Scene #9251: White Girl Astrology Corner

Owner	Pose
Angela	The Library's internal construction is largely complete by this point though Angela still doesn't have a better way of letting people in besides 'parting the mist' once they make it outside which, naturally, Angela is quite willing to do for Audrey and Petra. Petra has also put forward the purpose the need to find new employees which is a little tricky for Angela to consider since she's an inherently illegal entity in The City and it's not exactly easy, she reasons, to convince people to go to the mysterious tower that's surrounded by fog that is, if nothing else, at least definitely probably responsible for the fucking blackout. But that is a problem for future Angela. Maybe even future today Angela, but for right in this moment Angela is meeting everyone in General Works. Petra (and Audrey, if she accepted one when she last stayed here) both have been given a 'Library Card' that allows them to access the elevator and all but the top floor (or, in Petra's case, even the top floor) so she doesn't have to rush down to greet everyone at the first floor whenever people come by. There isn't a facility wide functioning intercome anymore, but Angela asked everyone to meet her in General Works which is the third highest floor. Like many of the other floors, General Works is dominated by large bookshelves. Angela seems to find the presence of these bookshelves to be comforting but she has also elected to try and turn it into a kind of communal area. There's large reading rooms for people to gather, extra dorm rooms, at least two dining areas and a large kitchen that can accomodate more than one chef working in it. Angela is trying to future proof this particular area most of all, largely thanks to Lilian's endgame demands of her. This is where she wants people to live and it's the one area that's still 'in progress'. She's recently moved some of the bookshelves out of a large empty space that she wants to try and turn into a more casual exercise area than the training facilities that were in Training and Disciplinary--though there is one down in floor of Language still anyway since she'd rather keep the hardcore workout junkies and warrior lifestylists farther away from the living area. She's thinking of adding a basketball court and a soccer 'field'. There's a number of gamerooms as well as the largest AV room in the facility, though there's other rooms with monitors and the like throughout the Library that can be jury-rigged into watching something on a TV--though right now there is no connection to any sort of local television stations. Angela and Roland has set up some Pajeon (scallion pancakes which, in this case, also have some beef and kimchi inside--Roland prefers food to have some kick to it) on the table, keeping the individual portions small though there ought to be plenty for everyone. Shrinkwrap has bene placed over the platters to keep the food hot while they were waiting for Petra and Audrey to arrive. Roland looks like a thirty year old man with black hair of about average height, wearing a suit (with an apron that clearly used to belong to the Welfare department) over it because he hasn't been given a librarian uniform yet and so only has access to the old L-Corp suits right now in conjunction with his own. He isn't particularly handsome, though he's smiling now he has had the habit of scowling in the past and there's lines on his face that reflect that.
Audrey Basque	Audrey was really proud of the idea of wearing the Gen. Works Librarian uniform today, as a show to Petra that she can, totally, absolutely, wear something other than her school uniform. She was also fuming, because she spent an evening fighting a giant frog with a gun and an odd skeleton bowling wall monster, while hearing a certain someone keep putting Petra down, to seemingly no objections. Both of these are now off the table! Because she's too scrunkled up to capitalize on the novelty of a different outfit, or even fully remember why she was mad. You can thank Natsuki for that. Normally Audrey doesn't drink so much that she gets drunk, let alone very tipsy, but when a Partner you've never met insists on celebrating a win... Audrey could really use a spine. And so while Audrey is wearing the black and grey uniform in question, she also has small bags under her eyes, looks decidedly tired, a bit nauseous, and her hair is slightly ruffled up. Just a bit. She took time to style it, but not perfectly. She at least remembered to come with books; under one of her arms is a set of three early Unified Celestial Theory textbooks, and a binder that's unlabeled but full of photocopied pages. She occasionally shifts how her right elbow is holding on to the bookpile, like it's not comfortable. She did remember the card! Angela had offered it to her alongside her room, and she'd made a mental note that it was very important as a result. Disembarking the elevator at General Works, Audrey is immediately met with the smell of food, which doesn't totally help right now. Don't worry, it'll pass. Probably! She did manage to get all the way here, after all. "H-Hello. I'm sorry if I'm a little bit late. Last night was..." A night. It was a night. "... imaginative." A pause, at the man, and Audrey manages a half-bow. "You must be Roland. It's nice to meet you in person."
Petra Soroka	Ever since Lobotomy Corporation's fall, traversal through the multiverse has been a hassle for Petra. No way into the Library, no way onto Hydrochoeria, no way to Lilian's manor, no way to Trideag, means that Petra's base of operations gets more centralized in the Grand Dorado than she expected. There's a warpgate there that connects to the one remaining functioning warpgate she knows of in District 12 that isn't controlled by Trideag, which has apparently been temporarily seized by a small-scale gang trying to make a play for power in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the District. It takes about ten minutes of Petra using the Beauty of Ash to gently pick them up like stray kittens and toss them over to a neighboring street until the damaged warpgate station is clear again, and then she can walk the rest of the way to the Library. During the entire walk, Petra is stuck with carrying some supplies that wouldn't fit in her mirror-- namely, a large smartboard mounted on a wheeled cart, larger than Petra is, that she carries above her head with the assistance of a cord of Silver. This is, of course, because she'll need to Lecture with pictures and drawings, and also because she figures that any good Library would have some of these anyways, and Angela can't exactly order them wholesale to be delivered through the mists to the ominous tower. Set up in General Works, Petra plops the smartboard down beside the table with a little 'hup', and gives Roland a tired wave. She's rejuvenated by the prospect of hanging out with Angela and Audrey inside one of the few safe places in the multiverse to her, but still, evidently, exhausted, wearing slacks and a black sweatervest over a short sleeve white button-up. Petra doesn't sit at the table, because she's in the mindset to teach, which means she can't relax, but she'll still lean up against it and snack on little bits of pajeon while waiting for Audrey. And when she does arrive, Petra blinks and straightens up in surprise. "Oh, no, did you get beat up actually? Do you need any healing? I've got..." She glances to the side at her purple-haired reflection in the smartboard screen and touches her hand to Qetra's, then clicks her tongue. "I don't have any energy drinks actually, shoot."
