Scene #8792: A Moment of Shade

Owner	Pose
Petra Soroka	The benefits of employing-- well, Petra isn't royalty, she's just an Egg Head, but employing someone who has access to the full resources of a recently conquered kingdom-- can't be understated. Especially when that someone is shockingly apathetic towards the general principles of economic exchange; the one person at your job who you loathe for volunteering for unpaid overtime, who sucks up to your boss, and somehow seems content with her shitty little studio apartment. When the topic of a Lobotomy Corporation spa day was raised and accepted by management, Petra offered up a spa in Quicknest for no cost at all to the company, and 'free' is the only word that can wash out the bitter taste of 'vacation'. Having set up an artificial warpgate right in the plaza outside the Quicknest castle, the semi-ruined and not fully rebuilt state of the capital city of the formerly furry kingdom is instantly obvious, though there's the sound of construction going on elsewhere. The spa Petra allocated for the event is the closest one to the castle, possibly because it's an upper class area with high quality amenities, and possibly because she just does not know the layout of the city that well and is most familiar with the area immediately around the castle. The spa is luxurious, but not awe-inspiring. A marble building at the end of a cobblestone road, the aesthetic feels quite a lot like it's indulging in the performance of wealth as decor in of itself, with soft white-gold lighting and gold trimmings on mosaic-ed walls and green-tinged marble columns. Thick carpets, deep red wooden furniture with velvet upholstery, and various other entirely abandoned setpieces for a now-robotomized nation line the rooms and hallways, but where Petra's specifically set up the gathering point is out back. Glass double doors open up to a natural stone 'bowl' in the landscape of the city, with steps leading down to a scattering of more low-key luxurious hot springs turned into hot tubs, with overhanged wooden platforms all around them to host other spa-essentials. A bar stocked with alcohol and whatever small sandwiches or dainty snacks you could want, chairs and tables set up with curtains for privacy for massages or manipedis, plush towels and tasteful greenery for moodsetting. There's staff around, too-- all human-- and a couple Eggman-style robots, possibly some of the robotomized citizens of the country. One wall around the hot spring seems to have had some kind of artwork painted on it, but it's been spraypainted over. A section of the rock walls, framed by droopy trees, opens up to give a view of the sunset over the partially-destroyed city. One large section of it has the buzz of distant construction, far enough away to not disturb the calm much, but easily involving hundreds of robots and a few city blocks worth of space. Petra herself is sitting in one of the lounge chairs by the springside, faced out towards the city. She's wearing jeans, which doesn't seem right for the environment, and whatever she's wearing as a top is covered up by a towel draped thoroughly across her shoulders. She's leaning on an elbow, visibly bored, already smoking a cigarette, though the fumes are mostly obscured by the incense and oil aromas of the spa.
Angela	It's time for a Spa Day! Angela barely knows what a spa is, of course, but her dads know what a spa day is and they reluctantly agreed that--yes!--it should be doable. Walpurgisnacht has positively flooded the facility with Enkephalin and they should honestly be pretty good on it for a while. It still pays to be ahead of the curve, though, so it's doubtful anybody's getting the month off or anything anytime soon BUT having the facility operate at half capacity for a couple days isn't too bad. And so it goes. In the end it pays to keep the Concord happy and Zero Kiryu's recent interventions on the bands has indirectly informed Angela that working hard for The Director and her partner is just a plain good idea. Practically speaking. It just proved far simpler to split the two spa groups via their teams. Today's group includes the Extraction Team, Training Team, Control Team, and Disciplinary Team. Even the Sephirah are present as like little segways with their video pads ductaped onto them. Hod's Segway is a little shorter than the others for unexplained reasons. Each of the Sephirah are wearing like spa toweles around their body but only Binah and Gebura are still affected by the Cognition Filter, however, so for Malkuth and Hod they are in their little Sephirah bodies rather than the stylized expressions of their former selves. "They're finally forcing you to relax? Can't imagine anybody is happy with how you handled everything post Walpurgisnacht." Binah taunts Gebura as they roll inside. "It's not about being happy. We're here to relax so shutup, leave, or die I don't care which." Gebura grunts back. Her jumpsuit usually doesn't show it but she's got scars all over her body no doubt emulating what she received from numerous battles. Hod is slightly behind them, "U--um, please behave. It's better to get along and M-Miss Angela said it was okay to kick us out if we cause trouble." It seems unlikely that the three of them are going to get much out of a spa day like this but 'getting kicked out' also means no longer having a day off. Only Gebura is the sort of person to be totally fine with that outcome. Malkuth jumps in with a, "Company policy is to not cause uneccessary trouble for the Agents over the course of their duties and today their duty is to relax, so behave or I'll report you~" She sounds like she'd kind of enjoy it just for the experience of writing up a fellow Sephirah. The Agents are much more thrilled with the spa day. Nonon is the first to speak up, saying, "Hot damn!! It's been work work work! A day like this has been a long time coming, and this is the service like what I'd expect from a WING." Even Cinder, who normally is awkward about the excesses of the wealthy, laughs, "Yeah... It's been pretty crazy...Hopefully that's the worst Meltdown we ever get. I still dream I'm back in college and in my underwear while they ask me to do math..." She sighs, relieved that these dreams are just dreams. Yuri quips back, "Yeah you only did that once." Cinder's face turns bright red. "It didn't happen at all!" She shouts back. "Don't say stuff like that, someone's liable to believe it even if you're just joking!" "I'm hitting the meditation chamber," Justin Rook says. "You coming, Random?" "...Oh! yeah--" The flustered Random says. "Yes sir. Of course sir." "...We're here to relax, Random. You can just call me Rook." "...I couldn't..." Random brushes some of their blue hair out of their eyes. "...It'll be nice just having a quiet moment together." They head off to one of those rooms and you probably won't see them for the rest of the day.
