Scene #171: Deck of Light Denouement

Owner	Pose
Abstractum.Net	The door leads out into an unusual environment. It's a hallway, bordered on both sides by more televisions, displaying constant static. It extends long past the door, and is a good minute or so worth of a walk. The door at the end of the hall looks plain, the kind of door you'd see in any old suburban residence. Emerging from it, Sakura and her group will find a relatively familiar sight of a simple town. Currently they're at the outskirts, in a suburban area, and appear to have emerged from a blank-looking suburban house, in a suburb styled in a vaguely japanese way. Riko's house is, of course, just next door. Sakura won't have any trouble asking her way past Riko's mom - she doesn't really seem to mind, you know, unicorns and... ratmen and all that - and Sakura can probably get access to Riko's room in relatively short order. Simple and easy! Of course, Mom's there to talk to too, if you want to. It could actually be a good idea, what with what Sakura learned about who Riko is related to... Or you might decide to just hold off and do the Distant Mentor thing! That's up to Sakura.
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura has been chatting animatedly - albeit rather generically - with her companions all the way through the TV-lined corridor. As they enter the Node proper, she looks up at the sky, sighing with relief at the lack of stormy weather. She makes a left and heads right up to Riko's house, knocking on the door. In they go! Riko's mother is pretty understanding. Sakura calls upstairs: "Riikooo~!"
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr is just glad this is winding down for now, seemingly. She chatters with Sakura and the others much the same way as Sakura herself, and follows along with a rather relaxed demeanor. It's so different from the last time around.
Faruja	Faruja Senra, dressed in red robes and leaning more heavily than usual on his cane thanks to his recent injury upon his good leg seems in relatively high spirits. Coming more out of curiousity and wishing to see just how things are going for the young Lady Kinomoto, Riko and her mother get a visit from a rat. As they're ushered upwards, with the girls of the party and Zeph attending to Riko's door, Faruja slips into 'gentlerat' mode. Riko's mother gets a disarming smile, hopefully not taken away from with many pointy, sharp rat teeth and a single bandaged eye where his Abstractum rests. He finds it gives people less to worry about than an odd magitech eye. Should she accept, Faruja will take her hand, kneel, and give a knightly kiss upon her palm. "Lord's blessings upon thee, M'Lady! I must extend our gratitude for thine wonderful hospitality. Father Faruja Senra, at thine service. If there is aught I may do for thee, or thine daughter, please doth not hesitate to ask. Ye art both well?" He probes politely, like a good priest.
Ariel	"Hello, Miss Riko's mom!" Ariel is going to be polite, lingering near the back. She didn't know the details of what went on, but in truth she had been paying enough attention to know roughly what happened anyway. Now she's here because she's been trying to see what's up with other Nodes... and besides, she has the confidence now to help others. Hopefully she won't end up with pictures taken and her poster plastered on the wall or something.
Ainsley	And so Ainsley tagged along with the rest of the group. Mostly she's just marveling at the house because of the wonder of an entire neighborhood being crafted, with complete people, out of an idea or a person. She still doesn't know what to think of the vastly differing Nodes and their inhabitants. She doesn't even bother with pleasantries! She just sidles into the room, one hand absent-mindedly reaching to grab Faruja's, or it tries to, since he kneels like that. The hand ends up grabbing one of his ears. She looks over at him afterwards and blinks at him once. "I'm not sure that's how it works," she says to Faruja, smiling gently at him.
Abstractum.Net	"A-aaaah! Sakura!" Riko calls her up with a bit of enthusiasm. "I was wondering when you'd get back!" Back up to Riko's room. At the top of the stairs, right on the left, there it is. Her room is very much a young girl's room. Shelves are equal parts books and stuffed animals, while the bed is definitely the territory of the latter. Riko herself, a young girl, possibly not even in her teens yet, with long black hair like her mother, greeets them at the door. "Sakura! Ainsley, Zephyr! And..." She trails off nervously looking at the other two, but tries to regain her enthusiasm. That one's a unicorn!!!!! OH GOSH. "H-hey! Sorry about disappearing that night, but I had to run back to the shelter and make sure Mom was okay! You were there, right? I think I saw you and some of your friends!" She says, eagerly, to Sakura, while she sits down in her own room. Riko's mom laughs a bit, awkwardly to Faruja. "Oh, charming! Hello Faruja, thank you for the offer. There's nothing I need, you're here for Riko right? I'm sure she'll tell you anything she needs, Riko's a good girl and she usually knows to ask."