Angela	Roland grins at Audrey. Despite being nothing more than a self-admitted washed out Grade Nine, he seems ready to smile at Audrey. "Oh hey." He says. "New Librarian, huh? I didn't realize you were part of the Concord and part of the Library--" "She's not." Angela says. "At least, unless she'd like to be. But I did provide her with one of our uniforms so she'd have a change of clothes." But she is, admittedly, surprised to see Audrey coming back while wearing it. She HAS to have plenty of non-uniform clothes back home, right? She squints thoughtfully but ultimately puts it out of mind. "Ah that's right." Roland offers his hand to her, a small spasm in the left hand that he ignores. "I'm Roland. Nice to meet you. I'm the new employee here so uh--I helped Angela with these but she did a lot of the work herself, she was...really insistent on that."5r "Of course, I won't get practice at all if I simply allow you to do all the work simply because you are experienced at the task." Angela says. She's oblivious to a gang seizing control of the Warpgate but, well, it's not like they controlled it for long apparently. Roland gives Petra a wave too. "Hey uh--she is...?" "That is Petra, yes." Angela says, then frowns. "We do have...energy drinks, though they are a few floors down. I can bring some up, if that is something you could use...?" She does smile a little at Petra showing that kind of care to Audrey which Roland glances at, but it's gone before he can comment on it, as if timed that way. "Please help yourself. I hope it is appropriately flavorful." Angela adds. She has a single one on a plate that she munches on experimentally, gives Roland an odd look, then tries it again. It's new flavors for her, she reasons, that must be it (and it is). "Ah," She adds, noting the smartboard. "Did you bring this all the way here through The City? Nobody tried to rob you, did they?" It looks expensive enough that she reasons at least SOME random encounters hit Petra on the way over.
Audrey Basque	"B-beat up? N... no! No." She sets the books down (or hands them to Angela, or Roland, whoever accepts them) and then motions at her elbow. "I um. I tripped." She's turning a bit red. She is telling the truth, she really did mess it up. It wasn't the monsters who hurt her in the end, it was her lack of focus and a moment of panic. "The... the ah, hypothetical scenario, was... scarier than dangerous. I mean it was dangerous! But it was scarier than it was dangerous. You know?" All things considered it had gone exceptionally well. Audrey does her best not to face Petra directly, so she can't pick up on how awful she looks. Is she a part of the Library? Oh... oh, right, she wore... "W-Well... that... depends on what the work entails, but... I'm in your debt after that night, so... if I can help around a bit in my spare time, I wouldn't mind." She doesn't know how to say no, and how to take it easy. But this might genuinely be healthy for her, and a safer way to learn about things than choosing a new place to wander about every day. Energy drinks? "N-No! No, it's okay, really. M-Maybe water would be good. Sitting down will be good too." And she definitely doesn't need to be told twice to sit down, either, even if it's in front of food. She hadn't eaten yet, or since before that "mission" so it's certainly not doing her any favors.
Petra Soroka	"Nobody tried to rob you, did they?" "Well, sure, sure." Petra waves her hand reassuringly, expression softening when Angela addresses her. "I'm used to it, though. For some reason, the intensity of the guys trying to mug me has gone down from when I was commuting from my apartment. Maybe the big names are busy with other stuff, but either way, it's nothing I can't deal with." "I um. I tripped." "Tripped..." Petra echoes, looking at Audrey's flushed and partly hidden face before averting her eyes. Idly, she thinks about how much clumsier she used to be early on, and then also, how Audrey has gotten into two fights with Hiromi and some frog thing, and the only actual injury she's gotten is a scraped elbow. This makes her think of Dylan, but with the opposite vibe, somehow. "--Oh, yeah, uh... good thing, too, that it wasn't too dangerous. I, uh-- the thing I meant to do yesterday..." The meeting, she means, and Petra awkwardly scrubs her knuckles into her cheek while looking to the side. "My dumb ass forgot what timezone the Grand Dorado's in. And, you know, it's not actually the same as the eastern US, which is where they're at. Oops. So I kind of just fucked around yesterday when it's supposed to be today." "No, it's okay, really. M-Maybe water would be good." "Oh! Oh, wait--" It takes Petra a minute, but when Audrey says that, she recognizes the symptoms of a hangover. Petra snickers and pulls a water bottle out of her reflection, and flips it around in her hand to offer it out to Audrey. "I see. Well, I guess it's my responsibility to make sure you drink enough water then, right?" Then Petra's gaze finally falls off of Audrey's face and frizzled hair to the uniform at Angela's indication, and she blinks. It's something besides her school uniform, but... for it to be the clothes Angela gave her... it's startlingly pathetic, in a way that instantly stirs a strange sense of fond sympathy that leapfrogs its way from Petra's struggle to dress herself a long time ago to the image of a sheltered rich girl making her way in the multiverse for the first time. Sympathy demands a little bit of mockery, though. "Oh-- oh my god, you are-- well, it's good to see that you're getting used to the fashion sense of the City. I mean, even faster than I did when I moved here. But..." Petra waves at the Librarian outfit blazer. "... That doesn't have any of that planetarium stitching inside, does it?" Meaning she could have worn literally anything else, equally practically. Smirk partly concealed by Petra lifting up another piece of pajeon to munch on, "It looks good on you, though. And I can tell you, Ange is a good boss. ... Oh, you did a good job with these, Ange, you're really getting the hang of cooking." Roland's role is casually ignored. But, more importantly!! Education! "Anyways! We're all here!" Petra swivels her hands around the table to swing on over to stand at the head of it beside the smartboard, and a droplet of morphmetal ping the screen on without her touching it. "I already talked about coronal, core, and proximal patterns, right? But I didn't get to each of the actual pattern signs? Is studying it more about, like, the implementation, or the history of it, since I don't really know a ton about the history of the development and stuff."
