kale Hearthward	Kale remains perched as Aidan looks up. And then gets hit by his own obstacle course. "What do I want?" "Well, I seem to be getting it." Kale scoots up a bit, legs dangling from the front of the statue as he gets comfortable. "Can you really not even handle a rookie course like this? It's your idea of a challenge, or whatever it is we're supposed to be making here?"
Angela	Random's 'Wonderworld' has a weird amount of Justin Rook presence in it, reminiscient of a dark city slum with toy Rooks and Randoms fighting against the world with nerfbats. Random studiously does not look in the direction of their Wonderworld but does mutter, "At least it's not the parents' home." They start to extend the device over towards Balan with the practiced ease of someone accustomed to following orders. They seem content to be someone else's Second, you could even say their blade, and that kind of practice at being an attendant makes the instinct just do what it does. But they pull the pad back after a moment as Petra expresses her concern. "You aren't up to some shit are ya? I mean it's just a pad, it's not like she's embodied in there but..." Random HAS seen some bullshit already in the multiverse. Meanwhile Angela bobs her head to Petra. "Perhaps it is more meant for children than adults? Such microcosms can appeal to a youthful heart in a way that it might simply be non-functional for us." She listens to Petra as she threatens Balan. Petra threatening people who are eager to or even might do her harm is one of Petra's elements that Angela has a soft spot for. That fierce defender within her that she is so unaccustomed to feeling that Angela can't help but smile, if briefly, at seeing the occurance happen once more. She wonders what to say to Balan, the one arguably indirectly responsible for what happened on the Train from what she's heard. "May I ask why?" Angela asks. "I had something else I wished to ask of you as well." She pretends to take a breath. "Who created Wonderworld and you and for what purpose? I have considered whether I can be angry with you or not but it seems plausible that you were given this task outside of your consent."
Kale Hearthward	Balan withdraws his hands as Petra raises her objections, and Angela makes her inquiries. (He needs those hands to itch at his side, anyway.) "Nothing funny, I assure you! I used up all my good gags on the Apology Tour." "As I understand it, I cannot bring Miss Angela here physically, but this isn't the first such case where those visiting Wonderworld haven't been entirely flesh and blood." He glances off at something in the distance that only he can see for a second, and then returns his attention to Angela's tablet. "I was merely going to see if I couldn't open up some new input channels for Miss Angela to express herself through, hooked up to Wonderworld directly - giving her the same creative control as those here, as if she was standing here herself. A poor substitute for being inable to invite her here herself, but I'd be a poor host if I didn't let her partake in the festivities as much as I could." > Who created Wonderworld and you and for what purpose? "That is a good question!" Said in the tone of someone who doesn't have a good answer. "For which I don't have a good answer." Oh, okay, he's just going to say it. "I've been using to help those in need, giving them space and time to heal. Lance was doing the same, at least until recently. Does that match up with the original intentions? Who can say!" "Which is to say, I can't say, but I can guess." Balan snaps his fingers, and his whiteboard arrives from out of frame. "If you'd care to hear conjecture, theory, speculation, assumption, and a good yarn - sequentially or all at once, per the lady's wishes."