Angela	But most everyone else is heading for Petra's gathering point, Sephirah included. Shajo and Nonon immediately eat sandwiches and the former drops their butt into a manipedi chair while Ceri rolls in on her wheelchair, looking like she's here out of obligation but she does give Petra a nod upon arrival. And Cinder quietly inches up to the lounge chair next to Petra and sits next to her, drawing an (unlit) cigarette of her own and not saying anything for the moment.
Rufus Shinra	Rufus arrives, fashionably on time. The absence of the citizenry doesn't bother him, because he barely notices normal people when they are around. "Hey, hey!" Rufus pushes through the double doors of the spa, and anyone in the immediate vicinity is hit by double finger guns. "The R-man is in the house. And the R stands for Rufus." "Let's see - MIss Binah! The Sephiro- I mean, Sephirah in charge of our little extraction team, right? Great to make your acquaintance. How do you feel about nicknames - Bee? Bee sounds pretty good to me if it sounds good to you, Bee." And then to Cinder. "Hey!" Oh, wait, what he was going to say to Cinder is probably covered by Petra's list. "Nice weather, right?" Rufus continues on in. "Petra! Ready to face the fear, build the future, show the other teams up? Figures the first day after I get out of training is the vacation day, though, huh?"
Timespace Riders	The telltale rustling of a familiar grey scarf may be carried on the wind--but for anyone nearby when Sougo and Woz arrive, it's pretty hard to miss. A vortex of impossibly swirling cloth appears from thin air, with the Demon King and his retainer stood in the eye of the 'storm.' It thins out to a single length, shortening and resting upon Woz's shoulder as if it were an ordinary garment all along. Sougo bounds happily down the cobblestone path, his burgundy pants and (slightly, stylishly oversized) navy-pink striped button-up a sharp contrast to the building's marble walls. Woz follows dutifully behind, with a small smile. Stepping in with a duffel bag slung over one shoulder, Sougo's eyes go wide. Performative wealth it may be, but the attention to detail in that performance is still very impressive to him. "Whoa... Woz, look at the view there...!" The sunset is stunning--if admittedly framed in the context of a partially-destroyed city. "Oh... hi, Petra! Congratulations, by the way," Sougo offers sunnily, approaching her with that usual bounce in his step. She can tell that it's a little more effortful than usual--and she might be able to spot the fatigue in his brown eyes which his affectations attempt to hide. What he can't hide is the healing bruises on his arms, or the one that peeks out from beneath the collar of his shirt. "How'd it happen, if you don't mind me asking? After the Jester, I kinda... disappeared for a while." Woz's scarf gently wraps around Sougo's waist and 'encourages' him into a chair beside Shajo. He can talk and relax at the same time! The retainer, for his part, places his right hand over his chest and bows at the waist to Gebura. "Esteemed Gebura, please accept my thanks for your hard work. It is good to see you rightly rewarded for it."
Kukuru	Free spa day? Free spa day. Kukuru isn't one to turn down free or spas, and she's in dire need of a good rest. When she arrives, she's looking far more tired than she usually does, with her usual perky sleepiness replaced with just regular sleepiness and mild difficulty just finding her way around the place. She's dressed in a lighter outfit than usual, too, with an off-the-shoulder sweater (forest green), a camisole (black) underneath it, and a similarly airy ankle-length skirt (violet). Luckily, everything's just kind of there for her with a path to follow, and she rubs her neck lightly while letting her head droop sideways upon seeing the building's marble exterior. "Oh, that must be nice and cool..." She murmurs to herself with relaxed sigh just at seeing that much, already imagining how comfortable it would be to just clamber atop the building and lay across the surface, napping for a good hour or five... And then she remembers that the spa day would involve actually going inside. There's food and drinks inside, though, so she doesn't feel too bad about not being to indulge in that right away, and she even gets to see plenty of familiar faces once she's in! That's enough to get her perking right back up, bouncing on her heels a little excitedly as she hurries over to begin the greeting everyone. "He-llo, Petra! Oh, thanks so much for setting all this up... And this is in your new territory, isn't it? I should've brought a cake or something..." "Oh, Bi-nah! Ge-bby! Hod and Malky are right, mhm. It's easier to relax if you're alive, and I bet those drinks over there can really help." "Ru-fffus! Did you just start working with all of them, too? Ah, it's so good to know you're all working together like this~" "Sougooo! Wo-zyyy! Make sure to drink up enough before you get in the water. Even if you're tired, these places can really get you to sweat if you're not used to it."