Angela	Angela considers Audrey. It's a good question. "Ordering and retrieving books, recruiting personel and..likeminded individuals, defending the Library from intruders, book thieves, and would-be Angela murderers." Roland says, "Huh...." quietly, mostly at Petra's words. "A good boss, huh..." Angela glances at him and he flinches. "Well speaking of... You need anything from me for your presentation, Petra? Any buttons that need pressed?" Angela smiles again at Petra's teasing of Audrey but she still offers, seriously, "If you need to modify the uniform so that your magic works properly, please do not hesitate to ask. I am willing to help, even, if the stitching required is not too complicated. I could use the practice." "You really eager to pick up skills.." Roland says. "...Of course. I need to become as capable as any Elite even if, of course, I still do not intend to call myself one." She's been somewhat soured on the term and is finding her identity in the multiverse almost in opposition to the term. Angela is relieved, of course, that it wasn't anything Petra couldn't handle. She is still bothered by some of what was discussed last night but she isn't sure if she is delusional at the moment. Water! Roland heads off to a cooler and underhand tosses a water bottle Audrey's way. "There ya go!"
Audrey Basque	Petra reveals her plans fell through, and Audrey frowns a bit on her behalf. "Oh. I'm sorry to learn that. Well, at least, tonight is worth looking forward to, right?" Silver linins, at least Petra wasn't LATE, she was early! Water is offered, and accepted without complaint. "T-Thanks. I... didn't mean to, but miss Nuki and mister Nash wanted to celebrate and..." It's a bit of a blur. She's not used to it. The stitching...? "N-No, I didn't... have time, and I wasn't sure if Angela would be alright with customizing the uniform a bit like that." In retrospect wearing an outfit without her usual foci in it to the City of all places was unwise. Thankfully Angela gives the OK. Audrey smiles. "It's special thread, but I can show you. It's... for it to work it'll need a lot of precision, but next time I visit I can bring the tools and show you." Threading a star map onto clothes can be a bit intense, but it's worth it. She's too out of it to notice Petra's smirk. Angela reveals the nature of the job, which causes a bit of surprise. "Do... does that last one happen a lot?" Do a lot of people want Angela dead? There'd been mentions, here and there, of what happened during the big war, and the costs, but the full consequences were still a bit beyond her. It's a small mercy Audrey has enough of her senses to catch Roland's water bottle. It's clumsy but not disastrous. She's drinking, per Petra's insistance, and knowing it's what she needs anyway. That food is starting to look more alluring. "Ah... history and implementation are useful to have, but I like to focus on the functioning first. Once you know how a system works, I think it's easier to work backwards into understanding the when and why."
Petra Soroka	"A good boss, huh..." "Well, she is," Petra says, slightly insistent and defensive to Roland. "I only came to Lobotomy Corporation at all because of her. And the Library's a lot nicer anyways." "And, oh-- oh I could totally use you as a, teacher's assistant. I don't have a-- hold on, I wasn't expecting to need a remote." Petra flips open her compact mirror and turns it over on top of the table, dumping out a pile of random scrap metal and electronics, looking sort of like a collection of children's toys that were disassembled into their constituent parts. She holds up her palm and the morphmetal darts into it, accumulating drop by drop into a pure metal screwdriver, which she uses to hastily fix something together into a remote. She holds it up and click-clicks it at the smartboard to make sure it works, then hands it to Roland. "There you go." "...Of course. I need to become as capable as any Elite even if, of course, I still do not intend to call myself one." "... You know, Ange, I can count on one hand the number of Elites I know that are able to cook and sew. You're, like, already more capable than most of them. You know they're mostly, like, random hooligans off the street with guns or magic or whatever, and not Lilian." "Still, though. I'm glad you're picking up hobbies." One of the things that fell out of her compact mirror when overturned was an entire paintball gun, which she awkwardly stuffs back into Qetra's hand. "It's important, and you deserve it. And-- oh, do you want me to grab you a DS for playing games with Nika some-- sometime?" "Well, at least, tonight is worth looking forward to, right?" "Mhm, I..." The reason why Petra bothered to bring up a fumbled meeting time at all, is because the event is something that's extremely prevalent on her mind, even in the middle of a different excursion with friends. Her face flickers through several expressions, but she can't seem to determine which one to settle on, until eventually ending up frustratedly annoyed. "Man, it's really annoying to not be allowed to talk about stuff and not allowed to ask about being allowed." "Do... does that last one happen a lot?" Petra lists off on her fingers, "Rita probably still wants Angela dead. I bet a lot of people in District 12 aren't happy about the fall of L-Corp. She's an AI, so basically anyone in the entire City has free range to kill her on sight. And there's no way the Head is fine with this whole situation. So, probably a solid billion people who would kill her if they had the chance, and a thousand who could force a chance if they set their sights on doing it." "Ah... history and implementation are useful to have, but I like to focus on the functioning first." Humu, humu. Petra nods sagely and then gestures to Roland. "Alright-- then go ahead and turn it on for me." "So, I think I should start with what the signs actually are. Because that's sort of a big difference from terrestrial astrology, that they're not relative objects like constellations, but concrete ones. There's thirteen of them, though, so this'll be a bit of a rant. Slide!" She didn't actually make a slideshow. But, because she's still hooked into the smartboard with the morphmetal, and she's digitally scrolling through her phone at higher-than-human speeds simultaneously, she can construct slides ahead of Roland's clicking for whatever she's talking about next, laying down the rails as she freestyles it. The first slide has a picture of a streaking comet shimmering purple in empty space; a real photograph, but touched up in an instagram white-girl sort of way.