Aidan Proudpick	There is a moment where Aidan is pressed up against the wall. A brief moment where he thinks 'this man is trying to get better. This man seems to be trying to be a better person. I should cut Kale some slack or he'll always be an asshole. He'll probably try to hold his tongue or something.' Aidan throws himself back onto the floor, out of the way of the spears, and gathers himself, whipping his head around towards Kale and the statue. His temper suddenly flashes hot, that chosen perch, Kale's conscending attitude AND that visage looking down at him. Aidan takes a moment to spit blood out onto the dirt. "I could do it just fine with Aegis!" He spits back. "I could blow through here and break every statue! That's not the point." He bites onto his next words, clearly sure that Kale COULD probably do it if he dared him. Aidan grabs a new shield and charges forward into the spear trap again, moving at an aggressive speed now, instead of the carefully bouncy stance, and brings the shield down in a hard arc to smash the spear out of the way and roll under the mechanical arm.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...Yeah," Hibiki murmurs in response to Balan almost off-handedly, without thinking about it, while still looking in the direction of Petra's Courtyard. "I think I'm getting there. Don't worry about me." Despite saying so, and actually having the beginnings of an idea for her Tower in her head, she doesn't get started on it immediately. She pushes up to a stand, and begins making her way over to where the boundary between the miniature worlds meet together. In all the others, grass meets asphalt or marble or another field, but it's the one where rubber and plastic brush up against it that she's moving towards. She can't imagine there'll be any adverse effects or world crossover from stepping into someone else's Stage, given Random and Petra are a unit today. Even so, she's pointedly and almost obviously avoiding stepping foot in any of the sections of broken glass as she goes, coming within speaking distance at about the same time that... ...Petra leaps down to interject between the would-be exchange going on. "I get why you're worried, though I'm pretty sure if he was up to anything, he could have just done it the moment we all stepped inside of here instead of asking," Hibiki says flatly, as if that's a sufficient way to just go ahead and place herself into the conversation, walking while talking. "...Actually, I'm surprised you decided to come in here at all, after everything that happened. Especially if you don't trust him." Although valid for Angela, that one is probably more aimed at Petra than anyone else. It's also her who most of her attention is on, even though she's taking in Balan's response to Angela's question on the side. Somehow, she's not shocked the whiteboard was brought out. "Don't let me interrupt the explanation. Petra. You're the one I wanted to talk with."
Arcadia	Arcadia is just relaxing, but after a bit the conversation going on in one of the other areas does get her attention. And she doesn't miss much as, being as fast as she is, she can zip over before Balan finishes his little explaination. "So you don't know the original purpose, but have put it to use in what you think would be a good application of it's capabilities." The sphinx just settles in a comfortable spot instead of perching on anything. She doesn't know if those statues are important to the areas owner or not! So it'd be really rude. Instead she crosses an arm, props elbow in that palm, and cusps her chin with the other hand. Thinking face. "Shame your predacessor went wonko."
Kale Hearthward	... "Hmmf." says Kale. "At least you know that's not the point." A few moments later, Kale's no longer there on top of the statue. Instead, he's down on the course, catching up to Aidan, ducking under or over the obstacles and mechanical arms right behind him. "Why... are you here? Out here? There's not enough that'd kill you at home, so you came out here in search of more things?"
Petra Soroka	"I used up all my good gags on the Apology Tour." The lightheartedness in response to Petra's threat only makes her bristle up more. "Okay. Stop fucking cracking jokes. If you hurt Angela, at all, intentionally or unintentionally, then I'm killing you." The rest of the explanation is satisfactory, though. Petra doesn't think he's trustworthy, but she doesn't get the gut feeling that he's lying about this specifically. Either way, it's Angela's decision, and Petra is staying here and putting her weight behind it. Her tone softens and her glare slides away from Balan, looking to the tablet instead. "... Remember, what happened last time can't happen if I'm close. It's up to you." "...Actually, I'm surprised you decided to come in here at all, after everything that happened. Especially if you don't trust him." Hibiki's approach causes Petra to tense up, spear stuck in an awkward half-lowered grip. She only partly turns to address her, torso twitching partial-angles without her legs moving, and her gaze is directed at the ground diagonally between them. "Well. Hearthward talked me into it, unfortunately. After he was done telling me I should kill you." Petra huffs out air, letting her posture drop the rest of the way, though she stays between Angela and Balan, and her black-glass and gold spear doesn't return to her back. "... If something goes wrong, and it will, I'd rather be here. That's all." Petra crosses her arms, wrapping them around her chest and tucking the one that isn't holding a weapon into her armpit, an old, familiar, self-conscious stance for her. "What is it, Tachibana. What do you need to say."
Aidan Proudpick	"What the fuck are you talking about?!" Aidan seems redoubled in his efforts not to get knocked down this time. He is adept with a shield, but after hours of training, he's worn down. Aidan slams his shield down, leaning his weight into it as arrows shoot out of the wooden stations, thunking hard into the wood. They crack through the wood, arrowheads close to his head. "What's the point of being a knight if I don't protect people? Help people!" Aidan leans back, using his tail as a fulcrum for his weight to steer him into a backflip, grabbing onto a log with ease and shimmying up it. Warhammers, the small head kind meant to break armor, smash into the wood as he skitters along. His breath is running ragged, his claws bloody as he forces himself up the log to keep his pace, not to fail with Kale looking at him. "I took the shield! It's my job now!"