Petra Soroka	"It's better to get along and M-Miss Angela said it was okay to kick us out if we cause trouble." Petra doesn't really seem to be in any state to kick anyone out. Her greeting to her coworkers as they come in is... well, as subdued as most of the other attendees seem to be, just lazily waving her hand and saying, "Take or do whatever you want." She's hovering somewhere between sulking and exhausted, and is trying not to come across as too broody, and mostly failing. "Yeah you only did that once." Petra is in the midst of working up a vague smile for Cinder when Yuri's comment snaps her eyes wide open. She chokes on her hellos and struggles to pull herself back together in time to actually respond once Cinder clarifies, thumping her fist against her chest while coughing. She, obviously, believed it immediately. "Bee sounds pretty good to me if it sounds good to you Bee." Petra scoffs with, actually, disbelief more than contempt. The fact that this doesn't raise her hackles so much as she seems inclined to laugh at it if she were in a better mood says something about how she views Binah, probably. "Hey!" This raises hackles. "Nice weather, right?" This lowers them. Petra leans back in her chair, assessing the moment of hesitation that Rufus had and feeling comforted by it. "Figures the first day after I get out of training is the vacation day, though, huh?" "Yeah, figures you'd bumble your way into fucking taking advantage of the real employees' hard work without doing any of it yourself first." Petra strongly considers flicking her cigarette onto his leg, even though he's done nothing to deserve it today. Eyes flicking over to the Geburamobile, Petra makes a split-second decision that'll probably turn out badly for her. "Qetra. You be my social shield today." Petra flips open her compact and pulls her mirror double out, who looks around airily before clapping her hands. "Oh! At the spa? Ajoeto, you're too nice. Let me change first~" And then she's gone again, back inside the mirror. Petra sighs and mutters, "... I guess that's fine." "Oh... hi, Petra! Congratulations, by the way," Petra rolls her head onto her shoulder to look at Sougo uncomprehendingly. She's less capable and trying less hard to hide her own fatigue, or the unsettlingly hostile edge in her eye, though from the bruise-like bags under her eyes it almost looks like she's sick rather than just tired. "Congratulations for... the promotion? Or..." She looks out at the city. "... The other promotion?" "He-llo, Petra! Oh, thanks so much for setting all this up... And this is in your new territory, isn't it? I should've brought a cake or something..." Petra hums in unfocused agreement. Her eyes lock on Kukuru in a particularly intense way, without spending any specific time on her face, just hunting for some kind of threat or tell in her body language. "There's bakeries and stuff around. It's not like I'm short on cakes. I don't really need your help. You can just go relax."
Petra Soroka	Petra also doesn't say anything to Cinder at first when she sits down near her. She fidgets with the arm of her chair for a bit, tenses like she's about to stand up, then relaxes again. Her cigarette burns out, and she flicks it outside the gap to the city, following it up with a single flechette of quicksilver like a bullet to slice it in half. Then she leans forwards abruptly, pointing to the construction without prompt or direct greeting to Cinder. "I'm building an arena. To make people, like, fight. If I catch rebels or whatever, or... anyone else I can toss in there. I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do." She pauses, exhales, and sags back into the dip of the lounge chair, pulling a knee up to her chest. "... Sorry I haven't been, uh... responsive, for a couple days."
Angela	''How do you feel about nicknames - Bee?'' "Oh how novel," Binah says, "I don't believe anybody has ever thought to give me a nickname before. Well, a nickname received should be repaied with a nickname in turn. How about... Rue?" Binah smiles on the screen. She radiates danger, of course, and her gaze is as sadistic as ever but as the sort of person who is sent out to punish Wings that violate the rules of The City, Rufus is the sort of person she'd either punish or report to and she seems to be holding back the knives--whether that's because it's spa day, because he works for her, or because she just doesn't know enough just yet to draw blood--well it's unclear, going on to chuckle to Kukuru, "Oh I am enjoying myself plenty." When Petra laughs, Binah considers Petra. "Yes yes..." She agrees. "We are all friends now, right? Comrades in arms and nicknames are entirely appropriate. So I shall call you Pet. Rue and Pet." "My name's Gebura." Gebura asides to Kukuru. "Is Gebura too complicated for you or something? Is cuteifying something into two syllables your limit? I'll give you a name you can use if that's the case." Gebura is distracted by Woz and wonders if she's being subtly mocked but isn't entirely sure so she just manages, "It's not like we're really here. Glorified supervisors... Chesed's heading up the other group." Sougo sits down next to Shajo. Shajo seems utterly comfortable in his chair there like he's had this before. Don't get gel, wrecks your nails.")] Shajo suggests to Sougo. "But good thinking getting this done on the company dime and time." Nonon steps into the hot tub--she's about as scarred up as Gebura--and eases into it. Ceri rolls up to get some sandwiches and eventually rolls up herself to look at the view.
Angela	Hod --well Cognition Filter Hod doesn't have lips but her antenna wiggles back and forth as she excitedly (maybe coming on a bit strongly) tells Petra, "U-um! Miss Petra! Thanks for helping me earlier and saving me from getting hammered." "You really gotta stop calling it 'Saving me from getting hammered'." Malkuth chimes in. Cinder is waved at and is distracted by Rufus and she throws a wave to him. "Hey." She says. ''Nice weather, right?'' Cinder takes a moment to look at the partially destroyed City they're overlooking admist the setting sun. "...Y..yeah. Nice weather." at least she doesn't seem to realize Rufus was about to take Petra's advice through Petra! But Cinder isn't sure that would amount to much. She is content to just kind of be in Petra's presence and she is thinking of saying something--there's a lot that she could say--but ultimately Petra breaks the ice by talking about how she's going to build a bloodsports arena. Hearing Petra's voice directed at her gets her to smile, taking a moment to light up her own cigarette. "...You know, I'd be dead if it wasn't for you and--you've really got me thinking about always living my brightest and biggest no matter where it takes me. Even if I fell over tommorow and never got back up--it'd be worth it." She turns her head to Petra. "It's okay," She tells her. "You went through a lot. And it was real hard and--you left...well, it was partly to protect us right? Cause you knew you needed time?" She reaches for her hand. "You can take as much time as you need. We'll be here for you when you're ready." And then she gives Petra the biggest smile she can because she must and because she wants to. It's still quite subdued, though, because how can she smile any bigger when she knows she's hurting? "It's okay if you--ever want me around for the hard times though. I'll rush over in a heartbeat."
