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Owner	Pose
Hibiki Tachibana	S.O.N.G. An arm of the Japanese government dedicated to research of and response to the genocidal monsters known as Noise, classified as a unique and especially dangerous form of natural disaster - although at least one form of controlling them is known to exist, using it at this point in time is currently untenable.     By taking fragments of mythological relics and creating transformation pendants out of them, individuals who hold attunement to said relics can use song to become armored valkyries able to stand up to this threat and more: Symphogear users. As such, S.O.N.G. headquarters is housed away from the public eye beneath Lydian Private Music Academy in Tokyo, largely in part to scout for girls who show potential in wielding these powerful devices.     "...Buuu ~ uuut as you may or may not know, there are only /two/ whole users of Symphogear in this world! So hopefully, even discounting Hibiki's close attachment to hers, you can see why it's a pretty severe issue for one of them to be damaged."     The woman talking snaps closed what at first looks to be a book... but a cover made of circuit-lined metal and what seemed to be 'pages' of a hard and transparent material inside probably mark it closer to being some form of high-tech device for information storage and playback, that merely superficially resembles one.     Almost definitely true, given it was just vocally reciting all of that in an obviously synthesized voice. "At least, I hope some of the fresher faces can! My Not-too-short Not-too-long Summarizer here is still being workshopped." Spring cherry blossoms     Scattering, falling in bloom         Heralding conflict     "Hey, I didn't even ask you about the current situation yet--! And why are you delivering it in haiku!?"     Well, it's not exactly a totally incorrect assessment of their surroundings. Hibiki had earlier given a general notice that S.O.N.G. - and she, personally - was requesting Elite assistance with an important problem: her Symphogear, Gungnir, has been damaged (under circumstances that have not been elaborated on yet) and they'd appreciate a hand in getting it fixed. Mainly, although they wouldn't turn down extra aid with the actual 'repair' portion, in retrieving materials critical for this goal.     To that end, they've been directed to the base of a towering hill a few miles out from any urban bustle, the well-worn dirt pathway upwards bordered by a veritable forest of sakura trees that seems to encompass the gentle slope. At the height of the season, everything from pure white to soft pink to pleasant red are all a much more common a sight than green here, with countless fallen petals having come to earth while a persistent breeze sends more wafting through the air.     Surely, plenty more still clinging to branches will be descending to join them over the next week or so, painting over this entire stretch of countryside when they do.
Hibiki Tachibana	It's quite the scenic sight, albeit one that somewhat obscures clearly viewing what lies up the hillside simply via the density of the woodland and the billowing blossoms. Still, if you pay attention, you can spot what appears to be the unmistakable silhouette of a torii gate far up the way. After squinting at her tome-gadget and wagging a finger at it with 'I'm watching you' intention, this unquestionably-not-Hibiki individual acting as your greeter in her stead sighs before clutching it to her chest with both hands and offering a warm smile.     "Ahem. My name is Starlit! I've only been recently transfered to S.O.N.G. to assist with Relic and Symphogear research - and I'm also going to be teaching science at Lydian, though you didn't hear that from me. Pleased to meet you all!" She certainly looks the part well enough, not like S.O.N.G. seems to have strict uniform code or anything of the sort.     Still, who wears a tie with a corset? This is almost as offensive as Hibiki making cargo shorts part of her usual outfit. "To be honest, I think it's amazing that such a colorful cast has shown up for Hibiki's sake. Has she touched that many lives? Or do Elites just not need reasons to do this for one another?" Her eyes close as her smile widens, though it sounds as if that was an actual serious curiosity of hers.     "If you're disappointed to have me and not her, don't be! She's waiting for us further ahead, and I'd like to see her myself. We're going to be walking into trouble, so she's being diligent and keeping an eye on things. You're probably wondering what a fight has to do with helping repair her Gear..."     Rather than actually explaining that very salient point right away, Starlit instead follows with a sweeping question to everyone while beginning the trek onward and upward, at a rather casual pace for someone who just said to expect danger.     "Are any of you familiar with the name... 'Sengo Muramasa'? The swordsmith?"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia has been a mixture of bored out of her skull and afraid to go out anywhere after what happened in The City and on the radio recently. So, having the chance to help someone that actually likes her is a very welcome change.      The princess listens with only slight interest to the explanation of the symphogear origins and their purpose. Hearing there is a shortage of them draws Sarra's interest, though. "...two? Is that enough to keep this world properly protected?" the princess asks, then hmms. Her own primary weapon was broken in the City as well. So, she finds herself wondering... "...and how does one become a symphogear wielder?" Is the princess considering trying to get one of these things?      'At least, I hope some of the fresher faces can! My Not-too-short Not-too-long Summarizer here is still being workshopped.'      "Oh dear. Is that name also still being workshopped?" Sarra asks before they are directed to the hill. Starlit introduces herself, and thus is Sarra prompted to introduce herself as well. "It is nice to meet you, Starlit. I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom." she says, curtseying politely in a practiced graceful pose. Her silver hair falls about her back and shoulders to the middle of her back, contrasting her black velvet royal gown and long black gloves with their own silver accents. Her eyepatch is still in place over her right eye as well, though it is not merely a patch and more like a stylish headband that tilted to cover her eye.      'Has she touched that many lives? Or do Elites just not need reasons to do this for one another?'      "Miss Hibiki has touched many lives. I can only speak for myself, but I consider us to be at the least friendly acquaintances. However, it is also true that elites will just do this for one another on occasion if we have nothing else pressing to do."      'Are any of you familiar with the name... 'Sengo Muramasa'? The swordsmith?'      Sarra shakes her head. "I cannot say I am. Should we be?" she asks. Sarra notes Starlit's fashion choice, and hmms. "That is a rather...unique look. I usually expect a rather large bowtie or a simple choker with such an outfit instead of a typical tie."
Kukuru	One of the fresher and probably less recognizable faces here (to the synthesized voice, anyway) is Kukuru! Having heard the call to help Hibiki with repairing her device, how could she not show up? She remembers the lengths the Symphogear wielder went to helping Angela that fateful week, and she's not about to let her go through this without an extra pair of arms and a fridge full of food on standby. Being in nice surroundings certainly helps a lot with that, as Kukuru's all too eager to enjoy the spring weather. She certainly doesn't look like she's here to do any heavy lifting, dressed in a yellow sundress and light brown cardigan as she is. She does seem a little confused upon seeing the not-Hibiki figure introducing herself to the group, but takes it in stride with a light giggle and loose wave of an arm in greeting. "He-llo, Starlit... Ah, that's a lovely name. My name's Kukuru." Beat. "That's Ku-ku-ru. It's so nice to know Hibiki's got more friends joining her at school nooow~" She chimes in pleasantly, not bothered one bit by the tie and corset look she's got going on. Kukuru isn't one to criticize most fashion choices she doesn't understand. "Hibiki really has... She's helped my family a lot, so it's only normal that I... We'd be here for her, too. It's not disappointing at all." Kukuru lies, smiling pleasantly despite clearly hoping that Hibiki would be here instead. Hearing that Hibiki's watching over this today, though, does get a genuine sigh of relief from Kukuru. "That's good, actually. Ah... IF her thingy's broken, then it'd be safer for her not to be here. But a swordsmith?" She taps on her chin cluelessly, then shakes her head. "Nooope, never heard of that one before. Does Hibiki want a sword?"
Riku Asakura	The sakura trees are a familiar sight for Riku, blooming at this time of year. He's come today to help Hibiki out because he's heard she needs it.  Especially because of how the core was cracked, he felt he should show up to lend his aid. Riku himself looks relatively normal.  Jean jacket with a pair of jeans and an orange T-shirt with sneakers.  He walks up the path to the base which gets him ambushed by Starlit.   "Nice to meet you Starlit, I'm Riku Asakura.  Hibiki and I met a while back and have been working together on and off for the past few months," though the last time they met he nearly, accidentally, almost buried her in rocks.   "I'm not disappointed to see you and not her, I always enjoy meeting new people, especially those that Hibiki has touched herself!" he says to Starlit about where Hibiki was and if they were disappointed in not seeing her right away.  Riku was a friendly person, happy to meet almost anyone.   'Are any of you familiar with the name... 'Sengo Muramasa'? The swordsmith?' "Yeah, I am.  He's a famous legend where I come from, too.  Ancient history, though, as I understand it.  He made a lot of famous blades and had a whole school of swordsmithing under him in the far past... what brings this up?"