Angela	Angela's eyes slant towards Hibiki. She doesn't actually presume she means Petra because Angela has a complex. "I suppose I was hoping that my expectations would be thwarted but if you were following the orders of another, or if you were truly trapped, I don't suppose I could be all that upset--and thus could not insist on an apology. However, it seems you do have some control over your actions and Lance has some degree of control over his own. Therefore, I am not ready to accept your apology just yet but I will not say forgiveness is impossible. I am curious about your hypotheses." She doesn't seem like she's inclined to have Random hand over the device but Petra... "...Remember what happened last time can't happen if I'm close." Angela doesn' answer immediately, instead listening to Hibiki and Petra carefully. She seems like she's wholly unhurried even though everything is taking so much more time for her by virtue of that curse of hers. Petra seems willing to speak to Hibiki so she only adds, "This is between you two but be considerate with your words." which certianly carries the suggestion of Angela taking hurtful acts personally. She does look to Balan and adds, "Understood. Go ahead, Random." Random extends the device over, though they still seem really nervous about this. Angela is as calm as a mirror.
Kale Hearthward	Balan gives Petra a sweeping bow. "As you wish. No more jokes." "So first... let's upgrade this tablet..." Balan pulls out a comically small wrench, raises it towards the tablet, and then pauses. "Ah, right. No more jokes." The wrench disappears, and he simply snaps his fingers instead. "Done." Angela gets access to a couple new data channels - and an API with a function library that's roughly similar to what those on the scene have for Creative Mode-ing their areas. As soon as Angela fires off the setup.bat file, her Courtyard appears. "Secondly... the hypothesis. I believe Wonderworld..." He speed-sketches a series of floating dreamworld islands on the whiteboard. "... And the Infinity Train..." He speed-sketches the train. "... Are connected, somehow. Was it coincidence that I found the Conductor so easily when I was looking for help? Was it coincidence that Lance was able to take the train over so easily? Is it coincidence that Wonderworld and the Infinity Train are similar in terms of spatial manipulation and having entrances appear at conveniently convenient locations to their respective clients? Is it coincidence that the Infinity Train is a train and there's also a train in Wonderworld?" "Actually yes, to that last one. That's a coincidence, I had the train here installed when I took over. Sorry. No jokes. Habits die hard." "So that's the hypothesis. The rest is... less solid ground. But I have to wonder, if the person or thing who created Wonderworld... also created the Infinity Train?"
Kale Hearthward	"Yeah? Just because it's your job?" "As I recall, you stole the shield - if I steal a labcoat and a bunch of scalpels, does that make me a surgeon?" Kale starts to say something else - but is silent. If Aidan glances back, it's because one of the mechanical hazards has hit him in the gut. He'll need a minute.
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan sneers, "If you stole something that made it impossible for someone ELSE to be a doctor, then you WOULD have to be a doctor. You'd be taking one less doctor out of the world. I wanted to be a knight, now I'm going to be the best there is. And my friends will be the best. There's hundreds of Quicknests out there that can't defend themselves from Empires! Someone needs to be their Knights!" Aidan spins around, looking back as he is about to take a wide and daring leap. A smirk. A moment of pride. Seeing one of the arms hit Kale square in the gut. Then a warhammer slams into Aidan's side, driving him to the ground, into the dirt. Blood stains around the side of the tunic. And in a short moment, Aidan spits out a worrying, but not lethal, amount of blood. He rolls onto his back, panting, staring up at the unimpressed statues. "Why -nrf- are you such an asshole?"
Kale Hearthward	Kale gets back up to his feet, slowly. He wasn't bracing for that hit. "Have you considered that all of those Quicknests would be better off if they just let the Empires take over? Have you-..." Oh, wait, he just got hit by the same arm that belted him last time. "... If I'm an asshole - , no, okay. I'm an asshole, because someone has to be. Because the assholes of the world get things done, while everyone else is fine scrabbling about in the dirt as the status quo." Kale rolls over onto his back. He hadn't taken a good look at the statues before. Huh. "Things have to change, and they won't change if everyone's just left to their own devices. If everyone's just always standing around talking instead of getting anything done, or in some eternal impasse of politeness and inaction." "Also I hate you specifically. Go home already."
