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Nathan Hall     Leaving the Maelstrom that had occurred in weird disparate timeline-branches for over a week -- subjectively, just a day, and multiple days -- had been as simple as entering is now. The Old State House is still wrapped in ivy, though it seems more tenuous now than before. You've got a few hours, but one should still be pretty quick.

    The interior has not changed, aside from Nathan Hall being more present in the main foyer. He's reading, sitting off to the side. The arena of the previous harsh battle lies in ruin, enough so that it seems like Nathan is likely to direct the group off to the side, to that room where his soul originally said the group was currently receiving information. As per the norm, though, he doesn't give the first word, beyond a simple, stoic "Salutations."

    While strained, the place seems calm. Like a condemned building, the sensation of looming destruction seems less of a danger and more of an inevitability. One has to hope the Old State House itself will come out intact, even if this ivy-bound shelter in the storm does not.
Guest Psyber     There was little doubt that Psyber would return for the finish of the past week of events. With a calm and serious demeanor, the half-angel strides into the State Building and then nods to the facsimile of nathan that greets them, "Let's get right to business." Psyber comments in a tired sort of tone.

    His hand plays over the card in his pocket, the Library Card, from yesterday. He heads into the side room and prepares to confront the very final portions of this ordeal.
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor... is much calmer than the end of things last night. Maybe a night's sleep finally did her some good. SHe's also out of all of her armor, she's not carrying today and she's... there's a firmer look in her eyes. Though some of that wavers as she passes through the ivy.
    Steady, girl.
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko is here, but she has seen better days.

    There's visibly something stiff in her movements, a bit slower than her normal brisk, businesslike pace. She walks like what she is - someone far more sore and stiff in body than they want to let on. Her pants have either been replaced or repaired, because the blasted-off section of the left leg is closed again, but her left arm is bare, and her skin remains visibly pink and sensitive there. Her healing should have completely fixed that by now, especially with Eleanor's help.

    Nevertheless, she stands tall as she walks in behind Psyber, even if that costs her some degree of effort, and gives Nathan a simple nod of greeting - and likewise to Eleanor.
Riva Banari Riva is here, of course. She's going to see this through to the end. She enters with the others, her physical form healed from the wounds she's taken... But it was slower, somehow, for some reason.

Perhaps the other wounds do not heal so easily.

She nods to Nathan as they approach, and she smiles. "Everything is going to work out fine, Nathan." She reassures him... Even if he technically doesn't exist yet. It's just how she is.
Mizuki     Mizuki is here. And yes, it is Mizuki: her telltale black hair, red eyes, and somber demeanor give that away quite plainly from the get-go. As promised, Shiori has fled the scene, presumably imparting her memory - or some refraction of it, anyway - upon Mizuki's own. Perhaps this would help to explain why Mizuki looks so fretful when she appears, and why, instead of reassuring her friends as she could've been expected to do after such a long quasi-absence, she rushes immediately to the demon. Her face has contorted rather completley with concern, though the second she has a moment to settle, and to earnestly study the face of the demon, she immediately relaxes. Not because her worry abates, but because she realizes, perhaps to her dismay, that this chapter has already closed. There's simply nothing more she can do here.

    Still, she tries to force a smile -- as if that might soothe the demon or her compatriots to some extent to see. "My," She wisps, "what a mess they seem to have made in my absence. Can't leave for but a day, it seems; can't fall asleep to rest after the sundering of my timeline without expecting some great catastrophe to unfold." She squeezes her eyes shut a moment as if painfully. "There is so much I would've liked to have asked you. So much I would've liked to have learned. But it was only two revolutions of the clock, right? Twenty-four of their hours was how long you could sustain yourself? ... yes. So I'll try not to waste our time with more of this useless prattle." She bows a hasty apology, but immediately straightens her posture afterward. Her arms position themselves neatly behind her back, and she clears her throat.

    "Well then," She begins, "I am given to understand that my 'other self', as it were, has promised you a place within my home. Though that might have been a bit presumptuous of her, I can guarantee you that I share her sentiments in this particular case wholeheartedly. I will not renege on that promise, and I have used what time I have had since waking to prepare a suitable vessel for whatever splinter of yourself you see fit to leave with me. An associate of mine will be with us shortly, though I did want to give myself some time before we dove straight into the meat of things. To meet you, yes?" She takes a small breath in effort to calm herself -- she's actually quivering a bit for whatever reason.

    "That said, I am Mizuki. I believe you and I - or at least some part of you and I - will be spending quite a lot of time together in the near future. Charmed~."
Kimiko Shinobu     Kimiko is here. She does not look like a magical girl (apart from looking like herself), again in a scarf and sweater, though the latter isn't nearly ugly enough to be a Christmas sweater, as this is somehow still November. She doesn't show any signs of being other than completely healed, though she doesn't seem terribly energetic, either. She arrives at much the same time as the others, but has little to add when they've reached the place, just nodding to the Nathan-esque figure and giving Mizuki an unreadable look.
Nathan Hall     "Certainly." Nathan nods to Psyber. "You will soon be shut of all this trouble. Just a little more and all of this can finally end." This timeline variant of Nathan keeps close to Psyber, and moves to guide the others slowly into the next area. He gives an approving noise to Eleanor. She took his advice. He seems to approve. Then a respectful nod back to Setsuko, and Kimiko, almost simultaneous between all three of them. A very gentle sort of welcome, less firm. He makes a much more assured noise at Riva. "I understand. I know that whatever choice you make, it will turn out alright for me. Thank you for everything you have worked to do, Riva."

    He leads them on into the side room, where a long table meant for legislative deliberation sits. Replacing the famous statesmen are images of the seven Channelers in portraiture on the wall. The Causality Demon's human form remains seated, not at the end of the table, but somewhere off to the side of it. He doesn't greet the others as they enter; for it, they were already there, and they have already left, and all other suchlike. "Your other timeline made the statement, but I knew that this one would hold to it. You, as well, have certain parts that are consistent between timelines. I deal with that kernel above all else."