Xion	For reasons that nobody really seemed forthcoming, Hibiki had damaged her Symphogear. Xion hadn't questioned, at the time, using desperation moves as dire as 'all or nothing' because her own resolves and lines meant she was deadly serious about the stakes for herself and thus others. It had mattered. Xion was not equipped to debate the wisdom and merit of each sacrifice. To a point, she couldn't, because once she started it would be a reckoning with her soul on the line. So now there was someone who was hero to her that she couldn't work off the debt towards, and,     also, Hibiki Tachibana. 'I'm counting on you, Hibiki', mouthed words, willed like blades, things she hadn't regretted until she had to look at herself in the mirror and catch herself wondering if the reflection knew what that really meant. Then, like a bill for dinner, it came due, and picking up the rich eating required hard work of several kinds. --- Xion arrives at the S.O.N.G. rendezvous in a breezy April style, wearing a black zip-up hoodie with a vibrant salmon pink interior and white fringe with a purple spray gradient top on underneath. Shorts, high purple socks, and thick fashion sneakers complete the look, accessorized with a checkerboard belt, several keychains and charms dangling from loops and ties, and a red bandanna escapes her right back pocket. 'To be honest, I think it's amazing that such a colorful cast has shown up for Hibiki's sake.' Shrugging, Xion shakes her head without even thinking for a moment. "It was going to be colorful, Hibiki's a... polarizing girl. She makes strong friends, or," The noirette trails off while smiling. Hibiki was a very Honest girl as well. Similar messaging. "With Gungnir, she certainly did a lot of touching - I'm here because I owe her for using the same lame twice. Does that answer your question, miss Starlit?" Hibiki waiting further ahead gets the Nobody looking that way. "Oh, are they testing a backup already? I thought they'd be forced to take things easy." Xion asks, then pauses for the question about Muramasa. "Oh! Sure, a few times. I've handled plenty of his blades. I'm a sword collector, if you'd imagine, though it's all amateur. I just know what a good blade feels like, you know?" It must be innocent, because Xion can say that with a blessedly straight face. Must be. "He used to work for the Paladins. Why?"
Petra Soroka	Today, Petra has had a day full of physical coexistence and pleasant stretches of work. As is the way of Petra Soroka, where she was openly talking about suicide just a week or so ago, today she's doing pretty much fine, by virtue of ignoring the queasy discomfort in her stomach that's partly caused by doing pretty much fine. Several hours of peaceful Library work after lunch leaves Petra in an almost meditatively serene state when she packs up to head out to respond to Hibiki's call for assistance along with Audrey, who's also leaving from the Library.     Since this is just *Hibiki's* world, Petra doesn't feel the urge to do much more than replace her librarian uniform with a green hoodie and jean shorts, observing in her phone camera (not the mirror, for obvious reasons) that the color of her eyes significantly changes the way green looks on her from how it used to. She's not sure how to feel about that. Besides that, she just pulls on the Eggpack-- for what 'might be the last time ever!' as she says to Angela-- and heads out the door. "So hopefully, even discounting Hibiki's close attachment to hers, you can see why it's a pretty severe issue for one of them to be damaged."     At the time that Petra ordered her to use it, she hadn't known the cost that it would have on Hibiki-- and it wouldn't have mattered to her anyways. In the depths of the war, Petra had told everyone to die if they had to, and something as trivial as 'Hibiki's Symphogear breaking' wouldn't have even registered as a consequence at all. As long as the week was gotten through with Angela alive, that was all that mattered, in that particular mindset.     But now... maybe she feels a little bad about it. She feels bad about most things, but is it for Hibiki's sake or Lilian's, that she wishes she'd planned a kinder route through the fall of Lobotomy Corporation? Cinder's or Lilian's? Xion's? Angela's? Petra is acutely aware of the way her own psyche works, to her detriment; if in those early days after the war, Lilian had praised her for using every tool at her disposal, then even Gungnir being destroyed completely wouldn't be enough to make her regret it. So, she feels bad, but how much is that really worth? "Ahem. My name is Starlit!"     Petra blinks. "Oh, that's a pretty name. I'm Petra." She thinks for a second that a new researcher in S.O.N.G. might already know her from files and files of 'ways Petra ruined the life of one of only two Symphogear users in the world'. So, she decides to add, "Hibiki and I have known each other for a while."
Petra Soroka	"Has she touched that many lives? Or do Elites just not need reasons to do this for one another?"     Petra has her thumbs hooked through the Eggpack straps over her shoulders, peacefully enjoying the spring air, but something about Starlit's tone there makes her narrow her eyes. Not suspiciously, just... interesting, for the kind of person Starlit is. "Well, as for me... Hibiki's both pissed me off and helped me enough times that I'm never sure where the math lands. So it'd be bad manners for me not to give her a hand when I might be in the red right now, haha."     The half-joking tone Petra takes is purposefully vague, because the fact that Starlit immediately comes across as more clever than the average idiot she encounters in this work makes Petra a tiny bit hesitant to open up all of her motivations on the spot. Probably it's fine, but also probably, there's plenty of reasons a S.O.N.G. member might have to dislike her, and she doesn't need to add any more. "We're going to be walking into trouble, so she's being diligent and keeping an eye on things."     "... Noise, right?" Petra trudges after Starlit, but puts a hand on her hip where her compact mirror is chained into her pocket. "I've heard of *a* Muramasa. Is he actually alive on this world? Or are we looking for relics of his?"
Audrey Basque	There's nothing wrong with comfy autumnwear in spring.     Audrey is wearing a nice patterned beige-white sweater along these lines, with a poofy collar and long sleeves, casually complemented by almost but not quite plain jeans, in that they look like they cost entirely too much and so defeat the purpose of jeans. Her hair is held in the usual large drill buns, to both sides of her, very intentionally kept in front, and not behind. Having learned a lesson about wrapping her whole neck up, what there is to be spied, barely, under the collar, is more mundane square bandaids.     Hoodies have been added to her next shopping list, because it's simply not something that ever fit her vibe or aesthetic before. It still isn't! That probably makes it worse.     Woes aside it had been a fairly good couple of days. When Hibiki had seen Audrey at the Library, she was still a bit off, but she's getting the full wide smile, wide eyes experience today (or at least, will, when they get to her). She didn't know about her world, or her problems, but Petra had filled her in somewhat, and having met Hibiki, she would help without second thoughts.     Well, SOME second thoughts, as was always the case when Petra suggested Audrey just dive into a new Ongoing Crisis with her like it was the most normal thing in the world to be doing.     She's getting used to it. Slowly.     Starlit is met with the full polite bow. "Audrey Basque. I only met Hibiki recently, I admit, but she treated me to some of her homemade food, and so I suppose I owe her." Not untrue! Feels nicer than saying 'I got dragged along' though, especially for what sounds important.     So many familiar faces though! "Princess, hello!" she enthusiastically waves towards Sarracenia, "Kukuru!" and "Riku!" too. Xion... she saw her, in the City, when the Black Silence was there, but never caught her name. Someone else she'd surely made a terrible first impression on, tumbling out of Lilian's office with Petra and then sulking off.     "A-Ah, hello. I saw you in the City, once, but we didn't have time talk then. I'm Audrey." No, that's too bland! "Crown White, Nova Heliosanctus..." That's too formal!! "... I am a schoolmate of the Dame Commander's." No that's even worse for unwordable reasons. Fine, fine, good enough.     As for the matter of blacksmiths...     "Well, I know the name Muramasa, but I'm not at all familiar with swords, so..."
Angela	Angela consistently has sent Agents out to help SONG--one of the first meetings she attended was, in fact, a SONG meeting involving the Alchemist. And yet that situation has been resolved, so does Angela continue to have a reason to help out Hibiki? ... She does. Because for one reason or another, Hibiki fought on her side during the war and that means Angela sees herself as indebted to the Symphogear user and Angela hates holding onto debt. Especially since the Symphogear was damaged IN that war, so it'd be uncouth to not send some manner of aid. Admittedly, Angela's not sure how she can help Hibiki with her Symphogear problem. This seems a bit more complicated than a U-Corp tuning fork could handle and it's not as if Angela has one anyway but if Hibiki is explicitely asking for 'Elite' aid then it's probably something a lot easier and probably involves some degree of fighting. Rose wasn't in the facility at the time of it's collapse so she still has her EGO--though Angela took back the Servant of Wrath's EGO and returned the Red Hooded Mercenary to Rose to use as part of her work program with SONG. Rose is uneasy because she half expects to see Angela, at least, and at this point she's certainly not an employee at LobCorp anymore. And she has no intention of returning to the Library either. She already built her life here. But she intends to arrive with Hibiki so right now it's just Roland with the group, not even in EGO Gear--looking exactly like the kind of man who would make a shortsighted deal with a Symphogear antagonist and then probably try to betray them and get murdered. And Angela is in the Eggpack, looking a bit wistful. This might be the Eggpack FOR THE LAST TIME EVER and she's a little sad about that. Not enough to give up on her dream of going outside but enough to make her feel a bit of melancholy. "Yes. It's a nice name. I imagine Audrey would like it even more." Angela allows herself a small smirk at that before adding, "I am ultimately partly responsible for the device being broken in the first place, so it is good manners to lend our hand. Even if our expertise is limited in the manner of 'Symphogears', if we ease the burden that would be a relief." "I'm Roland and I barely know her but I'll pick things up as we go." Roland says with a lazy smile. "Think I read a book about him sometime." "Ah, you read?" "Even I read sometimes..." Roland grumbles. When she sees Audrey, she squints towards the sweater thoughtfully--particularly the collar--but she doesn't linger her attention on it for that long. "She learned how to make burgers. We're all very proud of her." Angela adds, like that's an even bigger deal than shattering Gugnir for her sake. Gugnir is kind of this abstract artifact to Angela whereas burgers have become increasingly real to the Librarian. One of the Eggpack arms pats Petra on the shoulder. Angela has been moving those limbs even more than normal like she's trying to get the most out of Eggpack time FOR WHAT MIGHT BE THE LAST TIME EVER. "And to reassure you, it is a pleasure to meet you. You need not worry about disappointed comparisions." Angela adds as Roland slinks towards Audrey to stand next to her. "Hey." He whispers. "You okay?"
