Scene #9719: My Name p2

Owner	Pose
Riku Asakura	Pedanium Zetton was still lying out in the city, repairing himself, but right now he was harmless. This has given the local forces and Paladin forces time to evacuate the area, making sure that if, or rather, when he reactivates, nobody will directly be in the center of his rampage. Inside, Kei is still unconscious, probably still trapped in his horrid mindscape that was last on his mind before he deployed the attack that caused him to damage part of himself. On the other hand, Riku has called up people. He received a letter on the doorsteps of Nebula House, or rather, the Observatory above it. This is odd because nobody but Riku, Laiha, Pega, and the elites know it's there. The letter is addressed to Riku and says it wants to meet him. It also gives him an address. The only other thing it gives is a return address... which is 'Asakura'. The same last name as Riku. Riku meets with the other elites near the house in question. Pega seems to think it could be a trap, but Riku has the mentality of 'standing around doing nothing won't accomplish anything'. Also, friends might be important to push through this. By the time people start to arrive, an older man emerges from the house itself. He wears a white shirt with pink flowers on it, tan kackies, and a grey robe left open. The moment he sees the group, he calls out to Riku and the rest of you. "Hey, there you are." "Me?" Riku asks, and the old man nods. "Well, all of you really," he replies, "I'm the one you're looking for." "You're Mr. Asakura?" Mr. Asakura, the elder, nods. "I saw you get here all the way from the observatory. I also saw the rest of you arrive from the portal." "You did? But how..?" The question is immediately interrupted by Mr. Asakura hugging Riku. "I'm glad you're here." "Ow, hot!" Riku says during the hug. As it finally breaks, the old man laughs, "Sorry, sorry..." Riku looks back at the group, and then back at the old man. Hot hands are a symptom of one thing: a Little Star. However, he invites you inside. Inside the house, it's... well, mundanely normal. It's what you expect out of an old man's house. Plenty of pictures, mostly of the man in various stages of his life and of a woman who only appears to be younger than he is currently. There is a distinct lack of children's photos. There is also a large grandfather clock, which you swear you can hear almost throughout the house. Also, in the main living room area, there is an assortment of snacks and drinks laid out. Small bags of chips and sweet snacks, and sugary sodas all laid out as if he were expecting company /specifically/ that day. There are snacks that you /specifically/ like as well, even if they had to be imported.
Shira	Shira is a newcomer to this particular town that is also at least somewhat familiar with kaiju. Given that familiarity also involves property damage, it still leaves her rather anxious about being too visible, even if Riku might be able to vouch for her. She has her own demons, after all. So when invited, she still keeps to side-streets and alleyways, and while she makes sure Riku knows she's there, she stays relatively out of sight while the group gathers and waits. Not that it helps much, Mister Asakura already knows she's there without any hesitation or confusion through whatever mysterious means he has. Nervously, Shira slinks into the old man's house, sparing a glance over her shoulder before entering. Indoors, Shira circles the main living room twice on all fours, then squats down in that way only quadrupeds really can get away with, that spined tail coiling around her and resting gingerly on the floor to avoid causing damage. "It's, um. It's nice to meet you, sir," she offers only once she's sat down, "I'm Shira. A... a friend? Of Riku's." She tilts her head forward, turning a touch towards the Japanese youth to make sure he's okay. A completely different sort of kaiju compared to Pega. As sharp and bioluminescent as she is, she'd never fit in as a tokusatsu mascot sidekick.
Meresankh	Outside the mysterious messenger's house, Meresankh wonders aloud as to the purpose of the summons. "Perhaps the return of Pedanium Zetton, or the energies released by its consumption of six Ultra Capsules, has convinced a hidden actor to show their hand at last. We should be wary of them, especially in their own home." She is however soon distracted by scientific interest. "How is the Arch Necros capsule suiting you? You have yet to utilize all of its techniques, and the energy readings so far are within expected parameters... but what's it like?" She's one notepad shy of a full psychoanalysis of Riku's time with the new capsule. Meresankh continues to pester Riku about the Arch Necros ultraform for long enough that she doesn't even notice the elder Mr Asakura emerge from his abode. She starts a little when she finally catches on that the conversation has shifted, and then again as her eyes sweep over the strange man. Her multi-spectrum vision picks up a great quantity of energy within him, and of a different nature than Riku. For now she holds her tongue and waits for the man to introduce himself. When Riku picks up on the older Asakura's internal temperature, Meresankh floats forward and says with a little bow, "Greetings, man of Earth! I am Queen Meresankh of Oryx, a distant world in another galaxy. I have come here to support the younger Asakura in his endeavors." Then, just a little too quickly to allow a reply, "Your body overflows with energy. Where does it come from?" Wow, that's pretty forward. Entering the house, Meresankh observes the snacks with a bit of a forlorn gaze. Finally she settles her attention on a Rubik's Cube that has been set out alongside the refreshments. "Ah, a child's polyhedral!" She picks it up, solves it in about four seconds, and scrambles it again without looking. "Only three dimensions, how charming. I appreciate the gesture." "There is a reason you called Riku here," she says to the older Asakura. A slight tilt of the head indicates she expects him to explain.
