Scene #8403: Canary in the Catholicism Mine

Owner	Pose
Kayoko Kirenai	The repetition feels pointed, by now. Especially towards Kale. Please do not disturb the city with your arrival. Kagoshima is the same as ever, postcard-picturesque unchanging, if postcards were made for asphalt seas and concrete islands. The streets buzz with people, even on a Sunday afternoon, cars fill the streets, trains and trolleys glide along on their tracks, planted with greenery to break up the grey-brown. You were directed, not to the school grounds of Our Lady The Second Eve, but instead a chapel nearby. Traveling through the city, alone this time, there's a sense that the crowds don't provide the same comfort in consistency that they did before. Your friends aren't waiting at the end of this train ride for you, and it feels like every person in the city knows that. Despite your disguise. Despite the fact that practically none of them look at you, or if they do, it's with polite acknowledgement. Their eyes prickle across your skin. Like they're waiting for a misstep. The chapel itself, once you get there, is a modestly small building, tucked away in a field of a plot that contains multiple disconnected buildings of various sizes, connected by unpaved paths and seeded with precisely organized green. The inside is simple, though new to Kale. Tile floors, elaborately carved wooden pews, a domed ceiling that glitters with reflected light to invoke the feeling of being awestruck-- or tiny. It's also clear that the chapel, and everything inside, is old, hundreds of years old. Renewed through constant vigilance, every piece of wood is soaked in a sense of ritual and continuity, dignified and sublime. Touching anything feels wrong, like grabbing a butterfly's wings. Sister Kurokawa beckons you into a room to the side, away from the nave. The small office is old, too, but lived-in in a way that keeps it warm, with patches of varnish worn away by years of finger oils, and papers piled up neatly on the desk. Kurokawa sits across the desk, with that shadow-black creature crouched on her shoulder, staring at you with its wispy clear eyes. "Chevalier Hearthward, welcome. Tea?" Of course, the two cups are already in their saucers on the desk. "I understand you had some questions, but first, I would like to personally thank you and yours for the assistance that day. Official communications were made, but that doesn't make those of us on the ground feel appreciated, does it?"
Kale Hearthward	> Please do not disturb the city with your arrival. He gets it already. He gets it. You can stop saying it. Kale's dressed up, as has become usual for his trips into this world. The human illusion magic is applied, of course - but his actual outfit is a herringbone suit and black tie, and careful attention paid to his hair and accessories. He shouldn't stand out, aside from maybe as a snazzy dresser. And yet... ... It's as if every careful preparation for today might as well be for naught. Would he get any more eyes on him if he hadn't spent an hour this morning in front of his wardrobe? Would he feel any more out of place if he'd spent less time picking out the right cufflinks? Is there just simply something about Kale himself, here? He shakes it off. He tries to shake it off. He gives up on shaking it off and grits his beak - his teeth. He grits his teeth. But not openly. Quietly. Silently. It wouldn't do to do any of that where people might see or hear him, he needs to set aside his own feelings and focus on the mission. The mission. It's a simple mission. It's a quick jaunt, a quick talk, some tea and polite words and questions and answers and diplomacy and then... leaving. It'll be that simple. It won't be that simple. Kale's already planning on it not being that simple and already has had a talk with his support crew about what's going to be involved once it invariably reveals itself as not being that simple and instead becomes inevitably complex. That's for later. Right now, tea. "Tea would be lovely." Kale wants two sugars in his. He's not going to ask for sugars unless they're offered. "And it does help to hear it in person, honestly." "You should thank the Kirenais, really. They've been absolutely stellar comrades in arms." That bar hasn't been particularly high to clear. Meika could have slugged someone last night and he'd still say it. He might say it more passionately if she had slugged someone, actually, and you can make of that as you will. "They're not why I'm here, though - my questions are more... organizational. How things are set up and laid out here, so we can better support you and not step on any toes." He sips his tea, then puts the saucer back down. "We are trying, after all, to not cause any disturbances."
