Scene #9470: Be Nieceys

Owner	Pose
Angela	Angela could honestly use some detox. Even if the reception versus Trideag wasn't quite as terrible as she anticipated, it was still not exactly pleasant. She's worried about the cohesion of her Librarians and, frankly, concerned about whether her current operation will last long enough before it completely falls apart. She's made a lot of progress but there's plenty left to go. She doesn't have to keep this going forever, at least, not as how it is now--but she needs to hold the ship together long enough for her to accomplish her goal. That's it. She feels closer than ever. Angela has cleaned up the Library, has had Roland gather some snacks and has set up a small reception area in Central and has put some various board games, fidget spinners, and other widgets on the table along with the snacks (City style!) because ... well maybe they'd be into that? She sends an invitation to White shortly after and heads back down to the Library's lobby to meet with them. She rubs at her eyes briefly then pauses, frowns, and shakes her head. That was strange. Tiphereth is approximately a child, Angela thinks, so it's good she picked her Floor. Maybe the approximately children can figure out what is appropriate for them. "You seem nervous." Roland says, having dropped down into the Lobby with her. "You're probably worrying too much." "The worry is part of the process." Angela points out. "With repeated excursions out of the comfort zone, the comfort zone expans. It's like how the City expands its territory out into the Outskirts." Roland stares at her. "Uh. Yeah. Sure."
White	White is only slightly less punctual than usual, but perhaps not enough to notice. When she does arrive suddenly in the lobby, it's with a slight bit more noise than usual thanks to the four young women stood at either side of her... Or rather, three stood alongside her and one latched onto her back and trying to climb onto her shoulders. White seems effortfully calm about this, with just the slightest crease between her eyebrows as she endures being a climbing post for a girl who, to be honest, isn't that much shorter than her. It seems strangely like this is both a familiar thing to have happen, and also like something has changed that's making it trickier than the girl is used to... All the same, it's only tolerated for a few more moments after arrival before White tries to bow slightly to Angela and Roland, finds her balance thrown off too much, and reaches up to grab the strangely cat-eared girl by the back of her overcoat and set her on the floor herself. The other three are already standing properly and patiently in their own ways, though White has to hold the rambunctious catgirl(?)'s shoulder to get her to sit still, while she wiggles and bounces on her heels in excitement. "Hello... Miss Angela. Mister Roland." is where White starts with greetings, before moving her hand off the one's shoulder to pat each girl on the head when she says the matching name. "Ael," is dressed somewhere in the conceptual midpoint between schoolgirl and shrine maiden, with green eyes, medium-short blonde hair that curls in at the ends and a cute blue bow that reaches up like a tiny pair of bunny ears atop her head. She seems to be the most proper and serious of the girls, and returns a quick little bow and curtsy before folding her hands. "Sael," is a girl with blue eyes and longer blonde hair, wearing a frilly white dress with overlong sleeves that bloom out at the ends to completely hide her hands, and a bright red hooded mantle. She seems to be either shy or easily distracted, looking almost anywhere except at Angela or Roland most of the time, but she seems to notice when people begin to speak at least. "Riel," has brown eyes and very neat hair at a length between the previous two girls', with a narrow green skirt and a white overcoat around her shoulders and chest. She has a demure, gentle expression but has a slight sway in her posture even when she's standing still, and she doesn't seem very reactive. "And Fiel," is the cat-eared girl and the only one without blonde hair of the bunch. Instead it's a dark grey, nearly black color that glints almost silvery under direct light. Her eyes are light golden and slitted like a cat's too, and she has a wide lip-closed grin on her face too. "They are... My nieces. More or less. Puppet Taratects." White concludes; it's not too hard to see that even with their very convincing bodies, there are parts they can't completely conceal. Their wrists and knees are visibly doll-jointed, and Sael in particular isn't trying to hide her additional arms any more than keeping them within those big voluminous sleeves, so the outlines are still a little visible. Plus, they don't smile in a way that would show teeth; there's no mouth there to actually open, just the texture of faces, lips, noses and such.