Flamel Parsons	Flamel's got Guys out on this kaiju business. Men in hazmat gear, soaking the beast in ever-dwindling supplies of napalm to stave off regeneration as much as possible. Where did he even get these guys? They aren't wearing anything Psychonauts-branded. Maybe the Concord? Hmm... Well, whatever the deal is, Flamel's torn himself away from his work long enough to go see a certain visitor. Flamel's recognizing someone who's got at least something like ESP in moments, and when he offers a (gloved) handshake of greeting, he's already asking, "Mind if I check your mind as we go?" When he's settling in for a rare off-world bag of Dream Fluffs, he's already working on seeing if this guy's clairvoyant, precognitive, or some other psychic influence. Of course, only in what seems to be a friendly way, were one to examine the telepathic exchange. He pops one of the fluffs in his mouth and enjoys the flavor, then says, "Flamel Parsons, agent of a vague yet ominous organization -- but I'm getting the feeling you already knew that!" His smile's pretty wide. "I'll tee you up, though." He says, as if he were just doing improv night with someone. "'Why now, precisely, and how long?'" The two questions that he wouldn't need telepathy to know that such a man has been forming the answer for in his head for a long time.
Sarracenia	A mysterious letter delivered to a place that is supposed to be secret? This says to Sarra that...they are beginning an adventure! ...or it is a trap. She's much more aware of those after the Darkmancer incident. Now that she is the ruler of her kingdom she feels like she has more leeway in her outfits, so Sarra arrives in a much less poofy and frilly dress. It's still red, it's still a dress, it still has puffed shoulders, but it is a much more subdued dress. And shorter! It only comes to just below her knees! Red and black striped leggings cover the rest of her legs, with heeled slippers on her feet. And of course, her crown remains on her head, along with her burgundy metal lotus hairpin. She follows quietly after Riku, curiosity obvious in her expression. When they reach the home and the older gentleman greets them, Sarra can't help a bit of an amused while confused look at the man. When they are inside, Sarra introduces herself. She curtseys politely and smiles. "Greetings, Mr. Asakura. I am Princess Sarracenia, Ruler of the Sundew Kingdom. It is nice to meet you. Like Queen Meresankh I come from a distant world and have come here to support the noble Riku. Though it seems you likely know who we are already, it would seem rude not to introduce myself." Shira being here is a surprise, and Sarra offers the mini-kaiju a friendly wave and a smile. Meresankh likewise receives a friendly greeting. Even Flamel receives a warm hello despite what he might have done to Kei. In Sarra's eyes, Kei lost any right to complain about what has happened to him when he joined Belial in his world or perhaps even universe ending scheme. The table of refreshments is...quite surprising. "...grapefruit soda? I was starting to think literally no one in the multiverse drank this but me!" the princess says happily as she takes a can and pops it open before taking a big drink and letting out a satisfied 'aaah~' at the taste. She giggles a bit, then offers one to the others. They likely have no way of knowing, but...whether someone likes grapefruit soda is an important friendship test for Sarra!
Petra Soroka	Petra still felt kind of fussy about Kei Fukuide getting psychically tortured for his love of another man just because he's evil and wants to destroy the world about it. On a moral level, Petra disagrees with the heroic tactic of tormenting someone by identifying their gay love as an emotional weak point and hammering it until they go into hysterics-- this started sort of as a joke, but now Petra's gotten a little serious about it due to ruminating on it for a few days. "Okay, but like, what's the situation with the big guy in the quarantined area of the city? What's going on there?" Petra was not present for the fight itself! Instead of going to talk to the man inside the kaiju, Riku's got some fuckass letter from whoever the fuck, which does not particularly thrill her to follow through on. Petra was really thinking this would be a Fukuide day, and didn't know otherwise until she showed up. That's why, in addition to a straight-cut tank top and casual sneakers, she has a bucket hat that reads LOVE IS LOVE in rainbow-colored stitching, which goes strangely with the fact that she keeps cigarettes cycling through her fingers the entire time before the group gets to the door. "You're Mr. Asakura?" She's polite enough to cut it out and dissolve the cigarette in her Silver once Asakura answers the door. "Hey. I'm Petra. So are you, like-- he's, like, adopted, right? I thought you knew the Asakuras, Riku." She'll look around someone's house, though. That's always good fun, and snacks are welcome. "Does this have anything to do with the big monster attack?"
