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Lilian Rook     Strange as it is, Lilian's blind call for 'I need guinea pigs' had enough response that she needs to revise the venue. And commission more prototypes. Her pet Workshop initiative complains of the rush order, but with the amount of money she's paying, it's all barely in order in time. It'd intuitively seem best to invite you to the Shrine of Adversity for virtual testing, but Lilian is somewhat known for never touching the place.

    On Trídéag HQ ground, in the outdoors training yard, nestled between campus buildings on the opposite side of the 'courtyard block', it's ostensibly a live steel exercise, as is her usual ethos. The sidewalk has been converted to a raised walkway with access steps and a walled interior side, closing it off from the surrounding roads, which are now themselves brick streets. The city block, razed long ago, has been cleared of rubble months prior, paved over with concrete instead of asphalt, with a turf staging zone and raised storage building. With the collapse of L Corp still recent, Lilian certainly doesn't have the Fixers to spare to guard any place specifically but the main building, and so you're barely checked at all on entry.

    Given that this is techically Association work, Lilian seems to have compromised with the weather and intended excerise by wearing the lower half of her (personally customized; she's the Director, she can do that) Trídéag uniform with only the cut-down summer undershirt above, hair tied up in an annoyingly sexy messy bun. Rather than being allowed in the storage building yourself, she has a pneumatic locked rack dragged outside, operated apparently by keycard, with a row of differently sized weapons that she only hands out by sight, matching each one to a specific person. Each one unfailingly comes up to the bottom of your shoulder. The fact she has your measurements is a little disconcerting.

    "May I introduce the Stigma-Nestor Type-Thirteen 'thermal reprojection' longsword. You can just call it a type-thirteen, SN13, or whatever; I don't care." Lilian says, only after the final weapon has been handed out. What that means isn't immediately obvious. The outward appearance is only that of a double-edged cruciform blade with a half-length fuller and synthetic wrapped grip. Polished black with the Trídéag emblem stenciled in magenta red, matching half the grip lace, it doesn't seem too overdesigned. Sure, it has the Stigma Workshop insistence on 'artistry', notable in the baroque, vaguely floral acid etching on the blade, visible from certain angles, but other than that, all you can identify 'off' about it is its weight and the very subtle series of four vertically arranged triggers along one side of the hilt.

    "For the sake of nobody killing themselves, you each have a different prototype model. Do not trade them between yourselves. You'll see why in a moment."
Audrey Basque     There's nothing pleasant about coming (back) to the Trideag Association building for Audrey. She was here exactly once, and it was an unmitigated disaster. And she's sure, quite certain in fact, that this time won't be any different. And yet that's precisely why she needs it to be different, after swearing she'd do better and bungling it up so badly the night before.

    Expecting a workout means she prepared! Not only is her hair pulled back into a ponytail, so it doesn't get in the way (though it would, anyway, since it reaches down to her waist), but she's wearing a tracksuit, which might almost be a respectable choice for this if it didn't look pointedly overdesigned and expensive. It's a mostly dark blue tracksuit, with white streaks along the arms and legs, and golden embroidery on the back, stars and crescent moons mostly; it's a bit too thick for a tracksuit, it certainly doesn't look particularly breathable, and it certainly looks extremely soft, like some expensive, extra fine wool. There's even a layer underneath the top, which judging by how it's hugging her neck is probably a particularly high-collared sports bra.

    At least she wore dark sneakers and not some kind of heels, so points for not messing that up. With the tracksuit covering her whole body, the only trace of injury on her is the square gauze pad on her cheek. It's not shame, Petra, it's survival instinct!!

    She has to admit, though, this is... probably the nicest place in the City she's seen so far, now that she can focus on it. It's not that the Library's bad, but it's a single building. This is an actual effort to make a nice spot in the City.

    She's silent, really, for most of the preparations. 'Thermal reprojection' sure carries a few different implications, and the presence of the triggers reminds Audrey that these swords have mechanisms. Being handed a sword that reaches from the ground to her shoulder is just a bit intimidating, and pointedly she's keeping it tip against the ground and not lifting it up while everything's being explained.

    Though quiet, she does look... determined? Her eyes have only left Lilian to inspect the sword, and she looks more attentive to her words than she's likely ever been in a classroom. She's evidently trying to put her best foot forward and not mess this up, for three whole different reasons.
Kale Hearthward Kale's been away. There was a family thing, and another family thing, and then mandatory continuous education training, and then another family thing.

Is it coincidence that the first official thing he's come back on full duty for was an invitation from Lilian?

Kale arrives early, and makes small talk with whoever's shown up. "Hey. What's new with you? I want to hear details." This is a trap. Immediately after giving any details, Kale takes that as his cue to talk about what *he* has been up to, and Kale is shoving a (cracked) cell phone screen in their face, with pictures of his new nieces and nephews.

"And this one's called Choy, and that's Kohlrabi - isn't she cute... and there's little Radicchio, he had just opened his eyes for the first time just before I left, but I forgot to get a picture of that..." They're all baby birds. Exceedingly ugly baby birds, with no feathers and bulgy swollen eyes and those weird lines around their beaks that baby birds have. Anyone who does not coo and aww appropriately gets shown more pictures, Kale figuring that they just don't understand the cuteness yet.

It's only swords being handed out that saves others from being subjected to further baby bird pictures.

"The Type-Thirteen. I see."

He gives it a practice swing, and makes his will save in order to not push any of the buttons.

"You probably didn't need to make so many prototypes," he feels the need to point out. "I'm sure I could have gotten done all the testing you need all on my own."
White White hadn't had a very strong reason to do so, but all the same after Lilian had mentioned testing her prototypes she'd reached out to suggest her participation. If not for a chat months prior about unannounced arrivals in other contexts, she'd probably not have bothered to give a warning at all, but here we are in the politer timeline. She shows up a little less early than planned in her usual clothes, plus one wide sunhat and some white silk gloves. Her long, braided hair is guided loose down her back with the end poking into a small pocket on her dress and partway held inside alternate space, so that she doesn't have to wrap the braid around herself several times to keep it from misbehaving while she's being active. Given she wouldn't have thought much about providing measurements if asked, there's probably little about that to be disconcerted over if Lilian did have a prototype produced for her. It does go beyond her expectations though! Sasuga, Director.

     That is, assuming a prototype actually *was* made for White's hands in the first place. Lilian's made her reticence clear about openly using Concord services when White has talked to her in the past, and White is... Quite open about her disaffinity with swordsmanship. She only really expected to maybe give impressions on a limited number of prototypes and get a little bit of observation time with other people's techniques in return.

     During the lead-up to the gathering, White is mostly politely waiting indoors; she'd thought to help move the equipment, but Lilian is way ahead of her. Sasuga again. When the time comes for her to be in the yard, holding one of the prototype swords, she's predictably prompt to try and peek at it with the Evil Eye. She remembers hearing something about a mechanism, and Lilian's being strange about the specificity of each weapon to the user... And the design doesn't look as technological as she'd been imagining, either. So obviously, in the interest of not exploding, she's going to try to cheat to figure out how it works in advance, which itself will probably be made redundant by whatever Lilian is about to demonstrate.

     Part of her does briefly imagine that Lilian has arranged all of this as some elaborate opportunity to blow the fingers off of everybody stupid enough to show up, after other conversations she's heard. That would be unfortunate, but far from expected... She does kind of feel like somehow she'd find a way to do that all on her own even with a completely normal sword, anyway. She's at least managing to practice semi-typical firearm safety... With the sword. She's keeping her fingers away from any triggery bits, anyway.
Shinmyoumaru Sukuna Shinymoumaru Sukuna is not a member of Trideag, has never shown any interest in becoming a member of Trideag, and indeed rarely shows up to City problems at all... but she was involved in some of L-Corp's Abnormality breaches and meltdowns, at least in a minor role, and there's a few people she likes.

But she likes to see different styles of swordfighting. She has her own, after all, but it's not really the way anyone else does it. And Lilian *did* mention it publically, and it's not like Shinmyoumaru doesn't know how to get to the place...

Which is why there is now one inchling around the place.

Not being a member of the Association, Shinmyoumaru is not wearing the uniform. People who have seen her before might have expected her to dress inappropriately, because Shinmyoumaru likes to wear full-length robes, sometimes with a frilly underlayer. They look a little more formal, and a lot more fancy, than would be expected at a workout.

But she's actually dressed in a reasonable way, managing to both look like she's capable of exercise and that she took it seriously enough to not wear her rattiest clothes. She has a top closer in cut to a gi with broad sleeves, still in her red and black with a white reed-like pattern along the sleeves, with equally broad-legged hakama and sandals. It makes her look more like a junior samurai than anything else. She is still only four feet tall, granted, and she physically looks maybe fourteen. But it's progress.

Shinmyoumaru is also riding in what looks like nothing so much as a giant lacquered rice bowl, which is also normal for her. The lid is over her back, shield-like, rather than on her head, along with a sewing needle that's the size of a large sword or a short spear in a cloth carrying case.

That's because her hands are full of a sword that Lilian has given her. It's a big sword as far as she is concerned - her needle is much lighter - and she is trying to get used to the weight. Not by swinging it, just by holding it up off the ground. Her bowl bobbles slightly whenever she shifts.

"Well obviously," Shinmyoumaru says, about the request to not trade. "You got all the heights right!" As the shortest, she definitely noticed hers is quite a bit smaller compared to anyone else's - not proportionately, it's just that she doesn't make it up to anyone else's shoulder and so all their swords are taller than she is. This is mildly irritating to her but not enough for her to fix it.
Alucard One of those volunteers is Alucard. He's been oddly silent and not present for a while. Did he fall into a bottle? It's possible, but he seems to be put together. And his coat doesn't clink. Maybe he's cleaned up a bit, dug out of the Wine Cave, started to process his trauma? Hard to say, the half-vampire is forever difficult to read. As is usual for him, it seems like he just -appears-. This is mostly because he's very quiet on his feet and moves swiftly.

As soon as the prototypes are being handed out, Alucard removes his own sheathed sword from his belt, and lets it go. It hovers next to him for a moment before it simply flies off to lean against something nearby. He accepts the blade and inspects it with the eye of an expert, testing the edge, peering at the craftsmanship, squinting at the triggers. He even gives it a couple of test swings, checking the balance and heft.

It's like he knows what he's doing!
Angela Roland doesn't seem bothered by going to Trideag <s>again</s> for the first time ever. Angela, of course, can't exactly 'spend a day out in Trideag'. It's one thing when she sneaks out under fog, another when she goes around hanging around the neighborhood. There's limits she's to which she's willing to risk The Eye spotting her and ruining everything.

And Roland is certainly easier to offer up than Binah or, god forbid, Gebura. Petra has insisted that she be around for Gebura's awakening so Angela has put it off longer than she intended and has brought back Yesod and Chesed instead. Actually, Chesed might be helpful in cooling Gebura off. Or agitating her further. It's a gamble. But what else is she going to do? Keep her sleeping forever?

It is a little dangerous for Roland though to visit as well, though for reasons nobody really knows about. There are people who know him without his mask in The City and they know his past. But if he doesn't do as Angela asks that would be way riskier than this is. SOME people know who he is. Not many.

Ceri is naturally always interested in observing training programs. She is a duelist so she's around as well, though she's taking a seat back rather than trying to interfere with Lilian's plans--but she's ready to lend a hand as soon as she's called for. Ever since L Corp fell she's seemed a bit uneasy and quiet but time is slowly eroding these feelings away as she grows accustomed to the new normal, even if she can't wholly shake the sense of guilt.

Roland isn't so familiar with Stigma weaponry that he's a master of using them but he is the guy who suggested he give them a looksee. He looks it over thoughtfully, instantly comparing it to the versions that he knows the Liu tend to carry. Obviously, the Trideag emblem is new.

"Yes ma'am," Roland says, feeliung a little weird about calling someone over a decade younger than him ma'am but he's seen the video and isn't so prideful that it bothers him beyond that little twig of 'well i certainly wasn't expecting this in my mid thirties'.

He waves a hand to Audrey, giving her that slightly cocky grin that he tends to carry before--

Roland stiffens a little when Kale starts showing off his nieces and nephews but only for a moment, once he sees them he whistles. "Nice flock you've got there." He has no idea they aren't Kale's own kids. "What's it like being a parent--Ah, probably shouldhn't get too distracted."

It is nice, he ultimately settles, to see. If a bit bitter.

Aw shit, he thinks, White's here. White has a method of seeing how good he is and if he's not careful she'll totally call him out on half-assing it, probably. ... Well, he doubts anybody wwould think to tell Angela or Petra. Boy this is more stressful than he thought it would be.
Calvin Nash      Arriving in his truck but not his uniform, Calvin steps out with a frown. The frown is stern and paternal to an unwarranted degree, given that invited himself here--but anyone who brings that up will find that he believes his attitude to be entirely warranted. The beat of his beige, square-toed cowboy boots across the newly laid brick street, and then later the raised walkway surrounding the training yard, is the dogged, marching tempo of a self-styled disciplinarian.

    His faded blue jeans are adorned with a tool belt which bounces in time with his gait, and his thick biceps, on display due to the rolled sleeves of his red-black flannel, swing in imposing sycnronicity with his footsteps. Though he might be the most casually dressed person in the City at the moment, his stride and the expression beneath the brim of his black cowboy hat are all business. Just like his blonde mullet, the party will be at his back, and the business all in front of him.

    He isn't here to test any swords--Calvin isn't a 'sword pervert' as Lilian would say. Chernobog, one of his demon partners, certainly is, but has been disallowed by Calvin from participating due to Lilian having plenty of guinea pigs and a scarcity of 'responsible adults.' Naturally, Calvin self sorts himself into the latter, hence the entire performance of having gotten here.

Do *not* trade them between yourselves.

    Calvin stands off to Lilian's side, at a distance calculated in his brain to strike what he considers the perfect balance for seeming like he has any authority here whatsoever, while still being ostensibly helpful. Towards the end of 'being helpful,' he points at Roland when 'do not trade these among yourselves' is brought up, as if to imply that he would and pre-emptively warn him against it.

    "Those of y'all that ain't met me, I'm Calvin Nash," he says. "Petra and I'll be on hand to make sure nobody *loses* no hands. Before any of y'all get any ideas in your heads 'bout runnin' 'round and playin' grab-ass, you get *this* first: if I have to stick somethin' back on it *might* not be pretty," he says, dragging his accusing index across the lineup of other Elites. "Too much fun is sorrowful."