Hibiki Tachibana	Well. Hearthward talked me into it, unfortunately. After he was done telling me I should kill you. Petra Soroka is a lot of things, but she's not a liar. She says what she means and means what she says, and so if she claims that, it really was said in some fashion or another. For a moment, she grimaces and makes a low, nearly-inaudible sound from somewhere in her throat--with her thoughts going back to the brief time she was on his ship during one of the Infinity Train excursions. And also, back when they were both on the same side of things when it came to Lance, at the end of it all. And then she remembers that he is, of course, a Paladin. And she also recalls the radio after that day. At which point her expression falls back towards neutral and she closes her eyes, not that Petra is looking straight back at her anyway. "I guess I shouldn't be that surprised, should I?" Apparently keeping any further thoughts on that to herself, and accepting the rest of Petra's explanation on why she's here, Hibiki gives a single nod back to Angela's request to them. "I only bothered coming over here in the first place to talk about something specific. Something important." "That," she starts, turning away from the other girl and towards the nearest speckling of that glittering material breaking up the grey rubbering and plastic that otherwise makes up the immediate area, "isn't something you were trying to make." Obviously. She saw the struggle to try and cover it up. "But you did, without thinking about it, the same as everyone else." She pauses for a half-second, and her voice drops just enough to be notable. "--The Titanomachia. It's just like something awful that we found in the city that it..." Something like 'ran over' or 'trampled' sounds too generous of a phrasing. "...completely ruined. Used it as a weapon--...on entirely innocent people. Stepping into that was..." Hibiki tries to formulate words to describe the experience, but comes up with nothing suitable that feels right to say out loud. Instead, she just trails off, fists clenching in at her sides, and then turns her head back towards Petra, over her shoulder. "It's yours. Isn't it?" She's starting to piece together what she briefly felt what feels like an eternity ago, on that stormy day, to what she felt stepping foot near that crater. "Did you know?"
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan pushes himself up to his feet. He didn't mean to be THIS bad before going off. Thankfully, the area under the bridge makes for a safe place to stand. One hand applies pressure to the wound, grunting in pain, "I thought you learned some empathy. I was almost ready to think you weren't a bad person. Talking to Petra. Helping people. But you are still a selfish ass who thinks he is above everyone. That we are just scraping in the dirt. You are just one step away from being in the Concord." Aidan spits a glob of blood in Kale's general direction. "Why would we want a place who cares about substance, power, breeding, money, making things worse? Even your own Paladins sneer down at elites they think aren't good enough. Things are going to change. But not because some bird savior comes out of the sky with his giant airship." A wince, then a steady push towards the entrance. "You'll never change."
Arcadia	Arcadia huhs. Rubs her chin some more. "Considering the similar capability of their properties, it would not be a stretched theory that they are connected in some way." Then finally shrugs. "But determining that sort of thing is way out of my field of specialties."
Petra Soroka	"... Maybe you shouldn't be surprised. But you should at least be mad. Don't just-- just lie down and take it." Petra's muttered response to Hibiki comes out almost thoughtlessly, low and drained and tinged with bitterness. She keeps her eyes on Angela as Balan fiddles with the tablet, only tilting her head in Hibiki's direction slightly to show that she's listening. That changes when she says "something important," and Petra twists around to stare at her in surprise, eyebrows furrowed. She winces at Hibiki's wave towards the glass, starting an awkward interjection, "That's-- look, Tachibana, that's not...." "The fucking Titanomachia?" Petra is completely dumbfounded, dropping any attempt to not directly address Hibiki. She steps closer to her, arms crossed and head tilted to the side to demand elaboration. "What the fuck are you talking about, Tachibana? You weren't even--" Neurons fire, slightly incorrectly, and Petra's eyes widen as her anger returns. "You went there?! With the fucking Kana? What the fuck is wrong with you? What's even the point of that, when the whole fucking mess was for-- was just-- because of Halcyon fucking, stalking me?" "What even--" What Hibiki is actually saying slowly catches up to Petra's brain, but she's too indignant to fully process it. "What are you talking about! How does this have anything to do with me?! You're the ones who-- 'did I know'?! How--" A cold feeling settles in Petra's stomach as her shouting stumbles to a halt. Twisting, torturous itch spreads up through her core like bile, restricted only to herself. "What are you-- what the fuck do you mean. Mine. What does that-- ...?"