Shira	Shira returns Sarra's wave with one clawed hand, her gaze shifting from the princess to the snacks. Her tail uncoils and reaches out, the tri-tipped spikes oriented down like the claw of a UFO catcher. Like this, she gently secures a bag of spicy shrimp chips and draws them in to her waiting hands. It's some obscure Indonesian brand but the logo is a cartoon shrimp with a flamethrower so it probably means business. "And...thank you for the snacks, sir." She deftly slices the bag open with one claw and pops a big ol' Danger Red-dusted chip into her mouth with a cronch, eyes closing in that quietly pleased way people do when something is especially tasty.
Angela	Angela is also feeling a little weird about Kei Fukuide. He's reminding her of her dad. No, not Ayin. Hokma. Except, like, Kei Fukuide is better than Hokma because Kei Fukuide hasn't done anything to harm her personally and is merely destroying the world, something most people were agreeing with LobCorp about anyway under ethical grounds. Kei also reminds her of Woz, whom she doesn't have complicated feelings about at all. She likes Woz. And she's sort of hoping that Kei will one day have the self assured confidence that Woz has instead of feeling as if his place by Belial's side is being threatened by a child. If she didn't really feel like she had some personal investment here thanks to her time spent with Belial, she'd be hesitant to involve herself any further as it is, but since she is--well, she can support Petra. And that is why Angela is also wearing a bucket hat that reads LOVE IS LOVE. Except she didn't change anything else from her Chief Librarian uniform. But before she does anything, her attention is drawn by Shira who is walking around on all fours. Angela just looks ath er for a long moment, her stare utterly impassive and stoic as she just looks at her until Shira can feel that she's being seen. And then she turns her attnetion back to Mr. Asakura. She can't help but think a little of Sougo's granduncle just on immediate meeting before really knowing the guy. She looks at the clock as if expecting a whole bunch to start climbing out of the woodworks. She doesn't reach for food. Food is a little less novel to her and shehas people in her life who bring her nsacks so she's not feeling especially hungry for food or novelty. She files the Shira name away for letter in case she has to perform Works later. "Yes, what is this about? And what is the kaiju about?" She doesn't have the drive to ask any more precisely than this. ''Thank you for the snacks, sir.'' Hm, maybe she's not an Abnormality after all. Sometimes people look like Abnormalities and just are people. And sometimes ABnormalities look like people but are decidedly Abnormalities. Walking around on all fours isn't that strange, humans do that sometimes. Nevertheless, she files away that using snacks on Shira is effective. ''Grapefruit soda? I was starting to think literally no one in the multiverse drank this but me!'' Angela takes out her phone and sends a message to Tiphereth to obtain grapefruit soda in case a Work has to be done on Sarracenia. She puts her phone back away after.
Riku Asakura	Riku, before the elder Asakura stepped out, was caught off guard by the questions from Meresankh. He looked at her and tried to put into words how to describe it. It's not easy, because before the other Ultra Capsules felt natural... this was something completely new to him, and the feeling was... "Well... a little... corrosive? It doesn't feel exactly like the other Ultra Capsules, and it feels dangerous to use. The energy isn't the same, is what I mean, and it just feels... off? It still lets me fight, so I can't complain about that, but I feel something might be dangerous if I were to be punched out of it or something..." Riku also looks worried when Petra talks about the Kaiju, "It's Fukuide. He, apparently, absorbed the Ultra Capsules and turned into that kaiju again. Right now he's regenerating after hurting himself with a powerful attack, but I think Flamel is trying to keep him from regenerating." Shira's appearance doesn't get any looks of fear or judgement from the elder Asakura. He nods to her and lets her make herself comfortable. "I'm glad you could make it Shira. How is the information on the hard drive coming along? I know the boy isn't very helpful on that front, but I'm glad your, I guess 'sister' didn't get hurt in their confrontation." He's happy she's enjoying her spicy chips. Meresankh's questions are met with an amused laugh from the old man. "Yes, I can only imagine what it looks like to you. I've also seen your aid to our young friend here. As for where it comes from... tell me, do you know what a 'Little Star' is? If not, I am sure Sarracenia, Mr. Parsons, or even Riku could fill you in." He pauses at her second question. "Yes, there is a reason why I called him here." He pauses. "Oh, where are my manners? You should probably refer to me as Sui, so nobody confuses which Asakura is which!" Sui shakes Flamel's hand. "I don't mind; there isn't much I intend on hiding from you. I know you have some form of respect for others' privacy," he says to the man, smiling when he finds the Dream Fluffs. For Flamel, however, it's very obvious that he's a very powerful clairvoyant. He's also the holder of a Little Star. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Parsons, and yes, I did, but it'd be a little weird to call you by your name before you said it. But to answer your other questions... because I think Riku deserves to know the truth about himself after what he went through with Fukuide, and for how long...? About three months. Unless you are asking about the OTHER thing, which is about a year or so a doctor has told me."
