Scene #9668: The Sword of an Oath (Part 1)

Owner	Pose
Riku Asakura	Riku makes a call for help to the Multiverse. It seems something has happened with Leito Igaguri's daughter, the host of Ultraman Zero, and he needs allies to deal with it. Ayaka City's warp gate is the same as last time, though this time there are no AIB cars to take you to where you need to go. This time, the meeting spot is a park a fair distance away. Regardless of how you get there, the location given to you is near the park but in an alleyway. At first, there appears to be nobody nearby. Maybe Riku got the location wrong, but after a few moments, there is a soft rumble, and a cylinder appears, seemingly manifesting from the ground. It appears to be an elevator, because once it opens up, it has a sci-fi-looking interior. Taking the elevator eventually brings you to... Nebula House. It has black marble floors, steel walls separated by blue lights, and grates along the floor that look like where airflow happens. In one corner of the room you are brought into is a yellow orb seemingly suspended from the ceiling. Riku is there in the middle of the room, greeting you once you arrive. "Hey, sorry for the trip. Welcome and uh, let me introduce you to my roommates..." He first motions towards a young lady, a head shorter than he is. She has shoulder-length dark hair and a checkered shirt with a red top. She also wears jean shorts. Unlike Riku, she has a serious expression. "Laiha Toba, nice to meet you all," she says. Riku motions to the other side and has to step away, closer to Laiha, to reveal an alien. A large black head with two eyes that come off on stalks. Where his chin should be is a yellow marking that looks like a heart. He's dressed in a tracksuit with jeans. Unlike Laiha, he's much more nervous and shy. "Um... nice to meet you, I'm Pega..." "Leito and his daughter aren't here yet... they'll be along soon, but we probably need to discuss what's wrong," Riku says, and looks towards the yellow orb. A new voice speaks up, robotic but definitely feminine. "Hello, I am RE.M. Allow me to explain what the situation is. The daughter of the host of Ultraman Zero has come down with what is known as a 'Little Star'." "Little Stars are mysterious energies that can be embodied by hosts on this world. The Little Star gives them unique powers, similar to those of Ultramen." On a nearby screen, some images are brought up. The first is a little girl who has her hands pointed at the screen and is shooting fire. The second is that of a little boy, creating force fields around himself. The next is a woman on a bike, creating a blade of light from her hands. The final picture is that of a small ball of fur seemingly healing someone of their injury. "The problem isn't the power that these people get, but that monsters and some aliens will search out Little Star hosts for their own aims. So this puts the hosts in great danger," Laiha chimes in. "I've been looking into this phenomenon for a long time." Riku speaks up from here, "So we worked out with Mr. Igaguri to take his daughter, Mayu, here. It's deep underground and safe from monsters. Though this isn't a long-term solution. Usually, most Little Stars lose their abilities when they pray on an Ultraman, but... well, there is no good way to do that without also putting her in danger, and we don't want to do that." "If you have any questions, I'll hopefully be able to answer them," RE.M. pipes up, the yellow ball glowing and fading as the voice of the computer speaks.
Sarracenia	Sarra makes her way to the meeting place the same way she went to see Riku last time. In the Dyna! A wooden VTOL similar to an Osprey in design, polished to a shine and inlaid with gold designs and engraved with the Sarracenia Sundew crest on its sides. Sarra lands on a nearby rooftop, then hops out and heads to the alley. She isn't as surprised this time when Riku sends that elevator to get them, but is surprised that Riku doesn't meet them. Once inside Nebula House, Sarra greets Laiha and Pega with a smile and a wave. "Hello Laiha! Hello Pega! It is good to see you both again! I hope you have been enjoying the ramen! And thank you again for the lovely flowers, Pega~" She will even offer them a hug if they don't shy away. "And hello to you too, RE.M!" Riku moves on to why they are here, and Sarra listens quietly. She has heard a bit of this before, but it never hurts to get a refresher. She nods every so often as Riku explains, and ponders what questions she might have. "...why is praying to an Ultraman dangerous? Is it because of Belial?" she asks, then adds, "Oh, and if it would help, I am happy to let Mr. Igaguri and Mayu stay in the Sundew Kingdom for a while."
Dysnomia	Riku's...Circumstances, have claimed her interest, somewhat. It's enough to attract her interest, when the radio purrs to life with news of--what Dysnomia can only assume--to be one of those Little Stars that Zenna had been discussing. She wondered. Was it TRULY by chance that the daughter of an Ultraman's host had become one? It was a...suspicious concidence. Dysnomia came in wearing casual clothes, a black hoodie with a planet and moon on its front--her multiversal nature betrayed by her luminous, solid-color eyes and dwarf-star white hair. When a disc opened up in front of Mia in the middle of nowhere, Dysnomia was increasingly sure that there was some kind of secret alien base down every other alley in this world. She stepped into it, hands clasped behind her back, and descended down, down... "Hey, sorry for the trip. Welcome and uh, let me introduce you to my roommates..." She assessed the place, all metal and jagged edges and reflections. "Strange place to live." She says, expressionless, in a way that could mean anything. "Hello Laiha. Pega. My name is Dysnomia. I had a run in with Kei not so long ago. And I've decided to take an interest." She'd leave the whole 'I know Ultraman Belial' a time where it belonged. "I do." She frowns, rubbing her fingers together, and "...It's somewhat tragic, that they had to lose their powers, to be safe." But she did like this considerably more than trapping them in little capsules. Which was...Dire. Strange how humans got to keep on living, but monsters didn't. Hm. "It would be better if there was a way to shield them so they were in no danger at all. I assume you've tried to find ways to measure and monitor it? Block ways to read it?" "...Why is praying to an Ultraman dangerous?" "Would I be right, in assuming it requires the child to be in real and earnest peril?" She turns, with a questioning look, to their hosts. "But I did have a question related to that. You've talked about praying to an Ultraman. Why does it make their powers go away at all?" She has a guess. But she wants to hear them say it.
Flamel Parsons	Flamel parks his black van, covered in tinted windows and oversized surveillance antennae, in a lot just off the alleyway. He pulls the parking brake, which starts the monitoring equipment rotating, instantly and thoroughly dispersing all migraines in a one-block radius as part of his sinister mind-control agendas. Heading down the elevator, he rubs smudges off his sunglasses and fondly regards the secret underground base. Thank god this is all so normal. "Nice to meet you, Laiha, Pega. I'm Flamel Parsons, agent of a vague yet ominous government organization." He offers those same culturally chauvanistic handshakes to both. "I'm here to help out with paranormal phenomena of all kinds! I'll also subtly further the goals of my unseen masters in pursuit of an agenda against another larger, hidden, excessively-well-lit-for-being-so-shadowy, force." If one were to give him the most good-faith interpretation, one might realize he's... probably talking about recently getting recruited to work against Belial? By who? What's he talking about? "So, we're largely looking at a situation where a young person has paranatural abilities and needs to be protected. Wow, you'd be surprise how programmed I am for that exact task." He says, pacing a bit. "So, she needs to want an Ultraman's help badly enough that she fulfills a sort of exchange encoded into the abilities? Am I getting that right? Because, in a way, that could be a social matter. If Geed here -- Geed's maneuvering my agenda lately so I'm more helpful -- but, if we strengthened her bond with Geed directly, I feel like we might be able to probe for, and eventually discover, a non-harmful scenario that forges that earnest connection. Maybe finding a way that he can help, enough that she wishes badly enough for a non-combatant sort of aid he can give?" He beams at Riku. "I'd be more than happy to teach you the ways of a camp counselor so that a small child wants badly enough to spend time with you that she'd wish with all her heart!"
