Scene #7825: The Vibe Check in the Woods

Owner	Pose
Darren	Darren Spears Today, 10:14AM 15's lit this time of year Take a right at the transfer lab and keep going bout an hour Campgrounds gonna be on the left January, AUXX Unova Route 15 Darren looks up from his phone, smiling as a certified classic begins playing on the nearby portable radio. The mountainous north end of Route 15 has opened up into an alpine forest. It's cold, but crisp, shy of snow by a comfortable margin, and at this time of year the sea of green is not clouded with mists. The sun shines brightly above, casting rays upon Darren, his conspiracy-plastered RV, and the sole member of his team that's awake--his childhood friend and longtime partner on the field, Roswell. "Wake up, y'all. We're here!" Flashes of light erupt from his blue-and-yellow pokeballs, illuminating his hoodie and the unzipped jacket over it. The little alien excitedly flies between his friends as they awake, greeting in turn a grouchy-looking yeti, a smiling, friend-shaped plesiosaur, a tiny, humanoid ladybug with an aircraft early-warning array for a thorax, literally just stonehenge with a face and little arms, and a toothy, red-eyed sarcophagus with four ghostly arms. As Darren carries a grill out from the RV, Roswell begins telekinetically turning a crank, setting up the unfolding awning over the side. Meanwhile, Ramesses makes use of his four arms to dig out a firepit, as Harry gathers kindling and Saucer struggles to drag a cooler out and under the awning. Nessie helps the little ladybug by waiting near the door to the RV and offering her shell to carry it. The campsite itself is in a relatively flat clearing, though it does start to slope downwards at the south edge, offering a view of the cliffside route, while it slopes upwards to the northern edge, just past the treeline. Darren had mentioned this would be an opportunity to spend a little time together, to discuss goals for the upcoming year, and to reaffirm the Concord's general 'vibe.' When you arrive at the campsite, it's mostly been set up. Darren advised to bring your own tents.
Hesinca	A glowing floor tile appears at the entrance to the campsite, not long after the rest of the group does. This, as usual, heralds Hesinca stepping out a moment later. She's wearing winter garb, though, for whatever reason, as are the prinnies that file out after her - heavy padded clothing, extra scarves, flipper mittens, and all of them are dusted with a thin layer of snow. "Aw, sweet spot!" she calls as the winter gear is shed. "You all got the campsite set up already? I was gonna offer to help with that." "(She was gonna force us to help, dood,)" comments one prinny to another. "Whatcha got going as far as meat? I've got some stuff I can drag out," she says, going over to check out the grill.
Staren	Camping. Staren's never exactly been big on camping. She's always very much enjoyed climate control and freedom from mosquitos. And clean bathrooms. And showers. And food fresh from the refrigerator. To be fair, you don't really go 'camping' on RIFTS Earth, the wilderness is not safe. It's part of adventuring, but Staren hasn't actually had to do that. Well. She's at least always managed to have a vehicle with a climate-controlled crew compartment to drive and sleep in. Said vehicle is now lost in whatever the Pocket Netherworld has become, though. So Staren instead arrives in a wooden construct, 11 feet tall or so, that resembles the cab of a car (there IS a metal roof, classy windshield/windows, and upholstered seats) with legs and little arms like a t-rex's but ending in assault rifles instead of tiny hands. She did try camping, briefly, shortly after Phasewalker joined the Concord, and hasn't repeated it since. Staren pilots the walker next to the RV and 'parks' it in a squatting position. She tosses down a large, framed pack with attached utility belt, and then climbs down herself. Today she's sporting a ponytail and wearing a grey, vaguely military-looking jacket with matching knee-length skirt over heavy black leggings and a grey microfiber knit cap (with loose-fitting protrusions to cover her ears,) a very long concord-orange scarf of flannel-like material, and hiking boots and fingerless gloves to protect her palms. (Once the tent is set up she switches to faux leather gloves which match the boots.) It's not actually military gear, presumably; everything but the shoes and kerchief sports a tasteful little brand logo where one would expect it on mass-produced commercial outdoor gear, that of a circle with bearing lines drawn inside it at 15-degree intervals, with a compass-like arrow pointing up, and the letters 'NG' inscribed within the circle. Staren looks for a shady place to set up, and removes from the pack a small package the size of a paperback book, and then kneels on the ground somewhere and starts unfolding it. And unfolding it. And unfolding it. And adjusting slender smart material rods and such, following an instruction sheet she keeps referring to. Somehow, the tiny package has become a tent large enough to sleep two people comfortably and it looks like there's some kind of water system built into it as well. Gotta love technology! Staren drags her bedroll and such inside the tent, then emerges with her usual bag and heads out to mingle and see what others are doing. "Do you go camping often?" she asks of Darren and Hesinca.
Cantio	Cantio Today, 10:25AM see you all soon! ??? <Animated gif of a bear hugging a person. Not a cartoon bear, but a real bear. Nobody gets hurt.> It's tempting for Cantio to do things efficiently just to get here. She could focus on her work while sending out a clone to get to the place, waiting until they're almost there before switching places, guaranteeing she'd get at least two or three hours of extra work in, but today's a day to just chill out and relax. How often does she really get to do that with friends and family? Not often enough. That's why she instead leaves the clone at home and opts to just take the scenic route to the campgrounds. She's unfamiliar with the general feel of Route 15, but she's familiar enough with Pokemon to keep her eyes open the entire time she's sightseeing on the way to the campground. "Hey, everyone! I've got... Um. I brought some drinks!" Indeed she has, as she arrives lugging a small cooler behind her, filled with all sorts of gimmicky drinks of the fruity yogurt and soda varieties. Some of them are even those awful seasonal ones that are supposed to taste like roast chicken or grilled cheese or something. She's dressed in a poofy green winter coat that goes below the waist, ending just high enough to show that she's still wearing a skirt underneath (lumberjack plaid red) and sturdy hiking boots over plain black stockings. She's also got a backpack on, undoubtedly to store all her other non-edible camping supplies. "Thanks for inviting us out here, Darren. I don't think I've ever gone camping like this before... How'd you find this spot?"
Persephone Kore	Darren!!!!! Haha I totally forgot that was today No plans though so it's fiiiiiine Forgive me <3 <3 <3 Persephone, fortunately, does not have to "keep going bout an hour". After only about thirty minutes, a three-story tall elegant doll-mecha shimmers into existence at the edge of the campgrounds. It gives a fawning wave to everyone else, perfectly mirroring Phony's own body language. After a moment Persephone teleports out into its outstretched hand, then gracefully floats the distance to the ground as her ride disappears once more. Tucked under her arm is a big poofy bundle that can only be her tent. She's dressed no more warmly than her usual, but her usual is plenty warm, keyhole excepted. "Darren! Staren! Hesinca! Haha, it's been a while, hasn't it? Who are all your friends?" That last part is definitely directed at the demon lord. "I've never really been camping before! Not unless the lab's little arboretum counts. So I'm counting on you all to teach me lots, okay?" That sentence is punctuated by her carelessly tossing the bundle aside as she walks towards the grill. It spontaneously assembles itself in the air via telekinesis, landing as a soothingly crimson tent with a mesh 'skylight' for stargazing. "I can help you all set yours up, too! Don't worry," she adds with a beaming smile. A little frown crosses her face as she glances down at Cantio's cooler. "Should I have brought snacks, too? Haha, I'm so sorry. I really don't know how any of this works."