Riku Asakura	"About me?" Riku asks, to which Sui nods and motions Riku to the game console he has set up at the television in the back. "The one you wanted, right?" he says with a grin on his face. Sarracenia's greeting gets a nod from the old man. "Yes, I watched the final fight with the Darkmancer; it was pretty interesting. Though how is Gregory doing?" he asks, concerned for the Princess' butler. When Sarracenia finds the soda he set there for her, his grin widens a bit. "Thankfully, it's very common here. Mr. Parson's chips were a lot harder to get." Riku shakes his head at Petra, "No, I was raised by the Aizaki's. Orphans are named after the local administrator at the time, which..." "Was me," Sui Asakura says, with a nod. "I happened to be at the observatory the night you were found, Riku. In fact, my wife and I were going to adopt you, but..." he says, looking towards a picture of the woman in the photos with him. "My wife died in an accident before we could make it official. At the time, I knew I wasn't fit to take you in; after that, the Aizaki's took you in instead." "And yes, it does. Petra, because Riku here was beaten and has lost sight of who he truly is. That's why I wrote the letter, and had an acquaintance deliver it to him." Sui politely nods to Angela, "The Kaiju is Kei Fukuide being overwhelmed by the power of the Ultra Capsules he stole from Riku; he absorbed them to be turned into something by his body, because he can invert energies. Right now, it's converting the energies of the Ultra Capsules into something dark, and the only way is to beat the Kaiju. Unfortunately, that is hard because he's tough and can also regenerate. As for this, this is an attempt to see if I... or I guess we can lift Riku's spirits back up." "But the letter says you had no time?" Riku asks, to which Sui sighs and sits down, picking up one of the controllers to the PS4 he had purchased to play with the group. "I'm terminally ill, you see. I have a limited amount of time left. Which is why I wanted to speak to you so badly. Riku Asakura. It just so happens I had given you that name." He looks to the others; maybe they have something to say to Riku too. It seemed to be the reason he wanted you all here.
Shira	> "How is the information on the hard drive coming along? I know the boy isn't very helpful on that front, but I'm glad your, I guess 'sister' didn't get hurt in their confrontation." Shira pauses, hand inside her bag of chips, "Ah... You know, about Horizon?" Wasn't that area evacuated? She withdraws a little, lost in thought while her tail coils tighter around her. How would this stranger know about the laptop she and Regulus found? Anxious thoughts start piling up like a freeway traffic jam. What else does he know? Her secret hideout on Okinawa? The Watch cell she met? Her eyes, downcast, dart just slightly from side to side until she lets out a tiny, determined little 'nn' sound and looks up again. "Riku helped me a lot, and... I think he helped Horizon a lot too. If he wasn't there, it might have been a much worse fight for everyone." He did, after all, throw her into the ocean-- which was her goal all along anyway. Shira glances down again, "I hope she's okay... she seemed really...um, disoriented." Shira notably isn't terribly concerned that Metariza still lost an arm in that incident. She goes quiet for a few moments, listening, her tail lightly shifting in its coiled state. > "I'm terminally ill, you see." Shira sucks in an entirely unnecessary breath when that crashes right into her train of thought. It's a disaster. Shira-mind emergency services arrive on scene to control the fire and rescue victims. Her eyes shift back up to Sui Asakura when he sits down. Without processing quite what she's doing, she rises up on two legs and slinks over to his seat, then sits back down on the floor next to him. "...Thank you," she gets out after a minute. Lifting one hand, she flexes her fingers, imagining the condition of those poor plastic controllers after withstanding her gorilla grip and steel claws, "I'm not-- much of a video game player, but, I can cheer you on. Just being around people... i-is enough, for me."