UFO Gang	SPA DAY SPA DAY SPA DAY SPA DAY The unidentified fantastic individuals associated with a flying ship and recent appearance to assist with the Late Unpleasantness have, it seems, come to some sort of agreement with the Lobotomy Corporation individuals. They troop in; their usual outfits are in abeyance in favor of simple white robes, suitable for SPA DAY Although, of course, they've all retained their characteristic headgear. "Oho, a meditation room," says ICHIRIN to Justin Rook. She then looks to Random. "-- Hehe~ Tell me how it is!" She meanders past, flanked by a pink cloud which is, somehow, wearing a spa bathrobe, too. SHOU remarks to Gebura and Binah, "These are interesting bodies you've assumed." Her voice is subtly soothing. MINAMITSU, who has MET PEOPLE, moves on in. She adjusts her adorable little sailor cap and says to Kukuru with cheerful vigor, "Hey! Are you excited for all of this relaxation!?" Minamitsu fist-pumps a little. She is apparently HYPE for SPA TIME. Minamitsu also looks at the others as Kukuru, helpfully, means she learns their names. "Heya!" she says to Rufus, cheerfully. "You feeling better? I think it was pretty rough in there, huh?" NAZRIN is the one to speak unto Petra. "A bloodsport arena, eh? Is the safety team OK with that?" says the mouse-girl, who is otherwise loitering with some malice. (Nazrin nods with moderate respect to Cinder, too.)
Rufus Shinra	> "Ru-fffus! Did you just start working with all of them, too? "Ah, the indefatigable Miss Kukuru! Yes indeed, I am The Lobotomy Corporation's newest recruit, straight out of training and into the all-important Extraction team, where we'll be extracting..." Wait, wait, this was covered in the training, right? "... EGO Gear? Yes, EGO Gear." > "Yeah, figures you'd bumble your way into fucking taking advantage of the real employees' hard work without doing any of it yourself first." "Ha hah, what can I say, I'm one lucky bastard," says Rufus, giving Petra two fingerguns. Pew, pew. > I couldn't think of anything else I wanted to do." "Really. You get an entire city to yourself and you can't figure out what you want to do with it?" "That's so..." "... Relatable, you know?" Rufus plops himself down in one of the chairs. "The whole world's open to you suddenly, and you don't have a clue what to do with it. Same old story. Personally, have you considered setting things on fire? Literally nobody can stop you right now, right?" > Rue Finger guns. "Hah! Not what I would have picked, Bee, but Rue it is." > So I shall call you Pet. Oh this day just could not get any better.
Timespace Riders	Make sure to drink up enough before you get in the water. "Thanks, Kukuru," Sougo warmly answers. "Woz made that pretty clear, too--we hydrated, don't worry!" Congratulations for... the promotion? "I guess I meant the other promotion, haha," Sougo says, nodding towards the view of the city. "To Egg Head." "What brought you out here in the first place?" "I am certain it has something to do with Aidan Proudpick and his famous tact," Woz drily responds as he finds his own manipedi chair. It's not like we're really here. While subtle mockery is certainly within Woz's wheelhouse, it doesn't seem as though he's directing any at Gebura, given his next remark towards her: "Perhaps not," he says. "But the company is operating at half-capacity, yes? A small measure of respite it may be, but owed, nonetheless. I must also thank you for your clemency and fairness with Meika Kirenai." He frowns, slightly. "Some recompense was owed, of course, but you did not demand nearly as much as you could have." Don't get gel, wrecks your nails. "Oh! Thanks, Shajo. You sound like you're a bit of a pro, at this," he says. It occurs to Sougo that Shajo is one of the Agents he's spoken to the least. Now might be a good chance to get to know him. "Do you... go to Tennant's movie nights? I've been trying to think of other fun stuff Agents could do on off-hours."
Kukuru	Petra's intensity doesn't cow Kukuru one bit, partially because she just looks happy to be there, and partially because she doesn't appear to nor actually comprehend that Petra might be looking for any of those tells at all. Instead, Kukuru just hums initially at Petra's response, taking a moment to think about what she could mean by that before finally settling into another cheerful and classically sleepy giggle. "Okaay~ Oh, it's because I've been practicing baking more, you know? Since..." She pouts briefly. "All the fried food isn't good for humans, and I wanna get better at preparing different stuff. So if you have any ideas about what I could use besides meat in cakes, it'd be a huuuge help for me." And apples, but she leaves that part unsaid. She doesn't want to pressure Petra if she actually prefers apples, after all. Minamitsu's excited arrival is met with a similar level of cheer from Kukuru, if not necessarily the same level of vigor (although an attempt is made to get about halfway there). "Mhm! Nice food, nice drinks, lovely people, and this whole place to let all the tiredness melt away... It's good to see you again, Mi-na~" Rufus confirming what Kukuru's heard in passing has her grinning from ear to ear as well. "That's great! It's real great hearing you're applying yourself this way. Our family's got so many different people with all sorts of different specialties, so learning all this stuff about each other is gonna make it even easier to work together later. Just make sure to listen to your..." She pauses, looking over at the Agents. "Upper... Seniors?" She doesn't actually know what the word is for that. Sougo allays Kukuru's concerns about not forgetting to drink up, and Kukuru visibly relaxes right where she stands. Was she getting ready to go get drinks if there was any other answer? Probably. "That's great~ Ah, yeah.. I didn't need to worry. Woz is so attentive, too, and with your heart... That really makes you two such a great pair together. Absolutely adorable...!" "Bee..." Kukuru murmurs after Rufus and Petra as Binah seems to accept that nickname, smiling even more broadly at seeing the three of them getting along so well. It's almost enough to have her not realize that Gebura's addressing her at first, but a slight turn and context clues (like Gebura talking directly to her) has her letting out one of those slow noises of comprehension. "Mm mm. I just thought it'd sound cute, but if you don't like it... Gebura it is." Kukuru replies with a firm nod, sounding a bit calmer and somehow... More pleased after that? She's beaming more than before. "Thanks for letting me know, dear. I'd... I like it when people trust me enough to tell me that before it gets weird." Her smile lingers for a few more seconds, then quickly gives way to genuine worry. "Is it weird?"