Angela	Roland is only actually A LITTLE concerned that Flamel engaging with Laiha will somehow get her killed, surely the idea that there is some sort of cosmic hand of the universe that is killing people around Flamel is only a coincidence and he actually isn't literally to blame, but it is an excuse to go outside. And he drags Malkuth along because he likes Malkuth, mostly because she's a little spicy with regards to a lot of people out there in the multiverse and it's a nice change of pace, but also because she's pretty nice to him specifically! HE never betrayed her hopes and expectations and dreams! But even Malkuth isn't going to greet Riku with a 'Hello traitor' when around his friedns and family, instead she is smiling super duper sweetly and has been so incredibly polite in the raw that a knife has good manners. Malkuth curtseys to Laiha, and even Pega, only hesitating both due to her experience with Abnormalities and in spite of it. In other words, she's given pause--but she recovers quickly. "We'll do whatever we can. A man should be comfortable knowing that his kid is safe and not in danger of Elite bullshit." Roland says, with perhaps expected sympathy as a guy who claims he's a dad too. "Are these powers temporary?" Malkuth asks. "Or will they be in danger for the rest of their lives because of their new gifts?" Neither she nor Roland can be expected to look after this child forever, after all. "I would be uncomfortable with simulating such danger to remove a gift from her as well, but we can't watch after her like that forever."
Mag	Mag, Linear and Chain infer a certain amount of emergency from the news that a young girl is in danger! Rushing to the site as soon as they can, the trio only pauses briefly after emerging from the gate to the sight of nobody there to pick them up! That's okay though, they can improvise. Mag's in full gear with his mechanical arm 'Magnus' ready to go already, and Linear seems to know where this is going before anyone else; the arm cranes down from behind Mag palm-up, and she steps closer to seat herself on the chunky forearm-casing like it's a swing-bench, wrapping one arm around his neck for balance as Mag breaks off into a run toward the park. Chain, likewise, already has the Griffin donned and ready to go, so jetpack-gliding along from well above the other two easily lets her keep pace as they make their way to what they might have assumed was an active kidnapping situation. There's a bit of floundering and jogging/flying in circles after they arrive, confused by the lack of scuffling, skirmishing or shady behavior, but the elevator rising from the ground immediately clears that up- or at least, makes them think they've got it all figured out. "A ruin?" "A ruin!" "Is it..?" "It's totally a ruin! Why didn't anyone tell me they had these here?!" "Well, uh, settle down. Come on, we gotta get in together and it looks cramped." The elevator had them fooled, but by the time they reach the bottom, at least two of the three are visibly confused. Chain looks a bit disappointed even before the door opens, but Mag lets out a big billowing sigh that's mostly relief by volume upon seeing Riku waiting. "R... Roommates? I thought we were..?" The swerve in expectation throws him off more than a little, but feeling Linear step down and meekly wave at the introductions, Mag gets his head on straight again in short enough order to change gears. "Umm... Nice to meet you too, Miss Toba. And... Mister Pega." He's never had a chance to talk to someone so obviously not human! He has that tension that you only really get when you're thinking really hard before you speak to avoid sounding like a jerk by accident. Chain, though, has no such lack of confidence. "Well you don't sound like a kidnapper, I guess." Linear gives Chain a gentle karate chop on the top of her head, but Chain just huffs and turns her nose up. "Well..." Mag says softly, before trying to sound reassured, "I guess I jumped the gun! So we're gonna figure out what to do about... An upcoming problem, not a 'now' problem. Gotcha." That said, he sets Linear down and folds the Magnus back behind himself. When the robotic voice speaks up, all three of them try to follow the source, though Mag is the only one who's really obviously awed at the mere hint of a speaking robot. Linear wonders softly, "'Come down with?'", and Mag helps reinforce her question. "So is it like... An object that gets stuck in the body? Or is it something that some people just kinda make on their own? Like... A kidney stone that gives you powers?" Chain winces at that specific example though, and scolds him. "Don't make a comparison like that, dweeb! Guh, gross."
Mag	Mag sheepishly rubs his neck and looks at the floor for a moment, laughing awkwardly. "Err, sorry. I guess it's beside the point? So you're basically forecasting that because she got these powers, people will be coming after her. And she's so young there's no way she can do anything about it... Plus I bet having that kind of power when you're that young is pretty dangerous, if you get freaked out all of a sudden..." Linear is thoughtful for a few more moments, then asks, "'Pray on an Ultraman'..? Is it like... Giving away the powers to them..?"
Calvin Nash	Calvin arrives in his Marshal uniform, hearing the word 'trouble' and presuming this is a work call. He's there so soon that it's almost like he was waiting for a call to do something--because he was. As such, there's a few moments of waiting for the others to arrive, in which his COMP buzzes and he flips it open, only to immediately frown. Hell Biker: Still pissed off, huh? There is a moment wherein Calvin considers some kind of crude shutdown or just outright lying to hide a perceived vulnerability. He finds that, after the conversation a few nights ago, he simply doesn't have the energy for it. Calvin: yes im pissed. im pissed about how every single part of that conversation went. Hell Biker: Whoa. Wasn't expecting that. Calvin: what Hell Biker: No 'shut the hell up?' No closin' the COMP on me? Calvin: whatre you gonna do? tell somebody? everybody knows. Hell Biker: Well, yanno, I feel like you coulda shut up at any time, man. Calvin: i did. just too late. same as always. Calvin: its frustratin. i wake up early, i stay in shape, i take notes, i keep a tight schedule, i do what i say im gonna do and i speak up when somethin ain't right. i spin all these damn plates, keepin you and the team happy, to where i know how to do it with other people. except humans aint half as consistent as demons. Hell Biker: Whoa. You're almost starting to sound like me there. Calvin: every time i think im to where lilian trusts me, she turns around and spits in my eye. i was ready to head down there with her and have a conversation. instead i got 'drink a beer or whatever you do.' she flat out told the whole rest of the band that all i know how to do is knock people around and make demands. Hell Biker: I mean... you hit me all the time. Calvin: you invite that shit. besides. i know how to go about shit other ways. ive done it. shes seen me do it. all the rest of em too. but nobody stood up for me even a little bit. they dont respect me. cant even say itd be better if they did. just woulda made her feel ganged up on. Hell Biker: What're ya gonna do about it? Calvin chuckles mirthlessly. Calvin: right now? this. figure the rest out later. He flips the COMP screen closed, and exits the Marshal-issue light pickup he arrived at the park in, heading down the alley. There's a moment of uncomfortable waiting before the elevator opens up. Welcome and uh, let me introduce you to my roommates... "Laiha. Pega. Good to meetchall. Chevalier Calvin Nash, Commonwealth Paladins." He offers each a firm, brisk handshake. He then listens to the report with arms crossed, nodding along with each detail. "Yeah," he says, after the briefing. "I got a short term question and a long term question. Short term, what support do you need from us to keep her safe? And long term, if she can't get rid of it, she's gonna need to be able to defend herself or find a different way to get it outta there. Thoughts?"