Undivided Queens	"Up on the mountains~ This really takes me back~" "It does. But that's why I was expecting you to wear something more traditional." "Ah, well, back then was different~ As far as clothes go, I didn't have access to--" "Access to what? You had the Runecipher the entire time." ". . ." ". . ." ". . ." ". . . You forgot you could make your own clothes for six years." "Gah! Shut up!!" Two ladies have a vague promise to fulfill to Darren. Seilatiya is unmistakable despite wearing soft white furs merely layered like some sort of kimono this time, piled on top of thick pink cloth, the additive effect of covering up everything below the neck and above fur-lined boots only maddeningly shifting her vibe from 'impossibly gorgeous' to 'adorable snow angel'. Isahane is also unmistakable because she has barely changed fashion at all, pretty much just throwing a fuzzy mantle over her shoulders and waist rather than putting on a sweater or something. It'd been relatively easy to assume the latter was always from somewhere scorching hot, but on a second look, she'd actually blend in perfectly if this place was covered in snow. She even has the footwear for it. Of course Isahane's first order of business is to find Staren, and then upon seeing the instruction book, and its ridiculous tent with water processing and everything, frown and say "You are the worst at camping." Seilatiya wanders up to add "Not looking at the instructions is a boy thing though isn't it?" "Needing instructions in the first place is a little man thing!" When Phony shows, Isahane looks relieved (moreso than people usually are just because Phony is there). She gets halfway into "I will gladly teach you the--" and then sees the tent lazily assemble itself. "No. You're definitely the worst at camping. Ever." "Now now Isa, you can teach them something else~!" "I forbid you from the 'in tents' joke." "What?!"
Staren	More people arrive. "Good to see you all!" Staren greets with a smile. Cantio brought snacks! "Should I have brought snacks...?" Staren thinks to a bit of candy and such she has in her bag, but she wasn't very prepared for that. Well, she supposes she can always warp things in. But that exposes lack of forethought... She jumps at Isahane's sudden judgement. "I actually have the instructions on my HUD, but I wanted to seem relatable..." It's not like she's lost at every step, she has the gist of it, but assembling the tent clearly isn't a practiced motion for her. Persephone's here. How has it been so long since Staren's been in her presense? Some thought of concern about this fails to fully form and slides away under the aura. It's always nice to see Persephone, isn't it! "Persephone!" She greets cheerfully. "Isn't bringing the mecha a bit much? Although I guess you don't have any other vehicles... and might never have learned to drive, on a space station..." Staren glances at the campsite, then back at Phony. "Honestly I haven't done much camping either..." There is the distinct pause of someone expositing who has remembered, mid-exposition, that the person they're talking to can read thoughts faster than they can speak, and so is about to just not speak, before remembering that everyone else can't read her thoughts and it'd be weird to just end mid-sentence, so she awkwardly continues, "...'Camping' on my world is kind of just 'your eating and sleeping arrangements when travelling outside any settlements for more than a day', rather than something you do for fun..." Somewhere along the way Isahane makes a joke for Seilatiya, and Staren blushes. Awkward pause. What was she going to say? "It's good to see you again..."
Hesinca	> "Do you go camping often?" "Hey Staren!" She waves. "Thought any more about going evil?" "Camping... used to, a bit! But then when I got the Pocket Netherworld I stopped. Guess I didn't see the point. Now I"m starting again." > "Who are all your friends?" "Oh? These are the prinnies. They're dead," she says, and doesn't elaborate past that.
Darren	"What's up, Hesinca?" Darren waves amiably at her as she arrives. "You know how to make an entrance, blood. I got that lab grown good-good," says Darren, as Saucer pops open the freshly unloaded cooler and opens a can of lemonade for Nessie. "But I'll rock with anything," he says, extending his hand behind him. From within the RV there's the sound of a fridge opening and closing. A wrapped portion of ground meat floats into his hand. He claps it against his other hand, face angled downwards in that 'catch' kind of expression. The packaged meat makes a graceful arc towards Hesinca, for her inspection. Sure enough, the label has a sticker detailing the location of the lab the meat was synthesized in. "Oh, no prob! Thanks for coming, blood," says Darren to Cantio. "I grew up in Nimbasa--that's the city across the bridge west of here." Those of you familiar with Earth would recognize it to be like a cross between Brooklyn and Coney Island. Turning to Staren with a smile, as an awful grilled cheese drink floats out from Cantio's cooler, he nods. One sip and one grimace later, "Try to go once a year," he explains. "The team gets out plenty, but it's a difference between a park or city steet and all this," continues Darren with a sweeping gesture of one hand. "Place like this, they can run around and pretty much have to themselves." The trees and sparse brush at the north end of the clearing rustle. "Pretty much," he adds with a clarifying index finger. Sip. Grimace. Roswell zooms over to see the Queen-in-Veils, waving excitedly back and following Phony back down to the ground. "Oh, you're good," Darren assures Phony. "Snacks are welcome, but not mandatory, feel me?" He gestures towards the RV. "I brought 'enough,' but I won't say no to more." A folding table floats out of the RV, legs unfolding as it orients itself to one side of the grill. Snacks--chips, dip, bite-sized selections of sausages, cheese, carrots, cherry tomatoes and celery, and some fresh fruit evidently native to this world. It's a basic spread, but hard to go wrong with, and will pair nicely with most anything. "Yo!! Seilatiya! Isahane!" Darren claps excitedly, grinning wide. "Man, when the Concord shows up we -show up!- That's what I like to see." He bounces once, locs bounding with him. "Y'all hear about the circus--" He cuts short when Isahane forbids the joke. "Damn," he says, snapping his fingers disappointedly. Next time.
Darren	As most of his Pokemon mill about and play, Darren takes another sip of the awful grilled cheese soda and doesn't grimace as much the third time. "Takes some getting used to," he opines. Clearing his throat, "So I figured I'd get the work stuff out the way first, then we can kick it the rest of the trip." Roswell nods, and hovers out a few folding chairs,seting them up around the firepit. It's now stocked with plenty of kindling thanks to Harry, who seems very interested in Cantio's jacket, poking the puffy material with a green claw while Saucer races Nessie around the edge of the clearing. The yeti looks cranky, but really isn't. "So," Darren poses, as a general question to all of you, "What is the Concord, to you? That's where we oughta start. And second, why the Concord, and not some other group out there?"
Persephone Kore	"I can teach you-" Persephone's tent collapses in on itself spontaneously, like a jenga tower with one too many blocks removed. She clasps her hands and looks up at Isahane pleadingly. "Oh nooooo. Look! You can teach me now, can't you? Let's do it together!!"
Cantio	"Oh, right... Camping means grilled meat! And... Wait. What's the difference between barbecuing and grilling?" Cantio looks over at Darren and Hesinca in particular as she asks that, apparently pegging them as the camping experts. It's only natural, after all, between Darren suggesting this whole thing in the first place, and with Hesinca already asking about meat. Staren's tech-tent gets some attention as well, but that's not quite as relevant to her grilling versus barbecuing conundrum. "You haven't? Oh, this should be a fun chance to learn!" Cantio claps her hands together when Persephone turns out to be similar to herself (at least the unfamiliarity aspect of this whole thing). "All I know is that there's tents and food and drinking and occasional friendly fire incidents." She reveals the extent of her own knowledge on that topic, then raises an eyebrow when Seilatiya and Isahane arrive with their wildly differing sets of camping clothes. "In... tents joke? Is that like an 'intense' thing, or...?" Clueless as ever, Cantio tries puzzling that out on her own, and she looks even more confused when Darren mentions circus tents. She'll figure it out later. Maybe. Probably not. "Ah, so we're not too far from your home town, then. How's it feel seeing it now compared to how it was just a year..? No, a few months ago?" She asks Darren while looking towards the city of Nimbasa in the distance. "I know it felt different seeing my home after coming out here, so I'm just wondering if it's the same for everyone else." As for Darren's more generalized questions, Cantio takes a moment to think up her answer for that one. "I guess... It's like a home away from home. I wasn't born in a Concord territory or anything, but after joining up and working with everyone here? I don't think I could ever go anywhere else." She laughs lightly, then raises an arm to let Harry check out her jacket freely while taking another moment to think. "To be honest, I... Had actually considered joining the Paladins a long while back. They had the better image, the public support, all sorts of things that someone like me or my sister would thrive with in the positions we're in. If I did that, though, I felt like I wouldn't really... Go anywhere?" She sounds confused herself as she says that. "Like... I'd just be stuck spinning my wheels instead of actually moving forward with anything."
