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Hibiki Tachibana	It's been a bit of time since the battle upon that rainy peak, where Viviane had fought against the group investigating the Bavarian Illuminati - a disposable throwaway to delay them from their goal, a scapegoat perhaps not even intended to survive the ordeal. Indeed, combing the mountain depths after the fight showed that anything of import must have been removed in the interim, with few traces left behind. What might not have been planned for was this particular outcome.     That is, the alchemist willingly capitulating and cooperating before reaching that point. Perhaps they had underestimated the Elites and the methods they'd use. Or, perhaps they had underestimated her own feelings and desires, taking the choice she did rather than fighting to the end.     For the sake of today, Viviane has requested a few things of the Paladins who have been keeping watch over her. One of them is the temporary use of a briefing room, as it would be the most apt location for this short of returning to SONG - which would be less than optimal right now for a few reasons, including 'lawfully they have to be hands-off about this in the first place'.     That doesn't mean they don't have one agent attending as a liaison and for recordkeeping; it'd be incredibly sloppy of them to not keep up to date on what's happening with an issue from their own world, and it's ironically much easier to do that when they're not in it. Shinji Ogawa, the humble-looking man whom many (but not all) will likely only remember as their guide in the facility's underground halls, stands a little /too/ upright and stiff against a wall while reviewing some brand of tablet-bound report with a deep frown.     Viviane herself, seated at a center table, has discarded the robes of the Illuminati. A plain short-sleeved white blouse and a long black skirt, secured in place and tied off with an indigo sash, makes up a more casual outfit, along with her sea-blue hair being styled in a much tidier ponytail - showing off the absence of the pearl earrings from before.     Absent from her ears, at least. The other request she had made of her keepers was for some of the belongings that had been confiscated from her - with the understanding that between Tamamo's geas and the attendants, even an attempt to reach for them with ill intent has little chance of going anywhere. Both earrings, as well as a quarter dozen angular crimson crystals, rest on the table surface outside of arms length and in transparent containers, to aid in some of her statements.     Face neutral and voice lacking much in range as ever, there's nevertheless a vaguely pleasant undertone to the way she greets everyone entering. "Although it might not be proper to say, given the nature of today's discussions and what led here, I am sincerely pleased to see you all."     "My intention is to provide context to I and my creator's history, and goals. I also wish to render what information and aid I can...to the end of ensuring you may stop him and his followers within the Illuminati. I hope you do not mind potentially overlong explanations."
Ishirou	Ishirou has come prepared for this meeting.  He has... well nothing beyond his normal because he's made for basically recording everything, storing it, and making it look extremely nerdy while he does so.  Also, for those who haven't been around him in a while... He's dressed in a larger-than-his-size hoodie, with the hood drawn up and over his head.  He's got a face mask on as if imitating a style of dress.  He's got long and baggy jeans that hang to his feet, with combat boots over his feet.  His hands are gloved when they're not shoved into his hoodie pockets.  Which today, will be relevant because he'll be typing on holoscreens.   He takes a seat near the back of the room and doesn't say a whole lot, though he will respond to greetings with either a nod or a small wave.  He DOES respond to Viviane's statement about overlong explanations.   "That's no problem, the more detail the better!" Despite his shy attitude, he's at least somewhat upbeat.
Ioanna Langstrom	What could possibly be the reason Shinji Ogawa is standing a little too stiffly against a wall? It's a mystery.      Ioanna Langstrom probably isn't it. Not with that cool, professional face, that detached, military discipline she has going for her. Why, it couldn't be her - if she was angry she'd *surely* show it, right? She wouldn't simply stand there, arms crossed, watching Viviane like a hawk with her single eye.      She's suited up in the Morphic Combat Mechsuit with its orange hex-pattern underlay. It used to be rare to see the MCM untransformed, but as of late, she's been wearing it in the Paladins' home base more and more, even to the point of wearing it to her own home. Similarly she's been carrying the orange-hex OmniCannon around with her at almost all hours of the day - even sleeping with it under her pillow.      Perhaps that's why Shinji Ogawa is standing so stiffly.      Well, maybe not. It's not like he doesn't likely keep weapons under the pillows, too.      She says nothing at the moment. There's nothing to say. Ishirou can handle this part better than she can. She's more useful keeping watch and keeping armed.      Is it paranoid?      Well, you know what they say. Fool me three times...
Timespace Riders	"Back at you, Vivienne," says Sougo Tokiwa with a warm smile. He wears a mint-colored button-up, ever slightly too large on his frame. Rolled khaki pants reveal a houndstooth pattern on the inside, and highlight his pink socks and hiking boots. The unlooped excess length of a web belt in a complementary gold hue dangles at his side as he takes a seat beside his retainer, who is dressed as he always is. "You look nice," he says, with that distinctive glow in his brown eyes.      Visitor badges are clipped both to his dress shirt and to Woz's apocalyptic greatcoat.      "I do have some questions about how long the Illuminati has been gathering information, and why they're... mm, sort of weaponizing the Noise, as much as you can control something like that," says Sougo with a thoughtful frown. "But, maybe it would help if you started in on the first thing before that," he adds, with a little nod.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Today, it's just Jeanne here without her Master nor the Shielder tagging along! Dressed in her usual dark blue jacket with the black shirt-dress on underneath it, she looks about as non-plussed as she usually does on arrival. Ogawa barely gets a look in passing as she likely mistakes him for who knows however many other people she's passed by today with brown hair in suits, especially since... Well. It's Jeanne. She's probably not the most welcome person in most places these days, even if she's been associating with less arson-happy types in recent weeks. Nevertheless, she heads on in to join the meeting with Viviane, sparing her a slow nod in acknowledgment while keeping her hands stuffed in her pockets. "I'm surprised the Paladins are letting you talk this much instead of cramming you in a cell somewhere. How have they been treating you?" She asks, both sounding too bored to care about the answer while staring rather intently at Viviane when she asks that. "Tell us what you remember, then. If you know any other places they'd be hiding out in, tell us that, too."
Angela	Shit has gone down! Specifically in the Central Team as a result of, well... ...Anyway, as it pertains to Magical Girl problems, the team that seems set up to handle most of that right now IS Central annd that means Nikki,Rose, and Carol are in attendance today. But Nikki is no longer the Captain! Nope! Normally people don't get demoted simply for going a little crazy here and there, but considering the depths of what Nikki had done--well, firing an Agent and letting them leave would probably be a kindness. And Nikki made a mistake, and so Angela has simply led her to work under the one Agent who doesn't seem to be fucking up or sounding like they're about to jolt at any moment. That means, It's CAPTAIN CAROL now. Nikki is still wearing the Funeral of Dead Butterflies EGO set, while Rose is in the EGO set gifted to her by the Servant of Wrath, and Carol has a new set of EGO Gear herself--instead of the Wristcutter, she's wearing the EGO Set gifted to her by the Knight of Despair. Rose is the only one who doesn't look like she'd rather be anywhere else and is instead listening intently to Vivienne. On the pads are Angela and Tiphereth A, the latter of which is looking quite sullen. "Yeah." Tiphereth says to Vivenne in a manner that somehow seems noncommital. "No." Angela says. "Long explanations are wonderful if they are precise." Nikki glances over towards Shinji periodically while Carol just sort of leans back against her chair languidly.
Tamamo	Tamamo is dressed in a disarmingly casual manner today, with a pink-white-striped zip-up jacket, ruffles edges and several messy tails held by black scrunchies -- the hair sort, her fox tails being as immaculate as ever. She greets both Ogawa and Viviane with a smile, before moving to take a seat, legs crossed and leaning to one side of the chair's back.     "I, too, am pleased to see you well, Ms. Viviane. I trust nothing has troubled you too much, in the current arrangements? I hope to hear again about the plans of the Illuminati, as well as anything else regarding their... motivations, let us say. I would hope to find some path that would lead to a greater number being satisfied, even if their present goals cannot be allowed."
Kayoko Kirenai	Kayoko is here in the Paladins' base today, despite the catastrophe with the Knight of Despair in her world last week. She's untransformed, she doesn't have any bags under her eyes, her hands are completely steady, and her smile is genuine. She's wearing a white sweater and blue patterned skirt, with her ever-present gold earrings and blue glasses, and the strap of her polaroid camera hanging around her neck.     "Miss Vivianne." Ishirou, Ioanna, and Jeanne get polite nods of greeting. Her shoulders are relaxed at Woz and Sougo's presence.     "I'm glad they're treating you well. You're being very helpful." The connection between those two ideas doesn't need to be said out loud for it to be felt. "If your explanation is long, that just means there's a lot for us to hear from you."
Lilian Rook	'I hope you do not mind potentially overlong explanations.'     "I do love talking, so I don't mind hearing someone else use their words for once." says Lilian, completely unbiased. "Better that someone explains with tiresome thoroughness than they underuse their words and leave others acting out on incomplete, faulty information." Her smile twitches just a little.     She's come smartly dressed as one would expect for delivering a presentation, perhaps at a university, given her comfortably light cardigan, already getting cold and rain in England at this time of year. Seated by Tamamo, she has her smart device screen out for writing exhaustive reports again, as usual, though these days she tends to compile them privately, but her eyes do go to the crystals. "Especially if you might elucidate the purpose of these weapons. And why you still have them."     She spares a look, an eyebrow, and a smile right on the knife's edge between coy and understanding at Ioanna. "No need to be so formal, Langstrom. If an interruption or three shows its faces here, I'll put it in the hospital forever, haha. You're safe here."
Ioanna Langstrom	"I'm not worried about me, ma'am," Ioanna says automatically to Lilian, her voice as cool and calm as it ever is, "Recent events involving certain Watch interests have made it clear that protocol needs to be revised, especially defensive and evacuation protocols."      She does not look at Shinji when she says this.      "Until that time, I've chosen to compensate by preparing for the worst."
Lilian Rook	"I'm aware of the events you're speaking of." Lilian says, smooth as ice. "Rest assured that it is being handled at the swiftest pace available." she says. "Of course, if you happen to handle it yourself, I'd be far from unhappy. I simply . . . Don't like the idea that they're allowed that much gravitas in anyone's minds." "Everyone wi'll forget about them soon enough, once they've been smoothed over."