Faruja	Faruja's over-enthusiastic blessings and formalities are met by ear-grabs-slash-rubs courtesy of one lizardess. His natural eye blinks, letting out a tiny, cute little squeak before he masters himself. Looking back, the rat gives a look for but a moment that's a cross between pout and relaxation. Sigh. "...Is chivalry so remote in 'modern' lands?" He states, before ahem'ing and looking slightly more dignified. The rat resists the urge to stick is tongue out at Ainsley playfully. To Riko's mom, however, the rat finally stands. With a bow-only half formal this time-the rat gives a nod. "Quite. We shall see to thine young charge, then!" With that, he follows in with the rest of the group. As Riko trails off, he simply bows. "A friend of a friend, young Lady. Call me Faruja." Smile! He was never the best with young ones, but he tries to be disarming.
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura pauses for a split second. "Oh! Um. These two are Faruja and Ariel," she introduces, gesturing the the ratpriest and the unicorn in turn. "They're my friends! ... Um, obviously..." Sakura trails off for a few moments. "...Oh, no, don't worry! We had to leave in a hurry too. It, um, was kinda hectic..." There's another pause. Sakura looks like she wants to hug Riko for a moment, then thinks better of it and heads into her room! "...So! Um. How's the Cardcaptoring going?"
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr remains mostly quiet, though she does smile at Riko, and give a polite bow to the mother. Up to Riko's room, she leans casually against the wall, arms folded over her chest. "Everyone's safe, right? No injuries from the storm?"
Ariel	"Hi~" Ariel says, wiggling fingers. "I'm new to the um... area. I've done stuff with Sakura before, though, I just haven't met you." She doesn't really have anything to say to add right this moment, just reassurances. Her ears do perk up(literally) at the word 'injuries' though.
Abstractum.Net	"It was really... Yeah, it was really hectic." Riko shifts around awkwardly. But then she brightens up! "But! I did all the things you said, I-I found the card, and figured out how to get it out of the weather tools, and then I used the other cards to hold it so I could capture it! And it all worked! I didn't mess up or anything that time!" She seems really enthusiastically proud of herself. There's a very uncertain, unstable sort of growing confidence. "I-I think I sort of understand how this works! And how to do it!" Then some firm nods to Zephyr. "Ummm... Yeah! I think... I mean, I don't know exactly, but I don't think a lot of people got hurt in the storm!" Ariel gets a look. It has to be familiar. It's the look of a little girl who sees a unicorn. The deep and intense desire to brush some hair and decorate a horn is almost palpable. "H-hi, uhm... Ariel? Hello, it's nice to meet you!" "And, hi, Faruja!" A bright smile. "You're friends with Ainsley, right? Ainsley's helped out around here a while, I think..." There's a bit of an awkward pause, she doesn't seem to know much more to say about this. "Anyway, ummm..."
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura actually looks proud. "That's great! I knew you'd adapt to it easily. You were born for this, after all. I think. That's how it tends to work..." Well, no, she KNOWS that Riko was born to do it. But she's not going to outright say that. She goes quiet for a little while, letting Riko talk to the others, before asking a question! "Hey, um, Riko? Where's your dad? I don't think I've ever seen him around..."
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr nods solemnly. "That's good." she says, then brightens up(It's contageous!), smiling warmly over at Riko, then glancing to Sakura. She's playing at being the older 'sister' here, quietly encouraging. Or at least trying to. She gets kinda awkward when there aren't faces to punch.
Ariel	Oh boy, there goes the look. Ariel is pretty tolerant of this, actually. She just smiles, "After we finish talking you can touch it. It won't hurt either of us unless you're secretly an evil monster or something." She nods lightly, then explains, "I wouldn't want to distract you." Sakura seems to have a plan here, or at least an avenue of questioning.
Faruja	Faruja shuffles a bit with his bad leg(s), finally finding a spot where he won't trip over an errant cute teddy bear or other accessory of Riko's. He can't help but smile a bit, gazing upon the room, wondering if ever he should be so lucky to need to come up with one in his own abode! Faruja beams a touch. "Quite so, my dear! Ainsley is a wonderful Lady." Cue a feather-ruffle of the woman. He looks between the two cardcaptors. "PLease forgive mine ignorance, however, ye hath 13 of these magical artefacts, yes? How many art left for the taking?" Questions the rat, lkely the ignorant one in the room.
Abstractum.Net	"Oh, uh, Dad? He's..." Riko says, then seems to grow uncertain. "He's..." She seems to not be sure what to say at the next part, she looks like a person who just encountered some kind of mental error, like her train of thought has just gotten stuck. "D-dad is..." "Gone." Riko's mom can be seen in the doorway, leaning over. "A short while after Riko's birth." She gives a grim sort of look. "It's not something we can talk about politely much. I'm sorry, Sakura." Riko shakes her head, as if to clear a sudden mental haze. "R-right. Sorry. Anyway, uh..." She answers Faruja now. "Right! There were a bunch of slots in the book, thirteen. I've got four! We're a lot of the way through!"