Meresankh	Meresankh nods as Riku explains the feel of the Arch Necros capsule's power, taking mental notes. "If there is cause for a second version, I will be able to iterate. I might do that 'just because', even!" She's remarkably chipper about her technology being described as spiritually corrosive. Shira gets a glance, then another, then a third one just in case. "This planet has such curious life-forms," she mutters to herself as she idly solves and unsolves the cube. As for the matter of Little Stars, Meresankh perks up at the mention of Jargon. "I expect it has some connection to the Giants of Light, but please, Agent Parsons, do fill me in on the details." When Sui Asakura mentions the battle with the Darkmancer, Meresankh's posture becomes much more guarded. "Have you been observing us all individually? Or only Riku, and by extension any of our exploits in which he participated?" She's immediately uncomfortable with this guy possibly knowing about her marital separation, and that was one of the latest occasions Riku had helped the Queen... "He absorbed them to be turned into something by his body, because he can invert energies." Meresankh's attention is immediately returned to the matter at hand. "You mean to say the capsules are being modified, transformed? Fascinating! I recently devised an Ultra Capsule for Riku to use, but the idea that they can be 'upgraded', too... Oh, I'd simply love to get my hands on one of those capsules now, to see how they've changed. Perhaps it could be an insight into the workings of Belial's powers, or at least Kei Fukuide's!" She's getting a little excited. "If I could get a look into Pedanium Zetton's body, or even its metaphysical self, I would be able to analyze the processes involved, replicate, even perfect them! The energy wielded by Ultraman is well within my understanding, of course, but I'm sure there's much to be learned about Belial's methods. It could even help Riku understand his own abilities!" She's kind of just assuming this guy knows all about the Belial situation, without knowing that he's a clairvoyant psychic.
Petra Soroka	"Right now he's regenerating after hurting himself with a powerful attack, but I think Flamel is trying to keep him from regenerating." "Of course he is. He's always doing that." Petra sort of shrugged it off as she said it, as 'obviously that's what this situation would be', but after a few seconds she starts to get genuinely a little pissy. She looks back to Riku, glances him up and down and sees that he's basically perfectly fine, and scowls. "And look what that fucking, powerful attack amounted to, huh? One guy wounded and miserable and being harassed into being unable to heal, while our heroic target of the attack waltzes around with all his fucking friends." She's not gonna go to the evil kaiju and help him recover so that he can more credibly attempt to destroy the world. She's not. She's such a good girl. Petra announces, multiple minutes later and with no explanation at all, "Don't worry. I'm practicing mindfulness." "I know the boy isn't very helpful on that front, but I'm glad your, I guess 'sister' didn't get hurt in their confrontation." "Huh? What?" Petra decides to get nosy about this topic for no good reason. She had no interaction at all with Shira's little plot with Horizon, or what came after it-- and in fact, this is the first time she's seen Shira in person-- but she's decided that she's owed knowing about this now. "Who's Horizon? Tell me about her." While Shira's crawling around on all fours, Petra frowns, and nudges her tail with her foot to draw attention to it. "And when you crawl around like that you're sticking your ass right up into the air." "tell me, do you know what a 'Little Star' is?" Much politer now, Petra grabs a bag of crab chips and nestles herself into a tight spot to sit on the ground. She raises her hand, crunching on her chips. "I don't know. Sundew? You've been hanging around this world a lot?" "Thankfully, it's very common here. Mr. Parson's chips were a lot harder to get." Petra's favored snacks are mostly things she's acclimated to from District 12, meaning, cheap Korean garbage food. They look completely unremarkable in a spread of treats in Japan, so she feels like she's missed some kind of interaction prompt when Sui says that. "Huh? Were people putting in orders? You've only just met, right?" "Orphans are named after the local administrator at the time, which..." "Oh. Okay." Petra can be sort of weird about orphans and adoption, but it's not really a topic she can comfortably press on in an antagonistic way. She ends up oddly mollified by the simple answer, placidly chomping away whiolle listening to the rest, and even vaguely nodding in sympathy with Sui's story.