Undivided Queens	"You are the second worst at camping for bringing that abomination at all, Staren." is Isahane's swift and sage response. "Seeming relatable is a lost cause." "Aww, that's a little mean, don't you think?" "We all know it. She hates lying." "She can't read minds now remember~? That means it's your moral obligation to be nice~" "And one is not obliged to be kind if the other will simply read their true thoughts from them regardless, out of curiosity?" "Oho! Don't think I don't see what you're doing!" After a short round of squabble-laughing, Seilatiya winks in Staren's direction while she pauses in the mind-reading loop. She could be pretty sure a tiny star just flew out. "Conversations like that are pretty intimate, you know~ Don't go doing something like a private mental chat so shamelessly in front of company~ That's basically taking advantage of Sephy's naive maidenly innocence~" Meanwhile, Isahane is blinking in astonishment at 'lab grown good-good'. "Meat from . . . a laboratory? Isn't that . . . ?" "Huh? But I can do that with magic." "This isn't magic, though. Surely this meat would have no . . ." "How is that the part you're hung up on?!" "Is it not obvious?" Cantio utters the cursed words. Seilatiya locks on like a missile. Her eyes might as well be glowing red. "Hehehe! You bet it's intense! Wanna see~?" She gets two steps towards Cantio before Isahane grabs the back of her collar. "Our apologies. She gets like this when far away outdoors." "For your information, I'm 'like this' all the time!" "The longer you spend inside with others, the worse it gets when we're alone." Phony's tent collapses. Isahane sighs the sigh of a big woman who knows she is being bamboozled, poorly. She walks off to the heap. Seilatiya takes the opportunity to turn and stage whisper "By the way, she's totally convinced she can tell the difference between 'real' meat and magically replicated. It's cute, so I just let her believe it~" Isahane does not hear, now being over in Phony's corner, half-heartedly telling her the basics of clearing ground from under the basemat and checking if the dirt is suitable to put poles down on, but then quickly getting into it around the time she has one of Phony's tent posts and is visual aid-ing all the different ways they can be held together, apparently deciding on stake-anchoring these now, judging polyester mesh too light. Pretty soon, she is insisting on hovering over Persephone while getting her to do it by hand, and then doing (unknowingly) the incredibly movie-grade 'holding Persephone's hands to guide her through the steps'. Fully bamboozled. Seilatiya voxelizes a chair out of sparkles and sits down. It appears to be a direct copy of the folding chair design with a big inappropriate red cushion that'd never last outdoors realistically. She politely asks for a drink, points at a green can, and her eyes go wide at getting her first ever sip of Mt.Dew:tm: canned soda:c:. "What is this strange beverage?!" she gasps with an equal mix of reverence and faint terror, as if psychometrically reading the cultural connotations from the can.
Hesinca	> Lab Grown "Oh that's awesome," says Hesinca, completely misunderstanding the point of 'lab grown'. One does not have to be a mind reader to see she's thinking about 'the possibility of cross-contamination with strange power-granting mutagens' instead of 'meat you don't have to kill something for'. "Oooh, great," she enthuses, on seeing the location, still without really understanding it. > Persephone, Continued "By the way! Love the giant mecha," she says. "Great theming, amazing color choice, I swear I can smell it somehow," she says. "Bet you can do a lot of damage with that thing. What sorta kill count you got on it?" > Grilling, Barbequing "Speed. Which is why I grill and leave barbequing to other people. I don't got the patience," she says, honestly. "The couple times I've tried, I kept checking to see if it was done, and ended up ruining it, hah." > Concord "Mannn... look at me, and the sorta shit I get up to," says Hesinca, putting her arms behind her head. "You think I'd be happy anywhere else, even if they let me in?" "But more seriously - everyone here owns their own shit. There's no 'just following orders' or 'I gotta do it because it's best for the people' - everyone here's doing some part of this for themselves, at least." "Like - we answer to the organization and each other, sure, but you're beholden to yourself. Whether you're trying to save the world, take over it, or blow it up."
Staren	Further Isahane teasing makes Staren's ears splay. Her tent being made fun of is standard fare she's come to expect from life, but being told she can't be relatable actually stings a bit. The comment on telepathy just vaguely flusters her, as she's not sure exactly what she's being accused of. > "Hey Staren!" Hesinca waves. "Thought any more about going evil?" Staren makes a soft, annoyed groan, but the thoughts prompted by that can't take hold under Persephone's aura, getting her stuck in a sort of ... ...What was I thinking about again? Oh right, Hesinca asked... loop until Persephone un-deploys her tent and Staren holds her scarf to her mouth and giggles. Darren asks a question, so with some mental effort to resist the pull of Phony's gravity, Staren takes a seat in one of the provided chairs. She looks to Cantio and deadpans, "Yes." At the question of if it's a joke. "It's like how you can't run in a campsite, you can only ran." Beat. "It's past tents." She considers elaborating that it naturally follows that Isahane's training is similarly 'in tents' but decides to move on, blushing slightly. "Home is home. It's changed over the years... I've changed, too... but there isn't really some special significance to it. The Multiverse has always been a thing." She looks to Darren. "The Concord... at first, it was a place where I could help people, without being beholden to the Union's image of what was and wasn't heroic. Where practicality and results mattered over image. But..." Staren tilts her head forward a little and stares into the distance. "...I'm really not any good at the big-picture stuff. Building up worlds and societies... Someone has to do it, but..." she sighs, "If I make it my duty to do everything just to make sure it gets done, I become... A very unhappy person, and it doesn't make me any more able to do it, besides." She shakes her head. Staren looks around and smiles. "Now you're... a family. I'm sorry I've got some trust and moral issues, but every family has their struggles, right? I need a place to belong." And you won't judge me as much as the others do. Staren tilts her head to one side slightly. "There was something to what Yuuki said... 'if the heroes are like that, we should be the monsters' which... I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about that that's... nice." She struggles to organize thoughts. "Focusing on... defining myself by how un-monstrous I could be, hurt me, I think." She looks at Hesinca, and then back to Darren. "There's something to that. The Concord is group where its members are devoted to helping eachother, rather than measuring themselves by how well they help others outside the group according to some particular standard of behavior. And I've forgotten, sometimes, that that's the focus, more than the big-picture stuff. Which doesn't mean no big-picture stuff happens, but perhaps that it can only healthily follow from helping eachother, rather than putting it first."
Persephone Kore	"I'm really not a maiden, you know!" Phony calls over to Seilatiya, more cheerful than defensive. 'Innocent' and 'naive' get no protest from her. She's soon distracted, though, by Isahane helping her, which she seems nearly giddy about. A dreamy, faintly smug sigh escapes her when Isahane guides her hands. "Then that goes there, and that... oh! It's sort of like a puzzle, isn't it? Ahaha. But I've really never been good at puzzles. I'd be so lost without you, you know!" Even when using her hands, Phony notably has no sense of leverage or force. Most of the time her movements are normal, but at one point she effortlessly pushes a tent stake into the ground with just her index finger. When they're finally done, she stands up, gracefully reverses Isahane's guiding grip so that she's holding Isahane's hands in hers instead, and gives them a warm squeeze while beaming up at the taller girl. "Thanks for teaching me, Hana. I'm sorry I almost cheated us out of making a good memory together!" How long has it been, Staren? I guess not since... well, you know. Haha, but that barely counts. "Of course it's not a bit much! It's my toy after all, isn't it? You'd never say that bringing a doll or a teddy bear is too much." But of course, the mecha's already gone, having teleported out just as it teleported in. "The idea of camping is to be with the people you like, but in a new place, doing new things. Right? To make special memories. Even if I've never done it before, I can tell I'll like it lots!" The Prinnies get a cheerful wave from her. Contemplatively, to Hesinca: "They're sort of bad at being dead, aren't they?" In answer to her second comment, she laughs a little, covering her mouth with her hand. "It really is wonderful, isn't it? But the answer is 'zero'. I told you, I'm really no good at fighting at all!!" Eventually, Phony finds her way to a folding chair, perching herself on it with crossed legs. Rummaging in her purse, she pulls out a thermos of something steaming- hot cocoa, it seems like!- and takes a thoughtful sip. "You really are amazing, Darren. Only once a year... ahaha, but you're such a pro I thought it had to be more. This is all too wonderful." Her eyes drift shut as she listens along to the others' answers; occasionally her smile intensifies a little, or she subtly nods along. When her turn comes, she says: "At first it was because they supported Sapient Heuristics. In a way, you all helped make me!! But that's not something specific to the Concord, is it? If someone else had believed in our dream first, I'd be loyal to them. So instead, a better answer is..." "... because I can really tell that we all care about each other. Whether we get along warmly, or whether we fight and then make up. I know a lot about adoptive families, and I can tell this is a good one to belong to. That's why." "What's your answer, Darren? Now you have to tell us! I really won't allow you not to."