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura winces a little bit at Riko's reaction, obviously worried. Did she break Riko or something? But then she seems to recover, Sakura giving a faint sigh of relief. "Mmh. Okay. S-sorry for asking. It just..." she trails off. "Never mind. So, um... have you run into anyone who knows anything about the cards, yet? Or... have you had any strange dreams about them?"
Faruja	Faruja, lightly considers the answer. "Nine more, hmm? Mayhaps ye wouldst...demonstrate some time?" It's said quietly, the rat trying to not alert her mother. It's when the young girl seems to pause and go through some sort of mental blockage that he frowns lightly. The ratpriest tilts an ear. Faruja mirrors Sakura's sigh of relief. There's a crossing of his chest reflexively, and a little prayer. Remembering Sakura's powerful aura, curiously, the burmecian pulls away the bandage over his Abstractum, attempting to wake up Hallowed Gaze to spy upon Riko's own magic.
Ariel	What's so strange about not having a dad? Then Ariel realizes that Riko has nobody to take off their shirt and scream during bloody martial arts tournaments, and it clicks. "Nine more? That's a long way to go, but it looks like you have a good start, huh?" She'll refrain from her own Sorcery stuff for now. Sakura's magic sense was probably just as accurate as hers right now.
Abstractum.Net	"Dreams..." Riko shifts around a little awkwardly. "Is that... Something I should talk about a lot? Um... It's a little weird..." She looks a bit ill at ease about this particular subject. "I mean, sort of, but I think they're probably just normal dreams about stuff in my life." No, probably not. She perks up at Faruja. "Oh, you mean, show off what they can do? Uh... Most of them are a little rambunctious and I don't wanna make a mess in my room, but sure! I can do that sometime!" A smile shows she likes the idea. Riko's own magic, when Hallowed Gaze looks on it, is extremely strange. It looks like someone took magic out of an extremely dark source and ran it through the wringer, forcibly purifying it of harmful elements. It's a little delicate-looking after that wash. "Right! Nine more, and I'll be done! And then... And then I dunno what happens." She seems contemplative about this in response to Ariel. "Uh, what do you do when this sort of thing is over? I'm not... sure."
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura shakes her head. "Dreams are important for Mages. Magic enhances our perception. Have you ever just -known- that a card was about to appear? It's even better when you're asleep. Sometimes you'll even dream about things that haven't happened yet." Headtilt! "Um. After getting all the cards? Then you should... reassign them to your own magic power, and then... um... do whatever." Shrug!
Ainsley	Ainsley is still here. Seeing as this particular Node is in a modern area and there's probably an air conditioner blowing into the house, the lizard girl has taken up a spot where she can curl up and stay warm. The topic of suggestions comes up, though, and so Ainsley speaks up, "Teach others that have the potential for it about how to use magic without completely destroying everything around them. You seem to have a good enough heart to make a difference." She looks over at Faruja with a questioning gaze, wondering what he's doing with his Abstractum.
Ariel	Sriel shrugs. "Mom says 'your life is what you make of it' or something. That means you can do what you want, but you should accept responsibility for it. So... you can use them to help people, or to keep them safe and hidden, or whatever." She tilts her head at Sakura. "I don't know, I always find something new to help with! I don't have a lot of experience either. Ainsley seems to have a good idea."
Faruja	Riko, is in fact, adorable. It's amazing Faruja doesn't simply explode from being in the room with a unicorn girl, Sakura, and Riko at the same time due to the concentrated cute. His two fuzzy ears wiggle in a 'd'awww' motion every now and then. He can't help it. "Please. Yes, yes, let us not cause undue harm to thine lovely abode my dear, I..." That's when it all hits him. Ainsley doesn't even get the rat's attention at first as his white fur and flesh manages to go several shades moreso upon looking at her through Gaze. He turns away, only half feigning a cough. Shivering, every single fur on him is visibly standing up. Weakly, the rat nods towards Ainsley's suggestion, looking too tired to speak for a moment before he whispers into the radio.
Zephyr Windstar	Zephyr looks over at Faruja with a very firm gaze as she transmits things via telepathy. She then heads over to sit beside Ainsley, giving the lizardgirl a hug to provide some warmth. "Y'okay?" she asks softly, so as not to disturb the conversation at hand.
Ainsley	Zephyr's grasp gets a confused look from Ainsley. She reaches to hug the mage girl, but shrugs her shoulders. "I'm cold blooded and it's a little brisk in here," she tells Zephyr, smiling at her. She looks over to where the nearest air vent may be. Then she yaaaawns and rubs at her face. He reaches up to adjust Nom de Plume on her face. She decides to take another step to ensure Faruja does not smite the poor cardcaptor-in-training. She uses Conceptual Sight to check for the concept of Morality in Riko and see what shade it is. One of those abstract ideas that, if not concealed with deception, is pretty easy to measure. It's a vital part of a person's total concept, right?