     He nods towards Lilian. "That's my piece. Go on ahead, Director."
Petra Soroka     Finally, Petra gets a chance to visit Trideag Headquarters through the front door, rather than Lilian's closet! Or the front yard, at least, but it's still the first time she's really been able to study Lilian's construction of a personally designed oasis in the City up close, and she wanders around a bit to appreciate it. Obviously she can't get inside, but she can take a roundabout route to get to the grounds to get to the yard, admiring all the ways this is more 'Lilian's territory' than 'the City' now. Audrey is, by virtue of having arrived with Petra (Audrey?? Taking a walk through the City, alone? Ridiculous.), forced to come along with her until she eventually ends up where she's supposed to be.

    Petra isn't a stranger to training grounds outside the Shrine, even with Lilian specifically. She has loose olive green workout pants secured with a tie around her waist, along with an athletic binder serving as her top with an off-shoulder cropped t-shirt tossed over it for vague modesty. As she's decided she likes to do recently, her compact mirror case is hanging by a cord around her neck like a pendant, and her hair is just barely long enough to wrap in a scruffy ponytail.

    She takes the sword with one hand before passing it into the other, swaying it around to get a feel for the weight and length of it. It's only a slight bit longer than Fourth Match Flame, and roughly the length of her gunblade when it's fully deployed, so it takes her a minute to figure out why its dimensions feel unfamiliar in her hands.

    "Oh-- right, all of my swords just have one edge. It actually makes a big difference in where it feels like the weight is balanced, huh?" She looks at the closed Silver bottle on her hip and then adds, "Well, except sometimes I've used Silver swords, but that barely counts."

"Hey. What's new with you? I want to hear details."

    The question of what's new with Petra is actually so large that she feels *relief* when Kale starts babbling about his weird little shriveled nephew. Sure, it's Kale, and the babies are ugly as hell, but the performance of family care and excitement over children is something that Petra can express happiness about even *when* she could call everyone involved gross.

    "Oh my *god*, cute! So they're your... brother's? Sister's? You know, I almost forgot about the whole farm boy thing you've got. Congratulations to them, anyways."
Petra Soroka "Petra and I'll be on hand to make sure nobody *loses* no hands."

    Petra blinks and raises up her head, sword loosely held by her side. She stares at Calvin for a second and immediately processes the 'guy who assigned himself to be chief chaperone' vibe off of him, and quickly settles on feeling like it's a good thing for her to also be trusted with responsibility. "I will? Well, yeah, sure, I'll do my best."

    Then she remembers the context of why Calvin is actually saying that, rather than just generally being stern and full of himself. "Oh, right. I've got my medical supplies, which I should probably unload now so I don't lose a minute getting them off Qetra if one of you starts bleeding. I've also got a bunch of cold gatorade, ice packs, and, like, an inhaler, because I don't think Audrey's worked out on purpose a day in her life, and judging by what she's wearing I figure she'll collapse halfway through."
Sarracenia      Given that it is technically Association work, Sarracenia was slightly nervous about coming. But, she was -fairly- certain that her suspension was lifted or at least lessened by now given the whole Liu thing. So, the princess is here in her usual Trideag custom-made dress of black velvet with golden hems and embroidery to match the two rows of golden buttons down the chest.

     The princess takes her weapon in turn and inspects it curiously. "A...thermal reprojection longsword?" Sarra tries to puzzle out what that might mean. Her eyes widen as she gets a suspicion of what that means. "Oooh. Does that mean it is somehow explosive powered?"

     Sarra is at home with large weapons, but swords are not her strong suit. Once she is able to get a bit of space, Sarra grips it with both hands and gives it a few test swings. "It is quite lovely, especially for an experimental weapon." she says, then blinks as she notices the triggers. She hmms, peering at them curiously before...reaching for one. "What are these?" she asks, running a finger along them.

     Upon seeing Audrey, Sarra...says nothing and just regards Audrey with a very slight frown.

     Alucard is here! Sarra immediately heads over to him. "Adrian! It has been far too long!" Will he even recognize her? Last time he saw her she was a relatively young copper-haired princess with two eyes who wore red. Now, she looks like she could be in her late 40s or early 50s, has silvery grey hair, an eyepatch over her right eye, and is wearing black. "I hope you will accept my apologies for being a bit elusive the last little while. I hope you will visit my kingdom again soon!"

     Ceri is here. Before things get too far along Sarra makes sure to approach Ceri. "Ceri...I...wish to apologize. Though it was entirely unintentional, my mistake lead to you and others being hurt. You showed me kindness even after the duel when Merelisa attacked, and I have not forgotten that. So..." Sarra curtseys low. "...please accept my apologies." She holds the curtsey, head slightly bowed, until Ceri responds or something else forces her away.

     Kale shows off ugly birds. Sarra blinks. "Oh, how cute." she says. It isn't like baby birds are -that- ugly. "For some reason I did not take you for a doting uncle. Congratulations." She is probably just being polite, but at least she isn't calling them ugly or huffing at the birdman.
Lilian Rook     'I'm sure I could have gotten done all the testing you need all on my own.'

    "The point is to test them with combatants of a wide range of skill levels." says Lilian, casually uttering one of the nicest things she's said to Kale's face. "There's no point if only a very skilled swordsman trials it. It may be inappropriate for our less experienced trainees without us knowing."

    'Oh-- right, all of my swords just have one edge. It actually makes a big difference in where it feels like the weight is balanced, huh?'

    "I'm glad you noticed." says Lilian. "Of course that Eggman contraption nor that thing dredged from the Well would compare." she adds, a little smugly, folding her arms.

    'Oooh. Does that mean it is somehow explosive powered?'

    "Don't get your hopes up. No fetish mining allowed." Lilian frowns.

    White's examination discloses a solid core to the sword, like a rectangular rod, that runs up most of the blade, attached to some sort of coil and battery. There appears to be a 'seam' along each edge and each flat, where the material turns to some sort of optical crystal, in orthagonal directions, with the triggers being wired tone one of each. Notably, only the very first trigger, under the guard where her index finger would rest, actually seems to be connected on her sword, corresponding to what she'd call 'the leading edge'.

    Of course, the balance is immaculate. The slightly translucent, silvery edge is perfect. Lilian has been using a sword for over a decade, so her demands are bang on. Stigma workshop is known for craftsmanship (and price), so Alucard should find no complaints there. It is, however, significantly heavier than an ordinary sword would be, though not so much that an ordinary, if physically fit, human can't swing it around for a short while. Of course, he'd more likely recognize it than the average person who only knows anything about swords from consuming pop culture. The blade doesn't allow for much bend, oddly enough.

    "First of all, I'd like you to disengage the safety and arm the sword." Lilian says, as if she were talking about a missile. Picking up her own example-- the only one sized incorrectly, the length of Night Mist instead-- she demonstrates by squeezing the first and second 'trigger', leaving both middle and ring finger off in a way that would be incredibly unlikely to happen by accident. Once she does, the fuller of the sword begins to glow a dull cherry red, then quickly rise through shades of orange, amber, and then yellow-gold. "This connects the circuit between the battery and core element. The colour you're seeing is an indication of its temperature. The current arming time is ten seconds, but I'm having them shorten it as much as possible without compromising safety."

    Lilian removes her sword's tip from the ground, and sweeps it up into a useable stance, leaving a light trail in amidst the black motion blur. "The fuller is technically safe to touch, but it'll be quite hot. The material is semitranslucent and merely polarized one-way so that you have a visual indicator of the core's heat level. The battery can sustain a resting armed state for up to twelve hours before needing to be recharged, obviously shortened considerably by combat. I've intentionally designed them to use elements that can be partially restored by those of you who can control magical energy, but otherwise it should be regularly recharged with any given induction charger."
Lilian Rook     Taking a breath, Lilian steps off the turf, onto the concrete, and motions for an anonymous operator to raise out of the ground a cheap iron pole, like a tatami on a stand. "The purpose of the element is thus." Settling her feet, Lilian focuses on the pole and takes a horizontal swing at the top, light by high standards, revolving at the wrist. As the blade strikes the pole, biting in partway, she simultaneously depresses the index trigger, and the contact edge flashes with the same golden heat of the fuller. A shimmering wave passes through the pole, and the cap is severed completely with a line of hissing molten metal. The fuller dims from bright gold down to bright amber, then begins changing shades again.

    "The type thirteen uses Stigma Workshop's thermal element patent and Nestor Workshop's 'impact redistribution' technology together in order to vent the core element's extreme heat in a narrow plane exactly along the axis of impact. The direction is primed by which of the triggers you hold. Index for the lead edge, middle for the exterior flat, ring for the interior flat, and pinky for the back edge. The sides aren't reversible; the triggers are on one side of the hilt for a reason."

    "Furthermore, it won't prime unless your thumb is securely against the reverse side of the hilt beneath the guard, so grip it properly and tighten your hold at the end of your swing." Lilian says, demonstrating by lifting her hand to show her thumb nestled under the crossguard. "You can begin holding the triggers at any time; it won't fire until you actually strike something, but it will fire in all armed directions regardless of impact, and there is no safety against a backfire at the wielder. Ideally, Fixers should aspire to only arm the trigger at the last instant, or else the direction might be read in advance by a skilled opponent."

    "Firing all four triggers simultaneously completely discharges the core reserve, requiring another ten seconds to re-heat. One edge at a time uses about forty percent, and is the most powerful with the least recharge time. Before I explain any further, I'd like you each to try it with your own targets. Begin at the top and work your way down; don't just cut the base or we'll need a fresh one. Give it a few tries and tell me your honest opinion of how it feels."

    On cue, an entire row of cast iron posts rise along the edge of the concrete border. Anyone suitably cheeky might discover what White did, though. Alucard and Kale have all four triggers armed. Roland has the first three. Petra and Shinmyoumaru can access the first two. Audrey, White, and Sarracenia, only the very first.
Odette Raskins As with any of Trideag's live steel exercises, Odette's there to offer her medical expertise to ensure nobody gets (permanently) maimed. She'll have to be a little more careful about her work today, though, since she's also here as one of the guinea pigs that answered the call. Testing weapons, as much as she hates to admit it, is something the EMT's started becoming more interested in over the years. Year?

Long enough. Odette's well-prepared for both exercise and messy work today, having brought her trusty bag of medical supplies and setting it off to the side. She's wearing her usual Trideag jacket, too, with the front left open and wearing a sporty tank top (black) underneath it along with jogging pants made of that crinkly material that's probably really water resistant. Her usually messy hair is tied up in a large braid, too, and the way it sticks out somewhat haphazardly suggests she might have tried putting into a bun before just giving up.

Odette stands at at attention as Lilian brings out the first of what might be many experimental weapons, and she takes one of the offered SN13s gingerly before snapping her free hand up in a quick salute. "Thank you, Dame Commander! Oh, this looks incredible..." She takes a moment to just look over the fancy grip and marvel at the craftsmanship before nodding firmly at the first instruction given.

"Understood! So each one of these is specialized for..." Odette's not sure what, but she does feel a slight kick in her chest as she conlcudes that Lilian ordered each one especially for everyone here and even had them at the right height for everyone. It's a good kick, though, and she can't help but smile brightly as she tries to show off her most confident side to Lilian!

Also, everyone else present, but primarily Lilian. She's the boss, after all. Odette wants to look good in front of Audrey, White, and Roland, too, since she's technically a senior here! "I'm ready for any accidents, but good sword discipline's still important. How should we be testing these first, Miss Rook?"

The confidence does give way a bit to quiet noises of awe at seeing Kale's nieces and nephews, though, ugliness be damned. "Oh my gosh, how old are they? Did they just hatch? What're they eating at this age? Farm boy... Eh? Wait, is that right?"  She looks from Kale to Petra, then Petra to Kale. "With real soil-grown vegetables and everything? Oh, they're going to grow up SO big..."

Maybe the ugliness helps, considering Odette's past reactions to bugs and the like.

Calvin's a NEW new face, but introducing himself alongside Petra gives Odette a sufficient boost in confidence at his competence to not doubt anything he's saying yet. She does look visibly confused when he brings up playing grab-ass, though, and she waits a few seconds before raising a hand slowly.

"Is... Do people usually do that around prototype weapons out here?" She's starting to wonder just how much of a bubble she's been living in even after all this time.
Alucard If anyone here can truly appreciate a well balanced blade, it is Alucard. Before the arming demonstration, he gives a few test swings, his motions fluid and precise. If there's one thing he's very good at, it's swinging a sword. He seems to be incredibly thorough with his examination. Various swing angles, checking its heft on defense (he barely notices the extra weight), how comfortable it is in two hands.

He lowers the weapon when Sarracenia approaches. His head tilts slightly, like an intrigued cat, and blinks, recognition striking. "Your Highness. I had ... business to handle at home. Despite the end of the war, Night Creatures still roam the land. Someone must stop them. It is lovely to see you again," he says, inclining his head.

Such a nice boy. He makes no mention of the changes.

As she heads off to speak with another, his attention is back on the blade when Lillian explains what is actually going on. Following the instructions, he ignites the weapon, watching the core colorshift upwards. As the iron post rises, the dhampir tests the pressure sensitivity of the triggers, not quite engaging them entirely, just seeing how much pressure it takes to pull. He takes a moment to do so before with no warning, he lunges at the post.

The first strike is a sharp angled downward swing, igniting the forward edge. It bites and cuts, shearing through hard metal like it was a wet mat. The sword's advance stops dead as he swings the back edge at the post, pressing the trigger at the last possible second, carving the same angle as the last strike, cutting a coin thin strip from the post.

He pulls back, looking at the weapon, golden eyes reflecting the light from the glowing core. "Fascinating."
White White||| EARLIER

     While White isn't the most conversational, being assailed with baby bird pictures is still harmless to her mood. She goes as far as taking the phone for a closer look (with her eyelids still shut) and even reaches out to boop the screen around one of the kiddos' beak. Birds aren't exactly her thing, but round, kind of awful looking creatures? Sure, why not? While she has the opportunity, she offloads a bunch of cute-faced white spider-plushies on Kale, dumping them out of her sleeve with a few shakes of her arm like she's trying to get steyrofoam pellets out of her clothes. Really, she just needs more people to take away her practice-plushies before they pile up, but getting some kids to appreciate spiders is a solid benefit too! ... If they actually get to the kids without just being stuffed in a closet or something.

     Unrelatedly, she gives Calvin a little wave and a thumbs up after his warning spiel. Where some might take offense, her perspective is more... 'Oh, so he's taking responsibility for everybody else? Great, I don't have to pay attention to them now.' That, and Calvin's still occupying a place in her brain akin to the sheriff in a cartoon about solving weird little mystery crimes. He's the guy who'll fix all the problems if you let him! He can save her so much work if she's nice to him!

NOW

     White starts to form an idea of the intended function from her examination, but listening to Lilian outright explain it is easier. She's particular about watching every little detail about how Lilian changes her grip in the demonstration of activating the core, doing likewise at a careful pace; she isn't scared of the potential injury as much as embarrassing herself before she's even tried swinging the thing! Her head also slightly rolls back as if miming an 'ahhh!' when Lilian specifies the other triggers' functions, understanding all at once why hers only has the one edge connected at all. Once again, *sasuga*... If a little embarrassing, but she can just bury that for now.