Darren	Darren chuckles at Tiya. "I love little lines in the sand like that," he admits. "Makes for good roastin'." His brow raises with interest when Cantio shows curiosity about grill skills. "Barbecue's lid down, grilling's lid up," Darren explains to Cantio. "I usually just grill, too. Speaking of which... YO SLABB! Can a man get a light?!" Darren telekinetically squeezes some lighter fluid onto a bed of charcoal. Slabb comes trundling over, his stony pillar legs stomping into the earth hard enough to rattle the grill. The stone pokemon chirrups happily at Darren, folding himself and lowering to strike his stony 'hands' together. Sparks fly, the fluid ignites, and the grill is going. "Thanks, blood," says Darren, patting him on the head. "Love you." He gets to grilling up some of the ground lab meat--apparently a kind of breakfast sausage, working it first into patties, no-hands, then just grillin'. Is it different now than it was a year ago? "A year ago... well. Ain't been long since I joined up, sure--but -five- years ago is the real yardstick," he says, flashes of lively green visible behind his occluding hair, "Awakening, blood. Self discovery." Glancing towards Phony, "Self refinement. Traveled all over. Saw a lotta cool ish, not gonna lie. But..." He smiles fondly, taking a breath of mountain air. "I got good memories here. The kind you don't leave behind no matter how far you go. Feel me?" Harry cranes his head this way and that, over and under, then snuffles approvingly at Cantio and pats her shoulder, standing at his full height and stomping off to play with the two racing at the edge of the clearing. "He likes jackets," says Darren, smiling as the yeti runs off. When Cantio goes into her explanation, he nods once, adding in little verbal nods throughout, such as: "Family, cool, cool. Personal growth. Achievement." He laughs merrily at Hesinca's initial response, throwing his head back. "Honesty of purpose, tho," he notes of Hesinca's answer, flipping the patties once they brown. "I like that. By the way--the homies can kick it too," he says of the Prinnies. Smiling at her, he asides quietly, "I know you wouldn'ta brought 'em if you didn't like bein' 'round 'em." Back to listening! "-Freedom- of purpose," he remarks of Staren's answer. "Care," he says warmly, approvingly, of Phony's. But now he's been put on the spot. "It's the cohesion for me," he says, steepling his fingers and grinning at her. "A team is a little bit of everything. A family," he says, glancing at Phony, then Cantio and Staren. "Shooters," he says, pointing amiably at Hesinca. "A support structure--something you can draw strength from and pour strength into. It's rewarding to be part of a team. Emotionally, spiritually." He takes a deep breath, flipping the sausages once more. "Now, maybe I could find that in the Paladins, but -my- vision for the future is one where greatness is within reach of anybody that gets up and reaches. The Paladins see the proliferation of greatness as a bad thing, and the Watch, however they might individually feel, ain't got the infrastructure to do much proliferating. It's a Venn diagram situation, you feel me?"
Staren	"The idea of camping is to be with the people you like, but in a new place, doing new things." "Oh. I guess I can see that!" Staren smiles at the thought. "Much better than just living in the woods for a few days just to be pointlessly uncomfortable." She nods along at Darren's explanation. "Yeah. I guess for all their focus on treating the little guy well, the Paladins' worldview kind of rejects that anyone would use power to help others as a default assumption... but for a few idealistic exceptions, aren't they kind of making the assumption that the strong will always hurt the weak unless someone even stronger forces them not to? I never thought about it that way..."
Cantio	Still unaware of what horror she might have just wrought, Cantio just looks over at Seilatiya with that same clueless innocence from before. "Er... Sure! I guess. Like what?" She half-asks Seilatiya and half-asks Isahane, looking utterly baffled at the latter stopping the former from doing something. She'll learn one day, but today might not be that day at the rate this is going. Even Staren's attempt at explaining it has her staring back cluelessly. "Past... Ran? Run?" For whatever reason, this one's just not clicking for her. Instead, she learns the difference between two specific types of meat prep! "I see... That does make more sense, then. Keeping the lid open would be fine for thinner cuts to be eaten right away, but a thicker cut would need a slower and more even cooking temperature over a long time to really penetrate deep into that meat..." Her brain goes a mile a minute for about ten seconds, and then she furrows her brow. "I wonder if it'll be any different with lab-grown meat. Faster, more effective, maybe even self-cooking meat to cut down on prep and cooking time... " She pauses, then looks over at Darren. "Do you think they'd ever try doing this with fire-typed Pokemon? I mean, if they're naturally on fire anyway..." She's already getting ideas. She also grabs one of those fruity yogurt sodas with the little marble inside of it, then begins the struggle of trying to figure out what to actually do with the weird cap and the marble that seems to be keeping the entire thing closed. "It's soda! That one's... Uh. I don't know what flavor that's supposed to be besides vaguely... Green?" There's some similarity between everyone's answers that have Cantio considering her own again. "Helping each other with those dreams, ambitions... Yeah, that sounds right. I wouldn't doubt I'd have support if I did happen to join them way back when, but it wouldn't really be the same, you know?" She sort-of asks and sort-of states, still struggling with that ramune marble. "And with the way things have gone, I... Think I'd probably be on the Watch's hitlist if I tried doing anything there like I am now."
Hesinca	> "They're sort of bad at being dead, aren't they?" "You've got it exactly right," says Hesinca, nodding and grinning widely, as though Persephone has uttered some important truth. She does not elaborate further. > "But the answer is 'zero'. I told you, I'm really no good at fighting at all!!" "Really. Huh." She scratches her head. > The prinnies can kick it The prinnies immediately descend upon the provided snacks, stuffing their beaks. > "I know you wouldn'ta brought 'em if you didn't like bein' 'round 'em." "..." Hesinca glances to the side, crossing her arms in front of her. "... Well, you don't gotta say it out loud," she says. "But... yeah." > Cantio being on the watch's hitlist Well, no, actually Cantio's said she would be on the Watch's hitlist if she wasn't where she is now, but Hesinca's interpreting the way she wants to hear it. "Yeah? Grats!" She makes her way over and reaches down to slap her on the back. "That's how you know you're succeeding - someone else is mad that you are!"
Darren	"Oh, bet," says Darren to Cantio, regarding different varieties. He pats one of the Prinnies as it stuffs its beak. "Careful, lil' homie. Chew. You gonna want to save room for the sausage, anyway! Don't tell me you don't smell that -spice.- It's almost done!" He looks over his shoulder at Hesinca, smiling warmly at her. I can see why. Continuing with Cantio, "I'm sure there's a culture of just about any one people ever thought about. And some messed up ones people shouldn't, like Garbodor. Or Muk, if there's any of them left. Off-world stuff's gotten popular, too, but you pay a little more for that." "Honestly," opines Darren to Staren, "I think -that- you see more in the Watch. Nah, my problem with the Paladins I've actually said before--the absence of tension is not the presence of justice." "Seems like there's this ideal 'peace' the Paladins pursue, feel me?" He frowns thoughtfully. "'Sure, everybody oughta be treated fairly, but damn, you can't just go breakin' ish just 'cause you're not.' Now," he clarifies, palms out, as Roswell floats into the RV just in time for a toaster oven to ding. "To be fair to them," Darren continues, as Roswell floats out with a tray of biscuits held in little oven mits, "The Paladins can and do actually roll up, where they see that ish. And in responding to it, I'll give 'em they avoid blind force more often than not. Even got a few lateral thinkers. But... 'public opinion' is a poisoned well, when you're dealing with people that've been under some form of government mind control since birth." As plates float out after Roswell, Darren elaborates. "The kind of people whose first question is 'who's gonna pay for it,' whose first response is 'not in my backyard,' are not the kinda people you want calling the shots. Those people are always the loudest, when it comes to shouting down positive change." "To put it another way: I think that shackling progress to the comfort of people who already got what they need is one of the biggest psyops there is." Gesturing towards the many plastered conspiracy theories on the RV's bumper, "And I hate psyops."
