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Angela	Admittedly, one of the reasons Angela was plenty eager to talk about a plan to 'jump' into the worlds of the Abnormalities in order to 'change their stories' was because she already had one lined up. Fragment of the Universe is one of Lobotomy Corp's more 'benevolent' Abnormalities in the sense that it doesn't generally MEAN to hurt anyone. But every Abnormality (even Hundred Good Deeds, as it turns out) has the capacity to harm if treated improperly. ... Or properly. Abnormalities are stored more precisely than back at Lobotomy Corp these days, with Abnormalities stored in the Floor that Angela ultimately decides is most related to the Abnormality's nature. In this case, it's in the Floor of Art. Mikey and Netzach are busily painting multi-eyed creatures on canvas as if they are inspired by the same entity and unlike most floors of the library, this one is actually pretty disheveled. A lot of books ARE stacked--but not cleanly--and plenty have been just stacked on top of each other along the floor. Strange lime green kodoma-like creatures climb on top of books, sit on ladders, and make high-pitched squeaky noises upon seeing people. They don't seem hostile, largely scootching away from people as they come by and staring at them, their heads vibrating intensely as they observe visitors. Harriet the Spyder enjoys this Floor because she gets to get creative and right now she is walking around on a large piece of canvas paper while her limbs are doused in paint, walkingall over it adorably. Angela gives the creature a fond smile as she leads the Elites in and towards a table whereupon a single book labeled FRAGMENT OF THE UNIVERSE. "I will be joining you on this venture for the purpose of observing the process." Angela says. "But there may be some cases where a different representative of the Library will join you, such as Netzach here or Roland--in this case, of course, there are multiple Library representatives--generally I will at minimum try to have one present. ... If the situation becomes too dangerous, I will pull us out. Our goals are going to be less direct than the Works typically performed on Abnormalities as our goal is not to maximize power but it is to essentially befriend the Abnormalities in such a way that they can cooperate with humanity outside of the book. Naturally, this doesn't always mean 'being nice' or 'literally being their friend' but you understand my meaning, I hope. Without any further ado..." She opens the book, stands it up. There is a picture of Fragments there and words...
Angela	And so they went on an amazing flight through space and traveled towards the small blue ball...called Earth. The book has a strange pull. The world around you fades--and you find yourselves... In what feels like a children's coloring book. The world has become squiggly-lined with vibrant colors, the forms shaking gently as if in primitive animation. A look around finds that you are now present on some kind of rocketship, complete with a glass viewscreen that lets you look outside into the great universe beyond. No planet in sight. Even the spaceship itself is childlike, looking a bit like a simplified version of Lala's AI, the sort of rocketship you might see in a tv show. A pair of thrusters are continuously preparing the craft forward. And in the distance, a black ball with a heart for a head and other hearts patterned across its body, propelling itself towards--earth?--via its long spindly black tentacle limbs. "I see. We are starting at the beginning." Angela says. "I suppose we could try to intercept or follow them--but I leave the manner in which we contact them up to you." Angela says, though right now--upon entering the story--she looks a bit different herself: https://imgur.com/n27fDaG. It seems when Angela jumps into one of these stories she's automatically geared up in some kind of EGO Gear belonging to the book she jumped into. "Ah." Angela says. "It seems that when I enter these books, I automatically 'equip' their page--no doubt because my EGO is what is maintaining their book form..?."
Audrey Basque	Of course Audrey was here. She works here!     And so it didn't matter if, after pulling off a miracle at the Library, and then spending a long evening and night at a volcano resort, she was a bit worn down from still having to get up early for class and then heading straight here. After getting what amounted to a snack, mostly.     She'd had time to get changed, so she's appropriately dressed in her Librarian uniform, at least, collar worn just a bit higher than usual, though other than that, she presents herself pristinely as ever. She even had time to redo her drills, after letting her hair down for the party.     Audrey is nervous, and it's a bit transparent. Despite multiple reassurances this was a benign Abnormality, those reassurances were weighed on a scale against the stories of blood geysers, spider explosions, deaths and other concerns. And even for all they kept saying this one was safe-ish, Petra had still punctuated that with 'just stay near me and it shouldn't cause any kind of psychic damage to you'.     So of course she's staying near Petra.     Once the book is flipped, Audrey braces for--     Cute lines and a rocketship?     "... ah, this is kind of cute, actually, you were right," she asides to Petra and Angela, only then noticing that Angela is dressed for the occasion. "That's... safe, right?"     Taking a step closer to the viewscreen, to look out at space(!!), noticing the Abnormality just vibing on its way. That's a little bit less cute than advertised, but it's not horrifying or anything. Surreal, like a drawing come to life.     She turns back to Petra, taking a careful step to remain in her vicinity still. "So, you said this one liked you, and we just need to try being its friend. Do you have a plan already?"
White	White considers calling Harriet a layabout, a lazybones, any number of other little barbs when she sees the Library's Chief of Arachnids playing around and finger-... Well, not fingerpainting, but painting. Seeing Angela smile, though, earns Harriet a stay of punishment and permission to continue, and the only sign of this brief mental interaction is White exhaling through her nose quietly and Harriet turning to look at her in what might have been a nervous manner, before returning to her painting with a bit more bouncy pep.      There are more important things to do than bully her mini-clones, anyway. The book draws everyone in, and... Well, the place they end up is kind of novel? White had come into this slightly anxious from what she'd heard of other abnormalities' ability to cause harm, but after a few moments of braced readiness she is able to absorb enough about the environment to feel more at ease. Angela's change of equipment and the relevant explanation are taken in stride, though White does momentarily glance at the clothes when she hears 'EGO' and 'page' again; she's curious what effects it is meant to have, and it's easily her best way of trying to understand the... Creature? Or is it just a mind? ... Whatever it is, knowing about the power it manifests may tell her something about its source, and that's a safe go-to in these kinds of situations she thinks.      Oh, she really did sign up to interact and make friends with strange beings, didn't she? Well... It's for Angela, and hopefully she can still manage to look cool even if she barely knows what she's doing on a finer level. Besides... She's already almost distracted with the odd appearance of the thing in the distance, fond as she is (in an acclimated sense) to things with round shapes and spindly legs. She ends up drifting up to the screen beside Audrey absentmindedly, eyes remaining open as she peers more through the wall than through the screen. "... Do you know what it does when it reaches the planet?" is her simple question to Angela, or Petra perhaps, something to help frame the information that she might have gleaned from her Evil Eye.
Kukuru	"Befriending Abnormalities..." Kukuru murmurs aloud as she follows Angela through the Library, moving with a light spring to her step thanks to a combination of waking up super late and feeling extremely refreshed from the night before. She leaves snacks for Mikey, Netzach, and Harriet in passing, eyeing their painting work with a curious eye and taking mental notes to check up on that once her work here is finished. "We just have to figure out how to help them coexist, right? Sounds like the peeerfect fit, then." She boasts to Angela with a soft hum, practically hovering around her with an excited look on her face at being able to do this sort of thing with her for Seeing her change suddenly into new EGO gear is a bit of a surprise, but not enough to have Kukuru freak out. "Pretty cape... It's a nice color contrast from your usual look." She comments with another giggle, then takes a look around the rocket ship's interior and marvels at all that squiggliness. "It's just like the kids' books back home... Oh, and even the thingy out there looks like something they'd draw!" Taking joy in the surroundings easily enough, Kukuru bounds over to the viewscreen as she finally tries getting her head on straight, but not before holding her hands out to Angela and Audrey like she wants them to take hers for some reason. "I thiiink... We should follow them. Getting in their way could still be preeetty scary in a big ship like this, but going in the same direction like a road trip isn't." She suggests while looking back out the viewscreen, experimentally waving at the Abnormality to see if they'll react. "Can they see us in heeere?"
Petra Soroka	Yesterday, Petra got to run around and chase after Gru's kids, after discussing plans for world domination among *mostly* friends. Today, she gets to hang out with another one of her good friends, a crayon-scribbled blob of psychic alien monster matter compressed into a book so its screams can't cause insanity in everyone listening.     In reality, her feelings about Fragments aren't something she can name that easily. Maybe the closest term would be a pet? She was uniquely immune to its negative effects, and she found it cute and was happy to take care of it when she worked in Control, but in the end... it *is* still an Abnormality. Its ability to consistently remember her or change its behavior at all was obviously constrained by the way all Abnormalities work, and of course it *did* breach and start attacking people to drive them to suicidal or murderous insanity a few times. Curupira never did that! Not yet, at least; who knows what living through the war did to that little guy.     And then of course there's a *different* Abnormality that's objectively a friend to Petra; the Magical Girl of Love, formerly known as the Queen of Hatred. So Petra wonders a little bit what the outcome for Fragments will be after this-- breaking the cycle with Love did make her more of a 'person', but she was already a significant chunk of the way there. Fragments might be closer than some others like Bloodbath, but she's really not sure what sort of... personality a stabilized Fragments might end up having.     So Petra is here! She works here! She even has her cute little General Works librarian outfit, with a button undone on the collar of her shirt while she sits cross-legged on the floor of the Art Department waiting. She has a little green sprite on her finger, looking at it contemplatively with a little pout.     "This floor could be so cool if Netzach wasn't the one running it. And Mikey wasn't the one maintaining it. At least none of my daily routes force me to come through here."     She stands up and runs a hand through her hair to adjust it, shuffling over to Audrey while Angela prepares to open up the book. A faint under-skin prickle like pins and needles and neuropathic itching rolls over Audrey at her proximity, but that's probably more reassuring than it is uncomfortable. When they all get sucked inside, Petra gasps in a little surprise, and immediately adjusts to the zero-G by folding up her legs and lazily spinning around in the rocket ship until she's upside-down.     "It *is* cute! I'm really surprised, actually. That it contains a whole, cohesive sort of 'setting' like this, rather than... I don't know, bringing some changes into the Library, or something like that. And this is..." She looks outside the glass towards Earth. "... Yeah. Fragments' thing."     "So, I mentioned before in the radio what Fragments cares about, but I'll repeat it real quick for anyone who doesn't know. It cares, in general, about 'happiness'. It wants to make other people happy, and is happy when it can, but it fundamentally doesn't understand what causes people to be happy because it's got a totally alien perspective on it. And because of that, it can get frustrated, and stuff like the 'singing' it does is sort of brain-corrosive. It can get a little bitey too, but the main risk is if it gets upset or overly excited or agitated somehow, it'll start driving everyone insane by yelling."