     The iron poles raise up in front, and White takes a small breath while adjusting her grip. It's clear from examination that she's trying to get a perfect first cut without really knowing what that feels like; her right hand chokes up extra tight under the guard like she's worried it's going to fly right out of her grip, and her left hand is dramatically more relaxed as it settles in on the bottom of the handle. As one might infer, she's thinking a lot about the individual application of either hand in the same way one might with a polearm... Even though the grip is not nearly that long. Even worse to those with the experience to recognize it, White's legs, hips, and every other part of her posture are managed on an individual level too... There is almost no unified flow in her body's movement when she, feet still planted, twists slightly and throws a downward cut from her right shoulder. She has no trouble with timing the trigger for just before the strike, as suggested, and her brute force probably compensates for her horrible form, but the pole is probably bent a little at the top after the tip-end is sheared off by the heat blast, like a nail hammered crooked.

     She doesn't think there's anything wrong with that, of course. If anything, the idea of a rechargable weapon that can do 'fire type' damage on her behalf is kind of charming, even if she keeps having to adjust her grip because her left hand keeps wanting to slide further down than the weapon has room for. After a few moments of taking stock, she'll go for another choppy slash, which she thinks is a little easier because the bent pole is just sideways enough for her to come directly down overhead on the end of it.
Shinmyoumaru Sukuna Shinmyoumaru spotted Kale, debated challenging him (again) to a breakfast challenge since she didn't win last time, but decided to stay out of the firing range of baby pictures instead and get used to the sword. She also waves at Petra (who she likes, or at least does not dislike, for some reason), Odette (same deal, but also she's pretty sure she's cooler than Odette), and Calvin (remembering him from travel). She does not know Audrey at all, so she gets a longer look than anyone else.

She listens to Lilian with attention while she keeps changing her grip on the sword, getting used to it. Shinmyoumaru is honestly not very strong, so it takes her some time to figure out a way to wield it that is comfortable enough for her to manage for a while, and her chosen grip isn't the same as Lilian's.

"So..." Shinmyoumaru was listening, but some of the words went over her head (no comments). "It... carves through with heat...?" Shinmyoumaru slides her grip until she's got a better position to squeeze on the triggers, doing so to deactivate the safety as requested. The sword starts to glow, satisfyingly.

And then Lilian actually *demonstrates*, and Shinmyoumaru's eyes widen. She definitely needs to try that! When she's invited to, Shinmyoumaru flies toward her chosen target in her bowl, standing up in it to add some height - she may only be four feet tall but her head's probably six feet off the ground.

Shinmyoumaru's stance is wrong for this kind of sword. She's holding it like an estoc, maybe: a two-handed thrusting weapon that doesn't have a sharp edge at all. She charges almost like she's jousting, driving the point of the sword against the target and triggering the forward edge. Where Lilian managed a clear cut, Shinmyoumaru's thrust followed by triggering the edge at the right time means she only carved halfway through the target... from her thrust impact outward.

She circles around for another go, and this time she does slash, finishing the cut through. She mostly only tries the first trigger, though on one attempt she tries to trigger both flats at once and neither edge (and then only gets the exterior flat, which makes her reconsider her grip again - she seems to think it's her mistake the first time).

"I think this would be really good on a spear, or my needle." Shinmyoumaru decides, after a couple more attempts, given Lilian did ask for her opinion. "You could punch through just about anything with it! It's kind of heavy, though." Shinmyoumaru isn't especially strong, and while she's not precisely *struggling*, she doesn't have the kind of precision she does with her preferred lightweight weapon, even disregarding the fact that she's not used to a slashing sword at all.
Kale Hearthward > "What's it like being a parent--Ah, probably shouldhn't get too distracted."

Kale doesn't realize he'd forgotten to specify they aren't *his* kids. "Oh! It's great," he says, figuring he can speak for his brothers and sisters just fine. "Really rewarding, it seems like," he adds, though Roland has already started moving on by then.

> "You know, I almost forgot about the whole farm boy thing you've got."

"Just where I'm *from*," says Kale, torn between family pride and normal regular pride. "I've built myself up into the paragon of chevaliership you see before you."

> "For some reason I did not take you for a doting uncle. Congratulations."

Kale puffs out his chest. "I gotta be the cool, strong uncle, you know? Fighting for peace across the multiverse, and all that. I gotta be a role model. The rolest of all role models. Maybe also the modeliest."

> "Oh my gosh, how old are they? Did they just hatch? What're they eating at this age?"

"Barely one month old now, and of course we're feeding them regurgitated veggies and fruits. All home grown, nothing but the best," says Kale casually. "Hungry little guys and girls, let me tell you."

The prototypes are explained. "Ten seconds arming time?" Kale pipes up. "Yeah, you probably should reduce that to as low as it'll go." He's probably going to be the first to injure himself if Lilian lets him set it as low as he wants.

Otherwise, it all seems pretty good to Kale. The line about 'wide range of skill levels' doesn't go unnoticed, and gets him to puff out more.

"Alright! Then..."

Of course he goes to try to be the first up to the targets.

"First, safety off..."

"Then first trigger - armed!"

He makes a basic swing, and observes the impact. Then, he swings it around, trying a backhand strike with the fourth trigger.

Then, after a recharge, a series of three first-trigger strikes, as quick as he can, to run through a full charge.

And then, making sure to stand clear and that there's no one else in the 'splash zone', a series of swings with one or more of the *non* striking edges armed.

And then, trying something, trying to chop the sword into the ground and aim the blast line diagonally upwards towards the target. (If this works, then he'll already need a new target.)

"Wouldn't mind it being a bit lighter or smaller, even if you have to trade some power for it," he says, by way of initial feedback.
Audrey Basque     It's not that Audrey ISN'T energized by familiar faces; actually, seeing White present is a bit of a boost, in and of itself, and Roland gets a smile back, but not a wave, Audrey's hands keeping steady on the blade to ensure it stays at a ninety degrees angle from the floor. Even though... watching everyone else already testing theirs for weight and balance is already making her sweat bullets. Should she be?? That seems to be how all the people who know what a sword is are reacting to being handed a new instrument of death.

    Okay, deep breath Audrey, you know *physics*. You could literally calculate every facet of this sword down to the newtons of force it should be applying if you swing it a certain way. You know what a center of gravity is. Just... lift the sword, point the tip up instead of down, and--

"and, like, an inhaler, because I don't think Audrey's worked out on purpose a day in her life, and judging by what she's wearing I figure she'll collapse halfway through."

    Audrey huffs, but holds her objections in. She's going to Do Better, and that means not speaking out of turn. That means being patient, keeping her smile on, and heeding instructions to the letter.

    So she doesn't lose a limb, as Calvin notes.

    She pointedly averts her gaze from Sarracenia, even. But it's not like she's ignoring her-- she's just REALLY focused on the sharp deadly weapon she's been entrusted with.

    Audrey pays close attention when Lilian finally explains what KIND of deadly weapon they've been handed. She lifts the sword, unable to put it off any longer when they're told to arm them! It's heavy, and it shows; it's not like her noodle arms are shaking, but she's clearly holding it a bit awkwardly, helped only by the fact it's perfectly balanced. Her stance is transparently off: she's holding herself straight, without any bend to her knees that might otherwise help steady her.

    "S-Safety off... and arming..."

    She looks so focused. Brows furrowed, the only thing missing is sticking her tongue out like she's concentrating. Her first reflex is to try the index trigger, once the safety's off. Her grip is tight, like she's terrified the sword might slip out of her hands by weight alone if she doesn't hold it like that, and she's holding her hands too far down from the fuller once it lights up. Her elbows aren't bent enough, either.

    But at least... the sword IS pointed forward, held in the right direction, and not a direct threat to anyone. Yet.

    She steps forward, towards her pole. Okay. Strike the top. Don't worry too much about the impact strength, the weird mechanism is making it hot and will handle the bulk of the damage. Lilian made it look so effortless, so, surely...

    Finger on the trigger, adjust stance (poorly)... get ready to arm it a second before impact, like suggested. Swing for the top of the pole. One more deep breath. Rather than try lifting the blade for an overhead slice, she angles the sword sideways, pulling it back to one side and making sure the edge is tilted up slightly. She swings, for an upward diagonal cut!

    Arms it at the last second, and all!

    But without strength behind the impact, the blade diffuses a cone of heat rather than a clean slice. It doesn't make it all the way through the pole, even, which leads Audrey to now be overextended forward, awkwardly holding onto a heavy sword lodged as high as she could strike into the pole.

    Finger off the trigger, thumb off the hilt; she pulls it back, and almost falls sideways at the weight being on her arms again. A huff, a brave face, and take two, same tactic, aim a bit lower.

    Same result.

    She frowns. "Mine's not cutting all the way through... am I arming it too late?" No, her timing's perfect, she's sure.
Rita Ma      There's a sword on the rack that still hasn't been handed out. It's about the size of Night Mist; which is to say, sized for someone slightly taller than Lilian is.

     (Where do you go from Lobotomy Corp, and nobody getting what they want? 'Home', apparently. Do some lower-impact work, let the long fatigue wash off you. Try not to hold onto the bitterness. Don't go back to the City until you're sure it won't remind you.)

     It does feel nice to be back at Trideag. Solace has been visiting, but I still ought to drop by and say hi to her, she thinks along the sunlit streets. Cheer and Soothe too, and Knifty after...

     Thoughts like that put a smile on Rita's face as she rounds the corner to the turf training yard. For a second, seeing Lilian, she shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath that relaxes her spine.

     Everyone else here has seen her; except Audrey and Alucard, who she politely inclines her head towards. What a well-mannered young lady. Her button-up shirt and pleated skirt are a little too warm for training, and her dress flats a little too nice, which probably means they're fake.

     And then there's...

     ... Oh. It's her. Petra. Sarracenia is a little hard to forgive, but this is something else.

     Rita walks right past her smoothly, to Lilian, and patiently waits to be handed her sword. "Ms. Rook," she says. "It's good to see you again. Is everyone here present by invitation?" The implication in the little questioning tilt of her head is clear.

     There's really no reason I shouldn't attack her right now. We were never friends. I said so myself. So why don't I really feel like it?
Calvin Nash      Calvin flips open the bulky reclaimed-metal wrist computer on his right wrist and taps notes into it as Lilian explains the features, his eyes remaining fixed over the top of the green-on-black monitor rather than on it, to keep his attention on the selected testers.

Do people usually do that around prototype weapons out here?
<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "People don't typically fiddle with prototypes, Raskins."
<J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "They're quite serious about always sticking to what they're used to. Even if it's complete rubbish."

     "Not just that," says Calvin. "Everybody here's an Elite. Used to success." A sidelong glance at Sarracenia has him chewing on that thought for a moment, before he continues. "Plus most of 'em know each other. So you put a buncha people like that in a sitiation they ain't got no experience in, like Director Rook was sayin'," he adds, with a nod towards Lilian, "They act different. Cautious. But. You throw guardrails in--somebody that'll keep the cost of failin' down," he says, making a flattening motion with his left hand, "Eventually somebody gets too comfortable. Grab-ass," he repeats for Odette's clarification. "Now listen to the Director so you don't miss nothin'."

>Kale chops the sword into the ground and aims the blast line towards the target

     "Chevalier Hearthward," warns Calvin, giving him the Point of Admonishment, "You wanna save whippin' shitties for after the seat belts is made? I can't put *nobody* back together from eyelids and assholes." He'll probably be fine, but Calvin feels it pertinent to remind everyone of this fact by reminding the first person to go off-script.

     "Ms. Rita," Calvin says with a little nod. It's all he feels he can afford her after Kale just vindicated his concerns.
Petra Soroka "The rolest of all role models. Maybe also the modeliest."

    Petra couldn't possibly put a name to it, but as Kale talks more, she feels an internal meter starting to rise again. It's one that isn't Kale-specific, but besides Roland, and maybe Calvin, she can't think of anyone she hangs out with off the top of her head who fills it, and so regrettably, she feels a modicum of positive emotion at Kale's return.

    "You're lucky I'll never be an aunt. I went to a contest last night with a modeling portion and won, so you'd have to settle for second place if I was." The context of it was obviously very different from what she's implying, but she *knows* it'll piss Kale off to say it that way.

"Barely one month old now, and of course we're feeding them regurgitated veggies and fruits."

    "Gross. You don't have, like, blended up baby food? Or some kind of formula or something? You just feed them right out of--" Petra pauses, in the middle of being disgusted at the idea of feeding a baby some product of your own body. She thinks about it for a second, and then decides that she's suitably disgusted by breastfeeding too, so there's no hypocrisy. "--Out of your mouth?"

"Of course that Eggman contraption nor that thing dredged from the Well would compare."

    "Well--" Petra frowns, hesitating as ever on the path of disagreeing with Lilian, but following through anyways. She follows it up with an apology immediately, because the guilt of disagreeing with Lilian compounds with the generally guilty feelings she has about her acquisition of Cinder's EGO weapon. "I *like* Fourth Match Flame. Sorry. All I meant was that it's different from what I'm used to."

    Petra doesn't have the senses for divining the internal mechanisms of the weapon without taking it apart, but she is eminently skilled in perhaps the most important tool of all: listening to every single word Lilian says. She dutifully performs each step of Lilian's instruction in order, staring entranced into the flamelike glow of the sword's powered core. Judging the duty of the guinea pig to be at least a *little* bit susceptible to harm, Petra carefully checks out *how* hot exactly the fuller is to touch, by touching the nail of her pinky finger to it in a way that wouldn't severely burn her even if it was dangerously hot. This *is* the responsible adult thing to do.

    Despite using her own flame-based City sword, putting Petra at two-triggers is certainly correct. She's trained for the past year and a half or so, in order to better formalize and improve her weapon techniques, but that's far from being 'a swordsman', especially when taking into account how her attention is split between an entire armory of nonsense. She gets by with above-average skill by being boosted up to average by the psychoment tutoring of both her EGO *and* the Silver, and then practicing extensively on top of that, but the psychic connection she takes for granted with her weapon being gone feels like trying to fight while balancing on one leg.
Petra Soroka     So, she's not really in a rush to perform at the iron posts. When she does take her strikes at them, she's surprisingly reserved with the weapon, keeping to extremely fundamental and practiced forms and motions, and methodically cycling through stances to test each angle on it. Eventually she steps back and lowers the sword, pulling up her t-shirt to wipe the sweat off of her forehead, induced from both the exercise and the exposure to the heat.

