Scene #8537: Two Fake Magical Girls

Owner	Pose
Kayoko Kirenai	Lobotomy Corporation Branch O-5681. Unlike the main headquarters, the door into the imposing building opens right out onto the street, and the atmosphere surrounding it-- for the very few people who have seen the surroundings of the main L-Corp building, though it's easy to assume-- is much lighter. It's still the City of course, and the trek from the Warpgate is stained with the peripheral horror of all the blood and violence seeped into the City, but O-5681 is in the business district of the Nest, and no one fucks with the business district. The huge automatic doors slide open before Hibiki reaches them, and an Agent with blonde hair, yellow eyes, and a pink and white E.G.O. suit rushes out, their gaze fully directed towards partitioning out the sheaf of bills in their hands. Muttering to themselves while they walk at an alarmingly high clip for not looking at where they're going at all, they begin to careen towards Hibiki. "...Two mustard-pangpang, one ham, beef even though Captain Catt didn't ask, and that's--" Predictably, this leads to the agent running into Hibiki, at a full-speed power walk, knocking the wind out of both of them and sending the agent tumbling backwards. Ah!! Sorry!" Then, a delayed moment after they'd already hit the ground, they add, "Ow!" They quickly scramble to their feet to examine Hibiki, while the dropped bills flutter away in the wind unnoticed. "Oh gosh I'm so sorry, are you okay? I was so distracted, I didn't think anyone would be walking around here at this time of day since I'm working so late--" Their rate of frantic apology slows down while their yellow eyes run over Hibiki's odd outfit again. "--you're...? Are you...?" The gear finally clicks together in their head, and they put both of their hands to their mouth. "Oh no! Are you the Outsider who's visiting the branch today? I'm so sorry!" They bow their entire upper torso as their voice pitches up in alarm. "I'm Taii! Disciplinary agent! Level one! I'm so sorry!"
Hibiki Tachibana	Just about any other day, and Hibiki would be deeply unsettled by how the City passively just...is. She'd be equally unsettled by the stark contrast between the kind of sights natural to this place, and the districts of a Nest. If she didn't know any better, she'd almost think it was a normal facility, from the outside looking in. But yesterday's events--the sights there--are still fresh in her mind. All the tears, all the anger, all the desperate mix of emotions and feelings, have had time to numb over and become a solid weight she can feel in her chest. Despite that, there's still an empty sensation that 'resolution' can't entirely fill up on its own. It's doing its best, though. So it's not terribly surprising that she wasn't fully aware where she was going herself. There are some slight bags under her eyes. "Ah--" Hibiki stumbles backwards on the impact, not quite hitting the ground but nearly losing enough footing to do so, wincing as she avoids going for a tumble. There are a few rubs at her head, and a low groan. "Ugh...that sure knocked me back to attention..." Any other time, and she might've noticed and reflexively tried to save those bills from fluttering away. But as it is, she takes her time pushing back to a stand, only noticing Taii's realization of who she is a few moments later than she probably should. 'Outsider' made it click. Watching them bow, Hibiki's not really sure of what to say right away--before just pursing her lips and shaking her head. "I--...don't worry about it, really. It's not that big of a deal. I'm fine. That's...um, that's me, though." She glances over the agent's E.G.O. gear before finding their eyes again. As best as she can while they're still doing that, anyway. "...Hibiki. I should have had Angela call ahead for me a lot sooner, but..." She trails off, and ends up not finishing that sentence. "I'm here to see...the Magical Girl of Courage. I don't suppose you could show me where she is? ...And tell me how she's been doing?"