Petra Soroka	"Do you have a plan already?"     Like a teacher answering students' questions-- or, really, more like a sort of lame TA, Petra points at Audrey while her hair floats around in the zero-G and she spins upside-down. "I do not. And I don't thiiiiink it's best to stop it from getting to Earth. Repression work-- isolation-- was always bad for it. So when we catch up to it-- you could totally speed that up, or I could hop outside-- we probably... want to come across as some kind of 'community' with it? Like, a stepping stone to Earth. Or something."     She also asides to Angela, "I like the outfit, too. It's kind of crazy that your EGO is both a super-Library and also infinite wardrobe changing magic. It's pretty. Does it give you stuff like your other pages, or is it... just the way the books work?" "... Do you know what it does when it reaches the planet?"     "Um... as far as I know, what it does is 'tries to spread happiness'. I remember from the loops, that its form is kind of unstable across time, and it shifted over the course of the TimeTrack resets into what it is now, based on things that it learned to associate with happiness. Like, that's why it's a kid's drawing, and why it cares about music, and it's got that big heart on it. So... it did totally make people go insane... but it's not going to be, hostile to anyone when it gets to Earth...?"
Tamamo	Tamamo has arrived, for the first time, to the library. Even if she is not so involved in the library itself, the notion of continuing the same sort of work begun with the magical girls of L-Corp has her interest, and something in the way of a sense of obligation. Just as she did every time she visited the old facility, she is dressed formally in silks and gold. This is something like a battle dress, for her, more literally than not. She has some concerns about safety.     "Well, now. I should like to know more of the particulars of the matter. To say that they must learn to coexist... suggests that there is some reason they cannot do so, as they are. What is the obstacle that must be overcome?" She glances toward Petra, but doesn't go quite as far as commanding a briefing. There's only the vague suggestion thereof, in the way her gaze lingers.     Upon being pulled in--     "Oh, my! This is rather... are they all such narratives, after all, or is this a recent development? I know some of them did originate in such a way, that which was a story, first, and then came to life by other means. What I mean, then, is this... was there a tale, told to a child, of a creature of heart, traveling to Earth?"     To Angela's transformation, at the same time, "Oh, how unexpected... I would call it a 'wanderer's' look, but the weapon is more of a certain type of 'warrior's,' no? It rather reminds me of some monks."     To Kukuru, "I would be a bit concerned, in most cases, were a child to draw precisely this." Would it be fine if it was an adult? She doesn't say.     Further explanation does come from Petra, and Tamamo continues, "Where it is only a matter of requiring one to make certain promises to live among others, this can be handled by means of binding and law. Where one is unable to understand that which causes harm, while wishing for none, matters are more complex. Such a one might, in some cases, be disarmed, and yet, this cannot be done if the harm is inherent to interaction. Perhaps we should investigate which of these it is that is more plausibly accomplished -- that screaming might be forbidden, that they might be replaced, or that they might be rendered less than injurious. It does seem unlikely, were one to consider a child, that avoidance would be a possibility." Like telling someone to stop crying.     And then she's distracted by...     "Oh, you must be Ms. White! I am Tamamo-no-mae, as it happens, and as you might have known. It is a pleasure to meet you in person, under... less dangerous circumstances than many first meetings, truthfully." Tamamo must have excellent balance to do that little bow in zero-g without floating off any more than she already is. It's just long hair and flowing clothing everywhere, in her vicinity.
Sarracenia	Of course Sarra was here. No one particularly wants her here! That is almost a guaranteed way to get the princess to show up.      Going into a book is a bit of a worry to Sarracenia, but she wants to see if this is possible. There are many Abnormalities that border on or outright are people, and being eternally imprisoned isn't that good of a solution.      The princess is expecting something either terrible or void-like. Or both. Instead, she finds herself in a sort of cutesy space setting. Which sort of counts as a void, she supposes. Angela's appearance in here draws a curious look from Sarra. "That is an intriguing look. She nods lightly in agreement with Petra. "It does look quite good, if a bit spindly." Sarra says...then realizes she is in Zero-G! She yelps softly as her dress's hem floats upward and she quickly holds it down in front and back. She is surely wearing some sort of modesty protecting underskirt, but it is the principle of the thing!      Still, they are in space! Sarra can't help a bit of a smile as she moves closer to the viewscreen. "I have entertained the idea of adapting one of my airships to space flight somehow. Space is the ultimate freedom, and one of the best places to find unexpected adventures."      The sight of the creature outside leaves the princess a bit awed, like when someone sees a great whale while out sailing. Sarra grow tired quickly of holding her dress down, and so pulls out one of her suit power-ups. Soon, the princess is in a fluffy orange fox suit with just her face poking out, which allows her to fly about under her own power instead of just floating until bumping into something.      "Spread happiness...without knowing how to actually do that?" Sarra says as she floats upside down by the window, watching the creature with her fox tail wiggling every now and then. "And it drives people insane just by making noise." She ponders a few moments, then huffs. "We should call Rufus and ask if he has a 'knowledge of what people enjoy' Command Materia."
White	White hears Petra's summary of Fragments' intentions, and suddenly has a small frown on her face. "Reminds me of..." she starts to murmur, but stops as she thinks of a certain blue-haired idiot's face, and then pushes the thought aside with a small headshake. Hearing the answer to her question, meanwhile, prompts a short and flat hum from White. Something that wants to make people happy, but doesn't know how, and even causes harm sometimes in the process... Well, if nothing else she might learn from this experience and gain some insight on how to handle a certain kind of person better.      She feels unqualified, but this kind of thing *is* what she herself has been trying to learn too, isn't it? Making little stuffed animals and scarves, bringing gifts on social visits, and so on? It's just the scale that's throwing her off a little. Tentacles could probably figure out some kind of handicraft, but at a size like that it's hard to imagine what kind...      Though, she has the momentary diversion of another introduction, and while White isn't altogether surprised looking, she is still deliberate with her manners. With Tamamo battling the lack of gravity to bow, White instead alters the material of her boots to be stickier, so that she can plant her feet properly and return the gesture. "It is a pleasure to meet you." she murmurs back familiarly, having to pause for the less rehearsed followup. "I hope your and Miss Lilian's vacation plans are proceeding well." It's the first thing she can think of for a personal well-wish, given she barely knows Tamamo from anything other than radio conversations and... Well, Mythology she barely remembers. Better to not lean on that, she thinks.      When Sarracenia struggles with her dress, White subtly unspools some thread from her fingertips as if to stick the hem down for the princess, but the fox suit seems to solve the problem and White calmly lets the useless thread dissolve in a little candle-puff of heatless dark magic.
Lilian Rook	Despite her ambiguous position in regards to 'the Library', as much for its relationship to L Corp before it as anything to do with Angela herself, Lilian arrives to the occasion. Though there's no harm to be done to anyone in doing so, and the running of the Library should be unaffected either way, it's also an undeniable truth that there is absolutely no reason to assume the existing staff could need her help to handle something as benign as Fragment of the Universe; and so the gesture means much that she doesn't say, and doesn't intend to.     Lingeringly battle-weary only in mind rather than body, Lilian has taken to dressing herself respectably once again. As has steadily become her usual over the last couple of years, she has her hair down with only a superficial knot at the back of her head, and light, silver earrings and necklace to emphasize the gold portions of her hair clip. Fresh off a certain social visit that always happens on this day of the week, she arrives still in-theme, wearing a subtly glitter-studded black dress, high neck halter and empire seam, just tame enough to match shoes more suitable for prom than a club, and the cute little bag she has slung around her waist by the strap, slightly overstuffed; unusual for her.     Her lipstick is still a little wet; recently applied and not fully set. She doesn't appear to be wearing Winter Crow at all, though her favoured skirt slit technique only goes up partway. The fact that she's openly carrying Night Mist, in her Lycian-made scabbard, feels oddly more soothing than threatening; it takes the role of something sentimentally cherished being carried around in hand, rather than a weapon being brandished ready. As if she could make it 'cosplay' just for holding it another way.     'It cares, in general, about 'happiness'.'     "Then I'll consider it fortuitous that I've been having a good day." says Lilian, as if the particulars weren't set in stone a little while ago. "And we'll consider it another merit that I possess the rare capability of . . ." Whatever she was going to say, Lilian decides against. She decides to use that time to hold hands with Tamamo instead, using her free hand to lace fingers and pull her close enough to lean lightly against her shoulder. One could swear she likes shoulder-baring outfits so much nowadays just for this.     'Oh, how unexpected... I would call it a 'wanderer's' look, but the weapon is more of a certain type of 'warrior's,' no? It rather reminds me of some monks.'     "Oh my god. Now I'm totally going to think of her like a Kamen Rider." Lilian says, suddenly doubling back with her eyes to look anew, having to use her inner wrist to feign 'vaguely covering her implied gasp with fingertips'. 'Magical girl' would, of course, be far too loaded. And as far as she's aware, their different forms don't matter as much. "Then again, maybe that suits you, Angela?" she says, thumb idly running over the back of Tamamo's hand.     'I hope your and Miss Lilian's vacation plans are proceeding well.'     "Despite your economy with words, as unfailingly charming as always, I see." Lilian says, smiling towards White. "I can only hope 'things' are going well for you as well, Commander." She even looks like she means it! Despite sort of openly cuddling up to Tamamo's side slightly more than is 'proper'.     "Oh. But should we try calling out to it then? If we have to get its attention, surely that's better than going outside." she says. Lilian plants the (sheathed) end of Night Mist against the floor by the 'window', puts her elbow on the crossguard to keep it planted, cups her hand to her mouth as if she plans to yell, and taking a deep breath--     §<Hello! Over here! Do you want to be <friends/player two> with us?>§
Audrey Basque	There were of course people besides Petra present, and Audrey definitely didn't forget to say hello to each of them when they arrived!     White gets a much more enthusiastic hello than last night, now that Audrey isn't (as) tired, tipsy, or hot off the stress of being on stage multiple times. "White, hello! It's nice to see you again."     Kukuru likewise gets the warm welcome.     She'd not noticed Tamamo, owing to being so on-edge and already with people, until the shift; which means she only gets to bow to her once they're on the rocketship, Audrey evidently fully subject to gravity, hair and clothes too, unlike Tamamo's very practiced bow accompanied by an aura of hair and clothes.     "Lady Tamamo, a pleasure to meet you again," full formal, full bow, as befits someone of her station.     There's Lilian, of course, who is... probably ignoring her, wisely, though that just increases the radiation levels a bit. Audrey formulates a half a dozen different greetings in her head and ultimately lands on none of them, and she's pretty sure that's WORSE than saying a terrible one. You know, at least put in the effort, but she fails to.     At the sight of Sarracenia yelping at her dress, Audrey offers, despite the fox suit fixing the issue: "Would you like your gravity back, Sarracenia?" She wouldn't force it on anyone, but if they're struggling she'd be happy to provide.     It just makes it a bit funnier when Petra spins upside down while talking to Audrey, and she's stoicly just looking up at her. That's a change of pace, usually she's looking *down* at her. No plan. Alright. Speeding it along, though? That she could do.     Since the Abnormality is all the way over there, Audrey tugs and plays a bit with the space between the stars, feeling out the cosmology of the story and then making just a slight adjustment so the ship gets to Fragments much sooner.     Without spooking it, so there's a few small jumps.     It doesn't particularly feel like anything though; it's seamless, up here, unlike when she does it on solid ground.