Petra Soroka	"Petra, because Riku here was beaten and has lost sight of who he truly is." "Oh, you mean because he's being kind of horrible to a guy who's evil but deserves sympathy and is justifying his weaponization of extremely obviously cruel tactics by the threat of the world being at stake, but has clearly lost the heroic divine right to the point that he's only able to transform using the help of an evil space robot's technology?" Petra pops a cracker into her mouth and crunches down. "Yeah, that checks out." "I'm terminally ill, you see." "Jesus Christ, dude. You can't catch a break. So, wait, you were the orpanage director, sure, but how'd you end up tangled in the supernatural stuff going on? Were you already, even before Riku came around?" Does Petra want to play video games right now...? It's a weirdly comfortable situation, despite the fact that she actively dislikes most of the people here, and couldn't care less about most of the rest of them. The idea of absolutely smoking everyone else in a fighting game on account of her bloodsoaked training arc over years of regularly playing games with Oreshnika is at least moderately appealing. Two tendrils of Silver extend from either side of Petra, from blobules of morphmetal that orbit her slowly. They snatch up a controller and lift it away, metal creeping to cover up the controller grips and roll around the tips of the control sticks. "Alright. What is it?"
Flamel Parsons	Flamel explains in supplement to Petra, "This is about the best I could do on the delay front. I know long-burning fuel and heavy isolation isn't exactly great PR, but I don't really have a cell big enough for this guy." He tries to explain to Angela as well: "I tried to schism him from Belial and he decided to eat every Belial power he could all at once, which did keep the capsules from leaving Earth, but... Well, it turned out like this." As for Little Stars? "I'm told they're fragments of Giant of Light energy that circulated into the ecosystem of various biospheres. Given humans occupy the top of the trophic pyramid, humans tend to wind up hosting and amplifying the fragment. The theory goes, Belial wants to gather those up, and sent Kei to do it." Flamel is settling in, unable to figure out how to hold one of the controllers. He grips it like a TV remote. "I think I've got a pretty good idea of who Geed is." He says, smiling wide. "It's been pretty uncomplicated. Someone you can pin hopes for getting through a dark time on, usually!" It doesn't matter what game you have him play, he's not gonna be very good at it, pressing buttons in a disinterested confusion whether his controller's plugged in or not. "Geed larger-than-life, so if he can stay standing, life can too." He looks aside for a minute though. "But that's Geed. That isn't Riku, right? Riku is something distinct." "Riku is someone who heard I'd done something unforgivable, and approached me all on his own, to hear me out, understand it, and still hold me accountable. Riku is someone who keeps walking into dangerous situations a giant doesn't exactly fit into, because he knows that an extra pair of hands will go a long way still, and that he needs to be there just in case. He doesn't sweat the small stuff or the complicated stuff, he seems like someone who's fast to put himself on the line to do what seems obviously right." He turns back to Sui. "If there were a hundred giants like Geed, the world would be total chaos. But if there were a billion people sort of like Riku, things would be a fair bit better, I think."
Sarracenia	Sarra is really just not aware enough to get why Petra and Angela are wearing LOVE IS LOVE buckets. So, quite unwisely she asks, "...what...why are you two wearing...that?" 'Yes, I watched the final fight with the Darkmancer; it was pretty interesting. Though how is Gregory doing?' Sarra is a little thrown off by this, and perhaps a bit freaked out. She rubs an arm uncomfortably. "Oh...uh...you saw that?" It is clear she is very embarrassed by how the final fight went. She smiles at least a little when asked about Gregory, though. "Gregory is well! He is still under observation to ensure there are no odd side-effects, but he has returned to his duties for the most part. Being the ruler's personal butler is quite a bit more work." 'Well... a little... corrosive?' "...corrosive...?" Sarra asks quietly. Sarra is a bit sad to hear this since she now considers Meresankh a close friend. But, Riku is an honest person so she can't fault him for saying how he feels. 'Petra, because Riku here was beaten and has lost sight of who he truly is.' It is annoying Sarra to no end that Petra and Angela are here, two people who apparently have met Belial and seem to sympathize with both him and Fukuide. Much like when Angela was questioning why Sarra came to the Library during the Scorched Girl incident, Sarra is wondering why they are here. She is trying to play nice, though. When Sui seems to open the floor to the others, Sarra blinks in surprise, then offers Riku a light and slightly sad smile. "It did not seem to help last time, but...I will try again anyway." Her smile becomes more genuine. "You are a true hero, Riku. I have yet to find a single aspect of heroism you have failed to uphold. And to be clear, never being defeated is not required to be a true hero. Many great heroes face defeat. The most important part is..." She gives a double fist pump. "...to never give up! Losing once, and even learning there were people you could not protect...those things do not mean you are not a hero, or that you cannot be depended on, or that you have somehow caused damage by existing." She places her hands on Riku's shoulders. "You