    "You know, you'd think it'd be similar to Fourth Match Flame, but it actually feels almost like the... opposite. I've always had trouble using Fourth Match Flame's fire really effectively besides as a projectile, since it's undirected and at a constant heat normally, so I've developed some ways to put out the flames and then make them flare up again right before making contact, but I don't have enough control over it to make it *angled*. So, like, having an 'explosion' of flame happen with Fourth Match Flame feels like a 'punch', where this feels like a 'cut'. Which is really fitting for something you helped design, I think."

    In order to be more helpful, Petra racks her brain for some more constructive comments, and the lag between the two thoughts almost makes audible dial-up internet noises. "I do think a spear version would be pretty helpful. You wouldn't be able to apply the core energy to *every* angle that you'd use a spear at, but a speartip charged up with one of these would do a ton of damage and be practically impossible to fuck up, even for someone barely trained at all."

"It's good to see you again. Is everyone here present by invitation?"

    And then, in order to be helpful, Petra considers whether she should evaporate on the spot and never darken the realm of the living again. Of *course* Rita would be here. This is the place that Rita fought *for*, *against* Petra, and Petra just waltzed right in as if it was Lilian's own home where she was blissfully, uncomplicatedly welcome.

    The pale, queasy expression of discomfort and alarm on Petra's face is instantly traceable over to Rita for anyone who looks in her direction. Her stream of commentary immediately cuts short and she awkwardly shuffles a few steps farther away, eyeing the exits and holding a hand to the mirror around her neck with her fingers tensed to crush it in a heartbeat if she needs. It's bad enough that she doesn't even mock Audrey for being a wimp!
Calvin Nash Mine's not cutting all the way through... am I arming it too late?

     "Petra," says Calvin, one hand raised to get her attention as he marches across the training ground. "I'm 'on watch and make sure nobody puts out an eye tryin' to hotrod like Kale. You seem like you got the hang of it," he says, oblivious to the tension between her and Rita.

     "You wanna go over there and help Audrey get it?" Only after an uncomfortable pause, with what might as well be him pumping the brakes on his figurative pickup and dropping it into park, does his expression flatten into solving-the-problem mode.

     "What's wrong?" he rapid-fires at her, looking between Petra and Rita.
Odette Raskins "All home grown, nothing but the best,"

Odette makes more adoring noises, not deterred one bit at hearing what the babies are eating. "That's wonderful...! Aww, congratulations to.. I mean,t he parents, but I'm sure they'll end up great with you keeping an eye on them."

"Is everyone here present by invitation?"

Although Odette's clueless about the context of Rita's implication, she can at least see it in that head tilt. The concern on the EMT's face tempers the excitement somewhat, but she still manages to wave quickly at Rita with her free hand in greeting. "Hello, Miss Rita! It's a been a bit, but I'm glad to see you with us again. Did...?"

Odette's not sure how to address any of whatever's going on between Rita and Petra, actually. Should she even be trying, with her littleinformation? No, she'd be shoving her foot into her mouth if she did dig further. She just has to settle for the obvious questions to try and ease somebody's mind, herself included. "D... Don't worry! I've got medical supplies in case there really is a mishap with any of these."

"Everybody here's an Elite. Used to success."

Odette nods slowly, trying really hard not to look away from Calvin at anyone in particular. "I get it... Hmm. Yes, I've seen that a few times before. I mean, more with seasoned staff from other stations rather than Elites, but... I think I get it. So we can't let anyone get too comfortable, then." She asserts with a lgiht chuckle, pumping her arms at her sides a second later. "Right! Listening all the way."

"No fetish mining allowed."

Calvin talking about grab ass in the context of weapons is one thing, but Lilian bringing up unknown terminology entirely has Odette truly concerned. She'll need to remember to look that up later when she isn't handling an expensive prototype.

Said prototype also proves to be incredibly potent and dangerous as Lilian demonstrates on the iron pole, and she straightens up hastily during the explanation about how the weapon works. She desperately wants to take notes about which finger does what, but it sounds straightforward enough with just the four fingers.

"So that's why we definitely shouldn't swap these around..." Odette comments as she hefts the sword carefully in her hand, brushing her fingers against each of the triggers while keeping her thumb off the primer. "It fits... Really really well. Like it was made for each of us..."

Inhaling deeply, the EMT steadies her breathing as she adjusts her grip on the weapon after Lilian's more in-depth demonstration. Once she has her hand in the right spot, Odette tests the thumb trigger a few more times before finally holding the weapon a little further out to the test the index finger's trigger first.

The flash, predictably, has Odette freezing up at first, but she releases the trigger quickly afterwards and actually manages to avoid flinching even a little. It takes a few more flicks of the triggers to get herself used to the flashes, and only then does Odette finally square up to start testing it on the pole properly.

"Alright... Raskins, testing the SN13 now!"
Odette Raskins The first swing is a horizontal one with just the one-hand on the grip, and Odette even manages to time the impact with pressing the index trigger for about half a second longer than she actually needs to get through the pole. She actually seems pretty comfortable swinging it like this, too, due in no small part to the fact that there's no actual person on the other side of the blade.

"This feels pretty good... I'll need to try this one a few more times."

The second swing is similiarly horizontal like the first, but with both hands gripping the weapon. Odette's timing is a little too early on both pressing and releasing the index trigger, and she also has the blade itself aimed slightly off-center. She cuts in at a weird angle, and adjusting it partway through leaves a somewhat sloppy cut.

"Sorry... Er. Definitely doesn't feel right swinging it this way."

The third swing is one-handed once again, aimed diagonally upwards and inwards at the upper tip of the pole. It's slightly off-center, but not nearly as bad as the second swing. Her timing, likewise, is a little better than the second and a little worse than the first. She's getting quicker getting through the pole tip, and her aim is still pretty okay!

"I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. The front edge feels really good, so let's try the side..."

The fourth swing is, yet again, a horizontal swing, but a backhanded one with the exterior flat of the blade. Her timing with the middle trigger is still early on press, and her follow through is a little shaky at the end with the release.

"That feels kind of different, but... Hmm. It kind of feels wrong swinging it this way? Is this meant to melt someone else's weapon if they try doing the sword clashing.. Thing?"
Lilian Rook     The pressure to feel the trigger start to depress isn't a lot, but it ratchets up exponentially as it reaches the actual firing threshold. Though it's barely a centimeter of give, it has to be quite firm and intentional to make it actually click-- and then it's only felt; practically silence. It seems that multiple swings, as expected, deplete the core heat more and more. As long as it's not dull red, they seem to come out at more or less full power, but it's impossible to fire the weapon on every single swing of a superhumanly fast flurry of blows-- not without actively recharging it with magic power at the time, at least.

    Lilian seems to be pleased with Alucard's performance, but she looks at White with a little frown of concern. Approaching her, she holds out her hands, and says, "May I?" before she is willing to actually touch her. Using her foot to guide White's stance by pushing hers out to shoulder width, she lays her hands on White's wrists from close behind, sliding them to rest at the top and two thirds down the grip, then says "Loosen it up, but not completely. Hold it like you're shaking hands." close to her ear, given the position. Pulling gently, she'll lift White's elbows to her lower ribs, then says "Pull with the left as much as you push with the right. Use your whole arm and not just the shoulder. Push off with your back foot and twist at the waist. You don't have to strain your arms. The sword's weight and speed should perform most of the cut. You're slicing something open; you don't have to hit it intending to shatter it."

    'It... carves through with heat...?'

    "To be specific, superheated air is focused along a narrow plane using the force of the impact. The harder the strike, the faster the 'air blade' will exit and the more focused it will be, seeing as it's copying and using the kinetic energy to fire; though the heat will be the same. There's an emergency function to vent it without an impact, but then the effect is only short-ranged."

    Kale's experimentation indeed tells him that any impact can fire any side. He can, in fact, strike with the edge and project from the flat, or even miss, strike the ground, and fire from the back edge. When he does, the distance he sees the glowing shimmer fly is actually quite considerable; up to his shoulder, at least.

    "I'm not against commissioning modified versions." Lilian says on the topic of spears. "Firing all four sides simultaneously is only ideal in the case of a thrust, already. But I'm not a spearwoman; the longsword is what I know I can teach to perfection, so it's the standard issue of the Association for now. Of course, I'd like to commission, at minimum, an axe for Solace, and a rapier for Ceri and her companions."

    For once, Lilian smiles at Kale, seeing him experiment. "I see that you're beginning to grasp it's value." she says. "The unpredictable and unconventional angles of attack make it quite difficult to deal with even in the hands of a well-trained rookie. It takes a much more skilled opponent to adequately defend against them, which should serve our lower ranks in protecting themselves from the inevitable interest from the Syndicates in District Twelve. Furthermore, the additional power will be necessary for dealing fatal damage to the Distortion phenomenon that is becoming more and more frequent; especially for those without significant physical augmentations."

    "But there's one more dimension to it that you may have already imagined. You see--"

    Then, hearing-- then seeing Audrey bungle it, Lilian frowns more deeply. She walks over to her, reaching for her partway as if to correct her just like White, then suddenly seems to recall something. Her hands subtly flinch back, her eyes narrow from the bottom, her lip curls slightly, as if Audrey were something intuitively disgusting to touch. She brings her hands back to herself, and keeps them close to her body. "You can hit it a little harder." she says, grimacing.
Lilian Rook     'It's good to see you again. Is everyone here present by invitation?'

    "Rita!"

    Lilian perks up immediately, turning around and ignoring Audrey in an instant. "They're all volunteer guinea pigs, at least. Except Nash, who sort of invited herself. I'm so glad you could make it actually!" While Odette's sword has only one live edge, Rita's, despite not being a swordsman, actually has all four live.

    'But. You throw guardrails in--somebody that'll keep the cost of failin' down,'

    Lilian's smile falls halfway, then catches itself, forced to plateau. "Well, I suppose he's completely correct about that much."

    'I *like* Fourth Match Flame. Sorry. All I meant was that it's different from what I'm used to.'

    "You don't have to justify using it, nor apologize." Lilian says, at first sternly, before her tone softens considerably. "I know why you would. It's fine."

    The fuller, however, is at least as hot as a ceramic bowl full of recently boiled water; not enough to burn her like a stove ring, but enough to hurt. Lilian doesn't scold her fore it; that seems to be something worth seeing a reaction to as well. The feedback makes her smile again. "Our Fixers will have to fight both human and monstrous enemies. 'Cutting apart' is, as ever, the best way to handle both, provided it can be done skillfuly and with force."

    The fact that the weight complaint is frequently repeated from people who aren't monsters or professional soldiers is something she obviously takes note of, given her pensive silence for a while. When she speaks up, head tilted slightly to the side, she says, "The weight is something I could ask them to work on, but the necessary mechanisms add some unavoidably. The sword can't be allowed to bend much without breaking the heating element, so the necessarily durable materials the blade must be made out of compensate are fairly dense. Making the heating element thinner and more flexible could alleviate the weight, but it'd store half the charge at most. Furthermore, the increased weight lends to the impact. My hope is to train our Fixers to the point that they don't notice it, however, a lighter training version may be a sound idea."

    'So that's why we definitely shouldn't swap these around...'

    "I've taken the liberty of disarming the more dangerous faces from those with less sword experience." Lilian says, giving Kale another thing to puff out his chest about. "However, to demonstrate one crucial application, I'll need a brave volunteer to come and take a swing at me."
Angela "Yeah. I bet it is." Roland, obviously, isn't going to just rush off to some other topic like that though he does seem a little eager to not dwell on it too long. But he's not lying about thinking they're cute.

He squints at Calvin when he suggests that he'd just ignore the instruction he was JUST given. "Hey I'm not gonna. I mean, I'm here to lend a hand, I'm not here to show off. You don't live long in this field by not learning how to follow instructions."

Jeeze, he worries, does he give off that vibe? Sure, it's good for his schemes and all but he wasn't really aiming for that kind of Grade 9...

Roland checks the safety and then disengages it readily. He rolls his shoulders back and then says, "Huh. This does feel a little different. You made changes beyond the stylistic." And then he's treated to an explanation of just WHAT is different. He whistles as she speaks of two seperate Workshops having influence over the weapon. Workshops can be pretty grumpy about their tech sharing space with other tech, but he can easily imagine Lilian making THAT sale happen.

He seems to adapt quickly to the weapon, giving an experimental swing with it before arming it at all, then trying a swing with his offhand before tossing it back to his main and running some tests on the target. He uses it well enough--he must have used a Stigma weapon before in his life, though he doesn't quite have Xiao's expertise with it. Could he have made it in Liu? Perhaps with his technical skill, but his personality doesn't really fit. "

He gives a look towards Alucard, for a moment, frowning, but doesn't seem to recognize him as a Blood Fiend--it's more his dress that is putting him a little on edge. He's also a new face. Seems like he could be tough to fight against, Roland decides.

But ultimately his focus is on the weapon and he whistles appreciatively. "Do I get to keep this one? Feels like I could swing this forever if I had to. Even without the heat-edge, it works."

And then a new face. Well, not so new really. It's actually a face he's seen before. Roland startles a little at Rita's arrival, his grip on his blade tightening as a bit of sweat rolls down his neck. "Oh wow... That's... That's Rita, huh?"

At least he doesn't have to fake being on edge around a Star of the City. He knows how dangerous they can be. Even if this one is friendly, he knows that Stars don't follow City logic and if they don't follow City logic that means he doesn't have a clear understanding of how to deal with her. She was there in that fight against the Red Mist too. And now he KNOWS that video is entirely real.

"Yeah--!" He says hurriedly. "By invitation, yeah." He says. "I'm supposed to be here." He adds.

Then he looks at Petra. He blinks a few times before he understands what's going on, connecting dots that are all THERE but he never put together. He hesitates.

And he thinks.

If Rita kills her right now then I might never get my revenge.

Roland isn't sure how it all connects to that thought but that's what his instinct tells him so he moves a little closer. He can't quite relax his posture as much as he'd like because he's still kind of startled by a Star suddenly showing up.

"

He glances to Kale and adds, "Oh man, you must be good too huh?"
Audrey Basque     Audrey has... never met Rita! Actually, she has never heard Rita! And while she's heard the name, vaguely, she's not putting two and two together, even at Petra's reaction. This is because she's INCREDIBLY distracted by messing up twice, to begin with, so she's not bothering to look at much of anyone else!

    She still manages a nod back to Rita because that's polite? And then goes back to being distressed. Overhearing that it's 'copying' kinetic energy kind of answers her problem though... she's barely lifting this thing, and she's supposed to swing it, accurately, with force?

    Lilian approaching causes her to half-panic, trying to adjust her stance, yanking the sword back and... and what? What was her plan? Try to look like she knows what she's doing? Even if she was going to put on airs, Lilian suddenly pulling back, and just-- telling her, like that, seems to kind of disarm her a bit. Her grip weakens, she almost drops the sword, catching it just barely in a way that probably looks like it'll have hurt her back a bit.