Angela	Angela may be the sort of person more inclined to pamper and take care of the spyders than be a strict disciplinarian towards them. "Yes, White." Angela says. "It will immediately attempt to make friends on Earth and share its knowledge, no doubt causing all sorts of disruption unintentionally. As someone accustomed to careful management of others, you will likely be capable at this task." Angela is sort of spinning around gently in midair through the cockpit, though her expression remains as stoic as ever, which honestly makes it look even goofier. She tries to nod to Kukuru to indicate agreement with her 'coexistance' idea but that actually doesn't really work too well in zero-g as it sort of sends her spinning away from Kukuru instead. "Yes." She says, having no other choice on the matter. "Thinking like a child would--or at least an alien child--would be ideal. This requires a degree of understanding, prudence, and empathy--not unlike befriending a tiger when it's the first time you're meeting a tiger, I suppose." Angela isn't sure what sort of personality Fragments would have after being 'stabilized' either, but there's really only one way to find out. She is soothed by Petra enjoying the vibe. "It is perhaps less in depth than say the Kingdom of Happiness but even a children's story has some setting elements. When I met Yuma, I was honestly reminded of Fragments, a bit, though obviously Fragments is a bit of a smaller scale entity than Yuma is--but they do both communicate musically and aren't the easiest to communicate with." Petra says that stopping the creature from reaching Earth would be bad. Angela finds the reasoning sound. "We can be as fellow travelers--even fellow aliens--or we can be representatives of Earth ourselves." Angela considers. " She nods to Petra's own explanation of what will happen. Tamamo asks the obstacle. "Comprehension, mostly. It does not understand that its own boundaries of what makes 'joy' happen is different and alien to those that are human beings. In a sense, it is the most basic Work we have to do here--if we cannot help Fragments, it is doubtful we'll be able to help most of the other Abnormalities--except perhaps the very human ones." She taps her cheek with an index finger. "Naturally, not every story is drawn up exactly like this, but they are all ultimately Stories. Not all of them are very fancy or particular--but some can be pretty involved. Some can even be vaguely historical." Angela looks at her weapon. "Mm... I suppose it is meant to be evocative of its tendrils. 'Weapon' is how it looks by our perspective, of course, but by the creature's--it's no doubt a helping tendril." Angela is a little less sure of what to make Lilian's arrival--even if Sarracenia's is well understood at this point--but she's having a good day and that's good enough for Angela right now. Showing a proof of concept of being able to 'help an Abnormality be less of a threat to humanity in general'--well, perhaps that will be one small step--a fragment, if you will--towards a future where the pains of the war fade just a bit more.
Angela	"Understood, Dame Commander. Naturally, I am as ever grateful for your assistance--Ideally, this will serve as a proof of concept for other Abnormalities. I don't imagine all can be helped, some are literally just murder-beasts after all--but there are plenty who are just a little ''off'' from living within society." This doesn't mean she can't think up plans for the murderbeasts either, she just can't exactly release them in the town square. Audrey and Lilian TEAM UP. Well, essentially. Audrey brings the ship in closer by shrinking the space between the ship and Fragments, bringing them much closer to Fragment of the Universe--but it isn't deterred from its course though its head turns towards the mysterious cartoony rocket ship with its cartoony head. ''Hello! Over here! Do you want to be friends/player two with us?'' Fragment slows down, pulling up alongside the rocketship. It trills happily and musically at the idea of being friends! o/~ o/~ o/~o/ It trills musically before pointing a tendril in Lilian's direction. Understand. Knowledge. Our. Meaning. Deliver. Together. Chant. Song. Enlightenment. This doesn't sound so ba-- Impale. You. My. Understand. Cross. Boundary. Ah. Nevertheless, its still making noise even to those without the ability to understand it but it's coming across more like... !#^&??*@%@!!#!@!@!##$$!@#
Kukuru	"I would be a bit concerned, in most cases, were a child to draw precisely this." "Really? Aw... But it's just like a child expressing..." As Kukuru speaks, she actually stops to think, peering at the spindly Abnormality again. She taps a finger against her chin, only seeming to snap out of thought once her face smushes into the viewscreen before rebounding off it again. "I wonder what would go through a child's head to come up with a shape like this.. Something else to find out, mhm." Spotting White helping Sarracenia with her dress, Kukuru laughs freely as she floats on over to give the former a pat on the shoulder. "Hmhmhm... You tried." She comments with an approving smile, then taps her chin while thinking over Sarracenia's suggestion. "That could be a neat use of those rocks... You should give him that idea so you can get royalties." Seeing Lilian for the first time in what feels like forever puts a confused look on Kukuru's face at first, but that confusion fades quickly into relief when she hears her chatting and showing Tamamo affection. "Oh, Liliaaan...!" Wait. Would it be rude to try and shove food into her hands right now? Probably, since Tamamo's right there. She settles instead for just letting that relieved smile linger while drifting around nearby. "It's good seeing you again after so loong... Ahh, Ange could pull of the Rider-y look, couldn't she?" Without missing a beat, Kukuru just goes right into a light sing-songy tone while vocalizing "Kamen Riderrrr An-ge-laaaa~" with her eyes closed. "It wants to make other people happy . . . it'll start driving everyone insane by yelling." "Thinking like a child would--or at least an alien child--would be ideal." "A good heart, but a different way of thinking and a body that makes it hard to get what they want... Oh." Feeling some familiar aches from when she had first encountered Nothing There so long ago, Kukuru takes a deep breath as she keeps mulling over Petra's explanation and initial plans alongw ith Angela's clarification on how to approach Fragments. "Talking to them sounds like a good idea, mhm. I want to show them that..." She closes her eyes for a moment while floating around idly, only reopening them once she bounces off the ceiling gently. "I want to try teaching them about... The difference between wanting to be nice, and actually being nice. Then maybe they'll understand why their singing and yelling is bad." Soon, it's time to actually emet with Fragment, and Kukuru hums along with Fragment at first as it communicates with the group. "Hello, hellooo! Aah... That's a lovely voice you have there. And your shape is suuper neat... Oh, oh. Have you eaten anything yet? I've got snacks and comfy blankets if you wanna be lazy for a whileee~" It wouldn't be Kukuru without the food, of course, and she brings out the kids' special: Crunchy fried meat strips in batter, diced apples in yogurt, and a shiny juice pouch that's still slightly frozen. She looks ready to go outside, but she might not remember to put on a suit without someone reminding her to.
Tamamo	"Ah, Ms. Basque, hello. You are working in this place, as well...? I suppose you did mention something of that sort, though I was unsure as to how close your interests had taken you." Tamamo's demeanor has notes of gentle warmth, though it would be wiser, if one were aware, to not read into her 'normal' reactions.     She's not reacting to Sarracenia's fox suit. In a way, that's showing kindness.     Lilian finds her hand, and the zero-gravity balance is an ever more complex problem -- if much less so for Lilian, herself. Somehow, Tamamo only ends up rocking back and forth some playfully swinging their locked arms together, as if they were taking a stroll. Her shoulders, too, are bared upon contact. A coincidence, surely.     "Oh, was it a response...?" Having no powers of mind reading, "Did you understand it, Lilian?"
