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Team Timekeeper	The sun lowers in the sky within the Suitcase just as it does without. With everyone working together, it only takes a couple hours of labour to get all the cement mix squared away for future construction. Trudging back to the manor, the few-thousand square footage of the construction projects is swallowed up by the expansive forest that surrounds them in an instant, tiny relative; like single separate lanterns in a stormy night.     The only 'hearth' here for now is the manor itself, where the trees start to thin out into tall flowering grasses, and eventually flagstones underfoot. The huge house's dark wood and stone facade extends in either direction from its doublewide front doors, slate roof decorated with wrought-iron, windows reflecting orange from the sun that's dipped too low to shine directly on the yard. Between it and the forest's edge is the large outdoor space Vertin often hosts events in, filled with flowers that spill onto paved paths, and the moderate lily pond where La Source relocated her home after leaving the lake.     This is where Vertin is sitting, at a collection of padded wicker chairs and circular tables. They, and Tamamo, have been chatting with each other since moving outside to watch the cement haulers pass by for the past hour, but with the crutches leaning up against their chair, Vertin could hardly lend a hand.     Instead, they've been relaxing in the late summer air, buzzing with pollinating insects. Tamamo has had her hands busy keeping La Source from sloshing over to help carry-- "On a great big wa-ave of spring water!"-- the cement, which would have been instantly ruined by such a thing. The impatient little fae was the only member of Team Timekeeper (which, apparently, nine year olds *can* join) to stay in the Suitcase throughout the Storm and the rebellion thereafter, but she wasn't feeling all that sociable until now.     Bunny Bunny also split off from helping earlier, hurrying over to the kitchens. Vertin promised a treat for everyone who helped, and since Bunny was hired officially as Team Timekeeper's new chef/waitress, she's only too happy to provide.     Once Vertin is seen around the curve of the yard, Sonetto hastens over and shoots up at attention to report as if she hasn't been carrying hundreds of pounds of cement over the past few hours. "Timekeeper! We have delivered the first round of construction materials!"     "Took you long enough," slurs La Source in her smooshy voice, having gotten bored of wanting to help a while ago and instead spending her time insisting that Tamamo show her how to braid various blades of grass over and over because she 'didn't get it'.     "All of it? Thank you." Vertin's voice is still soft to keep her from straining it, but unlike when she woke up in the LRC ward, she seems perfectly alert.     "I hope to have a more elegant solution worked out soon, but I appreciate the help a lot. If you don't mind sticking around a little longer, everyone, Bunny Bunny's cooked something up for dinner, and Regulus had a surprise planned as well."     Bunny Bunny's treat is, as promised, stacks of homecooked pizzas on platters, paraded out and placed on a buffet table to pick from. Apparently a perfectionist, what Bunny's made is surprisingly more like artisanal pizza than chain pizza, with a spread from leafy pesto pies, to garlic or the classic tomato.     While slipping out to grab more out from the oven, "Oh, and there's drinks in the cooler, loves! Any of you youngins, steer clear of the booze, 'cause I'm watching-- an' Matilda, I'll shield my eyes for you~!"
Regulus	Even with the help of the mighty wheelbarrow, Regulus is plum exhausted after carting all that conrete around and she needs 'a minute' after making it back from the last conceret run to fall over into a chair and catch her breath. "Cor, that was so much more work than I even expected but we did it! We did the job. We did it." Regulus immediately starts slouching in her wicker chair until she looks like she's about to fall out of it. APPLe is still looking out after 'the cat' but has promised to take some time to check in on everyone even though he didn't actually help with carrying concrete since if he tried holding even half a bag of concrete his arms look like they'd fall off. ''Regulus had a surprise planned as well'' Vertin says the magic words to infuse Regulus with roughly two Dr. Pepper's worth of energy and Regulus scrambles up to a standing position--a process that would have been much easier if she didn't flop all the way down in her chair. "Right! The surprise." That Regulus has been openly talking about. "Let me go fetch it!" And then, despite all that carrying of concrete earlier she somehow manages to find the way to rush back into the kitchen herself like she's running for her life. Regulus had promised, or perhaps threatened, to bake a celebratory cake encompassing her birthday, Riku's birthday, and the victory of Team Timekeeper being officially recognized. She has since made other promises that might render one to wonder how the heck is this pirate going to make anything cohesive but Regulus believed in the power of frosting and pressed on. It's a strawberry shortcake, but the fact that it's a strawberry shortcake is obscured by the cake also being covered in a lot of frosting colored and designed to to look like The Suitcase, closed up. It isn't as big, of course, and doesn't open. It looks approximately correct! This turned out to be Regulus's third attempt which Sonetto almost assuredly knows about because Regulus wasn't quiet about her failures and she has ultimately gotten assistance from Sotheby, largely in matters of getting the frosting consistency right for some of the more complicated aspects of frosting molding like with the clasps on the Suitcase and the center figure. It's appropriately purple and black diamond checkered. The center figure is Riku in his base Ultraman form holding a record like a shield--the record is actually a shortbread cookie that has already been preemptively promised for Sotheby. He's sitting right on top of the Suitcase. Behold! A Rikulus Cake! Then, because of Regulus wanting to cheer on the rest of Team Timekeeper and everyone else who helped too, Regulus has included some crude frosting pictures representing various members of the team such as a green vial for Sotheby, a tree for Druvis, a frosting Winter Crow for Lilian, a tiny eye of providence for Flamel, a bat wearing a stethoscope for Holly, and so on. The cake itself has a two layers of cake and one layer of strawberry filling in the center. Regulus places it down on the buffet table off to the side and away from the pizza and declares triumphantly, if sweatily, "Tada! It happens to be Riku and mine's birthday month so I baked everybody a cake!" Regulus explains. "Just be sure to eat your nutritious, uh, pizza first okay. I'll, uh, cut up some slices after I get some food in me, whew! Sotheby has dibs on the cookie 'cause she helped." It's a small miracle that Regulus didn't trip over her feet and fall face first into the cake but sometimes determination triumphs.
Lilian Rook	Having spent close to the whole time essentially jogging back and forth with three hundred plus pounds of cement in her arms (or on her back), even Lilian is getting to the point of 'beat'. It's odd that nobody has ever actually seen her take a break the entire time, and hardly ever slow down and take a walking route instead, but by the time she's back, she has fallen into tugging at the upper line of her top to fan air down her shirt and wiping sweat off her brow and neck before her hair gets sticky.     She flops right down into her chosen outdoors seating with a big, satisfied sigh, using both arms of the chair, and then goes straight to "God. My arms are a completely different sort of tired than I'm used to. Lifting all that involves so many arm and shoulder muscles I think I can call it my strength training and cardio for the day."     'All of it? Thank you.'     "Naturally. I wouldn't let anyone half-ass it when we have more important things to do." says Lilian, who mostly just harangued the really strong people rather than the physically weak ones, and who just volunteered for two-ish hours of menial labour only because of it being in the Suitcase.     "If you want elegant, you'll have to start using arrays." she says, waving one hand down. "Assembling a tractor in here would be nightmarish; and it'd be a horrid-looking thing too. If installing arcane transport paths is too much, I suppose there's always the humble wagon. Getting a horse up the stairs would be tricky, but it'd at least fit through the Warpgate.     'Oh, and there's drinks in the cooler, loves!'     Lilian jumps bolt upright out of her chair, revitalized and full of energy. "That's what I like to hear!" she shouts excitedly, jogging (sprinting would be absurd) towards the cooler as much for the prospect of cold hydration as anything else. Getting out a chilled glass bottle, she presses it to her neck, groans pleasantly, and says "Thank goodness. Even that pond was starting to look tempting." She grabs a water bottle to go with it too, downing the whole thing in the blink of an eye.     'Pwahhh!' achieved, drink retrieved, she returns to seating close to Tamamo, offering the bottle and two cups between the two of them. "How did everything go on your end?" She looks at La Source. "You didn't get too bored, did you?" After that, she awaits Tamamo's pizza preference before skipping off to grab it.
Kale Hearthward	Kale's solution to carrying the bags of cement involves flying (c/o jet boots) so his exertion has been less constant and more 'pick up a bag' 'hold onto it for a while as you fly to the construction site' 'put it down and fly back'. Technically he's been constantly burning the lifebreath equivalent of MP in the process, but he's got seemingly endless amounts of that.     So: he hasn't actually 'exerted' himself all that much. There's not really any chance of convincingly pretending that he has, either - for nearly the entire length of time, Kale's been going back and forth looking like he's riding on an invisible segway: hovering a foot off the ground, and leaning slightly forward, as his equipment does all the work of pushing him around. He has not at any point broken any sort of sweat or stopped to take a break.     So, acting like he's been working hard is a fool's errand. "Finally, we're done! That was some hard work." He tries anyway.     He wipes the nonexistent sweat off of his brow, and takes an utterly unnecessary moment to 'catch' his breath, while shaking out the unsore feelings from the muscles he wasn't using. "Whew. I guess they say hard work is its own reward, but we're definitely looking forward to the actual reward too, right? I heard something about cake."     Kale goes in search of something with the alcohol content of a hard lemonade (and the masculinity content as well), before grabbing his slice of nutritious pizza (pesto). "So what was that for again? A lab? Kinda handy to have if you're able to just carry this place everywhere you go."
Storm Investigators	By the time all the moving work is finished, Marcus and Greta are both looking... Well, Marcus looks rather dead and can barely pull herself up even while working alongside Regulus while Greta's still on her feet and just wiping her head off with a towel. The older investigator doesn't look unaffected, but she's clearly more used to long stretches of physical activity judging by how she's not really panting or huffing even though she's still worked up a sweat. "How... Do... Thhh? "Conditioning, Marcus. You will acclimate in time, but we really need to work on your endurance. We'll focus on that starting tomorrow." "Noooo... S-soon, Timekeeper? Please tell me there won't be any more projects like this..."" Approaching the tables, Greta tugs Marcus along to keep her barely on her feet, making sure she doesn't faceplant right into a table on her way to one of those much needed chairs. Greta can't help but perk up just a bit when she hears that Bunny Bunny's prepared food for everyone, though, and Marcus seems surprised when Vertin mentions that Regulus has something coming. She's doubly surprised when she sees Regulus running off. "H... How does she still have any energy after that?" "Conditioning. You'll catch up to us soon." Greta refrains from commenting on Kale's equipment use versus conditioning, of course, since it's more important for now to instill that lesson on Marcus rather than figuring out how Kale's stuff actually works. Even the smell of food isn't enough to rouse Marcus from her seat, though, dead on her feet as she is. Greta, taking mercy on her, gets up to grab some slices for the both of them. "The quality of the food is apparent already. You've outdone yourself, Miss Bunny." She comments, picking out two garlic slices to start between the two of them rather than waiting for Marcus to decide on what she'd actually want to try first. She also makes sure to grab a fancy beer for herself and a Dr. Papper for Marcus, and both of them breathe in sharply while pressing their respective drinks against the back of their necks. Once the initial cold shock wears off, the older investigator sips at her beer lazily while the younger guzzles half of her soda down within the first minute of getting it. Marcus is the first to dig in for her slice, too, but she's slower to finish it due to being far more meticulous about making sure she's got an even amount of cheese on each bite. Both of them are both caught quite off guard seeing the cake that's brought out, however, with even Greta's eyes going a little wider at seeing the details of the cake on display. "What a magnificent piece... I had no idea you were a baker, too, Regulus." "That is quite the reward, indeed."