Riku Asakura	Laiha smiles towards Sarracenia and bows in greeting to her. Pega accepts the hug gingerly, still a little shy about the personal space, but not wanting to disappoint a customer either. "You're welcome, Princess!' Pega says, "Just let me know if you need flowers again!" It was Pega's biggest order yet, and it was nice to have the money that came from that. "It's dangerous because typically the Little Stars are caught up in, or near, the fighting of the giant monsters. I'm sure Belial has something to do with it, but it's more for that reason. I don't want to put anyone in harm's way, you know?" Riku answers Sarracenia, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. Riku nods to Dysnomia, who has the right of it. Laiha nods to Dysnomia, "A pleasure," she says evenly. Again, much more serious than her counterpart, Riku. Pega looks a little intimidated by Dysnomia, though, but he does his best and manages a little wave from behind Riku. "With Kei? We had a run with him a while ago... he nearly killed Ultraman Zero, but uh... fortunately it didn't stick." Riku manages to say. "We don't know any way to shield the Little Stars or hide their power from notice. Having her here was the best we could do on short notice. Hopefully, being so far underground can keep her protected..." Riku pipes up, and then RE.M. speaks up about moving Mayu to a different land. "There is no guarantee that the trouble will not follow her into your kingdom, and put your subjects in danger," RE.M. informs Sarracenia. Riku turns to Dysnomia to answer her question about the powers disappearing. "I don't really know, to be honest with you..." but right now RE.M. steps in again to support Riku. "The original purpose of the Ultracapsules was to seal away power for later use. Ultramen were the best source of this, but monsters were too, but at great cost to the monster in question." Riku wonders about that, "Maybe the spirit of the Ultraman knows it'd be safer with another Ultraman than with the original person?" Flamel arrives, and upon hearing his name, Laiha looks disapprovingly at him and doesn't take his handshake. Instead, she gives him a polite bow, but keeps him at arm's length. It seems she doesn't share Riku's views on the special agent. Pega doesn't take his hand either, because he's afraid of the agent more than shy. He stays planted behind Riku. Flamel mostly gets the situation, which causes Riku to look a little nervous when he suggests the camp counselor path. "Well, uh... I dunno how good I'd be as a camp counselor..." though he can't just say no to it either, it would be a better path than putting the little girl into danger. "But I guess I'd try it at least... so what do you suggest?" Laiha is pleasant with Malkuth, though when she hears her name, she gives Riku a look. Riku is doing his best not to look directly at her, because he still feels guilty. Laiha bows to both Malkuth and Roland. Trying her best to be friendly. Pega, on the other hand, is a bit relieved by Malkuth, happy to meet someone so upbeat. Pega must have missed the talk about L-Corp. Laiha answers Malkuth, "They can come and go based on the person, too." She doesn't say how she knows this, however. "We do know why they leave a person, but the last thing we want is for her to be in any danger either." Unfortunately, this is the best information Leiha had about Little Stars. Laiha is pleasant with Mag, Chain, and Linear. Politely bowing, and of course, they are caught with curiosity about their equipment. The multiverse sure is an interesting place, she thinks. On the other hand, Pega is much more intimidated, especially by Chain, who reminds him of street punks. Like from the Television! When Chain comments on the Kidnapper bit, Pega looks surprised and aghast at the accusation. "I-I don't kidnap people!" "It is more like an energy that settles in a person,"
Riku Asakura	Laiha is pleasant with Calvin, having heard he was a coworker of Riku's. Riku has a positive opinion of Calvin, so it reflects in Laiha's opinion of him. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Nash," she says evenly enough. Pega, on the other hand, is still nervous, but manages his own bow for him. "Nice to meet you..." he gets out from behind Riku on this. "In the short term, we will need people to help defend her from monsters and any aliens that might want to exploit her. In the first picture, we showed you with the girl and the fire... well, her family was knocked out by aliens, and she was nearly kidnapped. Laiha basically rescued her, and that's when we met for the first time. She was the niece of my boss at the Galaxy Mart where I work part-time," Riku explains. "Long term, I don't know. If we can get the Little Star out of her, somehow, without putting her in any danger, that's good. Or maybe some way to hide it away from others while it gets resolved? I'm really not sure. The first step was getting her down into the base while we work out what to do," Riku admits. "I know it's not much of a plan, but... well, right now it's all we got. If we want to take her off-world, we'd have to make sure her family is in the know, but there is no guarantee that the problems won't follow." It was about this time that the elevator opened up again. This time, there were two people inside. One was a grey-suited, glasses-wearing man with short hair. He looked surprised to see so many people in the room, so much so that he looked towards Riku to ask, "Are these all of your friends here to help?" Riku nodded, "Yeah, they're from the Multiverse, we're trying to come up with a plan..." The second person is a little girl who, like many other little girls her age, is a bit nervous to be heading into a secret base. The first man, probably Leito, was holding her hand gently. In fact, he kneels to her and speaks softly, "This is where we're going to play today. In fact, would you like to meet someone..." Of course, this was part of an agreed-upon way to try and keep Mayu calm. Pega steps up, trying to be gentle and less nervous, and tries to hand Mayu a flower, obviously fake, but one of the ones he made recently. This, of course, scares the little girl back. "You promised you'd take me to the park today!" she complains to her father, before running back towards the elevator. What happens next is that a red and yellow gate opens, swirling with energy. It opens up perfectly sized for her, and she runs through it. It immediately closes behind her. This causes Leito to immediately look distressed. "She uh... has been doing that all day..." he probably means the portal. Laiha sighs and grabs something from a nearby wall. It looks like a blade wrapped up in cloth and slung over one shoulder. She walks to the elevator to take it up, "I'll try talking to her," She volunteers. The elevator doesn't close immediately, letting anyone who wants to come help Mayu calm down. However, if Flamel approaches, she immediately draws her sword and tells him firmly, "Not you."
Calvin Nash	Calvin taps in notes on his COMP as Riku answers, index darting between the keys, head bobbing in understanding. "Got it," he says. "Far as protectin' her, we can do that. But we want an action plan in place before we gotta. These people that're after Little Stars, if they're anything like that Fukuide, they ain't gonna make it easy." "So let's start with an escape route. First of all, where would y'all be keepin' her in here? Then, let's say somethin' keeps lookin'. Best bet is gonna be to get her out and quick--and they'll probably know that, too. I wanna know how many exits y'all got, and what Warpgates there are besides just the one we came through. Helps to have backups." "Then, far as hidin' that thing, I know people that could help, but it'd only last until or unless she uses it." Are these all of your friends here to help? Calvin sets his jaw. Is he? Or is he just here so that he isn't doing nothing? The question makes him avoid the gaze of the man in the suit, just long enough to realize that he's doing it--long enough for Mayu to run through the gate. "Mr. Leito?" He forces himself to meet the other man's gaze, stepping forward with an outstretched hand. "Chevalier Calvin Nash, Commonwealth Paladins. I'll be out there with Laiha in a second. 'Fore I go, it'd help to know how much Mayu knows. I don't wanna scare her or upset her none."
Angela	Malkuth has to assume that Riku's told Laiha that she doesn't like him and as such is determined to be as nice as possible to Laiha to make Riku look like a huge asshole. "It's lovely to meet you, Laiha, Riku's mentioned you a few times but it's great to get to put a face to the name. I hope we're able to help." She's still smiling her office lady / receptionist smile. "We cannot look after her all the time, of course, but if it is a matter of a specific threat to her well being, we can certainly do our level best to deal with it before it gets out of hand." ''Mayu!'' "Ahh, there she is--" Malkuth says, bending over to speak with her but then--she bolts!! "ahh...maybe we should...go after her?" She starts to move after Mayu but Roland puts a hand on her shoulder. "Nah, I've got done research here, and we don't want to overwhelm her. Can you stay here and learn more, feed me any important information?" Malkuth supposes that Roland IS a dad even if he's never seen his kid by virtue of being trapped in the Library and gestures to the elevator as Roland follows after Laiha, reaching into his coat and summoning from it a stuffed pink and yellow axolotl with a singular flower on its head. Has he come prepared??? "Mmm... In the meantime--" She looks to Leito. "Do you have a habit of breaking promises to your daughter?" She crosses her arms firmly.