Petra Soroka	"What I mean, then, is this... was there a tale, told to a child, of a creature of heart, traveling to Earth?"     Of all circumstances, this is basically the best possible for Petra to interact with Tamamo in. Her intentions are benign, she's in her shared domain with Angela, and the goal today is to help an Abnormality that Petra likes in a way that Tamamo has done before-- it's flawless! It's a scenario where Petra is being good!     So while lazily drifting around in zero-G, Petra gives all of Tamamo's comments thorough consideration and attention, because she's being *such* a good girl. "I couldn't say for sure; Carmen never mentioned, and it wasn't in any of the logs I know of. I still don't know a lot of the information about the... *specifics*, of Extraction, besides the fact that the Collective Unconscious contained enough information for the overall shape of the story, even if it's... 'blended together', rather than a specific story. For Fragments, I would *guess* that it originated as a story." "We should call Rufus and ask if he has a 'knowledge of what people enjoy' Command Materia."     Petra snorts. "Yeah, sure. Let's teach it how to play baseball and talk about the weather. Nah, I mean... back in L-Corp, it liked listening in on the radio with me a lot, especially when people talked about stuff that made them happy, or when Lilian talked about a thought that was on her mind or something. So the materia's a dumb idea, but the things that make 'you' happy might not be.)]")] "Then I'll consider it fortuitous that I've been having a good day."     Petra beams at Lilian, perking up excitedly at her presence far above all others. "Yeah! I have been too! Yesterday was a nice-- woo-woo-whoooops, too far--" Her enthusiastic overemoting in the floaty gravity of the scribbly spaceship causes her to enter a catastrophic somersault spiral, losing control until she gently bonks into the side of the chamber. She rolls around to reposition herself with her legs folded. "She kind of *is* a little bit like a Kamen Rider, with the suit changes... oh, actually-- she pulled one of those pages from *me* last night to make a suit too. And Audrey. Audrey's was really pretty, though Ange wasn't the one wearing it. It's kind of like quickswapping EGO?" §<Do you want to be <friends/player two> with us?>§     <.. Oh right.> It takes her a moment to re-attune to it, but Petra isn't naturally telepathic-- it's just a very small demand imprint of Lilian's telepathy, like a fingerprint on her psyche. So when Audrey brings the ship close and the responses start coming back, Petra focuses for a second to be able to understand. Chant. Song. Enlightenment.     <Hi! Remember me?> Petra looks out the window, with the hopeful mental tone of offering a hand out for a cat to sniff at. Abnormalities are *characteristically* bad at remembering, but it's worth a shot. <If there's something you want to <tell people/proselytize> about, then we're here to listen.> Impale. You.     Well. Hm. Petra's brow furrows, as the grating psionic screech of Fragments of the Universe is only barely kept below 'painful' by her aura to Audrey. <Would impaling me help me 'understand'?>
Petra Soroka	"Actually--" Petra twists around in the spaceship, diagonally over Audrey and looking down at her. "Could you teleport me out there really quick? Um-- well, in a sec, not until I..."     Not until she's in her mech that doesn't fit very well inside the spaceship!! After breaking her compact mirror, there's a brief thumbs-up to Audrey indicating 'now!!!' amongst the glass tick-clacking into the shape of the Beauty of Ash, and then hopefully, the mech is floating outside the ship and not curled up cramped inside of it.
White	White senses a small HUD popup message in her periphery when Lilian compliments her, and a small mote of relief assures her she chose the right dialogue option. "They are... Proceeding." she slowly answers Lilian's returned sentiment, and glances toward the others for a moment (with a reflexive wince as this brushes her gaze across Petra and gets her eyes stinging again) before looking back at Lilian. This is maybe the clearest view anyone's had of her eyes yet, come to think. "Depending on other factors... I may be able to... Facilitate a meeting at home, soon." she says, slowly picking her way through her vocabulary as she tries to find the simplest way to make a very simple statement, and fails a little. "I will let the two of you know."      Lilian's idea of 'simply say hello' inspires a moment of dumbfoundedness in her, though. She... Could have done that too. It's truly remarkable how naturally she avoids starting conversations, even to herself sometimes. Her gaze tracks between Lilian and the distant Fragments, as if following the invisible path of Lilian's words themselves even with no sound behind them.      Kukuru's hand on her shoulder feels a minute shrug at the well-meaning comment. She watches Audrey work, then, closing the distance through techniques that obviously interest her. To her chagrin, it's just as impossible to fully deconstruct Audrey's magical method through observation as it would have been for her to copy Guliguli's teleportation the first time she saw it, but she'll probably be turning it over in her mind later regardless.      Angela's confidence in her abilities, meanwhile, makes White slightly anxious. She'll just have to do her best to weasel around the parts she's bad at, like usual. 'Think like a child', or even adjacently suggesting that she consider it like interacting with a strange animal, is at least more workable than holding extended conversation. She'll leave *that* to Lilian, like a true master of delegating! While spying on the conversation herself, at least. The unpleasant garbled noise overlapping with the telepathic eavesdropping almost immediately have White putting her fingers in her ears, trying to block one out so she can keep track of the other. Though, she still frowns at what she understands. There's some kind of joke to be made about impalements here, but she's clearly above that at least, and seems pensive as she removes the finger from one ear (and tries to squish-cover it with her shoulder instead) while she fishes out a spare teddybear from her sleeve. She'd had the thought to give it as a peace offering, but she seems to be staring at it pensively, wondering if it might just see some kind of dangerous animal in those beady little plastic eyes.
Sarracenia	Sarra notices White getting some thread ready just before she foxifies herself. "Aw. My apologies, Commander White. The thought is appreciated!" Audrey also offers to help, but Sarra shakes her head with a smile. "Thank you, but I am alright like this. It is one of very few times I have been in space, and the floating aspect is to be enjoyed."      Lilian and Tamamo are both here, and dressed up! Even if Sarra isn't exactly happy to see Lilian, she isn't about to take it out on a great outfit. "Oh my~ You both look quite lovely!" she says, then looks at Lilian's outfit. "I actually wore something similar to the Concord gala yesterday. Black and silver do go together quite nicely, and both compliment gold as well."      It isn't really until it sinks in that -Tamamo the fox- is here that Sarra realizes her choice of outfit might be in bad taste. But, she can't just take it off now. That would be too obvious. So, she flies about a bit, then 'accidentally' bumps her head on something. The fox suit poofs, leaving Sarra in her now somewhat typical black velvet gown with silver trim. "Ah...perhaps you should restore my gravity after all, Miss Audrey." Sarra says, holding her dress down again as she tumbles slowly and haphazardly after the bump.      'So the materia's a dumb idea, but the things that make 'you' happy might not be.'      Sarra mmphs softly at her idea being called dumb. The prospect of sharing what makes her happy in this group draws an uncertain look from the princess. She eventually makes her way down to land by Kukuru. "...what makes me happy..." she murmurs as she listens to the creature's singing and Kukuru's cute attempts and mothering it. "...well..." She looks out the window at the creature and just starts talking to it like it is a normal person. "...beautiful dresses! Even if I have to limit my wardrobe much of the time, there is little that makes me as happy as modeling a new dress." She twirls in front of the window for Fragments's benefit, then smiles. "And, as most everyone here knows, ice cream! I think that is one which most everyone likes, though everyone has their own favorite flavor. Mine is Rainbow Bob-omb. If you would like, I could share some with you once we reach Earth."      Sarra thinks for a moment. "Kittens! But, that one is probably obvious. Most everyone likes kittens even if they do not particularly like cats. And...snow! Have you seen snow? It is almost mystical when you see it freshly fallen in the morning with the dawn sun glistening over it, making it sparkle like diamond dust. Not to mention all the fun things you can do on or with snow!"      "Do you like fashion? I also like picking out or even designing clothes for others. I am sure we could find something that would compliment your form quite nicely. Um...what else..." The princess ponders again.      "Oh! Flying! You may have me beat in that regard, but I do enjoy flying. We could perhaps fly together sometime! I also enjoy flowers! I have a garden back home full of an entire rainbow of different flowers..."      Sarra would likely continue on like this for quite a while if no one stops her.
Audrey Basque	Ah, it's talking!     ... it's noise.     "Well... I can't make that out."     With Tamamo asking Lilian, she feels just a bit reassured that not understanding it must be normal after all, and so she idly stands by to let the people who can do their thing. Though, being friends with something that's hard to understand sounds like a challenge and then some.     "I sort of... ended up here, really. It's been good to me. Angela's very understanding and I'm not short on time to handle everything else I have to," she asides to Tamamo, while watching what the others do.     Petra makes it a point to mention the pages though.     The last thing she needs is Lilian Rook knowing she practically ended up exposed on a stage, but it doesn't sound like the details are that thorough.     Phew. Safe.     Until Petra moves away, excitedly preparing the Beauty of Ash.     Fragment's screeches are absolutely awful, now, and Audrey recoils momentarily from the pain being blasted directly into her skull before she remembers to simply hurl herself at Petra, discarding her gravity to do so, cramming herself into the Beauty of Ash's cockpit without giving her a chance to protest before it's all closed up.     It's cramped, but it's better than being exposed to Fragment directly for sure. "You said to stay close!!" she argues, in advance, to justify her intrusion. From her mildly pained looked it's obvious she got to hear it unfiltered and decided that was too unpleasant to deal with again.     "... this is what the inside is like?"     Huh. She expected...     Levers? Buttons? Controls?     It's a box.     "O-Oh, okay, s-sure," she replies, a bit on the spot.     Space refracts and fractures in front of the Beauty of Ash; she's not teleporting it, she's just making a tear in front of it that will let it hop outside and near Fragment, quite safely.
Lilian Rook	'Comprehension, mostly. It does not understand that its own boundaries of what makes 'joy' happen is different and alien to those that are human beings.'     Lilian smiles faintly, and holds her gaze steady in place. "Angela." she says, softly yet firmly. "Explaining it to them more than once won't help them understand." The way she says it, tenderly heavy, moving with the tingling caution of a recently healed sprain, drips with many different layers of implied meaning between them. "What's more important to remind them is that their job here isn't to 'survive', or 'to carry out the tale correctly', but 'to make the poor thing presentable'.     'It's good seeing you again after so loong...'     Lilian's smile turns a little strained, but it doesn't vanish. Her fingers fidget restlessly in Tamamo's hand, flexing in keeping with silly little thoughts about stupid ideas like giving Kukuru a make-up hug this time. "Is that a reference to something?" she says, instead.     'Ah, Ms. Basque, hello. You are working in this place, as well...?'     "Ah, I forgot that you two were acquainted." Lilian says, side-eyeing Audrey. 'Gravity', particularly the absence thereof, remains the least of her problems. When correction is required, the flittering edges of black magic simply blend into the edges of her dress and hair, lending an almost painterly outline to her movements around the ship; or with sword in hand, 'fairytale' in her own right. "It sounds like you had a nice little talk. How wonderful." says Lilian, squeezing Tamamo's hand a little tighter, tugging her a little closer, and locking gazes with Audrey all the way until the final physical motion of kissing Tamamo on the cheek.     'Impale. You. My. Understand. Cross. Boundary.'     "Oh dear. It's going to be one of those." Lilian sighs.     'Oh, was it a response...? Did you understand it, Lilian?'     "I'm afraid so. It's nothing terribly out of what passes for 'the ordinary' with this sort of thing." she says, looking reluctantly away from Tamamo's face to the window again. "Concept equivocation. Singing or chanting as is to mutual understanding. Meaning and knowledge as 'personality' or 'intent'. Enlightenment is as interpersonal harmony. It considers disclosure and comprehension a form of bonding exercise, and knowledge a resource to be shared in a friendly way. So, little wonder that it was always so fixated on listening to people talk about themselves, and share 'information' that they enjoyed. I'd perhaps very loosely hazard a guess that it's equivalent to the emotion it'd expect, given positive bond-reaffirmation it feels from the act of sharing in the first place."     With her feet placed against the deck for the view, Lilian leans her chin on the pommel of Night Mist, drumming her fingers on a quillion. "The issue is the conceptual equivocation of 'impale' to . . . translate? 'To come to know one another'. I can't know that it means something violent, but that's the possibility we have to be on guard for."