Shira	It wasn't until the work was almost done that Shira had realized she could probably get a basic cart through the warpgate and up the steps; and by that point it was kind of too late to bother trying. What she did wind up doing, though, was increasing her size just a little bit of her maximum. This made her spikes taller than the bags and spaced them far enough apart to wedge a dozen or so within the three tallest rows like a cargo rack. The flexible spikes on the end of her tail made loading herself up relatively easy, fielding the appendage almost like a crane.     This did affect her posture. To keep her goods from sliding around and falling off, she had to resort to all fours, though with the weird proportions of her arms and legs this isn't all that strange in motion. She moves more like a lizard than a mammal, with broad sweeping steps and a notable side-to-side twist of her spine that undulates all the way down her tail.     Girl is big and girl is strong and girl is still worn out because this is a lot of... basically sand and gravel with a Fragile sticker, and a lot of walking back and forth under heavy load. > "All of it? Thank you."     "All of it for now..!"     The lizard lady *fwumph*s into grass just shy of the flower beds surrounding the mansion's outdoor event space. She's still big, some thirty feet from nose to tailtip, not heavy enough to leave 'Giant Footprints' but big enough that getting closer would be a bother right now. Stretched out as she is, the iridescent scales glitter under the sunset. The only part that moves for a few minutes is her tail, gently shifting so-slightly from side to side.     The kaiju inhales deeply, pulling in the scent of the grass and the fresh air, then lets it out in a long, worked-hard-satisfied sigh. Only then does she push herself up onto her elbows.     "It's very cute!" Shira calls out to Regulus from where she rests. There's a slight metallic tone to her voice. Apparently that gets more noticeable the bigger she gets.
Tamamo	None of Tamamo's vast powers are very good for carrying cement, though some of them are exceptionally good for letting other people carry cement. And she doesn't even need to use those, since everyone has it handled already. Yay! She busies herself, dressed comfortably for the occasion (in layers of trailing silk, with gold and jade hairpins, rings, choker, stitching...) with entertaining La Source and talking to Vertin, both of which she does happily.     "You see, if it is curled this way, the rope becomes a ring. With longer reeds, the ring may form the bottom edge of a basket, within which the bottom would be made of those flat patterns I showed before. At this size, however, it is just perfect for a woven crown. Would you find me the prettiest flowers for a crown? Together with their stems, now."     Looking up, "Lilian! You must be quite tired. Will you rest? It is oft better to do so, but of course, I have something prepared should you need otherwise." Lilian knows she keeps plenty, though it might be silly to spend a talisman just to skip a cooldown one would spend sitting and eating, anyway.     "Mm, I was reading a bit about popular pizzas, for I thought to find that one that was mentioned. It seems that there are a great variety, and I was curious about the meats. One would not usually mix so many within a single dish, but this is ever the case with pizza, it seems. There was even chicken! Is that not strange? Are the needs of cooking bread dishes and chicken not wholly different? Perhaps they are prepared separately, and added together only at the end?" It seems she wants something with multiple meats.     Regulus brings out a surprise, and Tamamo says, "Oh, my. That must have been a great deal of effort, to be so decorated. Is it for artistic purposes only, or is it to be eaten, after all...?" She has never watched 'Is It Cake?' and would only have more questions if she did.
Ein	After a little bit of carrying cement, the second bag had tuckered out Sotheby completely and the deflated little lady had found Poltergeist again to hold the ghost-girl's hand and walk (slowly, as she was very Sotheeby) back to the Manor to help with lighter work in preparation. After a little bit of coaxing, a little bit of Sotheby invading an unprepared and unguarded kitchen (Bunny Bunny, being a bunny maid, was an obvious member of Typhon's brigade) and thus the burners and stoves came under her domain! But she kept to one part so Bunny Bunny could have the rest, though bubbling and boiling was ever part of her workings. With Regulus swinging by with cake frosting needs, Sotheby entered completely her element, as sweets *and* potions demanded . . . Sotheby to be seen jogging out to the lake with big gloves on, and jogging back with a large frog. Somehow, she found (or drank some extra) energy! Thanks to the power of squish and boil and a little chemistry, with Regulus and Polly and Bunny all taste testing, Sotheby drills down on a slightly more edible softer-but-still-stable fondant like substance with a bit of a gummy bear mouthfeel. Sotheby promises it'll go great on cake. As a precaution, she suggests resting the cake in the freezer before cutting it, but... Chemistry is the subject she's tremendous at. Baking's just chemistry, but frosting-mixing is a fun new form of alchemy for the little genius and the kitchen team of friends. On the side, Sotheby distills some of the drippy ecto-seawater off of Polly into a newly inspired potion-drink that she dreams up to go with a hard day's work. Mr. Karson said fizzy and effervescent things felt refreshing, and Sotheby agreed! So... Added to the drinks, brought in by Sotheby carrying a rack of prepoured glasses each slowly wafting a faint seafoam mist that slowly curls off the top like heavy air from the microbubbling surface that looks like a oceansurf. The rest is a surf-blue drink that has the nose of sea-salt ice cream and drinks like a sweet-salty cream soda with a foam-fizzy nose that rolls like a conch to ear. Incredibly proud of her creation, she walks around the big tray, having invited Polly to join her for their big Batch One creation but knowing Polly was also incredibly shy. She'd report back! This was a won-derful new creation! Meanwhile, Druvis lingers about, a wilted sort of tired, having trudged up and back and up and back, one bag at a time, getting more workout done this day than perhaps in any one time prior including fights, and being a woozy-wobble by the end. Thankful, ultimately, for not being pressed, she finds a seat and unravels into it, arms in lap, head drooped, and basks in not having to do anything for a while now, then rolls to tilt head up, and ears parallel to ground, to hear the woods about better. "I cannot help but think this place is good. Even this, now, this perfect evening, there is not an orange light out there, not one to blemish the stars, the trees, the lakes. I know, I know, sometime soon, yet..." She doesn't lift her eyes to see it, closing them instead. She could hear the emptiness, feel it throughout her, the perfect and unpolluted truth of the outer moment. "I had not heard it so clearly before."
Foundation Scions	Matilda Bouanich, Junior Investigator and Monitor Assistant, is a real trooper! But that doesn't mean that after at least a half-dozen back-and-forth loops of carrying and delivering heavy, heavy, heavy bags of cement, that she won't be idly and adorably wobbly on the final way back.     She's sore, sweaty, and over-dressed for it; the bits of extraneous cement-dust will be a pain to clean off of her investigator getup! But, "Cette soirée est splendide!" is as effortless off her lips, in the gold-lit wilderness. Forest-edge crickets, and the feeling that soon, stars will peek out, and the Moon herself will make an appearance... That's as much of a treat at the end, as a meal would be!     Well, maybe not quite actually! Matilda's stomach audibly grumbles at the distant-whiff of cooking pizza. 'All of it? Thank you.'     "All, two-hundred bags of it, yes!" Matilda says, having entirely forgotten the one that Poltergeist accidentally dunked. She gives Vertin as big of a wave as she can, despite exhaustion, because it's still a playful sort of atmosphere! "... Er, but, how regularly, will you need extra-hands for this sort of occasion?" ' Bunny Bunny's cooked something up for dinner,'     To herself, Matilda murmurs out a little excited "Bon appétit!" as she hastily grabs up slices of a fancy garlic-and-chicken pie.     Matilda hovers for a bit, plate-in-hand, trying to catch Sonetto's attention, for a "Sonetto! Let's share a table!". This means she's in prime teasing-position, still standing, for Bunny Bunny to get her with- 'Any of you youngins, steer clear of the booze, 'cause I'm watching-- an' Matilda, I'll shield my eyes for you~!'     Matilda's face, while already a bit so, from exertion, grows a little red from that! She's being teased! "Heyyy! Ms. Bunny! I am very-much not a 'youngin'! I am old enough, and have been for some time! So! Feel free to keep your eyes completely un-shielded, because nothing I will be doing is nefarious! Watch!" Matilda, probably, wasn't going to jump on the opportunity to get a little tipsy, but now she's sort of been challenged! Now, she has to! It's crucial!     Marching pointedly (which takes effort, she's sore!) to the cooler, to rummage one-handedly around and pull the first thing from the ice she can- grabbing first, accidentally, a water bottle, then accidentally a glass-bottled soda, then, finally, with a little whine, an actual beer. It will have to do! ' Even this, now, this perfect evening, there is not an orange light out there, not one to blemish the stars, the trees, the lakes.'     "Ah! Ms. Druvis? You, who has spent more-time here," She assumes, "And, er, Timekeeper Vertin- how do the night-time stars move, here..? Unobstructed, obviously, and quite scenic and free, most-certainly, but, are they... familiar?" She's seen just the one night, of Halloween, which she spent mostly-indoors, here in the suitcase! It feels important now to ask!
Riku Asakura	Riku is a little sweaty and tired from his exercise: lifting multiple eighty-pound bags of cement, walking a long distance to set them down, and repeating the process until some hundred had been delivered.  "Finally, that was... quite a workout.  Nobody tell Laiha or else she'll add something like this to my exercise schedule." Walking up to Vertin, Tamamo, and La Source, he immediately b-lines for the cooler and grabs himself a bottle of water.  Like Lilian, he feels the need to rehydrate more than he desires the sugary drinks that Regulus lives off of. He takes a long drink, makes a satisfied sound, and sits down in a chair.   Regulus runs off to get the cake, and when she returns, he looks rather impressed with it!  Though he's never had a traditional American cake, he's still rather impressed that it's basically the Suitcase, AND him as Ultraman Geed Primitive!  "Oh wow, Regulus, this is so well done!  I didn't know you were such an artist... well, you know, besides the musical kind!" Well, back on his feet, he does make sure to grab his pizza first, deciding for the tomato one.  He's not used to the different flavors of pizza outside of his home, so this seems the least dangerous to try right off the bat.  He does look back at Tamamo, "Well, it is a cake, so I am sure we're supposed to eat it!  It'd be a big waste of food if it wasn't made for eating, right?"
Lilian Rook	'Tada! It happens to be Riku and mine's birthday month so I baked everybody a cake!'     "Oh wow. There actually was a cake?" says Lilian, sitting up from her lounging position. "And it doesn't even look half-bad. But why does Asakura get to be the lone defender of the Suitcase? He looks like Captain America like that." She knew that guy for a while! "Oh but those details are . . ."     Lilian goes quiet, then sighs. "Am I really going to be known for a gun? That feels so . . . Have I seriously not . . . ?" For some reason, she looks to Vertin. "I must not have been representing myself properly." she whines.     'Whew. I guess they say hard work is its own reward, but we're definitely looking forward to the actual reward too, right? I heard something about cake.'     "Are you certain you don't have some buzzard in your ancestry?" Lilian says, side-eyeing. At least she doesn't say no. He did, actually, help.     'So what was that for again? A lab?'     "Oh that's right." says Lilian, in the midst of pouring herself brandy of all things. "What is that for? Did Young Miss Sotheby put in a special request?" she asks, testingly.     'H... How does she still have any energy after that?'     "Her body taps into her Dr. Pepper reserves under periods of excitement and life-threatening stress." Lilian says, dead serious-sounding.     'It's very cute!'     "Pipe down you." Lilian raises her voice unnecessarily, as if Shira being big and on the ground makes it harder for her to hear people as with being big and standing up. "I told you not to do that--" She glances out of the corner of her eye at La Source, and chews a certain word into a different shape. "--nonsense, didn't I? Why are you still sprawled out like that? Expecting ten times the food are we? Have some modesty for Christ's sake." It is embarrassingly difficult to not go using her favourite buzzwords in front of a nine year old, Vertin, God, and everyone.     'There was even chicken! Is that not strange? Are the needs of cooking bread dishes and chicken not wholly different? Perhaps they are prepared separately, and added together only at the end?'     "I think that the chicken is typically cooked through to some degree, then sliced or shredded, and then it goes with the pizza on the final run through the oven?" Lilian says, half-certain this is true from her own cookbooks now. "You bake them at low temperatures, so it doesn't dry out, and the cheese sort of supplements it anyways."     'I cannot help but think this place is good. Even this, now, this perfect evening, there is not an orange light out there, not one to blemish the stars, the trees, the lakes.'     As Lilian goes to retrieve pizza that is most certainly going to justify her choice of drink before long, she stops and turns her head towards Druvis along the way. Something about her wording seems to complete a circuit behind her eyes.     "Like a campfire?" she says. "Or an electric light bulb?"     'I am old enough, and have been for some time! So! Feel free to keep your eyes completely un-shielded, because nothing I will be doing is nefarious! Watch!'     "Yeah! That's right Matilda! Show 'em! Like back in the hotsprings!" Without Petra here, Lilian has to double the job. Mostly because Matilda is very very funny when tipsy. She plans to get eating before touching hers, however. Not just because of grabbing that slize of margherita for Tamamo to go with an experimental chicken pesto; the most protein-heavy ones she can find are, once again hers; but also because a certain . . .     She feels, perhaps, just a bit anxious, about being under the influence around Vertin. Especially after they'd spent two months in a coma. She looks over at her no less than four times while grabbing the bottle at all.