    The being does nod, however. "Hello, Mizuki. I do not have a name. A portion of my corpse did spend, is spending, and will spend a substantial degree of time with you. My reaction cannot be stated in human terms, but this interaction is one that I would repeat if given opportunity."
Guest Psyber     Faint nods of greeting are given where appropriate as Psyber moves, his hands kept in his pockets as he goes. He seems to be more focused on just bringing this to a finish than on any degree of formality. Hands come out of his pockets to put a cigarette in his mouth and light it while he walks.

    He exhales a small cloud of smoke and then says, "Timelines, causality, multiple fissures. Yada yada, reality, multiple branches. Let's get to the part where you describe how we're going to be healing Nathan and what this will be like."
Nathan Hall     "This is up to you. The end result of Nathan Hall may be decided on your terms. Several potential futures involve you having me remove the memories of the events and their results entirely. Some involve you requesting a less severe measure, removing the psychospiritual impact without removing the memories or results. Some involve you requesting no healing whatsoever; Nathan Hall can remain as he was before he entered, without my influence blocking less direct healing. Many involve more complicated, less absolute setups. Systems where the Library of Time is sealed externally, able to be released or rebound at your discretion as the development of Nathan Hall without my influence progresses." The being says. It remains motionless, but still clearly channels Nathan Hall's way of speaking and thinking.

    "All of these potential futures, and many others, are viable options for you to make into the current present. All that remains is for you to select a potential future to be the current present."
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor looks over at Psyber and the cigarette and there's... something, someone inside of her give it a lonnnnnnnnnnng look. Steady girl. No need to pile vices on. She huffs and rubs her hands on her dress, smiling back to Nathan. Alright. Psyber's... got the same mind as her on this point.

    "No... offense, but yes. We would rather have Nathan back sooner rather than later." A look to Riva and Setsuko and she smiles at both of them. Kimiko gets a subtle wave as well. Friends. We are with friends. Friends are good.
Mizuki     Mizuki files into the room rather quickly, taking a seat at a chair on the left, leaving two between herself and the 'human' incarnation of the demon. Their introduction actually makes her pause a moment before she pulls out her chair -- not necessarily in surprise, but it's clear that some of their words had a rather pronounced effect upon her. Not so pronounced that she is compelled to call further attention to herself, though, and not in a way that leaves her shaken. In fact, she seems to be smiling again now. After brushing her lap and neatly folding her hands there, she locks eyes with her subject of interest and finally clarifies.

    "I see. So you really are... the manifestation of a timeline. Someone who can see all pasts and futures relative to a single point of focus." She nods to herself several times in affirmation. "... I suppose I knew that already, but this is the first time I've been able to imagine that. In your eyes, I have already spent many years with you in a sense. You might even know me far better than I know you. As someone with my particular abilities and my particular fascinations I should know that state of being very well, and yet..." She shakes her head. "And yet the thought is still so enchanting. I wonder what it was like? What it will be like? ... pray, now I've begun to talk like you. For the first time, though, I know what that volley of tenses truly pertains to. Perhaps I've taken my first step toward understanding you." Her gaze falls to her hands a moment, and she is silent.

    Looking back to the rest of the table briefly, she gives an almost sad sort of smile. "I'm terribly sorry. I... I imagine that when you knew that I would be returning you might've expected me to be more 'in your corner', as it were; less inclined to care about the demon. I must seem such a soft, naive fool to be behaving this way. I care about the general, too, or at least as much as an acquaintance can manage to care about another, I just feel a sort of nostalgia about all this. Talking with the demon makes me think of what I must have been before the Quiet World was born and before I assumed a human form. Before I discovered words, yes? So it's hard for me to be quite so certain about destroying them." Resting her eyes a moment, she says, "So it's far better there are people like you in the world, really. People who can make those decisions and who aren't so hindered by some pseudo-philosophical nonsense." And again, she falls silent.

    "... Fenestra should be with us shortly," She repeats. "I leave deliberation as to how the general's timeline should be fixed to you lot. I don't know enough about his history to identify what was, is, and will be most crucial to his development as a person. I might have used this as an opportunity to 'improve' his personality, to make it a bit closer to what the General Hall you knew might have considered ideal... but something tells me that would be wholly antithetical to what you lot are trying to achieve here. So I will refrain." Though you can't stop her from musing on the possibilities.

    For the most part, Mimi just tries to shrink in her seat. She feels oddly out of place.
Kimiko Shinobu     Kimiko walks into the room, but she doesn't take a seat. She remains standing, more stiffly than hercasual attire might have one think, more 'at attention' than otherwise. She's of a mind with Psyber and Eleanor, though quietly, and gives Mizuki a long, still-unreadable look, though something of her thought could be inferred by the still-quiet sigh she gives. It will only be after some time to think that she speaks.

    "We are here for Nathan Hall, the man we know. Not for Nathan Hall, the man that might have been. Anything more than repair of what was damaged should be up to the general's decision, but he cannot make that decision, here." To her, all of this should be obvious, but she says it anyway.
Setsuko Kaminagi     There is a chair available. Quietly, Setsuko takes it, settling herself in where there is an open space that Kimiko can take as well if she changes her mind. Ordinarily she would stand, but for once the swordswoman is grateful of the chance not to. She really did a number on herself. Most of the talk of timelines, however, is a bit beyond her. She'll have to wait and see what happens when the discussion gets around to more simplistic 'choices and their associated results'.
Mizuki     Though Mizuki may not have given any clear acknowledgment of Kimiko's stares before, she certainly notices her now. Her eyes widen a moment when she realizes that she's been looking at her this whole time, though she seems to calm again when the puella magi sighs. Mizuki averts her eyes a moment, bowing her head in an equally illegible gesture of respect, or apology, or something else entirely. Were it only that she could be more sure of Kimiko's meaning, but if she were... she supposes she's already said all that could be said. Should be said, failing that; a flurry of words isn't exactly what Kimiko is looking for under any circumstances whatsoever. She's at least known her long enough to have learned that much.

    And so quiet she remains, for now.
Riva Banari Riva smiles and nods back to Eleanor as she joins them, and the Templaress sits down with the others, looking over to Nathan with a smile... Before she falters for a moment, trying to disguise it with a nod as she looks away. What was that all about?