Tamamo	"It does seem ever rather difficult to truly take a vacation," Tamamo says to White, "though I wonder if simply turning off the radios one day would not be an excellent idea..."     Petra gives what answers are available, which are less than Tamamo would have liked, but she's still rewarded with an entirely normal response of, "Oh, I see." Even the 'aloof' component of the disdain she showed on the radio, not at all that long ago, isn't there.     "We may proceed along the idea of there being 'a story,' in that case, even if it may not have had the same teller and audience as that of the magical girls and their lands. However... it may be difficult to simply repeat what had been done, that other time. There was a fervent wish, then, for a miracle to occur. How could something be a miracle if it could be repeated merely by following the same steps?"     '--it's no doubt a helping tendril.'     "Is that so...? It seems a bit, ah... 'sharp,' as was my concern. Does its notion of 'helping' involve...?" Letting that hang for a moment, "Though I suppose many animals do lift others with their teeth, even a dog is careful in its interactions with the world."     She's not really sure what this business with 'pages' is, but it doesn't seem to necessary to ask about it right now.     'I wonder what would go through a child's head to come up with a shape like this...'     "Yes... you see the concern. However, as it is a story, it must be told the way it was told for some purpose. Only something entirely disconnected from others can also exist 'for no reason.'"     Tamamo's not warning anyone about going into space without a suit. It's a children's story. No child of Earth ever suffocated in the vacuum of space, nor was it a warning their storytellers were compelled to impart. That being the case, she assumes it will all be fine, right up until someone believes otherwise forcefully enough to change the story.     'Ah, I forgot that you two were acquainted.'     "Rather recently, I would say." She's not counting the closet incident. "We had a pleasant chat."     Upon being pulled in for that kiss, the emotional sensation of warmth spreads from her in waves, impacting anyone who happens to be looking. It's like a blush, but different and more so.
Lilian Rook	'Yeah! I have been too! Yesterday was a nice-- woo-woo-whoooops, too far--'     Lilian tries not to snort laugh. Without a free hand, it's harder to cover up. She and Petra have talked some, and Petra is clearly trying to get their act together, but it's obvious that they're not right back to . . . where even were they before? "That's good to hear. It'll make this tremendously easier."     'She kind of *is* a little bit like a Kamen Rider, with the suit changes... oh, actually-- she pulled one of those pages from *me* last night to make a suit too. And Audrey. Audrey's was really pretty, though Ange wasn't the one wearing it. It's kind of like quickswapping EGO?'     Leaning almost catlike on her artistically oversized sword, fingernails rhythmically clicking on metal, Lilian arches an eyebrow, and says "Really? From you? To transform? That certainly sounds like a certain someone. What was it like? Were there any aftereffects?"     'Oh my~ You both look quite lovely! I actually wore something similar to the Concord gala yesterday.'     Lilian curls her lip faintly. "They still let you into those?" she says, in mild disbelief. She doesn't linger on it for long, given she's supposed to be focusing on handling a cute niceys alien baby.     §<Wait, <friend?>. I am <soft/non-reversible/un-ring a bell>. To <impale/breach> by <crossing over> <skin/un-rung bell> will cause me <harm/transgression>. Will you <impale/breach> by <crossing over> something else?>§     Close to the window, Lilian, holding Tamamo's hand, raises their conjoined fingers up to the glass, showing them off.     §<Can you <displace your perspective> this way? <Crossing over> <space> and not <skin>?>§
Angela	Angela is honestly not particularly sure how to help in this instance beyond advising others. People like Lilian and Petra can actually communicate which is a pretty big advantage, though there's other paths to consider, such as nonverbal communication. Angela's current EGO Gear has similar tentacle tendrils but unless she intends to go out there and stab the creature herself--and she doesn't, getting pulled into Fragment's narrative and deeming stabbing with tentacles to be a viable method of knowledge sharing...would be bad! "Kukuru." She says before reaching into a closet within the ship and drawing out the drawing of an astronaut's suit, a very cliche looking one in fact, and offers it to Kukuru. She has no idea if Kukuru can survive deep space. "Also if you open up a meal container in the vaccuum it will probably fly in all sorts of directions." Angela says. "I do not know if Fragments can understand vocalized words but it can certainly understand the emotional intent behind them--" Angela is an AI that doesn't neccessarily know everything about managing the Abnormalities directly because she largely knows from a distant experience, even if it's a very much a lot of it. "A story told to a child as remembered by a child." Angela murmurs, feeling like that's the best way she can describe the story of Fragments. Kukuru's humming and dialogue get humming back. As Kukuru opens up the meal packages, the food predictably starts floating around in space. Fragment stabs the fried meat with its tendrils and gradually absorbs the nutrients that way. It makes a happy little jingle noise in response to Kukuru. It understands that gathering nutrients is good! ''Hi! Remember me?'' Remember. You. Asked. Friend/Player. Two. What Is. Player. Two/Friend. It seems that Petra using the same method of communication has informed Fragments that Petra and Lilian are one entity, actually. Maybe they have two different bodies but does that really matter? Play. It suggests as it flies over to a nearby star, an actual cartoon shaped star that has enough space on it for three or four people as well as Fragments. It bounces its bulbuous body on it and the star starts spinning around before Fragments bounces over to a cartoon moon and swings it back and forth like a, well, like a swing set. It's a crescent cartoon moon! Like the CORPORATE LOGO.
Angela	White summons a teddy bear. Fragments qurks its head and, unknowing that it's a teddy bear--a toy--elects to try and share its knowledge with the teddy bear by stabbing it--if not warned off from such a decision--and fast! It's starting to sense White's anxiety too which could be bad...! ''Do you like fashion?'' "DO. YOU. LIKE. FASHION." Fragments responds with mimicry to Sarracenia but doesn't seem to know what fashion is--still, this proves that even if Fragments struggles to actually communicate back--it does understand what you are saying. Well, it is HEARING what you are saying at least, but depending on what you say it is still not going to understand because this is not a creature that wears clothes and, as such, has never heard the term fashion before nor any concept like it. But it does understand. "ENJOY. FLYING. TOGETHER." It continues to mimic Sarracenia, spinning around in midair demonstratively. "Ah, I appear to have been wrong. It can understand words, at least to some extent--though I'd be careful about complex subjects." Angelaa advises. She gives one more nod at Lilian's advdice but she's not sure she can really stop herself from delivering these sorts of expositionary details because it's an old habit that's been ingrained down to her bones. "Impaling seems to be a method that it can 'transmit information'. It does not see it as a violent act. Naturally, we'll have to convince it that 'impaling' does not typically work as a method of information transfer." Lilian then informs the creature that impalement is a transgression. There is a shift of flavor in the story as it is made to understand this. A sorrowful wail emits from the entity and it pushes off the moon, continuing its movement towards earth. No. Want. Harm. How. Share. Knowledge. Singing? "DIS.CLOSURE. BONDING. EXERCISE?" It pushes off, flying towards Earth, flying back after getting too far away and then flying off again. Angela moves the Rocket to move after the entity but is otherwise letting the others dictate where they take this. Everytime it speaks, it feels like it's trying to mimic by singing rather than to use words in different tones in order to sing. It's like a song trying to emulate speech.
Tamamo	'Comprehension, mostly.'     'What's more important to remind them is that their job here isn't to 'survive', or 'to carry out the tale correctly'...'     "Yes, of course. We can hardly accomplish anything by repeating a story with an unhelpful ending. Our role is to change the tale."     '...based on things that it learned to associate with happiness. '     'The issue is the conceptual equivocation of 'impale' to . . . translate?'     "Mm." Tamamo silently considers some of the things that make her happy, memory turning to her talks with Exigent Serenity about love, and from there to what that knowledge might cause in a supernaturally impressionable alien child. "That would be inappropriate."