Kayoko Kirenai	"Hibiki! Right! I'd checked the file, but Outsider names are so much different than ours." Taii's remorseful expression softens over the exchange of a few sentences, still anxious but brimming with excitement from meeting the important visitor. They almost immediately pick up on Hibiki's misery soon after, though, excitement draining away to just leave anxiety. "... Angela? Is that someone from HQ? Um. Sorry, that doesn't really matter." They rock back and forth on their feet, eyebrows upturned in worry. "I'm glad my clumsiness didn't bruise you up too badly." "The Magical Girl of Courage? You're referring to the Servant of Wrath, right? A bunch of people have been calling her that lately... I'm worried it might cause problems." Taii readily accepts the task with a nod and a slight smile, still tinged with worry. They turn about-face on their heel to walk back to the door of the facility, then freeze and reach an empty hand down to their pocket. "Ah, wait, I was supposed to buy sandwiches for everyone, but--" The money is long gone, of course. "... Oh. A-ah." They seem on the brink of tears already, rubbing their sleeve against their eyes. "I'll need to apologize to everyone... maybe make a withdrawal..." They mutter to themselves, then clap their hands to their cheeks. "Yes! You're here for the Servant of Wrath. She's still in Training Department, and since her penitence is over and the Training Captain's completed their Inordinate Attachment Counseling, Captain Catt isn't working on her anymore. But the Training Captain went back to their dorm already, so you've got Disciplinary to rely on~" "We'll go get Rose! My E.G.O. isn't high enough tier to keep two people safe from a WAW-class threat." With that, Taii leads Hibiki into the facility and into the elevator down to Training.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Ah...yeah, it doesn't really matter," Hibiki echoes the words. It seems like the branch must not come into contact with the main one all that much. Or maybe it's the Manager who handles it? ...Actually, she somehow can't imagine that at all. She's not worried about any brusising, but what comes after catches her attention. "...Cause problems? What kind of problems would using that name cause, exactly?" There's a twinge of sympathy seeing Taii tear up over the loss of their money, but...well, it'll probably be fine. She can't get too distracted from what she's actually here for, and so she follows right behind the agent and into the building proper. Inordinate Attachment Counseling? That must be... ...the note that Meika showed her. That Beozzi wrote. The atmosphere around her isn't much better as they shuffle into the elevator, and Hibiki drops her hands into her jacket pockets as it begins moving towards their destination. The name hits her mind almost on a delay, and partway on their trip, Hibiki blinks and turns to look at Taii rather than the corner. "--Rose?" She says it a little too quickly, before slowing down again. "...Oh. You must mean...another agent who works here. Right." She got a bit too hopeful, all things considered. If she takes a moment to actually think about it, that's obvious. There's a pause, where only the thrum of the elevator fills the silence. "So it's a...safety precaution. You don't think anything would actually happen, right? And what'd she do for...um. Penitence."
Kayoko Kirenai	"Well, how familiar are you with the management protocols for the Servant of Wrath? Abnormalities are all organisms made of stories, and the treatment for them always involves the themes related to those stories." Taii gives Hibiki the explanation while walking past the empty receptionist desk, with the single decorative poster in the entire huge lobby behind it reading "DON'T PUSSY OUT". "... Not all of their stories can be happy ones. It's a really hard lesson to learn, since they're all so fascinating, and you can't help but want to care for them, right?" Taii's yellow eyes turn down to the floor, and they absentmindedly hold a hand to their neck. After a few seconds of quiet, while the elevator whirs, they finish the thought. "But sometimes, trying to change their story hurts. The Servant of Wrath is the remnants of a failed magical girl who betrayed her world. She isn't that magical girl. Her story's been written down over a few cycles of breaches, at this point." Hibiki's miserable state makes for a miserable elevator ride, but Taii does their best to keep the conversation from settling into dull despair like Hibiki's mood seems to have. "You must know another Rose, then, right? Who are they? A friend of yours?" "I wasn't really involved in the penitence process, that was mostly Captain Catt. She's an unusual Abnormality, because of the dual nature that magical girls have, her management process is very complex." Taii looks momentarily lonely. "Rose might know, though. They and Captain Catt talk a lot more. Maybe they heard something about it."
Hibiki Tachibana	"Mn..." A sound of vague agreement at 'want to care for them', before she falls silent again. No, not entirely. There's another muffled, quieter sound at what follows. The explanation on Abnormality nature that is, of course, researched and studied fact here. ...It's... not like it's a bad thing. To not be a Magical Girl. I think it's got to make a difference, between... being one, and... just kind of acting like it. "...Yeah. A really good friend, in fact. Probably one of the bravest people I know, too." The mention stops her mood from descending down further, just for a few moments. Hibiki's lips purse afterwards, catching the shift in Taii's expression out of the corner of her eye. Something between her, Rose, and this Catt person. But she doesn't really know how to approach it. And she can't bring herself to ask, either. "...Well, maybe they do. Won't know until we ask. Catt...is...the Captain who must have handled the penitence, according to what you said, right?" After she asks the question, Hibiki briefly goes silent. She still remembers it too well. Meika's expectant look towards her. All of her teary-eyed choking up, while talking about how worried she was about Courage. About not knowing what to do, about them punishing her... "...What are they like?"