Staren	"Chew?" Staren echoes, looking curiously at the prinnies. "I don't think they have teeth..." Serious conversation continues. "Breakin' 'ish' because someone has been treated unfairly sounds more like the Watch's bag, to me. And honestly, as my heart goes out to those who need their help, I can't say they're entirely wrong..." Staren nods along at further explanation. "'Public opinion' is so easily swayed, and is in usually unfair to anyone seen as unusual." When he gets to 'shouting down positive change', she slaps her hand on the arm of the chair, or her leg, for emphasis. "Yes! Exactly!" She lets him finish, then adds, "People like that, ya gotta shake up. Hesinca's not entirely wrong that sometimes people getting mad is how you know you're doing right."
Persephone Kore	"Not one thing, but a lot of things," Persephone says, nodding along distantly with Darren. "Haha, that's a really smart answer! I don't think I could ever be that complicated." "The Watch and the Paladins are both really amazing! I haven't met any of them I didn't like yet," Phony adds warmly. "But I really get the feeling that they don't trust 'special people' to be the ones making important decisions. Like power corrupts, or something." She accentuates that with a heartmeltingly bright smile, cupping her face in both hands. It's impossible to imagine Persephone being 'corrupt' in any sense at all. "Sometimes we're really the only ones who can see a brighter future, though. Or believe in it enough to make it real! The Paladins might support Carpathia's experiment, but they'd never support her wanting to remake humanity, you know?" Staren gets a little sidelong wink. Slyly: "So it's okay not to care so much about public opinion, right?" A soft little 'awww' escapes her in response to Hesinca's tacit admission. Shifting her purse onto her shoulder, Phony drifts upwards gracefully to exactly Hesinca's eye level and glances down. "They are really cute from up here," she says softly with a thoughtfully appraising frown. Glancing back over at the demon lord and smiling: "I can tell what you see in them. Haha, I'm even a little jealous. My underlings just aren't the same."
Undivided Queens	Seilatiya teasingly holds her finger over her lips towards Phony. "Shhh! Staren doesn't need to know~" The saccharine evil giggling that follows indicates that Seilatiya, on the other hand, probably did already. It turns into more ordinary laughter at the awful 'past tense' joke. Isahane, in admirable deadpan, tells Phony about the Queen in Veils, "Then instead of kills, perhaps try marking its side once for each heart you've stolen." She blink-stares, caught a little off guard, by 'Hana' face to face. It takes just a second to get expression back. "Aha. Don't apologize. You're the first who has wanted to learn, away from home. Under other circumstances, Seila would probably put an entire cabin here." She glides past Cantio to gently, but firmly, bop her on the head once she starts getting ideas about self-cooking meat. "Don't you dare." she says. "'Lab-grown' is bad enough. You would take out the cooking as well? What is left after?" "And, no offense sweetie, with your record in science . . ." Isahane wanders off to snap a stick off a tree, flay the twigs and needles off with a few slashes of a very large and heavy curved knife, and then uses her own runecipher to drop in a pre-packed bag that Darren would sweat under. She rummages briefly, and withdraws three things: a stack of something slightly damp and bloody wrapped in wax paper, a satchel that smells like bitter greens and roots, and a branded plastic bag of marshmallows quite probably picked up at a corner store near here at Seilatiya's insistence. A folding chair creaks as she sits down. Seilatiya has mysteriously achieved a kneeling posture in hers. "Hmmmm, if I had to say . . . I joined the Concord because the Paladins aren't exactly wrong, haha~" Perhaps not aware she isn't holding beer, she pounds back her green sip as if it'd give her courage. "A fact about empires, kingdoms, towns, tribes, is that the more people there are in one place, the harder it is for a single average person to matter, and the tougher it is to organize. At the same time, a single really exceptional person actually gets more and more power out of it. Because it doesn't matter so much if they mess up once. Because they can use other people's talents. Because they stand out. Small numbers of people kind of have to make everyone happy, and rely on everyone. Big numbers of people though, more and more only a few people can make decisions for everyone else, and do whatever they want to them." "When the number of people becomes almost infinity, connected by Warpgates, isn't that a little scary? The world was already probably big enough that you'd have a hard time knowing who's really in charge, and then you'd never speak to them, and they'd still have absolute power over you, right? And now it's a million times bigger! Isn't it normal to be afraid of what counts as 'exceptional' in a world this big? Isn't it normal to want, if nothing else, to be guaranteed your life won't change completely? Isn't it normal to not want to feel like you don't matter? To want to have some say, even in 'infinite worlds'? To not be drowned out? Banding together like that, organizing, is their only tool! Obviously they'd use it! And obviously, the people they'd want most are the ones who say they'll keep things from getting too crazy, right? Even if that benefits bad people too, the Multiverse is just too big for lots of normal people to be specific about it."
Undivided Queens	"The Concord just kind of proves that it only takes a few special people to equal that, haha! And if it was up to me, I really would change all their lives completely! If I could, I'd take over the whole Multiverse, and make everyone, everywhere, happy! And I can say that I believe, absolutely, with all of my heart, it'd be for the best! But I can't say they're wrong for being in my way either! After all, even in the Concord, we have plenty of people who just aren't really concerned with ordinary people; there are other things more important to them. And we have people who do care, but haven't learned how to treat them right yet. And we have people who try, but just aren't good at it yet! Or even people who think what would be best is something that's just totally different from what everyone wants!" "When there's this many people, there's just too much information. Too much chaos. Too many people who want too many different things. You can't be sure of anything that's too unfamiliar, and the consequences for being wrong are so much worse. So it's natural that those people would want to resist me saving them. They should! If they didn't fight to keep things in a shape they recognize, then someone else, someone much worse, would get them before I ever did! I like the Concord because it's not wrong for me to be special here. It'd be wrong to use my power the way I want to elsewhere, but not here." Seilatiya looks expectantly to Isahane. "I'm with her." "Don't do that!" "You said everything already." "Huh?! I didn't even choose to come here! The Concord was your idea! You dragged me along remember?!" "I suppose I did." "So what do you have to say for that?" "It worked out." "Gh!"
Staren	Staren smiles at Persephone's words directed her way. I'll try... > My underlings just aren't the same. "You have underlings?" Staren is mostly confused, as she can't think of anyone who qualifies.
Persephone Kore	"Dylan and Marc count," Phony answers brightly. "Actually, so does most of Sapient Heuristics, haha! Carpathia runs everything, but she has to believe her kids are wise enough to envision the new humanity, right? So she can't really overrule any of us." After a little pause, she smiles wider. "And you. If you want to be."
Undivided Queens	Seila shifts gears instantly, leaning really far forward in her seat, fingertips hovering just before her lips, split in a giant, evil grin, making smug implications with her eyes alone. It feels as if her height quintuples in that moment. "Well Staren~? Do you want to be under Persephone~?"
Cantio	Hesinca's tsundereness towards her Prinny squad has Cantio looking away briefly to hide a giggle, although she's not trying very hard to hide it. The whack on the back has her grunting lightly and hunching forward quite a bit more than lightly, but she recovers quickly enough to laugh. "Ah, it's nothing like that! I mean, not any more. We..." She rubs the back of her neck, looking a bit more awkward as she tries to think of how to word it out right. "... Worked it out." Cantio grunts lightly at that bop on the head, pouting briefly as she looks up and over at Isahane and Seilatiya. "I-it's not that bad of a record! It was just one time it went kind of... Sideways." She's still a little sore about that, but she laughs after a moment. "But I've learned from last time's mistakes. I still have some other ideas in the works, but they're still... Well. In the works, not quite ready to execute just yet, but it should go a lot better this time around." With that bit of ominous taken care of, Cantio watches the yeti and its partners curiously in the distance for a little while before finally popping that marble into the bottle and tasting her stuff! She let's out a satisfied sigh, then purses her lips. "... It's okay. Not great." Gimmicky soda indeed. "I'd be surprised if they didn't try lab-growing off-world things to save some money, then. Or... Wwwwait. Aren't those two Pokemon the...?" She forces a poker-face, but it's easy to tell she might have just thrown up a little in her mouth. Time to wash that down with some more soda. "Those are the types of people I'm worried about getting in the way of future plans, actually." She says after a few more sips just in case, then picks out a more disgusting soda to sample. Takoyaki! "Listening to my own people is one thing because... Well, they're my people, you know? But I can't do it for everyone since... Actually, Isahane made a good point the last time I visited her and Seilatiya's home." She nods towards the queens, then at Persephone and Staren. "Right. I can't be a powerful leader /and/ someone that everyone loves all the same time, so I just... Won't. I can just focus on my own people and the Concord, and that'll be that!"