were the one that helped me through my darkest time. When Gregory was lost and the Darkmancer at large, there were many times when I would have lost my own way on my hero's path without you. You kept me in the light, rather than letting me stray into the darkness. Now, it is my turn to do so for you. You -are- a hero, Riku. You -have not- caused harm to your friends or even the people of this city. That was all Belial and Fukuide. And you -can- do anything, even retrieve those lost capsules and defeat Belial. Especially with your friends at your side! You do not have to face this alone!" She twirls and gives another double fist pump. "Because you have Princess Sarracenia, Ruler of the Sundew Kingdom, Aspiring Heroine, Future Shining Star of Hope, backing you!" She says this part obviously over the top, then giggles a bit and smiles. "And many other, just as if not more capable people." 'If there were a hundred giants like Geed, the world would be total chaos. But if there were a billion people sort of like Riku, things would be a fair bit better, I think.' Sarra blinks a few times, then looks toward Flamel. "Oh my, Mister Flamel...that was lovely!" she says with a warm, sappy smile. And still pointedly ignoring Petra and her 'This guy's evil deeds don't matter compared to what's been done to him' thing. Because...that would be very unpleasant to try and engage with. It does have Sarra thinking at least. She is not about to pick up a controller, though. She has rarely if ever actually played a video game. And there is no way she wants to lose -anything- to Petra. Even games she has never played before.
Angela	''You should probably refer to me as Sui, so nobody confuses which Asakura is which!'' Angela isn't too uncomfortable calling an older man by his first name because she has not used family names for most of her life. She doesn't know many people who use their last name, even, and if they have them they're not always really all that comfortable with her using them. That said, she does feel weird about being casual with someone she has just met but in lieu of having a formal option, she isn't really sure she has an alternative to even use. Just how many fathers does Riku have? Well, she supposes it's a little silly to wonder so she casts away the thought soon after thinking it. "The Kaiju ''is'' Kei?" Angela says. She frowns further. Not only is he being mentally tortured, but apparently being physically tortured too. She tugs lightly on her bucket hat. She does pay keen attention to the story of Sui finding Riku. And she can't help but feel like she should respect someone being aware he WASN'T ready to look after a child alone after the death of a loved one. She decides not to be weird about this but is a little more keen on following through on Petra's idea of her saying Riku owes her existence to her or something like that. ''Riku here was beaten and has lost sight of who he is.'' "Who is he, then?" Angela asks, as if Sui might know better than Riku, though the small hesitant frown indicates that she's uncertain about this whole process, certainly uneasy. She looks towards Petra as she calls Riku out. She closes her eyes, mulling on this for a moment before adding, "On that." Angela says. "Riku, I have noticed a tendency of yours to accept that which is apparent as the whole truth. Belial rescued Kei at a lowest point, when he had lost everything. Do you feel you would be able to be the 'hero' you are now if you weren't so incredibly blessed?" She crosses her arms, looking to Sarracenia, "It is answered by the hat, Sarracenia." She looks towards Sui for a long moment before ultimately deciding not to add anything else just yet.
Shira	> "Who's Horizon? Tell me about her." "Uh?" Shira's tail recoils when kicked, then swings back. Slowly. The overlapping scales are really solid, and given the pearly iridescent sheen, might be metal despite the organic shape language, "Your voice-- You're, Petra, right?" > "And when you crawl around like that you're sticking your ass right up into the air." She glances back and down over her shoulder towards the bulky root of her tail. Given her proportionally short legs and long arms, it can't be that exaggerated, right? Or maybe it is. Shira lets out a metallic crumbly noise that manages to convey her disappointment in herself, "Sorry. It-- mnn." She doesn't finish the thought out loud. Being part lizard can be tough to manage. "Horizon is..." She closes her eyes, taking in a breath while thinking it over, "... Something, like a sister to me. We're both kaijusapiens." Sticking a hand in her chips, she rummages around, mostly just for the distraction, "She appeared in San Francisco, confused and hurt and not really willing, um.. to listen?" "She kept murmuring about... sinking," Shira confesses, "I don't know what she meant, but when Riku threw her into the ocean, she kept going until she disappeared..." Letting out a breath, she adds, "I'd like to talk to her... I don't really know the first thing about finding her, though." Eyes opening, she glances sideways towards Petra, "I might get along with her, more than I do with Voltarion or Incinera." > "If there were a hundred giants like Geed, the world would be total chaos. But if there were a billion people sort of like Riku, things would be a fair bit better, I think." "Mmh," Shira thinks back to her visit with Regulus in the suitcase, "Riku... protects the world from kaiju. Because he wants people to be safe. I think... he would do that, even if he wasn't Ultraman Geed." The kaiju lady nods once, "And... he can see past the monster too. Riku was kind to me. Riku was kind to Horizon. Riku will always be Riku, no matter what."