Ioanna Langstrom	"No, ma'am," Ioanna says bluntly, "The only gravitas I intend to grant them is that of their epitaph."      "I don't forget things like that."
Touta Konoe	It seemed that there was already a decent amount of individuals that were attempting to take notes through this event. Ishirou likely for the Paladin's records and those that needed it after the fact, Shinji Ogawa for S.O.N.G. and its personnel. Even he's taking notes for the time being in the form of recording the conversation.     At the time of the gathering, Touta's once again assumed his older form, it just makes it a bit easier for him to work in a more 'professional' capacity without anyone questioning it. Albeit, perhaps that wouldn't have been too much of an issue with an organization that works with teens. That said, it was what he used when dealing with Viviane and the others the first time so no reason to break the trend, right?     As he looked around the room, he really can't help but take a moment to realize he has a bit more familiarity now with the faces that joined up, something he can't say he would have a few months back upon his return. While there certainly are familiar faces, there's definitely a few that aren't here. Some for reasons he's got a good idea on, and then others not so much about. Such people he doesn't know the reason for, he does find himself nudging the one person that would know. While perhaps most wouldn't entertain the notion of interacting with Servant in the blue jacket and black shirt-dress combo, there's still one person that is way too comfortable getting into her personal space.     "Showing up for the meeting yourself? Here I thought you'd see if you'd be getting Ritsuka or Mash to get notes for you at best." There's a small little smile that shows on his face, obviously a bit of a tease if anything. Though certainly justified in the remarks knowing her prior work ethic. It's also the reason he lets up a bit when he sees her taking the time to ask her questions. There's just a level of investment he's happy to see. "I really gotta thank those two later."     With the passing of that offhand remark, Touta steps away from the larger forming of the group as he makes his way beside Shinji Ogawa. He sees the stifling of reports, and he's got an idea of what they might be pertaining to. He nudges Shinji a moment even as he stands up right. "Oi, if you don't mind...I'd appreciate it if you can pass me some notes on anything you guys have been keeping up with in coordination with the Paladins or just on your end regarding. I'm Unaffiliated so don't always get the follow up notes...Or they come in a bit late. So...If they have any personal comments or markups, you don't have to sweat it."
Ishirou	Ishirou looks up at Ogawa during all of this, looking to Lilian and then to Ioanna. He takes a breath and then looks at Ioanna, "Sorry that we couldn't do more..." he looks a little... ashamed? He wishes he could do better, but whenever he tries to do something he's not. He shakes the unwanted thought from his head, they did their best, it was all they could do. The real blame is on... He looks up at Touta, "You could fix that right now, but you probably won't. We're not obligated to share with you anything, so remember that."
Lilian Rook	"Apologize when you choose poorly or perform half-heartedly. I'm not interested in hearing an apology for being metaphorically mugged in an alleyway by three armed men." says Lilian.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Recent events being mentioned has Jeanne raising an eyebrow at Ioanna and Lilian. Vaguely recalling some things she's heard in past weeks, her interest is certainly piqued, and she looks over at Ioanna after a few moments. "And are any of those Watch interests with us today?" The smile on her face makes it too obvious she's hoping that the answer is yes. Alas, Kayoko's there, too, so JEanne ends up letting the smile drop a moment later to greet her with a brief nod as well. It's almost like she's trying to... Behave? Touta's comments, though, have her putting on a slightly more sour look that's closer to her usual. "Why would I do that? They're not involved in any of this business. If I need the idiot for energy, I'll bring her when I'm expecting a fight."
Ioanna Langstrom	"If you aren't the one that pulled the trigger, you aren't the one at fault," Ioanna says, her voice softening very slightly to Ishirou, "Failing is only a problem if your failure was because you *could've* done better, but letting yourself take the blame for simply 'not succeeding' is how egomaniacs exploit you."      Lilian says what she was thinking, and Ioanna nods.      Jeanne asks if the Watch interests are with them. Ioanna says, "Anything related to Hibiki Tachibana is a Watch interest. Since this comes from SONG's world, it's best to assume the Watch has an interest in this situation."      She gives Touta a look. "You aren't entitled to anything when you're barely a freelancer. Choose a side and make a stand if you want to benefit from the work of others. Don't complain that no one allows you to be a parasite."
Timespace Riders	Sougo's eyes flick away from Kayoko. Woz's narrow, and he purses his lips, before slowly returning his focus to Vivienne with a sweep of his eyes towards her. Neither of them have any means to supernaturally conceal these, nor any way to tell that Kayoko's lack of overt reaction is anything but natural. It's doubtful that Woz would bother even if he did.
Angela	Nikki looks at Kayoko. It's a complicated look. She sees no flaws in that genuine smile. Her relaxed posture. Her steady hands. In a way, that's what makes her not believe in any of it. And that means it's on her. She brings a hand to her face, covering an eye and the right side of her face in general. Carol bites at her lip a little. Rose is oblivious--or maybe just distracted as she uncomfortably looks down at her hands. Picking a fight with the Dame Commander is a bad idea, doubly so with Angela AND Tiphereth directly supervising. Her sharp scarred mouth gets as shut as she can get it firmly as she reminds herself Hibiki was pretty clear on how she wanted it to go. She thinks it's KIND OF A DUMB WAY to go about it actually, but she already shared her concerns. It's just shit-talking, she tells herself, feeling like Angela's eyes are peering through the back of her skull, waiting for her to slip up. Angela says, "I imagine there will be some recap over old material. Getting on the same page is, I presume, what this meeting is for." Angela tells Touta.
Lilian Rook	'And are any of those Watch interests with us today?'     "Obviously not." Lilian scoffs. "What do you take me for?"     'Since this comes from SONG's world'     Lilian breathes out slowly. "When thou speak from authority absolute, so must be thy judgement. Thy word remains true even if the mind does not. None shall follow one who countermands their absolute judgement. Tenth." She barely glances at Ogawa, but she does. "If they have an issue with it, it's up to them to decide whether to keep extracting my aid and accept the consequences."
Kayoko Kirenai	Kayoko doesn't need to turn and face Woz to see him looking at her. She notices it, because she can't possibly not, but she also can't possibly look back at him.     She doesn't need to meet his eyes to know what his expression is, and what he's trying to glean from her, of course. So at his look, without directly acknowledging it, she straightens up her shoulders and tries to exude as much confidence as she can. Even without the armor, she's trying to show that she's Cobalt, and the multiple pairs of pitying eyes and judging ones can't find any purchase on her.     All the talk of Watch interests leads Kayoko to think about something else that happened during that day in her world. "Um... is Miss Tachibana a threat? I had only heard about the break-in afterwards, so I wasn't certain if I should do anything about her during that fight last week. Should she be treated as a danger?" An uncomfortable look actually does cross her face, a slight tweak to the confidence without coming across as anything but sincere worry. "I know that she and Vermillion were talking a lot, at one point."
Ishirou	Ishirou eases somewhat and nods.  "You're right," he says to both Lilian and Ioanna.  "I guess it's a fine line between regret and apologetic.  I just wish there was more we could have done.." he says and looks up towards Kayoko.   "In a situation like that, it is easier to allow her to aid us than to try and engage her.  Engaging her turns an already dangerous situation into a three-way one... and it's never a winning engagement that way.  It'll also make interactions with the Watch even more unreliable than they already are.." He pauses, "It is less that she, herself, is dangerous, but enables her stupid friends.  Instead of trying to make amends, she instead continues to push the situation more."
Ioanna Langstrom	"We've had that discussion," Ioanna says to Lilian, in regards to Ogawa. She doesn't say anything else. Instead, she tilts her head at Ishirou.      "Hibiki Tachibana is very dangerous. Just because someone isn't a directed threat doesn't make them harmless. She's reckless and thoughtless aside from her personal brand of 'justice', like so many other would-be Unionites."      "Don't treat her with kid gloves. She's responsible for the deaths of Paladins operatives. At the very least, as far as I'm aware, she did nothing to stop it, and hasn't made any move to delivering the offending parties to justice, so she's aiding and abetting."
Ishirou	"I am not treating her with kid gloves, I am stating that trying to take her in, during the middle of a L-corp escaped admorality that is in the middle of a populated city is... a poor choice to try and arrest her."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	'Anything related to Hibiki Tachibana is a Watch interest. Since this comes from SONG's world, it's best to assume the Watch has an interest in this situation.' 'Obviously not.' 'What do you take me for?' Jeanne looks mildly disappointed at Ioanna's and Lilian's answers. "Not a single person in this room? Ah, what a shame." She replies with a dramatic sigh and sag of her shoulders. She really was hoping for a fight, so she'll just have to settle with whatever sparks show up from Touta right now, especially after hearing the back and forth with him, Ioanna, Ishirou, and Lilian in so many matters. "I didn't think that Tachibana had it in her. Hm. I'll have to keep an eye on that one, then." She murmurs, partially looking intrigued, but somehow not looking as happy as she might be expected to.
Ioanna Langstrom	"I was correcting your statement about her not being dangerous," Ioanna says flatly, "She's perfectly dangerous, not only because she enables others, but because she is herself reckless."
Ishirou	"That's fair, sorry for the confusion, Ms. Langstrom." Ishirou responds.
Timespace Riders	"She should be treated as a -person,-" Sougo says. "I know you were asking that in the sense of being a Paladin. And I know that I'm not one. But words have meanings. You pose a 'danger' to Temptations, don't you? But you wouldn't say that you're the same as one, just because you can both 'be dangerous.'"      He gives Ioanna a side-eye, at this.
Lilian Rook	"It should have been her and not Petra." Lilian says, under her breath.     "She's done more than enough. Just leave it to me; I'll handle it as always." she says. It'd usually sound more derisive than this. "We all have our roles to play. Defending the weak and slaying monsters is the duty of a knight."
Ishirou	Ishirou looks at Lilian, pauses... He... Can't entirely disagree with what he thinks she means.
Ioanna Langstrom	"Words do have meanings," Ioanna says flatly to Sougo, "For example, did you know that, on nearly every documented world of a certain technological range and archetype, 'Demon King' means 'tyrannical ruler of a class of individuals with manifest hatred towards the dominant group on the world and a willingness to enact that hatred in destructive and harmful manners'?"