Angela	''But perhaps not enough to notice.'' "She's late. Do you think she's gotten ambushed?" "I...think she can teleport." Roland tries to reassure her. "But can her nieces teleport?" Angela counters. "She's bringing kids over this time right? They'll always delay things by a few minutes..." This all took place like one minute after White's designated arrival time but Angela seems to calm down when Roland mentions this is probably of children. Children sometimes need more time to get ready, that's just how it is, and they'll always drag their feet if you let them, right? In truth, Angela's never raised a child in her life--frankly, if anything, Tiphereth was more instrumental in raising Angela than the other way around--but she HAS read stories. And this sort of thing happens in stories. It's also normal for adults to give children piggy back rides though she's not sure it's supposed to be going along with children who are that tall. She bows her head, though there's sympathy for White's preedicament in her eyes, before she straightens up and says, "Welcome back, White. And welcome--" Angela might have to finally ask the age old question: Can spiders also be cats? This is something she had assumed wasn't allowed. After all, cats are mammals and spiders are arachnids. Ultimately Angela decides if a spider can be both human and also spider then it's perfectly natural for a spider to be both cat and spider. A sense of ease enters her turbulent heart as she comes to this conclusion. There's barely a second delay though Roland takes advantage of it to say-- "So these are your nieces? They're--" He hesitates, they seem like teenagers, he hasn't read up on teenagers, he read up on young kids like Fae. "Energetic huh?" He settles on.5r "--To your family as well." She extends out her hand to White first. Ah, they probably used to ride her back when she was an Arachnae unless she's mixing up the order of her backstory. Or when they were younger. They're bigger than she expected too. Ael naturally makes Angela think about Hiromi's own priestesses on initial contact, Sael--she doesn't know many people who are that overtly shy so she kind of blanks on her--Riel makes her think of Netzach, distressingly, but hey--maybe she'll gain new appreciation of Netzach if that holds up. "It's good to meet all of you. White told me a bit about you but I hope to get to know you better." There's something... ...that aches when she sees their doll-jointed body. She knew from the name 'Puppet Taratects' it was certainly a possibility. Even Roland is feeling thematically observed--he was even just recently using the EGO from Marionette... Angela lets the feeling fade. They're loved. And that's good. No strings on them that she can see. "Ael, Sael, Riel, Fiel. I'm Angela, and this is my coworker Roland."
White	White takes Angela's hand carefully seeming relieved about... Something rather unclear. At least, her brows aren't squimshed from being climbed like a cat-tower anymore, and even with her eyes closed Roland can probably tell she's looking at him the next moment. She did kind of figure it might be misleading to call them her nieces without a whole lot of asterisks, but it's still technically true... And maybe it's a little funny? Either way, she doesn't seem bothered. Ael, the little team leader that she seems to be, takes a step forward from the line she's formed with her siblings (and White) like it's a marching line and she's been called out to answer the sergeant. One hand loosely crosses over her chest, fingertips settling near her collarbone as the synthetic lips on her face give the appearance of very slightly parting, trying to strike a middle ground between the uncanny sensation of seeing someone talk without their mouth moving, or the uncanny sensation of being able to tell that someone's mouth is a flat plane. There's a quiet sound like a violin string being gently brushed, and Ael very carefully works a small green magic glyph with her fingertips against her neck, moving air through the artificial vocal cords inside. "Miss Angela. Mister Roland. Thank you. For. Having. Us." she stiffly manages to project, in a voice that seems incredibly close to convincing if not for the slight backdrop of airy whistling behind the softer syllables. She smiles brightly though, and both Sael and Fiel softly clap their hands together, the former slowly with a quiet paf paf paf of sleeve-silk, and the other excitedly with the click click click of hard doll-hands against each other. It's hard, clearly, but hard things are worth doing, and given how Ael looks over and up at White (who nods slowly, encouragingly), and the use of 'miss' and 'mister', it seems like this might be what kept them slightly delayed. She then explains for Angela and Roland, "They aren't... Much younger... Than me. But they... Have only had... These appearances... For a few years. It isn't... Safe for them... To visit humans... In that world." And of course, this means they've had little reason to practice their speech, too...
Angela	Angela is, unfortunately, a sincere person. Call them your nieces and she'll see them as nieces. Obviously, as a robot (recovering) she is pretty accustomed to the idea that you might not quite look your age, and you might not quite age at the same rate either. It's just how it is! The multiverse is strange and beautiful and bizarre and terrifying but that's part of what makes her desperation and her need to explore it all the more palpable. She can right now go to the places Petra wants to go to. And that's amazing so often! But if she could venture forth into the infinite with her own two feet--what would that be like? This does tell her, a bit, that there might be reasons why White typically utilizes Text To Speak programs to communicate over the radio beyond a bit of bashfulness. Angela smiles at Ael's introduction. She has seen this quartet for less than five minutes and if anything happened to them, well, she'd be quite unpleasant about it wouldn't she? The idea that they aren't safe to meet with humans on their own world does strike a chord with her, of course, as someone who also has to keep some reasonable distance between herself and society. And honestly, it reminds her of something she's nearly forgotten between the receptions and arguments. She wanted to make this place a place worth killing for, didn't she? And sure, that was because of Lilian's demand of her but was that really all there was to it? Wouldn't it be nice to have a community here that isn't just mad armsmeisters, Fixers with nowhere to go, and students? The problem, of course, is that most people wouldn't want to live in the Library that kills people. And even for those that do, hasn't she seen the nature of the work here corrode people? No, maybe she doesn't need more employees. Maybe what she needs is more citizens. People like Robin and Johnny, though obviously people like them who aren't specifically seeking space the final frontier because dear god can she not handle THAT right now, but outcasts. Outcasts that just need a place where they can thrive without having to be hidden away. She sets the thought aside for now. Maybe it'd be better to settle that after there need no long be killings. And right now there's guests. "In that case," Angela says. "Perhaps we could visit some of the humans here--I doubt any would put them in harm's way. They've stuck by me, after all, though I can't promise they'll be good influences." She sends a call to Netzach and Tiphereth. Change of plans. Meeting in the Floor of Art. "Have they ridden an elevator before?" She asks. Roland mulls quietly to himself. In truth, he's not so sure about this and he has to remind himself to be normal. For his cover, if nothing else. "Did they evolve into them like you did?" He asks instead. If he's unsure, ask questions. Learn. That's the job.