Angela	Angela is surprised by Hibiki being so ... cold? It almost feels like someone else is talking. But maybe that is for the best. Sometimes it's better to change, Angela thinks, than to insist desperately that things stay the same. She knows how much harm staticity can do. Petra stills cares about her, Angela decides. She had the feeling before from judging her observations of her but now she's certain about it. It seems cruel to point out, not when she can't lean in, or embrace, or touch. Random stays close to Petra--ostensibly for Angela's case but really for their own as well. They're more leery of this plce than Angela because if Angela and Petra are sore about this place, they know damn well their endurance for this sort of thing isn't nearly as solid. Angela has no idea what the Titanomachia is. Fortunately, before she can express excessive confusion, her focus is drawn back to Balan. And instead she expresses excessive confusion to Balan as he draws out a widdy biddy wrench and--....Ah, it's a gag. With a snap of the finger. Angela wonders if she should have said no, but it's too late now. Angela's Courtyard... It looks like a library filled to the brim with countless books. Angela focuses on this for a while. Inexplicably, the second floor of the library has a beach and water that drips down like a waterfall over the edge of the first floor. Angela focuses on this for a moment, seemingly...relieved to see this. That it IS this, rather than the alternative. "Connected. I suppose that would explain a thing or two." But she ultimately sets that aside too. Kale is more murderous than she thought, she thinks. She better be careful with him. "Why are you telling this to her?" Angela asks. "Are you asking her to help stop this... Titanomachia?"
Kale Hearthward	"That satisfies you?" asks Balan. Referring to the question and answer, not her library. That obviously seems to satisfy. "I do need to ask - why a beach inside a library? Those aren't two things I'd pick to pair..." "... But anyway. You all seem to have the hang of things here?" he says, floating up a bit. "Courtyard, Tower, Crown..." "... If that's all good, then I can leave you to it - this space is all yours, as long as you need, whoever you'd like to invite in - long as it's not crowds of people all at once... enjoy it." He floats up a bit more. "Though, if you're looking for something to do, with this wonderful space you've created for yourselves..." "... There is a teensy little favor that I wouldn't mind some help with. Only if you're up for it, of course! I'm sure heroes like yourselves have a full dance card..."
Kale Hearthward	> "You'll never change." "Yeah, well, you'll never be-" Kale's sat up to make sure he gets the last word in at Aidan, which also means he's once again in the path of the mechanical arm above him.
Arcadia	Of course there would be something more he'd want for giving them the new toys to play with. Not that it's a bad thing, but it was somewhat expected to come up sooner or later. Arcadia's tail flicks a few time as she lowers her arms. "And what would this 'little favor' happen to be? Is it dangerous?" Mind you she's asking more out of potential challenge than being worried about it being too dangerous.
Aidan Proudpick	It would be beautiful just to leave him here to be beaten up. Just to watch him get constantly knocked down. Aidan looks back at the longhouse, the code written plainly over the door. "Stale winds," he mutters. Aidan takes a deep breath, groaning as the action puts pressure on the wound. Then he lets it out in a slow controlled breath, through his teeth, forming a platform under Kale. It pops up with a sudden rush, flipping the bird into the relative safety of the equipment yard. "I've got to go have lentil stew with friends. Don't mess my place up."
Aidan Proudpick	He stops at the gate to his Stage, looking up at Balan, blinking. "Uh, sure, I could help."