Lilian Rook	'She should be treated as a -person,-'     "It should be considered a disability that I struggle to do otherwise." Lilian interjects, irritably. "You're all quite good at failing to, and it appears to save you a lot of effort. Truly, I am envious of that essential capability. Trying to see people as free-willed individuals who make their own choices causes me nothing but grief and distress."     "I hate her as a person, Tokiwa. There is a limit to mercy, given to others out of understanding the distressing difficulty of being forced to exist. She's going to suffer the consequences for what she's done, for all this time, because she is a person, and thus had the capacity to choose right and do better."     "The evil of sins is rooted in the fact that they're committed in place of good deeds. The Temptations are less evil than she is."
Kayoko Kirenai	"I'll... make sure that Meika doesn't meet with her more, at least. I'm sure she knows better than that." 'Making sure' and 'being sure' placed side-by-side that way sounds contradictory, but if it is, Kayoko doesn't notice. "You pose a 'danger' to Temptations, don't you? But you wouldn't say that you're the same as one, just because you can both 'be dangerous.'"     Nothing Sougo could've possibly said would make Kayoko angrier than that. She whirls around to face him, hands casually on her camera, despite the creaking sound of plastic.     "Temptations aren't *people*. I'm not a *danger* to people. That's not an acceptable comparison, to say that I'm anything like one of them, or to try to insinuate that it would be hypocritical of me to not forgive Miss Tachibana for *murdering* people just because I fight *monsters*."     She ducks her head, expression neutral again, though her teeth audibly grit. "Please do not claim you know how my world works more than I do. I would appreciate if you kept your opinions to yourself."
Touta Konoe	Touta getting in trouble unintentionally, it sadly happens more than he likes to admit. Though in this case he likes to believe that this one wasn't something he was aware of given Ishirou's time since his departure. At least Ishirou can see that when he does get soured there is a genuine remorse on the subject, albeit a bit of confusion at first at what he did wrong.     "I imagine there will be, but just wanting to cover my bases is all. I know I'm not part of a faction so it's just something I find myself having to be more hands on with. But you're not wrong." He imagines for the most part that such notes would be done as such, though it's not the only reason he's requested ones from Shinji. Though what really catches him off guard is the one person who calls him a new term, "Parasite?"     It has him take another look, who the hell was this person now? And then before he can get another word in, they're going as far as calling him out. It's something that given he has no idea who this person is well... Doesn't go over as well.     "While I appreciate the advice...You're going to have to remind me if we've been properly introduced before."     If she's got anything else to say, it seems he's willing to listen but if she's just going with an approach of berating to instill her point across, she'll find that he's not interested as he steps back to Jeanne.     "Right, right, well I'll leave it at--" At this point he can see that she really is enjoying the sparks, hence she gets a small elbow to the shoulder. At this point though he finds himself more focused on the conversation Lilian had with Ioanna, and that 'Hate her as a person'. He still hasn't heard what ever actually happened between these two to make her go as far as talk about cutting her arms off.
Ioanna Langstrom	Ioanna very quickly glances at the camera being handled perfectly normally. There's nothing wrong with it, but...      Well, not a problem for her, not right now.      "Second Lieutenant Ioanna Langstrom, PhD," Ioanna says to Touta in her usual distantly military tone, "Formerly Union Armed Forces, formerly Commonwealth Mechanized Marine Corps, current acting Paladins Chevalier."      "Yes, sir," she says flatly, "Parasite. Expecting to be given access to the legwork and dossiers because you're involved is parasitic behavior. If you want access to Paladins operations, sign up."      "I'm not a recruitment officer, sir. You can find them anywhere in the Commonwealth. Once again, do the legwork yourself."
Tamamo	'I'll... make sure that Meika doesn't meet with her more, at least. I'm sure she knows better than that.'     "Hmm." Tamamo doesn't say anything about Meika's well-documented tendency to go out and do things she was told not to do.     Several people offer opinions on Hibiki, and Tamamo only says, "I would rather focus on what I believe she will attempt than what it is she has done, or failed to do. She does, at least, show regret for what happened, unlike some Watch members, both present and former."
Timespace Riders	Trying to see people as free-willed individuals who make their own choices causes me nothing but grief and distress.      "Yeah." Sougo doesn't have anything more complex to say, than that. Sometimes people use their free will to be shitty. And sometimes they use it to refuse being anything but, no matter how many 'chances' they're given. "It's fine if you hate her as a person. It's fine to hold her accountable for what she's done. It's not fine to look for an excuse to say she isn't one. -You- haven't done that, as far as I can see."      "I know they're more like a force of nature than a person that thinks and acts and feels," Sougo says to Kayoko with calm directly in contrast with the plastic-creaking grip she exerts on the camera. "There was a reason I said what I did. It sucks to be on the receiving end, doesn't it? Of what you said about Vivienne, that day. -I'd- appreciate if you weren't that way--but I don't think either of us is getting what we want. Not today, at least," he says evenly.
Angela	Rose grits her teeth, curls her hands into fists She bites into her tongue and a bit of blood drips from her lips. Carol curses softly and presses a napkin to Rose's mouth. Angela cups her chin, taking into the discussion getting pretty far off track from where it's supposed to be focused on. She can only imagine how Viviene is taking all this. Angela knows her loyalties, however. Even without knowing the full details, she imagines she has picked up enough. "We should try to stay on task." Angela says, however. "That is, on the matter of the Alchemists. These people should not suffer due to her mistakes."
Hibiki Tachibana	Pleasantries are exchanged; Ishirou and Angela's affirmations get a nod in return, as does Sougo's compliment. "Thank you, Sougo. You have quite a sense for fashion yourself. I cannot help but notice Woz does not seem to have the same inclination." This doesn't sound like a judgement, but with the way she speaks, almost nothing would.     And to those asking after her wellbeing, "They've been treating me very well. I have no complaints, and I owe thanks for it as well. If anything, I may be stretching their goodwill thin, requisitioning the presence of certain dangerous objects." There's a gesture towards the very same 'weapons', although they don't have the appearance of such, that Lilian had pointed out. "But I thought it prudent to have the visual aid for one of my points."     Ogawa, in his corner, closes his eyes and gives a strained-looking yet silent sigh at the discussion between Ioanna and Lilian. "You have my assurances, Miss Langstrom, that my only intention today is further working to solve our mutual issue in the Bavarian Illuminati." His voice is all business, even as the small glance towards him is noticed.     "As for the other," mutual issue, that is, "...We're not pleased about it either. And we're working from our own end as best we can. Our profuse apologies for allowing it to happen." His index and thumb come up to rub at his eyes in a tired, 'this is a conversation he's probably had a lot' sense, preventing him from answering Touta immediately.     Viviane, if she has thoughts on this particular subject or how off-track it has gotten, does not express them. Rather, she takes note of the encouragement towards long explanations, and nods. "Then...permit me to start with motivations and history, before moving onto things of more immediate import. I will start at the beginning, or the beginning as I know it."     A hand comes to rest on her chest. "My name is Viviane - and as you have learned, I am a homunculus. A being given shape and life through alchemy. Some two centuries past, I was brought into this world by my creator...the man who has dubbed himself Yliaster, standing opposed to you. I was constructed with the intention of serving as an assistant in his work, and also as something like..." A rarity in her monotone way of speaking, she pauses.     "...proof. Of his progress. Of what he had been working towards. Of his existence. And if ever need be, an inheritor of his legacy."     "Through his life, he had sought the creation of the lapis philosophorum; what the layman would better know as the philosopher's stone. The symbol of 'perfection' itself, the embodiment of all knowledge and ultimate understanding that alchemists have strived for throughout recorded history...capable of impossible feats." That would indeed be what many depictions of it encompass.     "He did not seek it because it represented the ceiling of progress. It was because it was the floor of innumerable more things, beyond it."
Hibiki Tachibana	There's a small shuffle within her seat, as her hands fold on her lap. Angela might recognize it as a more detailed and less(?) sentimental version of what they spoked about prior. "His personal concept of 'the magnum opus of alchemy' was not the crafting of the stone itself, although it was a necessary step in the process. It was 'using that miraculous power for the betterment of humanity' - a far greater, far more daunting task."     "He had seen much hurt and suffering. Those who propagated and spread it. Those who could not be helped, and those who refused help. The blackness within souls, the scope of pain, and the refusal to understand one another. Remedying this would be the true struggle."     "...He aspired to give unto them the gift of ideal bodies. Suffering not age nor illness nor injury, that suited their personal desires and preferences without flaw," Viviane says, impassively. "Some would not be born more disadvantaged than others, and none would ever again experience grevious harm. There would not be hunger or thirst. Death would no longer separate those whom care for one another."     "Being spared of the many burdens of imperfect vessels would never alone alleviate all of humankind's woes, this he knew. But it was a step. A beginning, preluding the even more arduous task of uplifting their hearts. Such was the form it took - the 'perfection' he endeavored to."     Her eyes settle on the table surface. "I was a product of that research. His efforts towards the lapis philosophorum, and the immaculate form. My lack of bodily imperfections, my regenerative capabilities, my agelessness...I constituted how far he had come." Uncharacteristically, her voice drops in volume. "And yet, I was simultaneously proof of how far he still had to travel on the endless road to reach his destination. A source of pride and relief...woe and despair, in equal measure."     "Even so, he always treated me with utmost kindness and care. My faults, even the fact I lacked the emotional capacity to properly reciprocate these two things, did not bother him. He was my creator. My teacher." After a moment, her head lilts back up, and she's once again in upright posture.     "I'm sure this may seem an uninteresting story that hardly relates to current events. I am also sure he sounds a fool, chasing an improbable goal that may hurt as much as help."     There's a brief halt. Her eyes shut.     "But, somewhat selfishly, I want for you to have context. To be aware of my origin and the man I knew, put against who he is now and what he attempts to do. I do not want for him to be an unknown face in the shadows to be feared, seen only through the lens of the madman he has become."     "...It was, in large part, contact with this Multiverse that had finally shattered him and twisted his desire. That is also the source of his--our deep interest in you all, although mine and his are for differing reasons."
Ioanna Langstrom	"Second Lieutenant, Mr. Ogawa," Ioanna responds automatically and in a tone exactly as flat as Ioanna is not, "I'm only Miss Langstrom in the bedroom."