Petra Soroka	"That certainly sounds like a certain someone."     Petra is at first excited to continue the conversational thread, and then hesitates to become a little bit more pensive when actually thinking about the guy himself. "Yeah, it's a little like-- like, uh... Zi-O, right? I don't know if the outfits are durable at all like EGO or Kamen Rider suits, though. Mostly they just seem 'magic'. The one Audrey got from me, at least, seems like it'd be more durable than clothes."     The inside of the Beauty of Ash is not a space meant for anyone but Petra. The fact that there is an 'inside' at all is kind of superfluous, because Petra's mentioned controlling it with telekinesis, though it doesn't seem like she can do that when *not* inside it, but the fact remains that she's not really fiddling with buttons and stuff in here. From the outside, the unfolding geyser of glass flinches away from Audrey to not cut her when she hops into it, and then the cockpit in the mech's chest is, as usual, translucent but frosted by refractions, so that only *two* color smears are visible inside.     It's warm inside in a way Audrey probably wouldn't expect, tinged with prickling ozone and faint sulfur. Rather than being crammed full of dials and levers and so on, the interior is almost unnervingly simplistic, with flat iridescent glass angles that don't even have imperfections within three-dimensional space. Like the structures inside a jellyfish, there's a suspension of faintly glowing orange fluid in 'veins' that web around the interior skeleton, and there's some supportive bracing around the cockpit itself, but besides that it's a little plain. Turning her head at certain angles can change that, by catching the starlight surrounding them on the million faceted angles and cracks that run through the crystalline body, but in the end... it's kind of like being stuck inside a plastic tote box with the lid latched on.     Petra startles so much when Audrey is smushed into the cockpit with her that the entire mech jumps in surprise. There's *barely* space for two people inside of it, so to fit inside, Audrey has to practically sit on top of Petra and be entangled around her, and with both color smears being identically librarian-uniform monochrome, it's impossible to tell what the writhing inside is actually indicative of, and their talking back and forth is inaudible. "You said to stay close!!"     "I-I--!" Petra is bright red, trying to find somewhere to put her hands that isn't awkward. "Is-- is this revenge for the closet thing??"     "But, uh... I-I guess I *did* say that." There's a superficial tooth-stinging wave of sharp glass cracks, and the Beauty of Ash's cockpit shifts and expands just a tiny bit so they can at least be comfortable in this position. The mech is out in the vacuum of space, so there's no dumping Audrey out now!
Audrey Basque	"A-Ah, well, yes, after our... unfortunate introductions, I felt the need to apologize to her. As I did to you. And, well, she is a goddess, so..." The implication no mage would skip that kind of a meeting goes unsaid but Audrey is certainly banking on it not needing to be.     Though when Lilian locks gaze, all the way up to a kiss, which RADIATES WARMTH, Audrey's face flushes red, in a flurry of a dozen different feelings that cancel themselves out.     It's such a BLESSING that before she can succumb to it fully she ends up shoving herself into the Beauty of Ash and taking off with Petra!     It's also not a blessing at all that those two can just continue their conversation and now she's extremely self-conscious about the EGO gear again.     Was it revenge?     "N-No! I panicked!"     Actually true, doubly motivated by needing to get away from Lilian and Tamamo but also to not have nails scratching on a chalkboard inside her head.     "S-Sorry."     All the while the Abnormality is continuing it conversation, which, aside from when it intentionally mimics speech, is garbled noise for Audrey.     "I feel like I should have asked Angela if there's any way she can let me understand that thing, but the prospect of that involving an outfit swap makes me reconsider firmly," she says to Petra, trying to adjust her stance awkwardly so that she's not TOO smushed up against Petra.     It doesn't work because there's just no space.     The thought of expanding the space they're in crosses her mind, but is discarded immediately on account of this not being safe conditions to experiment under in the slightest.     The thought she didn't NEED to be in the Beauty of Ash to do a sortie also crosses her mind, and now she's too invested in this catastrophe of a snap decision to admit it was unnecessary.     "I still think it's cool."
White	White immediately does what she has practiced for exterior emotional impulses; she shunts the effect of Tamamo's 'aura' off on one of her sub-minds to process in a proverbial corner, leaving her outward reaction only *briefly* affected. Some quip about the 'Lust' skill crosses her mind, and she stows that away too. It seems that Miss Tamamo is dangerous, as expected! At the same time, she's also trying to offset any ongoing psychic misery onto the Parralel Minds in much the same way, though it's rough to keep cycling them in and out of active use while Petra is away. So... She leaves the ship too! A little spyder is left behind on the floor, perplexedly turning in circles to figure out where it is while White silently warps her position to land directly atop Beauty of Ash after its skipping spatial motions conclude, and her web-soled boots stick her to the top of the chassis quite firmly.      This might be taken as proof of Tamamo's narrative-driven assumptions, or as simple evidence that she isn't human, but neither would be all that shocking of a revelation and both could be true at the same time. If something goes wrong White can simply drift off or teleport back, but for now she'd rather be where the psychic pains she's less equipped to handle are being mitigated somewhat, and if she's meant to help somehow then it seems like being physically present would help.      Aaand, that's probably exactly when the teddybear is stabbed in her hand, and she's not exactly quick enough on the draw verbally to dissuade it that way. She makes a bit of a face as a bit of stuffing comes drifting out of the bear, then has a thought and resets to neutral. Her eyes gleam a little brighter as she tunes their effect, waiting for Fragments to come back from its bout of zoomies and beckoning for its attention. She mends the bear's puncture wound in front of it, then strokes the bear's head gently side to side. Then, she holds the plush bear out for Fragments to mimic her, and if it does, she rewards it with a little pulse of artificial joy inflicted by her Evil Eye, in lieu of the more typical sorts of things she might use magical emotional compulsions for. To be safe, it's set as low as she can reasonably control.      It's an incredibly simplistic idea; reward good behavior to create an association. She also has no particular idea if it'll work, since she's still thinking in terms of a rather intelligent animal's behaviors. The more she understands, the less anxious she is, but she's still approaching the interaction from a rather sterile and 'puzzle solvey' emotional angle.
Sarracenia	'They still let you into those?'      Sarra hmphs. "Why would they deny me? I have been helpful to the Concord's members, including Angela."      No one in particular stops her, but Sarra does stop just talking when it becomes clear that Fragments is only mimicking her and not talking to her. It twirling with her is kind of cute though, so she keeps twirling with it...and winces every now and then when a particular shriek or note hits a little hard.      The talk of impaling gets her thinking. "What about just touching instead of impaling?" Sarra asks, and tries to demonstrate for Fragments. She wiggles an arm in as much of a tendril motion as she can manage, and reaches out to touch...      Wait, everyone is in space now except a few people that Sarra -really- should not touch. She ends up looking over at Lilian and Tamamo just in time to get engulfed by the waves of warmth. She ends up staring, her own cheeks coloring. Her hand lowers slowly as Lilian is already demonstrating touch as opposed to impaling, and the princess just goes quiet. She watches the couple for a few more moments, then just looks out the window again with a slight bit of annoyance. And of course jealousy.      Unlike the others, Sarra isn't about to go out into space unprotected, and while she is childish she isn't child-like enough to wear some scribbles of a space suit out into space or just jump out there without a suit of some kind. The closest thing she has to a space suit is...a frog suit? Her hazmat suit? Would those work? Sarra isn't keen to risk it after the war, but the way she ends up with both hands resting on the window makes it clear she wants to join the others out there.
Kukuru	SLIGHTLY EARLIER "Is that a reference to something?" "The song? Oh, it's liiike... Those cute little jingles that come from those Kamen Rider belts." Kukuru's face brightens up a bit as she recalls all those fun little songs to recount to Lilian, humming to herself the entire time in a bad imitation of those she's naming. "Like Sougo's aaaand Woz's aaaand Genm's... I even had one for a bit, too! I can't remember where I put it, though..." "Also if you open up a meal container . . . can certainly understand the emotional intent behind them--" "It will? Oh... That might be a fun little game for it, then." Kukuru takes that revelation in stride with another chuckle, already imagining what the Abnormality might do with food drifting every which way. Worst case scenario, she could always gather it back up, but she'll worry about it later. "Whatever makes them feel more comfortable around us should help, I think. Oh, thanks, Ange. Almost forgot..." Taking the sit, Kukuru starts sliding it all on with surprisingly little difficulty. It probably helps that she's used to sleeping anywhere and never worrying about her bones with the way she just bends and shoves her limbs into it. "The suit.. Ah. And if Fragments is anything like the kids at home..." No. She can't think of this as possibly being easy. At best, this is something she's familiar with. NOW With Fragments right in front of her, Kukuru giggles lightly at hearing the humming and dialogue in return. Although she can't understand the Abnormality's noises specifically, she can sense the happiness in those noises it does make, and she just watches it stabbing the meat with a carefree smile evident through her suit's helmet. "Aw, cutie... Aren't you a precious thingy? What's your name?" She asks, not to expecting to actually understand what it says, but still speaking like it can anyway. Naturally, she's in for a pleasant surprise when it does in fact start speaking/repeating after Sarracenia, and Angela all but confirms that it can develop this ability further. It reminds her so much of Nothing There that it kind of hurts, but this... this situation is different. This is one where she can actually do things right this time, and she has the benefit of information and intelligence to know better. "Fragmenty.. Wait for us!" She calls out while gathering up whatever bits of food are left, then settles into a reclining slouch despite having nothing to actually recline on. After cheating some of the distance away by holding onto the moving rocket once Angela starts it up, Kukuru lets go at just the right movement to keep floating towards the Abnormality. "There you are... Hmm. Have you ever felt a hug before?" As Kukuru calls out to the Abnormality, she holds a hand out to try and catch herself onto it gently, squeezing it softly to let it get used to connecting what she's saying to what she's doing. "Hug." She says, while holding it against herself. "Rub." She says, while rubbing her face (or at least her helmet) against it next. "Scritch." She continues, scratching it gently with a claw in a way that wouldn't even be hard enough to draw blood. "Poke." She turns her head and rubs the side of her helmet against it again, but on the side where her horns might just end up stabbing it unpleasantly instead. She feels a little guilty, but she needs to see if it can communicate discomfort with anything she's doing before she can continue.
Tamamo	Presumably just to Lilian, Tamamo says, "Did those two... run off together?" Petra had seemed about to go try something, but as to Audrey's reasons, she can only make assumptions. Other disappearances pass with less comment, for some reason.     "Might you translate for me? I may be able to reach my feelings out, but understanding this child is more difficult, on my own."     Thinking on everything's she heard for a moment, Tamamo squeezes Lilian's fingers, and projects a feeling for Fragment. It's a more specific feeling than usually pushed out by her Charms, but only by a little. It's an attracting, sunny warmth, but as one gets closer, the warmth gradually turns to heat. Something less like the playroom stars and crescent moons, and more like a sun, with all its gravitic pull and promise of life, but also something whose space demands respect.     Her other hand raises to the window. Tuned just so, the warmth grows only more pleasant until almost touching.     "With those arms, do you suppose... it might come to play an instrument? I have not brought one, unfortunately."