Mag	Bows are mirrored by Mag and Linear, though Chain has a good excuse not to join in; bending forward would point that blade on the back of the Griffin at others! Unfortunately for Pega, being aghast doesn't prompt her to apologize properly, but she does back off the implication another step in her own way. "I got it, I got it, you're reformed right? Don't blow a gasket." Mag gives her a Look, squinty and judging, and Chain cranes her head further away and pouts her lip out just a little bit more. If Mag had the word 'problematic' in his dictionary, this would be the time for it, but... No luck. Mag and Linear soak up the information being shared, regardless of Chain's catlike disinterest. The retelling of another girl's near-kidnapping has Linear frowning and clasping her hands together in prayer-like concern, while Mag simultaneously grimaces in sympathy and shifts his hands to his hips. "Just keeping watch huh? Well, it makes sense. I wonder if we could get Pepper to hang around here..? She likes kids anyway. Gotta ask her later." When the elevator opens again behind them, the team all turn to look. Mag greets Leito first, "Oh hey! Glad you made it," with a big cheery smile and wave, and both he and Linear are perfectly in sync as they kneel down to Mayu's height. Unfortunately, before they can even begin to try and make a positive impression, the poor little girl has already made up her mind and fled! Linear whines softly, wondering "Did we scare her..?", but she and Mag both stand back up. They're both about to follow Laiha, but reflexively stop and step slightly aside when she draws the sword to brandish it toward Flamel, their hands going up initially while they figure out what's happening. "H-hey... Settle down, okay? I get that he's kind of a weird government guy and the mind reading stuff is spooky, but don't we have to focus on Mayu..?" Mag's beginning to see a pattern of distrust for Flamel specifically, but until someone spells it out to him he's not gonna get it. "... Look umm... A big group might spook her anyway. Linear, would you stick with Mister Parsons for a bit? Y'know, check on him. Chain, do you mind just helping us keep track of Mayu from above? I'll go with Miss Toba, and maybe we can help her calm down if I do some magic tricks or something. Sound good..?" The last bit is asked of Laiha, rather than Linear. He'd really rather not see anyone get stabbed today, regardless of the reasons. He's sidling toward the elevator slowly, hands still raised in peaceful surrender, a nervous little smile on his face. He does, at least, wait to hear Calvin's question get answered though. "Right... Good call Mister Nash. I'd be stressed out too if people started throwing a bunch of concepts at me I didn't know about. As for her future..." Mag pauses, slightly hesitant and thoughtful, before making a note in addendum to Calvin's suggestion about the possibility of concealing the Little Star up until it's used again. "So umm, I wouldn't go with this as the first plan, but if it comes down to it... Linear might be able to, well, help Mayu get better control? I'd rather not get into it too much unless it's really necessary, and for someone so young it'd be kinda messed up to put her through superpower training like that, but... Y'know. Just so the idea's out there."
Sarracenia	Sarra has had limited interactions with Dysnomia. And the few she -has- had haven't really been positive. So, she doesn't really greet Dysnomia. Flamel on the other hand, Sarra has a mostly positive opinion of. He seems to genuinely want to help. So, she is somewhat confused when Flamel receives some hostility from a few here. Perhaps working for a vague and ominous organization is bad, but Flamel seems good in Sarra's experience. Sarra offers him a smile when she can. "Mr. Parsons. Good to see you." she says before listening to his insights and suggestions. Roland is here. With Malkuth. They are both playing nice, so Sarra tries to keep from frowning and glaring too much. But, one or both will definitely notice a cold look. Roland much more than Malkuth though, since Sarra's only complaint against Malkuth is that they ended up on opposite sides. Mag, Linear, and Chain receive a friendly smile from Sarra. "Hello again! I am not sure I expressed it before, but thank you three for your help last time! I have a feeling we would have been much harder pressed if you had not been there." 'Well you don't sound like a kidnapper, I guess.' Sarra mmmphs in annoyance. "Pega is a sweetheart who would not hurt a fly. I would ask that you not disparage him, much less in front of me." Calvin is here, and once again is greeted amicably. "Hello Marshal. Are you...alright?" she asks, noticing his mood. Laiha bows instead of hugging, and Sarra respects this by curtseying in return. Pega though, gets a big hug. "I may very well take you up on that~" she says cheerfully. 'I don't want to put anyone in harm's way, you know?' 'There is no guarantee that the trouble will not follow her into your kingdom, and put your subjects in danger' Sarra sighs softly and crosses her arms. "Yes, I suppose you are both right..." she says unhappily. The elevator arrives with their guests, and Sarra offers a warm smile and a curtsey. "Greetings! Yes, I am a friend of Riku's!" Surely meeting a princess will help a little girl to- Nope, she is off through a portal apparently of her own making before Sarra even gets to her being a princess. Sarra is left staring at the spot. She blinks a few times before shaking her head and giggling a bit. "I will join you, Laiha." she says, moving to the elevator. She stops as she is passing Leito, and curtseys again. "Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom." she says before continuing toward the elevator. "Do not worry! We will ensure that Mayu returns safely." Sarra very nearly reconsiders as Roland seems to be headed with them.
Dysnomia	While they continued to go over the details, Dysnomia couldn't help but feel the weight of Zenna's suspicions, drawing a line. Monster attacks drive Little Stars to desperation. Little Stars pray to the Ultraman come to save them. Powers consolidate within Geed. It was neat and tidy. Elegant. Troubling. Mayu and hder father coming in distract her, briefly, from the thought. Dysnomia isn't good with kids--she's pretty sure. Every time she's around one, she feels like an awkward bull, about to nudge her shoulder into something and send it clattering to the ground. The last time she'd done it, she's fairly sure she'd somehow made a stressed magical girl MORE stressed. Dysnomia looked away, awkwardly as Mayu was led in, as if her gaze was something that might risk fracturing Mayu on its own. When the girl runs away, she turns to the other adults, as if by not acknowledging the problem it might simply disappear. "...You mentioned one of the other Little Stars." Dysnomia says ,aloud. "Was the child of your boss? And this child is the daughter of Ultraman Zero's host." She leans on the strange, circular table, the orange light casting deep shadows across her face. "What about the others? Any connection?" "Is it possible that there's something about the Ultramen that can bring about these changes?" "And long term, if she can't get rid of it, she's gonna need to be able to defend herself or find a different way to get it outta there. Thoughts?" She frowns, mentally chiding herself. "Of course." She'd been thinking too broad. "I highly doubt she'll let herself be locked away." As if that was the main protest. "And realistically, we can't hold watch over her forever." "You said their powers are like ultramen." She considered. "If she's near a source of something near enough to your 'light,' think that could mask it?"
Flamel Parsons	Spurned and rejected, Flamel... basically seems not to mind! He isn't focused on who does and doesn't like him, as long as Riku is willing to take his input. Though Sarra's a nice, pleasant alternative. "Hi, Your Highness! Always a pleasure." He makes a dismissing little wave at Riku's reluctance. "Trust me," He says. "There's no such thing as natural talent for children. Society on Earth has constructed a world where the nurturing urge actually can't guide actions anymore. It's all manual! As long as you have the motivation, you can figure it out. Besides, it's that or the kid gets in danger, right? That's not much of a choice at all, actually, which means I'm basically coercing you into doing what I want." He beams, so, so cheerfully. He meets the child, obvserves the gate... When she leaves, he moves to join. When Laiha rejects him, he stops, and puts his hands up, still not breaking his smile. "It's my specialty," He says. "And if you're worried about psychic issues, you know I'm actually bound by the Young Minds Protection Act and forbidden from engaging in genuine psychonautry towards anyone under the age of thirteen." That's not likely to budge her. "Well, anyway, think a firm, loud panic if she's under threat and I'll come running!" Well, keep focusing on what one can do. Flamel takes Riku aside. "Children," He says. "Want mental stimulation most of all. They're growing minds. They want new information and experiences, especially if they've seen that information and those experiences in fragmentary data they've gotten in other places. Stuff they see on TV! But also, stuff they see grown-ups doing, that they might want to learn. And what's more grown-up than the type of guy who grows-up more than anyone in the world?" Looks like he has a plan. He taps the side of his head, briefly gesturing at Calvin and Dysnomia. "I'm working on something lately and her teleporting might be just the ticket. The ultimate method for her to be safe, and freely enriched -- and obscured by an immediate source of Ultraman-type light energy." He gestures broadly. "Want me to see if she'd like to spend some time inside the head of a cool hero of light? You could be the one to bear the psychic vulnerability, you'd keep her safe, and she'd be in the perfect place to 'pray' about things. And it'd be an interesting and enriching place full of activity, with very few threats! Your deepest-- Hang on." He grabs the sides of Riku's head, and one thousand psychic images flash on his eyes. "Okay, yeah, there we go -- your deepest insecurities are child-safe." He says, in an easygoing tone.