Petra Soroka	"So-- each of the signs are based on locations where the CMB is abnormally stable, right? That's what makes them anchor points for the energies of the universe, that we can all relatively find our position in relation to. It's, like, the human presentation that we associate with the modern era is only associated with the modern stuff, but the human 'soul' as a constant needs to be examined from a cosmologically stable point of view, because there's something specially meaningful about sophonts in the broader universe, you know?" "So, the first sign's a good demonstration of that. The Wanderer; it's a comet that has a fixed radiation pattern that actually follows it. It's associated with curiosity and a sense of adventure and an inability to be tied down and stuff, like, probably Ivy from the Warprunners would have the Wanderer as her coronal sign, and I'd guess you, Ange, might have it as a core pattern. Or maybe you'd have the Wildflower as your core pattern... it's hard to really know for sure, since we don't know exactly what date you were born on the City's calendar. Subjective time loops are so annoying." "Second one is... slide! Sorry I forgot to say. Slide." The next slide has a picture of a wide nebula of mostly deep red and white, and Petra picks up one of the electronic pens to circle some tiny dots of shimmering heat inside the image. "So this is the Nurturer. For some reason it only forms stars that are, like, basketball sized at most, you can see 'em here. It represents, uh, caringness and gentleness, and the sort of broad encompassing kindness of someone who can support a community. Like Phony, I guess."
Angela	Angela made the new uniforms herself so she is pretty thrilled that Audrey is wearing it. She also would prefer it if Audrey wasn't mugged and left for dead in an alley because she wore her cute outfit that day. God, she'd feel utterly gutted if it was that stupid. "Precision...." She says. "No, of course--" Her eyes widen slightly at the offer of MORE tutoring but... "I would like that." She is an AI that can tell the truth too. "I am a fast learner though precision tasks can take some getting used to." She is accustomed to her individual sense of time but precise tasks can sometimes have their own sense of timing she has to adjust to. Do a lot of people want her dead? Angela considers the question. The truth is the only people who tried to kill her in her life were her friends. Her expression falls flat at the realization of it. "So far only my friends have tried to kill me, but I was not so close to The City before... AI like myself are considered an Impurity by the rulemakers of this City." Roland rubs at his neck sheepishly. "Uh, I didn't mean to suggest anything. It's just kind of...rare." He says. "Been screwed over by a lot of my old employers." He frowns, though, because that is actually true and outside of the first meeting and Angela fucking with his chantitle, it actually hasn't been ....bad? Which is weird to think about for the weird tower that ruined the lives of everyone in this District at minimum. Wordlessly, he takes the remote, eyes lingering on the screwdriver, then back to Angela. He doesn't comment on it but he is starting to wonder.... What even is Petra, or Angela. Angela seems normal enough but she is strangely pale and Petra LOOKS normal but he knows of no human who can control metal and just make a tool by thought like that. The closest he can think of are the very malleable Hana Association weapons but even they aren't quite like this. "Happy to help." He says. "I'd feel awkward just standing here." Angela glances over to Petra. "I had some hobbies before but limited time to indulge them--that is actual time to indulge. I learned an instrument and practiced reading comprehension and writing but sewing anything to completion takes time I cannot rush through in real time like with a book." She smiles. "I'd love to get to know Nika better and I did get a gaming device recently." ...Does Rita still want her dead...? Angela has been hesitant to let go of Shajo mostly for that reason and she is running low on excuses to delay a decision. "....Ah..." Roland manages. "She's an AI? .... Are you too?" He pauses. "Oh uh don't worry, I'm not gonna try to kill anyone for being an AI." But he dutifully pushes the button! And continues to push the button when directed. "My birthdat is February 27th." Angela says. "Though if you mean my creation date..." She trails off because, well. They turn their attention tk the slides but... "I can guess what the Wanderer represents. But what does the Wildflower?" Angela asks.
Audrey Basque	Oh. Secret matters again. No, this time Audrey is too worn out to get annoyed again. There's no point, and it'd ruin the moment. So, just smile, nod, and be happy for her-- she can do THAT, and it won't even feel that forced. "Please, it's alright. I understand." She doesn't. "Besides, it sounds like a private matter. I'm just happy you're not looking sad anymore." That night in Lilian's office was... Miserable. Soul-crushing, really. She watches, curious, as Petra assembles a remote out of parts. She'd never realized Petra was good at electronics like that! This is useful information for later, for sure. So, probably a solid billion people who would kill her if they had the chance, and a thousand who could force a chance if they set their sights on doing it. Audrey's stare switches to Angela. So far only my friends have tried to kill me, but I was not so close to The City before.. "I-It's baffling you can remain so calm. I had a feeling you were strong, but that's..." Insane mental fortitude. Audrey doesn't know where to start praising it, but it's clear she's impressed. Petra begins explaining; Audrey nods here and there. If there's one singular thing she's good at, outside her magic (debatable), it's memorizing lessons, even when tired, sick, or otherwise feeling bad. "I presume stability might also be a means to liken these symbols to the soul? Humans have long considered that even in the most chaotic of spaces, the one anchor point they can count on for stability is themselves - their soul, and things are measured by how they interact with it. The universe is noisy, though it looks empty, but there are points we can use as references, and we measure things based on how the rest of the universe affects them." It's hard to measure two balls of chaos impacting each other - but it's easy to measure chaos impacting order. She's begun eating, without really noticing; this puts her back into a sort of "safe space", a classroom, a context she controls fully and completely. Wanderer, Nurturer... this really did feel like a more 'grounded in universal physics' spin on concepts usually associated with animals or star patterns. She is listening, intently.