Hiromi	'At least, I hope some of the fresher faces can!'     Most of those present have met her, at least once, but this world, itself, had not. To say that 'a towering wolf-woman dressed in bronze rings, black cloth and gray furs stands here' is insufficient, and not wholly accurate. As soon as she appears, she does not stand, but stalks forward.     'Ahem. My name is Starlit!'     "I am Hiromi." The sound of her name reaches the ear, then strikes the mind, carrying with it forceful understanding. These can only be fully understood afterward, memories picked through as if far more had been said in a space less than two seconds. An unprotected listener cannot help knowing that she is the Archwolf, the Final Huntress, that her name-being carries both the entwined senses of Terrible and Beautiful, as if a written, description of essence, rather than a title bestowed by any perspective.     She menaces Starlit with proximity in the way a large and fearless wild animal does, completing the exchange of names by leaning in to sniff her shoulders. Her hands are at risk only if she raises them.     'Has she touched that many lives? Or do Elites just not need reasons to do this for one another?'     'However, it is also true that elites will just do this for one another on occasion if we have nothing else pressing to do.'     "Many things must be done. Many things want to be done. I'm here for her, one of my blood, even if she refused me. I hear this, her claws have dulled and shattered. I come to see her growth, her sharpening, and to take her." Using 'ordinary' words leaves a lot of the meaning there ambiguous. "She can't yet fall, while I wait. Are you understanding?"
Hiromi	'Are any of you familiar with the name... 'Sengo Muramasa'? The swordsmith?'     'He used to work for the Paladins. Why?'     "'Muramasa.'" Turning the name around in her mind. Then, connecting to Hibiki, she remembers. "Would-be hunter. I felt his sharpness. Forced himself to breaking." Carrying the sense of 'a good effort, but flawed approach.'
Audrey Basque	Hiromi's sudden arrival sends a shiver down Audrey's spine, in that way she surely experiences a lot when people first hear her voice. Or second, or third, likely...     "Hiromi! Hello. It's a pleasure to see you again," she bows to the Archwolf, carrying herself likely a bit straighter and better than last time. And with a lot less of the forced, let's say, stoic facade.     Of course Audrey likes the name Starlit.     Angela is right, as she ever is.     Roland briefly slinks towards her before she can reply or confirm, though, and Audrey blinks twice. "Should I not be?" Of course she's fine. Debatably, this is both the finest and the worst she has ever been. It's spiking the scale like that, immeasurably somewhere between amazing and end it all. MOSTLY the former, thankfully.
Angela	"Well." Roland says softly. "You have bandages on your neck."
Audrey Basque	"I do," Audrey says, straight faced.     "This happens, sometimes," she adds, crossing her arms and looking up (slightly) at him straight in the eyes.     The internal vibe is a lot more turbulent.     She takes her phone out to tap something real quick.
Hibiki Tachibana	...and how does one become a symphogear wielder?     "Oh, that's a good question," Starlit nods to Sarracenia, seemingly perking up at the chance to answer. "I think someone once said, 'there are no miracles involved in Symphogear compatibility'. You're either born with natural attunement to certain Relics... or you force it, one way or another. Hibiki's predecessor in using Gungnir didn't have that natural attunement. She desperately clawed and fought for it, enduring all sorts of experiments and tests to increase her sync ratios by any means necessary."     "Hibiki herself is a special case too; fragments of Gungnir used to be lodged inside her heart, and them integrating with her body is what increased her compatibility. That's not the case any longer, but her going through that period in the first place is why she can use one 'the normal way' now." She's awfully well-learned for a new hire. She must take her job seriously.     "So! Either there's one out there you'll resonate with, or you can want it badly enough to brute force it. I'm afraid to say the latter is more likely out of the two of them... and it's not a pleasant experience."     After an apologetic sort of look, she catches on to the other bit the princess said, caught off-guard. Actually both bits. "Eh? Is something wrong with the name? I thought it fit."     She's even lifting her tie a bit with a small pout, before the rebound of people commenting on her name (Audrey gets an interested look) and and reassuring her that it is, in fact, good to meet her gets her bouncing back. You can /hear/ the 'okay! yay!' in her returning grin. "That's wonderful to hear! I'd like to be on good terms with everybody Hibiki regularly works with, after all, and reading about people really is no substitute for meeting and talking to them."     She probably is aware of Petra's history, in that case. But whatever her thoughts must be aren't forthcoming. She's helped my family a lot... ...met a while back and have been working together on and off for the past few months, I consider us to be at the least friendly acquaintances... ...but she treated me to some of her homemade food... I am ultimately partly responsible for the device being broken in the first place, so... ...pissed me off and helped me enough times that I'm never sure where the math lands. With Gungnir, she certainly did a lot of touching - I'm here because I owe her for using the same lame twice. Does that answer your question, miss Starlit?     "I think it does!" Starlit beams at the various replies - although then Hiromi's towering and undeniable Presence while speaking of growth, sharpening, and then taking Hibiki is what actually gets the researcher pausing in her walk to stare up at her, taking it all in - and wisely remaining perfectly still while she's sniffed at.
Hibiki Tachibana	Only after she's done does the woman relax her shoulders, giving a tension-relieving chuckle. "...I see. The type of straightforwardly honest girl who's all-or-nothing on relationships, can't stop herself from helping, makes homemade meals, and... goodness, catches some very interesting eyes. Thank you for entertaining my curiosity. I'd like to try to be good friends with her myself, but I also wanted to hear what others thought of her!"     There are an equal variety of answers on the subject of Muramasa, so as Starlit continues ascending the petal-strewn path higher up the hill, she continues, "Sengo Muramasa was a master smith who lived back in the Muromachi period of Japan - that'd be over four centuries ago! There's all sorts of anecdotes involving his creations and the Tokugawa shogunate, both good and bad. If you believe the kabuki plays contemporary of that era, they're cursed blades that invite misfortune and bloodshed from acts as simple as drawing them... although who's to say which stories are accurate and which aren't? And he also..."     Starlit nods to Xion and Hiromi in particular. "...was an active Elite, yes, and one who shared a rather deep connection with Hibiki. Maybe those two shared a certain similarity in 'pushing themselves to breaking', hm?" Her smile takes a noticeably somber turn before returning to what it was. "Maybe it's because of that time, just like when Gungnir resided inside of Hibiki, that she's developed an affinity with the Relics created by the Muramasa of this world - you're right in one, Petra. We're going after those."     "...Or rather, one of them that's split apart. You see, not long ago, a different branch of the government was putting one of his recovered blades through an activation experiment; think of it like trying to create a spark that'd breathe life into it again. Here, Relics that are complete and whole are rare, and having one at its full and legendary strength would be something else. But-- it went wrong. Maybe it degraded too much, or calculations were off... maybe it was inevitable with a 'cursed sword'. Whatever the case, that Muramasa blade completely shattered into dozens of pieces."     "That alone wouldn't have been the worst thing imaginable, but... the release of energy also drew Noise to the location. Noise that /absorbed/ the fragments, and changed for it. You're starting to see the problem. But also the conveniently-timed solution! Repairing Symphogear isn't an easy affair, because of what they're made of. For the damage Hibiki's has taken, we'd either need to somehow find more fragments of Gungnir... or we could use pieces of a different one, as a sort of... hmm. Let's liken it to a graft!"     While cheerily going through the details of all of this, the group soon moves far enough along on the path that they do in fact reach and begin moving past the torii gate, acting as the border between the outside world and what can only be a shrine further at the peak. And a certain somebody.
Hibiki Tachibana	...And it's only a little higher up, not quite at the looming and walled shrine resting at the end of the road but at least within view of it, that one Hibiki Tachibana is standing with her back against a tree, arms folded as she keeps her eyes up that way. Rose is in all likelihood with her if she intended to come with her, and it's right about then that she's saying something to her along the lines of,     ""These Noise, though... they're just plain weird. I don't actually think I could beat them on my own. Though I'm supposed to limit how much I'm fighting in the first... ...hm?"     Hibiki glances back down the way, towards the group. She blinks. And then she squints. When she's silent for a moment--     "Hi, Hibiki~!"     "You're the woman from before--!?"     "Yup! Pleased to be working with you!"     "...W-Wait, /you're/ the new researcher they said they were sending...?"     "Mhm!"     "E-Eh...? Wait, does that mean this whole thing was your...?"     "You got it!"     "But they didn't..."     "I thought it'd make for a more dramatic meeting if we met on the spot. We didn't share names before, either. Starlit~!"     "Nice... to... meet you?" Hibiki is reeling more than a little. Apparently there's some history here.     "Nice to meet you, too! Again!" Without missing a beat. "And just look at everybody who came just for your sake. Isn't that amazing?" Starlit steps aside, gesturing at... well, everybody.     Hibiki looks at everybody. There's a number of expected faces. Some unexpected. And some that don't fit into either category, like--     "H-Hiromi...!?"