Tamamo	Tamamo looks over toward Matilda and Sonetto. Will she go and gather Sonetto's personal information for divination purposes? No, not right now, perhaps. It can wait.     'It'd be a big waste of food if it wasn't made for eating, right?'     Cryptically, "There are varied wonders in the world."     'I must not have been representing myself properly.'     Touching Lilian's arm to lean in, "Has she seen your armor?"     'I think that the chicken is typically cooked through to some degree, then sliced or shredded, and then it goes with the pizza on the final run through the oven?'     Nodding along, "Yes, that would do. You would have the chance to pour off the fat or gather the browns, if it was baked separately, I am sure. One might even time them together, perhaps, to be finished at once."
Team Timekeeper	"If you want elegant, you'll have to start using arrays."     The corners of Vertin's lips tug upwards slightly, like Lilian's said something really really funny. "That would be the cleanest option, wouldn't it? Unfortunately, I suspect that the Foundation might decline my request for a dozen array budget and the crew to manage them." "I am certified to operate teleportation arrays up to two thousand kilometers, Timekeeper. With three more, we would be capable of powering several arrays at logistical points within the Wilderness." "If I had four of you, I doubt there's anything we wouldn't be capable of. Isn't that right, Matilda?"     Readjusting herself and taking another sip of her medicinal tea ('tisane', actually, she insists), Vertin continues to Lilian, "If I came across a critter-handler willing to join my team, I'd arrange for a stable for beasts of labour in an instant. Right now, my plans extend as far as digging a shipping dock to the basement around the rear to bypass the stairs, and purchasing temporarily-assembled cranes and other suchlike." "So what was that for again?" "Hello, ..." "Chevalier Kale Heartward, search and rescue professional."     "Thanks for your assistance, Kale. I'm Vertin. The lab..." Shifting a bit to include Regulus in the address, "Was actually a request by an interested party in Laplace, looking to establish relations with my team. I thought it might come in handy for Regulus's work as well, and Sotheby's if she's interested-- though there's a planned alchemist's laboratory in the manor already." "All of it for now..!"     "Shira, isn't it?" Vertin responds to the thirty foot long lizard she hasn't met, blissfully calm and polite. "Nice to meet you in person." "Would you find me the prettiest flowers for a crown?"     La Source's eyes are squinty-narrowed to try and follow Tamamo's hand movements, entire forehead scrunched up in focus. She's going to reach out and nab the braided grass right out of Tamamo's hands to try and mess with it herself, but that's actually an even *better* suggestion.     Educational tone, but a little exasperated as if it should be obvious, "The *prettiest* flower is a daisy, or a lily, or a big round dahlia. *Or* a nice blue cornflower, but not *too* many of them."     She swivels around, getting ready to clumsily sprint off to hunt for flowers, but something Lilian says absolutely flabbergasts her first. From a distance away, she cups her hands around her mouth to amplify her truly shocked and aggrieved shout. "Do *not* drink my pond-water! Don't!" And then she runs off, so, she's probably not that bored.     Regulus's cake is met with distantly sentimental approval from Vertin, and more rapt sentimentality from Sonetto. "It's lovely, Regulus. You said Sotheby helped you? It's really quite impressive."     Sonetto presses her hands together, hovering around the table without getting too close. "Ah... so it is done now. This sort of thing... it was not your hobby before, was it?"     Sonetto is, of course, a massive and unyielding believer in never having a sweet first before dinner, even if the dinner is pizza. She moves to do that, but adds stiltedly, "Happy birthday month, Mr. Riku and Regulus."
Team Timekeeper	Time briefly flashes back to POLTERGEIST VISION, which is exactly the same as regulus vision, but through two holes cut in a sheet. After making her peace with getting wrung out like a spectral towel for beverages (believing that Sotheby was the only person she didn't piss off, and therefore must subjugate herself unquestioning to all of her whims or else go to hell instantly), she eventually came around to having a good time in the kitchen. Her levitation turns out to actually be quite useful in cake decorating, placing small details down carefully without fingers to get in the way, and lowering sheets of fondant steadily for layering the decor.     But now it's a party. So Polly resorts to half-visibly lurking in the doorway to the kitchen to forlornly watch people sip Sotheby's bathwater potion as if that's enough participation for her. She yelps and vanishes each time Bunny comes through the door, and Bunny, having gotten used to this after some time in the kitchen, just kisses her fingers to pat-pat around where Polly's head should by, otherwise giving her no mind. "Ms. Bunny! I am very-much not a 'youngin'!"     Bunny Bunny's laugh is muffled by distance, but she reappears on the outside patio soon after. She deftly places two little somethings on the crook of Matilda's shoulders while her hands are full so she can neither see or remove them, then the rest go one at each person's place around the tables. Little spherical hard candies, branded with Laplace's symbol rather than any candymaker, alchemically desiged for a small burst of refreshment like Sotheby's drinks.     Lilian gets hers when Bunny Bunny leans over the back of her chair, pinching two between her three middle fingers. "Make sure you eat your dinner first, alright, hun? If you try and cheat, I'll tell wifey~" "Sonetto! Let's share a table!".     Mystifyingly, Sonetto's response while holding her pizza-laden plate is a mildly enthused, "Okay." And yet, she doesn't move to the table Matilda goes to, standing stock still where she was.     A couple seconds pass, where Matilda is probably either indignant or worse, accepting, until Sonetto points towards a different table than Matilda chose. "... Ah, you said by the pond. This one is the closest, isn't it?"
Regulus	Regulus wishes she had jet boots, or maybe a jet, or maybe a jetpack. So much in her life would be so much easier if she could just fly over all the obstacles. She is beyond thinking about the subtleties in Shira's tone of voice, or the practicalities and impracticalities of kaiju size though, of course, an ability to get small probably solves a lot of the latter. She wonders if she's going to be able to move tomorrow. Like, at all. She hasn't been resting the whole time exactly since she's had to go and do all that Probationary work as well so she's so so worn out, she's a very tired Regulus and she tries so very hard to point Kale Hearthward Kale Cakewards and doesn't quite manage it. Bunny Bunny might have to handle the slicing of cake into pieces since Regulus has now sat down a second time and may never stand up again. "Well APPLe and I always bake our own birthday cake." Regulus says. "But yeah this was more than I usually do. It's a big event! And uh, I didn't do it myself, Sotheby helped out a ton, wouldn't have been able to get the Riku right without her but she helped out a ton with the frosting overall." She has on the way back barely remembered to collect a few slices of pesto pizza she knew it would be a while before she could make it back to that table. She reaches into her bag and takes out one of her emergency Dr. Peppers since she doesn't want to walk over to the cooler and sets it down on the table in front of her. Her brain is slowly coming to grips with the fact that Sonetto said 'first round of construction materials'. That means there will definitely be a second round of construction materials, maybe even a third and fourth! "Besides Riku might lose his job because he helped out or something so I figured the least I could do was make him look cool on his cake." Regulus adds, smiling tiredly at the compliments but so so so tired to the point that she's struggling to brag properly which might be the ideal Regulus to deal with right now. "Artistic purposes only?" Regulus has also not seen 'Is It Cake?' before. "That sort of defeats the purpose of it being a cake doesn't it? Don't worry I took a photograph yesterday." She pauses for a long moment. "I know they make like display cakes that aren't really cake at all but do they make real cakes and then just throw them out too? Is that a thing?" It's hard for her to not think about how even Lilian was exhausted after all that workout. Though she didn't use the power of the mighty wheelbarrow or jetboots so it isn't exactly the same thing. Even so, there's something nice about everybody lending in a hand and being totally wiped because of it. Regulus probably should be drinking water and not soda but it's soooo far away. Fortunately, Regulus made sure to finish the cake the day prior with Sotheby which let it rest in the freezer for a bit. There may still be surprises. Regulus didn't test for them. She adores Sotheby so much and is just happy to have worked on a Project with her. Still so hot and sweaty and tired, Regulus helpfully collects a glass of seafoam mist without even sweating it and says, "Looks miraculous, Gwen. Blimey, it looks good." And she finishes that off in a single downing too and immediately hiccups a little as she goes back to trying to melt in her chair.
Regulus	''I cannot help but think this place is good.'' "The Druvis seal of approval!" Regulus cheers, honestly if droopily. It's in the pirate's nature to want to cheer everything on. The spirit is willing, as they say, but the body is Regulus's. ''But why does Asakura get to be the lone defender of the Suitcase?'' "That's a great question!" Regulus says. "It's because I ran out of time! I tried to do everybody else but it turns out it's a lot easier making a frosting Ultraman for me than a, uh, person with skin and hair? I tried a Lilian and Sotheby but the hair kept flopping off so eventually I figured it's Riku's birthday so he gets the big rep. And...!" She holds up a finger. "I have a good reason for Winter Crow! It's because it reminded me of like the first time we really hung out during that road trip where we destroyed America and you let me check Winter Crow out cause it's an amazing bit of alchemy." she takes in a deep breath. "But if you want me to quickly add something else I can scoop it off and change it." She might need to tap into the backup emergency Dr. Pepper reserves for this, as Lilian has suggested.
Shira	"I told you not to do that--nonsense, didn't I?"     Shira's eyes close and she lets a sharp breath out of her nose, accompanied by a thin jet of bright blue flame and steam that dissipates almost immediately, "If I didn't, we'd all still be at it. I made sure not to leave any big footprints." "Expecting ten times the food are we? Have some modesty for Christ's sake."     She shifts, folding one hand over the other and drooping down to place her chin on the two of them, "I don't eat." is all she says to explain that. It's very different from what she told Regulus; so she's just here for the company? As Shira settles down, a faint hum starts to vibrate the air around her and the bioluminescent blue spots between her back scales and spines grow noticeably brighter.     This is reminding her a bit too much of being around her sister. Incinera *never* had anything positive to say when Shira was around. > "Shira, isn't it? Nice to meet you in person."     "--Yes!" She reacts immediately on hearing her name, picking her head back up though not otherwise changing her posture. That tail has even gone still, resting lazily in the grass, "It's nice to meet you too, Vertin! I'm happy to help out." Even if Carry Heavy Thing is all she can do, she's still able to be useful to *someone.* > "Right now, my plans extend as far as digging a shipping dock to the basement around the rear to bypass the stairs."     Shira settles her head back down, eyes closing. With a little noise, she stretches until her back makes a series of metallic pops and creaks, "A loading dock and a ramp, like in the backs of stores? Yeah..! Once it's marked out, I can dig that-- no problem! That'll make things a lot easier."
Kale Hearthward	> "Are you certain you don't have some buzzard in your ancestry?"     "You've started slipping since I wasn't around, Rook," says Kale, not looking over at her. "It'd be more biting if you said seagull or vulture, maybe. Yapping treat-obsessed dog?"     He pauses. "Also that's racist?" He doesn't sound like he actually cares.     "Anyway, where's this cake?" Oh, it's over there. Why didn't Regulus point him at it? That's kind of rude.     Oh, it's a birthday cake. "Happy birthday, Riku. And - Regulus, right. Nice to meet you."     "... Wait, you made this?" Kale gets a closer look at the artistry. "Regulus, the heck are you doing bumming around in sector zero with the rest of us, you could open your own cake shop. Do you take commissions?"
