Scene #9009: Face The Fear: Breaking The Cycle

Owner	Pose
Angela	Binah has agreed to turn traitor to the Head and the Apocalypse Bird has been defeated, one of the most dangerous Abnormalities the facility can unleash. Of course, there's a small issue of Binah having personally killed three of the Sephirah, one of whom was a child at the time, and certainly wasn't very gentle with Hod. Despite the Meltdown being completed as a success, the vibes of the Facility have only become gloomier and more uncertain. Agents and Clerks are just happy to have survived the day but the attitude of the Sephirah is just bringing down the mood of everyone. Everyone except Binah herself, who seems happier than ever before. Emotional catharsis is a treat even for goth cops and letting go of her fear means she is weighed by far fewer chains than before. She has been leaving the dark pit she had been buried in more and more, chatting up Sephirah and Agents alike and cheerfully calling them things like 'friend' and 'fellow coworker'.The worst part is, she's only partially saying it because she's sadistic. Most of the reason she's saying these things is because she has decided to actually for real be on the side of the project (and Angela, as per her deal with Lilian). Getting to see people squirm is just a side benefit. Angela is another exception. She is impatient but excited, anxious but hopeful. She doesn't actually particularly care about Binah's monstrous crimes--she only cares about the results. The only remaining weight on her mind involve her parents but THAT particular weight is one she's well accustomed to carrying. She has noticed the unusual VIBE--but it's actually Manager X who elects to do something about it, inviting Elites (including any who work for L Corp) to a discussion amongst the Sephirah. The Sephirah seem to include a screen with Manager X on it, looking like he hasn't slept in weeks, Angela (who is actually present), and all the other Sephirah. They have gathered in Central as it has the most space--it's after work hours and the Enkephalin Quota for the day has been gathered so there should be no Abnormalities to worry about.
Angela	By the time Elites arrive, the discussion is already underway. "Well, it's not like we can just get rid of her." Gebura says. "We could. Her contribution to the Seed of Light project is complete. I can take over Extraction for the last few months if necessary." Hokma says. "Not that I am making a suggestion here." "Ehh...I guess, but it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth." Gebura looks to Chesed. "How 'bout you?" "Seems gauche to discuss it right in front of her, not that I'm not tempted haha..." Chesed's eye gives Binah a long look that suggests a little more going on there than his forward presentation of being just an easygoing guy. Binah waves a hand and assures everyone, "Oh don't mind me. I'll go along with whatever the group decides. I lost after all! But it would be difficult for me to be of much use while deceased or disabled but maybe that's not the chief concern here." Netzach, who is awake (barely), says, "Ehh... Feels weird holding a grudge at this point, doesn't it?" They look bored out of their mind. Hod and Tiphereth are being quiet so far, the former looking down at her feet, antenna wiggling anxiously while Malkuth and Yesod are taking down the meeting notes. Whenever X tries to say something, a Sephirah interrupts him and it's not easy to tell if it's coincidence or intentional. But as he's about to speak up, and Angela interrupts him this time, it is definitely intentional. "Hello everyone. This meeting was to discuss how we are going to handle the last months of the Seed of Light Project but Binah showed up and now it's about her." Angela's tone is as dry as sand. "I just thought it was about time I do my best to lend a hand. Even if I didn't, that was the deal I had made so my hands, are least, are doubly tied." Binah winks at Hod which causes her to squeak and physically turn from her.
Rufus Shinra	With suspiciously perfect timing, the next time X tries to say something, Rufus barges in and makes his entrance. "Heyyyy. Sorry I'm late. Guess I got affected by the Stopped Clock Twice anomaly, huh?" There is no such anomaly, Rufus is just simply late. Finger-guns to Binah. "Pretty mean trick, though, right? Letting all those anomalies loose at once. Had our hands full." "Except - you went and locked us out. Deprived the rest of us from getting to have any fun. Made me think for a minute that I wasn't gonna see Miss Angela or her colorful crew here ever again. That's not a mean trick. Thaaaat's... a party foul." Rufus is still finger-gunning- no, wait, he's holding his actual gun, pointing at Binah. "You're not about to do that again, are you?"
Hibiki Tachibana	In the wake of going toe to toe with Apocalypse Bird, Hibiki is back to her common status of having several bandages tied around her head, along with a gauze pad strapped to her cheek. There's a few more on her legs, and beneath her jacket - but it'd be surprising if there wasn't, after brawling with an ALEPH. If anything, it says a lot that she isn't in a worse state. Kukuru and her healing is a big part of that. Well, that and the fact that she didn't lose an arm, or worse. She looks a little sleepless herself - though not nearly as much as X on the screen there - stepping into Central with her hands in her pockets. Just in time to catch the ongoing conversation and the wealth of opinions being offered up by the Sephirah. Including the ones that aren't said out loud... with both Hod and Tiphereth notably silent. And with one of those two squeaking and squirming. It is, perhaps unsurprisingly, Hod who she elects to stand nearby, easing her weight against some of the massive chamber's architecture. When the most bullied head of Training shifts away from Binah, one of Hibiki's hands leave her jacket to give a couple of pats on top her boxy frame. "You word counts for as much as anybody else here, Hod. You don't have anything be scared of." Her eyes drift in Binah's direction. "...I mean, if she's so serious about being coworkers and all now." She won't subject Hod to patting for longer than a few moments, though she does remain where she is. "Not sure how much my thoughts are worth, but I do got a couple. That said..." Her head turns again - this time up to the visage of the Manager, who's constantly been cut off. "I think there's someone else who also should be allowed to get his word in? Especially given he's the one who called us here in the first place."