Riku Asakura	Riku gives a bow to Audrey when she recognizes him upon meeting.  "Nice to meet you again, Ms. Basque." he says, politely and smiles at her.  He also provides a bow or a wave to those who show up that he knows... until Hiromi herself shows up.  Her words flood his mind and cause the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up.   Knowing her name intones knowing her title. The Archwolf.  He bows to her, though the bow is a bit deeper than it normally would be.  "Nice to meet you as well, Hiromi.  I'm Riku Asakura." <J-IC-Scene> Riku Asakura says, "It's nice to meet you Hiromi, I'm Riku..." saying this as the hairs on his neck raise, "Riku Asakura." <J-IC-Scene> Hiromi says, "I've seen you, from the clifftop, Riku Asakura." Needless to say, the fact that she's met him before and he didn't see her has him a little on the back foot, but at least they're greeted.  The words she says about Hibiki carry more weight than the normal human tongue.  It's weird... but it's not completely unfamiliar.   They walk on with Starlit, only to find out that this is her first time meeting Hibiki, too.  That and the pieces of Muramasa's blade are impacted in certain noise, which are the key to repairing Hibiki's crystal and relic.  "Hibiki, I heard the rundown by Starlit here..." he says, bowing to her and then giving her a wave.   "I'm happy to help out in any way that I can.  We just need to track down the noise with the pieces of the sword in them and beat them up, right?  That's straightforward enough!"
Sarracenia	Sarra is happy to have Kukuru, Riku, and especially Xion here. And Sarra's head ends up nodding in time with Kukuru's 'ku-ku-ru'. "Hello, Miss Kukuru. It is good to see you are well." she says, then looks to Riku. "And you as well, Riku. I hope your recovery has gone better than mine." she says, though doesn't hint at why she thinks hers has not gone well. Xion is greeted with a warm smile. "Hello Xion." she says, and without any prompting just pulls out a grapefruit soda and hands it to the noirette. Sarra also ends up gravitating toward Xion and walking or standing close to her when they move.      Then, there are Petra, Angela, Roland, and Audrey. Two people who absolutely hate Sarracenia, one who casually minorly insults Sarracenia nearly every time they speak, and one who...Sarracenia is embarrassed to see and who Sarra is certain has landed on Petra, Angela, and Lilian side as far as opinions of Sarra.      Sarra's expression practically screams 'why are you here?' at the first three on that list and perhaps catches the fourth in the crossfire...up until Audrey greets Sarra with energy and apparently...not malice? Sarra is caught off guard, her sour expression replaced with one of confusion. "Ah...h-hello, Lady Audrey." And now she said hello to one so she feels obligated to add, "...Petra. Angela. Roland."      Does Audrey not hate her? Or is Audrey just a lady of class and so just greets people warmly out of habit even if she does hate them? Sarra does not know Audrey well enough to determine that, and ends up giving Audrey what probably looks like a suspicious gaze. "...I...um...my apologies once again for the...lackluster welcome in the Sundew Kingdom. I would offer a second, but..." ...it seems unwise, Sarra doesn't say but clearly thinks.      Hiromi introduces herself. Sarra has met the Archwolf only once or twice, and has little in the way of resistance to the Archwolf's energy. She ends up shivering a bit right along with Audrey. "Archwolf. It has been quite a while since we have encountered each other." Sarra says, giving Hiromi a polite curtsey in greeting. "Thank you for your consideration in certain matters during my radio discussions. Your insights have been valuable."      'Oh, that's a good question...'      Sarra listens rather intently to the explanation of Symphogear compatibility and Hibiki's route. As a tool user rather than someone who is innately powerful, getting a tool that might make her as powerful as Hibiki is a tempting idea. Being tortured to get it...is not.      'Eh? Is something wrong with the name? I thought it fit.'      Sarra smiles at the question. "It does fit I am sure, but it is a bit...long and too on the nose. Something like 'The Sensibly Succinct Summarizer' might fit it better." The pouting makes Sarra hesitate a moment. "Oh, but...it is your device. Just because the name does not match my tastes does not make it a bad name." she says quickly.      As they reach the certain somebody, Sarra is quick to offer a smile and a wave to Hibiki. "Hello, Hibiki!" she calls out, only to end up holding that hand up awkwardly as Starlit and Hibiki start talking. "...you two know each other, I take it?" Sarra asks once things have calmed down a bit.
Angela	"Seems like Gugnir has a penchant for seeking out special cases." Angela remarks. She is starting to feel a little suspicious of Starlit because she seems too friendly to her but, she supposes, she does know Kukuru so she can't really be sure and it isn't really her responsible to vet Hibiki's comrades anyway. She knows she can be a bit paranoid, best to let it pass for now. "I had no idea Hibiki had a friend like tha.t" Angela admits. "We'll have to be careful, Noise is very deadly Roland, please avoid a situation where you cannot even be brought back from a book state." She gives Sarracenia a nod, the platonic ideal of perfect neutrality. She already said why she was here so she doesn't answer the accusatory look. Rose IS with Hibiki, just as indicated! "'Weird' noise... That's not a good sign. Regular Noise are enough of a problem, if they're getting weird then I'm worried." Rose is wearing her EGO equipment right now, though she has pulled back her hood revealing the horrible sharp toothed too-wide-open mouth that was 'gifted' to her by Red Hooded Mercenary long ago, rendered in a permanent violent grin.... But she herself seems relaxed. She is quiet while Hibiki has her exchange with STarlit before adding, "She's really got your number, huh pardner." When she looks over--she doesn't seem to recognize Audrey but does recognize the Archwolf. She bows her head to the Archwolf. "Greetings Archwolf. Hibiki and I were just talking about this new variety of Noise. ... A kind we aren't sure we could beat on our won." She stays close to Hibiki, instinctually protective despite decidedly being the weaker of the two in a fight. She has some bloodied sidearm at her side along with some kind of switchblade sword--her EGO weapons. "Rose." Angela says. "Rest assured I am not asking you to return. But we can work together on this mission." "Hey. Servant Roland here." Roland throws a wave to Rose before looking back to Audrey, frowning, but senses that she doesn't want to continue talking about it. Is... Audrey being bullied, he wonders. "Yeah... Works." Rose says.
Petra Soroka	The fact that a large part of Angela's side of the war effort is present doesn't escape Petra's notice, and neither does Lilian's absence. That isn't unusual, given the constantly rocky-at-best relationship Lilian has with Hibiki and the fact that Lilian is regularly busy, but it does mean that Petra finds herself among a *particular* crowd, and one that signals a Lilian-less allegiance. But... she does have Audrey to one side, Xion to another, Angela on her back, and her most complicated frenemy waiting up ahead, so she's at least not at risk of getting in trouble right now.     Or-- at least mostly not at risk. Petra's spine stiffens up with an invisible shiver when Audrey starts talking, and in her extremely casual preparation for maybe-danger up ahead, she draws out a swirl of morphmetal that orbits her hand and covertly remote-connects to her phone. Wow-- Audrey surely must be texting anyone at all besides Petra, because Petra doesn't react at all or pull out her phone while Audrey types out several messages! "I only met Hibiki recently, I admit, but she treated me to some of her homemade food, and so I suppose I owe her."     "Well, and--" Petra says aside to Audrey out loud, with a casual tone and her hands stuffed in her hoodie pocket, "Whatever else is true about her, Hibiki sure is... present. She's the kind of person you're better off knowing the deal of than not knowing." That may be the most damnation for the faintest praise that Petra's ever managed. "She learned how to make burgers. We're all very proud of her."     "We *are* very proud of her," Petra adds on in agreement. The tone of Petra doing it makes it hard to tell whether she's being mocking or sincere, but the true answer is probably both. Hibiki developing a concrete skill is something genuinely and inarguably valuable, but also, among Hibiki's many achievements, it might be one of the few uncomplicatedly good ones she's pulled off. "I come to see her growth, her sharpening, and to take her."     What a sentence. She knows Hibiki has history with the Archwolf, but the nature of that history is... as far as Petra knows, actually fairly lensed around a 'Muramasa', and hearing that Hibiki is somehow one of Hiromi's blood(?!) recontextualizes the little she knows. She feels like she has to ask, at some point, about that of all things.     Petra acknowledges the obvious necessity of greeting Hiromi anytime she's present with a small wave and a "Archwolf."