    She's lifting with her back, not her knees! It's not like this is a fifty pounds heavy box, but it's still bad.

    "A-Ah. Okay. T-Thank you, Miss Rook."

    She tries again; ignorant to the fact Calvin is suggesting Petra come help her, even, because now she really wants to nail this. Okay, thumb on the grip, finger on the trigger, with actual strength behind it this time. Everyone else is managing it. She's got to!

    After several more lacking swings, that only leave molten dents in the pole, an out of breath Audrey manages ONE good cut. She's about halfway down the pole by now, which means a sizeable chunk of it almost falls onto her because she's cutting upward and from the front. A lumberjack would've warned her against doing that, but she moves aside quickly enough, and panting, finally manages a full smile.

    "I figured it o-out!"

    The teacher's pet needs validation.

    "However, to demonstrate one crucial application, I'll need a brave volunteer to come and take a swing at me."

    !!!

    "I-I could! I will! I-I mean, if that's-- if that's okay, l-like... I'd... um..." She should try thinking ahead further than one second.
    "S... sorry."
Lilian Rook     'Huh. This does feel a little different. You made changes beyond the stylistic.'

    "Of course. Whenever anyone thinks of 'swordsmanship' in Sector Zero, the first person that comes to mind is me, after all." says Lilian, straight up just copying some of Petra's glazing from the other day. "I'm glad I have your approval as well. As a local in with Atelier logic, I'm certain you must've handled many different Workshop pieces. It's reassuring to hear a second opinion; mainly one that confirms that they've done their best on this one."

    'Do I get to keep this one? Feels like I could swing this forever if I had to. Even without the heat-edge, it works.'

    "As long as you can maintain it, I suppose." Lilian shrugs. "I'm not getting you a new one."

    'A-Ah. Okay. T-Thank you, Miss Rook.'

    "Gross. I didn't even do anything. Don't thank me." Lilian notices when she succeeds, but her eyes only divert to the gauze square on Audrey's face, and that look of revulsion returns.

    'I-I could! I will! I-I mean, if that's-- if that's okay, l-like... I'd... um...'

    "No."
Shinmyoumaru Sukuna Shinmyoumaru has already been thinking of this as she considers other grips on the sword.

"You could probably make it lighter by making it smaller," Shinmyoumaru suggests. "Even one-handed swords! Because it's not like you use the weight to cut with it, with the trick. Not for all of them, but for people who want the lighter, faster sword..."

"...but I still think I'd rather have it on something like my needle, or a spear," she confirms. "Or a rapier. I don't usually cut at all, I have my needle and a shield." Shinmyoumaru reaches back to rattle the shield/bowl lid at her back. "But this sword you've made is all built for slashing. With a spear, you get extra reach and you can make it a little lighter for its length. So maybe see how the custom ones do...? I think I could test those better!"

She floats away in her bowl to see what the stragglers are doing, which means Audrey, because everyone is paying attention to Audrey. It may be slightly annoying to know that Shinmyoumaru (four feet, skinny, no obvious muscle, maybe fourteen years old to all appearances) has managed to handle her own sword with more skill than Audrey's.

Shinmyoumaru makes it worse. "You should hold it differently," she says, honestly trying to help. "Like..." Shinmyoumaru hasn't mastered a the sword either, really, but she is used to carrying heavy objects (for her, especially at her true size, many objects are heavy) and so she demonstrates, posing dramatically with a two-handed grip that *looks* a lot better than the one she was using.

Lowering the sword, she looks at Lilian as she asks for a volunteer. Then she gets a mischevious grin. She expects that whatever Lilian is about to demonstrate is going to be painful, embarrassing, or both for the volunteer-ee, so...

...she points at Kale. "He should do it," she suggests. "I mean, he was showing off already! I'm sure he can manage to hit you once." She's grinning. She has whatever the opposite of a poker face is.
Kale Hearthward > "You wanna save whippin' shitties for after the seat belts is made?"

"I'm fine! I'm the person that's least likely to hurt himself out of anyone here." Kale Hearthward is a bird that can lie. Though somehow some people take him at face value?

> "You're lucky I'll never be an aunt. I went to a contest last night with a modeling portion and won, so you'd have to settle for second place if I was."

"Oh come *on*, I would have totally won that modeling contest if I was there," says Kale, who can't not take bait when it's dangled like that. "Any time, anywhere. The international court only forbade maid contests, I can still take you on in anything else."

> "Gross. You don't have, like, blended up baby food?"

"So what do you think breastfeeding is, exactly?" says Kale, who by default is usually one yomi layer behind everyone else.

And then, somehow...

... This is strange. Lilian's been complimenting him? And now she's smiling at him?

Don't get him wrong, it's a good feeling, but it's one that he's not used to having, at least for this much sustained time.

> "I figured it o-out!"
> The teacher's pet needs validation.

Kale does not fully consciously grasp all of the social dynamics in play, but there's something that causes his head to turn and gaze to snap in Audrey's direction, like a bird of prey hearing a rustling noise in the ground.

"I-I could! I will! I-I mean, if that's-- if that's okay, l-like... I'd... um..."

Audrey can feel eyes boring a hole in the back of her head.

> "No."

"Oh well - I'll volunteer, then," says Kale brightly, stepping up towards Lilian. "Everyone stand clear - and when you are ready, Director?"

He takes a ready stance, bringing his sword up shoulder high, point forward, and waits for her to indicate she's ready - and then he gamely swings at her across her middle, edge glowing with primed energy!
Petra Soroka "You wanna go over there and help Audrey get it?"

    Petra looks over at Audrey when Calvin indicates her with wide eyes, like she'd forgotten Audrey was even there. The prospect of even fitting Calvin's suggestion into her brain long enough to even decline it is grindingly difficult, drowned out by pounding heartbeat and adrenaline inertia centered entirely around Rita. She tenses, split between limiting the distraction that Calvin causes her and trying to pay enough attention to answer him, and ends up stammering while sweat rolls down the back of her hairline.

    "I-- huh? I, uh, it's okay. It's uh, well, you know. Good job, Audrey! I'll just-- I figure that, I mean, she'll get it, probably, I bet. I'll just, uh, be busy-- nothing's wrong at all. I'll just..."

    Petra continues to creep backwards away from Rita, unblinking and evenly slow like she's trying to not startle some large predator into attacking her, which she is. Hand on her mirror around her neck, her thoughts race a thousand miles a second trying to process the situation around her in the paradigm established by the war, thrown into disarray by the fact that this is an environment *Rita* is familiar with that Petra is *not*. Analyses of her allies and enemies blink through her head between heartbeats: Audrey is functionally useless, even as the person most likely to defend Petra in a fight against Rita; she'd just be cut down before she's even aware of a fight happening. Lilian wouldn't stop Rita from doing it. White might be another Partner, but it's far more in her interest to side with Rita and Lilian over Petra. Every other one present is either apathetic or default on Rita's side. Is her best resource *Kale*? Leveraging his fucked up enmity with Rita to get out of here alive?

    Petra tries to relocate herself to the furthest possible pole from Rita without making a Big Deal out of it. Petra is, however, dogshit at hiding her fear reactions, and is tensed to run at any provocation. This makes her not particularly inclined to volunteer to attack Lilian with a sword, in this exact situation, of all situations.
Sarracenia      'Don't get your hopes up. No fetish mining allowed.'

     Sarra blushes despite how many times Lilian has said such things by now, then huffs. "It is not a f-f-..." Sarra nnngs, unable to bring herself to say the word, then lets out a slow exhale and just returns her attention to her sword as she listens to the directions. She holds up her sword and experimentally pulls those two triggers with that odd hand position. The princess lets out a quite 'oooh' as the sword fuller starts to glow.

     She listens with only mild boredom at the rest of the explanation, but her interest returns quickly at the display put on by Lilian. "Oh~!" When the pole is presented for cutting, Sarra is eager to give it a try. She hops over to the target quickly and like a proper barbarian princess who uses an overweighted weapon swings as hard as she can. Naturally she aims for the middle of the pole and doesn't try to time her trigger pull. But, she does understand weapon safety to a degree and doesn't pull any but the first trigger. On purpose anyway. Her experience with her hammer means that her grip is overly tight, and so it turns out to be a good thing her triggers are not armed.

     Of course she doesn't notice that. She thinks she just properly pulled only the first trigger.

     'Your Highness. I had ... business to handle at home. Despite the end of the war, Night Creatures still roam the land. Someone must stop them. It is lovely to see you again,'

     Sarra waves a hand in a friendly dismissive gesture. "No need to explain. You have a heavy and heroic burden you have taken upon yourself. We just need to find time to get reacquainted!"

     ' because I don't think Audrey's worked out on purpose a day in her life, and judging by what she's wearing I figure she'll collapse halfway through.'

     Even though it is aimed at Audrey, Sarra lets out an annoyed huff and her grip tightens on her sword. She swings at her pole again, almost cleaving it in two without the trigger pull. She keeps cutting her pole with overpowered swings until it reaches the point where they were warned to stop, sending pieces of it flying in every direction. She at least takes some solace in the fact that Audrey averted her gaze. That means at least -something- she said had an effect.

     'Is everyone here present by invitation?'

     Sarra freezes mid swing, then slowly looks over her shoulder (her left shoulder since she wouldn't see anything over the right). "...R-rita..." she says quietly. Should she say something? Rita's question makes it likely that she still hasn't changed her mind. But, Sarra likes Rita even after all of this. So...eventually Sarra sets her sword down and makes her way over. "Miss Rita..." Sarra says, rather timidly for once. "..." Then...she just stares for a few moments trying to think of what to say. But, what is there to say? She hasn't been able to help the City and she has made the City worse at least twice now. Being unable to even think of how to start makes tears appear in Sarra's one visible eye. "...I...uh..." She swallows. "...I hope you have...been well. I am...still working to find ways to alleviate the troubles that are now plaguing the City. That is why Trideag is here, right?" Sarra winces a bit as she hears what she said. "Er...well...I should..." Sarra gesture vaguely toward her sword, then heads away quickly and returns to the exercise.

     'A sidelong glance at Sarracenia has him chewing on that thought for a moment, before he continues.'

     Sarra blinks at Calvin as he glances at her, then mmphs in annoyance as she think she knows why. Well, she thinks, add another name to the list of people who do not think highly of her.

     'I'll need a brave volunteer to come and take a swing at me.'

     Sarra blinks in surprise, then her hand shoots up in an instant. "I would be happy to volunteer!" she says quickly even as Kale moves in as if he has already been chosen.
Odette Raskins Feeling three of the four triggers not actiavting is actually something of a relief for Odette, even though she's still going to try getting the timing down with her lighter flat-side swings at the pipe. It's still important to test the feel of the swing itself, to make sure she can give Lilian proper feedback on the overall feel of the prototype.

Listening and observing, too, is going to be important for her to understand how to use the weapon once it's actually brought into the field. She slides her feet out a bit to mimic the way Lilian shows White how to stand, not really nailing it at all objectively even though she thinks she's doing it right. Going to a two-handed grip still feels off, but she resumes testing more swings solely with the index trigger to work on improving her swings at this non-person target.

"Working on... Hmm. No, reducing the weight doesn't feel like the answer. I think we just need to get stronger." She states plainly, adjusting her grip on the SN13 again so that it's almost parallel to the ground just below her waist. "Even if all the parts wasn't a concern, we're... We should be better than that, right? We're supposed to be reliable enough that the people in the City can count on us to get things done, and to not be... Um."

She stalls a bit, blanking out on how to politely and properly say something other than 'babies'. "... We should be tougher than that." Odette takes another upwards diagonal swing at the top end of what's left of her pole, then a quick downwards swing to form a v-shape in the air. She's using Lilian's advice to White with pulling and pushing to swing this time, too, and her timing with the two trigger presses is spot on!

"I've taken the liberty of disarming the more dangerous faces from those with less sword experience."

Odette demonstrates this point almost immediately and certainly not intentionally, missing the pole entirely on both of those swings by going way too high for either one. Her face isn't burning nearly as hot as the front edge does, but it feels pretty close right there.

She'll leave the brave volunteering to Kale there.
Rita Ma      "Thanks, Ms. Rook. I'm glad you made one for me, after all." Rita's lips waver a little, but they're still smiling. Achey-happy, for a moment. She reverently turns the sword over in her hands after it's passed to her, then stows it under her arm for a moment: "It's a little like a Harpoonist's, isn't it? I like that."

     "Yeah--! By invitation, yeah."
     She turns around, looking startled-distracted, and then resumes her smile a little awkwardly. 'Crisp formalwear' and 'nervous around her' connect to a clear conclusion: "Oh! Sorry. It's nice to meet you too. You're a new hire from the City, aren't you?" Who knew a Star could be so sweet! The name 'Roland' would connect to stories of a rampage, but his face alone doesn't.

     Then . . .

     "What's wrong?"
     "Mr. Nash," she says, stepping past Roland to possibly realize his worst fears. That stiff demeanor comes over Rita in the span of a breath: shallow-polite crisis mode. Unless you're familiar with what that straight-backed mode means from her, you'd think this part was easy.

     A cold lump is somewhere in the vicinity of her stomach. She has two seconds to decide whether to go for the throat, here, before Petra gets a word in first. The chance to say 'it's nothing' slips through her fingers as the pause goes on.

     "Petra betrayed my friendship, tried to starve me to death, and sabotaged Lobotomy Corporation, harming thousands of people in the City." Her eyes scan up and down the sweating-and-stammering girl, uneasy with what she's just said. It's true, but... why does it feel a little bad to say? "What do you think should be done with her, Mr. Nash?"
Alucard Alucard almost volunteered. He's probably the right level of skill for such a thing, but Kale beats him to it. This is fine. He takes this brief moment to examine the cuts he made on the pole, peering at it intently. He glances down to the sword in his hand, and decides right there that he quite likes it. Though, given his normal sword, he may like it bigger.

Sometimes you want to hit something with a searing hot two handed sword, okay?

He then steps back, golden eyes watching Kale and Lilian.
Audrey Basque     Well she's taking up her time, and--
    She instructed her to hit harder, so--

    No, it couldn't really matter less than it does why she said thanks, and so she doesn't respond. The disgusted look, the simple refusal. Kale glaring at her momentarily? No, that part matters so much less it may as well not figure in the math.

    "O-Oh. R-Right. That... that makes sense, I wouldn't..." She wouldn't be a credible threat? Not like this, no. If she cheated, maybe. But that's defeating the entire point of this then. It would feel wrong. To use magic to wield the sword easier? It'd be like losing instantly.

    Audrey sighs, glancing around while she catches her breath, winded from the half a dozen cuts already. The sigh of Petra BACKING AWAY causes her to perk a brow up, and she figures now's as good a time as any to ask for help.

    It's a subtle twist, not a hard yank; space cracking and refracting behind Petra so that she steps into the temporary warp zone and ends up backing out of another mirrored, pearlescent sheen, by Audrey's and her half of a pole's side.