Kukuru	Even Kukuru isn't so dumb as to not realize that the vibes at Lobotomy Corporation are probably going to be in a bad place following the most recent meltdown. They've never exactly been pleasant, but they've also never really involved the Sephirah killing each other (to her recollection). What better way to lighten the mood, then, than to bring tasty things to eat and refreshing things to drink? There's probably better ways, all things considered, but few of those ways are available to her specifically, and she she knows what she's good at: Putting together little homemade feasts at home, and doing a little splurging with the Dorado Black card to compensate for the drinks that she doesn't have the equipment to make. Like Angela, Kukuru's looking hopeful with the Seed of Light project coming ever closer to completion. Why wouldn't she be? Angela's needed a break for so long, and if she can finally go outside with her work finished, even better! She comes in looking hopeful, too, waving cheerfully at everyone present while listening in and slowly deciphering what the Sephirah are talking about. Angela's explanation helpfully summarizes that for her, and Kukuru hums softly as she starts to teleport in and out to start bringing in serving trays full of food and drink. It's actually a little easier to do all that work today, too, since she seems... Smaller than usual? Not quite as short and lanky as she was following the events on Rita's world, but definitely not as fully-formed as she normally is. It takes a while for Kukuru to finally stop and ponder on what her own stance about the matter is, too, having to pause a few times just to mull it all over. "Binah.... Hmmn. Do you feel... How do you feel about what you did?" She starts, stops, then adjusts course with her question as she approaches not Binah, but Hod. Kukuru keeps her voice fairly even-keeled, too, even though it still has that usual lazy lilt to it wihle she's patting Hod softly to try and beckoning her closer for some reassurance. "It's easy to see how everyone else feels, buuuut... I wanna know how you feel now, after doing all that. About the Project, Angela, the Sephirah, aaand..." Kukuru waves a hand across everyone else that's gathered today. "All of us. Would you want to do it all over again?" Today's food menu: Stir-fried everything! Meat, vegetables, seafood, all with assorted sauces of the brown, red, white, and even yellowish orange curry varieties. There's also fried breadsticks and tiny shrimp rolls with soy sauce that's very different from that other brown sauce. Today's drink menu: Tea, milk, and assorted toppings from some bubble tea place! There's even several types of non-dairy milk and the crushed ice to make slushes with.
Xion	The last time Xion was called to the facility it was to the shouted need of a locked-down L-corp, she had gone mad with haste to keep pushing forward. This time, summoned by X, whom she still wasn't certain about the role of (due to an absolute refusal to open up the Journal tab of her phone's quest log) the noirette had acted with a touch less haste. She was still on time! She just, also, had brought lunch. Working on a foil wrapped burrito with 'top' and 'bottom' grilled golden crispy and seam-sealed with fried cheese, the Nobody idles standing while taking mid-sized bites that squish-crisp-crunchcrack through layers. She hadn't known the event would be catered, but there's a bubbletea she's scored and stood up between her sneakers. Her state of dress is far down from black coats and blades of earlier - she wears a grey t-shirt with a sunset motif in orange and purple-blue, black shorts, a checkered white-black hoodie she wears open, and black Converse with white rubber. When Rufus starts pointing around his gun, the noshing Nobody pauses in her biting to stare at the weapon. "I thought the... point was that Garion needed to do one? You should try a bubble tea." Xion suggests, while considering Rufus' armed-handedness.
Ishirou	Ishirou has come today wearing his more casual outfit, wanting to be relaxed especially with the injuries on his body still healing. His outfit consists of a lightweight black sweater, with the fringes of what seems to be a plain white shirt beneath it. It's the kind of comfortable ensemble that one could wear around the house, tidied up into something more professional by the lower half - a pair of relaxed-fit pants in dark gray, belted and finished off by a pair of black, casual-lean dress boots When he comes into the room he's silent as a mouse, trying to hear what people have to say and the situation. He frowns, it seems wrong to banish or kill Binah right after her moment of clarity, but it's also hard to excuse the things she did for the city, and to the people of L-Corp. He's silent as he goes over things and finally speaks up. "I don't think I have it in me to judge her. But I also think that the feelings of those she has wronged are valid and should be listened to first before we go forward..." he says looking at both Hod and Tiphereth. After that, Ishirou decides to get a plate of food. Thanks to Kukuru who has gathered up and stir-fried everything. Ishirou seems to be partial to stir-fried shrimp and finally turns to face the group. He stands next to Hibiki, as his words seem to be similar to what she said, looking over at her with a soft smile.