Petra Soroka	"...was an active Elite, yes, and one who shared a rather deep connection with Hibiki."     This was, in fact, something Petra knew, from a little discussion about Command Seals. She figured that couldn't be the specific one Starlit meant, but... "We're going after those."     Oh thank god, it's just monsters and ancient relics. Petra would deal with a million Noise before a single Elite. She lets out a sigh of relief, intertwining an arm with the Eggpack's as she feels Angela reach out to pat her with it.     "So we're killing some special fucked up monsters. I feel like that outnumbers the times I've killed *normal* monsters, honestly, so no sweat." That probably isn't true, given Lobotomy Corporation, but the definition of 'kill' gets wobbly there, and Petra's communicating a feeling more than a literal truth. However, she still feels compelled to communicate a literal truth, so after a pause, she tilts her head to equivocate. "Well-- when people call on me for help, at least." "...Petra. Angela. Roland."     Petra is greeted by Sarracenia Sundew, princess of the Sundew Kingdom, and she purses her lips. The expected malice doesn't come, however, and she lets go of Angela for a moment to rub her hand across her face in a sudden spike of exhaustion. "... Sarracenia."     A dozen different insults come to mind, and Petra chooses to say none of them, because she has some complicated feelings about Sarracenia that she doesn't want to get into right now. "You're the woman from before--!?" "I thought it'd make for a more dramatic meeting if we met on the spot."     Oh she's running *circles* around Hibiki. It's always funny to see Hibiki off-balance like that, though, and as clever as Starlit seems to be, it just seems to be suited for a particularly spunky researcher, so Petra just snickers a little at Hibiki's expense. Starlit's greeting to Hibiki amps up her charm in Petra's eyes.     "Hey, Hibiki. ... Rose. Actually...." "Rest assured I am not asking you to return."     Petra keeps a bit of distance from Rose, and therefore Hibiki, and slides her hands into her pocket to indicate both emotional distance and a lack of intimidation. "I figured you'd want to know. Nikki's leaving to get a job of her own with the Concord. Carol's not sure yet but... they've all got the chance to leave if they want. So..." Petra shrugs with one shoulder. "Feel free to live your life as long as you behave."
Kukuru	"elites will just do this for one another on occasion" "Thaaat's true. Some of us are much... Sillier than others about that." Kukuru notes with a slow nod, pausing for that moment to rethink her word choice so as to not insult anyone nor herself. She smile softly at Sarracenia when she says that, too. "Not that that's a bad thing, thoough..." "He made a lot of famous blades and had a whole school of swordsmithing" "I've handled plenty of his blades." "Really? Ohhh, then he's famous and reliable... That's wonderful, then, if..." Kukuru nods slowly at Xion and Riku as she starts getting a better idea of who this Muramasa is, trailing off after a while as she continues making assumptions about this swordsmith's relevance to today. "Used to work means... Oh! Are you his agent, then? Do you two want to join family, then?" She perks up as she looks over at Starlit excitedly, visibly eager to bring more people into the Concord. "If you want, I could get you two sets of the referral papers real easy, mhm." "I might be in the red right now" Kukuru doesn't indulge in her first instinct to reassure Petra for once. She had been through that same hell with everyone else, after all, and there's still a small part of her that's upset about how it all went. That can't override the instinct completely, however, and she settles on... "she treated me to some of her homemade food" PErfect. Flashing Audrey a grateful smile from the side, Kukuru claps her hands together like she's just gotten an idea. "Oh, speaking of... "Is anyone hungry? I've got fresh salad today~" She offers, deliberately spreading the attention some so as to not look like she's singling Petra out for provision-providing. Today's food boxes: hearty Thai-esque salads packed with croutons, grilled shredded chicken, roasted peanuts, blisted chiles, and coconut milk. "Ah, you read?" "He works with you in the Library, right? He must be spoiled for choice already..." Kukuru comments to Angela and Roland with a playful giggle, sighing softly while resting a hand on her cheek. "Maybe that's the trick to getting smarter, if nothing else is working..." "one of my blood, even if she refused me." "She refused you, too? Aw... I guess Hibiki's still really shy after all. Oh, one day..." Kukuru sighs dramatically at that before breaking into another light chuckle, making sure to offer Hiromi a salad box that's heavier on the chicken. "or you force it, one way or another." That's one way to get Kukuru's attention almost immediately. "Are there any others?" She asks Starlit abruptly, then adds quickly afterwards as though she's already realized her question was incomplete. "Relics that needs wielders, natural or forced." The focused look on Kukuru's face with none of her usual/previous mirth that wasn't there a moment ago is probably the biggest hint as to why she's asking even before she says it. "If you do... Please let me know." "The type of straightforwardly honest girl who's" It doesn't take long for Kukuru to flip right back to her easygoing look, either, as she finds herself nodding quickly in agreement with Starlit's assessment of Hibiki. "That sounds just like her, mhm. She does some pretty silly things, and her heart's in a good place. And learning how to cook now, too? She's still full of surprises." "We're going after those." "One of Sengo's old swords was a Relic... Okaaay! It should be easier to find with a group this size, then. If it's been split up, though, then..." Kukuru furrows her brow, nudging her glasses briefly to help her focus as Starlit continues explaining the extent of the damage. "Lots of pieces, aaand collectors to fight off. That shouldn't be too bad, either, unless they've gotten powered up by the pieces. Then..."
Kukuru	Wait, that's Hibiki up there! Kukuru just beams brightly when she sees her over by the tree, hurrying over with a quick teleportation cloud to pop right over instead of actually running. "Hibiki, helloooo~! It's been too long.. Oh. Before we get to work..." She takes out another box of that chicken salad and practically shoves it into Hibiki's hands. "There you go... So! I've heard you started cooking? Do tell, don't leave out aaany of the details~" After another pause, however, Kukuru settles down to finally remember to ask Hibiki and Starlit something that might be just as important for someone completely unaware of the situation to ask: "Those Noise things... How bad are, they anyway? With and without the pieces of Sengo's Relic thingy?"
Riku Asakura	Riku smiles at Sarracenia, "I'm healing as fast as expected..." though he frowns when she mentions, her lack of healing. "Is something the matter?" he asks, catching how she looks at Angela, Roland, and Petra. He wonders what's up between them, especially when the latter's looks are not returning the same looks.
Xion	Xion, low key despite her hard fit, is completely unhurried to be getting on with things, moseying around the S.O.N.G. operational area during the walk-and-talk briefing. If S.O.N.G. hadn't deployed them directly into the middle of an idol concert against the Noise then it must not be *that* bad. Hibiki could take a few enemies on her own, even poorly equipped! Really, Xion had seen Hibiki pull through worse. Though, that was, perhaps, the core problem at issue. 'So it'd be bad manners for me not to give her a hand when I might be in the red right now, haha.' Xion and Petra are on the same wavelength despite not having the privileged peek into Petra's inner thoughts. 'Because she had been there for us, enough, before' was clearly reason enough for Ultraman and royalty! "Hey, Sarracenia." Xion asides, muted for the meeting but not off - just not at a bounce-and-greet or a real energy. They weren't being rushed to a fight and the chance to pause and talk was nice. The displacement that Hiromi makes simply moving through their group, however, is hard to miss. While Starlit explains exactly that they'll be chasing a Muramasa left by the one she's familiar with, Xion turns her head to greet the looming Archwolf. "It's been a while since we've seen each other. I remember you left quite an impression, but I don't know if I left an impression on you." Xion had 'borrowed' a medallion from the Archwolf an age ago, and now to learn that Hibiki was 'of the blood'. . . "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Hibiki has an affinity for reasoned ferocity and unstoppable force." Xion muses, having a deeper appreciation for exactly how-and-in-what-way Hibiki was that same sort of girl every day. "I hope your guidance helps them be more flexible, and less brittle, Archwolf." Xion hopes, suggesting as they travel. "They could use the kind of tempering that happens when tooth and bone are dropped into the iron pot and something stronger comes out. There's an old way to that kind of alloying, isn't there?" After a while, they meet Hibiki in the woods though. 'You're the woman from before--!?' "Hi Hibiki!" Xion waves, smiling. Then she points at Starlit. "Did you already fight this person in a strange way that'll be hard to explain? Because if you did I'm sure we're all ready for the hard explanation!" The reason why she had withheld 'oh, hello strange person I've never met, here, let me hand you my echo of Gungnir I still have!' is because, quite simply: Hibiki is the sort to be overseen by someone of Complicated Allegiances and Xion didn't want to miss a chance for someone to reintroduce themselves (while the intro played quietly for an extra minute and a half of runtime).
Hiromi	...and wisely remaining perfectly still while she's sniffed at.     This is the correct response. Bracing oneself is usually a good idea, as well, but that's with wolves that don't have Hiromi's sense of balance.     Hibiki is reeling more than a little. Apparently there's some history here.     Eyes move from one to the other. "Hrmm?"     'H-Hiromi...!?'     "Hibiki. I'll come for you soon."     'Hibiki and I were just talking about this new variety of Noise. ... A kind we aren't sure we could beat on our won.'     "You cannot take power greater than yours. How will you best it? How will you earn your victory? Show me this." <J-IC-Scene> Roland says, "What sort of things do packs do, Miss--" Angela interrupts, "Archwolf, Roland." Roland clears his throat, "Archwolf."     "The pack," Hiromi says, carrying with that word the intersection of family and community that can only be perfectly understood as the core of social organization in a dream, only to seem at least slightly alien upon wakeful reflection, "is the gathering. Is that-which-is-led. You have companies, corporations, governments, yes?"     She speaks with all the confidence of divine judgment, or of a natural disaster. "These are human foolishness. Leading by weakness, by deceit, by hatred within the self. Choosing service 'for pay.' 'To survive.' The pack is not this. Those with little wisdom follow those with more, who give them care. Those with no wisdom follow those who only say, 'what can you do for me.' Do you understand? All else is wrong." A sin committed by no individual. An error in the world. A thing to be destroyed.