Kayoko Kirenai	Kurokawa does, actually, offer sugar, unprompted. It's not something Kale would guess from her stern appearance, but she has a jar of sugar cubes alongside the tea set. She doesn't add any to her own tea, though, so it's unclear why the jar is there. Sitting back down, Kurokawa stiffly smoothes out her skirt, then thinly smiles at Kale. She's wearing the black blazer and white starched shirt that she was before, both with the plain, monochrome cross symbol on the breast that seems to represent the school. She looks at him probingly through her under-rimmed glasses, then nods. "It's good to hear that they are. I've been... nervous, myself, about how they would do out there, but they're kids. They're capable of adapting to all kinds of unfamiliar things." Were those words subtly barbed, or was that just Kale's imagination? It's so easy to feel that prickling sensation, as if she was talking about you, that you're stepping on creaky floorboards and everyone is turning to stare. The nun continues on, not lingering on the sentiment either way. "I just hope they won't get overwhelmed." "Those girls certainly are prodigies." Her smile doesn't quite reach her eyes when she says that, but a controlled sip of tea conceals whatever else her expression might betray. "Now... 'how things are laid out'. How much have the Chevaliers explained about the Cherubs? For reasons that should be familiar, they're integral to the functioning of the Holy Refulgence. It's only through their intermediation that people besides the magical girls can even be aware of the Temptations." Kurokawa doesn't physically lean forwards, but the tone of her voice shifts to a specifically pointed curiousity. "On that topic, I have a question of my own, as well. How resilient are your people to the Temptations' imperceptibility? Kayoko and Vermillion's report wasn't fully clear on the subject."
Kale Hearthward	... What? That same feeling, here? Kale wishes he had a sense for magic, like some other people have. It'd be really nice to know if this feeling is all in his head. ... Is he an 'unfamiliar thing'? Shake it off. Grit your... teeth. But don't actually grit your teeth. Grit your teeth on the inside. Take a sip of tea to buy some time. This feels like he's on his back foot, conversationally, but not in any way he can pin down enough to take offense at. "Um? The imperceptability?" Kale's not sure why she's asking. Wouldn't this have come up during the initial evaluation? "I could see the Temptation itself just fine from the moment I first arrived. To be honest I just assumed it was a... mundane thing here, when I saw it impaled in the harbor like that, and didn't look twice at it." "I come from a world that doesn't have monsters. You should come visit sometime, I think you'd like it." That's probably not true, but Kale says it anyway. "The cherubs, though, I don't know. Intermediation, meaning without them, there could be another one standing out in the parking lot and it'd slide right off of your memory?"
Kayoko Kirenai	Kurokawa's eyes don't leave Kale as he flounders. "And the aftereffects? You still remember them, and their impact on the world? What about the ?????????????????" Whatever she said seems to slide through your perception without leaving a lasting mark. Like a faceful of hissing steam that burns skin but doesn't leave condensation, like turning your head away from something before you even register that you shouldn't be looking. In the next instant, it feels like if someone questioned you, you'd stop being certain that she said anything at all. "I suppose in your line of work, it's no surprise to see a monster loitering in a city. Though, you know," Kurokawa smiles wryly, a little self-deprecating, "I don't even know what they look like, myself." There's muffled noise outside the office, through the door, which Kurokawa diligently ignores. "Visit your world?" For the first time, Kurokawa's steadily controlled expression slips, as well as her tone, into genuine surprise. "Well, I am the offworlder contact for the entire organization, I could very well convince them that it was necessary. My work as a counselor is, however, not as freely negotiable, given that the school doesn't know anything about my other duties. I'll have to pass, though I'm sure traveling to your world would be novel to me for a host of reasons." It's such a scathingly neutral thing to say, isn't it? Her tone is polite, her demeanor is inviting, insofar as it ever is, and she seems more than willing to have you here. So why does it sting like that? She's not doing anything wrong. Maybe it's just you. "Correct, to an extent. The Cherubs are the Holy Refulgence's warning system for Temptation appearances, but they're also necessary for record-keeping. It's only through their communication that I or any others can retain information about the monsters, after all, so reports from the magical girls, institutional communications, historical knowledge, all come from our guardians, here." Kurokawa strokes the head of her smoky Cherub, and wisps of its body slide off under her touch and vanish in the air. Petting the human-shaped creature crouched on her shoulder is mildly unsettling, especially given that its wavering clear eyes haven't left Kale this entire time.