Roxas	Roxas happens to show up with Xion this time. He has a trio of corn tortilla tacos, and he's also brought an enormous, pale pink agua de frutas that he has secured in a pocket of his jacket. It seems to be shared with Xion, rather than just for him. He's not in the cult get-up himself, but his jacket is a quilted black-and-white -- dominantly white -- with a stylized x-shaped patch along the breast, with a black-and-white YES/NO t-shirt, and blue jeans. "I'm pretty sure the people working here pointing guns at each other over wronging each other isn't much different from pointing the guns at themselves," he comments, after swallowing an entire half of a taco. "I mean, I've been in Binah's room, and it's pretty much just a self-harm engine as far as I can tell. I missed the actual 'incident' here, though, so..." Despite trailing off and framing it that way, his tone doesn't suggest that he actually thinks his input has meaningfully less heft. Roxas is weird about broken people, especially if the ones being aggro towards them are 'whole', as far as he knows. He's definitely regarding Rufus that way, but there are a lot of other broken people here, so maybe that's what he's weighing his thoughts with.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia rushes in, back in her usual red royal gown today, and takes a seat wherever is open (that just happens to be close to Xion). She is unsure how to feel about Sephirah being killed. A child being killed is pretty much always bad but...Sephirah seems to be the ones to cause the most harm when they meltdown. "So, you are going to help now?" Sarracenia says skeptically, then looks to the group. "I suppose it is a bit distasteful to discuss someone's future right in front of them, but it is surely better than discussing it behind their back. And while I find it unlikely, it is possible she will help. Most people that respect Lilian do not break promises to Lilian. Binah's contributions to the Seed of Light are really only over if she is executed. And I generally advocate against killing people." Sarra is not as banged up as some others here, but her right hand is in a brace from having her hammer ripped from her grasp during a magically possessed rampage. She also has a cheek bandage from where some Bullet Bill shrapnel got her, but any other bandages she might have are hidden under her dress. "As for the question of how to handle the last months of the Project..." Sarra continues, "...I really cannot say much in that regard. I do not know much about it beyond its goal, and am only here to help where I can." The princess helps herself to a generous portion of stir-fried snacks, but instead of taking a drink from the menu she pulls out a can of grapefruit soda and applies a straw to it before sipping. "Thank you, Miss Kukuru~" she says after nomming a few bits. Roxas is with Xion, and so he gets a friendly smile from Sarracenia. "Hello there! I am not certain we have met before. I am Princess Sarracenia, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom. And you are?" Hibiki also receives a friendly wave and a traditional offering of a green mushroom.
Lilian Rook	'I can take over Extraction for the last few months if necessary.' "Beg pardon, but those aren't words I want to hear from the only one who hasn't melted down yet." says Lilian, skipping any pretense of a formal introduction and straight to acting like she belongs here. "As much as I'd like to drop her off a cliff, isn't it obvious that we should be leaving as many departments as we can in the hands of people who aren't psychological ticking time bombs." she says, having never been a psychological ticking time bomb in her life. 'but Binah showed up and now it's about her.' "A familiar sort of dynamic." Lilian says, without specifying. "Frankly, I wonder why you're bothering. She's enough of a psychotic freak to actually do her best, just to be upsetting." She looks at Binah just to confirm the subject of her sentence, but it ends up being grimly implicative anyways, turning into a slightly-repulsed-slightly-fascinated grimace. "We all know her sole motivation, don't we? If you wanted to get your revenge, you sort of had all this time to try." She doesn't even get all the way into settling in. Her hands are still spready on top of the table when she stops moving. "Actually, the more I try to talk about this, the more I despise it. This wasn't even a topic when she still hated your guts. Perhaps don't start getting ahead ahead of yourselves just because I knocked her down a peg."
Angela	''He's holding his actual gun, pointing at Binah.'' "Guns are so impersonal," Binah laments. "But I admit--" She extends a hand and sliightly nudges the gun out of the way with a 'finger'. "Firearms are certainly way to emphasize sincerity. But no, I think there's been enough of that." ''Her eyes drift in Binah's direction.'' Binah winks at Hibiki too, offensively. Kukuru helpfully brings food. The Sephirah, unlike Angela, can and do eat wheras Angela watches the food silently as it is brought out. Delicious treats all around! Some accidentally gets pushed over in front of Angela and she lets out a long exhales and stirs the straw in the boba tea just to sort of do somthing with her hands. ''Your word counts for as much as anyone else here, Hod.'' Hod makes an obscure noise but seems to not have her thoughts together yet or is just not ready to speak. Hibiki brings up the idea of letting X speak and-- "Ah, yes, I was wanting to talk about--" "Yes, that is a very good point, Hibiki. We'll make sure there's plenty of time for The Manager to communicate." Angela says, stirring the tea some more. ''About the Project, Angela, the Sephirah, aaaand... All of us.'' "Mm... In retrospect I should've been less arrogant." Binah says which could mean several different things. "I don't think that the Project will appreciably change the City, of course, but I've agreed to give it a try anyway. Even if it fails, perhaps we can try something else, mm? Doing nothing will not change anything, at the very least." This is more or less what she said at the end of her Meltdown but it's nice to reinforce it. "The Sephirah are largely pretty aodrable and Miss Angela, well, I suppose we'll see. And what else can I do to say about all of you? I suppose I'd say most of you seem to have some light behind your eyes, and I find that quite impressive." ''I thought the... point was that Garion needed to do one?'' "Yes," Hokma says. "That is true... but there is a difference between accepting a Meltdown from a prisoner as necessary, and accepting Binah as one of us..." "After she killed a bunch of us in the past." Tiphereth jumps in. "Well, technically I was killed by the Abnormalities she unleashed--"
Angela	"I..." Hod says. ''I don't think I have it in me to judge her.'' "I suppose I have no horses in this race either--" Angela says, trying out the idiom for the first time but a frown suggests she doesn't care for it after all. ''...Isn't much different from poitning guns at themselves. ... Pretty much just a self-harm engine as far as I can tell.'' "That is true, of course..." Binah says, singulr eye focusing on Hod. "But that doesn't mean we can avoid talking about it. If we are going to break the cycle and escape the Head's web, we cannot avoid facing the past--or the Fear." ''She also has a cheek bandage.'' "Oh my." Binah adds, glancing over. "Do you think that might scar?" She does give a small nod to indicate that she does intend to keep her promises. ''Beg pardon, but those aren't the words I want to hear from the only one who hasn't melted down yet.'' Hokma chuckles. "Guilty." But the laughter fades quickly. "..." He stares a moment before crossing his arms and looking away. ''She's enough of a psychotic freak to actually do her best, just to be upsetting.'' "Correct." Binah agrees. "Oh but I really don't mind, Dame Commander, I think they should do what they feel is appropriate." To be honest this is also probably a track she's taking to be upsetting. But Lilian's words do leave the other Sephirah quiet. She just has that kind of weight here. This gives X a chance to speak. "Right ah--I wanted to mention--" "Last time I trusted her she killed everybody I cared about." Hod says softly. "But Roxas is right. They're all right. I mean... How can we change anything if we're going to keep acting like... The Head. That's how we...we got into this to begin with. We started acting like any other Wing." Her antenna wiggles anxiously. "Maybe... we can't hard stop that just yet. But maybe we can go back to being different from that, just a little, right now." She squeaks quietly. "Sorry."