Riku Asakura	Riku looks put off by the questions, not because he's being asked but because, well... he doesn't have great answers. "Well... the only way in and out is the elevator you took in. There are no other ways in and out. We have rooms in the back, which is where we wanted to keep her for the time being. As for warpgates, I only know of the central one in the city. I don't know of any other ones nearby," Riku admits. Calvin's handshake is answered; fortunately, Leito knows enough about other cultures to know the more traditional forms of greeting, which come with his job. "Yes, I'm Leito Igaguri. Nice to meet you, Mr. Nash," he says somewhat distractedly because his little girl just disappeared on him, again. "She doesn't know anything, other than she seems to know how to teleport. I don't think she understands how dangerous the situation is yet, and uh... I didn't want to upset her either." Leito is already in the elevator to go up with Laiha. Laiha smiles nicely at Malkuth, "Oh, has he? I hope it's been good things he's said about me..." She eyes Riku, who nods vigorously. Despite their friendship, he does have some fear of her. Riku nods to Malkuth, though, "Yeah, I don't expect you to look after her all the time. We just need to keep her safe until we get a better plan." Laiha looks towards Roland and eyes the axolotl. "You came prepared, I see," She says with a voice full of respect for the man. Leito, on the other hand, is getting grilled by Malkuth, "Of course not... we just don't get to spend as much time together as I wish we could, I'm often working until she goes to bed. Today was a rare day off with her, but then... she started teleporting away from me to get to the park faster." Pega looks even more aghast at Chain, "I've never kidnapped anyone!" Leito smiles at Mag, who greets him. He's about to provide him with his card, but then Mayu bolts, which causes the whole situation to go awry. Leito looks distressed at his daughter running away from him. "Maybe there are a little too many people here at once for her..?" he answers Linear. Laiha, on the other hand, eyes Mag and slides the blade away. "Just making a point," she says. She doesn't look angry, just no nonsense at the situation. She lets Mag come in the elevator without harassing him. Nodding to his plan with the others. Linear's scans are going to be easy for her because the Little Star holder lets out a large energy signal. It seems she's at the playground that you passed on the way in. "Better control is good, but it doesn't hide the fact that she's a bearer of a Little Star. I agree, going through any training for a power would be dangerous for a little girl's mental health at this age," Laiha says. She looks troubled by this talk of Little Stars and little girls. Mayu bounces before Sarra can properly greet her. She might be impressed by a Princess, but right now, she's overwhelmed. Also, sort of mad at her dad. When Sarracenia offers to go up with Laiha, she nods to the princess. "That's fine with me." Leito, on the other hand, is dizzy from all of the superheroes he's getting to meet today, and when a Princess comes across his path, he bows again. "Uh, nice to meet you! I haven't met a real princess before..." Oddly, Leito seems to undergo a change in attitude and personality suddenly, speaking with a different tone, and even pulling his glasses off. "I am often telling Leito not to worry about things, but he always finds a way to do so." The shift is a temporary one, because Leito speaks up again in his normal tone, trying to get his glasses on, "I don't always worry, Zero.." Dysnomia's question gets Riku's attention.
Riku Asakura	"Well, I think she had the powers before I became an Ultraman. Before the attack of the red-horned monster, she could melt ice cream from a completely frozen state by just holding it in her hands. Zero wasn't even on Earth yet," Riku finishes, "So I don't think there is a connection there. I also don't know if there is something about Ultramen that brings about these changes, but the Little Star stuff has been happening on Earth for at least a little bit." RE.M. speaks up when it comes to keeping Mayu, "I don't think there is any way to actually keep her, especially with Ultraman Zero's ability to create portals like that." Riku speaks up about the concealing option and shakes his head. "I can't stay as an Ultraman for very long, and on this world, neither can Zero. So I don't think that plan could work very well." Riku listens to Flamel, who goes on about what a child needs and how best to connect with a child, and finishes it with 'you basically have no choice on the matter, which seems to upset him a little. He doesn't like having no choice in matters. Especially when it comes to little kids. He sighs dramatically and shakes his head in distress. When Flamel comes up with a plan to literally implant Mayu in his head, he raises both hands and waves them. "I really don't think that's a good idea, and what about her family. She needs them at this age still, right?" Riku looks around for help from the others, because this plan seems /very/ crazy. It doesn't help when He's grabbed by Flamel and gets image bombed to see if he has any non-child-safe insecurities. Zero takes over Leito again and stares at Flamel from the elevator, "You're not putting my daughter in anyone's head," And the moment he regains control of his body, Leito seems to look up as if looking at himself. "She's my daughter, but I agree with Zero," he says, looking at Flamel. "Uh, maybe we go back to the other thing you suggested..." Riku tries to interject. The elevator goes up, taking people who went with Laiha back to the surface. Linear can direct the group to the park, which is really close to where they come out. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to find Mayu; she's on a slide that seems to have a concrete path up to the top, and she's sitting there with a saddened expression. Leito tries first, walking up to her and trying to take her along back with him, but she immediately pulls away and looks up at him. "You promised me we'd play today. Why do you want to take me to that place!" Leito, sadly, didn't have the right words, sighing and, of course, not trying to force his daughter to go anywhere she didn't want to go. On the same token, he doesn't want her to be in any danger... It's a tough one for him to decide on what action to take. Laiha walks up from the bottom of the slide and offers her hand to the young girl. "Want to play with me for a bit?" She says a bit cheerfully. She gives Leito a look to let him know she'll do something. She motions for the others to come with her as she takes Mayu to the swings.
Calvin Nash	Hello Marshal. Are you...alright? "I will be," Calvin says, stepping into the elevator. It is the tone of someone who knows that it's true, in an abstract sense, but has no idea how long it's going to take, much less what's wrong, necessarily. "Thanks for askin'." I highly doubt she'll let herself be locked away. "I wouldn't wanna suggest that. She didn't ask to have that thing, and she deserves to be out there doin' kid stuff." She doesn't know anything, other than she seems to know how to teleport. I don't think she understands how dangerous the situation is yet, and uh... I didn't want to upset her either. With a sigh, he rubs his palm over his face, and lets his hand return to his hip. "Teleportin' ain't the worst, far as bein' able to defend herself. So there's that. But a city block is a couple of steps for one of them bigguns like y'all get around here, and you can't exactly train somebody to use somethin' they just... up and found, one day. Not half as easy as somethin' they learned how to do. Not to mention I didn't know she was that little." Today was a rare day off with her, but then... she started teleporting away from me to get to the park faster. Up topside, with Linear guiding them, and Laiha taking the lead on talking to Mayu, there's time to gather more information and work on something more long-term. "So she can pick where she wants to go. How far's she able to go?" he asks Leito, softly so as not to be overheard by Mayu. "Somethin' up and scares her, we wanna be able to plan for her boltin' before we can get to her. Best case," he says, "Work out a safe place for her to go to for one of our faster people to zip off to and pick her up while the rest of us keep whatever it is busy."
Sarracenia	'I am often telling Leito not to worry about things, but he always finds a way to do so.' Sarra blinks a few times as the tone and mannerisms change, but thankfully Leito makes it clear what happened by mentioning Zero. Sarra blinks once more, then smiles warmly. "Well...I think it is what parents do. Worry about their daughters. And...daughters do not always appreciate it." she says in a somewhat sad tone. "I know all too well what worrying too much can do to a child. And broken promises are quite serious. You will have to make it up to her." she says. 'Thanks for askin'.' Sarra offers a slight smile. "You are welcome. If there is any way I can help, do let me know." Once they have found Mayu, Sarra follows after Laiha. "Yes! This looks like a very fun park! You simply must play with us~" Sarra says, though a glance toward Leito makes it clear she thinks he should join them. He is the one that Mayu wants to play with, after all. And...hopefully a 30-year old princess with an eyepatch is still somewhat awe-inspiring to a child. Sarra returns her attention to Mayu. "Parks are quite fun indeed, but there are many games we can play indoors as well! One of my favorites is dress-up! As a princess I have access to quite a wide selection of outfits." She pauses. "And plushies!" Beat. "...and snacks!" She really hasn't dealt with a lot of children.