Abstractum.Net	"...Huh, alright. Well, ummm... I've been having some weird dreams. About mom, and the cards. It's all, um... Well, I hadn't really been thinking about it much, so I hadn't kept track. I will from now on, though! I'll keep a dream journal or something? Would that be good?" Riko seems eager to jump into magery now, but still mostly eager to be a good student here. Ainsley can a spot where the window lets in sunlight, and it's really warm, but she'll have to compete with Riko's cat. "Oooh, teaching people like how Sakura's teaching me, that'd be nice..." And then some nods at Ariel. "Right! I'll just... I'll just decide that when it's time. I still only have a few, I need to finish getting them all." Faruja's weird reaction isn't noticed, thankfully. Riko is still perfectly nice and friendly about this! Ainsley's scan finds... Perfectly normal results, honestly. Looks like your average mostly-good heart. Though morality-related Conceptual Sight results are astoundingly unreliable in measurement!
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura nods her head. "Dream journals are good! I keep a dream journal. Even though most of my prophecies are completely useless~" she says in a sort of sing-song voice. "...But seriously, sometimes they're useful. Keeping track of them is a very good idea." Sakura hmmms a bit. "...Hey, Riko. Do you know anything about the stuff outside the town?" Totally changing subjects! She's just curious now.
Faruja	Faruja rubs his temples a bit, covering up his eye so he no longer has /that/ staring him in the face. Shiver. Even now, such sights still grate against his faith. Deep breath. Out. The rat manages to simply smile. An eyebrow rises. "...I mean not to frighten ye, Lady Riko. However, Lady Kinomoto speaks the truth. Dreams art oft important to a mage. Prophecies, Divine Visions give to us by the Lor..." Cutting himself off, he tries again, squashing the urge to begin a sermon. He knows kids that age. They'll just fall asleep. "That is, they art oft important. Doth not ignore any portents ye art gifted with." There's a little fear in his voice, here. Could something befall her mother? Faruja crosses himself. Then, he's gazing to Ainsley as she summons up Nom. He slips a flask from his robes, and starts to chug heavily. Oh Faram, he is surrounded by heathens, and he's in love with one. A gazing eye looks out for sudden smitings from the heavens.
Ariel	Ariel just backs them up, "Even if they aren't prophetic, your dreams can tell you a lot about things that you may not think of when you're awake. You should try to consider that, too."
Abstractum.Net	"Well, alright! I'll go ask mom to take me out to go buy one sometime, thanks Sakura, and mister Faruja!" A wide smile from Riko now. "Oh, outside town? Uh... Well, there's the forest. And I know there's some other Nodes." Wait, what?! "There's not much besides that around here though, it's usually not a good idea to go past the forest." Ariel gets a really CONFUSED look. "Huh, really? But it's just like... thinking, would that really tell me much? I guess it might..." She considers. "Well, I'll definitely do it anyway."
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura stares at Riko for a while. Her mouth even hangs open and everything. "I... you... you mean to tell me you know this is a Node?" She continues to stare for a while longer. "...Do you know what a Node actually is?"
Ainsley	Ainsley's focus becomes /keenly/ focused on Riko when she says 'other Nodes,' which implies something that makes her blood run cold. Something that occured to her before. Samael had been there, likely speaking to Ember... in her Node. She had interfered during that battle for her amusement. But does that mean that the Nodes are inherently flawed, or breached? No, the only person who has been sighted doing that was Samael, and she's an exception. "Are there other Nodes, adjacent to this one, that you know of?" Ainsley asks Riko, her feathered brows perking right up in blatant fascination.
Faruja	Faruja, is remarkably silent, managing to not stare at the girl too badly. At least she's (probably) not a Heretic. His gaze shifts from Sakura to Ainsley, then back to Riko. His ears tilt, as he ponders and awaits answers.
Ariel	Ariel hmmns, "Well I'm not sure that it's too strange that she'd know. I mean... aren't you curious as well? About your world outside your town?" She smiles, though she too is thinking and she wonders, "Does everyone know you're in a Node, too?"
Abstractum.Net	Riko tilts her head and shrugs a little bit. "A Node is a Node. I, um, it's hard to define, I guess? We don't really worry about it." Well, after all, what would you say if someone asked you to define Earth? "There's not any others I really know about, it's just something we know about." Riko nods a bit at Ariel. "Yep! We know what a Node is and that there's some stuff outside it. It's not anything we wanna stress out about, if you're from out of town, you know." They seem very casual about this. It would appear that the Nodes are designed for maximum convenience of the Users by inducing these sorts of states in their inhabitants.
Sakura Kinomoto	Sakura looks down at the floor for a while. "...Have I seriously been keeping something a secret when I didn't even need to? -Again-? I hate it when that happens."