White	White shakes her head gently when Angela asks if they've ridden an elevator. "They've seen... Some of Potimas'... Machines. But it's... Still strange... For them." Fiel then takes that as a cue to make a vigorous karate-chop motion in front of herself and pose proudly with her hands on her hips, like she's bragging about defeating the machines, but Riel next to her gives her a completely unmoving stare with her hands folded behind her back. Whatever small motes of skepticism are present in that face, Fiel's expression reacts by shifting to a dramatic lip-raised pout and miming a huff silently. "They'll be fine." White says, acting oblivious to them. At least they're ready to follow White around, and Ael and Sael in particular will even follow Angela's cues without complaint; Angela's approved-of, after all, and those two are good about being cooperative. Sael, despite her timid appearance, seems to be the hastiest when given instructions, even, but order notwithstanding all of the spider family is embarked in the elevator without issue when the time comes. Only Fiel can't quite manage to stand still, she has to sway on her heels. At that point, White wraps back around to Angela's prior remark about good influences, slipping in a little jab that, "The Demon Lord might be worse." Then, finally, she tilts her head at Roland's inquiry like she's a little surprised he'd take an interest in the System's workings. "... Yes. Puppet Taratect is... The end of their... Evolution track... Though. It's an alternative... To the stage... Prior to Queen Taratect." Which is... The type of spider that White keeps calling a 'kaiju'. Quite the big deal...
Angela	''It's... Still strange... For them.'' "When I was a kid I'd used to try and jump at the last minute to see if I could time my leap so I'd land right as the elevator came to a stop." Roland says, grinning as he mimes the karate chop back. Angela, confused, also karate chops the air like she is concerned she is misunderstanding some ritual that she needs to be a part of immediately or she'll really get in trouble. Angela hits the button for the Floor of Art. The Elevator doesn't seem to be murderous in any capacity, though it does play light elevator music. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0RJPFOpBlg Roland taps the side of his pant legs with his hands and then as if Fiel infected him starts swaying back and forth on his heels. A little arrow slowly ticks upwards. Angela turns her focus to White and says, "Well as their aunt, if someone is inappropriate please let me know and I will chastize them appropriately." "They take after you a little at least--" Roland murmurs, thinking about Riel's pep about kicking ass in particular. They struggle with talking so they have to communicate with body language and facial expression, and that also feels a little familiar to him. DING The elevator doors swoosh open into the Floor of Art. White's been here before! But there's a sense that there was some hasty last minute cleanup. Some empty (and not empty) bottles have been tidied away in a corner, some books have been straightened up, and Netzach is somewhat tidier looking. that's all he could manage in the span of like two minutes. Tiphereth is there--she looks about the same age as the nieces here but she's looking a little pouty. "Angela we went to a lot of work to--" And then he sees them and her eyes widen. "Oh gosh are THESE the nieces? They're adorable! Netzach, you better not spook them off." He kicks him lightly in the shin. "Best behavior of course..haha..." He's also swaying a little lazily to one side then the other but it's probably for different reasons than Riel has. The kodoma are still present, sitting on books and occasionally pushing them around. ACtually come to think of it, the lack of book tidiness might have as much to do with the kodoma as it does Netzach's laziness. The little glowing green glob people seem to largely mind their own business but one of them waddles over curiously to see what's up, looking up at Fael. "I am glad to see your attempt at being appropriate." Angela tells Netzach before pointing to each niece in turn, introducing them in the opposite order she was introduced to them. Angela wanted to show off her memory a little. "Fiel. Riel. Sael. And Ael. Please be sure to commit the names and faces of each so you get them right should they visit again." There's a bucket of lime green paint and a paintbrush near a presently empty eisel, a lid half covering it that has been pushed just out of the way. "Mikey just stepped out, haha." Netzach manages. "Good to see you again White."