Petra Soroka	"U-um! Miss Petra! Thanks for helping me earlier and saving me from getting hammered." Petra snorts into the back of her hand, waving dismissive-reassurance at Hod. "Really sweet, Hod, but that's like, the fourth time you've thanked me. I only even saved you-- oh, wait." She snaps out of her semi-detatched haze for a second, blinking at Hod and pointing emphatically at her to make sure the command sinks in. "Remind me to talk to you about something after this. It's important." "And it was real hard and--you left...well, it was partly to protect us right? Cause you knew you needed time?" That's way more true than Cinder knows. Enough that Petra winces and recoils a bit, squeezing her hands on her thighs rather than taking Cinder's. "... Yeah. Going away for a bit to protect you." "It's okay if you--ever want me around for the hard times though. I'll rush over in a heartbeat." The sinking doom that Petra feels at Cinder saying that is so-- it's not unexpected, in that she's not surprised by the feeling; it's in fact the certainty of the pointlessness of trying to talk about any of this with Cinder that unsettles her so strongly. Petra falters for a bit, trying to grasp at an adjacent and true topic that isn't directly responding to Cinder's promise, before Rufus and Nazrin cut her off. "... There's just... this feeling I get, and it makes me worried about you, where everyone around me--" "Is the safety team OK with that?" Petra stares at Nazrin, entranced by the mouse ears for a solid few seconds. Then, "What? Neztach doesn't get a say. This--" She looks around dumbfounded, as if she could have been mistaken. "This isn't the facility. I've got deals with LCorp, but this-- this isn't LCorp. And Neztach would probably be fine with a battle arena anyways." "Personally, have you considered setting things on fire? Literally nobody can stop you right now, right?" The waves of contempt pouring off of Petra when Rufus deigns to sit near her are abruptly cut off when a thought crosses her mind in response and she automatically blurts it out. "I only set things on fire when they belong to other people. I mean, arson's no fun if no one's threatening to kill me in the broadband after. It's just kicking over my own towers at that point." "But also--" A tendril of morphmetal whips out from beneath her towel when she smoothly pops the cap, grabbing the leg of his chair and throwing it, and him, into the hot spring. She takes a sip from her (nonalcoholic) slushie. "Don't sit near me. Sit farther away if you have to at all." "So I shall call you Pet." Petra chokes and doubles over in her chair, instantly turning bright pink. She pulls the towel over her head (coincidentally revealing that she is actually wearing a bikini top (and jeans???)) and shakes her head violently. Muffled, through the towel, "That's-- that's not a nickname, that's-- that's an entirely different word, it's not-- n-no way, you can't-- Lilian will--" Bringing up Lilian reflexively, while wearing that ever-present black and gold collar, is almost commonplace at this point, but that doesn't make her any less embarrassed about it.
Petra Soroka	"What brought you out here in the first place?" Petra, towel over her head, squeezing it tightly enough to make it hard for herself to breath, still somehow manages to sound like she's-- trying to be-- smugly contemptful. "All I had to do was expose the stupid fucking furry for being the soulless, untrustworthy, useless creep he is by replaying what he said at the fair. He did all the rest, ruining his reputation with the Watch, and then daring Doctor Eggman to take everything from him. I didn't even have time to get here before the kingdom was wiped out, so I'm just in charge of the territory." "So if you have any ideas about what I could use besides meat in cakes, it'd be a huuuge help for me." The entombed tower-orb of Petra's head stays grimly silent, sinking into her lap. A comedic BGM might be playing over the moment, but really, she's just been struck by a wave of exhaustion, failing to come up with a tsukkomi retort and suddenly realizing how little battery she has for the typical social shenanigans of these kinds of events. Wordlessly and blindly, she flips open her compact to pull out Qetra, who's thankfully fully dressed in a white robe and flipflops over her fairly modest two-piece swimsuit. "Okay! Here I am! How about we go do anything but bothering Petra for once, okay, Kukuru?"
Rufus Shinra	> "Upper... Seniors?" "I'm pretty sure they know I've got a handle on everything and anything," says Rufus. > "Don't sit near me. Sit farther away if you have to at all." Rufus gets taken unawares, and gets sent into the hot springs. Ker-sploosh. "Whoa - didn't tell me we were starting the water fight!" he says when he resurfaces. "Here's a hot tip for next time, Pet, you should give someone a heads up before you start." "And - think fast!" Rufus brings out Greed's Embrace - his waterlogged clothing shifts around, forming tendrils that combine into an approximation of a pair of giant hands... which go down to the surface of the water and bring up large faux-handfulls to splash Petra back with!