Hibiki Tachibana	Whether Hibiki is actually upset about the situation with Kale, or simply accepting of it, will likely have to be something addressed another time. Right now, she's entirely focused on the subject at hand. "When the two are already connected..." Rather than being a reply to Arcadia, it almost seems more like something she's telling herself to further reinforce the idea as Petra begins stammering. With Petra now looking straight at her, Hibiki turns back to face her directly, fists still tight at her sides and her stare just a little sharper than Angela's request for consideration might warrant. Even when the other girl begins shifting towards anger, she contrasts all of her body language by remaining still. "Of course not with the Kana," she elaborates, in the moments where Petra's realization begins settling in. "...And I'll do whatever I have to to make sure they never get their hands on it ever again, no matter what. Especially now that I've seen how they do things." It's somewhat unsettling for Hibiki - whose reactions to Petra have always been angled towards some form of emotional extreme - to maintain the exact same tone and demeanor even when she's clearly struggling, in more ways than one. "That...feeling, in the air. I never would have thought about comparing them if I didn't see this. So that's what I'm asking you, Petra." "Why do they have some kind of weapon that screws with your 'self' in that awful way, and it looks the /same/ as something that came from you when you stepped in here? And did you know they had it? How they'd /have/ anything like it? ...But from the way you're acting, maybe not." There's a muted exhale, and her clenched hands loosen up some as she glances towards Angela. "Sorry. You don't have a clue about any of this, do you, Angela? She has--history with them. ...So I guess some part of me thinks she deserves to know, if she didn't already. But it doesn't change anything for me if she helps or not. They need to be stopped, and if there's anything at all to learn, especially about that, it not something that can wai--" It's a little ironic, that Balan brought them here to relax as an apology, and it's currently turning out a little like the opposite. Maybe more than a little. And she's surprised enough to hear Balan speaking to them all, in the middle of that, that Hibiki stops and blinks before tilting her head up. "...A...favor?"
Petra Soroka	That look, combined with Hibiki's cold tone, hits Petra like a slap across the face. And just like with a slap, Petra tenses and steps up to Hibiki furiously, arm down by her side, fist clenched and trembling. "Yeah? 'Of course'?! You know what would've kept it from them perfectly fucking fine, Tachibana?! Keeping it locked in Aegis Astray to fucking rot!" "Why do you think I had it in the first place!" Technically true, that Petra was given it to keep it away from the Titanomachia, though it's not why she sought it out. "You know-- I'm the person who's done the least awful shit with that machine! You're such a piece of shit for talking down to me like that, like I should be ashamed of myself, after what you did!" Across the Courtyard, without intentional direction from Petra, her Tower is starting to take shape. Splitting open the surfacing on the edge of her playground, the recycled rubber turf shreds and curls away as a thick metal wall pushes its way out of the ground. Plastic crumples and splinters, colorful structures torn from the ground like tissue paper by the slowly emerging fortress, dominating the far edge of the Courtyard, sprouting rows of machine guns and flashing lights along the top and side, irregularly spaced and unmanned. The imposing metal citadel is made of flat edges and sharp angles, utterly hostile and unapproachable, radiating directionless malice. "Tell me what the fuck you mean by 'screws with your self' before you fucking accuse me of shit, Tachibana! How the fuck am I supposed to answer why they have anything like 'it' when you're not even fucking saying what 'it' is, other than that it looks a little bit like fucking gl-- ass-- ..." Clambering into a cockpit, slipping on the ladder from how much she's trembling. The jacket tossed over the back of the chair, revolver placed on the control panel, suggest that the pilot will be back soon-- or that they won't. She was told not to linger-- plug in the cable she was given, register authentication, take off and get far away and then do whatever she wanted. The adrenaline surge when the engines come to life. The clumsy take-off, the unfamiliar controls, the nausea, the rush of motion and emotion briefly sparing her from thinking about what she left behind-- A flat wall of metal punches through the rubber turf behind Hibiki in the same moment that Petra shoves her back into it, hand gripping Hibiki's collar. "What the fuck do you mean a weapon?! How long have you fucking known?! What the fuck are you even talking about?!" Petra's stream of wildly disjointed questions and sole focus on Hibiki means she doesn't even notice Balan's request-- or, more uncharacteristically, that she doesn't turn to acknowledge Angela's library either.
