Scene #2284: A Brilliant Spirit in the Deep

Owner	Pose
Septette Arcubielle	Even with her cloak on, the other residents of the Deep City tend to give Septette a wide berth. Perhaps they only mean to be respectful, but it still depresses her somewhat to be viewed as a living relic. That's part of why she's so eager to meet people from other worlds: they may see her as a novelty, but they won't see her as a museum piece. The neon-pink glow of the Geomagnetic Pole snaps Septette out of her introspective reverie, and she comes to a halt at a safe distance from the miraculous artifact. The Pole itself is a swirling beacon of light that reaches a thousand feet into the air, almost scraping the surface of the ocean far above. It's near the center of the City, but there's surprisingly little traffic there: most people have little use for such a thing, or find it to be an eyesore. If it weren't nigh-indestructible and irreplaceable, Septette reflects, somebody would likely have torn it down.
Mandy Rose	Pink sparkles! A flash of light! And... Mandy is here! Dressed in a white sun dress, white knee socks and black shoes. Her hair is tighed up into pigtails with a pair of pink ribbons. Beside her is floating her Gastly. Mandy looks around herself and marvels. Oh wow~!
Septette Arcubielle	A warm, somewhat-silly smile crosses Septette's face as she steps forward and offers her clawed hand to Mandy. "Welcome to the Deep City, little one," she chirps cheerfully, and gestures behind her at the surprisingly modern-looking skyline. The buildings are made from solid stone rather than from metal, but most of them are several floors: as they have to stay within the confines of the magical bubble, the residents here are more prone to building upwards than out. Most of the city is lit either by the blue-green glow of luminous moss, the lavender-pink shine of the Geomagnetic Pole, or the warm yellow cast of magical lighting: little natural light filters down from above, even in the daytime. Still, it manages to look oddly peaceful and lively despite the absence of sunshine. "It's a nice place, isn't it?"
Mandy Rose	Mandy looks at that clawed hand for a few moments, then reaches her own little hand to take it gently, carefully. Shake shake. "Ah... thank you," she responds to the welcome, with a smile. "It's good to see you under, um. Less stressful circumstances." There's a pause. "Oh! Um. This is Mana." The Gastly bobs in greeting. "...Mmh. I think I'd get bothered by the lack of sunlight after a while..." she muses to herself.
Septette Arcubielle	Septette watches her guest's expression carefully, trying to make sure she doesn't alarm the little girl... but relaxes a little when Mandy accepts the handshake, and takes care not to squeeze her little hand too firmly. "Ah! Pleased to meet you, Mana. I believe I saw you on the mission, as well." "Most visitors don't stay for more than a few weeks for that very reason," the robot admits, "but those who live here don't seem to mind. The Deep City hasn't seen a sunrise in three hundred years, after all." She pauses for a moment, and makes a thoughtful churrling noise. "Would you rather go back to my place, or explore the city? There are some wonderful parks and restaurants around here..."
Mandy Rose	Mandy tilts her head to one side slightly. "Didn't you have any ideas for what to do...?" She looks a little baffled. "Well... I wouldn't mind looking around more! This is a very interesting place." She smiles warmly.
Septette Arcubielle	The robot turns and motions for Mandy to follow her, moving at a deliberately slow pace so as not to leave the girl behind. "I know a place near here that makes quite wonderful pastries," she remarks. "No eclairs, though. Somehow, we managed not to discover the miracle of the eclair before Unification." After a moment or two, the pair come to an enormous tree root that's burst through the cobblestone street, blocking it off- one of Yggdrasil's, by the looks of it. Septette hops up on top of it, digging in with her talons for extra traction, then turns around and holds out a hand, offering to pull Mandy up as well. "In truth, I did have a few things I wanted to talk to you about, little one... but it doesn't really matter to me where we go to talk about them," she confesses cheerily. "You may not be an Elite, but you're someone special. You know that?"
Mandy Rose	Mandy follows along behind Septette obediently, still looking around like a total tourist. She staaares upwards at the water above... then, wincing, does her best to NOT look at the water. She's SURE the magical dome won't suddenly fail and dump the entire ocean on her head, but... Mandy takes Septette's hand and hauls herself up onto the root. "No, I'm not," she responds simply. "So what did you want to talk about?"
Septette Arcubielle	It's a surprisingly short drop back down to the cobblestones on the other side- only a foot or two, really. Hopping off the root with a heavy clank, Septette turns and smiles reassuringly at Mandy. "Kinda spooky, isn't it? The dome. ... You get used to that, too. For now, let's get you inside. I find that helps." The robot ducks into a side street, then holds open the door to a well-lit and cheerful-looking cafe. Judging by the response- or lack thereof- to her presence, it seems like they know her here. Septette asks for "the usual" and settles down into a booth, and it's only a minute before they're served a platter of varied handmade sweets, tarts, and pastries. "You are too special," Arcubielle finally replies, seemingly not prompted by anything. "Not many little girls your age go traipsing between worlds without an escort, you know."
Mandy Rose	Mandy hops down to the ground with a soft 'hup!'. As Septette ducks into that side street, Mandy hesitates for a moment, before heading after her. She smiles warmly at the staff as she settles down opposite Septette. "Hm? I do too have an escort." She points to the Gastly hovering by her side. "Gaaaas~" Mana says. It's rendered by the Translation Effect as a generic sort of agreement.
Septette Arcubielle	Septette nudges the plate closer to Mandy, eager for her host to try some, and nibbles on the edge of a lemon tart herself. "I'm not certain that Mana counts," she says with a hint of amusement in her voice, "but that's beside the point. You're quite brave and capable for your age... and there's a kind of spark about you, as well. I thought I noticed something about you during that mission, but was a little too distracted to make sure." "Now, though... it's more obvious." She pauses for a moment to finish off her tart. "Would you care for some tea? They also have, milk, juice, cordial... er, on second thought, let's not get you any cordial."
Mandy Rose	Mandy nibbles on a strawberry tart! Delicious strawberries. Well. Strawberry jam anyway. "No. Really, I'm just... I'm just a normal girl. You know? I'm nowhere close to being as amazing as an Elite, or..." She shakes her head a little bit. "The Other Person was the special one. You're probably just, like. Sensing some mark she left on me or something." She then smiles. "Tea would be wonderful, thank you."