Rufus Shinra	> She extends a hand and sliightly nudges the gun out of the way with a 'finger'. "Firearms are certainly a way to emphasize sincerity." The firearm is nudged aside without resistance. Rufus smirks. This seems to be one of the possible correct responses. The shotgun's safety is clicked back on, and then holstered. "Alright, then. Long as you understand the sincerity." Binah gets another fingergun, aimed right between the eyes. Eye. Whatever. Then that too is holstered. (There are no safeties on the fingerguns. They are always armed.) "I'm trying to be easygoing, but I don't want to miss what comes next. It's certainly been hyped up enough."
Roxas	"Heya. I'm Roxas, Chevalier of the Paladins," Roxas introduces himself, a little blandly. It's mostly because he was about to finish that first taco off. After he does so, he adds, "Nice to meet you. Uh, Sarracenia is your given name, right? So Sundew would be your surname?" He doesn't really sound confused, exactly. Just trying to nail down the particulars. His attention swings towards Hod. "Big difference between 'trusting somebody' and just 'not killing them'. I'd be pretty surprised if any of you trusted her, honestly. Some of the feelings that cause 'mistrust' don't really apply to me, but I've still got survival instinct, and that's hard to just switch off." //That is true, of course... but that doesn't mean we can avoid talking about it.// "Well, most of them aren't actually holding a gun on you literally," he cedes, glancing at Rufus. //... certainly been hyped up enough.// Making a thoughtful noise to himself, Roxas comments, "It's seemed kinda subdued while I've been here, but that hasn't been for very long..." He looks at Xion. "How about it-- have people gotten excited about this thing?"
Hibiki Tachibana	Binah winks at Hibiki too, offensively. Hibiki frowns, after a brief greeting nod to Ishirou. --Angela says, stirring the tea some more. Hibiki frowns, now with a mushroom held in her hands in the usual fashion. Last time I trusted her she killed everybody I cared about. There it is. After quite a bit more back and forth, there's Hod speaking up. For a minute there, Hibiki didn't think she would, even after Tiphereth did. She looks surprised for a moment, looking down at the little boxbot that's the latest in a long line of Manager interruption. Blink, blink. Then her expression goes from shock, back to neutral, and then to a bit softer than it originally was. "...Don't think I could've expressed my thoughts any different. It's not like Binah's caused any harm to me personally..." Hibiki's gaze focuses on Hod as she speaks, before her head lifts up to focus on a certain coffee-loving Sephirah. "...and I don't think it'd be easy to just accept her instantly like that. Honestly, I'm not expecting any of you to. You don't even have to be friends. But you can still do things differently - especially if it's for the sake of something you've all spent your lives... well, I guess two lives now, working towards. If Binah's genuine about wanting to help work towards that goal..." Hibiki trails off, but the intent is clear enough. After a second, she eases back against the wall behind her, arms folded. Did she... where'd the mushroom go? That said, her eyes are still on Chesed, out of all of them. "But that's just my input. Don't take it too seriously. What d'you think?"
Ishirou	Ishirou frowns at Angela because it isn't what he meant, but he also guesses it comes across like that. "Not exactly what I meant, but I guess I can't blame you for thinking that. I meant that I'm not the offended party, and it feels wrong for me to pass any judgment." Ishirou isn't sure how he feels now about all of this because it's a little beyond him in some ways, but he also has feelings about being murdered. Strong feelings. Feelings that he probably wouldn't feel right about getting involved in something like this, especially given what happened with Binah, the city, and L-Corp. He looks side-eyed at Rufus' finger guns, confused at what he's about. Was he mad? Was he okay with this? Did he just not care as long as he wasn't forced out of things? Sarracenia being here causes Ishirou to try and ignore her presence, because he /really/ doesn't like her. The best way to deal with her was to not engage, or so he felt.
Xion	Xion undergoes a complex maneuver of crouching quarterways to dip her head to Pocket Straw Level, down periscoping at the knees to lean in and take a long sip. Her partner in keys asks a question about where guns are pointed, and her drawing drink turns lingeringly thoughtful. Coming off Roxas' pocketed drink as Sarracenia arrives, Xion smiles faintly at the princess. Out loud, she explains. "It's a way to test and see if you can get away with words, a sort of... assuring yourself, aggressively. Why do people poke bears? It's not, I think, to actually get a reaction - it's to get away with it." Turning back to the Lobotomy Gang, at Binah's talk of 'something new', Xion emits a soft 'oh!' and nods. "That's right! I shouted about it last week, but there was something that I'd hope to share!" Splitting off from Roxas (who is entrusted as her Burrito Squire) and Sarracenia and leaving her tea where it is, Xion wetnaps her fingers quickly before bringing out of inventory -- a Tridaeg jacket! The thirteenth organization's novelly new signature coat had just been issued to the members, and Xion had used her outsized influence (asking nicely) for an extra one in a different size. "Here, Binah. That new coat I promised you." Xion comments, as she hands over the folded cloth, and steps back to give a blank look at Tiphereth. "Okay. So she did something that you needed her to do, and it went well. And now she's acting nice. Why are you complaining? Because you can? Do you want this behavior to change? She even helped Parker reach a decision and come to terms with what they wanted."