Hibiki Tachibana	There's a deep, deep, chest-swelling breath inward. Simultaneously, there's a hand coming up to tighten up a tie, snug against the neck. All done with closed eyes.     "Duly noted, Second Lieutenant."
Angela	Angela blinks once. She takes out her phone and texts Lilian the following message. 'Dame Commander. Mr. Ogawa and your friend. Are they a couple? - Angela.' 'I believe this is the first such couple I've met and it was not referenced in the material you provided. Is it a rare thing in the multiverse? - Angela She puts down her phone.
Ishirou	There are a range of emotions and moves that Ishirou shifts through as the conversation changes.  When Indus (and his old name) is initially brought up, Ishirou withers.  Those who watch him can see him rub at his wrists, with increasing pace as the topic continues.  It nearly reaches somewhat of a compulsion when certain words are said by Kayoko.  But... Thanks to Lilian it has calmed down and stopped.  Though his wrists are a sore-looking red now, he has stopped.  The conversation on Hibiki has made him somewhat uncomfortable.  Not for the reasons that people might expect either.  He does want her to pay for her crimes, but he feels she could just... Become a Paladin.  They'd just stop being problems, she could work off her debt and make things /better/.  But she refuses and it's /frustrating/.  It's like she can't even see the pain it puts people through... Eventually, Viviane starts speaking, and he can /focus/ on that.   He muses, that her master wants to cure all biological flaws.  Perfect forms so that they can all be born equally.  Ishirou isn't... sure how he feels about this.  On one hand, those flaws are what makes people human... but is that even really true?  Could people not also be human without flaws..?  Couldn't everyone have an even playing field..?   Ishirou... leans towards yes, then the idea is sound.  Everyone has a baseline that they could decide to enhance or advance as they see fit.  A way to customize yourself... a baseline so that people stop considering stupid things that make them hurt others...   "So... what caused the split in ideology?  What did he decide to pursue instead of... this?  I mean... I can understand it, I think.  Where the idea comes from.  I think it's... actually really good.  For people to have a baseline, something without a lot of the troubles that force and divide humanity.  I... imagine it also is imagined for the soul and the body to be more aligned to each other?"
Timespace Riders	We should try to stay on task.      Sougo pauses, his expression briefly darkening. "...Yeah, you're right. Sorry, Angela." I cannot help but notice Woz does not seem to have the same inclination.      "It is a uniform," says the retainer cryptically. "Uniforms make a certain statement--though there are times when even a uniform will be shed." It was 'using that miraculous power for the betterment of humanity' - a far greater, far more daunting task.      Sougo frowns, leaning forward in his seat. Maybe Yliaster believed that, once--but it seems like he lost sight of it, somehow, given the Illuminati's present methodology. And based on what else Vivienne has to say about him (his kindness, unconditional in the face of supposed 'imperfections,') it just makes everything about what's going on now more confusions. ...It was, in large part, contact with this Multiverse that had finally shattered him and twisted his desire. That is also the source of his--our deep interest in you all, although mine and his are for differing reasons.      Sougo's hands curl tightly, gripping the seat of his pants. "...I see. Thanks, Vivienne. Personally, I don't see it as selfish, to want us to know who he was. I doubt I'd care even if it was selfish. People need to have desires. That's part of what makes us people. You cared about him, and you're sad that he's lost his way."      He releases his grip, and sighs. "How much authority does he have, in the context of the Illuminati?"
Ioanna Langstrom	"Thank you, Mr. Ogawa" Ioanna allows herself a very small smile, and probably allows it for Shinji's sake, too. It'll probably ease off the tension a lot for him.      As she internalizes Viviane's story, one major question came to mind.      "Why did the Multiverse twist him specifically? It sounds as if he was already falling into the justification of the ends and the means long before Unification. What did he discover that led to you feeling he changed so drastically so quickly?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Jeanne's clearly having some trouble hiding her amusement at all the knives on display already. Even without a horse in the race herself, she's content to keep passively absorbing it all. She does get snapped out of it briefly when Touta nudges her, though, raising an eyebrow at him before scoffing lightly. "What? Just embrace it, Touta. If you're going to be a fence-sitter, don't try and fluff yourself up in front of everyone with that holier-than-thou bullshit. Just enjoy it for what it is." She cracks a grin a moment later. "You'll be freer that way instead of lying to nobody that'll believe it." Turning her attention back to Viviane, JEanne eyes her skeptically for a moment before shrugging after being told that she's being treated well. "If you say so. Good to see you thought ahead about the visuals in case we have anyone that's not able to read simple words." For no audible reason, Jeanne smirks a little more at that last bit. It's definitely a superiority kind of smirk, too, even if the reason for that isn't even here. After directing another eyebrow-raise at Ogawa and Ioanna, she focuses on the information being provided by Viviane. Jeanne's expression remains strangely distant, and she doesn't speak up or react until Viviane mentions that all the context might seem uninteresting. "It's important to you, isn't it? You wouldn't have brought it up if it wasn't." Jeanne has a vaguely scolding tone as she says that, but she wiseley doesn't comment on whether the story actually bored her or not, or if she considers Yliaster a fool for what he did. "So. He had a more noble dream some time ago, and then something changed his view. His desires. At least he managed to get there before he died." She grunts briefly, then follows up on that after several other questions have already been asked. "So what is it that he... No, not just him. The Bavarian Illuminati. What are they seeking now that's different from what he wanted before?" Jeanne takes a seat just so she can lean forward to really stare hard at Viviane. "And what is it that you want out of all this? After everything's said and done, and after the dust has settled, what do you want to see?"
Angela	Angela listens to Viviene's story. She feels sorry for Viviene, having to believe in a man who essentially tossed her aside for such a meager reason. She doesn't show it, really. Her eyes haven't even opened yet. But she listens. Ideal bodies... "But he has created you. By the sound of it, you should be such a being? Or close to it. What is the difference?" She's still frowning though. She doesn't like this. It feels too real to her. Too close. And she doesn't like the idea of having to try and be chill about it. But she can do it. She has done it. She doesn't need to distract by getting too enraged about it. Focus on the work, she tells herself. Contact with the multiverse broke him...Angela exhales slowly, giving a bob of her head to Sougo. She's grateful that her meaning is understood. Maybe, she thinks, she was too harsh on Sougo. Or is that just a resurgance of her old need for her father speaking? Not that he could be such a man, but... Tiphereth speaks up, "What is he missing? What does he seek that doing this will bring him closer to it? If this isn't too personal?" Her eyes slant towards Angela for a moment.
Tamamo	Tamamo's eyes shift between Ioanna and Shinji without turning her head. Whatever she concludes is kept to herself, for the moment.     'And if ever need be, an inheritor of his legacy.'     "I see. That is a rather usual motivation, to be frank." Among older mage families.     'It was 'using that miraculous power for the betterment of humanity' - a far greater, far more daunting task.'     "This concern for the fate of humanity is somewhat less usual, and more promising. The attainment of ultimate power, to accomplish all wishes of one's lineage, is... predictable as an end, with little concern for what may occur afterward, all further problems being surmountable, 'somehow,' should one find something akin to the Root." Tamamo doesn't feel the need to explain what that is, and it's not important right now.     'Such was the form it took - the 'perfection' he endeavored to.'     "Immortality and perfect health for all, is it...? And then, something of the heart, though that is a more difficult business, for being something more difficult to discern."     'I am also sure he sounds a fool, chasing an improbable goal that may hurt as much as help.'     "Far be it from me to mock one for the loftiness of their goals," Tamamo says, with a little too much earnest sincerity for the casual appearance she's chosen.     '...It was, in large part, contact with this Multiverse that had finally shattered him and twisted his desire.'     "He did encounter more difficulty than expected, then. Was it in the pursuit of the power to enact his dreams, or was it in the uplifting of hearts?"
Touta Konoe	"Touta Konoe, Free-lance Elite." It's a much more relaxed tone, clearly attempting to emphasize the difference from the military tone of her own.      "I would be part of the team that helped the first time when spotting Viviane, I've come to the debrief just as much as anyone else, I assumed would have been enough to have me included. I didn't realize that's no longer considered putting in legwork. Sorry asking for logs to refer back to was too much apparently...I'll start taking my own notes. Is that okay? Or would it be a problem to let a fence sitter like me leak information?"     He imagines there might be more at this point thrown at him.      He wasn't exactly expecting it from Jeanne though. "Oi, oi, not you too! Look, if someone's going to try and give their point of view, I might as well point out how I see it. Nothing about trying to make it holy or none of that. I even conceded on some of it didn't I? Seriously...if anything I want to be free of this conversation."     It's not like he doesn't get the point they're trying to get across...There are things that he jumps off that fence for, though not like it's anyone's business to know what for till it is.Thankfully, it seems like there's something to keep things to go back on track as Viviane picks up the conversation once again. And the topic is something that does cause him to focus more on her than anything else...     "..He aspired to give unto them the gift of ideal bodies. Suffering not age nor illness nor injury, that suited their personal desires and preferences without flaw,     Some would not be born more disadvantaged than others, and none would ever again experience grevious harm. There would not be hunger or thirst. Death would no longer separate those whom care for one another.     Being spared of the many burdens of imperfect vessels would never alone alleviate all of humankind's woes, this he knew. But it was a step. A beginning, preluding the even more arduous task of uplifting their hearts. Such was the form it took - the 'perfection' he endeavored to."     "So, your master's aspired for a dream world of his own...One of equality and all that...Of Perfection..."     It's actually not something that's too foreign to Touta. It's a plan that he's heard a bit closer to home then he cares to admit. At this point, it seems everyone else was already asking the big questions, so he's more keen on just keeping up with the details...Along with a side-glance to Shinji as he hears that correction, and the response to it.
Ioanna Langstrom	"Freelancer implies you're being paid. Are you?" Ioanna asks. "Yes, you probably should take your own notes, but if you have a contract, information access is between you and whoever is hiring you." She doesn't say anything else on the subject.