White	Roland's wise suggestion gets unquestioningly taken by Riel, of all the sisters. Despite the ladylike posture and form of dress, she impulsively beats Fiel to the punch with a little hop while the latter is grinning at Roland! Though, her timing is a little off, so she leaves the ground as the elevator reaches the top and gets slightly more height than anticipated, and has to land in a deep squat to avoid stumbling embarrassingly. White and Riel share a silent look, and Riel has her placid 'could never do anything wrong' smile back on as she straightens back upright, brushes her skirt like she's taken a tumble on a dusty path, and fixes her posture again. Fiel covers her mouth with one hand and pretends to laugh at Riel's expense. Angela's offer to White is met with an itty bitty smile and matching nod; she's not expecting trouble, but the thought is recognized. And, well, White does care about these goobers, even if their familial relationship is a little hard to describe. Coming out into the Floor of Art, White doesn't seem to pay particular mind to the remaining clutter. The sisters start to fan out from the group a little bit, some more than others. Ael steps out front and center to greet Tiphereth and Netzach with a curtsy, Riel steps up next to Ael to copy her (seemingly just to soak up more praise like a smug cat), while Fiel mimes a gasp when a kodama waddles up to her and drops to her knees to scoop the little guy up in her hands. Sael seems to hear 'tidy' and 'work' and sees the kodama moving things around, and takes that as a cue to start slowly helping sort loose books by picking them up between her sleeve-covered hands... But since she can't read anything other than Demon or 'Human' language from back home, she gets stumped pretty quickly. White, at least, does remember meeting Netzach before. She gives him a nod, and quietly says "It's good... To see you... Are well... Mister Netzach." She hadn't paid much attention before, but since she made her resolution to try harder to remember Angela's own family, she's been paying more attention! "I hope... Mister Mikey... Is doing well... Too." she thinks to add, remembering a mistake she made previously about him. When Sael realizes she can't really help 'tidy' the books, she walks over to Netzach slowly instead. In defiance of her apparent shyness, she reaches right out and lets her sleeves fall away from her hands so she can make a small adjustment to his tie and the way his jacket sits on his shoulders, then dips her head slightly and turns to find something else to do. She'll probably keep doing things like this until someone tells her to stop. Fiel, on the other hand, is trying to sneakily move the kodama to the top of White's head instead from behind her, and White is visibly indecisive about whether to just let her do it or whether to let her know she's not very sneaky. Riel seems to be looking at the paint bucket with unknowable ambitions, but perhaps this kind of thing has been done before; Ael is quick to walk over and ruffle her sister's hair in warning, leaving the strangely unflappable Riel carefully fixing it. The world is safe, for now.
Angela	Roland even jumps along with Riel as she does her little hop. He aims to time it with her, but his balance seems to be better as he doesn't really stumble from doing it. Angela looks at Roland for a moment after, expression inscrutable, but that's that. Fiel reaches down and collects a kodoma. It wobbles in her hands as he's lifted up before falling on his butt, his head twitching and looking up at Fiel, rapt in a way that a pet might be. Angela doesn't seem too concerned about it, so they're probably safe? Doesn't seem like it's inclined to bite. Actually, that might be because it doesn't have a mouth. Indeed, it doesn't even have the impression of a mouth! It wiggles in place for a bit before slowly tilting over onto its side and flopping there. Maybe it absorbed Netzach's penchant for chilling out and vibing. "Oh they're so polite. You could learn a thing or two from them, Netzach." Tiphereth once again chides Netzach who, with pure slacker energy, rubs the back of his neck and lets the complaint flow through one of his ears and out the other. There is a brain in there but he's developed an express route tunnel so he doesn't have to absorb information that gets in the way of good vibes. "Yeah, yeah, he's fine. He doesn't have to fight anymore, really, so he's happy about it. Sometimes other Librarians go into the, uh, the battledo--" Netzach catches a look from Angela. "Battle arena." He corrects himself. "But we haven't been pushed to the point that people who don't want to go have to go--" "Ideally that will never be an issue, but I'm sending the Sephirah on field missions so they can be ready." ''Sael tidies Netzach's tie.'' "Ahh, thanks, miss--Sael, right? I usually keep it pretty loose." Nothing from Team Library is going to stop Fiel from putting a kodoma on White's head. Indeed, Angela is trying to look like she's not paying too much attention. SHe knows what she wants. ''The world is safe, for now.'' It's Netzach's responsibility to doom the world. "Oh hey, yuo're interested in art?" Netzach approaches Riel. "Here I'll get a canvas for you. Actually I can get everyone paints if they want to try it out--" Angela has no idea that this might be hazardous to world peace but she looks over to White to confirm this is okay. Netzach waits for nobody and is busily setting up a few eisels after Sael is done with their tie. "I guess for kids that's appropriate..." Tiphereth says uneasily, like it's a trap.