"I agree with Psyber. We need to lay down how this is all going to work." Riva says, though she looks distracted all of a sudden.

Maybe it's because of Mizuki, who's talking intently with the demon and everyone present. She purses her lips for a moment, and nods. "It's okay, Mizuki. We can talk about the philosophy of the situation after it's over. We don't really have time to debate this much anymore, ironically. This place isn't going to hold together much longer, and once it breaks down this is all over. Soon, okay?"
Mizuki     Mizuki gives a tiny, almost invisible nod to Riva. "Soon," She says. "Were it only for a little longer. So that, looking back, more of their timeline might be filled with... human contact. Something other than suffering. But ah, I suppose that wouldn't have given them what they were looking for, would it have? So perhaps it's just as well." She smiles.

    "I've said all I needed to say to appease myself, don't worry. I won't become any sort of an obstruction. Be any further obstruction, rather."
Riva Banari "Pain is a part if living. Humans make mistakes and suffer the consequences for those actions. It's part of how we learn, Mizuki. Why do you think I was so concerned about some... things?" Riva looks away, and gestures over to Kimiko. "It's not really my place, but my general opinion is more or less similar to Kimiko's, but I think others here have more perceptiveness and ability to determine these things than I do." She says, looking meaningfully at Psyber.

And she sighs. "You're never an obstruction, Mizuki. Don't feel bad, okay? It's been a really rough time on us all. I don't think any of us are coming out of this the same way we came in."
Nathan Hall     "I did not seek to correct your misperception because your misperception is already corrected now." The Eye of Betrayal's response to Mizuki is about what you'd expect. "I perceive linearity as it is. But this gives me little understanding in the way you think it does. I perceive linearity as an entity all in itself, with you as cells of the larger whole. I cannot constrain myself to linear thinking. What you consider 'knowing you better' may not be something I am capable of. You will understand at a point in the future." Is that about figuring out what that's like, or about the Causality Demon relating...? It's unclear.
Nathan Hall     "If you have grown attached to the being called 'Nathan Hall' while he is still possessed of the Library of Time, that is acceptable. I hold no particular attachment to either." The Causality Demon says, tilting its head.

    The Nathan Hall, here, makes a soft, worried noise. "Being that entity, being the Nathan Hall that is affected so badly by the previous experience is a severely negative experience. If you believe it is best for me, I am not going to object, but I will state that this... Unburdened timeline variant is an emotionally relieving experience. But if the more flawed variant of my timeline is your preference, I will hold no grudge or objection."
Mizuki     "I know that," Mizuki murmurs to Riva. "And it's because I know that that I..." She bites her lip and shakes her head. "We've already been through this conversation before. There's no need to go through it again, now." After a moment's silence, she mumbles again as if to no particular target: "But it isn't acceptance. It's... acquiescence. Don't mistake one for the other."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "There is one thing I'd like clarification on," Setsuko says from her place at the table. She sounds tired, but other than that, normal; she's at least got that going for her. "What exactly is the Library of Time, from your perspective? What does it provide you, and what does possessing it allow you to do?"
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor lets out a little ragged snort at 'emotionally relieving', and sighs. She plants a hand on Setsuko's shoulder and murmurs. "Is there a version of Nathan in there that can actually manage to smile? And mean it?" A joke, but maybe a ray of hope in her voice.
    Though Setsuko has an excellent question. "I know that's vital to him being... 'him'. How much stress is that going to cause him?"
Mizuki     Mizuki smiles to the demon again, nodding. This is the sort of smile that puts her expression on the precipice of laughter. "She shared 'happiness' with you, didn't she? ... I wonder how you would've responded to novelty." At that, she just shakes her head. "But perhaps there will be a day when your viewpoint and the human viewpoint can be better combined, somehow. I only hope that I li --... am still extant when it happens somewhere where I may perceive it."
Guest Psyber     "Honestly," Psyber says as he muses it over, thinking it, "The experiences you went through," Psyber looks towards Nathan and considers the point as he tilts his head. He's trying to take Nathan's wishes into account as he asks, "What if we allowed you to recontextualize all those experiences? What if we reconstituted your past experiences using the perspective you have now before we recombined them into you? Would the detachment and reassessment make it less painful for the resulting version of you?"
Nathan Hall     "The Library of Time constitutes what you would consider to be the temporal equivalent of a heart and lungs. Core elements of the process of 'EXISTING' that allow me to respire and distribute power in myself." The Demon says, snapping its head back to Setsuko rather suddenly. "I am now denied futures where I may possess this. I formed it inside of the vessel of 'Nathan Hall'. In him, it manifests as a set of experiences that create future timelines where he gains the powers that make up the necessary cells of the 'heart'. It is a set of what you would consider 'empowering traumas'. They created powerful futures by forming wounds that require 'Nathan Hall' to acquire those powers to heal and be protected in the future."

    "The Library of Time is a specialized wound that produces a future scar. The scar is a necessary organ of my 'existance'. For you, the Library of Time is the psychospiritual damage 'Nathan Hall' suffered as a result of my influence, which forced him to increase his willingness to acquire and expend power while reducing pacifism."
Nathan Hall     "..." The Causality Demon goes silent and looks to Nathan Hall.