Kayoko Kirenai	"-I'd- appreciate if you weren't that way--but I don't think either of us is getting what we want. Not today, at least."     Kayoko's head stays bowed for a moment longer, the plastic creaking sound continuing even after her hands are withdrawn from her camera. The only word she manages to force out of her throat, before turning away, creaks the same way. "Apologies."     Afterwards, she shuffles closer to Lilian, both to continue their side-conversation, and to be away from Sougo and Woz.     "So he cared about you that much... but sent you to die anyways?" Kayoko's frown seems heartfelt. As long as she's actually *talking* to her, it seems like she has no problem seeing Vivianne as a person. "Did the Multiverse make his goal harder because there were just too many people?"     "The Multiverse is scary, but I don't understand how someone who was good enough to want good for *everyone* could get discouraged that easy. Shouldn't joining the Multiverse just be motivation to try harder for his goal? Help more people?"
Lilian Rook	"Yliaster." Lilian repeats, softly. "How nice, to have a name." She straightens up more than usual. "No, actually, it is. It helps me tremendously in many respects, both magical and entirely mundane." she says. "Still, what a name to choose." Then she leans forward again. More than before. Fingers laced. It's that posture. "Funny, then, that you'd be the first to surrender. Negligent creators who expect an exact product from their children, and the inevitable fallout of placing those desires on them, seems to be going around, as of late."     Her interest visibly intensifies, for other reasons, when the big word comes out. "The Magnum Opus." she says. "That's interesting. So your leader has achieved that much. That certainly puts into better perspective, the material and intelligence resources as his disposal. Still, it seems that his followers, largely, are extremely lacking, if that's what he considers to be the fork of the tree, halfway up." Tree metaphors mean it's serious. "Indeed, the 'stone' itself-- I assume that may be literal in this world-- is less relevant than the culmination of knowledge needed to conceptualize and create it. It's a crystallization of knowledge about the underpinnings of the world; a singularity of combined theory, talent, practice, enlightenment, and thought, that allows for the impossible things it represents."     '...He aspired to give unto them the gift of ideal bodies.'     Lilian is caught between breaths; she hitches in forgetting whether it was going in or out, and shudders for an instant. Her fingers squeeze their twins until the table shakes lightly under her elbows, for all the time it takes for her to finally see past the thin air in front of her, and look at Vivianne with a vertiginous flash of lucid sincerity.     "You want us to understand your father, don't you? We have to know that he's not all bad. He's a person too. It's not normally like this. He used to be so much better. Right? Right?" Lilian says. Her attempt to hold still and squeeze her tone into a tight, neutral band is unsuccessful. It only takes on more of 'that edge'.     "Yeah, it's nice when the villain has a story, you know? It adds texture. So many people are so evil and shitty for the most completely, miserably banal reasons; or sometimes no reason at all. Knowing that the bad guy merely steered wrong makes it easier to not hate them so much, and that makes it easier to stay on-target." She attempts to laugh. It's a mistake. Her laugh, too, is rough-edged; a strange-familiar sound of bright, exhausted energy and husky, blissful instability.
Lilian Rook	"Do you think we're going to save him? Redeem him? 'Reach out our hands' like that bullshit Tachibana always lies about? Sorry, Vivianne, but he's already gone too far to be forgiven. It's like I've said before; only kids with shitty parents take their side when someone notices."     She hard swallows when Kayoko shuffles up, staring straight ahead when she asks the salient question. There is an attempt to pull back from the brink, made with great, smoking, metal-torturing friction in the world of thought, but it only succeeds at keeping her where she is.     "Who knows, with someone like that. How naive do you have to be to think that you can use alchemy to fix people? Who thinks that giving them the body they deserve is really going to make someone happy? Make anything better? It sounds like it was an act of vanity from the start. Something he wanted a reason to try doing, that he was told couldn't be done, that he made out to be something that'd accomplish anything; or at least soothe his soul. People like that never handle it well, when they achieve it, expecting to be happy, and realize instead that all it did was slow the bleeding."     She pries her fingers apart, and sets her hands down on the table. It comes out a quarter way to slamming the tabletop. "'Losing sight' and 'shattered hopes' are what you all say so that you can still believe you will be different; like there is a way, if you don't make any mistakes, and do everything perfectly. Nobody wants to admit they had bad intentions from the start, even though everyone says 'it's what inside that counts', right? The reasons for making these weapons that kill people, and the reasons for seeking immortality; they're both the same in the end. Vile actions come from vile hearts."     Lilian finally succeeds at one steady breath, and holds it to the count of ten. Closing her eyes for a moment, she leans back in her chair, and reopens them with their usual their usual patina of not-here focus. "My apologies for getting distracted by something so, irrelevant. The matter at hand is, of course, stopping any more people from coming to harm. We have to know about any other disciples of his. Locations, plans, current orders, an idea of his general strategy and holdings." Her hand idly slides across the table, edging towards Tamamo by half.
Kayoko Kirenai	"... only kids with shitty parents take their side when someone notices." "... like there is a way, if you don't make any mistakes, and do everything perfectly."     Kayoko's expression isn't strained. Lilian repeating the same talking points about abandoning authority when you fail to be good enough for them as the *Demon King* isn't winning her any points.     She can only really enforce her neutral expression visually, though, and some words slip unwisely from her mouth. "Wouldn't Vivianne know him better than any of us? She's known him for two hundred years. If she thinks that he's temporarily-- temporarily misguided, and just needs some help, she probably understands his mental state best."
Tamamo	Tamamo, in her oh-so-casual posture, had one hand atop her left knee, crossed over her right, and had, while talking, come to rest her chin on her hand. While other speak, she leans back into her chair, instead. One hand remains on top of the table, there for another hand to come closer to. Unlike moments earlier, with the exchange between Shinji and Ioanna, when one tall ear turns just slightly to better hear--     She attempts to laugh. It's a mistake. Her laugh, too, is rough-edged; a strange-familiar sound of bright, exhausted energy and husky, blissful instability.     Tamamo turns her head halfway, her eyes sliding over to catch Lilian's gaze. The moment she does, the bunrei's hand moves from own knee to Lilian's, under the table. She only squeezes enough to be firmly placed.
Lilian Rook	'Wouldn't Vivianne know him better than any of us?'     "As a favour, don't speak to me as if I don't know, Chevalier Cobalt." Lilian says, back to professionally smooth. "Unlike our captive here, and in fact, most people in this room, I've never run away from a responsibility because it became difficult, nor abandoned someone I owed because I disagreed with them. Standing by a duty, even when it loses its shine and you start to resent it, is something I have more experience with." She probably meant to say 'than you', but left it off to be kind.     This is, unfortunately, also completely and miserably true. She knows it. It's all over her face. In the end, Petra saved her from Matthew, and she never found it in her to blame him instead of herself, and leave, like she should have.     "People who set out to do good for bad reasons never accomplish it, Cobalt. It's impossible to succeed well enough to matter, if your heart isn't really in it. People eventually get tired of forcing themselves, when they don't really want it; even if they think they do."     Slowly breathing out, Lilian finally looks at Kayoko properly. "You know what a mortal sin is, yes? Something that even God won't just forgive you for. It may even be true that Yliaster has made a simple mistake and gone astray; that he might come back into the light, if given the chance. But tell me, Chevalier . . ."     The tone Lilian adopts is something calmly remorseful and repetitious, as if she were reciting something she doesn't like that she's taken to heart. "Even if we all forgive him, do the dead? How can you absolve him, and let him return to his life, on behalf of those who don't get to choose anymore?" She shuts her eyes where she feels Tamamo's hand. "If I killed everyone in the universe except the people who'd forgive me for it once I turned good again, how could that possibly be fair? There's no way I'd go to heaven, is there?"
Timespace Riders	Vile actions come from vile hearts.      Sougo waits until Lilian has taken her ten-count to respond. "It's easy to want to forgive someone like that, isn't it? Because if you do, then yeah. You're kind of forgiving yourself, too, pre-emptively. And that's really tempting for someone who doesn't want to change. Like telling yourself 'just five more minutes' when you should have gotten ready to leave twenty minutes ago."      He frowns. "The thing is, it's -also- easy to say that someone was wrong from the start after they already failed," says Sougo. "And easier to act like mistakes are permanent things that stick to you forever. I want to do this the right way, not the easy way. You're probably right, about why Vivienne chose to share what she did. But it's still useful information, even if none of us have the right to forgive him on behalf of who he's hurt."      He looks, then, from Lilian to Vivienne. "You've lived a lot longer than I have, but I've started to notice that doesn't necessarily make someone better at seeing how people are. People are messy. They don't act in ways that make sense, they don't change just because they're given chances or 'understood.' I'm telling you this because... whether or not he changes isn't up to us."
Ishirou	"It isn't our place to forgive someone on behalf of another," Ishirou says, after Lilian.  It's true what she says in that regard.  It's easy to forgive someone else, but it's not their purpose to 'forgive' them.  There are dead people, and there are crimes to answer for.  It isn't for them to offer forgiveness like a present. For a moment, though, he considers the effort the man went through.  The idea... Was the idea bad because his desires weren't pure?  If they were pure would... they have withstood time and the multiverse?  Is that what Lilian is getting to..?
Lilian Rook	'The thing is, it's -also- easy to say that someone was wrong from the start after they already failed, and easier to act like mistakes are permanent things that stick to you forever.'     "Really, Tokiwa? Is it easy?" Lilian says, tired, arms folded. "I'd always thought it would be much easier to insist that whoever you like is still right, even after they've done wrong, and easier by far to pretend that mistakes simply go away when you've done well enough to balance them out; or when people forget."     "Somehow, I feel as if, under normal circumstances, you'd certainly agree that it's much harder to live with the knowledge that they don't go away. How could it possibly be easy?"
Tamamo	'Even so, he always treated me with utmost kindness and care. My faults, even the fact I lacked the emotional capacity to properly reciprocate these two things, did not bother him.'     'Negligent creators who expect an exact product from their children, and the inevitable fallout of placing those desires on them, seems to be going around, as of late.'     "I had wondered, regarding this seeming contradiction, Ms. Viviane. For what reason might you be left as a sacrifice?"