    "Can you... help me out? I think my stance is wrong. I'm... wasting a lot of energy." Heaven is she.
Calvin Nash You don't live long in this field by not learning how to follow instructions.

    "You must be a Fixer, then," Calvin concludes. "'Cause lemme tell ya, there's a whole lotta Elites that ignore instructions like its' their job. Good on you." In fact, it isn't at all about the vibe Roland gives off, but the fact that, having never met, Calvin could be certain that the Point would throw Roland off guard and make him question whether he was giving off the vibe or not, thus increasing Calvin's perception of others' perception of his own authority.

Well, I suppose he's completely correct about that much.

    "Some of the guinea pigs you got here mix with 'sharp objects' and 'prototypes' like flour and transmission fluid," he says with such readiness to suggest he'd prepared the line in advance to answer any challenges to his presence here. "But you already knew that, on account of the different swords you had made. You end up not needing me, great. Worst case, I save you a headache and some mop up."

I-I could! I will! I-I mean, if that's-- if that's okay, l-like... I'd... um...

    "Audrey," Calvin warns, hands on hips, head shaking less 'no' and more 'don't.' There is the sense that this is about more than just her ability to use the sword or the gulf between her skill and Lilian's. His stern gaze confirms it; she can all but see accusations of swords kept in closets swirling in his blue eyes.

     Petra can't help her, but Shinmyoumaru can; which is just the same because he doesn't believe that nothing is wrong. Returning his attention to her, he turns to put both her and all the test subjects (not just Audrey) back into his field of vision.

     "Petra. Director Rook needs you on the ball for this here test, and I can't do nothin' for you if I don't know what's goin' on. Don't you say 'nothin', neither," he says, making a negating outward sweep of his palm from his chest. "You look like a deer in the headlights."

     Unfortunately, although he is an insufferably self-important type A, he is also someone for whom negotiation is an important job skill. He looks between Petra and Rita, his eyes following the former's gaze and finding it locked onto Rita. The gears turn in his head, his jaw settles, and--

Petra betrayed my friendship, tried to starve me to death, and sabotaged Lobotomy Corporation, harming thousands of people in the City. What do you think should be done with her, Mr. Nash?

     "Petra gets under my *damn* skin," Calvin begins, which probably doesn't give the most charitable impression of what his answer might be. Especially not when he adds, "On purpose, half the time."

     He follows Rita's gaze back to Petra, shifting slightly in place. "There's some real important people that are real, real mad about what that company done, too. The kind of people that can hurt a lot of *other* people on the way to gettin' what they want, and not lose no sleep over it, 'cause they done what they done from behind a desk."

    "The *smart* thing to do would be to give Petra *to* them people. Ain't it?" His eyes flick back towards Rita. "Give 'em somebody you can call the... brains, of the operation, and they can feel like they answered what got done to their bottom line. They don't call no problem-solvers, them problem-solvers don't send no people into the streets and you get a few weeks of peace 'fore the next damn disaster happens. That'd be what *I'd* do. *If* I didn't see Director Rook and you askin' yourselves why *you* ain't done it."

     "You asked me 'cause you wanted somebody to sell it to you. That tells me there's somethin' 'bout Petra that keeps you from wantin' to. Maybe before you figure 'what to do with her,' you oughta figure out whether you *want* to."
Angela Roland wonders if Liu might get a little upset at Stigma for giving this kind of weaponry to Lilian but she must have offered a deal too sweet to resist. And he imagines they'd be happy their allies are well armned at least.

To be honest, Petra has essentially claimed responsibility for what happened in The City before. And this is just an evolution of that. But in truth, Roland had assumed that Petra was kind of ... fibbing to cover up for something that mysterious robot in the Tower. He knows how close they are so he imagined that Petra was trying to draw all the ire onto her from The City so it'd stay off her sister.

Frankly, it's what Roland would do in the same situation.

He knows Olivier's intel from Rita on this but...

It's different hearing it straight from the squid monster's mouth. This isn't the quasi-vague retelling Olivier had passed on to him to discourage him from doing anything crazy, this is her directly saying Petra is responsible for the sabotage--and corroborating with Petra herslef. And is linking it directly to...

Should he kill her now? He doesn't really care if he is killed immediately after and it'd be easier here than in the Library. It probably wouldn't be hard. The last thing Petra's probably expecting is someone BESIDES Rita to go for her throat right now.

No, Odette's there, he tells himself. She's done some miracles and Lilian has no doubt other methods of keeping her alive. And could freeze him the moment he goes for it. Too dangerous. And ...

...And he...

Roland closes his eyes, wishing he could wear his mask so he could just express what he wanted to express without the world seeing.

Ah, his mind is saying, you are taking too long to thank Lilian.

"Ah, thanks Dame--Director." Roland winces, he automatically used Angela's reference in the moment. Wings-forsaken...

It'd be in front of Audrey too. No, no, he can't. ANd there's still something he's probably missing from that day right? Right. He only has one chance of revenge. There's no harm in being patient.

''The *smart* thing to do would be to give Petra *to* them people. Ain't it?''

"Ahah... I wouldn't be so sure about that." Roland says. "That'd be flipping a coin on whether they'd kill her or give her a job." Please don't give his lead to the Head or something. "Assuming all that's true I mean, I barely know the situation."
Rita Ma      Sarracenia closing in from the side while Rita's talking to Petra might give the wrong impression at first. Rita's eyes snap towards her without a turn of her head.

     Then she loosens a little, hearing that nervous-apologetic tone; and a little more, realizing that Sarra isn't about to plead on Petra's behalf.

     Why's she crying? Is it just because she's guilty, or...? I don't like making people anxious like this. It's awful.

     "It's alright, Ms. Sarracenia," she says, with a shallow-polite head-tilt. "If you're doing your best for the City now, that's all I can ask from you, right? We can't go back in time." Her lips waver into something like a comforting smile, even though her chest still feels all twisty. Sarra turns to go, then, so: "Good luck."

     "Can you... help me out? I think--"
     Rita turns back a little too late to catch Audrey's teleportation. "She may not," cuts in, seeing the rescue attempt for what it is. Soft-spoken but level; not too far from the 'reserved heiress' tones Audrey's circles likely acquaint her with.
White White hears feedback being given aloud, and particularly at the suggestion of a spear-version of this weapon she finds it easy to nod and be the third concurring person. It *would* be really hard to fuck that up, as long as the design could compensate for the need to protect the mechanism within the haft, which might compromise it with more additional weight than this sword variation does. Granted, it might be that nobody is watching her to see the nod, but that's besides the point!

     After her overhead chop takes the just-sharpened diagonal tip off of the pole with a noisy *twang*, White pauses with the blade lowered. Initially she's looking in Rita's direction, wondering if she should say something since it's been so long and ending up just kind of waving at her when Rita is looking. Not exactly inspiring, but it'd feel bad not to acknowledge her at all! Besides, she seems distracted right now...

     Lilian's approach to help her, on the other hand, is a little surprising. It takes her a moment or two to realize what Lilian is asking from her, and in truth she's already gesturing palm-up like 'go ahead' before she's actually figured it out. On one hand, she's very much unaccustomed to this kind of help, but on another it's... Kind of funny to get posed like a person-sized action figure? Her eyes are a little wider open, and she tries to look and follow each of the things Lilian is making her adjust, as if she couldn't just see through herself anyway. Having to spread her feet is the most obviously uncomfortable part, since she stands with her heels and knees almost touching by default, but she's clearly making some effort to not reflexively 'correct' after Lilian moves her. 'Shaking hands' isn't an incredibly useful reference point either, and she has to try and get by with a slow change in grip strength and looseness until she's told to stop.

     Only once she's been completely action-figure posed to Lilian's liking does she start trying to wiggle and feel out the difference, bouncing her heel a little to mime out the start of the lunge. It's clear she has *some* idea of why she's being told to do these things, it just isn't natural to her. Once Lilian is satisfied enough to step back, White tenses her jaw and steps in for the next cut. It's a downward diagonal again, and she's moooore or less able to do what she was told, but from the sound of another *TWANG* of lopped-off iron she's still just kind of firmly smacking the edge into the pole without quite understanding the 'pulling' part. Which is... Perhaps concerning, since she uses a scythe normally. She uses it like a warpick, doesn't she..?

     Well... It's a little better, at least, and she bothers to pause and give Lilian a little thumbs-up like she did Calvin. She then corrects back to the starting position Lilian showed her, spends a few moments watching some of the more proficient people alongside herself, and shimmies her shoulders and hips a little to try and replicate the swing. She's consistent at making single attacks, at least, but the rate at which she makes minute adjustments to improve is... Maybe a bit painfully slow, and she's certainly not doing anything elaborate.
White White is deliberately not taking the big steps toward improvement immediately; she's trying to iron out the little hangs in the rotation of her joints, and other mechanical issues all before she works on the overall technique any further. She does speed up the rate of her cuts though, trying to closely match the total re-heating time of the core and micro-adjusting her slashes... While repeating nearly the exact same motion over and over. Her boots might start scuffing the ground up, with how much she's pushing off of the same spot.

     She doesn't feel very muscular when Lilian touches her either, so maybe all of that power coming from magical reinforcement is making the learning curve steeper... She probably wouldn't be much better off than Audrey if she did let her 'natural' strength show. As far as verbal feedback goes, obviously White is going to starve Lilian. Maybe if she asks for a written note later, it might work better. She's definitely not volunteering to get owned in a demonstration just to be 'brave' though; her self-healing isn't to be taken for granted! As it happens, these are the kinds of thoughts occupying her mind; learning from Lilian and the others, getting used to the quirks of the Type 13, not whatever's going on with Petra and Rita. White's gotten as far as noticing them paying particular attention to one-another, but not further. After all, if Petra were about to be murdered, she'd run away! Right?

     Well, that lasts until she hears 'starve me to death' anyway. She pauses after another quick cut has chipped her target down quite low to the ground after numerous previous ones, and straightens back upright with the weapon held awkwardly out in front of her knees, turning her head halfway toward Rita. She could probably be more subtle... But something about *that* accusation is a bit striking for her.
Shinmyoumaru Sukuna Shinmyoumaru continues to hold her pose for a few moments longer for Audrey before she sinks down, as she's asking Petra instead. And not Shinmyoumaru!

Which, Shinmyoumaru has to admit, makes sense. She didn't exactly cover herself in glory using the gimmick sword.

She sulks a little bit but, for a change, does not actually make a fuss about it, probably because she's more enthusiastic about looking good to Lilian, whose invitation is why she's here at all. Shinmyoumaru only lowers herself a little in her bowl, looking finally over to Rita, who is *also* someone she has met a few times. "Hi!" she says, brightly, because she has never been on bad terms with Rita, remembering her mostly from a few road trips...

...which is why the accusation to Petra comes as a surprise to her. Shinmyoumaru looks from Rita to Petra and back, instinctively understanding there is about to be, if not a fight, at least a conflict. She stops lowering herself and slowly straightens back up, standing in the bowl again. It rocks a little, as if it were a boat on a lazy river or a lake, but doesn't dump her.
Calvin Nash That'd be flipping a coin on whether they'd kill her or give her a job.

    "Same thing," says Calvin with unshakeable certainty. "One says 'don't fuck with us'. The other says 'you can't never hurt us so bad that we'd say not to fuck with us.' The minute somebody takes a job like that, they're walkin' dead. The whole point of the offer's to make you give up damn near everything about you just to keep on livin'."

     He grimaces, looking at his COMP, where a demon with a very expensive summoning cost resides, having accepted that exact kind of offer from Calvin.
Petra Soroka     Petra has years of experience with being instantly relocated without warning, and a very prevalent week of being instantly relocated into an immediately lethal circumstance without warning. With Rita around, it feels like the war in Lobotomy Corporation is just a heartbeat away, and so when Audrey's magic snags her and brings her back much closer to Rita, she reacts accordingly. Audrey hardly has a moment to even see Petra warp beside her before she flickers and vanishes in a dropped frame, instinctively repositioned outside of her arms reach and with her sword mid-swing an inch from Audrey's neck, glowing hot amber and shivering from the tension of barely stopping from following through.

    She stares at Audrey with wide eyes that are full of accusation for all of the five seconds it takes for her to realize that Audrey was obviously thinking about something stupid and irrelevant, rather than revealing herself to be an enemy and sentencing Petra to death by Rita. After another hesitation, she twists the blade away from threatening Audrey and gingerly lowers it, not leaving a defensive stance. Her thumb brushes against the toggle to disarm the yellow-heated core without a swing, but she doesn't quite press it yet.

"Petra betrayed my friendship, tried to starve me to death, and sabotaged Lobotomy Corporation, harming thousands of people in the City."

    Not looking at Rita, but with her full body still tensed relative to her position, Petra mumbles at the ground. "... I won't argue with any of that except the first one. We weren't friends. We were just... shadows of us were friends, or different versions, but... not us as we actually are now."

    Petra drops her voice a little lower, unhappy and increasingly irrelevant to the topic of 'stealing Light from the City'. "That's the problem with lying to each other for so long, right? There was a time where we had parts of us that could be, and then since we wouldn't talk about the other parts, they grew without us ever taking each other in mind. So I don't hold *that* betrayal against you, either."

"The *smart* thing to do would be to give Petra *to* them people. Ain't it?"

    "And no one's going to be doing *anything* with me." Petra interjects, straightening up and tightening her grip on the prototype sword. Her eyes flicker from Calvin, to Rita, and back to Calvin, acutely aware of Lilian's presence right nearby too. "I'm not a prisoner. I'm not on trial."

    "I--" Her voice chokes in her throat, and then falters, shrinking down from defiant to faintly pleading. "I really don't want a fight here. We don't need to do this right now. Rita, I,"

    Petra takes a breath. "Shajo's been given full permission to leave for Apple Tree Island, he's just waiting for Gebura to wake up. Gebura's waking up soon. She'll be able to visit with you freely. I'm not trying to make things any worse than they are."
Lilian Rook     'You could probably make it lighter by making it smaller, even one-handed swords! Because it's not like you use the weight to cut with it, with the trick.'

    "I'm afraid not." says Lilian. "A smaller sword means a smaller core and a smaller battery, which means less charge and less heat. It also means less reach and impact force. This isn't a battlefield in which things like shields are prioritized, or 'dual wielding' is particularly widespread, and so there's no real advantage to leaving one hand unoccupied. I also have less familiarity with teaching side-sword styles. I'd leave that sort of thing exclusively to the Cinq association members, who've trained extensively with rapiers." she says.

    "A more agile weapon might be marginally more effective against unaugmented humans and sweepers, but not Anomalies or Distortions, and certainly not more heavily augmented or armoured enemies. I'd rather our Fixers become accustomed to a proper sword, rather than wasting their time training with a smallsword they'll outgrow. The training model is probably more feasible between the two options. Plus . . ."