Audrey Basque	Despite Roland, who would be absolutely correct to guess she doesn't want to keep talking about it, Audrey is in an amazing mood.     And like a terrible mood but who's keeping track?     Surely, not Petra.     So when Sarracenia seems to hesitate at her, Audrey simply smiles back. "Princess, the apologies are mine for the series of misunderstandings." This keeps attention of other things. "I would be happy to see more of your world. I could certainly make a few suggestions of things I would like to see, when we aren't being briefed on some other matter."     No malice. Not from her, anyway!     She would genuinely like that... provided she's allowed a hand in guiding the tour, to see some particular specifics. She wonders if Angela and Petra still want to meet with the mantis tribe or not, too.     Petra insists that it's important to know Hibiki, and Audrey nods at the reasoning; if Petra of all people was stressing it, it must be more than just noteworthy.     Then there's the briefing from Starlite, which was, of course, very important. And for once Audrey is only a little bit behind, because everything seems straightforward. Compatibility important, Hibiki has special circumstances. Ancient swordsmith devices to help Hibiki, because her current special equipment is damaged. Monsters called Noise. She's keeping up!     They finally reach Hibiki, too! Audrey waves, giving her best 'I know we technically only just met but I'm here, hello!' smile. It's specific like that.     She doesn't have a LOT to say though. Actually, without someone prodding at her, it's almost like her guard drops and suddenly she's just... guilty and out of place. She's long since put her phone away, because it'd be exceptionally rude to keep texting in people's faces.
Petra Soroka	"Oh, speaking of... "Is anyone hungry? I've got fresh salad today~"     Petra raises her head to look halfway in Kukuru's direction. She wasn't singled out, but she still considers herself enough of a specific target for that kind of thing to warrant a response. "I've eaten plenty already. And anyways, we're probably getting in a fight soon." "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that Hibiki has an affinity for reasoned ferocity and unstoppable force."     "Right?" Petra asides to Xion. "Can't you just imagine the...?" She maneuvers her arms around the Eggpack to mime two wolf ears behind her head. They suit Hibiki well!!! Petra can say that as an objective fact! . . . and suddenly she's just... guilty and out of place.     This is a kind of stance that Petra is familiar with down to her core, from all the many times, even before being an Elite, that she would sift to the outside ring of a group talking about an event they were all much more emotionally connected to than her. As people start swarming around Hibiki, Petra drifts closer to Audrey, hands behind her head casually not interfere with whatever Angela might fiddle with via the Eggpack arms.     "So, Noise are a kind of monster that turn people into carbon ash on impact," Petra starts to explain to Audrey out of nowhere, to give her something to focus on. "They appear out of nowhere regularly-- well, actually we sort of discovered where they come from, but... it's complicated and a little my fault. They look like these big blobby guys with green shimmery lattice bits, so it's impossible to miss them."
Angela	''Hiromi speaks on the pack.'' "Sounds nice." Rose says wistfully. "That's what's important right?" Roland frowns, considering it. "Yeah it's messed up but it's gonna be tough getting six billion people into the pack format." ''How will you earn your victory? Show me this.'' "By working together. And getting help from some friends." Rose answers Hiromi before miming tipping her hat to Hibiki. She probably doesn't know the overarching plan yet though but despite appearances she does have a very mahou way of looking at problem solving. Speaking of old partners, Petra speaks to Rose. Rose was mostly out of LobCorp when Petra joined in but she knows Petra as the top agent of LobCorp and has worked with her before. She swallows faintly as Petra revelas the goals of hte others. "And Nonon is sticking with Trideag. Guess the squad's broken up again." She pulls her hood over head, mulling over that quietly for a moment. "Don't worry, you won't catch me bellyaching to any lawmen. Glad to see they're finding their paths in life. If Carol needs to talk, she's got my number and can ring me up anytime. ... Thanks for letting me know, Petra." She barely avoids using the ma'am. ''Maybe that's the trick to getting smarter.'' "It can help." Angela tells Kukuru.
Hiromi	'Archwolf. It has been quite a while since we have encountered each other.'     'Archwolf.'     Every greeting is acknowledged, though not every acknowledgment is verbal. The shifting attentions of the Archwolf are palpable, felt this close.     'She refused you, too? Aw... I guess Hibiki's still really shy after all.'     "She has one she cannot leave," Hiromi says to Kukuru, the ambiguity, this time, purposeful.     'Oh, one day...'     Hiromi makes a noise of unbothered agreement. One day, she'll get her.     She's not, however, presently hungry. "Today is for questions and hunting. For another day, feasting." Perhaps she doesn't snack.     'I remember you left quite an impression, but I don't know if I left an impression on you.'     There's an easy way to resolve such an uncertainty, and Hiromi does so by leaning forward, and--     --there's an even bigger wolf, four-legged, dark-furred, highlighting the bronze bands around her legs and silent bells on her ears, pressing nose to the top of a Nobody's head, stopping just before contact, but close enough for breath.     "I remember this scent, Hero." She'd said she would, so there's no way she couldn't.     The sense of her speaking is almost unchanged, in that form, even if the same sounds couldn't possibly be made with those lips. It's only noticeable when one looks for it, when the mind remembers nothing wrong.     'There's an old way to that kind of alloying, isn't there?'     "There is." Metal-working might not be the most typical thing to associate with wolves, but this Archwolf is always seen with hers. One might assume some significance in that.     Much more might be said of that if other conversations weren't being entered, just at that time.     'Sounds nice.' Rose says wistfully. 'That's what's important right?'     'Yeah it's messed up but it's gonna be tough getting six billion people into the pack format.'     "It is the practice of wisdom." A continual process that has inherent value. "Take responsibility only for those within your power."     Someone might make some inferrences between that and her focus on 'growing strength.'
Hibiki Tachibana	Do you two want to join family, then?     "Oh, that's really kind of you...! Though I probably shouldn't. I think my current family would be upset if I went and joined another one willy-nilly." Starlit becomes one of the politely declining Kukuru crew, though she actually she seems sympathetic on the subject. "But I can ask them about it next time I see them if you'd like! I get the feeling you care about yours a lot."     Are there any others? Relics that needs wielders, natural or forced.     "Oh...?" The woman tilts her head. "Whatever for?"     The trio of Audrey-Petra-Angela complimenting Hibiki's meal-making so thoroughly and genuinely gets her opening up her super summarizing not-book again, leaning in close to conspiratorily whisper into it, "...Set a reminder. Instead of eating out together, see if Hibiki would be willing to make something. It sounds like her cooking is delicious..." "This is not what I was constructed for." "Oh, now you care about that!?"     On that note, Starlit has a minor crisis at her naming conventions being brought into question again by Sarracenia, despite reassurances. Her finger comes to her mouth as she half-turns away, biting down lightly as she seems to be in her own world.     "The Sensibly Succinct Summarizer? The Abjectly Abridged Aggregator...? The Instant In-Fact Instrument. Is... is alliteration the way to go? I thought being as on the nose as possible was best... will I have to rename the Nuclear-powered Broiler, too? I was proud of that one..."     Maybe this woman really does need a proper homemade meal.     While Starlit languishes in aptly naming what seem to be her creations, Hibiki spends a second wondering how to explain the rather off-kilter interaction between her and Starlit there the rest, rubbing the back of her neck. It's not particularly all that complicated, she's just still caught very unbalanced, and one can imagine Starlit got as much amusement out of causing that as Petra got watching it. "Got my number is an understatement..." She murmurs in defeat to Rose.     "I, um... a while back, I ran into Starlit," she starts, conveniently omitting the fact it was because she thought her singing sounded kind of sad. "...During a Noise attack. She helped me care for the civilians who got hurt or fainted during it. We didn't get the chance to really talk before she had to leave, though..."     Hibiki pauses her story to receive Kukuru's chicken, blinking in surprise. As if she wasn't enough already. "Oh-- thanks, Kukuru. I think I actually forgot to eat today...? We can talk cooking later, if you want... um. And thanks for coming. All of you."     Maybe she notices Audrey's out-of-placeness at the back, as someone who's frequently out-of-place herself, so she specifically adds on in her direction, "It... means a lot. Really."
Hibiki Tachibana	Of course, there's a lot of people here, and between Kukuru existing and carefully watching Rose and Angela to make sure they're chill and /also/ needing make sure Xion doesn't get the wrong idea, she has a lot to deal with. "T-There wasn't any strange fighting... this time? Do I get into strange fights that often? I didn't think I did..."     "It didn't cross my mind either! Until I heard everybody's thoughts on you. Now I sort've think you're the type?" Starlit has rebounded, increasing little Hibiki's suffering with a smile. "I'd say we had quite the fortuitious meeting! Though Noise certainly do love showing up with inconvenient timing. This whole operation here is testament to that."     Before Hibiki can add onto that, Hiromi speaks, and she actually... seems to /regain/ some composure instead of losing it further, after a little breath. "...I'll have to be ready, then..."     While not-yet-wolf and wolf meet eyes, Starlit maneuvers over closer to Petra and Audrey, hands and gidget clasped behind her back.