Angela	Angela glances periodically at her phone but Lilian is pretty busy so she understands it might be a while before she actually gets an answer. BUT EVEN SO, sometimes patience is a struggle in of itself. Carol is looking at Lilian and listening carefully. "Yeah..." She says. Rose gives her a frown and Carol turns her head away, clenching her napkin. "We still have our duty." Carol mutters. "It's not ''my'' duty." Rose mutters back. ''I'd always thought it would be much easier to insist that whoever you like is still right'' Rose hesitates and then her shoulders slump. She can't argue against that. But... "Yeah, and it's more fun to beat on someone who tried and failed than those who--" "My understanding," Angela interrupts, sternly. "Is that she didn't try. Be professional or take a walk, Agent." Rose takes a breath, stands up, and walks right on out. Neither Carol nor Nikki move to follow. Angela turns back to Vivienne after.
Hibiki Tachibana	"How much authority does he have, in the context of the Illuminati?     "At a point, not long after my creation, he had come to realize that pursuing his dream as an independent alchemist would only add to his struggles, and he sought likeminded souls and peers in the secret society," she replies to Sougo. "His influence grew over time, gathering those who either sympathized with his ideal, or were attracted to his knowledge and proficiency. To say he holds dominion over his own major 'faction' of the Illuminati, as it were, would not be incorrect."     "Those many followers, of course, are now utilized as tools for his own ends." The clear implication, that she herself is counted among them, is something left unsaid. It speaks for itself.     "...He does not hold ultimate authority of the entire organization, however. That title falls to the Lodgemaster, Adam Weishaupt - although he is relegated to the realm of near-myth, to the point most members do not truly believe he exists or still lives, so little does he exert power or leadership. If he does, perhaps he simply does not care about the methods they use to chase their goals."     But he has created you. By the sound of it, you should be such a being? Or close to it. What is the difference?     "I do not age, I do not feel pain, and I recover from injuries to an extent. Yet I am imperfect," Viviane says to Angela, still without a shift in her voice. As if it were a matter-of-fact thing.     "I am not truly immortal. If you desired it, you could have killed me. I cannot change my form freely, as he wished all could. And...moreover, I am only a homunculus. Artificially created life, not existing life transformed into something impossibly more. Such a feat is far more difficult, bordering towards the miraculous."     There's a momentary delay. "When I was first created, I lacked emotional capacity. Some would call that a 'soul'. As creating the 'ideal homunculus' was not his ultimate goal, this should not have logically been a problem. Yet, he only saw that as another of his own failings."     She does not elaborate past this.
Hibiki Tachibana	So... what caused the split in ideology? What did he decide to pursue instead of... this? It sounds as if he was already falling into the justification of the ends and the means long before Unification. He did encounter more difficulty than expected, then. The Multiverse is scary, but I don't understand how someone who was good enough to want good for *everyone* could get discouraged that easy.     "In the decades leading to now, progress had slowed, and the impossibility of his efforts was slowly but surely beginning to wear upon him. In his studies to perfect the lapis philosophorum and the human body, he was able to extend his own lifespan greatly, even if age was only slowed and not stopped." There's a small, downward twist of the corners of her lips.     "At the same time, there was no cure for an ailing mind and heart, walking centuries on an endless road with an imperceptible destination. The very same thing he knew would be the hardest to alleviate in the end. He held his head high, for a time. Persevered ahead. But..."     "...Even in the world of Elites, where time is oft measured on a far smaller scale, I am sure many of you have borne witness to those who lose sight of their resolve and have their faith shaken. Sometimes, all it may take is a singular event. And not all easily recover from it, if at all. Allow me to pose a question." Her eyes shift to scan the room.     "How does one pursue 'perfection' when a grand truth like the Multiverse is presented in front of them? When it already seemed a goal beyond reach? Does one's own world have its own individual definition, separate from all others? Is there a standard of it consistent at all places, an immutable fact across all creation? Had it already been discovered elsewhere? By those who have worked towards it far longer and far more efficiently? If so, what form does it take?" Viviane recounts, one after another, without pausing for unnecessary breath.     "Would it be replicable for everyone, everywhere, even from another origin point? For someone of a differing species or biological make-up entirely? Can such a thing as 'perfect' ultimately even be - when there are uncountable laws, orders, and way of being?"     And finally, an exhale. "...Such outstanding and overwhelming queries and pressures were, in metaphor, the feather that had tipped over the weight. He broke. Fell into deep, deep despair and grief, as piled-up futility crushed him all at once. This long, and still unable to save one world. How could he save countless? Was his method even the correct one? Was his life's work for nothing? I believe witnessing that...was the first point where I truly began experiencing 'feeling'. Perhaps it is to blame for my sympathies towards him."
Timespace Riders	I feel as if, under normal circumstances, you'd certainly agree that it's much harder to live with the knowledge that they don't go away. How could it possibly be easy?     Sougo Tokiwa stutters in place, looking at Lilian. She knows exactly how long one second per second is. Knows that something he's done has split it down the middle. Like a skipped frame in an edited movie reel.      "Because," he says, "If they always stick to you as firmly as the moment you first made them, then there's no point in trying to be better. They're always with you, -and- they'll also always be 'the -most- you,' except maybe 'how you used to be.'" He sighs.      "But even that's... kind of still making the mistake the most central thing, isn't it? On the flip side, if mistakes are always as important and present as they were when someone first made them, then you never have to ask yourself whether you were wrong about someone, once they slip up the first time."      "Don't get me wrong, most people don't understand. They think... they think that their mistakes will be *completely* gone, instead of remaining part of who they are and becoming a detail in the background. Erasing a whiteboard, instead of growing a ring on a tree. And that's what enables someone to just... keep stumbling into them, one after the other. Because they think that eraser is real, for them or for whoever it is they'd be forgiving--and they just haven't found it yet." To say he holds dominion over his own major 'faction' of the Illuminati, as it were, would not be incorrect.      Sougo nods at Vivienne, then adds, for Lilian, "I have no interest in doing slate-wiping, for Yliaster," he says. "For the record." Especially not with how poorly he's evidently used his considerable pull within the organization. I believe witnessing that...was the first point where I truly began experiencing 'feeling'. Perhaps it is to blame for my sympathies towards him.      "Maybe," says Sougo, shrugging his shoulders lightly. "The thing you have to understand is that he isn't just the man who was kind to you, or the man who saw you, even secretly, as 'imperfect.'" He says the word like it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. "He isn't just the man who wanted to save the world, or the man who endangered it in the attempt. He's all of those things." Sougo frowns. "And some of them weigh more than others."
Kayoko Kirenai	Kayoko doesn't wince at all when Lilian rebukes her, instead turning her eyes to her as if she's attentively listening. The fact that her eyes don't move at all once they settle on Lilian is either a jarring oversight in her illusory expression mask, or what she's actually doing without noticing.     It's not until Lilian looks over at her that she moves again, shifting in her chair and looking down at some indistinct point around the armrest. "... Sins are forgiven if you sincerely repent to the Lord. Even mortal sins are, after you confess. That's the point. As long as you really, truly apologize and swear to the Lord that you'll be better, He gives you another chance. You can always be better, if you try hard enough to be."     "It's not my place to forgive him or not." Kayoko's perception of that phrase is very different from 'forgiving someone on behalf of the dead'. "But we can't take away his chance to repent. That would mean we're casting judgement on him. I don't think you should kill anybody, miss Dame Commander."     Almost as an afterthought, if not for the hoarse desperation scraping the underside of the words, Kayoko adds, "Besides. He's her father."
Tamamo	'And easier to act like mistakes are permanent things that stick to you forever.     If they always stick to you as firmly as the moment you first made them, then there's no point in trying to be better.'     "It may, perhaps, be selfish for one to persevere in a goal, even when one's failures mount, and their mistakes have harmed some countless number. This is a foolishness I have decided, for my own part, to allow myself, and to declare that I am not wrong in doing so. I would walk my path, regardless... perhaps. The difference is in whether I should do so with guilt for that which can never be undone." Tamamo says, between Lilian and Sougo. Her tone is light, compared to the subject matter, if as tempered as ever by the natural smokiness of her voice.     "As for whether we can forgive him, and whether we can pass judgment upon him -- we could certainly do one, both, or neither, though our first order of business is only to halt him. I should like to keep this in mind, whatever judgments may be passed. Knowing what it is for which he truly wishes can only be helpful in finding a means by which to have him cease his present course."     'Besides. He's her father.'     "He is, to be sure, her creator," Tamamo says, without fully turning toward Kayoko. "He is as close to a parental figure as a homunculus is likely to receive, and he once fulfilled this role... adequately... perhaps..." She sounds less than certain of this. "This makes it all the more concerning that he should now have failed to attempt a rescue. Ms. Viviane is, after all, being held in captivity, following a life-and-death struggle."     Minutes earlier: <J-IC-Scene> Angela to Tamamo, "Having thought about it, I am unsure, Tamamo. But you are more expert in the realm of love than I. If you believe it is lukewarm, it likely is so." <J-IC-Scene> Tamamo says, "I cannot claim to know with complete certainty, but it seems to me that it cannot be possible for one to have a feeling of love without, should one lose that love, then feeling a great loss. If one feels nothing for having lost something, can it have held any value in one's heart?" <J-IC-Scene> Tamamo says, "For myself, I would fight in defense of love, but for them, there was no pressing need."     "Should he not have shown greater concern, both earlier and by this point?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	"So you heard me, then. Good. Decide, if you really want to be done with it." Jeanne replies to Touta with a brief shrug, her attention soon drifting around the room again as so many differing views on what to do regarding Viviane's creator start coming out. More important to her, though, are the questions being asked, along with the answers being given. She does, however, take note of Kayoko's reaction to what Lilian says. She still remembers what was mentioned during the incident with the Queen of Hatred and the Magical Girl of Love, after all, and she's still piecing things together there while continuing to look about as disinterested and generally scowly as she normally does. "So this Illuminati has its own factions within itself, hm? If I felt like playing some kind of complex political game, that could almost sound useful for bringing it all down. If just seeing the Multiverse was enough to discourage your creator that much, though..." Jeanne crosses her arms over her head, then leans back in her seat while starting to lounge around. She purses her lips at Kayoko's suggestion not to kill Yliaster, and then she grunts in vague annoyance. "Would you be able to take responsibility, Cobalt? If, in the hopes of giving him a chance at repentance and redemption, he believes himself to be doing God's work as he goes right back to what he was already doing with a rosary around his neck?" 'This makes it all the more concerning that he should now have failed to attempt a rescue.' Jeanne scoffs lightly, glancing over at Tamamo while looking vaguely irritated all of a sudden. "And that. If he won't come himself, he could've at least sent a hitman or three! Truly useless, is what he's become..."