Angela	Justin Rook and Random seem a bit flustered when ICHIRIN speaks to them. "Uh." Justin Rook says. "I probably won't?" Random's cheeks color pink. They hurry along. Binah chuckles a little at SHOU, "Not as interesting as yours, I imagine." Gebura glances to SHOU and adds, "New to Welfare--good luck with training." She says with the sort of tone that doesn't really suggest she believes in luck but knows to say these sorts of things to new employees as a matter of policy. "Mmhmmm... EGO Gear is correct." Binah quips back to Rufus. ''I must also thank you for your clemency and fairness with Meika Kirenai'' Gebura is now sure she's being mocked. "Really? Cause we let her go eventually? Wasn't my call. Was the Manager's. And been ordered not to talk about... Well, ordered not to talk about it. Doubt anybody else would say that about me. But thanks." Gebura seems to be put at ease with Kukuru calling her Gebura instead of Gebby (didn't they have this chat before? Gebura has a strange sense of dejavu regardless). Gebura grimaces a little over being called 'Dear', though it doesn't seem to trouble her enough to comment on it. Some people be like this. "...You're inherently weird." Gebura tells Kukuru. "...ugh, but I'm not saying you should worry about it or anything. Just be you and respect the ways other people want to be unless you're out to hurt 'em. It's not rocket science." Nonon laughs, "He IS a pro at this! Tell 'em, Shajo!" Shajo huffs a little, crossing his arms before being told he can't cross his arms during the manicure and uncrossing them. "Yeah, I mean. The Middle cared about looking the part." He shrugs off his towel showing off a slew of tattoos covering his entire upper body. They look a bit like: https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/limbuscompany/images/d/d1/The_Middle_Little_Brother_Meursault_Full.png/revision/latest?cb=20231123044545 "To say nothing of like hair care, nail care... Looking sloppy was a disgrace to the Family so obviously I had to avoid that. And the habit stuck." Cinder hesitates when Petra doesn't take her hand. Cinder pulls her hand back and then looks down at them, still smiling. It even reaches the eyes somehow. "...I'll go when you tell me to, too. I mean, it's nice to be worried about. I just...." She gestures with her cigarette. "...Nah, nevermind. I don't think I could explain it." Binah visibly leans back in her chair, toasting Petra with her cup of tea. "To Egg Head Captain Pet." She is committed now. "And all her future accomplishments." Yeah bringing up Lilian may have had the opposite effect.
UFO Gang	"It's not?" says Minamitsu, when Kukuru mentions fried food being bad for humans. Or, well, not good for humans. This seems to surprise, and to a mild extent, dismay her. She blinks several times, and puts her hands on her hips. "It's great to see you came through alright. Did you hear? Me and my squad here are going to be helping out at the Lob Corp!" Editorial note: None of these knuckleheads know what a lobotomy is, except possibly Nazrin. Then again, it's probably not a literal term. Nazrin's soft gray ears stay there, relentlessly adorable. Nazrin's face gets nearer to the :3 state as she realizes this. "Oh, okay," she tells her. "I guess you're a contractor too, huh? I hadn't seen you anywhere else..." "Yet." "But if you do have an arena," Nazrin says, before turning her head to look at Rufus. The thought is there, left interrupted. Ichirin also has an inappropriate little :3 as Justin and Random move along. The pink cloud with her has turned pinker in a particular narrow bound. "The introductory sutras have been quite challenging," Shou comments to Binah, "but I think I've gotten the hang of these 'Conduct Policies.' They're like monastic vows, if somewhat more secular." Minamitsu, for her part, sees Rufus begin to splash water around after being sent into the hot spring. Her immediate response is to jump into the spring, robe and all. ... She submerges completely out of sight for a short period.
Kukuru	Kukuru's heart drops at Gebura just laying out her weirdness for her, then jumps right back up when she follows that up with that extra chunk of advice. She actually goes quiet for several moments, too, letting all of that really digest first before finally trying to say anything. "Of course, Gebura. Before anything else, I want all of you to be happy and healthy. I dunno any other way to do that but be myself, but..." She trails off with a slow nod first, letting out a contented sigh as she looks over at everyone attending today's spa day. "I've been getting lots of good advice from you, Yuuki, Phony, Sougo, Petra, Lili, Exis... Way more people than I can ever thank. I'm not great at regular science, though, so... Let me know if there's anything I can help you with and I can't figure it out right away, okay?" She pauses, then adds. "... Do you think Lili likes that or Lilian more?" As her gaze goes from Gebura to everyone, she whistles softly when she sees Petra and Rufus widening the distance between each other. "Rufus is already going for a swim..." She comments with an idle chuckle, letting herself get distracted from her previously dire concerns of weirding people out. Petra bringing out Qetra to all but confirm that she's bugging Petra gives Kukuru some further mixed feelings, though, since on one hand, she's glad to see Qetra again. On the other hand... She literally confirms that Kukuru's bugging Petra, and that's going directly against what she had (once again) internalized from Gebura! "O.. Okay! It's good to see you again. Ah, looks like you were ready to get plenty of rest today, too. That's great... I know you've been working real hard. Did you get to try any of the snacks yet?" Kukuru didn't, and she's certainly ready to grab some of those sandwiches for herself. Minamitsu's question gets her eyes to light up a bit, though, as she finally gets to look smart for once! "Mhm! It's bad for their skin, and their hearts. And... Most of their bodies, I hear. It tastes really good, though, so it's gotta be done in..." It takes a bit for her to remember the whole word. "Mod-er-a-tion." She enunciates, then brightens up upon hearing that Minamitsu and company have found gainful employment as well. "Really? Oh, that's great to hear. I'm sure you'll do great around here. There." Beat. "There. Just make sure you listen really closely to Angie and all the Sephirah, okay? You don't wanna mess things up like I did early on." It still stings a bit to remember that, but it's important for her not to forget what she did.
Timespace Riders	All I had to do was expose the stupid fucking furry for being the soulless, untrustworthy, useless creep he is by replaying what he said at the fair. Woz's mouth curls into a cat-that-got-the-canary smile, his brown eyes twinkling with a mixture of smug mirth and admiration. "Hoh? A very amusing decision, Petra. Truly," he says, his chin turned slightly upwards, "The 'Paladin invasion force' must have been a sight to behold." "Woz," Sougo gently scolds the retainer for his withering sarcasm, shaking his head softly. "...anyway, it's a good look for you, I think." Well, ordered not to talk about it. Woz inclines his head towards Gebura in a brief, apologetic nod. Looking sloppy was a disgrace to the Family so obviously I had to avoid that. "The Family... I don't think I've heard of them, but that's okay. I'm glad you're with the Company. What else do you do on your off-time? Do you read?"