Ein	'Ah! Ms. Druvis? You, who has spent more-time here,' "More time than you," Druvis begins at a sigh. "But less than you think." She corrects, since the Druid had served as a soldier outside of the Suitcase the entire resistance action, knowing that if her control of the defenses lapsed the Foundation would use the opportunity to attack. She, now, was returned to her 'promised land', with no real intention left to leave. "I haven't spent the time to become intimate with the night sky here. I imagine I would be able to tell you in time what you can find yourself if you wish. The truth, diviner, is something you can hold, yourself." 'Like a campfire? Or an electric light bulb?' Druvis' emerald eyes shift to Lilian, sliding onto her with a snap of awakening attention. "Yes," She creaks, and then composes herself in her seat more, refining back to upright and steady off of being heard in the noise. "Things like that. To burn is found in nature, but lamps and bulbs and captured flames are the glows of humanity, of civilization." She lifts hand, curling fingers in expression towards the dark horizon of expanse, trees, fogging and dark Wilderness. "Square orange lights, cells of a hive that burns rather than breathes." She murmurs, low, exhausted and loose in tone and thought. MEANWHILE, SLINGING WRAITH WRINGWATER POTIONS, ECTO COOLER TERRORIST GWEN SOTHEBY... Cavorting around and fingerwiggling conspiringly with every happy customer, Sotheby offers a sea-brine sugardrink to the Dr. Papper fueled Regulus after all her hard work adding a big smile and a "Happy birth-day, Regulus!!" from the overexcited sparkles-in-her-eyes little lady. "Hold on just a second--!" Sotheby asides, and then hustles over to Polly and pulls the helpful cake-making spirit into the mix with an eager "Come on, Polly, we're doing the ca~ke!" Urging the ghost by every force possible by a powerful little lady, Sotheby encourages Poltergeist to join in Regulus' cake-introducing, though will leave her be eventually to rejoin in time for...! 'It's because I ran out of time!' "Even with Polly helping so much placing everything, it was a lot of time to set up everything, colors, little details... Making it all edible was hard! But I think Regulus did an in~credible job! And now, everyone can enjoy it! Yay! Including Regulus!" 'The Druvis seal of approval!' The absolute levels of Sothebeing happening keeps Druvis paused until it finishes, but once there's a break, Druvis finally chuffs out a sigh-laugh and shake of the head at Regulus. "This place needs no approval from me, such as it is. But it is welcoming all the same, in a humbling way."
Riku Asakura	'But why does Asakura get to be the lone defender of the Suitcase?' "I think I'm there because it's my birthday?" Riku adds in, but when Regulus explains further, he nods at that too.  "That makes sense... making people in cake form is pretty difficult.  I don't know how they do those mini people for wedding cakes..."  He avoids the talk about potentially not being a Paladin anymore, because it's deeply uncomfortable. 'Am I really going to be known for a gun?' Riku thinks on this one, "No, I'm pretty sure you're known for the sword and not the gun.  I keep forgetting about the gun, honestly..." 'Why are you still sprawled out like that?' Riku asides to Lilian at this, "Well, she is a Kaiju?  I don't think human customs come into the equation for her.  You'd probably make it easier if you explained it instead of just assuming she knows the basics." 'There are varied wonders in the world.' Riku stares blankly at Tamamo because that didn't explain anything!  Tilting his head to one side, he thinks on it, shrugs, and digs back into his pizza.  After swallowing a bite, he speaks up.  "I don't think wasting food is very wonderful." 'If I had four of you, I doubt there's anything we wouldn't be capable of.' Riku thinks on this; four Sonettos could potentially take over the universe.  On the other other hand, he doesn't think they'd collectively think to even do it.  Though he's not sure why Vertin specifically asks Matilda.  Boy is seriously bad at detecting romance. 'Happy birthday month, Mr. Riku and Regulus.' 'Happy birthday, Riku.' "Oh, thank you!  I'm just glad it's all over before our birthdays.  It's nice to just be able to hang out and eat cake with friends, right?"  He also nods towards Kale.  He knows he's just in it for the cake, but it's still at least nice to thank someone for saying happy birthday.  "Thanks." This also gets Riku to think.  Well, about drinking.  He could have started drinking last year, but he is also concerned about the dangers of drinking and then deciding it's a great idea to use the Fusion Riser.  What would a drunk Ultraman even do?  Would he still be drunk in that form?  He doesn't know. 'Even with Polly helping so much placing everything, it was a lot of time to set up everything, colors, little details...' "Well, thank you, Ms. Sotheby!  It certainly looks delicious.  I guess I should be thanking Poly too... but she doesn't appear to be here?" Oh no, is she hiding herself out of embarrassment again?
Team Timekeeper	"Am I really going to be known for a gun?"     Treading the line between consoling Lilian about her image and not insulting Regulus's artistic choices is the beginning of the job that Vertin has signed up to do for the entire rest of her life. She leans over to get a closer look, mild-toned.     "Oh, that is Winter Crow, isn't it? Night Mist would have symbolized you more, but I think Regulus got excited about making so many details. It's impressive for that gun to be recognizable when made out of fondant." "I had not heard it so clearly before."     This is nearly the first chance Vertin's had to talk properly with Druvis within the wilds of the Suitcase, without either the spectre of death or business hanging over them. Her approval slows down Vertin's responses in a comfortable way, gaps between sentences lengthening as the cicadas and crickets fill them, sipping at her tea.     "It's truly my greatest treasure. If it meets your standards too, then... that's all I could possibly ask for." She starts to add something else, but gets interrupted before finishing the sentence. "Of course, given your status as an inaugural member of Team Timekeeper, I hope to--"     La Source is the interruption, tottering back with a bundle of flowers lining the lip of her pot. She stops near the table, plucks out the flowers to place them gently on the ground, reaches both her cupped palms into her pot to scoop out a handful of clear water, and then dumps it right onto Druvis's lap with no warning.     Solemnly but thickly, she says, "Hello, lady," before wandering back to gather her flowers and bring them over to Tamamo. "Unobstructed, obviously, and quite scenic and free, most-certainly, but, are they... familiar?"     "Familiar, to my untrained eye," Vertin explains to Matilda, a little energized at the topic. "But I can't seem to place their position on the face of the globe. You're welcome to come view them at night, if you'd like to observe them yourself."
Lilian Rook	'Has she seen your armor?'     Lilian shakes her head, then laughs softly as something funny occurs to her, then shakes her head a second time. "No, I'm afraid I've been dressing for the part." she says. "The campus. The era. The 'tone' of what we're up to. The duties of neither the Timekeeper nor the Field Investigators seem to overlap very much with my calling, so there's never quite been an opportunity to 'strip down' so to speak."     'Unfortunately, I suspect that the Foundation might decline my request for a dozen array budget and the crew to manage them.'     "Alas. Horses it is." Lilian says, wrist to her forehead, half-assedly swooning in faux-sorrow. When Vertin explains their plans a bit further, she moves to "Oh, that's rather sensible." and takes a big bite out of her pizza.     'If I had four of you, I doubt there's anything we wouldn't be capable of.'     "But could four Sonettos get you to eat and sleep properly?"     'a request by an interested party in Laplace, looking to establish relations with my team.'     That gets Lilian's eyebrows up. "Playing coy, are they? There's not much point if they're going to come here themselves, you know. And if it's Laplace, better it be far away from anything, lest something explode." she says. "When something explodes, really."     'The *prettiest* flower is a daisy, or a lily'     Lilian, lily in place, nods sagely. "The spring elfin is wise." she says.     'Do *not* drink my pond-water! Don't!'     Take it back. "I wasn't even thinking that! I was joking about jumping in it!" Lilian huffs. "I don't drink pond water!"     'Happy birthday month, Mr. Riku and Regulus.'     "Oh gracious, how could I forget!" Lilian puts her drink down just for this. "Happy Birthday, Chevalier Asakura, Regulus!" She even starts applauding!     'Make sure you eat your dinner first, alright, hun? If you try and cheat, I'll tell wifey~'     Bunny Bunny leaning over the lack of Lilian's chair is sufficiently attention-grabbing to make her stop, though. Her eyes go to the candy, then to her face, then to the candy, and firmly stay there as she holds out her hands. "That goes without saying." she says, slightly frazzled by something about Bunny's tone. "These are safe for everyone, right?" is asked as a general question. She glances over at . . .     Hm. There really are so few people here she'd worry about, actually. Surely that's coincidental to her good mood and relaxed state.
Tamamo	'The *prettiest* flower is a daisy, or a lily, or...'     "Oh, a dahlia would be most impressive, and a blue cornflower would be striking, but I find myself quite fond of lilies. I even have some here, did you see?" And she touches the part of her choker -- which has designs of several flowers engraved around its surface -- where there's that distinctive six-part bloom, with strong radial lines and the impression of faded edges, of a stargazer lily.     She'll patientily await La Source's return with whichever prettiest flowers she manages to find. After that will come the next task, already prepared in her mind.     'Happy birthday month, Mr. Riku and Regulus.'     "Oh, yes, a happy birthday to each of you. Ah, should this congratulation be saved until the time of cutting the cake, or is that different? Come to think of it, I have not celebrated many birthdays with cake." Lilian hasn't asked for one. Lilian hasn't forbidden it, but given the care she takes with her diet, and the baking she already does, making a cake covered in frosting on top of that felt a bit...     Anyway, it hasn't really come up, and she can only imagine that it's a fair bit more difficult than rolling things in bread dough or mixing cookie batter.     'But it is welcoming all the same, in a humbling way.'     "It is rather nice, is it not?" is the mild contribution Tamamo has toward Druvis, though she does mean it sincerely. "Having a woods that can be carried about at one's side is remarkable luxury."
Tamamo	...and then dumps it right onto Druvis's lap with no warning.     "I had heard of a people who lived in a land without rain, for whom the greatest gift was their own water." Wasn't that a movie?     La Source returns, and Tamamo 'helps' her sort through the flowers by remarking on colors and, where it comes up, tea. Some flowers are good for multiple things. But the choice of 'prettiest' was left to the nine-year-old, then to be solemnly placed into Tamamo's hands, and threaded through the crown of braided grass, positioned just so, and pronounced complete.     And then, the following task, again to be left to her. "Now that it is done, pretty as it is, who shall wear the crown?" It's not a crown 'of' anything, apart from that Tamamo made it with La Source's help, and the deservedness for it is, therefore, an open question. Tamamo will only have to make suggestions if she's somewhat overestimated the little one's energy for making decisions.     'The duties of neither the Timekeeper nor the Field Investigators seem to overlap very much with my calling, so there's never quite been an opportunity to 'strip down' so to speak.'     "Would 'Saber' squad have appreciated it, do you suppose? A great pity, if not. You strike a good figure." Much quieter, "Too good for many to deserve. Still..."
Foundation Scions	Having been gotten, again, by Bunny Bunny, Matilda turns helplessly around in a full circle, at the candies being plunked on her shoulders, a bit like a dog who's had something balanced on its forehead. "Ah-? Heyyy.." She whines, having to pay more effort now to balance! Her balance is good, but she's wobbly! She's tired!     Well, at least Matilda can't help but giggle at it, too. '... Ah, you said by the pond. This one is the closest, isn't it?'     Matilda is so embarrassed, and doing her utmost to not show it! That is to say, she's showing it blatantly, as she stands up stock-straight to quickly scamper over to the pointed-to table. Silly Matilda! She should have expected Sonetto might actually have agreed to even a prior-mentioned arrangement!     "You're correct, Sonetto! That one is closer!" Stranger, "Good job!" She sits down with a rush, and a 'phew'.     "Being close to the pond, is quite nice!" 'If you want elegant, you'll have to start using arrays.' '... Decline my request for a dozen array budget'     Matilda says, through a bite of pizza, "Perhaps you would just need one great-big circular affair, in which bags of cement could be placed and summarily hopped quite up-high into the air, tp fall gently back down where needed? Je me demandais... hrm, perhaps that would be difficult to aim, unless navigational arcane skills work most properly..." Matilda has just been thinking about how she'd rather load cement into a catapult than carry it all day. The notion is so silly.     Immediately perking up, "Hein? Four Sonettos?" She stares over Vertin's way, a little bit stunned thinking too far on that; each second she stays quiet in consideration is suspect. "One would certainly be capable of quite a lot!" 'Yeah! That's right Matilda! Show 'em! Like back in the hotsprings!'     Matilda is so easy to egg on! With a 'Hm!', she looks at the bottle she's gotten, its cap, and... scampers over to find a bottle opener. Opportunistically, she grabs a second beer, and opens it, and scampers allll the way back, over to the shared-table. "Would you like one, Sonetto?"     Luckily, beer goes well with pizza! It's just pleasant! 'More time than you,' 'But less than you think.'     "Hein?" Then, after only a moment of staring, beer bottle to her lips, which whistles slightly as she speaks, "I suppose it would take some time, for most, to ascertain that!" A little apologetic now, "There is no short amount of time, now, at least!" 'You're welcome to come view them at night, if you'd like to observe them yourself.'     "Yes! I would, in fact, like to! It might be an undertaking, in order to determine such things," if it's possible, "But rest assured! The magnificent Matilda Bouanich, she has not just one trained eye, but two of them!"