Ishirou	Ishirou listens to Viviane while talking about some morale problems on his own.  Reaching for perfection, while trying to grant it to others.  The idea that once the idea of infinite possibilities opened up in the source of the Multiverse... "I think his work would still have merit.  What he has created... is a base that everyone could use to reach their own individual ideas of perfection.  Instead, he's reaching for a singular idea.  I don't think such an idea exists..." "We all have our own ideas of how the world works, sometimes they are right and sometimes they are wrong.  Sometimes we clash, and sometimes we conceed... but everyone should be given the same starting point..." "I think what he has allowed himself to be fooled by is something inherent to society that we've all suffered from..." But Ishirou likes the idea.  The thought that people born would have a body that doesn't hold them back allows them fluidity and freedom... the idea springboard to reach for one's own idea of growth.   After a moment, he looks at Viviane again, "I have one more question..." he says after a moment, "Do you know if your master and his servants have a spy in SONG, and if so do you know their identity?"
Touta Konoe	"At the same time, there was no cure for an ailing mind and heart, walking centuries on an endless road with an imperceptible destination. The very same thing he knew would be the hardest to alleviate in the end. He held his head high, for a time. Persevered ahead. But...     ...Even in the world of Elites, where time is oft measured on a far smaller scale, I am sure many of you have borne witness to those who lose sight of their resolve and have their faith shaken. Sometimes, all it may take is a singular event. And not all easily recover from it, if at all."     "Viviane..." Touta finds himself interjecting for a moment after so long. "You're master..even two centuries...They aren't kind on anyone's mind. Even if he had perfected it like you said, from what I know, even for an immortal...Time's cruel. Decades, centuries, it all piles up. I've seen it myself...The small changes that happen over centuries, ultimately it's like living another life-time."     "It may, perhaps, be selfish for one to persevere in a goal, even when one's failures mount, and their mistakes have harmed some countless number. This is a foolishness I have decided, for my own part, to allow myself, and to declare that I am not wrong in doing so. I would walk my path, regardless... perhaps. The difference is in whether I should do so with guilt for that which can never be undone."     Even in the light tone that Tamamo utters those words, there's a weight that holds to it. At least as it reaches Touta's ears. One that has him offer a more soothed smile than he's had thus far.     "Miss Tamamo...Your choice to walk that path...I'm glad there are people in the Multiverse like you..."     It's an offhanded remark not relevant per se to the conversation, but something he does find himself uttering. While he's spoken to Jeanne as a casual friend, and Ishirou even if it failed to be, it's only Tamamo he's addressed thus far as someone of a greater grade of respect.     "Anyway, Viviane, it's like Miss Tamamo said. There's obviously a bigger picture, but...We'll take things one step at a time. I think, even for questions as big as the Multiverse is, it's the only way to try and go about them..."     There's the last remark that Jeanne drops his way that does have him go back to having to sigh, but there's a bit more of an upbeat feeling to it this time. "Hai, hai, I'll think long and hard on it. Though, not like I'll be answering now, especially when the issue started over me getting antsy about wanting to get some logs. Just do me a favor when I do decide not to give me a hard time, alright? Despite what they're saying, you more than anyone should appreciate what it's like sitting up from the fence? Lot of different fields, all with their good and bad, ya know?"
Lilian Rook	'As creating the 'ideal homunculus' was not his ultimate goal, this should not have logically been a problem. Yet, he only saw that as another of his own failings.'     Lilian flinches, slightly, with the effort of desperately stopping herself from internalizing something she really probably should.     'I am sure many of you have borne witness to those who lose sight of their resolve and have their faith shaken.'     "Of course I have. But . . ."     'How does one pursue 'perfection' when a grand truth like the Multiverse is presented in front of them?'     "There." Lilian says. She snaps her fingers, like it's something intellectually engaging, but she hasn't quite erased her look of passive resentment. "That's precisely what I mean. He set out to reduce human suffering by improving on the human form? Lessening conflict and strife by giving people fewer reasons to fight and more resistance to harm? As if. If that were true, he'd have seen it through and tried to accomplish his original, unadulterated goal; or at least, he'd have done what he could, when he had it. But because it wasn't perfect; it wasn't exactly everything he wanted, and perhaps even someone else could do better, he fucking didn't. He left us-- humanity, all of us, to live with what we have. So, tell me, how selfless could his intentions really have been? How could he sincerely mean to benefit mankind when all that mattered in the end was his confidence and pride?"     "Anyone who won't save anyone because they can't save everyone can die. Everyone who waits around for the perfect idea for the perfect stroke at the perfect minute and ignores the ones suffering right in front of them; I hope they rot in Hell forever."     Sougo is what it takes to drag her off the topic. "There is." she says, immediately. "Of course there is. Just because the mistakes stay doesn't mean you can only make so many in your entire life. As long as you stay moving forward, and keep growing, then those individual mistakes become smaller; relative to everything there is about you, I mean. If you were horrible for half your life, by growing twice as much, it's only a quarter. Then an eighth. Then one sixteenth."     "You can't erase them, Tokiwa. At all. You can make up for them, but not diminish them. If you could scrub away a mistake, even mostly, even if it left a stain, then people who never grow up, who stay the same forever, would get by for their whole lives by just saying sorry and letting everyone forget. A little stained and dirty, but in the same spot; just 'good enough', because the harm they cause never changes." She is trying very, very hard, not to look at some people. Even Sougo can tell. The 'rings on a tree' remark makes her shift in place, remembering how she came to believe this in the first place. "I can't tolerate it when nobody else has to do better, and you shouldn't either."     'For the record.'     "That said, you've already grown up more than I expected, since our talk of oars and rowing." Lilian sighs unhappily. "This topic is perhaps too advanced to be appropriate for the practical matter at hand."
Lilian Rook	'... Sins are forgiven if you sincerely repent to the Lord. Even mortal sins are, after you confess. That's the point. As long as you really, truly apologize and swear to the Lord that you'll be better, He gives you another chance.'     "Then that's certainly not the Bible I remember." says Lilian. "I wonder whom it might benefit, to believe they have infinite tries, as long as they mean it." Her lips curl faintly in remembered disgust. "Everyone thinks they mean it. Everyone is the protagonist of their own little story, and the only sympathetic character in it. They mean everything they say but everyone else is a liar; everything they do had good intentions but everyone else is just nasty; people really think like that, you know."     "So they sin and sin and sin, and comfort themselves with the waterfall of grace and forgiveness they imagine God must be lavishing them. Each time, it's fine, because they'll really change, definitely, for sure next time. Each time, someone gets hurt, and they have to live with the scar, because somebody thought the word 'sorry'." She pinches the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes with a huff. "I don't wonder at all, by the way. It's as Gilgamesh always says. As usual. Nobody can live with serious rules, because, on some level, they know they want to break it, and they want everyone to forgive them when they do. Having a line and not crossing it; I'm reminded what a lost art that is."     'But we can't take away his chance to repent. That would mean we're casting judgement on him. I don't think you should kill anybody, miss Dame Commander.'     Lilian releases her face and sits up, blinking. "Beg pardon?" A dishevelled silence fills the gap. Her mouth moves, stops, then moves again. "Excuse me? When did I say-- What did you think I was--" She looks to Tamamo, as if for elucidation, and back. "Is that normally the sort of thing you think about, Chevalier Cobalt?" She asks politely enough, but with the stunned and unsettled tone of someone asking for a calming explanation for some kind of deeply uncomfortable show of deviancy.     Clearly trying to distract herself from the awkward moment, Lilian checks her messages, and then puts her phone right back, a new message on the screen.     'No, not really. I don't quite understand it myself. I only know that she enjoys saying things like that, and he doesn't seem to mind it, so I've simply given up filed it away as a personal eccentricity.' -Lilian
Kayoko Kirenai	Kayoko keeps her head down, slowly shrinking back into her seat as Lilian expounds on her view of the Bible. It's not like she can argue any of it-- she's neither a theologian or a philosopher, she just goes to Catholic school. Her shoulders hunch inwards like she's being scolded as Lilian goes on and on. "... Apologies, ma'am." It's unclear what she's apologizing about.     The more pointed question draws a sharp physical reaction from the shriveling magical girl, flinching away with her eyes wide. "I-I-I-- no, ma'am, of course I-I don't think about-- about that. It was-- I'm sorry, you j--" Force of habit cuts off Kayoko's objection that Lilian had been the one to bring up the idea of killing people. It never helps, to try to weasel out of scolding like that. It's better to just take it, apologize, repent, and keep the record clean.     "... Apologies again, miss Dame Commander. I must have just misunderstood something. I never meant to suggest that you would have those intentions." The reply is neutral and robotic-- she could never get 'sincere' right, but 'lifeless' was usually a close enough analogue. "I should probably leave. I'm sorry."