White	The puppet sisters seem broadly content; Fiel carefully releases the Kodama over White's head, and White does her level best to humor her and pretend she doesn't notice... Or at least, she's confused enough not to know what to do instead. The little green guy probably can't balance well atop her head though, so once it starts to roll to one side she reaches up to catch it. She looks at Angela subtly, looks away, then adjusts her hair so that her long braid is draped around her shoulders like a scarf in one of her usual styles, then carefully couches the kodama in the pocket that makes beside her neck. She's pretty sure rodents like this kind of thing, and she's more conscious of Angela's attention than she'd say aloud; tiny creatures as accessories can only accentuate her pretty features, she thinks. "It's good... To be prepared. Just in case." White agrees, though the nod she gives Netzach seems grateful for the information. Sael, when thanked, only turns back long enough to bob her head a little, her mouth and chin behind her sleeve-ends like she's reflexively hiding behind them. Maybe she just does it to be cute, though, given how easy it was for her to touch someone without asking. Riel sways her entire posture to one side in an over-exaggerated tilt of her head when Netzach offers to enable the demise of world peace, seeming interested in an effortfully mild way. Fiel is less mild about it, and quickly trots away from her mischief with White to go join Riel, egging Netzach on by leaning in with her fists together and wiggling like- well, like a cat. The ears aren't there just to look good! Fortunately though, any concern White or Ael might've shown seems to fade at the idea of new supplies; it seems like the concern was about using Mikey's things without asking. White... Does step over and start weaving a silk sheet between her fingertips and laying it out on the floor. She knows how enthusiastic- and messy- this kind of thing can get when Fiel and Riel get excited. While she works, she slightly belatedly tries to make some conversation, even if it feels a little stiff. "Miss Tiphereth. Right? I don't... Believe we've... Spoken." She pauses to give the new sheet a little flick from two corners, flattening it out from one end to the other with ease while she's laying it down. She's still taking care that the kodama doesn't fall out around the 'seatbelt' of her hairbraid. "Are you... Also... A floor manager?" She still doesn't know the full, proper terminology for positions within the Library beurocracy, gomenna-sorry!
Angela	They're perceptive, Angela thinks. White might underplay it a bit but... The kodoma tries to balance on top of White's head, wiggling up to his feet and then flopping back over and rolling into Fiel's hands. Maybe it HAS absorbed Netzach's vibe since it seems to be comfortable in Fiel's hands. Angela is considering just letting her keep the kodoma--they do seem to survive outside of the Library in much the same way the Abnormalities do. "If White is fine with it, you can keep it." She ultimately settles on. Yes, good thinking Angela. Use bribery to encourage them to be good girls. Heh heh... This isn't so hard so far, clearly all the bad caretakers of the world are just incompetent. She's going to ask, Angela thinks as Fiel makes her way over to Netzach and starts catposing. But she does have a cat's ears, won't she overhear her? She would, so she's going to have to inquire privately. Maybe Fael is self concious of being a catgirl when everybody else isn't one? Do catgirls actually exist naturally in her world? She supposes with the segmented limbs it's not exactly going to be subtle they aren't puppets though.. #-1 ARGUMENT OUT OF RANGEAngela sees what White's preparing for but she doesn't have floor sheets or anything like that--Angela's not that sort of artist and it just hadn't occured to her, but she starts to approach until-- ''Miss Tiphereth. Right? I don't... Believe we've... Spoken.'' Angela stops and brings her hands behind her back. There's really no point in obscuring what just happened. Tiphereth looks at Angela past White for a moment before looking to White. "Not that I remember, but I do forget things from time to time. I manage the Floor of Natural Sciences. I hope The City hasn't given you too much trouble. To be honest, I haven't ever really been a part of it either but you hear enough stories it doesn't exactly put me in a hurry to leave--though--" She glances to Angela who gives a nod. "We did venture out into the Outskirts recently. It was a long trip. Even paid a visit to my sort of old home town--But I didn't really feel like returning permanently. I think I'm fine where I'm at reight now." This is a bit of an unburdening as Tiphereth exhales slowly, looking to Roland, who is staring at the little pocket kodoma, and then decides he'll be no use. "You certainly have Angela running around." "Ah." Angela says. "Which is good, I worry for all her preparation to one day free herself of this place she won't have anywhere she can go to. Have to start totally fresh." "Tiphereth." Angela says. "Your kids are adorable. And honestly really well behaved for kids. Did you coach them before you came here?" Tiphereth continues, ignoring her.