Lilian Rook	'Besides Riku might lose his job because he helped out or something so I figured the least I could do was make him look cool on his cake.'     "I doubt that." Lilian says. "Vetting for Chevalier status isn't trivial. It takes more than 'going to a protest our allies didn't like but ultimately permitted' to lose that position." Lilian pauses, unnecessarily adding, "You can actually f-- screw it up quite badly as long as it's only twice."     'That's a great question!'     Lilian leans forward, doubting.     'It's because I ran out of time!'     "Oh. Well. Fair enough." Lilian leans back again.     'It's because it reminded me of like the first time we really hung out during that road trip where we destroyed America and you let me check Winter Crow out cause it's an amazing bit of alchemy.'     Then she visibly struggles to remember whether that was a thing that really happened. Was it before or after the opiate-alcohol-interaction smeared haze? "Oh. I think so." she says, like Regulus had been asking her if it really happened. "I must've been in a good mood at the time. I think I enjoyed spending the time, 'the incident' set aside."     'I don't eat.'     "I see. How boring." says Lilian, who has not said similar about TTT, Ulrich, APPLe, or Polly.     'You've started slipping since I wasn't around, Rook,'     "You're right." Lilian sighs. "I considered vulture, but thought it might come off too harsh. I suppose getting married has made me soft." That's her excuse. It works because she gets to lean on Tamamo's shoulder and look soooooo comfy.     'Also that's racist?'     "What? No it isn't. Petra already said so." Huh???     'Square orange lights, cells of a hive that burns rather than breathes.'     "You remind me of the first time I went to the city." Lilian exhales, long and slow. "Though, mind you, I was infatuated with the idea at the time; I was only disappointed by the reality afterwards." Rolling her memories of her early Paladins career back and forth in her head, she tilts to one side to muse, "The novelty has worn off of massive skyscrapers and roads, but I still think of trees as something a bit precious, even after going to places where they're plentiful." and then to the other side for, "I've heard that 'humans are of light' quite a few times now. But still fewer times than I've used 'the light of the campfire' to illustrate a metaphor. I'm not certain I could imagine living without it, but I can't imagine wanting to chase back the shadows either."     "Everything good in the world can be found by the light of the moon. Torches make some things easier to see, but hide a great many more things at the same time. I've mused on it time and time again, here. The welcoming nature of the dark, and what there is for us in it, when we don't fear it."     'Even with Polly helping so much placing everything, it was a lot of time to set up everything, colors, little details... Making it all edible was hard! But I think Regulus did an in~credible job!'     Well, Sotheby said so, and she helped, and she's the cutest little alchemist Who Could, so it must be true! "Thank you very much for your hard work then, Miss Sotheby. I'm impressed by Regulus' work too."
Regulus	''You said Sotheby helped you?'' "Yeah I tried it on my own for the first attempt and it went bad." Regulus's eyes, without shades, are haunted. "I couldn't get the frosting to bind properly." Regulus explains. "There wouldn't be a Riku there at all if not for Sotheby." ''The shipping dock and also the lab'' Regulus wonders if Vertin is talking about X here, since he helped the rebellion in the first place, or if it's for someone else. Mesmer maybe? That feels unlikely--if it was Lilian, Vertin probably would've just said Lilian. Regulus frowns and contemplates just who it could be. She is, of course, pretty excited for a shipping anything but the idea of having a ship again still feels a little unreal. She hasn't docked anything in agggesss. ''It was not your hobby before, was it?'' "Well I am an alchemist," Regulus says. "A lot of the skills transfer over. But uh, yeah, I mean--I just made my own birthday cake once because I wanted a birthday cake and then I just got into the habit of making my own." Regulus tried shoplifting a cake once but it didn't go well and also her name wasn't Rhonda either so maybe it was for the best that Regulus didn't choose that path for managing birthday plans. ''If you said seagull of vulture.'' Regulus shudders at the word 'seagull'. If you are wondering why Regulus might not like to hear the word 'seagull', you may have forgotten about the time she went to visit Rita with a bag of potato chips handy and she promptly lost a battle against three seagulls that made her cry! Any former appreciation Regulus may have had for seagulls has been DESTROYED by the experience. Fortunately, Kale doesn't look very seagully to her and all other birds are still in Regulus's good graces. ''Happy birthday month--'' Regulus beams at Sonetto happily. "I'll have to do it again for yours when it comes up!" She has no idea what she's going to do for a Sonetto Cake just yet but there's a sense that Regulus is kind of exciting to bake cakes for people who AREN'T Regulus and APPLe for a change. She definitely wasn't and isn't considering people's nutritional standards. Regulus is, however, now thinking about frosting alternatives for Lilian. Regulus isn't normally a fan of guns, being a pacifist and all, but she does like neat little devices and sometimes a gun is an alchemic device to her before it's a weapon. ''Night Mist would have symbolized you more--'' "Yeah...I never really got a great look at Night Mist." She thinks if she tried she would've managed at best a generic sword of approximately the same shape. She is further a bit embarrassed when Lilian joins in on the applauding, cheeks reddening--not really ungraciously, but she's feeling a little guilty for making Lilian feel down about the cake. Regulus has sort of signed up for a similar job as Vertin's in doing her best to make everyone feel welcome but even she knows she doesn't quite have Vertin's knack for it.
Regulus	''ECTO COOLER TERRORIST GWEN SOTHEBY'' "Thanks Gwen." Regulus's spirits are bolstered by Sotheby, of course, and the msile brightens when she pulls Polly in. "I really appreciate the help, Polly." ''This place needs no approval from me.'' "Yeah, I mean, I want it though." Regulus admits. She's seen Druvis with her hair down and she has found no shortage of reasons besides that to want Druvis to be happy and comfortable. (APPLe DOES eat but it's sort of like with the Redshifts where it only happens when nobody else is looking.) Regulus seems to relax a bit more when Lilian seems soothed by the explanations and seems to appreciate the cake. And also because Riku probably isn't getting fired and she nods, for the first time grateful for the systems that be looking out for their own. She takes a moment to glance over to Shira and try to mentally analyze the meaning of her stating to vibrate and glow.
Lilian Rook	'No, I'm pretty sure you're known for the sword and not the gun.'     'It's impressive for that gun to be recognizable when made out of fondant.'     "It's a recognizable design in the first place." Lilian says, taking credit, and thus feeling better about it anyways. "It's fine, though. I'm pleasantly surprised to be thought of at all. I spent the last two months in court rooms, after all. I'd just worry if people began thinking of me as some secret service ghoul."     'Well, she is a Kaiju? I don't think human customs come into the equation for her.'     "Nope. No. None of that." Lilian suddenly escalates her tone to parental scolding. "Stop that. That voice telling you 'well she's not a human so--'? That's the devil talking. Get thee gone, imp of the perverse."     'You'd probably make it easier if you explained it instead of just assuming she knows the basics.'     Lilian folds her arms. "Well I don't want to make it easier. People should think about how their actions will be perceived and not coast on exoticism and apathy. The rest of us are taking steps to assimilate to some degree, aren't we? It's because if you can't take dress and manners at least somewhat seriously, then you shouldn't be taken seriously." Having unfolded her arms partway through to get her drink, Lilian takes another draught, puts it back down, and folds her arms a second time for belligerent effect. "Even APPLe irons his tie for God's sake."     'Ah, should this congratulation be saved until the time of cutting the cake, or is that different?'     "Oh, is it?" Lilian bats her eyelashes at Tamamo, already engrossed again. "I suppose I'm not that familiar. I've only ever seen it in movies and the like. I suppose I'll have to apologize if that's incorrect."     'Would 'Saber' squad have appreciated it, do you suppose?'     "I wonder." Lilian says, taking time to think while she finishes her pizza before it can get cold. "I'd taken him for a decent swordsman by his posture." What? "But you saw his posting, didn't you? Riots, unrest, smuggling, theft, stock manipulation; for the most part, the twentieth century just isn't a place for drawing swords, even as a keeper of the peace." She says, just a bit regretfully, "We don't live in an era where things are like that anymore. The most you can do as one person is to persuade as many as you can and cross your fingers when the gears get to churning."     'Too good for many to deserve. Still...'     "Oh, come off it." Lilian says, fondly. "I'm going to have a difficult time arguing~"     'Je me demandais... hrm, perhaps that would be difficult to aim, unless navigational arcane skills work most properly...'     "I'm glad you still have your wits about you, because for a moment there, you sounded like an LSCC engineer." Lilian laughs.
Ein	'It's truly my greatest treasure.' Even with the possible romantic answers, Druvis cannot escape the truth apparent to her, that the Suitcase and all of the Wilderness within was a surpassing treasure and a place she hoped to never leave - paradise within an object. "It is." Druvis agrees, simply and immediately, between breaths. 'that's all I could possibly ask for.' "You could ask for many things. That nothing comes to you is..." Foolish? Kind? Telling? Sweet? Merciful? Too many words could fit, such that in her silence Druvis hopes to be all of them and more. It 'is', and she exhales in a brief wonder at that. 'I hope to--' Inaugural member makes Druvis narrow her eyes, sitting forward, but Vertin is interrupted by La Source, and Druvis looks up at the spirit girl with a growing understanding. She is greeted, somber, and nods, dipping head. "Hello." She returns, not knowing how to address the spirit formally, yet trying to match tone and energy, feeling a spiritual weight imagined or real settle over her - a blanket on her lap - and with a cupping lift from the little draining pool on her lifts to pour a little on her brow, and close eyes for a moment. Rather than fretting if she did it right, crowned in the dripping anointment, Druvis lets her palms dry while adjusting to sit more comfortably. 'I had heard of a people who lived in a land without rain, for whom the greatest gift was their own water.' "That seems wise." Druvis answers, closing her eyes. "To know an offering when one comes across it." Since the lake spirit offered her water! 'There is no short amount of time, now, at least!' "Here, at least, you're right. Here, at least, there's more than enough time for stars." She sighs, and there isn't a dry creak at the end. If she was to the forest, then the diviner was to the stars. All was in its place, here, and that also please Druvis in an unspeakable way. 'You remind me of the first time I went to the city.' "I first saw America from the harbor, hives upon hives, hillsides of fire. Fire greeted my history, fire burned for electricity. I watched the city, from outside, and I wondered... Why were we so different? Was it because I heard the forest and they didn't? My mother could, I thought, could but learned to ignore it, and then..." There's a long pause, and Druvis breathes. Side-eye almost as intense as a dead on stare, Druvis lingers on Lilian. "You spoke so clearly like you hear, but, do you? It's been some time since anyone's asked-" Made her feel heard. "-about what I meant." Not that she talked much. But most people took it as vagueposting and aura farming in her old crowds. "Humans are of the light but even we animal things need warmth and shelter, and fire is warm. A damning thing, to learn to love the smell of ashes." She couldn't even deny that she hated the burned meat at WcDonalds, having tried it. Even she was used to the taste and loathed America instead.