Kale Hearthward	Wait - that part is magic, right? The thing she said, that thing, that's... magic, and not... just in Kale's head. Right? He's not so off his game that it's literally affecting his long term memory right? Kale realizes he's gritting his teeth and flinching back. He ungrits them, and sits back up straight, hoping she doesn't notice despite that being basically impossible for her to not have notice. > There's muffled noise outside the office, through the door, which Kurokawa diligently ignores. Kale's hearing focuses. He can't afford to pay too much attention to what (or who?) might be right outside the office, since he feels like he can barely keep up with the conversation in this room, but... curiosity has the better of him. Though if there's an eavesdropper that's generally Sister Kurokawa's problem, not his. > Maybe it's just you. ... ... ... "I came here because I had a few questions." Somewhere in Kale's head, a needle on a gauge is dangerously near the letter E, when normally by this time in a conversation it'd be at least hovering up at like the 15th/16ths tick mark at minimum. He's not sure what'd happen if it completely empties out - the gauge hasn't really ever passed the ½ mark before today. "About how your magical girls are 'scouted' - if for example you have someone watching out for social media posts for things they can see and remember, but nobody else can - the person posting about that I mean, not..." He's rambling. Damnit. He's off his game. "... Ahem. And how their day to day lives are in your organization. Someone had said something about needing ten handlers per magical girl, I wasn't sure if that was exaggeration or literal."
Kayoko Kirenai	Kurokawa doesn't draw attention back to whatever it was that she said. It's possible that she didn't even notice that Kale couldn't understand it; her expression is unchanged. Up until a few seconds of silence pass, where Kale is focusing his attention outside, letting the nun's questions dangle unanswered. Other than subtly quirking her eyebrow and laying the fingers of her unoccupied hand across the table with the--unintentionally? intentionally?-- implied threat of impatiently drumming them, she doesn't seem bothered by the dismissal. Outside the room, the nave of the chapel is filled with the sound of tiny scuttling feet, easily a dozen sets of them. For a moment, Kale has the sense that he's heard the sound before, but he can't quite place where before the sensation slips away. It's easy enough to connect the approximate audible sound of the movements to the foot-tall Cherubs that he's seen three of already, though. It's impossible to tell anything more about what might be happening outside-- there's no words being exchanged, which feels eerie in what's ostensibly a fairly large group. Questions, yes. Sister Kurokawa nods, setting down her tea. "Scouting is, actually, handled by Cherubs as well. Or, rather, the handful of Cherubs that exist in this city are continually scanning it for Temptations, and then come across other irregularities in the process. By divine providence, magical girls are always found by the Cherub that was meant to bond with them, such as Cobalt and Spot." She pauses for a few seconds, internally debating continuing, before deciding that leaving her out would be dishonest in how conspicuous it is. "Chevalier Vermillion and Drop were bound the same way, despite the ensuing difficulties." Kurokawa shifts in her chair, now looking towards the door. She drums her fingers on the table, her eyes distant for a moment, before responding slowly. "I think... ten to one might be the midpoint estimation between including the Cherubs in that count or not. I wouldn't, though, so I would estimate closer to five to one. For our prefecture, at least." She turns towards Kale with a surprisingly lazy angle of her head, exhaling with the ghost of a laugh. "I've never seen a magical girl besides the two you've met, and I've only spoken to half of the handlers in my own prefecture, and fewer higher-ups. I am a friendly face, not an important one. Other handlers communicate across district borders, manage documentation, perform spiritual services, manage logistics for an organization that can't be seen by the public eye, and so on. It's all very bureaucratic. The girls have talked to more of the Holy Refulgence than I have, though for what purpose, I..." After trailing off, Kurokawa lifts her teacup to her lips and takes a slow drink in silence. "Ah, well, a cog doesn't need to know every piece of the machine. I should try to contact our scholars to get them in contact with yours, though. Is that all that brought you here, Chevalier?"