White	White seems unbothered by the offer of a new goofy little pet at first, but after a few moments she looks very slightly more worried. "Maybe... Not. There are... Other spiders... That won't... Recognize it, around... The Demon Lord's castle." And it would be... Very sad, for everyone involved, if that were to go the way one might imagine. Better not to risk an accident, and even Fiel is able to give up on the idea with a few moments to pout first. "... Maybe later... If the Demon Lord... Is willing to... Use Kin Control." Normally Ariel seems happy to do what White asks of her, so maybe she's especially busy right now? White, unfortunately, doesn't quite know what Angela had in mind. She just noticed her walking closer, then awkwardly stopping. Enough to look Angela's way blankly, but not enough to ignore Tiphereth talking to her. She feels something off in the way Angela's reacting, but she can't quite put a finger on why. She nods when Tiphereth states her appointed floor, putting it to memory. She shakes her head about trouble in the City; she really hasn't spent a lot of time there in person overall, to the point that she's probably been inside the Library more than outside of it simply by teleporting directly there. The mention of the Outskirts itself doesn't draw a response, but she nods again slowly when Tiphereth concludes that she's fine where she is, and White quietly says "That's good." But, the rest feels somewhat more pointed and hard for White to interpret the subtext of. "Only a little. They're... Older than... They look." is where she starts, though as she considers how to make the comparison in age and thinks about having to explain her own weird relationship with birthdays, she seems to stall out and try to dodge the verbal challenge for something else. Of course, given Riel might already be finger-painting by now if Netzach has brought supplies back already, it might be hard to get a stranger to take her word for it. They're just a little eccentric! You would be too if you grew up in a cave and then went on a roadtrip with the Demon Lord. What do you mean, 'White was the reason they turned into cutesy fashion-addicts'? Surely that's irrelevant, overruled! "... Is something the matter, Miss Tiphereth?" White finally hazards asking, feeling turned-around enough about small social cues and weird looks that it's starting to feel like the girls are getting sifted for potential spies or something. She doesn't imagine it's anything that severe, really... But asking outright seems like the only real option.
Angela	Angela considers Kin Control. "Ah, in that case--they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. If the situation changes, we can discuss it further." She does feel a little guilty she can't do a pet exchange here but ... well, it's important to consider the environment, of course. For Harriet this is a pretty easy habitat for her to get on with, especially since she's not small enough to accidentally be stepped on and all the Librarians know if they hurt one hair on her fuzzy little leg--Angela hasn't been truly enraged, truly furious at anybody in the Library yet. They don't know what she'd do. Neither does Angela, really. And she doesn't like to think about it. And so she just spoils the spyder forever. What WAS Angela trying for? Probably something innocuous that she's overthinking. "...Wonder if it's weird, but I guess I've lived more of my life in this place than out of it.#-1 FUNCTION (ANIS) NOT FOUND "But you remember what it was like to be outside. It was likely mostly the danger and the horror that you experienced. But there is more than that outside. Perhaps you should ... go outside of the Library someday for no mission at all. Maybe then you'll be more inclined to live outside someday." Tiphereth glances to Angela and admits, "Maybe... But is it a good idea to really inflict that upon myself right now when I might be stuck here for another year or two either way?" Angela exhales. "...For you, at least, you've always worked hard. If you change your mind, I will even assist you in finding an enjoyable locale to visit." Tiphereth hesitates and then says, "...Sure. Maybe later." Netzach HAS returned with paint and is all too happy to encourage fingerpainting. "Wow! You're doing great already. Man, maybe we could do art classes here--Mikey'd love to teach them, I imagine, I've still a lot to learn myself." Art classes, Angela thinks. "Well, when they're able to visit, I certainly wouldn't mind 'art time'." She moves to stand next to White instead of whatever she was hoping to do. ''Is something the matter, Miss Tiphereth?'' "Huh?" Tiphereth blinks. "No I just...mm... Maybe it's just nice seeing siblings in action, I guess. And I wanted to bully Angela a little." "Do as you will." Angela says. "But I may bully you in return so best be ready for retaliation." Though she's smiling while saying this. "Do they normally look after themselves or..." Tiphereth wonders aloud.
White	Riel might be dressed the most ladylike of the sisters, but she's certainly not shy about getting her hands covered in paint. Not full-on dunking them into a bucket front and back, but... Her palms will probably be colorful when they go home. Both of them. And every fingertip has a different color before long, letting her mix and match! It actually seems like she's painting the kodamas initially, finding their round little blobby shapes easy to recreate in green before adding details in other colors... More made-up than real, like silly little expressions and tiny accessories. One has a sword, another has a cowboy hat... Fiel seems to have slotted into a supporting role for Riel's artistic vision, for the time being. She picks up colors for Riel to try and even wipes previous ones off without any audible request needed; it's often said that siblings share a wavelength, and for the spiders it's certainly true. Fiel seems to be silently laughing every time Riel comes up with a new little hat or item to give the painted kodamas though, so maybe it's sort of a performance for her too? What does finally surprise Riel is when Fiel trots over to start pushing Netzach closer (with surprising strength, but apparent care) to where she was originally standing beside her sister, taking his stated lack of skill as the perfect cue. Either she's trying to encourage him, or thank him, or maybe it'd just be really funny to see what he comes up with, but Riel even makes one more swirly little green guy on the easel, just waiting for Netzach to dress or arm it. Ael seems to take the other conversation as relatively private, and takes Sael aside so that she stops trying to Complete Tasks at random, sitting her meek sibling down somewhere between the painting and the chatter so that they aren't disruptive. She does momentarily touch her throat again though, quickly slipping a "Thank you!" out at the idea of art classes. Even if she's less spontaneous and creative than her sisters, it's her duty as the (self-appointed) older(?) sister to properly appreciate favors on their behalf, after all! Sael seems less interested in the art, and more just... Generally comfortable being in a big, relatively quiet place with not too many people. And a bunch of little guys!! She's really staring at one of them too, and a staring contest between someone with a fake face and something so alien might go on for a while. White seems a little reassured by the answer and the way Angela reacts to Tiphereth's admission, nodding a little more deeply than usual. She was worried for nothing, it seems, and that's good. Noticing Angela beside herself, White spends almost a little too long wondering which of half a dozen possible cues this might be. Narrowing it down through the process of elimination, White makes a final decisive guess... And reaches over to offer her hand to Angela! Hand holding is... Normal, right? But people in her shows always seem to struggle with it. Sure, it's a bit terrifying if you're unprepared. You just have to come at it with a resolute heart and pure intentions. Pure as white snow, of course. Heh! So, holding her hand out toward Angela like that without actually looking expectant for it to be taken (it'll come when Angela's ready!), she tries to talk a little more about her adorable nieces. "They're... Mostly... Self-sufficient. But they get... Lonely... Easier, these days. They were the Demon Lord's... Bodyguards, for a while. But she doesn't... Leave the castle much... Right now. When I'm... Staying there... They usually loiter... In my room. When I'm not... They help... Sophia, Merazophis, or Wrath... With small errands."