Cantio	And then Seila talks about Staren being under Persephone. It takes Cantio just until she's halfway through a sip before she spittakes at that. "S-Seila! I don't think Staren knows about... That sort of thing."
Undivided Queens	"Do they?" Isahane asks Phony, meanwhile, about the Paladins supporting Carpathia. "No, let me be more specific. Who does? The Paladins are chosen representatives of the 'Commonwealth'. Though the political and economic force that backs them is far larger, their numbers are not wholly dissimilar to ours. They cannot be. Or else they'd not have the agility and precision needed to do what they do." "The Commonwealth feeds and grooms them, but the leash they hold is a weak one, and I believe that even then, many of the Paladins don't require the Commonwealth's aid in any way, but pursue the banner for their own ends. Just as there are those of us that are more like them, there must be Paladins who are more like us; or the Watch in either case. The 'perfect' Paladin is one who is a champion of the ordinary. Who protects against change. But I am interested in what you are saying; it implies the existence of 'rogue Paladins', who would believe in their own vision more than the Commonwealth's." She turns and looks to Cantio, skewering what is probably some sort of leg of something. Given Isahane's size (and pointy teeth) it's probably a courtesy that she doesn't eat 'everything' Darren has. "Wouldn't those be the ideal men and women for us to work with? The Paladins are effectively those who have chosen 'love' and our number 'power', and the Watch have chosen a compromise by giving up other things. If there are those who join the Commonwealth's heroes, not 'to be loved', but 'to wield power', then surely there are those who could see things our way, if we reached out. Those who wield their own power should easily stand out from those who wield the power of the 'status quo'."
Hesinca	Hesinca sighs at people making too much out of her admission that, yes, she likes the prinnies. She does smile, though. And the Seilatiya outlines her philosophy. "Huh. I hadn't considered that," she says. "That someone might come in and try to change my way of life." "... Hadn't really thought about that. Not sure what I'd do." "... Maybe I should go and start pushing them around first, before they get to me."
Staren	Staren listens to Seilatiya wax philosophical. She tries to imagine being one of the powerless farmers living near her home. Yeah, Lazlo SAYS its nice, but if a bunch of people voted wrong, couldn't bad things happen? Heck, how many people already still hold a grudge for their city not taking action in the war, all those years ago? And some terrible creature could just roll up and eat your whole family before defenders have time to show up... Hell, Staren's pretty powerful and she's still scared of Lilian. Staren's heart goes out to those who would be scared of her power. Staren nods along with the idea of Seilatiya taking over the Multiverse and making everyone happy. But all that stuff about it being impossible to tell what's really best just... becomes... confusing. The right thing is what SHOULD be done, that's why making sure what you're doing IS the right thing is so important. But how can you ever really tell...? Do I just follow someone smarter and hope they have it right? But that doesn't absolve me of responsibility if I do wrong at their behest... I need to do better... It just sort of becomes a dark cloud of confused thought which is made even harder to hold onto by Persephone's presence pushing unpleasant thoughts away. Persephone speaks up. Staren has to do a sort of mental double-take to go from Phony explaining her situation to making an offer. Persephone claims she's not someone smarter, but things seem to work out better for her than they do for Staren, don't they? Still, Staren's thoughts take a moment to try and figure out what the heck being an underling of Persephone would entail -- Persephone doesn't have to order things done, after all, she just makes reality do them. She can't picture Persephone with a secretary, let alone a knight or something. And then Seilatiya. Staren goes bright red and hides in her scarf and Cantio makes it worse because saying that brings forth unprintable personal memories as evidence that she damn well does know. Although there's probably not anything especially shocking to someone who is no doubt used to having people think 'wait, she's a mind-reader? Quick, whatever you do, don't think of anything dirty!' and they never succeed at that in her presence, do they. Eventually, still covering her face with her scarf, Staren gives an annoyed groan, "Cantioooo, why would you say thaaaaaat?" She turns and glares at the princess, not truly mad but having an idea as to how to extract vengeance nonetheless, and asks pointedly, with mock innocence, "Wait, how do YOU know about 'that sort of thing'?" It doesn't matter what Cantio says, because thoughts will be there embarassing her regardless. She can't get back at Seilatiya though, that woman has no shame. Staren tries to look at Persephone to read her expression but can't meet her gaze and goes back to hiding behind her scarf for the moment.
Undivided Queens	Isahane snorts at Staren's reaction to Seilatiya's question. Specifically the implicit flustered 'no way!' "Coward." she huffs, and then takes a huge juicy bite out of too much meat for human teeth to be meant to tear through. Seilatiya finds the attempted deflection to Cantio hilarious. "She's a princess right? Obviously she'd have a harem~ Try to keep up~"
Darren	Pondering, with clear admiration, the measure of strength implied by the size of Isahane's bag, Darren gives his full attention when Seilatiya gives her answer. "Oh, for sure. It 'makes sense' that people flail when they're drowning, too. But I'll still knock somebody's ass out if it means I can pull 'em out the water easier," says Darren, with a knowing smile cast Phony's way. Seilatiya's innuendo makes his confident smile crack into an amused snort. "Harem? Blood, she's probably got a whole ass island." Ahem. "So--we all got the same understanding of the Concord... It's a family, we got each other's backs and we answer to ourselves and our family alone." Offering Seilatiya a plate, "We don't apologize for being special, or for the futures we seek. We apply our will, our strength, because it makes a difference, and because we dare to." Darren steps aside and lets anyone who wants to serve themselves, taking his food after everyone else has had a chance. The animated sarcophagus horror-movie crawls, face up, over to the table, grabbing a plate, having previously been climbing trees. He really likes sausage! Once he's gotten his plate, he gestures with his sausage biscuit to Cantio. "Exactly. That's our--exactly, Isahane," he excitedly adds, another food-gesture, bouncing slightly in place. "The Concord is unapologetic power that coheres via mutual respect and support. But you know, I think love's an ingredient in that cohesion too. It's gotta be, or else we wouldn't have so many comparisons to family."
Persephone Kore	Reading Persephone's expression is superfluous anyway. Unbearably radiant warmth, tinged with more than a little smugness, palpably oozes from her. "Poor, poor Staren," she says, her voice dripping with affection that's both teasing and utterly sincere. One of her hands finds its way to Staren's shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry your head about it, okay~?" I was really just teasing! If you were going to trust someone else to set the rules for you, then you might as well be in the Paladins, right? It really is better to build up your confidence and decide that on your own. And we'll believe in you and stick with you, every step of the way. "We'll make her brave someday," Phony says to Isahane with a knowing smile. "Don't worry." "And really, I do think that's true. There are special people in the Paladins who have their own idea of right and wrong, and their own idea of how the world should be. Maybe they don't realize they have that. Or maybe they think it's 'close enough' to what the Commonwealth wants that working together is still the best idea. I've met a couple of them!! Lilian, definitely. And Go, maybe." "Maybe they could join our family someday. I think it's worth reaching out! Haha, but I'm not holding my breath for it. Even if they don't, they're still cozy enemies, right? That's a good kind of friend to have, I think." Her eyebrows lift and she nods with solemn approval at the titanic chomp before getting up to fetch a couple sausage biscuits of her own. On returning to her seat, she smiles at Staren again, this time a little more subdued. "People are always telling you to believe in yourself and not flinch from disapproval. Right? And that's good advice! But I think the people who do it on the radio, the ones who aren't in the Concord, are doing it wrong. They think... they can scold or belittle you out of being scared of scolding or belittling. Like public opinion can make you care about public opinion less." Her finger pokes gently just below Staren's collarbone- fortunately, the fingernails are shorter on her right hand. "Change can't come from a place of fear or shame. That kind of change only lasts until you figure out how to make the fear and shame stop. It's got to come from a place of loving and trusting yourself if it's going to last. And I really do believe you're strong enough to do that! Just tell me how to help, okay? Haha, because I'm really not smart enough to know it on my own."