    Kale is the brave volunteer! That doesn't surprise Lilian at all! Frankly, it's kind of a reassuring relief to still see him this way. If he had some kind of humbling character arc, she wouldn't know what to do. She'll get to show what she means right away!

    'Thanks, Ms. Rook. I'm glad you made one for me, after all.'

    "You are part of the Association, after all." Lilian says, warmly. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't taken any inspiration from Bota and Kana." she limits it to those two Harpoonists. "I can hardly think of a better example of bravely fighting both the enemies of freedom and the enemies of humanity, without any special powers to rely on." The elephant in the room makes her frown a little, but . . .

    "That said, Rita, I still had too few Fixers here to realistically ensure this entire region's safety. A large part of the reason that Trídéag is a sanctuary for so many people right now is that everyone knows that both you and I are frequently here, and nobody wants to risk pulling something in my territory, under our watch. It'd lower everyone's faith in public safety if someone invited here were to come to harm on our watch, so . . ." Save it 'till later, probably. That's probably easier for both of them. Lilian is practically giving Rita a merciful excuse.

    Then Kale is coming at her. Yay!

    Lilian naturally moves to defend herself in the ordinary way, taking up a middle forward guard and shifting her weapon to the side to meet Kale's, already shifting her posture to force it up right after. A split second later, she notices the armed edge, and with superhuman speed, steps back out of his sword's reach at the last second, leaving her weapon extended out into the sapce she'd just vacated, reversed into a hanging guard.

    Kale's weapon strikes hers, and the sheet of shimmering heat scythes through the empty space where she was, split down the middle by contact with the flat of her sword, apparently capable of absorbing the 'blade' projected against it. At the same time, however, a shimmering cut from the flat of her blade shoots past Kale's head, cutting the air four inches to the left of him, only parted by a very thin fraction aligned with his edge. Her middle finger is on the second trigger.

    "Cheeky." she says. "But you see the idea. The sword responds to any impact so that the main mechanism can be fired on defense too. That further dissuades human opponents from attacking our Fixers, or at least forces them to be extremely wary about finding an opening, and more importantly, gives our Fixers an avenue of retaliating against Distortions that don't give them an opportunity to attack, as well as offering them cover in of its own right if a fighting retreat becomes necessary."
Audrey Basque     A judgmental stare from Calvin is a heavy one. If only he could see this isn't exclusively about the sword in the closet! It's about Petra, it's about promises, it's about... the sword, a bit, certainly. But maybe above all that it's about the crippling need to *fit in*, and right now fitting in means showing Lilian she's not a delicate little flower, and she CAN swing a sword (by the barest metric of the definition), and she CAN follow instructions.

    Doesn't matter though.
    She's being looked at like a rotten apple, and she's spoiling the rest of the bunch. She needs to be anything but that, desperately.

    Which is why she yanked Petra!
    ... which is disastrous, two ways.

    "P-Petra?!" Hot flaming blade an inch from her neck. Audrey tenses, and when Petra drops her stance, she actually falls onto her ass outright, still gripping her sword so tightly it doesn't end up clattering to the floor. At least she has the finger discipline (read: injury paranoia) of having taken her finger off the trigger.

    Petra's being defensive-- halves of conversations she missed, because she was so adamantly focused on the singular task of messing around with a sword. Then there's Rita's tone, forbidding the help. It sounds like so much more than that, as she can now hear and make out the accusations Petra's defending against.

    Maybe the wisest thing Audrey will do today is to NOT get involved in any of that, actually. She's got nothing to say.

    And the worst part is that this makes her miss brief demonstration between Kale and Lilian. This is going terribly. Terribly enough that she neither responds to Rita, nor actually gets back up, remaining sat on the ground like a kicked puppy.
Angela "Yeah I'm a Fixer," Roland says to Calvin. "...I mean that's kind the problem when you have overwhelming power, you know? And I don't just mean like, personally. Most of you are stronger than ninety percent of people in The City so it's not like you have all the same concerns we do." He shrugs both shoulders. "Epic heroes don't follow orders they do waht they want, fuck up, and ''maybe'' learn a lesson. Working folk know they can die easily. So they learn the instructions. It's not like it's weird for people who can survive failing to, to keep failing to."

He pauses and adds, "It's not like The City doesn't have people like that. They just happen to be the casualties, usually. Though strong people die plenty easy too."

''Same thing.''

The idea that anybody around in The City would be willing to fuck with The Head, really, and would be walking dead by losing that...

"That'd be calling a lot of normal people dead here." He points out. "And I'm sure they've got plenty of reason to want to keep breathing anyway."

But for Petra, he wonders, would it be? ... Someone as skilled as her, nobody'd execute her quickly except for someone like him. And most of those people wouldn't be able to.

''We were just... shadows of us were friends.''

Yeah, Roland thinks. His friendliness with Petra, his friendliness with Angela. Even with Angela? Isn't it all just shadows? None of them really know him.

But why does it bother him to hear her say that?

"...Well, it was for her sister right? ... I mean, I don't know if you have any siblings, but what would you do if they were imperiled. Nothing ever has no cost around here." He can't really hide the awkwardness from his tone.

Oh right, she's a monster, she probably wouldn't get that stuff about family, he thinks. "I mean, you know--" He mumbles.
Kale Hearthward It *was* maybe a little cheeky to activate his blade while swinging at her. She didn't specify, there's enough healers here that even if the worst should happen, and besides this is Lilian Rook that we're talking about here, right? No way she'd let herself get hit, especially from a telegraphed, straightforward swing like this.

"... Huh?" It takes Kale a second to process what happened.

"Oh, it activates on *any* impact..."

"I *see*."

He takes a step back from Lilian and lowers his sword. Hey, he wasn't even humiliated! Take that.

"Say, I had a thought... Can these be made into arming toggles instead of needing to be held down? In case you need to let go of the sword for some reason, but still want to keep it active." He's going to try throwing the sword. She can see it in his eyes, if she lets him have this, he's going to at some point attempt to arm and throw the sword as if it were a grenade.
Odette Raskins Watching White post-Lilian-guidance is helping Odette form a better mental picture of how to handle swords generally. Although the EMT's own stance is still a far cry from proper, she's picking things up at a glacial pace instead of no pace at all!

"Petra betrayed my friendship, tried to starve me to death, and sabotaged Lobotomy Corporation, harming thousands of people in the City."

Although Odette knows broadly about what happened with Lobotomy Corporation, hearing Rita summarize it like that takes some of the air out of her lungs. There's not much/any relief at knowing Calvin's the one Rita was looking for an answer from, either, as Odette's gaze just slowly and awkwardly shifts from Rita to Calvin to Petra in short order. How's she even supposed to feel about all of that?

Angry, maybe, but instead Odette just feels even more confused, doubly so because she feels confused in the first place. Petra's response still has the EMT  looking uneasy and ready to spring into... Something or another. Should she be ready to move? No, things haven't gotten quite that bad yet, but she should at least be prepared to move a little, right?

Odette did promise Rita, but she's not even sure what she could or should do at this juncture. Listening to Calvin's perspective on what could have been.. Wait, was that a 'should be done' or 'should have been done'? His answer makes sense, but it's the followup about why (or why not, rather) that really has her glad he's the one to answer all of those questions.

It's not the kind of answer she would've been able to come up with, and she's starting to see Calvin in a new light already. "You really know your stuff, Mister Nash... Have you seen this kind of thing happen before? I mean, not in... Like in the City here, specifically, but anywhere else?"

"The sword responds to any impact so that the main mechanism can be fired on defense too."

Odette looks rather grateful for the sound of Kale's blade meeting Lilian's, turning to watch the demonstration of whatever it was Lilian wanted to show about the weapons by asking for a volunteer. There's a brief moment where she's concerned that the hanging weapon might break on impact with the other, but the sudden flash of heat coming from the flat of the blade alleviates that concern and confirms a few others.

"So it really can be used that way! Oh, that'd be invaluable for..." Odette already sounds like she doesn't want to admit it, but she forces herself to because she also made a promise to actually finish her thoughts properly. "... Fixers like me that aren't so good at direct fighting. Just making contact at all is way easier than landing a proper cut, and being able to use an opponent's attacks against them like this..."

Luckily, the choice of topic seems to have Odette sounding more eager than worried again. "Did you come up with all this just by going to that fair, Dame Commander? Or was there something else that kicked this off?"
Alucard Alucard's eyes follow Kale and Lilian's little exchange. He doesn't look surprised at all. He'd already kind of intuited that it worked that way. It's official. He wants one. He probably won't get to keep this one, and she'd probably make him join some organization or something, which isn't really his thing.

Sharp ears and, well, a generally empathetic nature divide his attention, drawing it towards the brief Audrey and Petra ... incident. He frowns slightly, but, well, he can't help himself. He steps away from the target pole and moves towards Audrey. He stops within conversational distance and, well, does the Slav Squat, resting on his heels. "Are you injured," he asks quietly. Politely. He is doing his best to keep his body language non-threatening. He's surprisingly pretty good at that.
Rita Ma      "Maybe before you figure 'what to do with her,' you oughta figure out whether you *want* to."
     It'd be easy to lie and say 'I want her dead'. If Calvin's words didn't worm under Rita's polite guard and pry the sincerity out, she might.

     "Lilian hasn't killed her because she has an oath not to, Mr. Calvin. I haven't because . . ." How to put words to the ugly knot below her collarbone? Her eyes can't meet anyone's.

     ". . . I really wanted to be kind to her. I guess I still do. But she's made it very clear to me that there is no limit to how much of my kindness she'll exploit. That doesn't leave me with another option, does it."

     Rita hasn't taken any outwardly aggressive action. The sword is still beneath her arm. But anyone who's fought her knows that doesn't mean anything.

     Ms. Rook made it sound like she might intervene. But I could stab Petra before she can pause. Ms. White and that blonde girl can teleport: are they faster? Inside of ten feet, I've at least got a good chance.

     "So I don't hold *that* betrayal against you, either."
     Her eyes are duller than they've been in a month or two when they flick back to Petra. "Shut up. Don't pretend I did anything as bad. I would've cared for the whole you. You tricked me into thinking you'd care for me, too."

     "I'm not a prisoner. I'm not on trial."
     "Yes you are." To one, or both.

     "I really don't want a fight here."
     "I bet you don't." A little duller still. Of course the faltering tugs at her heartstrings. She's been shot for listening to her heartstrings before.

     "Shajo's been given full permission to leave..."

     "Oh. So you're holding Mr. Shajo hostage," Rita says, almost fully slouched back into her war demeanor. She recognizes her own tone with a flicker; looks disgusted by it; and turns her face away.

     "Get out of here, Petra. If Mr. Shajo isn't on Apple Tree Island the next time I see you, I'll kill you on the spot. You don't give me a choice but to promise that."
Sarracenia      'It's alright, Ms. Sarracenia, If you're doing your best for the City now, that's all I can ask from you, right? We can't go back in time.'

     Nearly every statement is an irony when Rita responds, and Sarra makes sure her face does not turn back to Rita. She recognizes the shallow politeness, but even that is much better than most people react to Sarra. So, even as she is walking away Sarra says, "Th-...thank you, Miss Rita."

     Sarra's sword form is apparently good enough that she doesn't need correcting! ...or so terrible that no one is going to bother. She does have training in proper footwork with heavy weapons, so it shouldn't be terrible, but she swings the sword like a baseball bat instead of taking advantage of how nimble swords are. She can keep the edge aligned though, since she has to do that with her hammer as well.

     Sarra's attempt at volunteering is forgotten and the display put on by Lilian and Kale is neglected as Petra is suddenly on Audrey with the very dangerous sword aimed at Audrey's neck. Having been on the receiving end of such a threat before, Sarra freezes. Her grip on her own sword tightens, and she lowers it into a position at her side ready to charge if needed. She only doesn't because so far Petra has not tried to cut off Sarra's head in any of those situations and so it is pretty unlikely that Petra will do such a thing here.

     But...could Calvin and Odette put someone's -head- back on?

     Audrey falls down, and Sarra lunges forward to get her sword between Petra and Audrey. And Sarra fixes a cold glare on Petra as Rita's words fill her mind. Unlike Alucard, she is being quite threatening toward Petra. "What do you think you are doing?" Sarra asks Petra, her finger hovering around her one working trigger.
Shinmyoumaru Sukuna "Hmm..."

Now Shinmyoumaru is thinking about it.

"Maybe if they were someone like me," Shinmyoumaru says, "who could charge the battery, because you said you could power it if you can control magical energy! So you could make up for the battery not being as big..." She's not really an engineer, though, and she has to admit defeat even though she hates doing so.

"But my sword is proper, too, even if you think it's not. I'll fight you with it sometime if you don't believe me, or fight *with* you using it. Even if I'd rather use danmaku," and Shinmyoumaru draws herself up to her full height, "I can't let you call my Shining Needle Sword not a 'proper sword'!"

She reaches behind her, the new sword held in her left hand (and with the safety back on, thank you) while she pats the ... hilt? Eye? the base of her giant sewing needle, anyway... with her right. She does not draw it, even though she wants to pose with it. But she's *thinking* it.

Kale tries his attack. He is not, as Shinmyoumaru was not-exactly-subtly hoping, either hurt or particularly embarrassed by the results, and she lets out a puff of air that poofs her cheeks out. She *should* have done it herself instead of letting him. (Or telling him to. Don't mind her, she's going to remember it her way no matter what.)

"Bleh," she says, under her breath, before turning her attention back to Rita and Petra. And Audrey. The first thing she thinks is: I bet Seija wishes she was here now! And then she feels faintly guilty for thinking it and doesn't know why.

So what she actually says is, "If you start fighting each other right now I'm going to turn you both into frogs! I mean it," Shinmyoumaru says, with slight menace, as she reaches into her bowl with the hand that just touched the needle's hilt. She pulls out what looks like a toy wooden mallet, painted in greens and reds and yellows, but that the even faintly magically inclined can tell *very much* is not just a toy, and that some people have seen her use before.

She cocks it on her shoulder like it was a deadly weapon. "You should save that for later," she adds, attempting to be helpful. It is not.
Rita Ma      Rita's eager to turn her face away to look at Roland again, and she ratchets back up from 'dull' to 'smooth, but alive'. Convincing someone of her humanity, subtextually, is less unpleasant than this and more familiar too.

     "... I do have a family. A brother, and an older sister, sort of. I love them lots. It doesn't make me any more likely to forgive her."

     Wait, did he say--

     "... And I don't think Petra has a sister? Definitely not in this world. What's she been saying?"
Lilian Rook     'Say, I had a thought... Can these be made into arming toggles instead of needing to be held down? In case you need to let go of the sword for some reason, but still want to keep it active.'