Angela	Angela quirks her head at Riel. She thinks about her younger days, when the lack of eyes upon her didn't feel so heavy. She shouldn't feel jealous over children, it feels cruel to be jealous over children. But it's also nice. She feels good knowing that people she cares about have people they care aboud and that those people they care about are doing well and are happy and are silly, dear god she wishes her home were a bit more silly (it is actually a pretty silly place, just not in the way that Angela wishes for). Some part of her wishes she could be as stupid as some of her enemies and just blithely push through life without a real care. Which is terrible, because she loathes those people, but doesn't it feel a little nice? It must feel nice. It does feel nice, doesn't it? Until Petra comes and dispels illusions. Hahh, she's such an idiot sometimes, it's good that she is like this at least in some capacity because it means she's got a Petra on her side. The slow road to happiness it might be, but--she knows how Petra feels about suffering. How important it can be to suffer. Netzach is quietly cheering them on in a somewhere energetic but subdued way, like a laughing pillow. "You've got the kodoma look down pat," They say. They hold up their hands in an 'Isurrender' pose as Fiel starts pushing them and then goes, "Oh nooo I'm falling--" In a teasing way as he sort of leans into the push, but then he goes, "Woah!! You've been working out huh? Maybe you should wrestle Gebura someday, haha!" They're really feeling the vibes of this. "Okay lets see..." He thinks as he considers the kodoma for dressing up. "Something--" "PG I know I know... Hm..." They then draw... a spider on top of the kodoma's head! Except there's only 6 legs, apparently Netzach forgot spiders have eight? The other Librarians don't bring it up. They thend add a couple bell earrings on the kodoma. Laeticia? Laeticia-esque. ''Reaches over to offer her hand...'' Angela smiles. White discovered the secret lore answer! Angela takes her hand. It's a little tight, at first, before she loosens her grip. Or maybe she was just giving a small squeeze. "It can be lonely being cooped up in one spot. So I'm glad they seem to be having fun." And they they are happy. Despite that little poisonous envy. "It sneaks up on you doesn't it? The bigger world you ended up building for yourself."
White	Neither Riel or Fiel can recognize Laeticia by the hair, but they can tell Netzach wasn't drawing random lines by the spider-ish resemblance, and that seems good enough for them to mime their girlish giggles with silent little leans, shoulder-shimmies and smiles, at their own levels of energy. Fiel holds her own bicep... With a secondary arm on the same side, which might be a surprise if Netzach wasn't paying attention to how many firm fingers were pushing at his back. They don't have extra sleeves for the other arms, but in hindsight each of their outfits seems to provide extra room in the sleeves for different numbers of arms. But, that matters less than the fact that Fiel is smugly boasting with her completely fake muscles. Riel goes on to nimbly smear out several more kodama-shapes, interspersed with some colorful spiders here and there. It's the speed round, and Netzach better keep up if he's gonna help the girls paint! Fiel even puts her hands up to make playful 'claws' with her fingers arched, deviously threatening him with... Something, if he doesn't comply! Ael will probably intervene before she does anything intense though, given she's watching from nearby while stroking Sael's head like a sleepy puppy. White, of course, doesn't know what the right amount of pressure is while holding hands. She doesn't quite figure out that this is what Angela was hoping for, either, just that it was 'an option' from that position. But the squeeze seems like a good sign! She doesn't have to do much to show that she's glad she chose well, and it mostly comes through in how her fingers slide between Angela's and her thumb closes around the back of her hand carefully, making a few tiny adjustments like she's optimizing out any way it could pinch skin even a little bit. "Mm." White starts quietly, looking at Angela, then back to the girls again. She's thoughtful for a moment, then her eyes open halfway like she's checking something, then they close again. "... Nobody should be... Trapped in a place... That they can't leave." It's an obvious sentiment for the both of them, of course. But it's clear there's more than just the people in this room right now that are on her mind, when she says it. And it's hard not to think of potential futures where... No, not now. She can think about that later. She wouldn't want to worry Angela. There's something else, though, that she doesn't quite filter out before it manages to cross her lips quietly. "... I don't think... I built anything. I just wanted to... Eat sweet things, and have peace. I wonder... If I'll have both, eventually." It's genuinely hard for her not to let her thoughts wander, and being able to speak more easily to Angela while nobody else is paying as much attention also means it's easier to tell when her tone starts to trail off. Just a little bit.