Flamel Parsons	Flamel looks incredulously at Riku, pursing his lips. "Wait," He says. "How long did melting the ice cream take? Kids love to melt ice cream in their hands. Sometimes that's just normal." No, idiot. "Oh, you meant basic pyrokinetics. Alright, understandable. Sounds like she's been doing a lot for a while! I'm more than certified to help, " If Linear is checking Flamel, she'll find his mind in a decent spot. Rebuilt, refreshed, and through no small credit to her, restored to at least its previous upward trend of recovery plus a little extra. At least, that's the feeling of any effort to apply the green lights. "Alright. No go on the other plan? I suppose," He beams. "That means you're interested in being more of a traditional counselor! I'll teach you all the essentials. Good-but-not-great food, good-but-not-great guitar, total frugality in youth-supporting activities, and most importantly, fulfillment of a child's emotional needs as a larger-than-life social figure that can't be a valid substitute for any parental figure." "Let me work you through that, and then, after a few days guiding her around through the play that she's interested in, and enough agonizing turmoil and mutual feelings of distressed helplessness, she'll want Riku's help enough that her Little Star might resolve with no need for combat at all!" He plants his hands on his waist, satisfied with the idea. "Ready to give that a go?"
Angela	Malkuth isn't going to LIE and say Riku talked shit!! "Only the highest praise." Malkuth promises. But even with Leito's explanation, she doesn't entirely let him off the hook. "Mm..." She says. "That might as well be a bunch of broken promises in this case. You're not around often and theo ne day you're free you're ready to break it, of course she's going to be upset. She's already being super patient with you in her eyes because of how often you already are away. I know you can't exactly skip on work, but if you aren't in careful your broken promise will put her in the very danger you're trying to protect her from." MEANWHILE ''You came prepared, I see.'' "Well I'm a dad who is away too much myself." Roland quips. "So I think a lot about how my kid would be thinking about it. That's actually why I came--I'd feel like an utter heel if a friend of a friend's kid got hurt because it technically wasn't my problem." He feels strongly about this! But he comes along and quietly offers the stuffed axolotl to Leito and says, "I've been holding onto this for you like you asked, but you should probably hand it over to her yourself." He pauses a moment as Sarracenia tries to appease Mayu herself, honestly a little curious to see if it helps, doesn't work, or hurts. He has a lot of opinions on how to hang out with kids. ''You promised me we'd play today. Why do you want to take me to that place!'' To be clear, Roland would absolutely seize Mayu away from playtime and chuck her into a protective vault like they had just been in if that was the option to keep her safe, he is absolutely the sort of person who is more concerned with keeping his family safe above all else and if the kid is grumpy about it that's a pretty small price to pay for you not outliving your kid. But that doesn't mean he's eager to start with that. "Your dad's just worried for your safety. There's been a lot of dangerous stuff going around lately." Roland says. "But we're real tough bodyguards so you don't have to worry. But dads can't help but worry, it's sort of their job. So I hope you can forgive him. Could you give it a shot?"
Mag	Linear had been a little on edge while Mag was trying to deescalate with Laiha, but once the sword is sheathed she manages to relax a little... Though she still seems a bit unhappy to be splitting up from Mag again. "Check in soon..." she insists to him, and Mag takes a little breath before nodding. "Of course, Linear." Chain looks at poor distraught Pega one more time, puffs a bit of air like she doesn't get why he's so upset, and turns to join Mag in the elevator; she was asked along, and that's a good enough excuse not to stick around and deal with the consequences of her careless words. Good for her..? Linear doesn't actually have any scanning or informational powers for this situation; Chain will be the eyes in the sky once they're up top again, though it likely won't be very hard for her as long as Mayu doesn't run off again immediately. Linear is going to do just as Mag suggested and stick with Flamel and anyone else who's staying behind in Nebula House for now, finding a seat with him and placing her hands on his head and the back of his neck to channel that green light Flamel mentioned before; her hands are aglow like fireflies as she wishes for his wellness, pouring energy into him. It might be more difficult to heal the kind of psychic attack he took if it were anyone else that took it, but Flamel himself is suited for guiding the energy toward that goal better than most. It's likely not even healing him directly, so much as providing his own psychic mending with more resources- temporary extra manpower in the Parsons Institute, perhaps, to do all the little menial tasks that have been piling up. If her nature has any influence on their visualization, they're probably closer to round blobby yellow mascot dogs, with googly eyes and big floppy ears; the personification of a helpful and kind cartoon dog that Linear used to be obsessed with as a child. Mag is... Reticent about Flamel's full plan. He doesn't really get how any of it works, but assuming the mechanics are all sound and evaluating the result still makes him hesitant. When Riku objects on the grounds of not wanting to split Mayu from her family in particular, he nods in morose agreement. "... She wants more time with her dad, not less, right? I did too at her age. I think I'd lash out pretty bad if someone put me in a... Room full of toys, or whatever, and locked me in. But, y'know, it's not hopeless. First we gotta earn her trust, then between us, I'm sure we've got all kinds of cool stuff to keep her interest with, right?" Chain is confused about Leito's change in demeanor, but Mag starts to catch on to something and signals her to hold in her quips. Taking the alternate demeanor with as much earnest faith as possible, Mag tries to be reassuring. "Well... I don't blame you- err, him, you know? Dads have a lot to think about. So, y'know, let's knock one thing off the list if we can?"
Mag	The elevator carries the group up and outside, where Chain promptly gives a cheeky half-salute again and rises into the sky on the flameless thrust of her jetpack, to keep an eye on things and stay out of the way. "Gimme a shout if something goes screwy, I'll be here." Mag, in turn, follows Leito and Laiha, letting them make the first impression as well as they can and stepping closer only after it seems like Laiha is getting somewhere. He doesn't want to crowd the little girl, so he stays a few steps away and stays in her periphery, leaning around the others to smile at her disarmingly on the way to the swings. "Things have been weird for you lately, huh Mayu? Not getting to do the stuff you were looking forward to, and feeling like everything's more complicated than it should be, I bet." The sympathy in his face comes completely naturally, since this is the kind of feeling he remembers a lot of from when he was a kid, albeit for different reasons. But the real thing he wants to ask is, "I bet you've got a lot of feelings about it. You really wanted to just play at the park today, right? Then... Let's play for a while. And if you have questions, or you just wanna complain about things, just let it all out as much as you want okay?" He tries his very best grin, to make it feel like everything will be okay by example. "I'm Mag. I know some magic tricks, if you like those. Or we can all just play games together here until you're tired. And if you think you'll get lonely in the hideout, I know a cool big sister who'll talk your ear off. Does any of that sound good, Mayu?"