Petra Soroka	"Uh, I didn't mean to suggest anything. It's just kind of...rare." Preeningly proud of Angela, sibling-esque, Petra tilts her chin up at Roland. "Well, Ange is the rarest thing ever. There's no one like her." "She's an AI? .... Are you too?" Petra looks down at the morphmetal in her palm, dissolving the screwdriver into an orbiting ring of smooth metal that weaves around between her fingers. The metal that, for a while, comprised her body, that she used along with another AI to give sentience to another robot that treats her as an older sister. Is she an AI? It's better to be weird and mysterious about things, probably, when she doesn't quite feel comfortable with any answer. "... Well, Ange and I are in similar enough situations. I'm not worried about you trying to kill me, because you wouldn't get close." "I'm just happy you're not looking sad anymore." "Not at the moment, at least. But there's plenty more hours in the day that I'm risking having content inflicted on me in the radio." Well, it's still Petra, so what can you do? She's in a good enough mood to make a joke like that and then move past it, at least. "Humans have long considered that even in the most chaotic of spaces, the one anchor point they can count on for stability is themselves - their soul, and things are measured by how they interact with it." Petra, slightly out of breath from lecturing, excitedly nods at Audrey. "Yeah! Exactly! I knew you'd get it. There's basically two competing philosophical schools of thought, when you boil everything about humanity and the world down into it, right? Either the universe is empty, or the universe is full. And things feel a lot less empty when there's reference points to yourself anywhere you look. If you're made of the same things that make up the universe, and there's points in the universe you can look to that mean consistent things that you can use as reference for how close or far you are, then that's placing your 'soul' in a meaningful context." ""But what does the Wildflower?" "Oh-- I'll get to the Wildflower. Or... it's a bit out of order, but let me... okay, slide." After hastily constructing a next slide for Roland to click to, Petra shows a satellite view of a planet even more green than Earth is, with another picture of hyperdense jungle on its surface. "So there's a bunch of, like... the Wildflower's the sort of, nickname for a thing named... um... SST--... something. A bunch of numbers and letters. It's a neat little cosmological phenomenon that some scientists are studying to see if it might be a kind of apocalyptic thing, but I don't really think it would; it's just pretty. It's a planet that converts basically all energy applied to it into growth. It's associated with writers, people with deep insight, the pursuit of inspiration and growth, and clear and direct communicators. That's why I thought maybe you. But... well, like I said, it's hard to know what your birth pattern was when we don't know when you were born."
Petra Soroka	"And then there's... Tidal Heart!" Petra's entrusting Roland to go to the next slide on that one, and if he doesn't, she pouts with her momentum lost and insists 'slide'. This isn't even a picture of the astronomical phenomenon, but a artsy space-themed multi-year calendar that tracks some specific event across decades, with a symbol signalling something near the end of AU 32. "There's a bunch of pulsars that have slightly different rotational speeds, but all have a matching CMB pattern, and they sync up exactly once every twelve years. There's some stuff that goes into, like, annual pattern cycles and relative birth years, but... well, I don't know it that well. It's associated with, um, trailblazing and new beginnings, and precision OCD and stuff. You're either super happy or super unhappy to see it for a horoscope sign." Realizing that she's only a quarter of the way through the signs at this point, Petra fumbles for words and then picks up the pace of her speaking. "So, fourth is the Prism. That's actually my coronal sign. I think it's literally, like, one of the prettiest celestial bodies in the universe, so-- Roland can you click through these real quick?" The 'Prism' is apparently a white dwarf star, whose collapse or the ensuing gravity pulled a translucent 'shell' of diamond around it. It's internally and externally sparkly and reflective, and since everyone but Roland has seen the Beauty of Ash, it's immediately apparent why Petra would find it pretty. "It's representative of... well, for a coronal pattern, it represents malleability and a willingness to commit yourself to other people and the pursuit of, um, belonging. For a core pattern, it'd be more like social flexibility and having different identities that you express in different contexts, and finding that... you know, comfortable and natural." "Then... slide. Then Dynamo, which is a really cool planet that's got a liquid ocean even though it's way closer to its star than you'd expect, which I... if I remember right, it's because of some essentially pure quality of its atmosphere or something that raises the boiling point? That's my core sign. It's about, um, extreme passion towards specific projects or at, like, specific triggers, whether that means anger or happiness or motivation, and stuff. It's a sign that you're supposed to be worried about overwhelming the people close to you... or something. Ha." She takes a breath. "And Gossamer, slide." This one is radically different from the others so far: a cosmic snowfield, full of twinkling frozen hydrogen against a background of stars, which some of the hydrogen snow squished into a little snowman. "That's my proximal sign. I actually pestered my parents to go to the nearby station on a trip when I was a teenager, but they refused since it's kind of expensive and they've never been in zero-g... which is probably good. If it was a more popular tourist thing, it'd probably be totally ruined. Anyways, it represents, um, artistic tendencies and honesty and passion for music and stuff like that. There's also, uh... stereotypes about... well, certain things. They all have stereotypes."