Lilian Rook	'We had a pleasant chat.'     "Incredible." Lilian says. "To think that sort of thing is possible."     'That would be inappropriate.'     As if-- No, Lilian must be on the same wavelength. Frowning slightly, she straightens up, and with a grave little nod, pronounces, "At least someone should try to set a good example for it. We can't teach it to only socialize with . . ."     'Why would they deny me? I have been helpful to the Concord's members, including Angela.'     "Have you?"     Lilian's head moves as if she's going to look Sarracenia's way, and then stops as if she can't be bothered. Resting against Tamamo is far more comfortable. "That's not what I've heard." she says, 'that's all I'm saying' silently implied by a quiet sigh.     'And, well, she is a goddess, so...'     Lilian glances sharply in Audrey's direction. "That meaning?" There's no mistaking that's she's forcing her to say something on purpose. No matter what it is, she expects she has the social leverage to be the hammer to the established anvil with Audrey in between. Her arm slips from rubbing against Tamamo's shoulder to sliding around her waist, pulling her closer as if in solidarity, for emphasis.     Everything about it; her tone and bearing, casual and upright, her gaze looking down on Audrey despite their significant difference in height, the way her touch on Tamamo is like she's on honeymoon in space whilst Audrey squirms in Petra's presence; the ironclad forthrightness of someone who knows she's beautiful, and so is her fiancée, and they're both perfect together here, is concentrated into a kind of effortless incandescence that doesn't even entertain the idea of seething disagreement, and is aimed at Audrey like a slug who'll sizzle and wither up under the heat of the lamp.     When she's abducted into the Beauty of Ash and turned into a wriggling colour smear with Petra, Lilian narrows her eyes and opens her mouth, and her face makes a wincingly disgusted motion. She lets go the words on her tongue, and instead says "Amateur." in its place, turning back to the window and leaning her head on Tamamo.     'id those two... run off together?'     "I'm trying not to make assumptions." Lilian murmurs, a little put out. "I'm certain it's complicated. And I'm certain it's Basque's idiot fault."     When Tamamo asks her to translate, Lilian affirms it via nod and touch rather than words. It's difficult to convey along the lines that Tamamo means, but . . .     §<<Best friend forever> says this. <Close/Talk> <Touch/Understanding> is wonderful, but <one step more> over to <incision/transdermal knowldedge> turns to <hedgehog's dilemma>. Look at the stars! They don't <crash/impale>, but <orbital synchrocity/take it slow>.>§
Lilian Rook	'No. Want. Harm. How. Share. Knowledge. Singing? "DIS.CLOSURE. BONDING. EXERCISE?'     The wailing noise makes Lilian feel a little bad. The baby alien had to learn it somehow, but still; it pings her in the sense of empathy that she is no longer certain how to describe in terms of how 'near to a normal person'. After a moment's deliberation, she decides not to conceal it, allowing herself to issue a psychic ping of remorse at Fragments' discomfort, with an undertone of patient waiting. The 'there there' is palpable in the ship too.     §<We want to be <friends/players> too. Your <lip-synching/sing-along> is very good! How about--?>§     Lilian smooches Tamamo on the cheek, looks to her for silent confirmation as she moves for the hatch, then starts to disembark. From there, she attempts to meet up with the Abnormality at the moon just before it leaves the second time. There, she draws (as intentionally crudely as she can, which is only somewhat) pictures in the moon dust with the sheathed end of Night Mist. The storybook squigglestyle somehow makes it seem sensible enough to her, drawing a chibified Fragment holding hands with simplistic Elites in a little circle around the moon, next to the Earth with a big arrow and a rocket. Next, she tries letters (sorry gang; you'll have to teach it English, not Korean), and then holds out her hand for a tendril, intent on spelling them out via touch on her palm.
Petra Soroka	"N-No! I panicked!"     "Well then, you have to forgive me for the Corridors of Darkness," Petra retorts snottily, forgetting that Audrey definitely has done that already. It ends up too uncomfortable to keep holding her arms away from Audrey, so she lets them settle around her thighs and waist on Petra's lap. It's her fault anyways! I feel like I should have asked Angela if there's any way she can let me understand that thing,"     "Well, I could just translate for you. I just... I guess it can hear you if you call out to it, and it understands human speech-- like, it always has. Just the amount that it bothers to respond to it in a way that makes sense is kinda variable." Remember. You. Asked. Friend/Player. Two.     Hm. Well, that wasn't Petra, but *Petra* of all people isn't going to insist that she's a separate person from Lilian. It's not tactically necessary to do that! It would just confuse things! The other implication of Fragments' speech is something she *will* comment on though, telepathically murmuring through the Beauty of Ash in a way that's comprehensible to the Elites and Abnormality alike, though she's only really intending to talk to the former.     <So I guess it doesn't remember anything from the facility... which isn't weird for an Abno, I guess. But it means that there wasn't any kind of... stasis memory that it was placed in, by being booked, or whatever. They're not too different from how they were in Containment Cells right now, that means. Besides the environment.> Play.     Petra knows this, though! Encouragingly, the Beauty of Ash jumps through space to follow after Fragments and slides to a frictionless stop by spinning around on all fours against the starry backdrop. The mech lands on the moon along with the Fragments of the Universe and clambers around a bit, trying to communicate that 'play' is a very good start for interactions with humanity. <Yeah! <People of Earth/the waiting congregation> are happy when <run and jump> too!> "ENJOY. FLYING. TOGETHER."     "See! It's really cute!" Petra insists to Audrey. Trying to be consciously aware of both her body and the Beauty of Ash simultaneously is weirdly disorienting, like being overly aware of her tongue and trying to pat her head and rub her stomach at the same time. "You just have to be nice to it. It's basically the cutest Abnormality there is, besides maybe Laetitia." Singing?     <Singing is really nice, but you need to <inside voice>! Earth is <small/shoebox diorama>, so you you can only <share/communicate/co-develop> some at a time.> Petra tries to advise to Fragments, swooping around in space around it like a second pointier space-jellyfish, matching some of its movements as unspoken 'thanks' for the way Fragments is mimicking their words and behaviors.     When Fragments starts angling towards continuing the journey to Earth, the Beauty of Ash skids through space in front of it, hopping on one razor-point foot. Not to intercept it, but to make sure it doesn't go alone. <<Hey!> Do you want to <atmospheric entry/V(impact) at speed> together? <People of Earth/the waiting congregation> appreciate <miracles of pairs/equal weight on the scales>!>
Tamamo	Once Lilian is drawing, Tamamo moves to help her -- not so much in childish squiggles, but in sweeping curves that seem to go nowhere, at first, only to come together as wispy impressions of people, of the kind that clicks firmly in one's vision it's seen in completed form. It's the kind of brush stroke she's good at.
Angela	''Our role is to change the tale'' It is a relief to hear that because Angela was getting worried--especially after Lilian had mentioned--that the goal wasn't clearly expressed--or rather that it was clearly expressed but the signals on the other end weren't connecting. Still, it shouldn't surprise her at all htat Tamamo catches on quick--usually when Tamamo misunderstands something it's usually because she is coming in late with half of the information on hand. But once Tamamo knows what's up, she tends to act decisively and effectively. Angela appreciates that. Angela isn't sure Audrey intended to teleport with Petra but she isn't sure she didn't intend to teleport with Petra either. So it's probably fine. When the creature stabs the teddy bear, it seems confused. It warbles inquisitvely because there was no mind to share knowledge with, and yet stuffing seems to be coming out of the bear! What is that? Form. Communication? It asks. It studies White intensely as she strokes the bear's head appropriately and then offers the bear. The creature carefully takes it in its tendrils and mimics the gesture before placing the bear to its head. It's rewarded with joy! It sings a happy song-noise. Bear. Implant. Joy. Pet. Bear. Joy. It looks like Sarracenia wants to go outside so Fragments extends a tentacle-- "NO." Angela says harshly. "It's harmful to remove without asking." The tendril pulls back, the creature confused but--at least--not punching a hole through the spacecraft and murdering anyone who still needs oxygen. "TOUCH/IMPALE? IMPALE/TOUCH?" It attempts to mimic Kukuru and doesn't get in the way of hugs or rubs or anything, trilling excitedly at it all. "HUG." It says, shoving the bear against Kukuru a bit roughly. "HUG? HUG. RUB. HUG. RUB? RUBHUG." Kukuru stabs it. "IMPALE?" It seems hesitant to impale though after being warned against it. It does keep moving on towards that bright blue and green planet in the distance... It doesn't seem to understand 'instrument' yet. Perhaps if an example is shown. "In. Stroo. Mint?" It lingers to provide the opportunity, but not for too long as it's an excitable child creature that loves all of you! Even you!
Angela	''Best friend forever'' Fragment learns something important! When you have a best friend forever you hold hands and kiss each other on the cheek! Fragment doesn't have lips to kiss with but it can sing so maybe it can still evoke kissing. Too Much. Friendship. Hurts. Understand. BFF/BPF. It flits back over to Lilian and tries to gently hold the Dame Commander's hand and then-- --attempts to lightly bonk its heart-shaped head against Lilian. It can be Best Friend/Player Forever too! Forever isn't a very long time to Fragment of the Universe, but it is happy to get be Best Friend/Players for however long this universe lasts. It plays with The Beauty of Ash. Somehow, it always keeps coming to playing with the Beauty of Ash. It trills happily at the construct. It has learned not to impale the Beauty of Ash just yet--it might be harmed by that! Intruded upon! But that doesn't mean it's entirely gentle. It honestly might remind Petra of Fey a bit as it bounces and roughhouses playfully a bit by bouncing around with the Beauty of Ash, though it does seem to practice SOME restraint even with the mech, being careful in the way one might bounce against a glass window but not throw themselves through it on a whim. But after some time it seems to remember it's mission! It wants to play with the people of EARTH. "Run/Jump! Hold hands! Face Boop!" Face Boop seems to be its interpretation of the Best Friend Forever smooch. The 'Boop' of Face Boop sounds like a jukebox button jingle when selecting a new track. It is reminded of inside voice. "faceboop." it says, the musical tone like fifteen percent quieter. ''Hey! Do you want to atmospheric entry/Vimpact at speed together?'' YEAH. yeah. yeah. yeah. YEAH. Inside Voice yeah. Song. That. Does Not Impale. Its tendrils reach out towards the Lilian/Petra and BFF Tamamo and it flies off towards Earth! That blue marble in the distance is still so far away and-- --or maybe it isn't actually. Much like the moon, the Earth isn't exactly normal-sized either, bigger than the moon, but small just like Petra had indicated. A bunch of smiling stick figures are wiggling there on the planet Earth as the Fragment of the Universe dances and--gently--sings soft...BUT WARM...tunes.