Kukuru	"I thought the... point was that Garion needed to do one?" "That's right, mhm. For the Seed of Light to grow, everyone's gotta have their..." Kukuru nods at Xion slowly, gesturing around a few times like that makes sense. With so many Sephirah in the room, it even might! "I'm pretty sure the people working here pointing guns at each other over wronging each other isn't much different from pointing the guns at themselves," "Is it...? But they can't shoot themselves if..." Kukuru starts, then pauses and furrows her brow with visible mental strain at trying to translate that in her own head. "Do you mean that's because... Of how aaaall the Sephirah have to go through these, too? But if they point it at... No, that's..." It'll take her a bit. "Beg pardon, but those aren't words I want to hear from the only one who hasn't melted down yet." Indirectly, Lilian reminds Kukuru just how close the project is to completion, and Kukuru brightens up a little more despite the context. "Lilian's right, mhm... It's not that we don't trust you, but with how close everything is? It's better not to take big risks like that, you knooow? But once all the work's done..." "I think there's someone else who also should be allowed to get his word in?" "Thaaat's a good point... We gotta make sure nobody leaves aaanything unsaid, mhm." Kukuru nods firmly in agreement with Hibiki, beckoning her over idly and gesturing at the food. "Otherwise... It might be real awkward to bring it up after everything's already finished and you might not have the chance later, you know?" She adds, flashing a pleasant smile at Ishirou and Sarracenia when they come by for that food. "Yes, that is a very good point, Hibiki. We'll make sure there's plenty of time for The Manager to communicate." Giggling despite herself at Angela just pushing right through what X says, Kukuru prepares a special cup just for her: Lots of crushed ice in differently-sized chunks and the little popping bubbles along with a thin, pointed straw. It's a convenient noise-maker and full of both crunchy and popping things to stab all in one! Kukuru lets her own thoughts on Binah's answers steep for a while, not answering right away while just trying to catch what she means in the broader sense instead of simply hearing what she's saying word-by-word. It still has her nodding after a while. "That's the spirit. Doing nothing's nice if you just wanna relax, but for something this important to everyone, we really gotta put our backs into it. Then you can be nice and lazy after if you really wanna." She looks over at Netzach briefly, then comes back to Hod with her arms held out. If she approaches Kukuru, then she gets light hair strokes in an effort to soothe her mind. "It's not wrong to feel upset over what happened, dear. Aaand.. It's not wrong to try something different from before, either. If you saw it before and it didn't work for what you want, then... Yeah, it's good to try something new. Maybe you'll even be happier this way, even if it feels kinda weird right now. Don't be sorry~"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia doesn't actually realize just how much of what Lilian said about Binah could easily apply to her, but she still gives Lilian a suspicious glance as she continues nibbling on stir-fry and sipping on soda. 'oh my. Do you think that might scar?' Sarra hmphs haughtily. "Perhaps in your dreams. With my green mushrooms and skincare regiment it will hardly be a mark within a week." she says with a smug smirk. 'So Sundew would be your surname?' Sarra looks very slightly annoyed when Roxas introduces himself so blandly, but that passes when he offers a 'nice to meet you' and asks about her name. "Correcth." Sarra says to Roxas, only to blink in surprise and cover her mouth as she realizes she answered mid-chew. She laughs self-consciously before swallowing. "However, feel free to call me any combination of 'Princess', 'Sarracenia', or 'Sundew'. Or even just Sarra so long as we are on friendly terms." she says. Sarra cannot help a small giggle at Hibiki just holding that mushroom once again. She shakes her head lightly before... 'Last time I trusted her she killed everybody I cared about.' That brings a solemn look to Sarra's face quickly. She has to nod in agreement with Roxas on this. "Indeed. We probably should not trust her. But, we have proven we can subdue her if needed." There is just a little extra emphasis on the 'we' in 'we have proven' as Sarra tries to say she helped without saying she helped. Sarra looks like she feels she might have missed something when Xion explains about poking bears with words, then watches as Xion brings out a jacket. At which she pouts lightly. Binah, the evil murderous Sephirah, gets a jacket? "Where is that jacket from?" she asks.