Angela	Nonon cheers Minamitsu as she just jumps into the spring because she finds it funny and exciting Everybody else near it is considerably more muted, especially Ceri who just got splashed the hardest and is now scowling. Despite being in a wheelchair it should be clear that she still has her axe AND a rapier at her sides but has the shall we say DISCIPLINE to not draw EGO steel in Petra's house. ... Petra's other house. Her other workplace. Of course, then Nonon lets out a cheerful, "Nice!" as Rufus uses Greed's Embrace to splash! "Ga ha Ha!" Then she sees who he's splashing and the laughter falters a little bit--only a little bit though because she's still Nonon. Don't worry, UFO Gang! Gang of UFO! UFOGANG! Actualy lobotomies have definitely taken place in L Corp! But fortunately, all the necessary lobotomies have been completed. Any extra lobotomies that occur are not necessary at all and are just for the joy of the craft. Ceri is moderately soothed by mouse ears but she doesn't stare at them. Binah is happy to talk to Shou. Shou is, of course, not really giving an avenue for Binah to express her sadism yet--not the sort she prefers--but Binah considers Shou. "Mm. Agents who do not learn the training frequently perish quickly ... but those that do learn the training also perish quickly, if moderately less so. But you are not typical employees. Perhaps you'll be naturally suited towards the job like Captain Pet here." Gebura stares at Kukuru, watching her emotions bounce like a bungee cord jumper, just experiencing the rebound. She ... thinks she knows who most of those nicknames go to. "Mm.... Just don't take too much advice that you stop being you." She says, despite everything. ''Do you think Lili likes that or Lilian more?'' "...We usually call her Dame Commander, but Lilian is probably safe--you can always ask, can'tcha? About what they like? Going too far mythologizing someone is also--" Gebura cuts herself off, figuring this is maybe projecting a little and not neccessarily helpful. But she does nod her agreement at least that the Training is very important (even if Gebura thinks ultimately what matters even more is being a badass). Sougo asks about the Family and Shajo is...well not happy to. But is willing to. "Yeah," Shajo says. "The Family--well, it's just what we called The Middle. The Middle is one of the Five Fingers--I figure most Syndicates might use the term 'Family' but with the Middle they take it a bit literally." His eyes settle on Kukuru for MYSTERIOUS REASONS. "Everybody's. You've got big brothers, little brothers, big sisters, little sisters. It's the whole setup. And anybody--either directly in the gang or associated with 'em--if you piss them off, if you draw their aggro... They won't just go around and make you pay for it. They'll make your loved ones pay. They'll make bystanders who happen to be sticking around you pay." He shrugs both shoulders. "Not too atypical from what I've seen from some Concord types, but they take it to an extreme that'd probably make even Kukuru blush. Not right. And ... it's real hard to leave if you don't wanna get killed in the process. Basically impossible. These tattoos, you can't remove 'em--not even with a knife."
Petra Soroka	"...I'll go when you tell me to, too. I mean, it's nice to be worried about." "... Yeah.' Petra agrees with Cinder, not really meaning it. A lot of Petra's interpersonal dynamics are focused around limiting the amount that people can worry about her, because she doesn't think it's nice-- but that's not exactly true either, is it? The memory of how nice it felt to have Lilian worry about her at Eggman's Easter Island comes to mind unbidden, worsening the feeling of dread in Petra's chest. It's one thing to feel this sudden resurgence of certainty that she's a disease on everyone around her who inevitably trends all of their lives far worse than they would be if she never existed-- that feeling was never really gone, even before Flamel and the others went into her head, but her coping mechanisms for penance, and her place at Lobotomy Corporation, did a lot to keep it contained. What's worse, and what she's really known all along, is that even if she somehow managed to cut out all the parts of her that ended up hurting the people she cares about, she'd end up even more alienated and alone anyways. The need to hurt and be hurt, forging connections and 'earning' intimacy through abuse, is too thoroughly ingrained in Petra's fucked up ruined heart to ever really be comfortable simply doing well by someone she loves. She doesn't have that with Cinder. She doesn't even really have that with Angela. Lobotomy Corporation is tainted by her refusal to taint it, and that thought only sends her sinking deeper into the psychohazard-sparked fugue. Psychic meddling may have started this emotional slump, but every second it goes by it another second she rationalizes it and builds on it by interpreting her own feelings. "... Yeah. I'll-- once these creeps are gone," She doesn't even really mean that about anyone here (Rufus excluded), but it slips out anyways. "I'll keep in touch at least. Still gotta... for your safety, yeah." Somewhat relatedly, she watches Rufus and Minamitsu flounder around in the water, and murmurs absently to Cinder. "Do you ever get the urge to just hold people under the water? Like, specifically thinking about that feeling of them thrashing around and trying to push you away while you force them down. Sort of like that urge to break something just because it's fragile, but everyone's kind of fragile when it comes to water." "To Egg Head Captain Pet." Unlike the previous time Binah called her Pet, this deflects fully off of Petra's defenses without even scratching her hull. Her weakness isn't in the demeaning aspect of it; at least, not the schoolyard-insult part. Despite being the one to start it, Petra is taken off guard and drenched when Rufus splashes her back. She cuts a shriek short and shoots to her feet, fist clenched and trembling while she glares into the water like she's only barely holding back from drawing a weapon. She wishes she'd actually gotten snipers to put around the area like she considered, even if Gebura would force her to stick to warning shots. Instead, she just tugs at her wet jeans with irritation, making a low growl. "This is a fucking spa resort, Shinra, not a fucking kids pool party. Act like a fucking adult." As if she didn't pull him in there in the first place.