Foundation Scions	'I'm glad you still have your wits about you, because for a moment there, you sounded like an LSCC engineer.'     Not yet done idea-rambling, Matilda, excitedly, seems to have a thought at that! "Hm! Of course I have my wits, I cannot put those down- oh! Perhaps, instead, of an array, a great balloon, such as that in L'Île mystérieuse, could be used to gather and lift things..?" Well, Vertin's suggestions are actually a little more reasonable sounding. She pouts, a little bit.
Riku Asakura	'Happy Birthday, Chevalier Asakura, Regulus!' 'Oh, yes, a happy birthday to each of you.' "Thanks!" Riku says with a bright smile, less embarrassed because he rather likes people wishing him a happy birthday.  When Tamamo mentions timing, he shrugs.  "I mean, isn't it the song that happens at the cake and blowing out candles?  But I don't think we could work candles into the cake..." 'Perhaps you would just need one great-big circular affair, in which bags of cement could be placed and summarily hopped quite up-high into the air, to fall gently back down where needed? Je me demandais...' "That sounds absolutely dangerous without someone to catch them in the air and draw them down.  Never mind the bag probably exploding upon impact with the ground..." Riku makes an explosion gesture with a hand, "Cement mix everywhere!" 'It takes more than 'going to a protest our allies didn't like but ultimately permitted' to lose that position.' Riku looks relieved at this; this is a huge burden off of his shoulders.  He's still not happy about the official documentation from the Foundation, especially given their actions, but he supposes it'd just make his case at whatever hearing happens better supported. 'What? No it isn't. Petra already said so.' "...Is Petra a good judge of that?" Riku asks; he doesn't like talking badly about people, but Petra is hardly a good source of things like this.   'A lot of the skills transfer over.' Riku thinks about this; the difference between cooking, alchemy, and chemistry all seems very thin.  "Well, I'm still glad you managed it with help from Sotheby!  It looks absolutely delicious." 'Nope. No. None of that.' 'Well I don't want to make it easier.' Riku looks at Lilian, who is absolutely against treating Shira with anything approaching gentleness.  Riku might be biased because he deals with Kaiju a lot, especially that baby Kaiju who had to go back to space.  Is she expecting those kinda Kaiju to try and integrate themselves into human culture?   He isn't sure what to do about this.  Shira isn't exactly asking him to come to her defense either; she is her own person.  Also, it might cause a fight in a place that's more about trying to relax and enjoy each other's company.  It just seems unfair to him that Lilian is treating Shira like this, and he can't quite place the reason why.
Shira	After a few moments of stewing in the mechanical hum of her nuclear heart generating power, the noise Shira's making winds back down. Her glowy bits dim down again in the same moment. When she pushes herself back up to her feet, Shira turns carefully to avoid hitting anything with her tail.     "I'm... going to take a walk and do some thinking. About all of that."     With each step towards the back of the mansion she gets smaller, until she's back to her more human-analogue stature. It does have the funny effect of making her look like she's moving faster than she actually is.     Is the whole act about her clothing situation? Exactly what could she wear that'd survive all the spikes, let alone the size-change? She has to give this problem the dedicated consideration it needs.
Kale Hearthward	> "Petra already said so."     "Ah okay?" That's- Kale doesn't have a ready answer for that so it's easier for him to just sort of accept it.     Cake! Cake is good. Cake makes up for all of that soreness that he'll definitely not be feeling in the morning.     > "The rest of us are taking steps to assimilate to some degree, aren't we? It's because if you can't take dress and manners at least somewhat seriously, then you shouldn't be taken seriously."     "I wore a human disguise on and off for a couple of months, for when it was a problem," Kale says, by way of agreement inbetween bites of cake. "Sometimes the mission's more important."
Lilian Rook	'Yeah...I never really got a great look at Night Mist.'     "Well, that just means that nothing went too terribly wrong, doesn't it? And it's not as if anybody asked." Lilian says, wishy-washy.     She holds her breath when Druvis gets La Source'd, then exhales relief when Druvis takes to it in her way. Lilian can't decide whether it's deeply, spiritually graceful, or a bit like a cat, pretending it didn't just fall off something.     'I first saw America from the harbor, hives upon hives, hillsides of fire.'     That, alone, merely the beginning of Druvis' answer, nothing but the context needed for the rest, answers so much to Lilian that it feels like dominos falling over in her brain. 'The old country'. Her 'tongue'. The moment where Lilian had felt a glimmer of hope that things might be okay and facetiously asked her if Lyra was Polish. This close to the window into the life of Druvis, her shadow blocks the sun's glare and finally allows her to see so much deeper inside.     But even if she, too, can see Forget Me Not in the dimmed, back rooms, steepling his fingers in that chair, this is the Suitcase, and this is the inauguration of Team Timekeeper, and Lilian is surrounded by friends and loved ones, and so Druvis should at least be adjacent it through her. There will be time, on some other day, to admit out loud that dark allure of 'being known', but today, Lilian can only be honest in a way that won't make herself unhappy.     "My father went to England before I was born. It's an irony of ironies that I wound up born in Ireland instead, and too long a story to tell." Lilian says, stimming with the weight of her drink in her cup and walking the line between conversation and rumination. "He was smitten with the image of 'an English gentleman', wearing his gold watch at his polished ebony table and waxing poetic about his dominion of the seas. He admired the image, and the world in which he imagined those powerful men lived, and so he chased after it, for which I can only fault him his bad taste." She even smiles, just a bit, even tinged with sarcasm.     "The English have no love of the old country either, as you may be aware. In reality, their differences, when limited to the material, aren't so great; so it's the little things, the superficial ones, that are added later to keep the sides clear. It's in the accent, in the shoes, the tie, the walking stick; in the church you go to and the bars you frequent, your enthusiasm for the royals, your fondness for police, your thoughts on unions, and your taste for cigarettes."     "More than anything, to be from the old country is to be poor, and the English and Americans both imagine themselves rich. They encode it into the unwritten rules they grow up with, about dinner and lawns and cars, so that their foreign neighbour sticks out without knowing, and hasn't a book to read on why. So in the end, you needn't even be different to be 'different'. The ones who try too much to look the same take shears to all their odd-looking branches so the rest fit within the profile, and find themselves without much fruit to bear in the summer."     'You spoke so clearly like you hear, but, do you?'     "Not in the way you do." Lilian says it without hesitation. Reluctant, verging on wistful, but unrestrained. "My mother always went back and forth on whether it was 'appropriate' to help me learn. Sometimes I feel like I can, like intuition, or a quiet bond, but only as far as fondness, and not siblings." Her mind is on ghosts and swords and ancient prophecies and the stars in the sky. "It's only that there are things other than trees that must be sacrificed to make the windows glow, and I hear those quite clearly."     'Perhaps, instead, of an array, a great balloon'     Lilian laughs through her nose at Matilda. Spell broken, she drinks again. "Keep going! You'll think of something soon!"
Team Timekeeper	"Come on, Polly, we're doing the ca~ke!"     "Oh? O-oh?! Ack-!!!"     One would think that a ghost, semi-incorporeal, frequently levitating, might not even have feet? would be incapable of stumbling. In fact, it seems like Poltergeist is incapable of doing otherwise.     Yanked out into the party by Sotheby, Polly babbles incoherently about how she's actually totally fine just staying inside and you know today's been so tiring and everyone's already having such a good time without her there so there's really no need?? But, crushed under the momentum of an extrovert, Polly capitulates completely by the time she reaches the table. " I guess I should be thanking Poly too... but she doesn't appear to be here?"     Polly holds her breath for several seconds attempting to become invisible. She does not. "Y-yep, here I am. Um, it... well, it was actually a lot of fun making the cake. Er, happy birthday?, so you're welcome, but...."     Some meter builds up to its cap. Without releasing Sotheby's hand, because now it's Polly holding hers instead of the other way around, Poltergeist clasps her hands in front of her forehead and whines, directionlessly.     "Aaahhhhhh-! I-I'm sorry about being shitty earlier! I was grumpy and tired and I'm normal now!" "But could four Sonettos get you to eat and sleep properly?"     "One will." Sonetto says firmly, like a declaration of war. Vertin looked less afraid when sitting across the table from Arcana. "I-I suppose we'll see." "Playing coy, are they?"     With the tiniest hint of annoyance to their expression when reflecting on the conversation, Vertin says, "It's X, if you truly want to know. Actually, I expect the partnership will be quite helpful. I otherwise don't have any formal connections with Laplace, and he suggested he'd vouch for Regulus's approval." "You could ask for many things."     "One, perhaps." Vertin's sip that forces a gap between her thoughts is either poorly timed for Druvis's nerves, or well-timed for dry comedy, depending on how confident she is in Druvis's mood.     "Would it be too much trouble to craft a cane? It's rather larger than a wand would be, but the LRC's sense of aesthetics meshes poorly with mine." Meaning, the drab grey plastic and metal crutches leaning against her wicker chair, surrounded by dark wood and colorful overgrowth and the last rays of the setting sun.     After La Source waddles off with her jug wrapped by both of her arms, Vertin explains shortly. "La Source, the spring elfin of the lake. I'm not perfectly familiar with her habits, but it seems like she likes you." "Oh, a dahlia would be most impressive, and a blue cornflower would be striking, but I find myself quite fond of lilies."     "That's because *she's* lilies." La Source lugs her pot all the way back to Tamamo, and then points back at Lilian with the sort of 'you're being cringe' scoff that kids do when adults engage in PDA around them. Acquiescingly, "But they're very pretty. I like your jewelry."     What she's brought is a selection of blossoms from around the fringes of the lawn, mostly leaning towards white wildflowers. She's also gathered one single water lily plucked from her pond, which is definitely too big to weave into a flower crown, but she hands that one over to Tamamo separately without explanation.
Team Timekeeper	"Now that it is done, pretty as it is, who shall wear the crown?"     With it being done, La Source is given a question of great moral import. Having paid attention to practically nothing else besides her own quest, she looks around uncertainly, lips pursed in deep thought. Iconically selfish, she visibly considers just taking it herself, but even La Source is already satisfied with the flower she has on her ear.     Regulus overhears a breathy little 'hup!' from behind her, and then has a flower crown settled on her head. "'Cause it's your *birthday*," is the explanation she gets. On a cursory inspection from Druvis, the grass and flowers woven into the crown were blessed by La Source's water to never wither, so Regulus's flower crown will last indefinitely. "Good job!"     "Thank you," Sonetto says pleasantly, completely ignorant to Matilda's embarrassment and also every other emotion she's ever expressed. Just based on Matilda's words, it seems like Matilda should be happier sitting near the pond, so she thinks she's done great. After a minute of slowly rearranging her pizza so that every topping is piled up neatly in the center of each slice, Sonetto abruply says out of nowhere, "... Ah, pizza again." "Being close to the pond, is quite nice!"     "It is. The air here is... sweet like I have never known." Actually looking over at Matilda, torn from her reveries at the pond, "You were visiting with Timekeeper for a while already, weren't you?" "Would you like one, Sonetto?"     Having already brought it all the way to the table, Matilda's scheme works better than she could have expected. Sonetto glances over to the other table where Vertin is sitting before responding, and Vertin waves her off. "The doctors discouraged me from consuming any alcohol until I've healed. That's all."     Returning her attention to Matilda, Sonetto ends up nodding. "Okay, I will. Thank you, Matilda." And then she proceeds to remove the bottle cap with a twist of her wrist and no tool at all, without damaging her nails. "Perhaps you would just need one great-big circular affair, in which bags of cement could be placed and summarily hopped quite up-high into the air, tp fall gently back down where needed?"     "We'd need a spotter as well, to clear the ground at the impact site. The risk for head injuries would be quite severe." Vertin nods along with Matilda, pretending that it's entirely serious. "And to ensure the deliveries are undamaged, we'd have to lug around a great big trampoline anyways."