    Nathan looks back and gestures rather helplessly at the humanoid figure. "My apologies. It does not know what smiling is. I... Am more content, more healthfully happy in this form. I do not really keep track of smiling, but I am sure it has happened in hypothetical temporal branchspace of the past. The Library of Time is not... A necessary part of being me, per se. It is an influence that drives me towards being something I am not, in order to create what the Causality Demon needed to live. But it is a critical part of being... Well, the sort of man you have seen in more recent months. At the Drasillum, for example." He looks down at that particular topic. Even like this, he'd rather not think about it.
Setsuko Kaminagi     "So, if we were to... heal your wounds, so to speak," Setsuko muses, "The Library of Time would be diminished. Because it's you, but at the same time... not quite." She folds her fingers together, seeming to consider this. "I concur with the others. I want you to be a healthier, happier person, General. But I don't want to erase what has shaped you. More than that, I don't know."
Nathan Hall     While Nathan talks to Eleanor, the Demon talks to Mizuki. It says a lot while also saying very little. "She did. I still wonder." Wonder what? That's not clear either. "A perspective from within Linearity. It is a potential future. As is your existence within that potential future."
Guest Psyber     Psyber expounds his motivation to the others, "My working theory is that the Library of Time can be turned from a scar into a foundation with recontextualization." Psyber says with a waving motion of his hand, "Namely, all the events that he experienced, the traumas, were forced into a certain context. A certain negative motivation. If they could be perspective shifted, it would allow him to accrue proper defenses without compromising his defining trait of pacifism. He might be slightly weakened, but emotionally, he would be more healthy."
Eleanor Lamb     The word 'Drasillum' gets the color in Eleanor's cheeks to rise, but she settles down and murmurs, looking to Psyber. "I... I have to agree with him. As vital as Nathan's strengths have been, he's... his emotional wellbeing was reaching far, far into what was good for him. To sacrifice some of his... power for that would be... acceptable."
Nathan Hall     "The recontextualization is something that the Eye of Betrayal thought you would seek. It is what is sampled in this timeline that I represent. The past events, even with a 'full healing', will remain... Detatched. In a sense." Nathan is the one who speaks up here, leaning forward on one elbow to speak more directly to Psyber.

    He puts a hand to his chin. "It is difficult to describe what it is like. It is like a dream, something that did not 'really' happen, but which I remember anyway. It is like something I read in a book. It did not happen to 'me'. This arrangement produces a 'paradox' where parts of my personal timeline are inconsistent, but otherwise is effectively an achievement of what you seek."
Guest Psyber     "And your powers? The restlessness? The other symptoms of your accrued abilities? Will they still remain?" Psyber asks in a serious tone, tilting his head, "Will you still know your friends? Love Pegasus? The defining influences of those moments... will you remember and know the results?" Psyber tilts his head to Nathan, a bit worried, "Particularly the events of Terra Majora between you and I?"
Kimiko Shinobu     Kimiko sees Mizuki's returned look, but she doesn't clarify, either.

    To Psyber, the Puella Magi (out of uniform) gives a slow nod. "Like therapy. The same person, different understanding. One might regret some things. Change opinions. If the history is the same." And to this Nathan, a question. "Do you not see them as 'your' decisions?" She doesn't quite frown, but has that hinted tone of disapproval of something.
Mizuki     In one moment, Fenestra is nowhere to be seen. In the next, she is directly beside Mizuki, pleasantly smiling and waving to all those who happen to notice her. She's holding the hand of an incredibly pale girl whose closed eyes and low-inclined head would suggest that she is either unconscious or simply not alive. Oddly, her feet still seem to move like a machine's as she is coaxed forward by Fenestra, and in her lifelessness she is nevertheless capable of keeping herself standing and upright. She might be a rather eerie sight in any other context, but the people in this particular rift have already seen far too much to be unnerved by this. Were it not for Mizuki's explicit acknowledgment of her, she might have simply faded into the background as quickly as she had entered the area.

    But alas, Mizuki -does- call attention to her, and quickly. She steps out of her chair, neatly tucking it underneath the table again before folding her hands at her waist. Then, after a quick straightening of her posture, she announces: "This is the vessel in question. I constructed it in much the same way as I might've made Palora and Callia so many years ago, but I left vacant several crucial areas. Consequently, they are more or less... a puppet. It is a concentration of my energy and it would be capable of interacting with other worlds if it were to leave mine, but it has no spirit - no essence - that 'powers' it. It is my intention that whatever fragment the demon bequeaths to it will serve as that essence and, in so doing, stir them to what we would recognize as life."

    "Additionally," Mizuki continues, seeming almost proud as she raises her finger aloft, "I have endowed them with the spiritual, abstract equivalent of 'mirror neurons'. It is my hope that this will make it more easily possible for them to bridge the gap between the demon's kind and our own. I will no doubt be relying on you lot in the future to help... teach them, as it were. To teach them humanity." Looking to the demon, she continues, "And as promised, they will remain in the library at all other times where they - you - may 'incubate'. I hope this is satisfactory for you." If it is, the demon can presumably transfer themselves over whenever they wish to.

    "If it is," She briefly adds, "then all they would need afterward would be a name. Something to christen them. There is truly nothing more humanizing than a name. I don't suppose the rest of you have any opinion on what that name should be?" Again, Mizuki's eyes flit to the group proper. Yes, it seems that she is seriously asking these people to help name the offshoot of a demon that almost killed their friend.

    In some potential timeline, this is probably sacrilege.
Nathan Hall     "You are also free to make whatever flexibility you like in arrangements." The Causality Demon speaks to Setsuko and Eleanor here. They eye snapping back and forth like that is a little unsettling, and it always feels like it's about to jump out of the socket. "If you feel one decision is uncertain, you can make it one option to switch between after this arrangement is complete. If this particular arrangement is one you agree on, it is one that I can create."
Nathan Hall     "This is where it becomes more difficult to encapsulate the feeling with metaphor." Nathan says, visibly pondering despite his tranquil expression. He's turned more naturally to Kimiko. His motions seem less robotic and more calm than before. "They are like decisions that I made. However, they are like decisions I made in a time which did not happen. An eventuality which did not eventally exist. The consequences of the choices I made seem like they had an authentic effect on someone else. Like an avatar instead of myself. Does that make sense? Actual decisions and consequence, with a layer of another person between them and myself."
Nathan Hall     "My psyche will be detached from the need for those powers." Nathan says, turning back to Psyber. He seems to gesture more now, when he speaks, than he used to. "So while I may paradoxically still possess them, using them to their full extent will be... Even more difficult than before. Survival may be difficult. Symptoms, possibly, though the majority of the sickness I experienced seems to have been the result of the Causality Demon eating portions of my timeline early. The restlessness... Unfortunately, nearly impossible to remove. That is a Creation-enforced issue, and would require alterations to Creation to remove it. However, I feel... Better acclimated to it. More adjusted."