Angela	''I'm trying to be easygoing, but I don't want to miss what comes next.'' Angela is the one who ends up staring at Rufus over that for a long enough period of time for it to be obvious but not for too long past that point. ''BUt that's just my input. Don't take it too seriously. What d'you think?'' Chesed looks over to Hibiki, surprised that she's signaling him out, out of anyone. "Aha, well... What do you think Gebura?" "Ehh..." Gebura trails off. "I mean ''I'm'' not upset she killed me. I killed her. That's fair. Besides the Dame Commander'n'Hod have a point--" "Eh?" Hod seems as surprisd as anyone. "Well I suppose if Gebura's fine with it..." Chesed agrees. "Like Hibiki says, it might take some time to have real trust between one another but why not reach for it. It is not as if we really have much reason to hold ''onto'' grudges." ''I meant that I'm not the offended party--'' "...Is that not what I said?" Angela seems perplexed. "But yes, frankly, Binah has harmed me far less than some Sephirah here." Hokma exhales like a whistle. ''Okay. So she did something you needed her to do.'' "I...didn't need to be killed by Abnormalities." Tiphereth says, though she sounds UNSURE. "Agggh, sure I'd want things to CHANGE..." She might just be hopelessly sour as a person. Nevertheless,Xion offers Binah, in her boxbot form, a coat. Binah drapes the coat over her boxbot body. It hangs lumpily off her body but she chuckles like she enjoys it anyway. "Oh my, I seem to be an Association member now. I believe I recall hearing about there being a Thirteenth Organization now." Kukuru hands off a cup that's bubbling to Angela. Angela looks up and over to her for a moment, then actually laughs a little unexpectedly--even to herself--and stirs the cup with its own straw. Her mood lightens, though it wasn't particularly dour. You know, relative to the average Angela. The Averangela. "Yeah I'm not interested in holding grudges either. Can't we just treat our current lives as new lives? Not saying what we went through doesn't matter, but at this point it's just easier..." ''Don't be sorry'' "O..oh sorry." Hod responds predictably. "They say that scars teach you of your past mistakes so that you never repeat them. I suppose the skincare regime puts that to bed." Binah is enjoying the back and forth sassery. ''Big difference between trusting somebody and just not killing them.'' "W..well yeah. I mean. We shouldn't kill her. And I think we should let her on the team. It's not like..there's that much time left anyway." Normally Hokma would answer with just how hyped up he is by the culmination of the project but he doesn't. He seems troubled more than anything, continuously giving X a look... ...Which he seems to take as a cue. "So I've noticed uh...That sometimes other people take over my mind and is that normal?" "It is as per the script," Angela says. "You need not worry about it. It'll deal with itself soon." "Ahaha...yeah... OKAY. But maybe we should talk about it? Oh um, Binah--it sounds like we're all roughly on board so welcome to the team! Officially. And uh. Sorry about the past me lobotomizing you--" "Oh it's fine. I would've done worse to you if I had gotten my hands on you." Which isn't actually true, Binah's sadism doesn't reach those kinds of depths. Angela does not press the matter but she does look to Roxas. "I am ''hyped''."
Ishirou	'...Is that not what I said?' Ishirou sighs and nods, finally deciding to just conceed the point. It's not like she was wrong, but perhaps the tone seemed a bit dismissive and more dismissive than he was trying to get across. It wasn't a big deal, he just didn't want to appear callous rather than wanting to get those who were wronged a voice. 'So I've noticed uh...That sometimes other people take over my mind and is that normal?' He looks at Manager X and then at Angela's response to it. "What is going on there..? Who is taking over the Manager's mind and what do we need to do or what can we do to help... that not be a thing?" He asks more Angela than the Manager. After all, she said there was a script.
Roxas	"Hmm... most of the people around here can get away with a lot of words, though," Roxas ponders aloud at Xion. His attention swivels briefly towards Kukuru, "It means that there's a lot of people you can point guns at if you're going to do it based on that criteria. Maybe that just means more guns do need to be pointed around, but I don't think so." He nods in Sarracenia's direction. "Well, okay, then. Hmm... anybody ever shorten it to 'cenia' instead of 'Sarra'? Anyway, I don't have a surname, just to be clear that I wasn't trying to stay anonymous or something. Not much use for one, really. Actually, it'd be kinda inconvenient, come to think about it..." Legal documents are such a hassle. //I am hyped.// Roxas grins broadly at Angela. "Glad to see somebody is, then. What kind of party do you plan to throw when it all resolves? Thought about it at all? 'Course, it doesn't have to be a party. I guess it could just be something you're looking forward to on the other side of things," He starts crunching his way through his second taco after asking. He might not be fully cognizant of how loaded a question that is. Judging by how he swerved it, he's actually probably more conscious of the fact that Xion is uncomfortable at parties than anything else.
Angela	''What kind of party do you plan to throw whne it all resolves?'' Angela opens her mouth to tell Roxas that she plans on throwing a revenge party. Then she looks at that grin and she stalls herself long enough for Roxas to finish what he's saying. But she can't say what she really wants to do either. In fact, saying what she really wants to do is something she can't say right now in front of all the Sephirah even more than 'Revenge Party'. It is strange, she thinks distantly, that mentionining she wants revenge is less hazardous to the project than wanting freedom to feel the world with her own feet. "I am looking forward to the end of the suffering." She is an AI that can lie--even if this is technically true, it is still a lie. "Originally we intended to solve the project in 50 days but we expanded the timeline in order to accomodate multiversal travel. This 'loop' has been many times longer than most loops. It is exciting to see...new situations. Having new discussions. To think that the long project will be done soon... Soon we will be past the point of no return either way. Endings can be exciting, but I suppose they are also a little sad too, aren't they, when everyone takes their bow?" ''What is going on there..? ... What can we do to help... that not be a thing?'' "...You can reverse time," Angela says. "But you cannot reverse a tale." "...I see..." X says as if that answers something. "So the story Ayin tried to undo..." "--Is coming back to you. You need not fear 'Abel'. He is simply... ''your'' point of no return, Manager."
Sarracenia	Sarra hmphs softly at Binah. "Perhaps, but to a princess having fair, flawless skin is mandatory. To have such a blemish would be unthinkable." She pauses a moment. "Although, as a hero I would not mind a heroic and perhaps 'edgy' scar. Perhaps something over the eye. Not too garish or ragged. Or perhaps even something resulting in an eyepatch..." She thinks about it (or perhaps fantasizes about it) for a moment, then hmphs again and smirks lightly. "Of course, facing you was not a mistake, so there is no reason to harbor a scar from it." she says, then hees. "Were you surprised to find that I was actually a threat?" 'Hmm... anybody ever shorten it to 'cenia' instead of 'Sarra'?' "Ew, no!" Sarra says with a 'blech' sort of expression. "Last half nicknames rarely work well. I once heard of an actor who had taken 'Topher' as his chosen nickname. Topher! It sounds terrible! Like gopher with a T!" She shakes her head. "No. It is Sarra." she reaffirms with a nod. 'I am ''hyped''.' "I am not sure if I am 'hyped', but I do think this facility and all those like it should be shut down. If this Seed of Light acomplishes that to some degree, then it may be worth it." Sarra says to Angela and Roxas. "Although I do wonder where the monsters contained here will go when that happens." she says, giving Angela a bit of a side-eye. "Will they just be unleashed on the world? Will they be purified in some way or perhaps destroyed?"