Angela	Angela thinks about the circumstances of how she summoned her own EGO and how it nearly overtook her. She shouldn't just let it be on the record that she's strong, she thinks. She doesn't have the greatest opinion of Strength either, even if it's mostly specifically Gebura's fault in that case rather than Society's but when you see Strength snap and kill half the facility thousands of times, it tends to make you wary about the concept. Her Agents, she's noticed, tend to hesitate even at the idea of fighting Gebura or opposing her, something that can be quite deadly for the Agents and because it was a matter of ''Strength'' swarming her was simply not a viable option. "Suffering is not strength." Angela ultimately says. "I am stronger now than I was then, I'll admit that, but... I suppose I've grown numb to much during my time in the facility." She doesn't actually sound that proud of it, but she can't deny that sometimes it's just better that way. "Personally, I find your dedication to your craft and to the accumulation of knowledge to be more important than strength...." She exhales faintly. "I know I am a minority opinion, so you need not mind me on the matter." She eases back a bit as Audrey gets into the academic talk. She doesn't need to understand all the details immediately because she won't ever forget them, allowing her to examine her mental notes at her leisure--of course that does still entail a risk of missing an opportunity to learn more by not asking questions at the ideal opportunity, but the idea that hthe universe is noisy... Does the sun make a noise, she wonders, do the stars? ''Ange is the rarest thing ever. There's no one like her.'' "And you care for each other a lot. Even I can see that. If I had a family, I'd like to think I'd be as devoted." Roland says. He's getting too close, so he probably should back off there but he's learned that you should keep the lies as close to the truth as possible. Makes them sharper. He notices that when Audrey says 'I'm just happy you're not looking sad anymore', a troubled flicker briefly passes through Angela's eyes but she brings a smile back when Petra indicates that her mood is, well, as better as it seems to get for Petra. They both seem like melancholic people to Roland but maybe it's just the timing? He's unsure. "Don't worry, I know my place. And besides, it's the government so fuck 'em." Roland says, which is more honest than he'd like. Olivier, of course, IS practically government but that just means Roland knows a bit how the meat is made. And there's certainly no love lost between him and the Head so why should he care about their philosophies and rules? Roland fumbles with the rmeote a bit before clicking to the next slide. It's easy work, bujt he's willing to do it. ''IT might be a kind of apocalyptic thing, but I don't really think it would; it's just pretty.'' "I ''am'' pretty." Angela admits as if speaking about her design document. "And I would like to try writing something one day..." For some reason, that gets Roland to raise both eyebrows with a thoughtful and surprised expression on his face. "Well, I can always pretend." She decides on the matter. Yeah she's going to pick the one that seems to be all about her interests and where her confidence lies. Roland is about one second late with moving onto the next slide, just enough to get Petra to pout. When they get to the Prism, Angela does consider Petra thoughtfully, another smile flickering on her face. She just enjoys having her around even if she can't be around as much as before, it's still ... nice when she can be. When they get ot Gossamer, Roland hmms thoughtfully. "Don't know about birthdays, but I know a guy or three who feel like Gossamers if you get me." Roland says. ...Wa
Angela	When they get to Gossamer, Roland hmms thoughtfully. "Don't know about birthdays, but I know a guy or three who feel like Gossamers if you get me." Roland says. ...Wait, Petra just mentioned parents. And being a teenager. 5rForget it, Roland thinks to himself, it's Library. Some shit he's just gonna have to let go or he'll go crazy trying to connect everything.
Audrey Basque	Petra confirms Audrey's vague musings; it's really just that, vague musings, but then, astrology is vague on purpose. It's got a science - multiple, sure - but it's also very interpretative, and that's not something that seems to change across systems very much. "So... you're a Prism, Dynamo, Gossamer, in that order?" Audrey quickly maps out what that means in her head, from Petra's explanations. "Do you? Have a passion for art and music, I mean. I don't think I've seen you partake yet, though... your "mecha" is definitely an artistic expression if I've ever seen one." And it's a really good one, too. She finds her gaze called back to the picture Petra chose for Gossamer; it's hard to look away, really. There's something about the still field of hydrogen, you could just lose yourself in it. It's funny the sign that looks the most tranquil so far is the busy artistic one. She pauses these matters, if only long enough to shake her head at Angela. "I think your kind of strength is really important too. Or maybe we're talking about different things... the way you still stand here, going ahead, despite everyone who wants you not to. That's strength. I think." She self-introspects, for a moment. When she had that opportunity... She backed down. That wasn't strength. "I couldn't be you. I couldn't stay calm knowing people want me dead. I couldn't stay myself knowing being myself means being left out. Knowledge is important, but you need the strength to carry it." A lesson from Hiromi, maybe? "I don't think I have that. So I admire both of you." Petra was dealing with that kind of pressure too, after all. And she might have thought about giving up, but she didn't.
Petra Soroka	"I am stronger now than I was then, I'll admit that, but... I suppose I've grown numb to much during my time in the facility." "Mhm. It's more important that I'm strong in that way than for you, sis. It suits me better, I guess." "Don't worry, I know my place. And besides, it's the government so fuck 'em." Is Petra opposed to the government? Well-- that might be a more complicated question in other places, but this is the City, and the government sucks for literally everyone and is trying to kill Angela. So, yes, Petra is totally down to destroy the government. A toothpick spear of morphmetal lances out of her palm to snag another bite off the table, and she nods. "Fuck 'em." "Well, I can always pretend." "Or," Petra suggests, not seriously, "Third time loop. We could always check." "So... you're a Prism, Dynamo, Gossamer, in that order?" "Yup! I, uh..." The problem with reading out your astrological signs to other people is that if you place personal value on their significance, you end up baring a whole bunch of your soul at once. This is something Petra knows, but still winces a bit about. She can only communicate her feelings in the form of lore, rather than direct explicit analysis. "I've picked up a bunch, yeah. Of hobbies. I was really lucky to have the opportunity to... pretty much do whatever I was passionate about, as a kid. So I've got... history with writing and art, tried out painting for a year, used to play the ukulele and now play the guitar.... I guess, given my experiences with stuff, I can't really say that art isn't a fundamental part of living. So yeah, I am." ". . . though... your "mecha" is definitely an artistic expression if I've ever seen one." Petra sighs, and rubs her thumb across the surface of the personalized ornate compact mirror case. She tries to lean back against the smartboard, but it starts rolling away and she stumbles then embarrassedly rights herself. "It is, yeah. It wasn't even really meant for me in the first place, but... it wasn't meant for anyone else, either, so I got to have a pretty significant hand in working on it as a kid. So... you could divide the 'birth' of the Beauty of Ash into a bunch of layers, I think, and I think I'd be happy if mine imbued that bit of 'art' into it." She sighs again, with the unspoken energy of 'this is a tangent that would get really offtrack if I followed it'. "Anyways, the last seven-- six, signs." "Don't know about birthdays, but I know a guy or three who feel like Gossamers if you get me." Petra sticks her tongue in her cheek, scowling at Roland. It's the best segue she could ask for into continuing the lecture, but it knocks several points off of her respect for Roland. "... I bet you do. The stereotype that I was talking about was that Gossamer tends to be the sign for--" Petra, who has spent too much time lately talking with Ash, reconsiders saying the f-slur out loud in the middle of the Library. "... Queers." Not much better. "So, next. Iridescence." The picture is of a streak of rainbow colored light streaming out of a star that looks like it's been gouged in half, fusion-burning 'blood' trailing for lighthours away-- it's actually a gif, showing a timelapsed shift across the color spectrum for the star streak. "It's about personal magnetism and dramatics, like charisma, and healing after trauma. When I used to believe in fate and astrology anf stuff, this was a horoscope I'd always be happy to see."