    Lilian raises an eyebrow. "I'm hardly against customizing them for experienced combatants. The idea of a standard issue weapon is that it ensures a basic expectation of one's armed forces. It's not at all unusual for special forces and specialized operators to tailor their loadouts." she says. "What you're suggesting is extremely dangerous, though. I hope you have something in mind for it.

    '... Fixers like me that aren't so good at direct fighting.'

    "No need to hesitate. That is, actually, part of the idea. Even if you're less skilled than the opponent, you should be able to defend yourself for a short while before being overwhelmed; unless they wildly outclass you, at least. An 'automatic counterattack' that responds that quickly, over such a broad angle, is something they hae to be wary of."

    'Did you come up with all this just by going to that fair, Dame Commander?'

    "Yes." Lilian says, hand resting on the pommel of her downturned sword, the other smoothly raising her sidearm in Sarracenia's direction without looking. An implicit promise to 'discipline' her if she escalates the stupid interaction between Petra and Audrey any further.

    'because you said you could power it if you can control magical energy! So you could make up for the battery not being as big...'

    "I suppose that's fair." says Lilian. "But in that case, the lighter model would reap the same advantage than a shorter one.

    '... And I don't think Petra has a sister? Definitely not in this world. What's she been saying?'

    "She's been calling Angela that ever since." Lilian says, a little gloomily.
Odette Raskins Seeing Petra at Audrey's throat (literally) while Rita gives the former an ultimatum has Odette freezing in place again. She can't quite tell if Sarracenia's or Shinmyoumaru are helping, but they do seem to be doing something to try and defuse all this, so she'll have to be helpful, too! Somehow.

Odette pulls her medical bag over, preparing herself mentally for the worst.

"That is, actually, part of the idea."

Lilian's reply, meanwhile, gives Odette some renewed confidence at her ability to survive in the future! "That makes sense. And as long as I-we... I remember to use the right button for the right angle, I can cover a pretty good sized area just by moving it around like a thin shield to protect myself, or..."

She looks over at Rita, Petra, and Audrey with another anxious noise. "... To separate people, if I ever needed to."  Lilian doesn't seem to be intervening there, at least, which gives Odette a little more reason to stay back for now.
Calvin Nash I'm not a prisoner. I'm not on trial.
Yes you are.

    "Not the point," Calvin bluntly, tersely interjects, palm thrust outwards in a 'stop' motion. "Just a stop on the way."

    I really don't want a fight here.

    "I don't want that neither." He gestures to Shinmyoumaru with a nod of his head. "Sure seems like she don't. And if *Rita* wanted one, she coulda stole off on you before I had a chance to do nothin' about it, now couldn't she?"

    "So, to me," he concludes with a frown, thumbs through his beltloops, "It seems like a whole lot of bowin' up for a fight that ain't 'bout to happen."
That doesn't leave me with another option, does it.

     "Not when you put it that way," admits Calvin. "But that just winds us back to what's smart. Which *is* the point. We ain't calculators, Rita. We ain't built to just do what's smart and not take nothin' else into account. For me, it's the road trip. Can't get it outta my head," he says, shaking his head.

     "You pissed me off like nothin' else on that sumbitch," he says, turning to Petra and pointing at her. "But I'll be damned if you didn't change your tune when Rita was disappointed in you. I don't know what she told you, by grandaddies," he says, one hand over his heart. "But whatever it was, you figured puttin' up with me was worth her not bein' disappointed in you. That don't sound like no 'shadow' I ever heard of." He nods. "Tell you what."

     It'd lower everyone's faith in public safety if someone invited here were to come to harm on our watch, so . . .
Get out of here, Petra.

    Calvin removes one hand from his waist to gesture in Lilian's direction, his eyes still fixed on Rita and Petra. "Well," he says, spritzing the word like an air freshener. "That's at least four of us that don't want no fight. We done?"
Calvin Nash Have you seen this kind of thing happen before?

    "Just last week," Calvin sighs, trying not to look at his COMP. "But people are people."

That'd be calling a lot of normal people dead here.

     "Lemme tell ya somethin'," Calvin says, looking over his shoulder at Roland. "Any time you wanna be a part of a society, whether it's a little ol' town on the side of a river or a place like the City, you gonna give somethin' up for it. What's fair to ask people to give up, and what that society oughta give in return, that's one of the oldest arguments there's ever been."

     "There's a lotta things I think are normal and fair to ask for. I think you shouldn't be allowed to come into my house in the middle of the night and take whatever the hell you want, for example." He shrugs.

     "I *don't* think everything the City asks for, just to *breathe,* is fair. Those people're *alive,* but they ain't *living.*" He heaves a sigh. A steadying measure to remind himself that this problem is being Handled--that he doesn't have to get upset at this big, stupid machine that eats people alive and tempts others into throwing their own lives away to keep it running. He doesn't have to, because--"That's what this place is here to fix." He lifts one foot and taps it on the ground below. "And I think you got a good mix of people for the job."

    "Now--mister, I'll buy you a beer some time and we can talk all the philosophy you want. Right now, I need to make sure this test don't go *no* more sideways than it already has. Grab-ass and sideways is a recipe for a damn disaster."
Audrey Basque     Sarracenia steps between Petra and Audrey.

    Considering Audrey's on the ground and Petra's now facing/dealing with Rita (and Calvin, and...), the gesture is... no, even if Petra still had her blade at Audrey's throat, to step inbetween them would be absolutely unacceptable in so many different ways.

    Audrey rises, blade suddenly light as a feather in her hands, a trickle of magic far too obvious to observers who can feel that. It is pointedly swung to her side one-handed as she rises, like she's posturing. The shift from sad kicked puppy to puppy you're trying to take the bone away from is sudden.

    "Petra is not going to harm me, *Princess*. If I want someone to intervene, I will *ask them to*. I am not some-- damsel in distress looking for a hero like you are!"

    A word weaponized after Sarracenia pointedly told her not to call her that anymore. Audrey huffs, warps the sword back onto its place on the rack, and takes a look around at nearby rooftops.

    "The blade is fantastic, Miss Rook. Apologies for wasting your time, but my thanks for humoring me." The stiffness of her formal tone.

    Rather than continue throwing a tantrum, she disappears in a mess of refracting cracks in reality that make it seem like she broke through a mirror.
Angela Wait--did she pick that out of his mind, Roland wonders, or was it obvious on his face? He's uncertain about it. Maybe he should try thinking about other things than what's going on in the whirlwind in his mind.

He is a little slow to answer Rita as he starts thinking about hot sandwiches instead. Mm. He loves hot sandwiches. Yep, sandwiches.

But thinking about sandwiches means he can't think about hiding his facial expressions which means he grimaces visibly when Rita mentions she DOES have family.

"Uh well they refer to each other as siblings. Miss Angela does it too. A lot of families are like that in The City, I can't look down on it just cause it was a decision."

But he shakes his head. "Well yeah. I doubt you'd expect anyone to forgive you either in such a case--I'm not saying you should. Just uh. Maybe unforgiveness doesn't have to be--that much?"

He shrugs haplessly. "Sorry uh. Didn't expect this to be my day so just--ignore it I guess. Not like it involved me at all."

He's not exactly distracted by Calvin--Roland doesn't even look back, he's staring at the conflict between Petra and Rita like he might have to fight, flee, or both at any moment. Calvin's arresting in his own way but he's not life-threatening in the moment.

"Well yeah. The City's unfair. That's why everybody in it makes unfair choices all the time. That's what this place is. You don't gotta tell us how it works--"

''That's what this place is here to fix.''

Too late.

Out loud Roland smiles, "The current rules are still around in the meantime." Roland manages instead. "But uh. Maybe We SHOULD get out of here, Petra? Swords work good. Looking forward to adapting to it."

The sword vanishes away as if to suggest he really doesn't want to pick a fight here right into Audrey's cloak.
White White has plenty of thought to spare, once she pauses her practice swings. Just like half of the others here, she's more tuned in to Rita, Petra, and even Audrey than the physical exercise now. Should she... Do something? That's the immediate question, and she struggles to find an answer that feels correct.

     The half-assed easy response is 'check on Audrey'. Alucard is doing that, and when White considers doing it herself she remembers some of Audrey's reactions to others trying to heal her recently; she doesn't know that it's what Audrey wants, and that's a source of unease. So, then, should she pick a side? That might be correct, but... Which is 'her' side? Both of them are useful to her. Rita is scarier than Petra, but if something happened to Petra that would hurt Angela. Petra doesn't deny trying to starve Rita to death. That makes her irritation flare up to hear. But would she even be above that, herself? If she was fighting someone stronger than herself, and absolutely had to win? Would she hold back out of principle? She... Doesn't think so, not for sure.

     She finds herself a little surprised, then, that listening to Calvin properly mediating helps her organize her thoughts. Maybe... There's something she can do? Maybe it won't solve the situation, and maybe it won't immediately advantage *her, specifically*. But she remembers telling someone something, a long time ago, when she was in a position not unlike Petra's. She still doesn't know why, but it worked out for her then, so...

     Delicately laying the prototype sword down and brushing her hands off, White slowly walks over to the others. She's particular about where she steps, where she stands, pausing only just at the side of Rita and mustering up a softly-spoken comment while she slowly rummages beneath her sleeve, only after Calvin is done talking. "... If you don't want... To do something... You should wait... Until you do." She then draws out another stuffed black kitty-cat plushie, like the one she made at the talent contest the other night. She had to practice after such an embarrassing night! The plushie is held out gingerly, and she takes a deep breath before pushing herself to add, "... Maybe ask... Your brother... For advice?"

     It might seem like she's chosen Petra's side, but somehow she's managed to choose neither; it's the sense of potential regret she sees in Rita that she's connecting with, in that moment. It's familiar to her.
Petra Soroka "You really know your stuff, Mister Nash..."

    The look of contempt that Petra angles in Odette's direction is an order of magnitude more intense than anything she aimed towards Rita.

"But she's made it very clear to me that there is no limit to how much of my kindness she'll exploit."

    The image of Rita, as Petra looks at her, is indelibly superimposed with the pale, vein-shot monster who tore Petra apart in the depth of Lobotomy Corporation, drooling while pulling off Parker's limbs, and seven white wings beating specifically to spite Petra after the war was already over for everyone else. Try as she might, as she promised, she can't look at the Rita before her and see any of the Rita that was her friend, and it makes her vaguely queasy to try to rationalize out how much of that is because of how bad the war was, and how much is because she made a promise she couldn't keep.

    "You tried to murder Angela," comes Petra's weak rebuttal, hoarse in her throat.

"I would've cared for the whole you. You tricked me into thinking you'd care for me, too."

    Sustained tension and dredged up terror dry and crackle in Petra's chest, dessicating from adrenaline and blood into harsh, rough dust. The heat behind her eyes feels desolate instead of wetness that would precede tears, and her throat closes up with sandpaper scratchiness instead of guilt. Petra lowers the sword further, taking one hand off of it to let the tip hit the ground.

    "... You're such a brat." Petra rasps, and the humor of her of all people saying that only dimly registers in a back corner of her mind. "The whole me includes the people I love. You'd know that if you weren't just... just...." She trails off without finishing the sentence, not able to really assign a word to what she thinks Rita is.

"What do you think you are doing?"
"Are you injured,"
"If you start fighting each other right now I'm going to turn you both into frogs!"

    The glassy, withering glance that Petra scans over everyone jumping to Audrey doesn't distinguish between the people trying to help her up and the people trying to intercede between her and Petra. This is, in the end, the most familiar place for Petra to be. Chest tight, teeth gritted, muscles ratcheted to the point of sending quivering sparks down her nerves, with every uninvolved idiot here leaping in to get their two cents against her when they have the chance, Petra slides into the flow state she's spent her entire adult life cultivating.

    "Keep your fucking hands away from me and shut up. I'm not on trial, and you aren't my judges. The only person who can judge me is--" Normally someone would say 'God' here. "--Lilian."
Petra Soroka     Now with the flat tone and expression that she wears when everyone in her field of view is an enemy, Petra loosens her grip on the prototype sword just for a coil of morphmetal to wrap around it and gently place it aside. "Like me or not, I'm invested in seeing Trideag succeed too, and the odds that the Association makes any difference across the City get way worse if you try to kill me here. It would be a terrible look for the Association and you'd be shooting yourself in the foot for no fucking reason besides being bitter and having me coincidentally within reach to lash out against."

    "The things I care about are really obvious, and I'm not going to apologize for fighting for them. The City is one of those things, and as long as you don't *fuck* with me, I'll do way more good for it than bad. This doesn't happen often, but I *don't* have to feel guilty towards you."

"Oh. So you're holding Mr. Shajo hostage,"

    "You--" A frustrated noise catches in Petra's throat, dulling from a shout to just a pained groan. She closes her eyes and clenches her teeth, trying to rationally assemble the ideological principle that making acts of repentence and kindness after harming someone doesn't purchase magnanimity from them and should be done in of itself from the jagged splinters of her thoughts.

"But whatever it was, you figured puttin' up with me was worth her not bein' disappointed in you. That don't sound like no 'shadow' I ever heard of."

    Petra tenses her shoulders and looks away, fingers gripping the mirror around her neck. "... I'm leaving. Sorry, Lilian."

    She turns and takes a few steps away, with stiff posture alert to an attack from behind, and then crushes the mirror with her thumb. The tide of glass shards washes around her and carries upwards into the air even before fully locking into the shape of the Beauty of Ash, already mid-flight and headed towards the warpgate farther away in District 12.
Sarracenia
     'Petra is not going to harm me, *Princess*. If I want someone to intervene, I will *ask them to*. I am not some-- damsel in distress looking for a hero like you are!'

     "W-...what...?" Princess. Spat out like something disgusting. While she was genuinely trying to protect Audrey from someone she knows is very unpredictable and dangerous. And, the princess's predilection toward heroes is thrown in her face. Audrey aimed her verbal blows well.

     Sarra...is destroyed. All the fire she had is gone in an instant. Her sword lowers slowly, then slowly slips from her grip to thud onto the ground. Sarra stumbles back as if physically struck. Her expression is one of shock and pain. Tears form in her visible eye, then her pained expression turns to one of anger. Her fists clench. "Of course she is!! That is what she does!!" Sarra exclaims. No, screams is more accurate. "Well, do not worry! I will not try to help you anymore!!" Sarra's scream reaches an extreme high pitch and warbles with the sounds of restrained sobs at the end. It is Ishirou all over again.

     Sarra sniffles and wipes at her eyes with the back of a glove before reaching to pick the sword back up. She then redoubles how recklessly and powerfully she was slicing those poles. And takes advantage of the fact that most of them are not being used now to work out some of her anger. Of course, she will run out flame power quickly and might be at risk of damaging the sword with the way she just keeps slashing.