Kukuru	"It means that there's a lot of people you can point guns at if you're going to do it based on that criteria." As Roxas spells thato ut for Kukuru, the smile on her face widens, and her eyes almost seem to sparkle just a bit. "Realy? Oh, so I was getting close... Hehe. Thank you, Roxas dear~" Giggling briefly, she takes a moment to munch on a shrimp roll before continuing. "Yeeeeah, it's easier not to point so many guns around when all of the Sephirah are in that same... Done the same stuff before, mhm. Besides, guns AND bullets are preeetty expensive." "Like Hibiki says, it might take some time to have real trust between one another but why not reach for it. It is not as if we really have much reason to hold ''onto'' grudges." "But yes, frankly, Binah has harmed me far less than some Sephirah here." "Agggh, sure I'd want things to CHANGE..." "Not saying what we went through doesn't matter, but at this point it's just easier..." Kukuru's relieved and mildly vacant smile returns at hearing all of that from Angela and several Sephirah. "That's the way... I know it'll be tough, but I know you can all make it work if you really set your heads to it." She affirms with a quick nod, humming softly all the while. Averangela laughing with the cup That gets Kukuru's eyes to widen fully for the first time in what might as well be forever, and her hands clench as she just sort of wiggles them around without knowing what to do with them. She tries not to let all the squeaky noises out of her throat at hearing that, too, but the joy on her face is hard to miss even as she tries not to smile too brightly right at Angela. There's a time and place for everything, and she shouldn't be celebrating over that in the middle of such an important meeting. "O..oh sorry." There's only so long Kukuru can restrain herself. She wraps her arms around Hod, then holds her tight and sways for several seconds to just get that out of her system all at once. "That sometimes other people take over my mind and is that normal?" "You need not worry about it." "... what do we need to do or what can we do to help... that not be a thing?" It takes a while for Kukuru to get her talking ability back, but she does eventually get there! "Mmn... Oh, it shouldn't be a problem if Angela says it's not. With everything going on to bring us to the end here..." She starts, pauses, then covers her mouth with a napkin that's far too small to hide herself yawning reflexively. "We could even... Well. If it'll help Angela and get this project where it needs to be, maybe eveeeen my mind could get used to help things along." She offers, briefly speaking without her usual air-headed tone even though the drowsiness remains. Instead, she turns to Angela with her usual lazy smile. "And if there's a point of no return, theeen... We gotta make sure everything goes right. Don't be afraid to ask me for whatever you need to get there, okaaay?"
Xion	> 'Where's that jacket from?' "The Tridaeg association, that Lilian directs." Xion declares proudly, stepping back from her offer's acceptance as the boxbot swings around the 13th Organization (but not Organization XIII's) signature jacket. "To help make things better, not just in loops of the same but of breaking-out different, better that you can see, an example that can be followed and challenged and taken up or competed with. It's, something beautiful that's not just taking up a sword and swinging it at tornadoes. Weather will always be weather, and better isn't found in where you turn the wind. It's..." The nobody is long-wistful for several seconds, drawing in a slow breath and holding it. When she's done, there doesn't seem to be more words on that particular topic, and the noirette heads back to her spot to get back to her burrito. > Hmm... most of the people around here can get away with a lot of words, though, "It goes both ways." Xion admits, a little defused by Roxas' comment for a second, and then shrugging and smiling. "It's a little like home, where if you stop listening so much to the words and watch for the consistent current actions you see something different. So--" A wince, because Roxas is right on the money. "I think instead of a party, having a dream you'd like to happen, or two, or three, together, apart, your own, your group's, each other's, then you'll find that future past everything. Maybe even past the City."
Sarracenia	As she is listening to and talking about other things, Sarra freezes as she realizes...Angela laughed?! "D-did you just laugh?!" she blurts out, then immediately regrets it. She still ends up staring wide-eyed though, like someone who has seen a unicorn for the first time. And it was over such a simple thing as stirring ice and bubble tea bubbles?! Sarra is not sure she understands why Angela enjoys that would-be beverage so much, and as such she moves just enough toward Kukuru to say just above a whisper, "How...did you do that?"
Hibiki Tachibana	It is not as if we really have much reason to hold ''onto'' grudges. Agggh, sure I'd want things to CHANGE... Yeah I'm not interested in holding grudges either. ...And I think we should let her on the team. Hibiki doesn't respond vocally, but the small smile that comes to her face says enough. Good. That's the best she could've asked for. So I've noticed uh...That sometimes other people take over my mind and is that normal? Hibiki frowns. "The point of no return..." She says quietly, in the vein of 'understanding but still not very okay with that'. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised there'd be one of those, near the end of things. Full circle back to what the original Manager tried to do, huh..." Hibiki may be a capitalized-i Idiot, but she's been on board long enough to get the idea. "...You gonna be up for it?" A simple question, for Manager X.