UFO Gang	Minamitsu rises from the water, faintly reddened by heat. She takes off her hat in order to pour water out of it, answering Kukuru cheerfully, "Moderation's amazing!" She leans backwards, floating her hat on the water for the moment. The hat bobs gently. Minamitsu stares at it. The hat flips and sinks into the water. Minamitsu smiles, happily. "I hope that none of us shall perish, of course," Shou says. "For those who have faded, however -- may they find rest and favorable rebirth. Namusan." That, from tone, means 'amen.' "Hm?" Shou says as she looks towards 'Captain Pet'. Mild bafflement. Minamitsu 'sinks' her hat several more times before settling down and looking at Rufus. Having no idea just who he is, she speaks with the casual ease of a casual comrade! "This water's kinda hot, so you probably want to take it easy." Ichirin steps around the puddles, even if they're probably gradually going downhill back into the spring. "You know, I think you're supposed to take the robe off before you do that," Ichirin says to Minamitsu. "Oh whoops." Rustle rustle. "Here ya go!" Minamitsu hands it upwards. (Minamitsu is wearing a blue-and-white stripey one-piece swimsuit underneath the robe.) The pink cloud daintily reaches over to take the wet robe and floats over to put it with the other wet water-adjacent clothing and terrycloths.
Kukuru	"Mm.... Just don't take too much advice that you stop being you." "Of course. I don't think I..." Kukuru trails off as she actually thinks about the first thought that comes to mind, furrowing her brow after a moment. "... Well. Maybe I could, but only if it's really better for my family. It sounds like so much work to change that much." She concludes with a light yawn, reaching under her sweater to scratch her midsection idly. As devoted as she is, she still does enjoy resting too much for that big of a change. "We usually call her Dame Commander, but Lilian is probably safe--you can always ask, can'tcha? About what they like? Going too far mythologizing someone is also--" "Oh yeah... I could. I think I did, but..." Kukuru's face scrunches up as she trawls the depths of her memory. "I... Did she ever give an answer? Ah, I'll just ask again." Kukuru giggles again as she raises an eyebrow at Gebura talking of mythologizing, saying enough with that curious smile of hers without actually saying anything further about what that might actually mean. Shajo looking at her gets Kukuru waving in greeting, of course, although she's absolutely clueless about the context of what he's talking about. She just smile and nods at hearing brothers and sisters brought up. Minamitsu's antics in the water and with her hat continue soothing Kukuru's heart by sight alone, and Shou using an unfamiliar word alongside the more pleasant wishes for the dead have Kukuru mouthing 'namusan' without really understanding the context one bit. She probably just like the sound of it! She also likes the sound of hot water to lounge in. Before she finally heads on in, however, Kukuru first grabs some snacks and assorted drinks for herself before remembering to change into a towel. She's not NOT going to let herself live a little, especially when she can finally soak in hot water for so long and getting people to pull on everything without worrying about the costs for all of it.
Timespace Riders	And ... it's real hard to leave if you don't wanna get killed in the process. "Mm... I guess it's no wonder you're a Captain, then," says Sougo. "Anybody who could make it out of a place like that alive would have to be pretty smart, and maybe even a little lucky." The implication being that those things help with an Agent's life expectancy, too. "I know that... they cost you a lot, and you can never really get rid of them," says the Demon King after a moment's quiet reflection. It's obvious by his tone that by 'cost' he doesn't mean 'money' or even 'hours of sitting down and jabbed with needles.' "But you wear them well, I think." "Working for the Company is dangerous, too," continues Sougo. "And there's... not really a way to get around that." More than that, he can't say--Agents don't and can't know, he remembers from Angela. "But we can mitigate it, with moments like this. The Company can be... not just a job, but, every now and then, a place of refuge from the City. And I'm glad that you're here to enjoy it."
Angela	''Do you ever get the urge to just hold people under the water?'' Every day Cinder thinks, Or at least I used to. Out loud she says, "I, yeah, I mean sometimes." Wait she said she ... will keep in touch? ... Like she actually intends to leave? For good? Is that what she's saying? Cinder isn't sure, and isn't... inclined to ask. She's afraid if she does, Petra will leave and never return--emotionally if not literally. She can feel that each word seems to be hurting rather than pulling Petra out. Should she tell her that it's what she wants? Her to be here, even if it burns her up and uses her up--that she'd be happy to burn up for her? That would probably just push her away more. Binah certainly loves tormenting others but she's just as happy to see someone endure it, deflect it away--she considers Petra's reaction and smiles like she learned something--she'd be doing this even if she learned nothing. It's just that sort of aura she always exhudes. "Like snapping matchsticks." She says. "...But with people. Yeah I... ... Yeah, most people are actually kind of fragile once you learn how to break 'em, and water works for most everyone." ''I guess it's no wonder you're a Captain, then.'' "I...guess." Shajo says. "...I wouldn't have gotten out if not for Nonon. And we'd be both be gone if we didn't pick a job at Lob Corp where the Middle can't reach us.")] ''But you wear them well, I think.'' Shajo does grin a little at that. "Well, Nonon likes 'em anyway. Thanks, man. You and Woz are good together, relationship goals really." And just as Shajo says that, now that it's been a little while of conversation and hanging around-- --Random finally emerges from the meditation room, the top button of their shirt undone and their hair hastily fixed up. Wordlessly, they make their way to one of the workers offering sandwiches and takes two in hand. "Sandwiches. For. Relaxation." Random says before making their way back to Justin with them.