Angela	Angela says, "Random, lift me to his face." Random dutifully does so. Angela looks towards Balan right into his eyes. This isn't to intimidate him, but it's an attempt to speak with unfortunate levels of sincerity. She says, "He often spoke of the Great Lake--the closest to what we have as an 'ocean'. He spoke of it as a place that all returned to. To me, a closed sky represents imprisonment. An open sky, therefore, is freedom. The beach is the entrance to the ocean and the ocean is freedom and it is dangerous in that freedom. That allows me to think of it as real." She seems content to speak on the matter of the library as well. "However, you cannot be free in ignorance. Stupidity is the tightest chain there is. If you do not have the imagination or knowledge to rationally consider your freedom, you are still imprisoned. I want to know everything about everything though in the interest of respecting privacy--I try to respect the discretion of others." Though it is true, as she looks at it, that it isn't exactly her ideal. It should be taller, she thinks, and maybe that beach should be on another level. The first? Higher up? She's unsure yet. But she can't think of a reason to complain about Balan, unfortunately, so she does not. If given reason to, Angela is never ashamed to complain. How she feels about something is a freedom even the City will allow her to have. "There is no harm in listening to a request." She decides to settle on being neutral on Balan, ultimately. Neutrality is safe. Once she makes an actual friend, that's a risk of sorts no matter how lovely they are and so it has to be worth that gamble. She tips her pirate hat at Balan before turning back to Hibiki and nods to her, frustration flickering across her eyes. Yes, she has no idea about any of this. Again. "Why would they make a weapon like that?" She wonders because frankly there seems to be more fatal methods--if less horrifying. Her question seems to be a matter of academic interest more than concern that someone would fire such a weapon at someone. Lobotomy Corp screws with the self of others a lot but she knows why for that. It's awful, but she knows why. Petra starts summoning a tower, seemingly unintentionally. "Do not look without permission, Random. Turn me to focus on them." Random again obeys, frowning as they are getting a few more details of Petra's situation--and explicitely what was taken out of their hands. "...I am presuming, Hibiki, that you did not bring this up just to make her suffer. Are you hoping for her insight?"
Kale Hearthward	Balan listens (and watches) Angela give him her full sincerity. He nods, at the end. "Freedom, and knowledge. Going more hand in hand than I had realized. Consider me impressed." "The request is, for someone else here in Wonderworld, that I've been trying to help." "I'd assumed that I'd removed all of Lance's negativity from Wonderworld, but... well, either there was some I'd missed, or this is something else. When someone in Wonderworld gives in to their negative feelings, purposefully hanging on and amplifying them instead of healing, they..." Balan purses his lips beneath the brim of his hat/head. "Well, they turn a little bit monstrous. Just a bit. And sometimes, well, you can't convince them to let go of those feelings without... well, not to put too fine a point on it..." "... Knocking a little bit of sense into them. It's very unfortunate." "It's the sort of thing I can't do myself, you understand, for a variety of reasons - but if you're willing to lend your expertise, I can arrange for them to be brought over here, and give a little bit of assistance..."
Hibiki Tachibana	If anything, the light bags underneath Hibiki's eyes only seem to deepen at the same moment she squints back at Petra. "What do you want me to say? That you're wrong? /No crap/ it should have stayed locked down there. Don't say it like I don't wish I handled everything differently. But I can't do a single thing to change what happened anymore. Whether I blame myself, or anyone else..." "...So if you think I'm talking down to you, I'm not. I'm saying it how it is, and I'm asking you because it's /important/ and you're the only person who can give the kind of answers I need to help do something about it /now/." Even when the sounds of ripping rubber and rising metal start filling the air, she doesn't even turn back to look at it. Her focus is entirely and solely on Petra herself. When the other girl trails off and goes into thought, she goes right ahead and starts answering the question she's asked. "...Like you're aware of everything around you, to a horrible degree, like the air is cutting you everywhere at once. And aware of everything in your body, right down to the grossest details I never want to think about. And still somehow, somehow--it feels so /ridiculously/ empty, like you're not actually 'you', like it's all one hollow haze tha--" Another rise of metal, and Petra grips onto her and shoves her back. Hibiki has a brief second where her eyes widen, just a little bit, as she's shoved back into it without resistance. The storm of questions is given a brief time to settle before Hibiki's expression stiffens up, and her hand comes up to grip firmly onto one of Petra's wrists. "It's a weapon, because they used it on /people/, while raiding a whole goddamn city! Everywhere else they were looting, there was destruction--bodies...but that stuff had /no/ chance of leaving anyone alive inside of it! There was nothing but silence! I nearly lost my mind just taking a few steps into it, and I don't know what'd have happened if I didn't have Touta with me! What do you think happens to a normal person being put through something like that!?" After that flare-up, where it's hard to tell if she's angry at Petra or just the memory of what the Titanomachia had done, she pulls the wrist she's gripping to the side--not necessarily trying to hurt Petra, but it's sudden enough that she'll probably end up staggering back after. "I've only known since near the end of my stupid, crappy stunt of running away from home. And I didn't have a ton of chances to talk to you about it while you were waiting for your chance to get at me, did I?" There's absolutely some bitterness in that statement, that she pushes out with a rough exhale after. "So if you know anything, I want to know too," she somewhat indirectly answers Angela's question. "I don't get anything out of pissing you off or harassing you, especially here of all places. I wouldn't even be /talking/ to you unless I wanted to stop them as much as I do." Balan's request sure is a little ironic right about now. Anyone who knows her probably knows she'd agree to help with it...but that agreement might come a little late.