Hibiki Tachibana	"To get back on topic-- yup, we're killing messed-up monsters, who have also been powered up! Like Petra here said, contact with Noise will start converting what you're made of to nothing more than carbon. If you're only as durable as an ordinary person... even a brush could be lethal. But it'd be hard to imagine, say, the Archwolf here being in danger from that much."     "Besides having some very flexible physiology and coming in all manner of shapes and forms, they have the ability to phase between dimensions to move through solid matter. Normally, Symphogear are required to 'tune' them to our world and make that a non-problem... but alchemy, magic, and just plain hitting them when they commit to trying to get you all work just fine, too. As for /these/ particular Noise... well, you've been watching them, haven't you, Hibiki?"     "Uh, right... so." Despite Hiromi's steadying presence (in its own way), Hibiki still makes herself pull it together further as she gets used to everything else. "I don't think the Muramasa /I/ knew had swords that acted like this, or if the Noise absorbing them did something to the fragments... but when I tried engaging them before to see if I could handle them-- it's like /everything/ that could've went wrong did. They got out of the way of my hits at just the right time, they kept slipping past my guard, and one time I even tripped over debris that I swear wasn't there right before..."     "Oh, I thought by 'weird' you meant how they sort've look like samurai."     "I mean-- that too, but I feel like that comes second!"     "Hmm. Maybe if you had a sword of your own, they'd be easier to fight..."     "Now you're just messing with me..."     With a snicker, Starlit glances back to the group at large. "Well, doomed blades that invite misfortune are usually supposed to inflict that on their users, not their enemies - but it seems Noise love breaking the usual rules. This shrine here is where the activation test I mentioned failed - though according to our scans, a good amount but not /all/ of the fragments are here."     "This'll be a good opportunity to see how tough they are against a band of unified Elites! Personally, I think you can just brute force your way right through any old curse, with an all-star lineup like this. So we'll take them all down in one quick swoop, and then hunt down the rest after! It's that simple."     "Is it really that simple? I think you have to be a little crazy to come up with a plan like this..." Hibiki murmurs, questioning her idea of what 'simple' even encompasses.
Audrey Basque	Petra pulling up by Audrey causes her to briefly stiffen, but then relax, looking towards her with the same old wide smile plastered on. "Oh. Monsters that kill you on impact. Just that?" Audrey avoids showing concern, because if she starts now it's going to be a spiral.     And she's in a great mood.     Or a terrible one! We'll leave that hanging.     She doesn't make any effort to move, though, so it's certainly not like she's uncomfortable. "And how do we fight them? Eliminate them without getting touched? Or are we going to need special equipment like the one we're helping Hibiki fix?" Hopefully not the latter!     She turns to look at Hibiki, in fact, when she gets addressed directly. "O-Oh! Of course. Ha... sorry, momentary downspell." She pats her cheeks, widens her smile, steels herself to any further indecent observations, and then places her hands on her hips, a bit proudly. "I'll be sure to learn the ropes and not be a burden, so that we find those relics quickly. Then maybe you can make me another of those burgers?"     Starlit pitches in, answering the question she had for Petra. Magic, good enough. Just don't get touched. No pressure, simple! But these ones are special?     "So... misfortune, literally?" Audrey asks, when Hibiki mentions being foiled by something as simple as tripping, but in a chain of events that suggests supernatural bad luck more than a one-time tumble. "By the way you talk about it, it sounds like something they don't usually do."
Riku Asakura	Riku gets the take on what most average Noise can do, which is to say a lot of nasty stuff.  Phase through dimensions and turn people into dust is a scary set of abilities. "Samurai monsters..." Riku's heard everything now.  However, he doesn't back down from this.  Though the talk before that about the misfortune that Hibiki was suffering sounds a bit weird.  Maybe she was having an off day?   "I'm sure we can handle them," he says to Starlit, and smiles at her.  "I deal with a range of strange monsters too, and no two giant monsters are exactly alike.  He draws the Fusion Riser.   "I'm ready!" he says with a big grin.
Angela	''Take responsibility only for those within your power.'' Roland frowns more but says nothing, looking irritated at something. Angela is frowning too but mostly because of the alliteration. This lady is QUIRKY. The 'she has one she cannot leave' gets Angela to murmur, "There is no reason she can't take her along then." Angela considers Hiromi on her viewscreen. There is nothing really stopping her from collecting another page, but it doesn't feel right to Angela for reasons she can't quite articulate. She elects not to for now. If she needs Strength she can summon her own and there's a test she'd like to do with--she thinks--Audrey first before she considers collecting another page. She has thought it for some time now but she has a page empowered by supernatural decisiveness in one hand and what feels to her to be an indecisive librarian in the other. Surely it would help and not lead to some kind of comically terrible situation, right? But the meetup is quite soon so Angela asks, "Audrey there is something I would like to try later." Angela says to her. "Let's talk after this meeting." There is talk about monster violence but Angela cups her chin at what Hibiki seems to suggest is the Noise striking Hibiki with critical levels of misfortune, that's even more misfortune than Hibiki usually has. "Unluckiness.... Fortunately, Roland is either the luckiest or least lucky person I know so he should mitigate the effect one way or the other." "Well overwhelming firepower can probably outweigh enough badluck." Rose adds.
Hibiki Tachibana	"No, normally it's /just/ turning people into dust and being impossible for most people to do anything to..." Hibiki reassures Audrey with a sigh, not that said reassurance actually helps them in this particular case. "...Either I really was having the most off-day imaginable, or I guess curses are real. Or--" She starts, then pauses with a suddenly uneasy look on her face.     'Or maybe Gungnir is worse off than I thought it was', is what's running through her head as her hand comes to rest on her collar, over top of where her pendant usually sits out of sight.     Almost on cue, Starlit interjects with the same peppy tone that seems to be her default. "If you have to touch them, just make sure it's a hit that'll take them out to minimize contact, and you'll likely be a-ok! Besides that, just keep back and time your attacks; they have to make themselves vulnerable to attack. Distance should probably help avoid the bad mojo they seem to have going on, too?"     "...Probably," Hibiki Tachibana, who has little ways to inflict harm to things that's not 'getting in their face and bodily beating the daylights out of them', has to admit.     "Though if they're sword-wielding samurai, don't you think they'd appreciate a good blade-to-blade clash?" Starlit muses.     "...I don't really care what Noise want... ...and I still don't have a sword."
Kukuru	"we're probably getting in a fight soon." "Oh yeah... Because of the Noise thingies, right?" Kukuru half-asks half-confirms as she takes a slow look around, frowning a little when Petra mentions the Noise's effects on those they hit, and then a little more when Starlit starts describing their physiology. "If they can do that much, then... Hmm. We're gonna have to him them reeeal hard with when they come out to hit us. Maybe with..." She brings out her big metal claws, sliding a hand into one and holding onto the other between the giant metal digits. "Something like this, Starlit?" "It can help." Kukuru nods firmly at Angela in the Eggpack, and so begins her literacy arc.... Eventually. Not today. "She has one she cannot leave," "That's true... It'd be too cruel to ask her to leave that one, but she can always be part of ours later, too." She nods firmly at Hiromi as well, enthused by that noise. "I think my current family would be upset if I went and joined another one willy-nilly." "I understand... None of us would want to make you or any of them upset at all, nope." Kukuru clarifies with her usual easygoing giggle. "And I do! Hehe... Everyone in the Concord does, you know? And joining our family doesn't have to mean leaving yours if everyone else wants to be part of it, too!" "I think I actually forgot to eat today...?" Kukuru gives Hibiki The Look of Concerned Disapproval. "Please remember to eat normally, dear... You might shrink and get weaker if you don't. I've gone through that a few times, so..." She pauses, giving Hibiki a gentle nudge on the arm for that extra push. "Be careful, okay?" "a good amount but not /all/ of the fragments are here." "And if the Noise are here.. Oh. Then some of them probably scooped those fragments riiight up. So if that's the case... Ah, they'll be helping us collect all the little pieces, then~" Kukuru lets out a relieved noise as the task suddenly sounds much easier to her now than it did before. "I might be able to see the stuff if it's all over the place, but if the Noise can just get them and gather it all up for us anyway..." She yawns lightly into her hand, pausing to squat in place with her hands on her face. "Then we can save a little energy with the search and fight harder, too." Now that she's closer to the floor, meanwhile, Kukuru does actually put in a little effort to look around. With her enhanced vision, she starts scanning the grounds, trying to spot anything out of place that isn't just floor.