Kayoko Kirenai	"A brave friend... that's really nice that you have that." This is a good topic. Taii can tell, this other Rose is someone that improves Hibiki's mood somewhat. She should keep up this conversational thread, see if she can't direct the mood somewhere better. "Ah... you know, one of Disciplinary Team's jobs is to make sure everyone's being brave. I'm kind of a coward, so I understand when it happens, but when employees panic during an attack it's our job to force them to be brave again and fight back!" Is that comforting? Taii isn't quite sure. The elevator dings-- opening up to the red hallways of Disciplinary, rather than the light green of Training. Taii rubs their hand against their neck, shoulders bent forwards a little, and even with their posture hunched, they're significantly taller than Hibiki. "Captain Catt handled the penitence work. They always seemed really happy after coming back from it, except for one time." "What's the Captain like?" Taii's smile widens enough to show teeth, chin tilted down affectionately, as they lead Hibiki through the hallway. "They're strong. And scary. Because that's what they need to be, to protect everyone. Sometimes they're mean, but it's always what we need to hear. They're unstoppable and emotionless, but that doesn't mean they won't help us." "They've seen a lot. And it's pretty scary here, but they're always reliable." "Here we are!" Taii brings Hibiki outside of a door rimmed with metal bolts, a porthole window in the middle. "Rose should be in here, and they can get you in to see the Servant of Wrath."
Hibiki Tachibana	/Is/ it comforting? Hibiki doesn't particularly feel comforted, but she can't tell if that's because of how Taii put it or her own lingering attitude. The only thing she can really picture in her head is the chaos that came with Malkuth's meltdown. The way all of the agents are...if they weren't there, or during all of the past meltdowns that Angela had alluded to... It's a good thing that the urge to retch could not possibly be a fraction as violent today as it was the other. At least the elevator opening up gives her an excuse to put one foot in front of the other, listening to their description of Catt. The glowing description, right down to that smile, speaks volumes about what Taii things of the Captain--and why there was that expression when talking about them and Rose. But the only thing she can think is--Sounds like somebody I absolutely wouldn't be able to get along with. "--You sound like you look up to them a lot," she ends up saying to fill the air, doing her best to but not quite entirely hiding the look on her face by trailing slightly behind Taii, and hoping there won't be a glance back her way. "I guess that makes sense, for someone doing what they have to do...to protect everyone." Hibiki takes in a breath once they reach the door, glancing at the porthole. This is...probably the kind of door she thinks it is, from the handful of times she's been to Lobotomy Corporation. She thinks. There's a brief look to Taii, and then she steps forward. "...Right. I appreciate it a lot. I'm pretty...overdue for checking up on her. Sorry for all the trouble."
Kayoko Kirenai	Taii looks back at Hibiki a moment after she begins drifting a behind, catching the look on her face. Rather than frowning, or even looking tense, Taii's smile takes on a sympathetic tinge, their eyes falling to the ground in silent, tangible understanding. They don't respond to the look verbally-- how could they, really, after everything they said-- but they drop the topic for the rest of the short walk to the containment cell. Taii knocks twice on the thick metal door, and the pad on the wall beside it lights up red and announces, Work Progress Interrupted. They linger a moment, then slide the door open, revealing Rose, kneeling inside on a stepstool beside a large, irregular rock with a domed crater in the top of it, filled with water. Awful, stagnant water, full of leeches and tiny squirming things, that Rose is currently adding to by spitting it out of their mouth, invertebrates and all. After a couple seconds of that, during which Taii awkwardly mutters to themselves, "Ack, I opened it too quickly...", Rose stands up, motions with a finger for another moment, then walks over to a sink in the corner of the cell, stocked with listerine, to wash out their mouth. After patting their face dry with a towel, Rose beams at Hibiki as if nothing weird just happened. "Hello! Welcome to Branch O-5681, I'm Rose. You must be Hibiki, the Outsider, right?" Rose wears a mostly-white EGO suit with red accents on the shoulders, sleeves and shirt-hem ruffled with a feather pattern. Their black hair is tied up into a ponytail, but as they work on undoing it, it's easy to assume they only did that for... whatever reason that they were doing that with the pool. "'Overdue for checking up on her', are you? Are you sent by HQ to make sure we're not being lax enough to let her escape the facility again?" Rose doesn't seem bothered by the idea of oversight, smiling as they tap Taii on the arm and give them a look of unspoken communication. Shutting the containment cell door while the pad beside it continues to flash angrily, Rose strides right past Hibiki to start leading her back to the elevator, with Taii tagging along behind them. "I heard from Beozzi that agents from HQ also accompany you out in the multiverse. What does that look like?"