Petra Soroka	"And... Crisis, slide. It's a binary black hole system that's supposedly stable for billions of years, because they keep siphoning the released radiation off of each other and passing it back and forth. It's for... self-assurance and leadership, for people who can motivate change and find support from the, like... communities they lead. Like if the Nurturer was more fucked up, I guess." "Liason looks really cool, I think. My, uh-- my best friend on Io was a Liason coronal." A picture of a star, that somehow has its core hollowed out with the surface layer still superheated and intact. It looks like it's eclipsed, but you can see stars through it. "It's for optimists that are good at keeping secrets; people who are trustworthy and strive to make things better." "Oh! And Eternity, that's..." It's hard to parse what's on the screen by looking at it. There's streaks of light against the background tapestry of space, but they're blurry and indistinct, and it only becomes clear that it's a video and not a picture when the stellar drone with the camera circles around to show the light-beams frozen in three dimensions. "So there was some sort of natural phenomenon in this area of space, like, millions of years ago or something, where time just totally stopped. And it happened at the exact instant that a supernova-- or, I guess, the exact instant that a relativistic jet of emissions from a supernova passed through the area, and now it's just stuck like this forever. It's representative of... intelligence, absolute expertise in stuff that you focus on and the ability to pick up new hobbies quickly, and also a difficulty in focusing sometimes." "I know it's not the most important thing to, like, the study of it, probably. For the kind of stuff you need, Audrey. But I kind of like to focus on the actual physical structures of each of the signs, because it's like... physical waypoints in the universe, and also temporal, I guess? It's the 'we're all made of starstuff' thing, you know. The hydrogen that's in the clouds of Gossamer might be from the same star that hydrogen atoms in your body originated from. I think people always want to see themselves out in space, and that's... a way it makes sense, to me. Or did."
Petra Soroka	"And then there's Scaffold, which... here." The first time Roland tries to click through on Petra's command, it brings the smartboard to a slide that's nearly incomprehensible. It's blurry and hazed over, vaguely a solar system in the background, and Petra squints at it in annoyance. "This was the first image result? Hold on, I..." She pulls out her phone and starts flicking through images. "No... no... that sucks... huh. I guess this 'artist's interpretation' is good enough, then." The artist's interpretation turns out to be a swirly white orb spewing out purple wobbly waves of energy across a collection of planets orbiting the orb as it it was a star, but with no star in sight. "I guess white holes fuck with cameras too bad to actually capture. Oh well. So, Scaffold's representative of altruism and philanthropy and stuff. Someone who's idealistic and spiritual, like that. I've literally never known someone with a Scaffold core sign, but statistically, there's gotta be plenty." "And lastly..." The next slide doesn't have any picture at all, just the empty black background of the slideshow. Petra picks up one of the electronic pens and draws a big circle around nothing at all. "... The Void. Kind of a controversial one, but it's science, so they've got literally no ground to stand on. When searching for anchor points of CMB stability in the universe, one of the anchors was this totally empty patch of space. A billion miles away from literally anything. So... I used to think it was a bit of a cop-out, but I've kind of come around on it, I guess. It represents nothing, and, like, your relationship with nothing. Unlike the others, it's meant to be an... introspective interrogation of yourself, like meditation and clearing your mind."
Angela	Angela isn't going to insist. Audrey provides some clarification about what she means and Angela's eyes flit upward for a moment in thought and then she gives a single nod back to Audrey, still stiff. "I see... Well, I am still standing. And I do intend to keep 'going ahead', even if I am taking a small break to engage in... hahnn... Architectural matters. If you consider that strength, then I will accept the label but I am still going because the alternative is never being alive at all or dying and I cannot accept either. Not anymore." Too much has been sacrificed and she's ready to double down on everyone else paying the price. She doesn't mention that she is wholly intending to become human since she's worried it'll disappoint Audrey but, well. "If you think highly of me I would ask that you endeavour to not look down on yourself. I know your school has very high standards but, as Petra has suggested, you are almost certainly one of the more competent Elites in the sector just by virtue of knowing how to sew. And competency means more to me than 'Strength'. Being ... new to the multiverse--something I can speak to from experience--and being caught off guard by what you find there, that is not a measure of weakness. It is natural. You'll grow accustomed and then someone will do something completely moronic and you'll feel as if you are losing your mind. It is normal." She hopes this doesn't lead to a Sephirah lesson, really truly. Roland can't help but crack a grin at Petra echoing his thoughts but he gets a little quieter after that, frowning thoughtfully as Petra says it's more important for HER to be that strong. A little guilt pang rises up. "I am glad I can rely on you, Petra. More than I ever imagined." She says, grimacing at the mention of THIRD TIME LOOP LET'S GO. "Let's leave it a mystery." She decides. She khows it's a joke but can only reply with dry humor. Roland mouths 'mecha??' but doesn't speak up about that. "Eh?" Roland is surprised to hear that. "I was more thinking about being really into the arts." Why is she scowling at him??? Does she hate gay people or something?? What did he step in??? "But uh, maybe I shouldn't speak too soon about something I'm just hearing about now, but I didn't mean like just enjoying the arts, I meant real passion for it." He is naturally a bit more quiet as the others come up. He KNOWS he went into this situation figuring it would be dangerous but he didn't think it'd be the sort of danger wehre he'd have to watch what he said, he just thought people would try to kill him. Like normal But then Roland's attention is drawn to the last slide. It's just ... a black empty background. He stares. He stares into that black pitch, half listening to Petra, not saying anything. A representation of nothing, one's relationship with nothing. Nothing. Nothing left.