Sarracenia	" ... Sarracenia."      Sarra's one good eye blinks in surprise, though it is only a neutral surprise at best. She notices that Petra actually said her name. She also notices that Petra seems physically pained and drained by saying her name. But, just like Petra didn't start insulting Sarra, Sarra doesn't torture Petra by continuing to talk to her.      'Princess, the apologies are mine for the series of misunderstandings. I would be happy to see more of your world. I could certainly make a few suggestions of things I would like to see, when we aren't being briefed on some other matter.'      Sarra is once again surprised. Her uncertain look fades to just a hint of a smile. "Oh! Well...okay! I would be open to suggestions, though...there are few other things that would merit attention in my kingdom. It is part of why I am away from there so often."      'Is something the matter?'      Sarra's lips purse at Riku's question. "...yes. Many things." she says, her right hand drifting to her eye patch and just feeling along it for a moment before lowering again. Despite the implication, it is pretty obvious that the eye isn't the main problem.      'Starlit starts going through other names...'      Sarra is a bit relieved when Starlit starts listing other names. "Alliteration is not the only way to go, but it is a good way. And on the nose names are fine for industrial equipment. But wordy names that are on the nose are no good either way. Acronyms can also work, but alliterated names are the most memorable. If you want names to be memorable but not using alliteration they have to be decidedly cool or just completely silly."      Sarra listens to the information on Noise, and these Noise in particular, then hmphs and crosses her arms. "Well, at least these strange monsters are not trying to turn us into -more- of themselves like the last several strange monsters I have had to deal with. Defeating creatures like these should be fairly easy with all of us here. So, just show us where they are and let us deal with this problem quickly."      '...I don't really care what Noise want... ...and I still don't have a sword.'      Sarra ponders a moment, then reaches into her satchel purse. She digs for a moment, then pulls out...a rather large two-handed sword, with a gleaming silvery blade and a thin green vine-like patterning flowing up the blade. The hilt is golden in color, with a lotus-like pommel and large leaves as its cross-guard. "If you do want to cross blades with them, you are welcome to use this." she says, holding it out to Hibiki. "I bought this on a whim, but really I am not much of a sword person. I am sure you would make much better use of it than me."
Petra Soroka	"Oh, now you care about that!?"     Petra raises her eyebrows and leans forwards Starlit with her eyes on the Not-too-short Not-too-long Summarizer with interest. "So you're an inventor and not just a researcher? Is that an AI? I've built stuff that seems sort of similar to your, uh, Skeptically Specified Summarizer." "...During a Noise attack."     Petra shrugs at Hibiki. "Likely place for her to be."     Without the detail that *really* matters-- a girl sounding a little sad-- Petra doesn't think there's anything noteworthy about finding a Noise Scientist near Noise. "I think I actually forgot to eat today...?"     As if this is any of Petra's business at all, she puts a hand on her hip and pouts judgementally at Hibiki. "Huh? It's a Sunday. Have you really been so busy you didn't get a chance? I know you're probably feeling super insecure about Gungnir being busted, but you know you're gonna stress Miku out like that; at least let her pack you a lunch or something if you're gonna be out here doing a stakeout or whatever." "They got out of the way of my hits at just the right time, they kept slipping past my guard, and one time I even tripped over debris that I swear wasn't there right before..."     Petra sighs, crossing her arms and leaning her back against a tree to mirror Hibiki, careful to not let Angela's viewscreen get squashed. "... Oh. Cursed swords, yup. Sort of a theme lately, huh?" "Well, doomed blades that invite misfortune are usually supposed to inflict that on their users, not their enemies - but it seems Noise love breaking the usual rules."     "Well, we're trying to get use out of the sword fragments ourselves. I don't think the Noise count as 'people' so much as animating spirits that are, like, embodying the sword that they've consumed, and Hibiki's out here trying to claim she's the next wielder. I wouldn't be surprised if our 'intent' was enough to make the curse apply to all of us."     "But it's alright." Petra waves her hand reassuringly. "Elites love brute force. The worst that'll happen is we start fumbling our attacks to start accidentally attacking each other and wipe ourselves out without the Noise even needing to touch us." "And how do we fight them? Eliminate them without getting touched?"     "They can," With a nod to Starlit, "Move through solid stuff, so your best contribution would probably be lifting them up rather than squishing them down. They're not, uh, *great* to touch physically. I mean, I'm not any more durable than any random civilian, so I've just... never... wanted to risk it, aha. So you might not want to either. Should be easy enough for you to hurt them though." "O-Oh! Of course. Ha... sorry, momentary downspell."     Petra lifts her chin up and side-eyes Audrey as she plasters on a smile and turns away to cheerily keep up conversations with other people. *Sullenness* isn't really ever the reaction Petra's pushing for, but letting that simmer for a while might be best, meaning she can't push Audrey too much harder in the moment. Reassuring her is fine, though, because Petra is innately a source of stress. "Though if they're sword-wielding samurai, don't you think they'd appreciate a good blade-to-blade clash?     Petra, who has just admitted to being soft and squishy enough to maybe die in one single touch, considers this for a minute. "... *I* have swords. Maybe it's a kind of sword that's cursed until the wielder proves her power. Which specific Relic is it, anyways?"
Kukuru	"Oh...? Whatever for?" "Oh! For me." Kukuru replies plainly to Starlit, holding a hand up and letting some of her nanites out to make it glow that calming green color. "Someone good at healing themselves and anyone around could be useful for those experiments, riiight? And there's things I need to make sure never happen again, so..." She claps her hands together with a pleasant chuckle. "Win win, right?"
Hibiki Tachibana	Please remember to eat normally, dear...     I know you're probably feeling super insecure about Gungnir being busted, but you know you're gonna stress Miku out like that; at least let her pack you a lunch or something if you're gonna be out here doing a stakeout or whatever.     "Well--" Kukuru is one thing, but Hibiki is briefly stunlocked by Petra chiding her about this, and in a roundabout way, the both of them immediately brings to mind Miku chiding her if she caught on to her lack of nutrition. She seems like she's going to try to come to some sort of defense, but after a second,     "...No, you're right. I already give her enough to worry about without basic stuff like that getting added to the plate. I'll be careful."     "I think you might just be the kind of girl who needs to be watched over," Starlit says in a way that sounds both knowing and that she's also committing it to memory, before turning her head to Petra, and then down at her Summarizer (not to be confused with the SummaRizer, which is likely a henshin greeble).     "Oh! It is! ...Well, the artificial intelligence is still in-progress, but finding ways to make life easier using technology is a bit of a hobby; I could never be satisfied only working in one field, even if Symphogear are technically my specialty!" Puffing her chest out proudly as she closes her eyes, "I think I'm even a bit of a kitchen innovator myself."     After a giggle, she opens them back up with a smile. "Would you like to swap notes sometime? I could probably pick up a few things! And I really want to see one of those mousey little robo-critters I've heard about with my own eyes sometime..."     *I* have swords. Maybe it's a kind of sword that's cursed until the wielder proves her power. Which specific Relic is it, anyways?     "We weren't able to identify a given name for this particular one, so officially, it was simply going to named 'Muramasa'. But I'm told Hibiki pitched 'Tsumukari Muramasa' herself - so as far as I'm concerned, that's the name."     "W-Well-- ...it reminds me of the one that me and him made together, so..."     "Goodness, that's nothing to be embarrassed about, then! The opposite."     Starlit grins, then taps her chin. "Hmm... I think you might be onto something with 'intent' and 'embodying', Petra. Noise, on their own, are mindless and genocidal to all human life. Why, then, have the ones here not left in search of victims by now? Perhaps they're waiting for worthy challengers - or wielders - after all!"     Given how she's been talking, she definitely seems to think that'd be the more interesting turnout.
Hibiki Tachibana	Speaking of swords, Hibiki gets one from Sarracenia. An extremely fancy one, which is what she's more surprised at compared to the fact she pulled it out of her purse. She's used to that. "Sarra..." It becomes pretty clear that Hibiki's not really a Sword Person either, just from the way she holds it while looking over it.     "I'm not sure if I'd be any good at it, and I was mostly just shutting Starlit down, but... maybe it'd actually help? Thanks."     She's already tried punching them, and Petra is talking about proving power and all that, so it's not like it could /hurt/. She'll probably have to watch herself a bit rather than being the headstrong spearhead as usual anyway, so...     ...actually, it's not just potentially the Noise she has to prove herself too. Pursing her lips, she turns her head Hiromi's direction for a moment.     Someone good at healing themselves and anyone around could be useful for those experiments, riiight? And there's things I need to make sure never happen again, so...     "I see..." Starlit reflects with, for the first time, muted but raised-eyebrow surprise at Kukuru's answer. "I hadn't expected you to be the sort who'd chase it for that reason. But I think I understand." Her face shifts back to that warm smile. "...Yes, I do understand ensuring awful things never happen again. Come chat with me about it any time, Kukuru; I'll be happy to see if you can help at all."     "I suppose for now, though-- well, shall we?"     Kukuru, with her special eyes as they all make their way through the shrine front gate proper, will be the first to take things in. The outside courtyard seems as if it was evacuated in a rush; idle belongings dropped where they were, a broom left clattered to the floor with its user nowhere in sight, doors thrown wide open and left that way. Undoubtedly it must've happened when the experiment that took place here went wrong. At the very least, the absence of any ash piles means there's a chance that it was a successful one with minimal casualties...     The small series of buildings that make up the grounds are constructed in traditional Shinto fashion, which is apparent despite the damages done; stone statues lie cracked or toppled, at least one wall seems to have been violently bashed down, and the large portion of rooftop of the main central structure has obviously been /blown/ open, from the inside. That must be where things went wrong... ...or where Hibiki's earlier skirmish just got violent. Either or.     One might wonder where the Noise are, but it's not hard to guess why they're not instantly noticeable on enteirng; as was said before, solid matter means nothing to them.     Out from the earth, through walls, and even straight through the still-shut doors of the main building, looming black-and-crimson figures, bearing massive blades for arms and flared headcrests calling to mind the same ornamentation you'd find on kabuto helmets, slowly emerge upon detecting foes...