    He leans back at that next part. "As I said, they will be like... Events that happened to someone else. Pegasus, oddly, her entire ordeal seems saturated in a defiance of the influence of the Causality Demon." The humanoid shape itself seems to get tense at that part. "I can recall them, but as things that are disassociated in the way I explained before. I feel as though I hold a perspective from the outside. It is..." He stops, thinking for a moment, then scratches his head a little bit sheepishly. "It is somewhat embarrassing to recall the events of Terra Majora. The events seem even more foolish now, albeit understandable. Difficult to believe I could have let things go so badly. I will remember what happened. More emphatically, I will be apologizing, I expect. And some things were... Inevitable, in a sense. They happen even without the Library of Time. These things are more direct. Does that help answer your question?"
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko has developed a frown. "Is there no middle ground, between this solution and the way you were before we drew out the Demon? Something about having you completely disassociate from the events... it doesn't seem right."
Guest Psyber     Psyber frowns a bit and nods along with Setsuko, "I agree. It seems like the only solutions are in extremity. It's a worrying prospect."
Kimiko Shinobu     Kimiko watches Fenestra enter, and looks vaguely uncomfortable. This all seems terribly wrong, but it's a portion of events that she has allowed to exit entirely her control, and won't take further comment.

    This Nathan's explanation is accepted, even if not fully understood. She nods. If they are close enough to be 'things for which one should apologize,' then they're not so divorced as to truly become someone else's problems. That's enough for her, for the moment.
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor is biting her tongue here, as the options are being described. She sighs and looks to Psyber and Nathan in turn. "Some of us are going to be apologizing too, Nathan, either way. But all or nothing is hardly the shades of outcome you were touting the other night."

    At least they won't mess up his relationship with Pegasus. That's a comfort. Ariel would kill them all. Or... something. She'd be very cross at least.
Nathan Hall     Mizuki's doll is regarded blankly by the Demon "I do not know how to express my response in linear vocabulary." It says.
    Nathan fills in there. He leans over and peers at it, and then makes an almost 'wincing' noise. "I think my passenger is asking if you have anything more 'time serpent'. The Causality Demon is carrying a large amount of a reflection of my identity and it seems somewhat questionable for it to take that shape." MIZUKI. IT SEEMS QUESTIONABLE. Nathan Hall is making a very gently uneasy noise, then says, "But, one should avoid looking a gift horse in the mouth. It is, at least, none of my concern."
    "I will manifest in it upon the collapse of the Maelstrom. Assuming no changes." The Causality Demon says, still not having much of a human emotional response.
Mizuki     At that response, and Nathan's own elucidation of that response, Mizuki quite literally turns up her nose. She wraps her arms behind her back more closely than usual, wearing only the most uppity of smiles as she says, "Well, I'm afraid my world has certain rules. Rules that are complete arbitrations that can change on a dime as my idle whims decree, granted, but rules nevertheless. We simply must abide by those rules if we are to make this arrangement, yes?" With that, she quite literally gives a small flip of her hair with her left hand. "Don't worry, I can assure you that the aesthetic deviations are the -only- substantive ones. Otherwise it should accommodate you to the most -exacting- plausible specifications. Really, this is a measure taken -solely- to make communication between yourself and humans easier. Really, that's all~."

    Yeah freaking right.

    And she couldn't seem any more pleased with herself.
Mizuki     "And they will even be able to interact with the physical, linear world directly now! Isn't that something of a bonus? Really, you should be thanking me~."
Nathan Hall     "If you have another paradigm you prefer it viewed through, I will provide." The Demon says, to Psyber, Eleanor, and Setsuko. "It is based in the view from beyond linearity, where the two timelines represent different beings. If your linear perspective prefers a more integrated one, simply describe it. As you currently possess the key to altering the timeline of Nathan Hall and I currently retain minor abilities to alter the post-consumption regeneration, it is up to you entirely. Unfortunately, I cannot fabricate different events entirely. Interpretation is the only alteration."
Guest Psyber     "I do," Psyber says to the Demon as he flatly watches Nathan. The look given to him by Eleanor, and the subsequent remark about people owing Nathan apologies, earns a flat stare in response. What he infers from her statement or how he feels is unspoken and hard to decipher.

    He looks to the Causality Demon, "I would prefer for each event to instead be viewed from an objective analysis point of view, not from the perspective of someone besides Nathan," He keeps his hands in his pockets, "Rather than as Betrayals to defend against, he should view the causes and origins of those actions in order to properly respond to them in the future. Put simply, I would like Nathan to have used those experiences to gather abilities and powers in order to facilitate his pacifism, rather than prevent betrayals."

    "Or, put simply, I would like him to reassess those events through a lens which encourages him to grow in order to make his pacifism more viable, rather than sacrifice it for the sake of self-preservation."
Guest Psyber     Psyber is also deliberately avoiding responding or even acknowleding the body Mizuki has created for the Causality Demon. Not because it is unworthy of reaction, but because it would break his rhythm and diminish his work to properly laugh.
Nathan Hall     Nathan and the Causality Demon look at each other for a moment.

    "I am requesting to borrow 'that'."
    "It is an important part of me."
    "Please."
    "Hmm. Acceptable."

    The Causality Demon channels something else from Nathan briefly. A specific linear sense! It turns back to Mizuki, and says, "I would like to re-open negotiations about the timelines where you 'KILL' me instead." It appears to have temporarily borrowed a sense of humor, because this doesn't seem serious. That seems about it for that exchange, though. At least it's very mildly indulging Mizuki for a moment. Almost human, in a way! Wait, no, it did literally have to borrow that part from Nathan.
Nathan Hall     The Causality Demon ceases to have a sense of humor and turns back on Psyber, speaking in its own normal way, which is to say, in that strange, detached, inhuman way. "Adjustment of the impulse as a formative event of the healed state rather than a formative event of the Library." The Causality Demon states. "It was, is, and will be done if you desire this. It is not accurate to what things are as viewed from outside of time. If it is the truth you choose to become the present, then it will be, regardless. It will, as with the other timeline, result in the creation of the paradox. Do you seek for this change to be the sole state, or do you desire additional flexibility?"
Mizuki     The look on Mizuki's face after the demon cops that one is utterly indescribable. She gives them a long, long, insufferably long, blank stare before Mizuki finally says, "Probe the depths of your awareness. Just how many of the 'cells' that comprise Creation do you think demonstrate that probability after these specific events have already taken place? Ah, wait, I can answer this one even with my constrained, linear perspective!" Mizuki makes a shape with the fingers of her left hand. This shape has been called many things throughout the many convergent timelines that have brought the group here, now, but in this instant we shall concur on one, singular meaning:

    Zero.