Audrey Basque	"Oh! You play?" Depending on how awake Petra was, she'd already heard Audrey play the piano. "We should play together sometime. I like the piano, and the violin, but sometimes it gets a bit lonely alone, and..." And... that sounds a bit wrong. Audrey ends that thought there, looking down at the food still in front of her and settling on that. She elects not to get involved in the sudden heat between Roland and Petra. It just seems like a good idea to stay out of that one. No proper lady would be caught discussing those kinds of matters! The matter of the Beauty of Ash makes her perk her head back up a bit. "I'm sure you did. It's really pretty. When you said mecha, I kinda... pictured one of those lumbering metal frames, you know? With a big gun or a sword, armor and maybe a glowing eye. Yours is insane compared to that. It must make heads turn every time." Being ... new to the multiverse--something I can speak to from experience--and being caught off guard by what you find there, that is not a measure of weakness. Angela has quite the stance on these things; Audrey shrinks a bit in her seat, embarrassed. "Y-Yes. Of course, I... intend to adapt. Hopefully, quickly. I would like to think I am skilled at my crafts, but the constant new sights and... controversial topics, have been catching me off-guard quite a bit." And yet, it's not at all what she meant. So, it was something so much worse, before even stepping foot outside the Phantom Circle. Presented with a choice that would define her, she took the coward's way out. She knew it. She denied it. And so, at this table, she was the weakest by a landslide. Petra finishes her little powerpoint presentation; Audrey's still compiling all the information and committing it to memory. She'll write something about it, once she's back at her room, because it's all fascinating, and she suspects she could write multiple papers on Eternity alone. Not necessarily the astrological facets (but those, too), but the literal astronomical implications of an area in space frozen in time. And showing up with a brand new cosmological understanding system they haven't been taught, will be worth some points all on its own. "So... how do we find out our signs? You've mentioned the CMB radiation quite a lot, determining that sounds like something that's a bit hard to do on the spot."
Petra Soroka	"I like the piano, and the violin, but sometimes it gets a bit lonely alone, and..." "Oh, yeah, I remember the piano. I'm not actually, like, super practiced at playing with other people, but... you're right, though, it does get lonely." After a few seconds, Petra suddenly turns to Angela and spouts out what sounds like nonsense without elaborating. "Do you think I know how to play the banjo? Maybe, right?" "When you said mecha, I kinda... pictured one of those lumbering metal frames, you know?" "Ah. Yeah." Petra leans back on the edge of the table, twisting her torso around to Audrey. She holds up one finger, and the borble of morphmetal spins around above it, sliding around until it forms a tank-like shape with four legs. It's roughly familiar to Angela, as the shape that crowned the turret tower in Petra's mindscape. "Me too, for longer than I should've." "That's what the Kana was like. The mech I had a couple years ago. Compared to that... the Beauty of Ash isn't even meant for combat. Originally, it was-- well originally originally, it was a test demo-- but originally, it was a sort of... play tool for shaping the world and doing stuff human bodies can't do but human minds can. Like, uh, psychic stuff. And wrestling-- I mean, humans can wrestle, but not like mech fighting. It's just... a little different now, because of stuff I put it through." "You've mentioned the CMB radiation quite a lot, determining that sounds like something that's a bit hard to do on the spot." "It's hard to find your birth sign on the spot, yeah. And there's some advanced readings you can do with local patterns each day for horoscopes, but... I mean, most people just stick to their daily coronal readings and stuff. But there's websites for finding your birth pattern! As long as you know the coordinates of your world, the latitude and longitude of your birthplace if you were born on a planetary surface, and then the time, and... okay, input it here." Petra turns her phone around to Audrey, already on a site with the windows pulled up for putting in the info. When she does, it'll automatically show her the heatmap of radiation around her birth, and then the three pattern signs that match it, match the inverse, and then are cosmolocationally closest, for coronal, core, and proximal.
Angela	Angela cracks another smile. "You might. I still have it. Do you want to give it a spin and see how well it goes?" She observes the mini Kana thoughtfully. It looks ... well considerably more adorable in mini morphmetal form than launching rockets at Angela form. Automatically, she tries to pat the little tank with an index finger. "I noticed it had feathers now." Angela finally comments on that. "But I am glad they do not interfere with its intended use." Considering Petra was using it to, in fact, play with Fae. "I like it." She says of the Beauty of Ash to Audrey. "It has a comforting design."
Audrey Basque	"That makes sense. Given its shape, I had a feeling it wasn't meant for the same kind of thing as..." Petra produces what the Kana looked like, and Audrey nods. "That. One looks like a weapon, the other is... an expression of the pilot, isn't it? Comparatively, I mean." Angela also approves, it seems! "Yes. It doesn't feel like a weapon. Would it be safe to get to ride on it, sometimes? If-- if that's alright, I mean." The fact her world has been Unified for so long-- and that the Phantom Circle is so well documented, is that things like coordinates are common knowledge, especially for astrologers(ians?) like her. The coordinates of her birth take a few of dig up, but that's not hard to figure out once she has her phone out. The result spits out: CORONAL: Eternity CORE: Gossamer PROXIMAL: Prism She takes a few moments to squint; she's thinking, and it's not clear what the expression on her face is. Surprise? Disbelief? Maybe a bit of uncertainty? No, some of it-- checks out. It's just... maybe it's not what she thought she'd see, or what she'd want people to see. But her integrity prevents her from saying it's bumpkins, because imagine denying astrology as an expert of it. "I think I understand. Having a model that works across worlds is... quite the feat. I'm impressed." She is! Truly.