Angela	''But to a princess having fair, flawless skin is mandatory.'' "Golly, and some say I'm an old fashioned servant of the state." Binah says. "Why DO you care so much about tradition? Certainly if you wish to be beautiful for beauty's sake, well, I would agree that a well placed scar can add some nuance to one's appearance and invite curiosity, interest, and intrigue--" ''Were you surprised to find that I was actually a threat?'' "I was not surprised to find you were dangerous, no." Binah says. "I imagine explosives tend to be." A small pause. "Sopher." She makes it sound like chauffeur. ''I do wonder where the monters contained here will go when that happens.'' "Why would they need to go anywhere?" Angela lies with a completely truthful statement, exchanging a glance with Hokma. Sarracenia's exclamation and Kukuru getting super squeaky gets Angela to realize she's expressing joy in public and she immediately clamps back up. Show's over. Perhaps Sarracenia isn't the only one concerned with appearances. "Worry not, Kukururu." Angela says, intentionally adding another ru at the end. "I would not know what to ask, but I am certain you'll do your part." As Xion speaks about the Trideg Association, Binah cups--well not her chin, but where her chin would be if she had one. Thoughtful. But she doesn't comment on it. She certainly can't take Trideag jobs NOW but... She does like a ''team''. It'll never fill the hole of the Arbiters, she's sure, but it does place ointment on that forever wound at least. "You have a way with words, Xion. And a way with sweetness." But it's Hibiki who asks the key question. ''...You gonna be up for it?'' Hokma, Angela, and X are all dead quiet at that. Hokma is quiet, because 'being up for it' is starting to seem like losing his loved one forever. X is quiet because it's a tough question for him to answer. Angela is quiet because she has seen him fail to be 'up for it' time and time again. Any trace of joy is gone. There is fury, now, behind cold ice as Angela turns to look at X. ".........Manager." The man on the screen lets out a low exhale and says, "...Erasing one's memory does not mean you can escape atonement." X tells Hibiki. "...I will do my best. But if I get in the way... Can I count on you to make sure it gets done in spite of me?" He smiles. "My mind is increaingly not my own. Or rather, this personality was not designed to last through the end. Like the others I imagine he will fight to hold onto his sins. And as the one with the heaviest karma..." HE shakes his head. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. What matters is what happens to the others. Please continue looking after the other Sephirah." Angela looks away, frowning. And surprisingly, Hokma's expression is a match.
Kukuru	"How...did you do that?" Still grinning from earlier, Kukuru stifles another giggle while turning to Sarracenia. "Hmmn? Oh, you knooow... I've got good intuition about these kinds of things~" She answers with a pleased, yet audibly restrained hum. It's still a serious meeting, after all, and giving her that non-answer... It sounds like a non-answer, but any mind-readers could easily tell that she actually just believes what she said. "Worry not, Kukururu." Kukuru has to inhale her lips into her teeth a bit so she can really hold all that excited noise in. Her face isn't subtle in the slightest, but at least she's staying quiet! "...You gonna be up for it?" Many vital voices stay quiet, too, and even Kukuru keeps quiet to listen. X asks Hibiki something just as important as the question she asked him, and Kukuru continues to remain silent. She already knows Angela knows that she can be trusted to ask 'how high' if told to jump, and it's not as though Kukuru doesn't trust Hibiki. She just knows she shouldn't answer for her at this very moment. Or for anybody else.
Hibiki Tachibana	Can I count on you to make sure it gets done in spite of me? It doesn't matter what happens to me. What matters is what happens to the others. In contrast to X's smile, and Angela and Hokma's frown, Hibiki's own doesn't change from the neutral stare she's had leveled back at the monitor for a bit now. It's an awfully heavy question. Being asked to stop someone if they end up not being able to pull themselves back from that brink... ...She's sure that everyone here will do it, even if it's for different reasons. Whether it's loyalty to Angela, a desire to see the plan and all this work finally pay off, or otherwise. Of course, for her, it's... She only breaks her stare to briefly glance in Hod's direction, and then at the room at large before settling back on the Manager. "If you'll do your best, I'll do mine. I'll do whatever it takes to help them. Even if that does end up with having to go through you to let things reach the end." There's a little pause, before her arms unfurl, and she rests a hand over her own chest. Her expression, though it doesn't change, does ease up a bit. "...Even if it's been an up and down trip here, even if you've needed a ton of pushing and help and you've had your share of bein' a massive asshole, you've still stepped up to the plate when it really counted. When the Sephirah really, seriously needed you to listen to them." "So I'll keep 'that' Manager, not any of the others, and his request in mind - no matter what ends up happening."
Sarracenia	'The Tridaeg association, that Lilian directs.' Sarra frowns lightly. She listens to the summary that Xion gives. "...it sounds...nice." she says, begrudgingly sincerely. "If it was not lead by...then I might even try to join." Sarra is once again surprised when Angela clamps back up. She gets an odd look from Sarra, which turns to one of grim understanding. Sarra knows that reaction. But, perhaps to everyone's surprise she says, "H-hey, you did not have to..." One thing about Sarra...she actually wants people to be happy. But, she knows that is no good against pride and conformity, so she leaves it at that. 'Why DO you care so much about tradition?' "I...care about appearances more than I used to. Subjects and people in general are less willing to praise a princess they are ashamed of. Plus, I like being a princess I suppose. And a hero. And appearances are important to both." 'I was not surprised to find you were dangerous, no. I imagine explosives tend to be. Sopher.' "...Sopher...?" Sarra repeats, confused. She also notices the slight shift in language from 'threat' to 'dangerous' and her eyes narrow slightly. "Dangerous. Well, that is also true." she says. 'Hmmn? Oh, you knooow...' Sarra mmphs softly. "Well, you need to do it again sometime." she says. She also gets quiet when the more serious subject matter comes to the forefront. All she can really do at the end of it is nod lightly. "I will do my best as well, for whatever that is worth. I did not suffer through pink goo and nasty dead things and Binah here just to fail later."