    Absolute zero.

    Mizuki lets her arm fall slowly into a folded posture with the opposite at her chest. "You are at my mercy, dear Demon. And I do not happen to have any such thing. You are, therefore, at my lack of mercy. You are at my nothing." After allowing everyone a moment for that to sink in, she concludes, "-Absolute Zero-."

    Cruelty.

        Pain.

            Suffering.
Guest Psyber     Psyber sighs and mills over the decision, "It seems like the simplest choice. I don't like the idea of Nathan being a fighter, but I don't want him totally defenseless, either," Psyber admits as his hands fall to his pockets and he exhales a heavy plume of smoke, "Something that brings him as close to an emotionally healthy analogue to his current state would be optimal," Psyber notes, rocking on his feet a bit, "This isn't really my wheelhouse, though."
Riva Banari Riva is content to observe and listen in this situation. As loud as she is, she actually pays a lot more attention to people that it seems. CERTAIN PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS. Regardless, nothing seems to have occured to cause her to comment as of yet... At least, up until she sees the sub-topin between Mizuki and the Demon.

She squints at the repartee. "Are you even really sure you want to-" She pauses. And then squints harder, before commenting dryly, "Considering the pattern, are you really-"

And then harder. "Mizuki, is it really necessary to-"

She twitches, and then sighs in an overly despairing tone, "But Mizuki, you're normally so /nice/..."
Mizuki     "Not 'nice' enough, Miss Banari," She says, wagging a finger without once looking back at Riva properly, "not nice enough."

    Several seconds later when she has rejoined her arms behind her back, she silently turns on her heel and walks past Riva. "To the victor go the spoils," She says, "and what greater reward is there for one such as myself if not 'satisfaction'?"
Nathan Hall     "It is your decision. You possess the card." The Causality Demon says, plainly. "If it is your final decision and the others hold no disagreement towards you that you are, will, or already have brooked, then we can begin. The card will be a necessity. I will manifest the mechanism. Your approval will finalize, is finalizing, and has finalized the form of healing."

    Portions of the wall are smashed open. Massive library index card drawers have rammed their way in at odd angles, jutting out strangely. The Causality Demon seems to be doing something... One card is taken from one of the drawers that comes to rest just next to the demon itself. He offers it to Psyber. It feels... Authentic. Correct. It seems abstractly the Right Timeline for the agreements made so far. Or, at least, a reference for the right one. "Accept this, and the timeline will be healed accordingly. I believe the event will destabilize, is destabilizing, and has destabilized the shelter within the Maelstrom. Time will be corrected by Linearity and we will conclude this suspended constant present."
Guest Psyber     Psyber frowns a bit. Large amounts of uncertainty are rushing through him over the arrangement, but he's done the best he can with the limited input available while the only other person who interacts with Conceptual negotiation played with a doll. And so, slowly, he reaches out and takes the card from the being and grips it, taking the Nathan Hall card and saying, "Alright. Here's hoping, at least, I made the right call."

    As usual, he has no idea if he's done what's right. But he's keeping his stoic facade up so that he can put off a passing air of confidence, "I'll see you soon, Nathan. And I'll hope we're still friends on the other side of this."
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor just bites her lip as The Choice Is Made. 'Hope We're Friends' gets her to suck a breath though her teeth as she looks to Nathan and the rest of the room.

    "...See you in a bit, sir."
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko can only watch in silence for the moment; no words move her to speak. It's time to stop dithering, accept their choice, and see how it turns out.
Riva Banari Riva, too, breaks from trying to poke at Mizuki to focus back on Nathan. "Thank you, Psyber. Thank you, Nathan. I hope everything works out for the best. I guess we'll see in... uh..." She pauses, and then awkwardly shrugs. "... Time."

She smiles, then. "See you later, Librarian."
Mizuki     But ah... this is it. The moment draws near, now. Mizuki's expression straightens all of a sudden until, in some subtle way, it may even seem to droop. She averts her eyes again, though the expression doesn't seem quite so desolate, quite so despondent as before. Still, "I had nearly forgotten that there was something I was reluctant about. Nearly forgotten that we aren't exactly finished. I got too caught up in... our rapport, I suppose." She turns back to face the demon again. She's silent for a long while, pondering her final words very carefully. When she does decide, though, she can only echo the eye's own:

    "If given the opportunity, I would experience this moment again."

    But there must be something else she can leave this demon with, something like what she did for Gwyn. Just, what in all Creation would qualify for that? They aren't human. She can't just inject the whole panoply of human emotion into -- no. No she can't, and she doesn't have to. She knows what she'll do.

    Mizuki conjures a small sphere in her right hand. "But before I go," She says, "have this. A token of humanity. Perhaps if these really are your final moments, it will make it such that you can experience what we call a 'dream'. A microcosm of experience. A false memory. An event... that does not take place in any true causal framework." She closes her hand around the orb, allowing it to scatter throughout the space like dust.

    "I leave you a dream of a reality in which you were born. In which you always Were. In which you will always Be."

    With that, she opens a portal with her blade. She, Fenestra, and the doll wait upon its precipice for the moment when the realm will collapse and when the demon, at last, will die. "Perhaps Evelyn will do for a name," She muses in the interim.
Nathan Hall     "I have every assurance that we are still friends. Some things do not change with time." Nathan says, nodding slowly. "Thank you, Psyber. I will see you soon."