Riku Asakura	Leito turns to Calvin when he starts asking questions. He doesn't have the answers, but here Zero seems to know. He takes control of Leito's body, which is easy to tell because he takes the glasses off and his intonation is different. "If it's based on my powers, she could go clear across the city easily. I use it to go across dimensions. I think she's more limited by her age, but she likely has to know the place she's going, or at least can see it." Leito regains control of his body and places his glasses back on. "I think if she gets really scared, she'll probably go back to our apartment." This seems to make the most sense to him. "She isn't in school yet, so I can't think of any other places she would go. I hope we can at least convince her that Nebula House is a safe place for her." Mayu IS actually pretty hype about a princess wanting to play with her. Leito waves to the two, but seems willing to let Laiha have a shot at trying to get his daughter to join them at Nebula House. Mayu, on the other hand, seems to be listening to Sarracenia as she goes on about things she can do indoors. "You're a real Princess?" She asks innocently. "Do you think I can be a Princess when I grow up?" she asks with that same innocence. She swings her arms from side to side, more excited than scared now. It seems not being hit with things all at once is helping. "But I like being outdoors the most, there are parks and... trees and butterflies and places to play hide and seek..." She DOES consider the dress up from Sarracenia, though. "Do you have any dresses in my size?" Leito gets scolded on his way out the door, and he looks genuinely heartbroken about it. "I'll try better, but I just want her to be safe..." he says. Laiha looks over at Roland and nods once to him, "That's really good of you, I'm glad Riku's got such supportive friends out there. On the surface, Leito is offered the cute plushy. He is confused at first, but then gets it. "A-ha, right, thanks for holding it, sir," Leito, in fact, does walk over to Mayu, kneeling to her and offering the stuffed animal. Her face brightens at the gift, and she squeezes it to her chest.
Riku Asakura	She gives her father a hug, which he returns. Mayu turns to look at Roland, who is a little scary but also radiates some dad energy. She looks up at him for a moment before asking, "Do...I need bodyguards?" She asks the only way a six-year-old can. Laiha actually speaks up, "You know about the teleporting you can do lately, right? It's because bad people will want to take you away from your dad because of that power..." she starts, trying to best express it to a child. "I had a power once, too. A red-horned monster came after me, and because of that...well..." she takes a breath, "I lost my parents. Your father doesn't want you to get hurt." Mayu seems to understand this, and Laiha continues, "There is a bad man who can make monsters appear, and I'm looking for him. So you don't have to worry about it; we'll all protect you. But... we must take you somewhere safe, alright?" Mayu, after her hug and listening to Laiha, looks at Mag. He's another person from the Multiverse, and more to that, he seems to be talking to her. "I don't think it's complicated. Teleporting is fun!" she says, beaming brightly at him. "Though I think it's a little sad that people are afraid something will happen to me... I'm okay, right?" Though when the topic changes, she claps her hands together, "Magic tricks? What kind of magic tricks can you do? Can you make things disappear?" When he offers up a big sister, she looks a little intimidated, "Is she like a bodyguard too?" After some time to decompress and start to understand the situation, as well as remembering that teleporting isn't something she could do until recently, she is much calmer. She understands the situation she is inasmuch that a six-year-old could, and holds her dad's hand. "Okay, I'll come play in that other place..." she says, a bit concerned but not afraid.
Riku Asakura	----------------- At the base... To Flamel, he answers questions first, "Oh, like... seconds? She held it in the container. I even checked the fridge it was in. Though hot hands are another sign of a Little Star, for her, it was much more potent. Thankfully, she doesn't do that anymore, ever since she gave up the Little Star..." Riku is forced to listen to Flamel's plan on becoming a camp counselor. To him, it's madness. "Why not great food..? I can't play the guitar..." he starts trying to keep up with Flamel's list of criteria. "Wait, I can do frugal, but why do they need to be cheap?" He continues, "So wait, not a replacement for a parent, but larger than life? How do I do that..?" Riku tries to engage this but is being lost rapidly. "I... still don't think I understand the basics, but I'll try anything that keeps Mayu out of danger." Riku looks at Linear and the green energy. He conflates green energy (and sometimes blue energy) with healing energy. "Did... something happen to you lately, Flamel?" he asks, pointing towards the healing Linear.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia can hardly believe it! Her being a princess was appreciated! She smiles so brightly at Mayu! "I am indeed a real princess! And, as it turns out, you can be a princess when you grow up! Though, unfortunately the only way if you were not born a princess is to marry a prince. Buuuut..." She smiles conspiratorially, "...it is alright not being a real princess. You can still dress up like a princess, have parties, and other such things." Sarra's smile fades a bit, but not entirely, when Mayu says she likes being outside. "I do enjoy being outside as well. It is much harder to find butterflies and trees and flowers inside. But! One thing about having a princess as a friend..." Sarra reaches into her purse, and pulls out a bouquet of flowers, a dozen or so, arranged in the very rainbow of colors she described earlier and offers it to Mayu. "...you -can- have flowers indoors!" she exclaims cheerfully. "And of course I have a dress in your size! One moment!" She starts rummaging around in her purse, mmphs softly, rummages some more, huffs, then almost sticks her face in to look. "...I know it is here somewhere...!" she rummages some more, then finally gasps. "Ah-hah!" She pulls out a dress much like her own, but in powder blue, and in Mayu's size! Sarra giggles happily. "Once we have reached that underground house, we can get you changed~" she says, doing a little twirl that makes her hair and her dress flair out elegantly. It seems that Mayu is ready to head down now. Sarra is unsure how much she helped, but unlike many times she -is- sure she helped this time! She nods along with Laiha as she explains the dangers. "But, do not worry. You will have plenty of fun in that safe place. And we will be working to ensure you can come to the park again as soon as possible."
Angela	Roland might be a little scary by nature even without considering the fact he's a near Color Grade Fixer who was an assassin by trade who has fought in the most awful war in his lifetime. But it isn't something he wants to pass on to children, so he can be a bit of a dad too. There's a softness in his eyes, even if the rest of him looks like it's been through shit--just look at his brow and his mouth that always seems to be at least halfway grimacing even as it's smiling at Mayu. Telling Mayu the full story isn't just something he feels is his responsibility, it's a bit of a suggestion to Leito. He feels kids can handle the truth, especially if you take the time to carefully explain. You don't have to share everything, but the world does have danger--you can't protect them from even the knowledge of it. And that's especially true for someone from The City. "That's right." Roland tells her. "You know, I actually know someone who can teleport around like you do." Oh he probably shouldn't actually introduce them to one another. He's starting to get an idea that the person he has in mind might actually be kind of--not great of a person. "But you're much more kind and understanding." He nods a little once Mayu seems to understand and straightens himself up, stretching his hands above his head. He looks at Sarracenia, for a moment, his face a quiet mask before he looks over to Leito, figuring he doesn't need any more help here. And he's starting to feel a little sad, something he can't entirely obscure from his own expression, even though he tries by not looking at anyone directly.
Mag	It's for the best that Mayu's an empathetic girl, Mag thinks as she seems to come to accept the circumstances a bit more without needing to be pushed, or even especially doted on. The gifted plushie and the honest talk from Laiha do enough of the work that Mag slides his tone a little further away from 'sympathetic' and more toward silly and friendly. More than anything, it seems to relieve him that she doesn't see her new powers as something to be scared of. "You're such a brave girl, Mayu! I get what you mean, though, about it feeling a bit sad for everyone to be worried. But, you're okay. Your dad is super cool and strong, and aaaaall of the people that showed up today are gonna make sure you don't have to be scared." The shift in topic is well timed; he doesn't want to bring Mayu's mood down by being too serious, and he did offer games and magic tricks for a reason. "'Course I can! Look, I've got this robot arm, it lets me do all kinds of stuff, see?" Mag unfurls the Magnus from his back, letting its white-gloved hand fold out from the arm-casing with a super-robot style kachunk, and shows it off by wiggling the fingers and 'conjuring' a red rubber ball in its palm. There's no actual magic involved, and he's not actually a very experienced stage magician, but the arm can move so fast to let out or store away the things inside of it that it might as well be the same thing. He knows a couple of other tricks too, like how to make a coin disappear without the help of his Cyframe, but if she really presses him he's gonna run out of new tricks in a few minutes tops. As for the 'big sister', Pepper, he happily answers, "Well, bodyguard isn't really her job, but she is really strong. But mostly, I just wanted you to know that if you were lonely, there's lots of people who can come visit you who'd love to meet you. Pepper's really nice, though she's a bit of a tease. And she loves stories!" Sure, he thought of Pepper partly because she's capable enough to bodyguard for Mayu, but he doesn't want to frame it that way. He just knows deep in his heart what it feels like for a kid to think they're completely alone, like nobody will ever listen to them. Better to give her as much hope as possible, so that she won't feel like she has to hold herself back when she needs something.