Kale Hearthward	> "Is that all that brought you here, Chevalier?" No. Yes. Maybe. Kale was expecting outright resistance, not... well, the term he uses is conversational ju-jitsu, but he actually means conversational judo. Though this isn't quite that either. Kale isn't feeling as much 'thrown' as he is 'lead around by the nose'. He'd been expecting to run into a wall when he came here, but now he's feeling like he's just exited the other side of a maze instead. A maze where he's not sure if he actually got to his destination or not. Okay, Kale. Let's review. This sounds like a dismissal, and unless he can think of something else to ask about he should go and figure out his next step later. 1. The weird thing he can't grasp. Kale is categorically not equipped enough to handle this as he is right now. He's got a shell of a plan for next time he comes back, it's one he doesn't like much, but either way it's not something he can do anything about right now - and giving Kurokawa verification that he can't hear... whatever that is, is maybe not a good idea. 2. Maybe it's just you. No, shut up. What is that even doing on this list? Moving on. 3. The cherubs do the scouting, for temptations and magical girls and 'irregularities'. 3a. The cherub that finds them also happens to be the one who binds to them 3b. The cherubs are- Wait, what are the cherubs? "Just one more question, I think, and then I can get out of your hair..." says Kale. "Where did the cherubs come from?"
Kayoko Kirenai	"Where did the cherubs come from?" Just looking over the Cherub on Kurokawa's shoulder, the realization that this one, Kayoko's that you saw, and the foot-patters of the ones outside, all coincide with being bipedal and roughly tiny human shaped. With only a sample size of two, though, and with Spot and Kurokawa's cherub being so different otherwise, it's hard to draw any other conclusions. "The Cherubs are humanity's guardians against the Temptations, granted to us by God. Without them, we would be blind and deaf, and even our magical girls would be helpless without guidance." Kurokawa's tone slips into monotonous recitation, repeating the words with a tinge of what might be... reluctance? She tilts her chin down and looks across the desk at Kale, laying a finger thoughtfully on her cheek. "Are you one of your organization's scholars, Chevalier Hearthward? You hadn't struck me as the type. Did something in particular guide you to visit me today? With our magical girls being our divinely granted protection from the Temptations, and the Cherubs being referred to as they are, one would think that the connection would be clear." "To put it simply: I am appreciative of your efforts to support Cobalt and Vermillion when the weight of being our city's knights becomes too much for them. A job which you have already demonstrated that you can perform, to all of our benefits. Are your further investigations into our operations idle curiousity, or are you pursuing something in particular?" The question is pointed, and a little defensive, and Kurokawa is clearly controlling her expression and tone to not come across as such. She's not mad, so you can't be, either.
Kale Hearthward	You can say what you like about Kale. And a lot of what you'd like to say about Kale is objectively true, even. But he's here because two new Paladins are from this world, and while worlds with suspicious home-team organizations are a dime a trillion, Kayoko and Meika reached out for help and signed on. They're comrades. He has a responsibility, as a veteran Paladin. He's here for them. Of course, saying that he's here to investigate his own suspicions of Sister Kurokawa's organization is a non-starter. "Ah? I don't strike you as the type? I suppose I hadn't given you my qualifications. My apologies. I have a long list, and I don't want to brag." This is a lie. "But if you want one singular relevant qualification..." "... I was handpicked to be part of the magic teaching team for the current Sorcerer Supreme in another world, and accredited at that world's highest magical school. Handling magic students isn't my primary vocation, but I've proven my ability." "Beyond that I'm certified search, rescue, and disaster response; I'm a graduate of Thomas J. Nookington's school of management, I'm ranked at the House of the Seven Worthies, and I'm a published playwright. I could talk your ear off about the rest, but I have all of my certifications and certificates and references on file, you can get it all by calling the second number on this card-" He pulls out a business card holder and effortlessly flips one of his cards onto the table, where it lands perfectly next to her tea saucer. (It had a little help getting there.) "- So whatever your definition of a scholar may be, I'm pretty sure I can fit. I mean, I might even have a shot at your job - if you feel like retiring, I mean." This is... maybe not the best move Kale could take. But she pushed a button - questioning his capability and his specialities - that he already has a response for. Besides, you can't be mad for him just stating facts. Like that he might be more qualified than you are. (He's also hoping she'll forget that he isn't actually answering her question about why he's here.)