    The card catalogue's entry and the library card softly resonate. Nathan's body begins to shine. Portions of the Old State House begin to tear away. Not as wood, or metal, or plaster from the walls, but as paper. Sheet after sheet of literature, in a massive whirlwind. Before long, the environment is more whirling pages than it is walls and floor. It isn't overwhelming noise. The soft fluttering of old paper seems... Quiet. Polite.

    The area just bare4ly visible beyond the pages flickers. You are no longer in the Old State House. You are in the Solar Crater of Urbania. No, you are in the Defense Chamber of the Shadow Government bunker. No, you are in the Traitor's Alley of Slum Urbania. You are in the Sealing Chamber. You stand in a devastated region of the Asian Plains. You stand at the top of a cliffedge overlooking a canyon in Terra Majora. You are in the Kiln of Lordran. You are in... A library.

    "I will be here. When this is done, I will still be here." His voice can still be heard. "I am what is always here, in a way." There's a long, distant pause. "After this, we go back to normality. No more cryptic sigils haunting me, no more strange cults. And I hope, no more of your difficulties, painful attempts to reach over an impassable barrier of bitterness. This will finally all just be... Over."

    "I am looking forward to it."

    The Causality Demon itself seems to be having a hard time channeling Nathan. Things are coming undone. When it speaks, it does so in that more disjointed, even more inhuman way. "A  dream.  I  have  never  had  one  before.  I  do  not  sleep.  I  wonder  what  it  is  like.  What  it  will  be  like.  What  it  was  like." There is a moment where it pauses, one more time. And once again it softly says, "I  wonder."

    The wounds on Nathan's body from before -- the wound to the gut, the crossed slashes to the torso, the heavy burns at the legs, the shining crack at the ribs, the hairline fractures at the eye, the gentle burning at the skulll -- all begin to appear at the Causality Demon, and it falls to its knees. "I  will  know.  I  know.  I  knew  it  was  a  bad  idea  to  flee  from  them  to  here." It says, seeming resigned to its fate.

    It dissipates into the air like Mizuki's orb. The motes of light coalesce at the body, filling it with life. The pages do the same, slowly falling towards where Nathan presumably is. They settle over his body and, soon, become a part of him. Within seconds, they are gone, pressed into him. Nathan is standing right in front of Psyber, just in front of the Old State House. Psyber will note the time of all his documentation for the Project Ahab now indicates that the execution time was precisely right now, and it has taken no time to complete. The Old State House has no Ivy on it, and the rest of Boston is utterly unharmed.

    Nathan stands there. His expression is blank, in a way that is calm without being stoic. His posture is emotionless, in a way that is tranquil without being robotic. He blinks a few time, as if still mentally processing what he is.

    And then, a very soft, satisfied noise. "That seems right." He focuses on the group properly. Salutations, and thank you for the assistance. With everything that happened. And now, has not happened." The rest can go without too much description.
Guest Psyber     Psyber stands there and watches Nathan. There's a lot of things the half-angel could say or do in that moment, watching his friend as he processes everything and then eventually comes back to his senses. The half-angel tilts his head a bit and then spits his cigarette onto the ground, snuffing it out under the toe of a boot, "Eh. You'd do the same for me," He says with a shrug.

    From out of one of his pockets, he lifts up Memento and shows it to Nathan, "Can I keep this as payment? Feels symbolic. Close of a circle. Stabbing you started a problem, stabbing you fixed a problem."
Nathan Hall     Nathan looks at the dagger. If Psyber lets him, he'll even take it and look it over, turning it over in his hands. There's a brief moment where the man himself seems to... Flicker, ever so slightly. But then he makes a very soft noise of very mild, controlled worry. "I think I would rather you hold it, yes." He says, handing it back off to Psyber. His tone remains more tranquil. "If you like. It seems now is as good a time as ever for the symbolic loss of the blade."
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko finds herself leaning against a wall. She blinks, with mild surprise; she was not expecting to be here, and yet at the same time she's been here all along. Standing sentinel over the arrival of Nathan, for the execution of their plan. Because it would be impossible to hide her divinity from him, so she might as well act as if she's expected to be here. And said divine presence is, indeed, as strong as ever, her left arm now completely healed... or, rather, never injured to begin with. Her divinity never over-exerted to the point of burning her out.

    Yet, she still remembers it all, including how to call up that immense attack again. And now, she appreciates even more why it damn near killed her. That's good.

    But the demigod decides to lean away from the wall, floating up and over the street so as not to impede traffic when she lands beside the two of them. "General. How do you feel?" she asks, curious.
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor... lets out that breath. Maybe a lot more breath. A month's worth of holding her breath. An emotional deflation of sorts as she sighs and hangs her head forward as it's... all done? All done? Maybe.

    Except now she's back up on top of th Old State House, in her HoH Bomber Jacket, lookign more than a little awkward as she's so far away from the action again. She can hear the words of Setsuko and Psyber and Nathan though and swallows. Damn.

    She shuffles a bit, gingerly making her way down the side of the building without taking the Very Dramatic Leap Of Faith Option. There's been enough of that lately. She shuffles over in Nathan's direction and stands near Setsuko, murmuring. "Hello, sir."
Mizuki     On the other side of things, Mizuki lingers somewhere behind Psyber and Nathan. Her eyes perpetually wander and never seem to fix on any location in particular, nor does her expression ever seem to decide on any particular emotion. Sadness? Relief? Melancholy? Some mixture of all of the above? In this specific case, it is very likely that whatever expression she projects is as illegible to Mizuki herself as it is to any external observers. Moreover, it seems that Fenestra has not stuck around to help clarify her feelings; the portal has sent her directly back to the Quiet World rather than delivering her here with her lady, leaving the latter to fend for herself. Save for the comfort any friends may be willing to provide her with, that is.

    But, ah, she didn't emerge -completely- alone: there is someone else. The doll is here, expression blank, fuschia eyes surveying the world around her. Her gaze fixes for uncomfortably long periods of time on several people as though she has no comprehension of social nuance or etiquette, and this is a truth Nathan will realize only too plainly, only too painfully. Her stare stays fixed on him the longest, and after several seconds she cants her head in a sort of questioning gesture. Or perhaps it's just in futile attempt to see behind him. She doesn't seem to realize that she will only be able to see so much of the environment if she remains stationary.