Darren	"Establishing that understanding was the main thing I wanted to accomplish with this trip," says Darren gladly, now able to finish the grilled cheese drink with no grimace at all. It's not bad, washing down the sausage biscuit. "So that if there's ever a moment in this coming year when you feel doubt, you can think back to today, and draw strength from it." "And so that y'all understand," says Darren, now gesturing like he's giving a pep talk during a huddle, talking over the DJ on the portable radio behind him. "That here, it's okay to be honest with yourself." He fervently nods his agreement with Persephone's emphasis on self-love and self-trust. "Damn, Phony. I guess vibe perception's a Jungian-Newtonian archetype, huh?"
Cantio	"The perfect Paladin... I wonder if that even exists." Cantio considers that for a short while as she watches Isahane at work with THE MEATS. "I guess it does depend on who they're perfect for, though. The common people that don't have any power, those in power that just want to maintain the status quo... I've definitely seen some that would be more of the first type than the second, so I wouldn't midn seeing some of them working with us instead of with the Paladins, but I don't think they would really... Do that." She strokes her chin further at the question. "There's probably... No, definitely people that are just there for personal gain, too. Corporate warfare is already a thing that happens with spies trying to steal trade secrets, and that's just with humans. I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case with the Paladins, too. Some of them might even be there for the paycheck rather than any love for each other or belief in what they're doing." She laughs, then furrows her brow uncomfortable. "... That's kind of sad, though, isn't it? Signing up with a military force just to survive day to day?" Cantio sighs lightly, then clears her throat and claps her hand to try and stave off some of that awkwardness. That doesn't accomplish much, though, when Staren turns that question right back on her. "S-say what? I thought you were... You know! Purer than that!" Cantio blurts out, her own face turning red in the process. She doesn't quite bother hiding her face since there's not much to hide it with, although she does pull her head into her coat just a little bit as the warmth is suddenly more inviting than before. "A-and I'm dating Guzma, so of course I'd know about that kind of thing!" One doesn't really mean the other, but still. Seilatiya's point, however, just makes Cantio's face burn even more. "Wha-A harem?! I can't... I-I mean, I could, but I wouldn't! That's not a... A thing princesses should have! Probably!" Once she's done digging, Cantio gets right up to go get some food with Darren's much needed distraction. She gets some meat slabs, a few sausages, some buns... Okay, maybe it's still weighing on her mind after all. By the time she comes back, she's still fidgety, but she's a little calmer than before. "... /Are/ princesses supposed to have those?"
Staren	Seilatiya's comment brings forth a mental image of Cantio surrounded by girls in harem outfits... wait. Or maybe it would be boys? Or some of both? Is Cantio even the type...? Purer than that? "I'm almost thirty! I had a girlfriend for years! And I was a teenager once, we all were!" Isn't someone who can know all sides of you and love you anyway quite a desirable partner? And Persephone is somehow great enough to love everyone... Unbearably radiant warmth feels like it will just engulf her. But how can I decide on my own without second-guessing other Partners' work, insulting them by not trusting their judgement as much as mine? "W-wait, you think Lilian and I4 are trying to teach me NOT to listen to them?! I thought they were just making me feel bad so I wouldn't get in their way..." She takes a breath, and looks between Darren and Persephone. "I need to know how to trust myself first, without distrusting those in the Concord I don't know as well yet, or that, for whatever reason, my mind has come to doubt right then." Although I don't think I could distrust you. I can't imagine you ever wanting anything bad. Then: > /Are/ princesses supposed to have those? "Hey! That's right, I'm a princess now," Staren rallies with a smirk and faked bravado, and tilts her head towards Persephone, who's already read the entire thought a couple of seconds ago. "Maybe she should be in my h--" how would that even work and the bravado collapses then in a pile of confused thought, and she coughs awkwardly.
Cantio	Thanks to being a little calmer than before, Cantio has just enough in her to judge Staren's comment while following her gaze towards Persephone. She looks between the two once, then shakes her head. "No... No, I couldn't see that. You'd definitely be in Phony's harem." This is the most confident Cantio's ever sounded in front of probably everyone here.
Undivided Queens	"Ah, right? She probably does. Oh, I wonder what a digital island looks like?" Seilatiya gasps quietly to Darren, tilting her head back with her fingers to her chin, deep in contemplation. "Thank you~" to the plate. Chopsticks unnecessarily appear out of pink sparklegrams, even if only to be used as skewers. She has the vibe of someone who's never eaten with a fork. Isahane considers Phony's promise, facetious as it may or may not be, for a few seconds of chewing. Swallowing, she then says "You are a braver woman than I, then." with a slow nod. Granted, Isahane is about the only person here dressed more bravely than Phony, so that seems like high praise. "It's simply inevitable that our attempts to reach out, and to bring new blood to us, cannot be perfectly aimed, or perfectly interpreted. In that case, rather than hubristically relying only on the strength of allies we presume will be in our corner at a convenient place and time, would it not first be best to communicate, clearly, what our terms our, discuss the critical points at which they differ, and use our strength selectively?" "Well now, look at the War Queen talking about communication~" "This, too, is part of unification. Using all of your strength to try and overwhelm your rival on every front, unless you greatly overpower them in all respects, is how you run out of energy and compromise your aims. Fighting your enemy where they need be fought, understanding them where they can be understood, allowing them to have that which you do not need to deny them; that is simply an efficient use of strength. And an enemy with nowhere to retreat, who will have nothing if they lose, will fight harder than you. Only Persephone here has the strength to aim for an absolute victory every time. And she is wise enough not to." Seilatiya, between dainty mouthfuls, says to Cantio and Staren, "Why don't you just try asking them? Tomorrow, even! I hear you talk about the Paladins a lot, but rarely to them, unless it's a big fight. If you know why they believe in the Paladins, each of them individually, doesn't that tell you a whole lot you can use? Especially since you can't read people as well as Sephy and I can. Most people have a lot of different sides that you won't see normally, and being able to bring those sides out instead of the side you don't want to deal with is an important skill, you know?" Guzma's name comes up. The smug, eyebrows raised, lids half-lowered, ear to ear smirk comes right back. "Oh really? Is that the kind of reputation he has?" She eats a little more while Cantio is rummaging around, then laughs when she comes right back. "Why not~? Are there things princesses aren't supposed to have~? I mean, I'm an Empress, so it's a little different, but I have one! And it's only fair, since Isahane has one too." "You know that I'm married to them, right?" "Yeah, but it's only like, half-marriage." "Aren't yours technically concubines?" "But that's less fun to say!" Staren opens her mouth again. [Simultaneous Laughter] "Actually, that's something I wanted to talk to you about . . ." says Seilatiya, setting down her chopsticks and folding her hands.
Staren	In the background, Isahane has good advice. "I guess, but why would they answer me?" Then: YOU CAN'T SAY THAT EVEN IF IT'S TRUE, CANTIO! D: Staren gives her a look, and then Seilatiya speaks. > Actually, that's something I wanted to talk to you about . . . Staren is filled with uncertain dread. There is no way this is going anywhere good, is it. . .
Darren	"Honestly," Darren speaks up, more generally, to everyone, "I thought that'd take us past breakfast, but it seems like we got a pretty good grasp on it." Rubbing his head sheepishly, he smiles. "The only other thing I wanted to speak on today, officially, is goals--short-term, long-term. But we actually got a lot of goals discussion out of the way just now, too!" He sets his plate down and claps his hands excitedly, rubbing them together. The grill, and both vents, close of their own accord, as Darren moves to take a seat. "So, I guess we can just enjoy each other's company. Which is the number two reason I brought y'all out here." As he falls into the seat around the pit, a bottled water flies into his grasp.