Angela	Why did Netzach draw a spider with six legs? It's shrimple, really. If someone criticized his art he could be like 'oops, you're right' and then draw two extra legs, solving the problem immediately. Also it's spider enough looking with six legs and Netzach actively avoids work he doesn't have to engage in. The spider has a smiley face. It's important for it to be clear that the spider is a happy spider, after all, even with two missing legs. He can't help, though, but look to the other spiders. Do they have six legs? Seven legs? The full eight? It's an important question in need of answering, Netzach knows what's important in life. When he's challenged, that's motivation enough, though, and he says, "Oh I see! You want me to go all out huh?" Netzach hasn't gone all out in years so it's probably not going to be too impressive, but he getes to work adding more spiders. One spider's holding a basket, one is wearing a baseball cap, one mutant spider has ''nine'' legs instead of the customary six. Netzach's having fun. Even Roland can't help but smile at the exchange though his eyes are a bit distant. Tiphereth busies herself with overseeing Netzach's work, ready to smack him a bit if he gets too cheeky or age inappropriate. Every former agent at the Library could leave. Those who remained chose to stay. But the Sephirah, she has only loosened the chain for them. Let them leave occassionally. Roland is on an even stricter set of rules. Can she expect to achieve freedom for herself this way? She knows death, she can speak, she can even bleed now, but she still can't enter her home. And is this what Lilian means by her consuming the flesh of man, using these people to fuel her escape? But she can just stop once her shackles are shattered, can't she? It's not so different from before. Potential futures. What are the bad ends that she sees before her? ''I just wanted to... Eat sweet things, and have peace.'' Can you build something without intending to build anything? Just because you want the sort of life that anybody should have? She supposes she'll find out. "You will." Angela vows, a quiet conviction in her eyes. It's a good goal that will never conflict with hers and that's a relief too. She's tired of being forced, she wants to try being allowed to have convictions too. Things she doesn't need to set aside. "You're smart and you know when to keep quiet. I'd put my money on that any time over the alternatives."
White	Netzach's best efforts are enough for Riel and Fiel. They each lean in around him to start adding more things to the spiders, though given the simplicity of fingerpainting most of the additions are simple objects held in their spindly legs, like little stick-swords and baseball bats, a couple of what might be smudgey flowers, and... One gets a cowboy hat and a pair of whips? Fiel turns to try and pressure Tiphereth into participating too, but she's at least careful not to get paint from her hands onto the other girl's clothes in the process. Ael and Sael remain seated and watching for the most part, but after a while Roland can probably tell Sael's staring at him, blankly watching his expression... It's hard to guess whether she's worried, curious, or just off in her own world though. It takes a while for Ael to realize and gently take Sael's attention off of him again, and she gives Roland a small smile and apologetic nod. White can't guess what Angela's thinking, she can only tell that she's feeling thoughtful. But it's not hard to hold a hand once you're used to it, and it's not hard to wait while she organizes her thoughts. White can be impulsive, but she can also be very patient when she's motivated. She wonders briefly if 'sweet things and peace' are really what she's hoping for anymore; she could've abandoned every responsibility she adopted if she chose to. She could've hidden away on Earth and lived quietly, as long as she kept away from other gods. She's been thinking about this a lot recently... But Angela's assurance does help her break the funk for now. She still wants those simple things... They're just waiting on the other side of something more difficult. That's how it always is with sweet things, isn't it? You reward yourself after the hard work is done. "... Thank you Miss Angela. I wonder... If when we... Finally free Sariel..." A pause to think of her phrasing. "If she would eventually... Visit other worlds... Too. Maybe she... Can restart... Her Foundation." It might be a bit much to hope for anything better than 'her not trying to kill White for a handful of reasons, and spending time with Ariel', but... It's tempting to imagine that maybe, in the long, long-term, saving an angel might result in some good being done elsewhere too. It's not like there's any lack of places that need the help, in the great wide multiverse. Not the least of which being the place where she's standing, right now.