Hibiki Tachibana	...look at Vivianne with a vertiginous flash of lucid sincerity.     Viviane looks back. She does not break eye contact, even as word after word is piled on about her reasoning, and 'too far gone' escapes her mouth. Vile actions come from vile hearts. Only when that horridly miserable look comes onto Lilian's face does her own gaze drop down to the clasped hands in her lap, perhaps out of respect, and her voice once again takes on that quieter, somber tone only heard when recalling memories.     "It was not my intention to elicit such a reaction. But that does not mean I did not. ...Please accept my apology as well, Dame Commander, for putting you through any strife. As Sougo says, I suppose living a length of time does not make one better at understanding others." And what is it that you want out of all this? We have to know about any other disciples of his. Locations, plans, current orders, an idea of his general strategy and holdings. He's all of those things. And some of them weigh more than others.     "I understand that the onus of forgiveness or doling out proper recompense for such far-reaching crimes is not upon me. I can only profess my own desires, naive as they also are." Straightening her posture once more after a moment, Viviane finally sets her sights on the objects she had brought--the set of earrings, and the smattering of crystals. "...But without doubt, I do wish to see him stopped. In whatever form it must take. There is...a certain item in my creator's possession."     "'Solomon's Cane'."     A hand unclasps, to first gesture towards the earrings she had previously been wearing. It would take a keen eye to notice, now that they're not fighting, that the golden embellishments seem to have been manmade - but the pearls themselves shine brilliantly, with a dull azure glow roiling beneath the surface.     "...A Relic, the same as I used in our battle. Tachibana Hibiki's Gungnir and Kazanari Tsubasa's Ame-no-Habakiri are mere fragments used in the construction of their Symphogear. Unlike them, these are 'complete' and standalone functional ones. The mitsutama and hirutama, known in legend as having to belonged to the god of the undersea Dragon Palace.""     "It is a story that exists in many incarnations of Japan, I believe. They confered the ability to create and manipulate water as seen in our fight--although I was not capable of using them to nearly their full potential."     Her face tenses, just enough to be noticed. "...Solomon's Cane manipulates the Noise. Summons them and controls them, opening the path to the Gate of Babylon they rest within. It is through those creatures that, in his insanity, his shattered mind has recontextualized his goal. He does not recall or care why he wished to originally acquire 'perfection', only that he does so. Lingering, gnawing, hollow obsession to gain it at any cost is what drives him now."
Hibiki Tachibana	So he cared about you that much... but sent you to die anyways?     I had wondered, regarding this seeming contradiction, Ms. Viviane. For what reason might you be left as a sacrifice?     "...And imperfect failures are not viewed as having any lasting benefit to him, in his current state. After all, he may always create more. I am ultimately nothing special. Many in the Multiverse alone put me to shame, whether through natural ability or their dedicated efforts."     She settles against the back of her seat, then continues. "To realize the lapis philosophorum, the prima materia is a necessity - the prime material, that all other matter is sourced from. The formless quintessence of the world and all within it...and a vital component to crafting the perfected bodies he sought. He intends to use the Noise themselves as a method of discovering it, within the Multiverse. I overheard him, once. Many months ago."     'The Noise are fascinating creatures. No matter what world you hail from, no matter what biological compounds you are made of... ...The end result is always the same.'     "...Are you saying he willingly discarded not only you, but a complete Relic as well?" Ogawa, speaking up for the first time in quite a while, has a careful tone that implies that that'd otherwise be unthinkable in their world.     "He's collecting them, using the Illuminati and the Noise both," Viviane elaborates. "With the ultimate intent of using them to empower Solomon's Cane and the Noise, and scour not only our original world, but many more. Wipe all life to ashes, and within those ashes, find the similarities that connect them all even across different realities. There, in his mind, lies the primal matter that he seeks."     "...Thus, losing one single homunculus and one single Relic does not meaningfully change things. It is the plan of a madman who has inverted upon himself entirely...even I must acknowledge this."     "...And I do not wish for it to happen. He sees you all, studies you, attempted to draw your attention with the Noise, to determine what value you might ultimately contribute to his 'perfection'. Yet in studying you all from afar, I came to be...invested. Your highs. Your lows. Your myriad lines of logic. Your interactions with one another. What you would stake yourselves for. The innumerable ways that you could feel. But it was only ever from afar. It was never..."     Her eyes shut. No, they scrunch just a bit, even. "...genuine. It was a subject of study. But it did not satisfy my desire to witness them. See them. Feel them. Experience them. This conglomerate universe was a source of despair, to my creator. But to me, I suppose...it was what filled me with enough 'feeling' to do more. Such is why I both wished to fight you firsthand, yet also surrendered myself to you all."
Hibiki Tachibana	"...And also why I wish to assist you now."     Her blue eyes drift, briefly scanning to everyone in the room. "More than my loss, I am sure two different 'hidden' holdings now being assaulted will push him into accelerating his plans. He will express less care and caution in his search for the Relics needed, and potentially attempt enhancing Solomon's Cane earlier than originally planned, with likely disasterous consequences to our world. I will provide all locational information and otherwise that I am able to - although as several of his larger bases are mobile, that may be of limited helpfulness."     And then, they settle upon the set of bright crimson crystals, resting on display. "Those, however, are alchemically crafted teleportation crystals. When used, they transport everything within a small area to a preset destination. I had, at one point, planned to used them to escape our battle back to safety.     "...A more unorthodox usage, however, would be...utilizing them to enter his bastions and storage facilities from within, as an attacking force. Knowing many of the Illuminati's inner workings and codices, it would not be difficult to reconfigure them to the locations that would harm my creator's plans the most, or to accomodate more users."     Another glance. "If you trust me to not mislead you, that is."     Do you know if your master and his servants have a spy in SONG, and if so do you know their identity?     Ishirou, however, actually gets...a furrow of the brow out of her? And a clear moment of thinking about it.     "I do not believe so. Not to my knowledge, although it is admittedly incomplete. Has there been evidence of this?" There's a slight tilt of her head, and a drift of her focus down. "If anything, there was a concern we were the ones compromised in some fashion, when our trail was discovered earlier than expected..."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	'Despite what they're saying, you more than anyone should appreciate what it's like sitting up from the fence? Lot of different fields, all with their good and bad, ya know?' Jeanne doesn't respond right away verbally. She stares at Touta for quite some time, certainly, as her face contorts in utter bafflement and confusion, eyes half-lidded and mouth hanging slightly open as though something's short-circuited in her head. It takes her several moments before she finally blinks and shakes her head, finally just asking him in exasperation: "Are you retarded?" A beat, and then she looks over at Kayoko and Ishirou. "... Oh. Wait. That's offensive to you kids these days, isn't it?" She sighs lightly, then looks right back at Touta again. "Are you fucking stupid? You've met me before." She states with a light scoff, briefly assuming that's enough to dispute what he's said without further elaboration. Eventually, though, she sighs and shakes her head. "Right... I forgot who I was talking to. No, I don't appreciate sitting on the fence at all. You're dumb enough to believe everyone's got good reasons for doing vile things to each other, and... Well." She glances around the room at everyone else gathered, then shrugs. "I only stand back if I want to watch everything go to shit for fun instead of burning the fence down myself." Noticing Kayoko's distress around Lilian, meanwhile, Jeanne looks off to the side for a while before grunting loudly and lifting her head to give her the side-eye. "Oh, don't you worry. Everyone has those kinds of thoughts, even if they're usually too cowardly to act on them. I'll take his head, then, and you nor your friends have to worry about dirtying your hands one bit." She laughs derisively for a moment, then cricks her neck while turning her attention back to Viviane. The more Viviane talks about her creator, what he has, what he could do with the Cane, and his apparent view of Viviane's expendability, the less amused Jeanne looks. She even wrinkles her nose after a while, letting out an irritated noise again before finally pushing her chair back to get up from the table. "Too bad for Yliaster, then, but he's chosen a terrible time to get my attention. I like the food here, you see, and I need the world around if I'm going to keep living on it. Starting a party from inside his own bases sounds like a fun way to start the festivities, so..." She shrugs. "You can watch the fireworks if you'd like, but I do hope you don't get in the way. Not all of us are so soft that we're going to hold back if you change your mind at the last second, understand?"
Ishirou	Ishirou thinks for a moment, They did not have a spy, but instead thought they were compromised..?   Something doesn't ring right here.  He leans back running his fingers across his arms for a few moments.  "Your facility was compromised because of the intelligence we gathered.  It wasn't someone who revealed anything to me, but rather simply pattern recognition..." he says, but looks to her.   "But how did you know we would be striking there?  We revealed nothing.  We did not reveal we even knew about it until we were in transit.  More than that..." he says, with a thought.  "We did not really become aware of your first location until the Noise became more active there.  In fact, we had no idea about you /until/ we ran into your alchemists." "I've been feeling another hand at work, but... I thought they might have been in on your side..." but now he's not so sure.  That perhaps the hand is actually... Wait.  Wasn't... the old man very unhappy about the Multiverse being involved...?  He thinks... no no proof right now.  They'd need something bigger.  But... It's something he has a thought process about.  "We can't work without incomplete information," he says, though he looks at the gem.  "Do you think he might not consider that you were captured instead of killed?  Might that be a security feature he'd take into consideration?"  He pauses, "It isn't a trust thing, but he seems like someone who has plans in plans.  I'd reexamine everything and think this out again, just in case," Ishirou pauses, and then stands up. "I think I need a stretch..." he says, deciding to head out after Rose.
Ishirou	Also Touta gets a paladins application sent to his inbox.
Lilian Rook	'It was-- I'm sorry, you j--'     Air hisses between Lilian's clenched teeth, but she swallows the words.     '... Apologies again, miss Dame Commander. I must have just misunderstood something.'     "It's . . . fine." Lilian says uneasily. "It wasn't anything special. I'm not angry." She is, but not at Kayoko, and she doesn't show it. "You surprised me, is all." An awkward silence passes quickly. Lilian adopts the uneasy tone of attempted concilliation. "It's no wonder that we seemed to be on such different pages, if that was the decision you'd thought we were talking about. I understand now, why you were having difficulty."
Hibiki Tachibana	I've been feeling another hand at work, but... I thought they might have been in on your side...     "...I am admittedly not aware of all of my creator's dealings. Especially in more recent times. But perhaps I cannot discount the possibility of someone 'playing both sides'." As inexpressive as she is, Viviane seems to have an air of discomfort, thinking on that. As for Ishirou's other point...     "I have not discounted the possibility that, even if I believe I am acting in good faith, he had already accounted for it. I suppose the most difficult part of handling someone in the throes of madness is the unpredictability of it. ...I will do my utmost to review all of the information available to us."     "As will we," Ogawa intones while his finger moves a mile a minute on his tablet, presumably recording things down. There was a considerable amount of heavy knowledge imparted there, and to say it's a weight on him is an understatement. As if there wasn't enough of one as is.     "With the situation escalating to what might be a worldwide threat, one can only hope this will force some of the higher ups into action and untie our hands. If we take it to the United Nations..."     He trails off into his own thoughts.     You can watch the fireworks if you'd like, but I do hope you don't get in the way. Not all of us are so soft that we're going to hold back if you change your mind at the last second, understand?     "He needs to be stopped," Viviane sounds firm about that much, at the very least. "...Regardless of what my own feelings are."