Angela	And then the story ends. And with it, there's a pulse of information. Any story comes from a place of truth and as the story is twisted to a benevolent end and nature--a piece of that truth slips out and is communicated to all within the book at the speed of angelatought. Those that have heard Carmen's Voice will reognize it here. tThere is more to our world than the City, Angela. More to it than the Outskirts and the Ruins and even this planet. There's a whole universe out there and it wants to connect with us--just as we once wanted to connect with it. And it wants to connect with you too, Angela. One day you'll be able to see the stars for yourself. You'll like up at the sky and you'll see those little dots of light and you'll finally feel the pull of those stars on you. I wonder what you'll do, when you can finally feel the light for yourself. And if it seems too scary now, perhaps one day... a fragment of the universe will come to visit you first and whisk you away to adventure, romance, and endless opportunity! Just don't be afraid to take their hand, even if it hurts at first. The new always hurts a little, and maybe there's misunderstandings--but if you can take that hand and find joy while gripping it tight--then your universe will get a little bigger...Even if you never leave your front porch. I hope you do travel though. I think you'd enjoy being the extended tentacle, eheh... The heart behind the story pulls away as you find yourselves back in the Floor of Art. Angela looks down at her hand and then closes it, as if gripping something. "...I'd say that was a successful test." She says eventually. "Thank you all for coming. Slowly but surely, we'll add new fragments to our reality." Netzach opens his mouth to comment and thinks better of it--and even clamps Mikey's mouth shut too and leads him away.
Audrey Basque	Being in the Beauty of Ash isn't terrible.     The best part of it is probably no longer being in front of Lilian, whose very presence was indeed threatening to burn Audrey to a crisp. There's nothing healthy about it, and getting away from it instead of facing the music is probably even less healthy.     Lilian was definitely right that it was complicated though.     And at least half right that it was Audrey's fault.     "Well then, you have to forgive me for the Corridors of Darkness,"     "I had, but now I'm reconsidering," Audrey responds.     Petra doesn't need to worry about Audrey wiggling at least; she understands this isn't the time or place to muck around, in a panic or otherwise, and so she, still a bit flustered from Lilian and Tamamo, begrudgingly settles more or less in her lap.     <So I guess it doesn't remember anything from the facility...>     "Angela mentioned to me she didn't think any of the Abnormalities were susceptible to experience memories the way we do. Unless their narrative was impacted, they'd just continue acting in accordance to it, so the odds of grudges are low."     "You just have to be nice to it. It's basically the cutest Abnormality there is, besides maybe Laetitia."     "It IS cute," Audrey agrees. "This one, I mean. Laetitia... Angela mentioned she makes spiders come out of you." No need to guess Audrey's expression there.     It's odd, though, knowing the Beauty of Ash is moving so quickly, and she's not being violently jerked around. It's a bit disorienting, but not too much. And as much as Petra encourages her to reach out and speak to the Abnormality, it quickly becomes obvious it wouldn't just be unnecessary, but actually probably would just be extraneous. She's fine, actually, just silently enjoying the ride, something she'd wanted to do since first seeing the Beauty of Ash.     Even if it's a bit cramped.     ----     The story ends, and they're back in the Library. There's a voice-- a truth, more like, and Audrey blinks. That'd an odd feeling, one, but two, that voice sounds familiar. She can infer, though.     Whether she has to disembark from the Beauty of Ash first or not, the moment she can, Audrey gives a polite bow and excuses herself, retreating to the confines of General Works as quickly as she can.     It's probably trivial to tell that between Lilian's scorching gaze, forward demonstration of beauty and love, and panic-cramming herself into the Beauty of Ash with Petra, Audrey has twice over filled some kind of limit break bar but it's a strictly negative bar to fill and now she'll die if she doesn't hide in a corner for half a hour or four.
White	White may not be confident in the efficacy of what she's doing, but it does seem like the message got across? To touch something gently is a good thing, and it learns that well enough from others as well, without lashing out. White steps off of the Beauty of Ash as it plays with Fragments, watching from alongside until later, when it confers its lessons learned back to the spaceship crew. In that moment, she gently and leisurely propels herself, bouncing easily between barely-visible platforms of solid energy that fade after each step, until she's close enough to stroke the side of Fragments of the Universe in a similar way to how Kukuru was before. It's important to reinforce the learning, after all, and it would be a lie to say she didn't feel a *little* warmly about such a straightforward and earnest creature showing that it can and will change.      Most people won't, after all. It feels worth a reward when it does happen.      With that said, she waves as Fragments flies off on its original course, having said not a single word to it herself all along. Her eyes close again, and she platform-hops her way back toward Petra and Audrey in the mech, lightly perching atop it once more to hitch a ride back. She doesn't need to, but it's a little fun, she supposes. Except, they likely return to where they began without any need to head back to the ship like this, and White is left standing strangely hunched in the library and has to brush herself off and straighten up again to maintain appearances.      She isn't sure entirely what to make of the message that accompanies their return. She can only guess. Those guesses, though, lead to an impulse, and Angela too might find herself recieving a careful pat on the head. "That wasn't so bad."
Tamamo	It is so nice when someone listens and changes their behavior. When a tendril reaches for her, Tamamo raises her free hand -- that not holding onto Lilian's -- and slowly circles around the offered limb without quite touching it. She's giving space! Establishing a boundary that is close, but not too close. Warm, but not burning.     Tamamo finds herself again in the library, as if she had not already been there, listening to a story that was only partly as she suspected it would be. After filing away those thoughts and feelings, she doesn't speak of it. It feels like something private that she merely happened to overhear.     Audrey scurries away. Guiltily...? Surely not... right in the middle of her work...?     "Will these changes be inked, Ms. Angela? That is to say, has the story truly changed, or is it only the one telling? We have not accomplished the same work as was previously requested of me, though I feel we have accomplished something. I am not terribly clear on this matter of transforming with pages and books, come to that."
Kukuru	Fragments really can learn! Giggling excitedly as she gets confirmation about that just from listening to it, Kukuru makes sure to give the Abnormality some proper encouragement and teaching by hugging and rubbing the bear to demonstrate, taking that rough bear-based treatment in stride. "Hehe... That's right! This is hugging, this is rubbing, and this iiis..." Impale. Kukuru nods slowly as she taps on the tip of her horn, then takes one of the tendrils gently to tap on the end of it. "Stabbing. Impaling. All those things, mhm. That's something that isn't always nice to do, because it can hurt people even when we don't mean to." She explains, still floating by Fragments and patting what feels vaguely like its main body/heart-shaped head so as to keep being a reassuring presence even while it's visibly hesitating. "That's why it's important to ask before doing too much touching, okay? Then nobody gets hurt or feels bad about things, and..." A broad smile crosses her face, and she taps her forehead (through the helmet) against Fragments gently once more. The smile grows wider when she sees White coming over to treat Fragments of the universe just as gently, and she's half-tempted to pat her on the cheek before stopping herself. She needs to make sure Fragments retains the lesson, after all!. "Everyone gets to be happier. Doesn't that sound good? Then you'll be able to play with your friends even more." Somehow, she's not worried about Fragments. It's got far more teachers than herself here, and even now, she's confident her own efforts are going to stick. It's a good feeling overall by the time the story ends, although Kukuru does freeze up briefly when she hears a voice that isn't Angela's reverberating in her head. As like those other times, Carmen's voice never feels like she's threatening anyone. It still sounds just fine to Kukuru, and that's exactly what still worries her. Still, so long as Angela  doesn't look too bothered by it, maybe it'll work out! "That was a neat little thing... It was nice. Very nice..." Kukuru murmurs, humming contently as she keeps laying on the ground while peeking up at Angela. She looks over at Netzach and Mikey, too, then sets her head right back down. "Floating around like that sure can be tiring, though... Do people really do that all day?"
Sarracenia	'Have you? That's not what I've heard.'      Sarra lets out one of her annoyed mmphs. With Angela being the only real example of Sarra being helpful, Sarra can't do much to argue the point. Not that she would ever concede the point to Lilian.      Sarra considers heading out after Lilian does. She is pretty sure Lilian needs air. But, her concern seems to be justified when Angela sternly tells Fragments no. So, she remains on the ship until the story ends and Carmen's speech is heard.      Sarra listens to it, and gets a cold shiver as she realizes this is the voice of the person she helped fillet in Ayin's mindscape. Her arms hug around herself and her hands rub up and down uncomfortably. "...it is odd to hear such a lovely sounding sentiment from someone who through design or despair doomed everyone in L-Corp to eternal suffering. I wonder, could she see the future to some degree? Fragments of the universe - or Multiverse - did come to you and drag you off to adventures." Sarra says, looking toward Angela. "...though perhaps drag is the wrong word, considering you were already looking to escape."      Sarra watches Audrey retreat, offering a wave as she goes. The princess is not really aware that Audrey is retreating. She thinks Audrey idolizes Lilian, after all. And nothing that embarrassing even happened as far as Sarra is aware. "Let me know when you would like to discuss your second visit to the Sundew Kingdom~"      Hearing that the mission was a success draws a bit of a smile from Sarra. "So, it is possile." she says. She also nods in agreement with Kukuru. "It was quite nice."