Lilian Rook	'...Is Petra a good judge of that?'     "Well she would be the one who'd know." Lilian says, matter-of-factly. "She goes to college for these sorts of things." Meaning vaguely liberal-leaning courses. "And she's always so sensitive to matters involving race." Like who is 'the women' of a world! Or worrying she said something offensive. "And she asked."     'Ah okay?'     Lilian doesn't say 'humu humu' outright, but . . .     'I wore a human disguise on and off for a couple of months, for when it was a problem. Sometimes the mission's more important.'     "And you're a trooper for it too." Lilian says, raising her drink. "Some personal sacrifices are graver than a uniform, but a little bit of truth for everyone's peace of mind is a fair trade if you want to be a part of anything."     Then her lips twitch, because she has finally made herself very unhappy thinking about something related. Lilian shakes her head and slams back at her more typical drinking pace.     'Aaahhhhhh-! I-I'm sorry about being shitty earlier! I was grumpy and tired and I'm normal now!'     "I forgive you." Lilian says, in lieu of 'it's fine' or anything more sensible. "Oh, and thank you as well for the cake."     'One will.'     'I-I suppose we'll see."'     Lilian puts her elbow on the arm of her chair and gives Vertin a greak big smirk. "Ohhhhh you're in for it nowwww."     'It's X, if you truly want to know. Actually, I expect the partnership will be quite helpful. I otherwise don't have any formal connections with Laplace, and he suggested he'd vouch for Regulus's approval.'     "The fingerboarding guy?" Lilian says, about a guy she has never seen fingerboard. "Well, far be it from me to complain. Somehow, I still have a job there." she says.     'That's because *she's* lilies.     Lilian puts up her hands and smilingly says "Guilty as charged." Then she looks at Tamamo in the way that sometimes makes Matilda giggle about something.     'And to ensure the deliveries are undamaged, we'd have to lug around a great big trampoline anyways.'     "Well now! I'm starting to warm up to the idea!"
Riku Asakura	'Sometimes the mission's more important.' "This isn't the same thing.  You have the concept of society and stuff... she doesn't," Riku says to Kale.  "I also think she doesn't have a deceptive bone in her body." 'Y-yep, here I am. Um, it... well, it was actually a lot of fun making the cake. Er, happy birthday?, so you're welcome, but....' Oh no!  This is so embarrassing!  He totally missed her!  He isn't sure what to say for a few moments, face flush as he attempts to recover.  "Oh, there you are.  Sorry!" Okay, that's fine; it's obviously your fault... "Thanks, Poly!  And also thank you for helping with the cake!  It looks delicious!" 'Aaahhhhhh-! I-I'm sorry about being shitty earlier! I was grumpy and tired and I'm normal now!' Oh no, she's apologizing for the earlier thing... this is really sad because she wasn't really doing anything wrong, just being upset about the ghost thing, which is completely reasonable!  "Oh, don't think anything about it; we all have our ups and downs, yeah?" 'It's X, if you truly want to know.' X.  Riku is mostly positive about X, except for the complicated escape room he tried to pull on them without even admitting he was going to help them.  "Well... maybe he won't try and be obtuse about helping?" ''Cause it's your *birthday*,' "Aw, that's cute.  Hey Regulus, you have a birthday gift!" Riku looks rather happy about La Source being nice to Regulus, because she deserves it! 'And to ensure the deliveries are undamaged, we'd have to lug around a great big trampoline anyway.' "A trampoline..!" Riku has never actually been on a trampoline, and they look so much fun!  He misses that she's not being serious for a moment, then deflates a little.  "Aww..." 'Well she would be the one who'd know.' Riku isn't so sure about that.  It's not like she comes after him much, so... he shrugs.  Maybe college makes you better at knowing these things?  Should he go to college to be better at these things?  That'll take a lot of money...
Lilian Rook	'This isn't the same thing. You have the concept of society and stuff... she doesn't. I also think she doesn't have a deceptive bone in her body.'     Lilian sighs. "Asakura. Riku. Ultraman. Level with me here." she says. "You can't lean on 'no concept of society' when you're hauling cement to build a lab and going to someone's house to sit in on their pizza party. Even carbuncles can manage this much. You're being taken advantage of."     "And congratulations on your crown, Birthday King."     'You were visiting with Timekeeper for a while already, weren't you?'     Lilian leans over to try and give Matilda a thumbs up behind Sonetto's back.
Foundation Scions	'The air here is... sweet like I have never known.'     That warrants a little pause to look back at Sonetto, but still take in the surroundings, quiet (and not quiet) and warm, the little sigh and nod serves enough in general agreement. "It is sweeter for the company!" Matilda's tone on that is proud, self-aggrandizing, but it's true outwards as well, at Sonetto and the whole party. 'You were visiting with Timekeeper for a while already, weren't you?'     Matilda nods, again, her hair bobbing, before "There was much catching-up to do!" She sighs, a little restless, and a bit wistful-tone, "I wonder if I could find-excuse to stop by here more-than rarely! Perhaps, we could try and, catch-up, also? Perhaps frequently?" She will fire infinite shots and miss all of them.     With a little giggly-tipsy murmur, "This light makes your hair look very nice!" 'Okay, I will. Thank you, Matilda.'     Matilda stares at how Sonetto removes the cap. Hastily, Matilda takes a big sip of her own drink, and blurts out "How did you do that? Could you show me? If I get another, would you open it for me?" What's her angle? 'Here, at least, you're right. Here, at least, there's more than enough time for stars.'     Matilda gives a little hum of agreement back at Druvis, and then can't help but tilt her head back to look up at the slowly-darkening sky. She tucks her sore legs up under the wicker chair, kicking them slightly, as she tries to spot early shy twinklings. Her fingers drum the glass of her in-progress beer.     "I wonder if there are ever shooting stars, here!" is such a gleeful-innocent exclamation, no-doubt at the first moment the thought passed into her head. She smiles really wide, lost in thought for the length of an imagining. 'I wore a human disguise on and off for a couple of months,'     A little bit sympathetic-sad, "That must have been quite difficult! I wouldn't want to do that." Matilda, obviously, is on a little bit too different of a wavelength! Whoopsie! 'Keep going! You'll think of something soon!'     Matilda giggles, and gives Lilian a gentle little salute, two-fingered? Does Matilda salute? Huh? Is she trying a new thing, to look cool? Will she do it again, ever? 'And to ensure the deliveries are undamaged, we'd have to lug around a great big trampoline anyways.'     Tipsy, dubiously-serious, "Non, non, c'est pas bon. A trampoline would be quite charming, but, carrying it so far, and a necessity for hard-hats would be in poor fashion..." Another excited idea- "Perhaps, if not balloons, nor trampolines, nor arrays, a series of large birds, flying critters, or quite-small aeroplanes, could ferry things to and from? The air is very quiet! Filling it more-so would disturb very little!"     On a tangent, "Un cirque volant, ici dans la Valise..." This thought, of a flying circus and its whimsical acrobatics, makes her break out into a fit of giggles. "Que c'est mignon!"
Ein	'It's an irony of ironies that I wound up born in Ireland instead, and too long a story to tell.' "Is that what put your eyes astride the line?" Druvis wonders, musing gently on heritage. She indulges, more like sleepy cat slowly stretching towards interaction, slowly batting rather than regally addressing. This setting, this level of interaction, Druvis is comfortable with. Surrounded by quiet nature and the light bustle of a small group of people, the odd babble and bebotherment of animals in their habitat, Druvis unwinds a little further. 'More than anything, to be from the old country is to be poor,' "And I once again entered an ark with nothing, to build a life anew. This one, I hope, far away from the English and their Americans." "You're right." Druvis exhales. "You know." She confirms, dry-sympathetic. "And you retained some branches, doing so." Lingering on fondness, Druvis nods. "Any closer can be deafening. Any closer can be consuming. But it is not something I would quit from. I belong to it." Druvis speaks, and her eyes remain closed with a restive-faint smile curled to lips. MEANWHILE, Poltergeist Pal Sotheby does her absolute best to show off and highlight the great skill of the cake-decorating help of Polly, to make sure that people knew that her ectoplasmically-wringable friend was actually truly a huge help and a sweetie to boot! It was important, and leading Polly in, soon enough Sotheby is captivated by a hand-over-mouth gasping joy and splay fingered 'wowwww' wonderment as Polly leads the way! "It was a lot of fun, and we're very thankful! Really, it was decorated with care and love, so we're so glad you like it!" Sotheby provides, chumming up with Polly and scrunching in next to, to gather ghost power and build meter in Polly's heart. Meter! Unleash your meter, Polly!!! 'Aaahhhhhh-! I-I'm sorry about being <unladylike!> earlier! I was grumpy and tired and I'm normal now!' Sotheby 'oh my!!' gasps, bounced back a half step, then swoops in to hug Poltergeist and rub her supportively as best as she could. "I've been frustrated at plen-ty of challenges. But you were in~stru~mental in helping today, with a big part of the reward for everyone with Regulus and I. We're really thankful! It's okay you couldn't carry the bags --" Sotheby laughs forgivingly. "Mr. Karson also had to be excused for bed rest after all the excitement! You're a part of Team Timekeeper too, okay? So -- yahoo!" Sotheby tries to coax a 'yahoo' out of Polly, believing fullheartedly in the effort. 'One, perhaps.' Druvis returns to attendance of Vertin, emerald eyes laying upon the Timekeeper. "Perhaps?" She asks, knowing the answer. She readies for something, gathers more to herself of her own focus with a breath in. 'but the LRC's sense of aesthetics meshes poorly with mine.' It wasn't what she was expecting. Half-deflating, then rolling back on momentum, Druvis seems interested again after a moment. "I would need tools to shape the materials with any art beyond growing into form - all of mine washed away. Even without, though, it is... not too much trouble, no." 'but it seems like she likes you.' "She and I... might both 'belong' in the same way. When a spring elfin offers you spring water, do you shun it?" She already showed her answer. "I hope to learn more about her habits - in time." An echo of Matilda's overture.
Regulus	''I'm pleasant surprised to be thought of at all.'' "Huh? If I didn't think of you, I'd feel like a total jerk. You're my friend and you did a lot of work. If I left it only to people who participated in the Rebellion, that wouldn't be fair at all." ''That voice telling you 'well she's not a human so--''' Regulus actually had a conversation sort of around this with Shira, but Regulus is already thinking about how to design outfits around a kaiju. She's sure it's possible. Even if she can't make something that won't rip apart when she gets big, she could make something that works when she isn't big. She's a little uneasy about asking Sotheby for constant help, but if she would be interested in making clothes that can stretch and revert back to normal--maybe something could be done. It's on her mind, anyway, though she's too exhausted to dwell too much on it. "Boy does APPLe iron his tie." Regulus admits, if a bit reluctantly since she doesn't want to be mean to Shira even if it's partly because she doesn't think Shira can take it but part if it is because she likes Shira. "And Polly," She reminds Riku, about who helped with the cake. "Actually, I should finally cut some slices up for everyone. It's probably easy to cut now." She hops back up to her feet, drawing a large knife out of her bag that just happened to be there and works on slicing up the cake, carefully, going for relatively equal pieces, setting one aside for Shira in case she comes back. ''And it's not as if anybody asked.'' "Yeah, I guess I'll have to ask for the next time." Regulus tells Lilian. "We'll get through all the iconography by the end." She promises. ''Lilian's backstory?!'' Regulus has no idea how far back her ancestry goes so she doesn't dwell on it but she nods along, listening thoughtfully. ''Aaahhhhh-!'' "Um, it's okay, Polly." She's honestly grateful Polly felt comfortable enough to complain in the first place. "I'm glad you're feeling better now, love. And--it's nice seeing you back, really." ''One will.'' Regulus nods firmly to Sonetto. "Don't fight it too much, Vertin." It's a little embarrassing that Vertin gets better nutrition when she's in a coma! What does that say about her and Sonetto huh??? ''It's X, if you truly want to know.'' "Aha! I knew it!" Regulus grins. Then blinks, in surprise. "Really? He did?" She supposes they did get along alright, but she's still a little surprised he's going that far. "Well, I guess that's twice over I owe him." '''Cause it's your birthday'' "Ahh?? La Source??" Regulus's eyes widen. Her experiences with La Source largely involve her getting dunked with water so far, but now her face is a deep red. Gahh she's not used to this level of birthday celebration at all fuuuck. "Th--thanks, La Source." She can't say 'good to see you back' because she never left but. "Hope you're having a good tiem." She's pretty confident X will continue to be obtuse about helping, but like--she's not about to get on an arcanist for their gimmick, at least not too much. She starts doling out some cake, to everyone, her smile really all too relaxed as she offers cake to everyone, starting with Riku, then Matilda and Sonetto and then moving around to everyone else.