Persephone Kore	Phony shines her eyes-shut beatific smile on Darren and allows herself a little giggle. "Ahahah. I really can't take credit for that. Once you've felt enough people's hearts, you start to notice the patterns. That's all! Isn't that one of your gifts too?" To Isahane: "Aw, but I'm really not!! Not having anything to be scared of isn't the same. We should watch a scary movie together! Then you'll see." She subtly preens when Isahane calls her 'powerful', but basks even more at being called 'wise'; it's hard to tell, but she might even be blushing just a tiny bit. Phony listens to Cantio dig her own grave with silent, smiling expectation, but when Staren starts to verbalize that she should be in her harem, those devastatingly cheery eyes slide over to lock with Staren's own. They impose the sense of being pleasantly small on Staren, of being a tiny beloved thing held oh-so-carefully in my hands. Even if she'd falter without that effect, it could bring Staren's words to a halt on its own. "Oh, but I already have one," she says brightly. "I'm Sapient Heuristics' perfect princess, aren't I? So you'd have to join mine~" Sensing Staren's dread, her hand comes down to interlace with her friend's fingers and squeeze her hand reassuringly. Tia's really nice! I'm sure it'll be fine. And Staren, this is important, so listen! Trusting in yourself doesn't mean doubting your friends. Having your own goals and sense of rightness doesn't mean doubting your friends. You can believe in your own vision of the world... but also believe that helping them, forging those bonds, is a good way to get there.
Undivided Queens	Isahane stares at Staren. "Why do you expect them to care about anything you say to them now? Surely it matters less to them, and respects their own thoughts less. This is what they call 'intellectual laziness'." "Ahaha . . . Well, for example, I noticed you were having a lot of trouble over Izou's little quest lately. And you had a lot of arguments that never really touched on the point, and that's sort of the problem, you know? Let me say that . . . It's fine to not want to do stand by every single thing the Concord does! The Director says so all the time, that the point is to play all the sides, so we always win~ I just said, earlier, that not everyone in the Concord cares about the same things, or they might care about what you do, but are still figuring out their own compass. You don't have to chase them! It's fine to just disagree! You can always say 'sorry but that's not really my thing, I don't do well with that', wish them good luck and move on!" "What matters isn't that we know we can make you do whatever we want. What matters is knowing we can rely on you. Those things are different, you know? It's not like 'everyone who doesn't help is a problem'. Otherwise, almost the whole Concord would be bad, because only six people were there with Izou! What matters is when you promise, when you show up, after everyone goes 'awesome, we've got Staren', and then you welch out --hypothetically speaking!-- because then you've hurt people. You've let them down and messed up their plans. If you don't agree with something, that's fine! But if you put your chips in, 'sorry, I don't really like it' isn't a good reason to pull out, no? Isn't that what you're afraid of? That your enemy will say the magic words, and all of your family standing behind you will go 'actually, they're right', and leave you? How would you feel if Sephy abandoned you in a time of need and said 'sorry, different values'? If she weren't there, you'd know how to act, but if she left in the middle, you'd really be screwed, right?" "And those people that you fight with now; didn't they used to praise you, not that long ago? We all heard it, you know. They were really sweet on you at first! But didn't they stop trusting you around the time you started using Sephy's power? You told everyone a whole lot about your past emotional scars and stuff, but I don't think it was good for you. After all, you already have those computer things, right? I've already seen you use them! You ask the magic computer, and it tells you how people think and feel, and what you can do, how you can help people, how to not mess things up; you were never really lacking that, right?"
Undivided Queens	"But I think, when you got that power, what it ended up becoming was 'the power to judge people'. You got so addicted to seeing how they're different and how they're the same, listing out the things you like and hate about them, and that really lead to turning people's hearts upside down and shaking them to find a justification. To do the thing you wanted to do already. To feel the way you were feeling already. You wanted so bad to fit in, you didn't even use your own brains and tools to ask how to help, or even how to make people like you! You used Sephy's to decide for yourself how you fit, and then excuse yourself and make an enemy when you didn't already. Isn't that right?" "And just like I think they're right to not let me do whatever I want, I think they're right to think 'the kind of person you were' can't be trusted, or liked. Someone who can convince themselves that, deep inside, they're a good person, or want to be good, and that's what counts; that kind of person is dangerous. Someone who does things 'for the greater good' or 'because of morals', but can't clearly explain why; those people are scary. Actually, politics is mostly full of those people! The kind of person who thinks they're good, who think they're making the right decisions, but mostly they can only be trusted to do whatever makes them feel good, and find a justification after. And that's why people hate politics!" "So, what I'm saying is, you don't have to do thing you don't agree with, or like people you think are bad, but when people are really relying on you, you have to follow through, okay? Talk to them after! And don't just forget to either!" "And when it comes to other people, trust in yourself, your abilities, and your family, to guide you to the right conclusion! Just do a lot of good things, and people will trust you more, and hate you less! Just talking about how hard it is to be good doesn't help, you know? But a list of things you did, does! And don't be so quick to try and 'figure people out'. The answers they give you when you ask are usually more important than what they think in their heart; take it from me! Find out what you don't have to fight them over! Learn how you can make it easy for them to be good to you! Do them some good turns when you can and keep your word!" "And please remember, most of the time, there just aren't any perfect words you can say to get what you want! Most of the time, you can't change someone's mind just by talking! So learn to talk about things that matter to people, instead of just talking about your 'dark side' all the time! Does that all make sense?"
Staren	> SMOL but in a good way Staren lowers her head, or perhaps it's a half-nod, and blushes. She thought they'd already worked out the shape of things at Candy's house but likes this thought, and the only part of her that's objecting, she isn't sure is really a part of her. > Why do you expect the Paladins to care? OH GOOD SOMETHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT "I don't, really... I just can't help trying to understand them... at least I4's been receptive a couple of times..." She listens to Seilatiya. She hangs her head at the thought of abandoning them, at others abandoning her (there's always a brief mental hiccup as she tries to figure out who 'Sephy' refers to and works out that it's a nickname for Persephone) She wouldn't do that... "They didn't tell me about the mission. I suppose, either way, the answer is to insist that guarunteed help with that quest is contingent on proper briefings from now on." LILIAN? Sweet on ME?! Staren gives a short, sharp laugh at the thought. It... actually takes some time for her to remember that there were backhanded compliments back when Silver showed up. "It's not... the computer isn't the same. It helps detect lies and general disposition, so I'm not as easily manipulated or tricked -- it doesn't help me understand anyone." She flinches at being called out, AGAIN, on judging people. "I made a mistake! I'm SORRY, I've said it again and again! I did something dumb to make myself an excuse for choosing the Concord over my conscience in a hurry! I regret it! The times I used it to gain understanding really WERE wonderful!" She looks away. "...I didn't... I wouldn't have..." Staren sighs. "I don't know if I would have turned away and left or not, if I hadn't had the power that day. Maybe it took the excuse to sway me, or maybe I'd have done it anyway, but it was a near thing." "MY BRAINS ARE NO GOOD AT MAKING PEOPLE LIKE ME!" She shouts, a lifetime of pain nearing the surface. "If they were things would be different!" Her eyes water a bit. "It'd be wrong to MAKE them like me, of course, but I'd like to be likeable..." "Convince myself?! I'm SCARED, every time, that I'm NOT! T-that not retiring after invading Lilian's privacy, or s-slaughtering the nullborn, or tryng to cut-- to cut out a part of myself at the mountain, or slaughtering those yakuza, or killing Mothra's children, or gods there are probably things I've done and FORGOTTEN, I've been doing this so long! That not ending it after any of those mistakes, those comprimises, was a mistake, and telling myself I can make up for it only ends up letting me do more evil! M-maybe I really AM a bad person for making excuses so long..." tears well up and one starts to drip down her cheek. "I worry so much..." Good things. "How do I know what really worked out good? Or w-what I just hoped was good so I can sleep at night... I can't be everywhere, I don't always know how it all turned out..." She takes a breath and looks away, shaking her head. "The 'dark side' -- the Archetype, wasn't some sort of achievement, it was thinking I needed to be stronger to be worthy of acceptance, a-and that someone strong enough should be able to I don't know, force themselves to do anything if it was right no matter how bad it felt?" She sits in her chair for a moment struggling to emotionally recover and organize the rest of her thoughts.