Calvin Nash	I think if she gets really scared, she'll probably go back to our apartment. Calvin nods. Out of the whole city, that's at least one place--which makes it easy to coordinate, especially with Mayu herself. 'Run home' is something every kid understands. "We can work with that," he nods. ... Back inside with Mayu, Calvin sighs with relief. He doesn't like it when kids are upset, and complicated situations like this can do exactly that, if they aren't handled well. He gives Leito, Laiha, Mag and Sarracenia a thumbs-up, a way to say 'that was well-done' without saying it out loud. "Mr. Leito," he says. "Ask you a favor?" Flipping up the screen of his COMP, he looks at Leito over the monitor. "Could I get the address to your place? My COMP here's got a mappin' program. I'd like to run out to my truck and take a look at the neighborhood, get the lay of the land." He takes a step conspiratorially closer, lowering his voice so as not to be heard by Mayu, "And if there's one of them little gas stations near, you could tell me what you and the little lady's favorite snacks are and I'll pick some up on the way back."
Mag	Back inside afterward, between whatever else Mayu wants to ask him or wants him to show her, he sees Calvin's thumbs up and bashfully scratches his nose. Then, perhaps gambling a little, he reaches out to try and fistbump Calvin. It reeks of the way a suck-up teenager tries to cement himself as 'cool' with an authority figure, but it's well-meant in his head at least. He reaches out to do the same to Laiha too if she'll accept a fistbump, this time more to compliment her efforts than to revel in his success. Leaning in when he hears conspiratorial murmuring, Mag adds to Leito and Calvin, "The snack run is a great idea. Actually, let me throw my hat-I'm-not-wearing in the ring; I can ask Gre to make some home-made takeout, so when me or the team swing by we can leave some decent food for you all. Y'know, some different stuff from your usual. Hopefully that'll make hanging out here more fun?"
Flamel Parsons	Flamel makes a dismissing motion at Riku. He actually doesn't know what his relationship with the AIB is, but he likes to pretend that he's above it all and viewing it from a bird's-eye-view so he explains, "Oh, I was trying to make some inroads with locals and someone filled my mind with the dark corruption. She helped me on the recovery." He explains. "There's a lot of extra mental energy in here now. It's helping me after I ran a heavy purge on infected departments." --- Green light is flowing in through cracks in the Parsons Institute walls. Funding, manpower, and interns... There are truly no greater boosts to the lifeblood of a large organization like this. The Director clacks through the halls on his cane with a sense of satisfaction. --- "Not being able to play the guitar is great! You've already got your first step on being able to mostly play three or four songs decently." He says, clapping Riku's back in a friendly way. "The important part is the larger-than-life element though. You've grown big physically, even mentally, sometimes emotionally, but you need to grow big socially too. You need to be the crack in the door to a larger world, even when that world stinks! You need to be someone who seems like a sign that there's something more. Then, she'll want your help more than anything. If a prayer to Ultraman is what she needs to do, that should do it." "You could let me mess with your head until you can do it normally, without learning! But, I'll be happy to teach." Flamel wags his finger a bit. "Part of it, though, is that you'll have to show her just enough of what you do that she'll feel something about it. A peek at meeting all these friends of yours is one part. Just a little of your work as Geed, not enough to be dangerous but a little fragment, is another good start. Little vulnerabilities go far in making someone young learn about the bigger, wider world. At least, that's how we Psychonauts do it, when we're on camp counselor duty." He grins wide. "And you could always send her off to Whispering Rock! We know how to handle a little spoonbender like her, with her pyrokinetics and her teleportation and all that. Sasha Nein would love to meet someone with a fragment of alien material in them. Or you could handle it yourself." There it is with the implicit 'you must' again...
Calvin Nash	Calvin has never gotten a fistbump before. It's still Calvin, so he's not going to ask what it is because the way Mag is doing it implies that he should know what it is. Unfortunately this just results in him looking at Mag expectantly with his hands on his hips.
Mag	Sadly, after a moment of being left hanging Mag can only give up on the fistbump. He starts to move his mouth for a moment like he's going to explain what it is, thinks better of it, and leaks a quietly defeated sigh instead. Assuming Calvin had simply deflected him for his temerity, Mag offers a "... My bad." and pretends to refocus on the conversation. He is, in fact, going to fixate on that moment for a while.
Angela	Roland looks at Calvin for a moment. He reaches out to fistbump Mag's hand but Mag already dropped his hand so it just looks like he's punching the air in front of Mag's face. "..." He shoves his hand into his pocket and tries to play it off as cool actually.
Riku Asakura	Sarracenia explains the path to becoming a princess. Mayu frowns at first at being told that she just can't grow up into being a princess..., but a prince could come along... this gets her imagination going. Her face brightens as the flowers come out. She exclaims and takes the flowers into her little hands. She giggles when Sarracenia has a hard time getting the dress, but is also astonished when she does eventually get it. "Okay!" she says to Sarra, ready to get back to Nebula House, and of course, dress up like a princess! Roland informs that there is someone who can teleport as she does. She looks curious, but Roland compliments her on being kind and understanding. "Dad says you should be nice and listen to people," She says brightly. She's glad that her efforts are being seen and rewarded. Leito nods towards Roland, thankful for the help... father to father. Mag says her dad is super strong and super cool, and she brightens at him, too. She has a good opinion of her father, even if he's working all the time. She's still a little nervous that she needs this many bodyguards, but is easily distracted by the robot arm. She claps her hands together when it comes out. When the red ball appears, she claps again, very much entertained by the 'magic' tricks. "Pepper is her name? I'd like to meet Ms. Pepper sometime!" she says, more excited to meet someone new. "Does she have a robot arm too?" Leito looks up at Calvin when he asks for a favor. Leito nods, of course, the man's helping him out with his daughter. When he asks for his address so he can get the lay of the land and probably so he has an easy way to their house in case Mayu gets scared, he nods. "Of course," he says, and provides the address for Calvin. For the choice of snacks, Leito looks thoughtful, "Well, I like onigiri, and Mayu likes galbo," Calvin might not know these snacks by their name. "Thanks," Leito adds. Mag says he can get a friend to cook for them, and Leito looks surprised. "Nebula House has a stocked kitchen now," Laiha pipes in, looking over towards Sarracenia with a knowing smile. ----------------- At Nebula House... Riku tilts his head at Flamel, locals? He isn't sure what the dark corruption is about, but it sounds serious. Though he doesn't get a solid answer about it, he is left feeling with more questions about it. Of course, this is Flamel; he's always feeling like there are more questions. Flamel also goes on about how NOT playing the guitar is the first step to being able to play a few songs. "I'm not following..." he says, though that seems to be forgotten, and more importantly, he is told about how he needs to be larger socially. He isn't following entirely along, but he does sort of get the vibe he's reaching for a little. 'You could let me mess with your head...' "Absolutely not," Riku says firmly. There is enough of that happening right now, and the last thing he wants is that. When he mentions Whispering Rock, he shakes his head. "I don't think that's a good idea, at least not without her mother and father's permission. Also, she doesn't have pyrokinetics, that was my manager's niece. She just teleports with the portals. I'll uh... try handling it myself."
Sarracenia	Sarra notices Roland looking her way, but he turns away before she has turned her head to look at him. It didn't seem like he was judging her like usual, so her eye follows him for a few moments. Sarracenia ends up watches Mag, Calvin, and Roland, taking in all of this with the most confused expression. She raises an eyebrow, then shakes her head. "...boys are so odd sometimes..." she says quietly before continuing to Nebula house. Naturally, once inside she ensures Mayu gets dressed up. Sarra even provides a small crown not unlike her own for Mayu to wear. She smiles back to Laiha as the stocked kitchen is brought up. "Indeed! You will not want for good food while at Nebula House!"