Petra Soroka	"... like it's all one hollow haze tha--" "Big fucking deal! That's what's got you so worked up?" Petra's shove is timed to cut Hibiki off, her eyes wide with alarm despite her dismissive words. "How is that even a weapon! Oh, wow, it makes you feel a little bad; that's practically normal. How is that--?" Rigid as she is, and no stronger than any other random girl on the street, Hibiki effortlessly tosses Petra aside, and she stumbles, yanking her wrist away and bristling again. Rather than getting right back up into Hibiki's face, though, Petra pulls her hands close to her chest, rubbing her wrist with a directionlessly angry expression. The reality, the only plausible reality, of what Hibiki is referring to sinks in, when Petra bitterly repeats a line under her breath. "What would happen if a normal fucking person was put through that, huh?" "I wasn't waiting for my-- whatever. Whatever, Tachibana." All at once, Petra slides from being furious to looking exhausted, shoving her hands in the pockets of her trench coat, after a moment of fumbling where she automatically goes for where her bomber jacket pockets would be. She hunches her shoulders forwards, head angled down so Hibiki can't see the involuntary wince that crosses her face. "Yeah, yeah, it's such a fucking burden to force yourself to talk to someone like me. Make sure to disinfect your fucking hand after you leave." Petra hisses air out through her teeth, deflating in front of Hibiki despite the tough act. The topic of this thing, in combination with her earlier breakdown, really is just more than she can take, and she grits her teeth to prevent the tears she can feel threatening to spill out. "You could've just fucking texted, if it was that important. I know you haven't blocked my number, since you still talk to my weird fucking reflection for whatever reason." There's a long stretch of silence, where it seems like Petra might refuse to give Hibiki any information at all. She doesn't move to look around at the library either, staying in the same posture, looking at the ground-- in reality, she's lost in thought, trying to crush down a choking torrent of emotions she can't name. "... You didn't see-- a mech? There wasn't a mech? Just... glass? That made you feel like you could suddenly die at any moment?" Petra pauses, about to continue, then finally lifts her head and stares blankly around the Wonderworld. "As much as I don't-- whatever this-- this is, we're not talking about it here. Just... just call me, or something. See if you can tolerate that more."
Hibiki Tachibana	"It was only the one time," Hibiki murmurs during the period of quiet, while slowly fixing her messed-up collar. She's dropped back to a flat and dull tone of voice, if a tiny bit raspier for the moment of raising it. "...And it was my own fault, saying yes to her. But you're right. I should have put the pieces together and texted you first thing." It's hard to tell if that's cynical and rhetorical or a genuine statement that she should have done better. Petra's gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, from anger to confusion and now exhaustion, but Hibiki just seems--lethargic, almost, when it comes to her. There aren't any building tears, just her slightly sunken eyes cast off to nowhere in particular off to the side. It's clear as day that Petra is having a hard time. She's not that blind. And of course, she's the cause of it. She should feel awful about that. She's felt awful for much less when it comes to Petra in the past. And she's not someone who has ever enjoyed making anyone suffer. "Whatever, Petra," she echoes. But she can't. That spring is dried up. She can't do it anymore. She's tired of it. And it's for the best, for her, that she can't. So 'whatever'. "Shouldn't have brought it up here, either. I got ahead of myself, seeing that. Sorry for all the trouble." It feels more like an apology directed at Angela, and probably Balan, than anything else. There's a few seconds where she considers Petra's question, the mention of a mech, and then what she says after. "Yeah. We'll talk later, or meet up. It doesn't matter to me either way. There's nothing to tolerate. I just want to know what you know." And then, up towards their host for today, who she's glossing over is asking them for help after already getting them in here, "...I'll lend a hand. That's something I know how to do."