    Eventually she does learn to catastrophic effect. She fumbles a bit to get her legs to work as they are meant to, though on the second try it seems to suddenly -click-. Maybe she still retains enough of a cognitive imprint of Nathan's timeline that she can remember how to walk? And if she can do that maybe she can --

    "Salu... tations," She says, though she cants her head again at the sound of her own voice. There is another grievously long pause before she says, in an oddly familiar monotone, "Something is wrong. We shouldn't be able to interact like this." She bats her eyelashes a few times. "Explain?"

    But that explanation will likely have to come at some other time.
Nathan Hall     Nathan seems to need a moment to figure out how he feels, and then another to say it. One can see him contemplating. He seems consistently calm in his emotionlessness, rather than utterly stoic, so his motions are more... Expressive, when he puts a hand to his chin. "Hmm. That is difficult to describe." He makes a pleasant sound that doesn't seem very stressed, though. "...Hungry, for the most part. Why have I not had lunch today? There should be somewhere nearby open." He finally seems to settle on the most mundane possible response. Whatever he's feeling, it must not really be that substantial. Hardly worth the mention.
Guest Psyber     Psyber takes the knife back and nods, twirling it in his hand a bit before holstering it at his side. It'll probably wind up replacing some combat knife or another in his roster, if he carries it. Or just being locked up somewhere. Either way, he places his hands back into the pockets of his coat and says, "As good a time as any. Alright," Psyber says, watching him.

    The half-angel half-lids his eyes and looks to the rest gathered in turn. Setsuko, Eleanor, Mizuki, and then the child. He eventually looks back to Nathan. Since it's Psyber, he immediately knows Boston intimately and says, "There's a Subway down that way about a block," He points in one direction, "A cafe that way," He points another, "And a different sandwich shop that way called Potbelly Sandwich Shop. It's across from a Dunkin' Donuts and next to a Chipotle," He says this in a tired, if somewhat detached tone.

    "I'll be back later, I have things to handle and people to see," He notes in closing, turning away from the rest and starting to walk off in a direction he didn't point towards.
Nathan Hall     "Salutations, Eleanor. Good to see you again." There's a nod of greeting. "I hope the last... Ambiguous period of unusual temporal activity has left you well." Not much he needs to respond to, but he does seem... Less tense about her.
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko nods her head faintly. On some level, she'd like a more definitive answer than that, but it will do for now. "I should probably get something to eat myself." Something quick and easy, high-calorie. She plans to get back to her patrols. So she turns to ask the half-angel something as he leaves.

    "Psyber, is there anywhere nearby that serves ice cream?"
Guest Psyber     Surprisingly, Psyber doesn't even break stride, opening off in a northeast direction, "Quincy's in the mall over that way, plus Grasshopper Sweets and Creamery. Couple city blocks, not that far of a walk. It's near one of the transit stations for when Nathan needs to get home after it's all done," He waves his hand a bit, "Both're on Market Street."
Mizuki     Mizuki takes a deep, deep breath. When she finally manages, she looks to Nathan and gives a slight bow. When she raises to see him in full again, though, she finds herself at a rather awkward loss for words. "... we should speak again, sometime," Is all she is eventually able to muster. "I have some things I might like to ask you about..." Ugh, think of a topic -- something, anything that doesn't pertain to the demon! Oh. "... battlefield tactics, yes. If I am allowed any favor with you after this whole mess, I would ask only that you give me some instruction on that front. So that I may serve as an effectual auxiliary when you are not available." After relaxing her expression somewhat, she adds, "As I imagine -many- of your friends will encourage you to 'not be available' so that you may recuperate from all this. Whether or not you actually listen to them."

    Though there's another object of her attention trying to beat a hasty retreat. She will have to raise her voice a bit above a comfortable indoor volume to reach him, but... but oh well. She can suffer the embarrassment this once. "Psyber!" She calls. "Tell Palora to find her Sunday Best as I'm sure she's made every reasonable attempt to discard it by now. The three of us are going to share dinner some day in the near future, and that is absolutely final. So until then," She says, giving him a small nod-bow and a far less small smile, "I will be waiting."
Eleanor Lamb     Eleanor... smiles. "It... it's been a little rough, yes, but I'm hoping it's going to get better soon. Plenty to be thankful for, now. You missed it, a little bit. Ah, Thanksgiving... ish?" A blink.

    Her arms twitch like she wants to hug Nathan, but... refrains. She just holds still and smiles. "Welcome home, sir. It's nice to have... you... again."
Riva Banari The caual alterations of Nathan as he is reconstituted are no doubt profound, but while Riva is good with philosophy and metaphor... ish.... ness... this is just something she probably won't really be able to fully appreciate until much later when she is wiser and maybe a little more bent in the head.

When it is over, Riva smiles to Nathan, nodding. "Well, that was an event worth having. All's well that ends well and you've gotten yourself a new beginning."

Regardless, Riva can't help but look over and facepalm at the Mizukinanigans. "I don't even know how this is even..." She sighs, and shakes her head. "Okay, later, later. You are getting /so much cake/, young lady."
Nathan Hall     Nathan and the old Demon regard each other for a moment. Nathan makes a very softly worried noise and then seems to be shut of it. "Salutations. Something is wrong, but it is much less wrong now than it was before." He says, in that rather calm tone. It seems... Stable, particularly so. He then looks to Mizuki herself. "Battlefield tactics." He blinks a few times, like he's trying to process the request. "Certainly. That seems like something I am qualified to educate you on, and I will be happy to assist."
Mizuki     Again, there is a long silence before the child responds. When she does, she only says, "There is somewhere else I should be right now. Please excuse me."

    This will likely be the last they see of one another for a long, long time.
Nathan Hall     "I will look forward to it, Psyber. I hope to be one such person." Nathan says, letting Psyber leave. He looks like he'd like to stay with him, but also like maybe he'd like to give Psyber some space. "Let me know if there is anything I can assist you with in your business. I am... Hm, surprisingly lacking exhaustion now. This is much better."