Regulus	And so Regulus's mood is about as jovial and happy as it can get but she is also, sort, of, also reaching levels of bashfulness at the unaccustomed community involvement. She really needs to just get used to it, Regulus thinks. As she finishes handing out the cake (and cookie for Sotheby), she finally collects a piece for herself. Nothing could make this day better, Regulus thinks, in fact it's so pleasant that it's a bit overwhelming. And she's biting down her instinct to ruin it by saying something silly or teasing someone or riling Lilian up because--it's good that (most) everyone here is enjoying themselves and relaxed. "I hope you enjoy it. Feel free to grab seconds if you want, after this I intend to take a nice long nap--" Unbeknownst to Regulus, the doors to the manor open up and a roughly Regulus sized cube shaped robot floats out into the party area, roughly ratoid in design despite otherwise being nothing but a floating huge cube. It slowly approaches Regulus as she lifts her fork up and bumps gently into her. Regulus blinks and turns around. Her eyes widen. "You're still running??" Regulus gasps. "How did you get in??" Someone had accidentally left the Warpgate open. Regulus backs up a little, laughing nervously. "You uh... Look I'm just a little gal... And--and it's my birthday! You wouldn't kidnap a girl to an obstacle course on her birthday, would you??" It would. The grabby hands shoot out of the chest of the ratbot and rapidly tugs her in, Regulus desperately holding her piece of Rikulus cake close to her body, as her flower crown dips slightly across her eyes from all the sudden movement. "Ack!! It's happening!! um!! Everybody...have fun!! I'll see you later??? W-wait Petra will think I've been working out behind her back maybe another day?? Or let me grab more of that glowy Sotheby drink--" The chest cavity closes up as the ratbot and cuts short Regulus's protests. It then moves to cart Regulus away to obstacle courses. She might not make it back this time.
Lilian Rook	'It is sweeter for the company!'     Lilian, watching fondly next to Tamamo, contemplates how earnest and confident Matilda is despite wading knee deep through proverbial spent brass just to get within arm's reach of Sonetto. Then she begins thinking about how on Earth Sonetto can possibly be so dense about this, and then, after rapidly blinking as something dawns on her, Lilian resolves to figure out Sonetto's secret technique for being impervious to romantic and sexual tension.     'That must have been quite difficult! I wouldn't want to do that.'     "Right? I couldn't imagine even removing my accessories, much less that." She really just means the one . . . two, three, four . . . hm. Her contemplation is interrupted by a little gasp of Matilda's adorable salute.     'Perhaps, if not balloons, nor trampolines, nor arrays, a series of large birds, flying critters, or quite-small aeroplanes, could ferry things to and from?'     "You're making me think of Da Vinci's little foot-powered helicopter now."     'Is that what put your eyes astride the line?'     Her smile falters, but remains resiliently at half for Druvis. "It was one of many. I regret to say that I became an adult by watching and navigating many different lines; some thicker than others. Becoming a 'member of society' took a few more." She laughs just once, through her nose, drily amused by the very concept. "Learning to see the lines that others don't; the cuts that they make, dividing one thing the other; it's a useful thing, but it can be unhealthy at times, even blinding. If you become too fixed on where the lines are being drawn, and where you're about to fall on them, it can be easy to lose sight of yourself in your haste to choose where you land."     Now it's a little bit about the Walden. It can't help but be. But it's about her, and not Druvis, unless Druvis chooses to find some way to think of herself; and perhaps that wouldn't even be a bad thing, where they both are right now.     'And I once again entered an ark with nothing, to build a life anew. This one, I hope, far away from the English and their Americans.'     "Well, now we're the ones setting the unwritten rules, aren't we? By virtue of being the first, we have the power to set the standard, the bar, and the dress code, whether we mean to or not." Lilian muses out loud. "The most power anyone can have is getting to do something before anybody else. Even the little things we decide now will spread roots over time, and grow heavy. In a way, it's a very empowering type of 'having nothing'. And, if you'll take my word for it, distance matters very little. If you can go home at the end of the day to hundred people who like you with your hair down, even America peels off like a sunburn." Even if 'America' means 'England' means 'humanity', she can still try and be positive.     'You're right. You know. And you retained some branches, doing so.'     Lilian's smile holds the line against a greater-looming emotion slowly swelling up from the deep. Without yet knowing if it's good or bad, Lilian says, "You may be the first person to realize that and not hate me for it." Checking the bottom of her cup and finding it dry, Lilian distracts herself by pouring a new one, and refreshing Tamamo's at the same time. "I had some help along the way. From the crows and ravens that kindness befriends."     "May you come to know the same good fortune."     Lilian falls to rumination on the beat named 'consuming'.     'Mr. Karson also had to be excused for bed rest after all the excitement!'     Lilian alerts at the mention. "Is he quite alright? Have they looked at him?" That's a butler! A cherished, family butler! The lady's attendant for pete's sake!
Lilian Rook	'Huh? If I didn't think of you, I'd feel like a total jerk. You're my friend and you did a lot of work.'     Regulus earns the soft sound of a half-felt punch to the chest from Lilian. "I mean-- I wouldn't have blamed you. We hardly began all this on the best of terms, after all." she says, stopping to straighten out her hair and correct its microscopic faults. "But I suppose it makes me happy to be thought of that way. And, for what it's worth, I'm glad to have you around."     'Yeah, I guess I'll have to ask for the next time.'     Still off-guard, Lilian politely freezes up, and says, "Oh. Ah. If you insist?" in the few seconds she's too turned-around to immediately be theatrical about the prospect.     'She and I... might both 'belong' in the same way.'     "I'll admit that I was thinking it." says Lilian. "But I did still stiffen up when she did it. Perhaps I have a few habits to unlearn."     'Ack!! It's happening!! um!!'     Lilian had just gotten up to get herself a slice of the cake. She stops dead in her tracks, covers her mouth with both hands, and gasps "Oh my god. It's real." She is struck so completely by scandalous awe that by the time the inkling of 'Maybe I should let Regulus stay and enjoy her birthday?' reaches her conscious mind, the ratbot is already trundling back out.
Foundation Scions	'You're making me think of Da Vinci's little foot-powered helicopter now.'     "Ah! Une idée fabuleuse! Those with the spiral-wings?" Matilda mutters for a moment, "No, wait, all helicopters have spiral-wings! That is in the name!" 'You're still running??'     "Hm? Regulus, do you know that... box?" Matilda stares, as Regulus talks to it, expecting it to speak back, and not even thinking for a moment to interfere. Still, getting scooped up, even by ominous grabby-hands...     "So that is what the dream was forewarning-of..."
Team Timekeeper	"Somehow, I still have a job there."     "Do let me know if you're interested in having any research support within the Suitcase. Right now, I'm happy to file requests for anything I might possibly get away with, before the logistical confusion of 'having just begun' settles."     Sonetto remembers Lilian's comments in the woods belatedly, swiveling in her chair to explain them to Vertin on Lilian's behalf in a strikingly teacher's-pet sort of way. "Dame Rook was saying earlier that she would like a training area to be built in the wilderness, and she also requested Miss Bette to volunteer for her research." "You have the concept of society and stuff... she doesn't,"     As Shira walks away to leave through the warpgate again, Vertin closes her eyes and exhales the slightest, weariest sigh. "I'll speak with her later to try and come to an understanding." "It is sweeter for the company!"     Sonetto's doing great, though! She's even started to work her way through the beer that Matilda handed her, which she may literally have never drank before, and therefore can only associate with Matilda in the future! The last several months of exhausting labour peel away in layers, and it looks like sitting here is the most relaxed Sonetto's been since 1929, with a gentle little sigh.     "... Yes. It is." "I wonder if I could find-excuse to stop by here more-than rarely!"     Sonetto's eyes open again, wider than usual. "Really? Would you want to?"     Sonetto's had a room here, of course, for as long as she's been Vertin's assistant, and she's slept in the Suitcase plenty just with proximity to Vertin rather than being in her room. But still, like-- for the past year, and especially the past three months, she's still been in her dorm room in the Foundation residential building. It's through Matilda that she finally voices the feeling.     "... I think I will be spending much more time here in the future as well. And I look forward to that, because this is such a pleasant and kind place. So I hope that you are able to as well." There's some sort of indistinct cloudy feeling hanging around Matilda that Sonetto can sense the presence, but not the shape of. One thing she is keenly aware of, though, is the miasma of disgruntlement that the rebels besides Regulus seem to hold towards Matilda, the strain of field operations that Matilda as a Junior Investigator simply hasn't built up a resistance to. This is why, contemplating the soothing nature of the Suitcase in one part of her mind, and Matilda's efforts that create mild friction with some Suitcase denizens in another, Sonetto then says, "There are many places to escape to privately, here." "This light makes your hair look very nice!"     "Ah!" Somehow, Sonetto seems stunned to be getting a direct compliment, from *Matilda*! She sits upright, faintly red-cheeked from a combination of the praise and the alcohol, and brushes her thick hair around in front of her shoulder, loosely in her hands.     "Yes, I enjoy the early twilight hours quite a lot! Don't the colors of the setting sun make everything in the world appear more beautiful? To see it reflected in someone's eyes, or shimmering across the sea, or burning on the underside of dark blue clouds...." She got a little distracted, but the quietly dreamy sigh is real!
Team Timekeeper	Sensing something, Sonetto pauses and twists around to look over her shoulder back towards Vertin. Vertin, somehow psychically communicating this to the densest girl in the world with just a raise of her eyebrows and the tilt of her head to the side over the rim of her teacup, directs Sonetto's attention back to Matilda. "I believe, if you return another day, it is a good spot to view it from the tall hill a quarter of a kilometer south of the centerpoint of the Wilderness?" "If I get another, would you open it for me?"     "No," Tragic! And yet! Sonetto places her hands on the edge of the table. "I shall get up myself and get two more."     As Sonetto makes her way towards the cooler, once her back is turned, Vertin leans over the arm of her chair and flashes Matilda a thumbs-up, privately cheering along with Lilian. "I wonder if there are ever shooting stars, here!"     "Oh, I wonder.... I've never seen one. Perhaps I should be on the lookout." Eyes to the sky, light blue fades to dark, where the first stars of night are just starting to peer through. "A trampoline would be quite charming, but, carrying it so far, and a necessity for hard-hats would be in poor fashion..."     "Certainly no hard hats. Could you imagine? Tragic. But wouldn't it be something to find a wyvern or an Adar Llwch Gwin...." "You're still running??"     Vertin *has* seen the bizarre little ratcube before, and has been subject to many complaints as to its pursuit from Regulus, but really, after two months in a coma, she wasn't *totally* sure that it wasn't a hallucinated memory. Now, Vertin needs assistance to walk, and Sonetto is inside at the kitchen fetching more drinks, and so Regulus is completely exposed-- unless literally anyone else stepped up to protect her, but that seems unnecessary.     "Oh dear. Ah, Regulus? Regulus... ah, do be careful running, not around the cake knife."     And then Regulus is grabbed and, despite her scrabbling against the ground, captured and the ratbot begins to abduct its prey. Vertin pulls down the brim of her hat, shading her eyes. "And on her birthday...."