Riku Asakura	"Only what I was able to see," Sui explains to Shira. "You see, the Little Star that I developed allows me to project my senses nearly anywhere. I've been using it to keep an eye on Riku, but I only recently developed the power...oh, about three months ago. I only really saw the fight with Horizon, and of course your trip into the underground lair." He doesn't seem to mind when Shira gets close, but he doesn't seem bothered by the fact that he has a terminal illness. Riku, on the other hand, looks very bothered about it, but at the same time, he can't really DO anything about it. "That's fine, I'm sure that Petra is going to give us all a run for our money." As Meresankh goes on about the potential for learning so much about the Ultra Capsules, and of course about Belial. "I would be careful about getting such knowledge. At least right now, especially with Belial out there and still wanting something out of those capsules. There's nothing wrong about wanting to learn things, or developing one's abilities... but wisdom goes with that, you know." To Petra, the old man looks thoughtful. "I don't blame you for thinking of Fukuide like that, but it's also a little unfair to Riku. He didn't cause any of the pain to Fukuide intentionally, and his father's favor isn't something Riku is reveling in. Riku feels bad about it, about as bad as Fukuide does for not getting it." The old man sighs, "Also, I think you want to be mad at Mr. Parsons for most of this." "Also, it's Tekken Seven," Sui says, turning on the game. He'll take the first fight against Petra. Despite appearances, he plays a mean Panda. Though with Petra's GAMER skills developed with Nika, she probably edges Sui out. It's not an easy fight, though, and he'll give her a run for her money. He'll hand off the controller to anyone else who wants to try. As for snacks... "Oh, psychic powers, I was able to figure out what most of you liked for snacks," Sui explains. Obviously a good use of his powers, right? As for supernatural stuff, "About three months ago. Though from what I understand, the Little Stars are a phenomenon about ten years old. If even that."
Riku Asakura	To Flamel, Sui sighs, "You should be careful messing with the mind and emotions of someone in love with another. It's powerful, and sometimes unpredictable. Especially when it could be a one-sided or even abusive relationship." Flamel gets talking about both Geed AND Riku, which causes Riku to look a little uncomfortable and embarrassed. "It's... not all that special, right? I mean, wouldn't anyone want to help others like I try to?" he asks, nobody specifically, but maybe to Flamel. He doesn't /feel/ special. Shira joins in on it too, which causes Riku to shake his head. "I really don't do anything different... people are just people, right?" Sarracenia goes in for another heroic speech, which is surprising because the last one didn't go so well. Riku is obviously not in a good mental spot right now because of the stuff with his father, with Kei, with how people are trying to handle Kei. He looks /deeply/ uncomfortable about the speech itself. "I know I don't have to face it alone, but... I'd feel really bad if anyone did get hurt because of me. I'm not just some hero... I do try to do what is right, but right now I don't even really know what I am. Am I a human? Ultraman? A patsy of two men trying to collect power to make themselves stronger?" Sui speaks up again when Angela asks about the Kaiju, "Yes, his powers seem to have gone out of control when he absorbed the Ultra Capsules. He'll likely be up soon, so..." Though this flows into his second question. "That's a good question, Ms. Angela. I think that's an important question for anyone to know about themselves." Though when Angela turns her question on Riku, it causes him to sit and think about it for a time. He has to think about his time on Earth, with his adopted family, with his roommates, and even with the people that he works with in the Multiverse. "I don't think so. I have a lot of things to be grateful for; so many people helped me to become who I am today... and I think that's sad for Fukuide that he didn't have anyone to help him not become the person that he is."
Angela	''I think that's sad for Fukuide that he didn't have anyone to help him--'' "You misunderstand me slightly. My point is not that Kei has fallen due to unfortunate circumstances and he must be defeated as a result. My point is that the one who reached out to Kei when he was orphaned by his world was Belial. Meanwhile, Belial left you here. It seems more natural for him to be envious towards you when you seem to have everything and Belial's attention, as I think about it, and he only has held onto Belial himself--at least after a fashion. Those who have lost everything but have one thing to hold onto will naturally guard it jealously. Right now I feel that the situation is moving towards a predictable ending that is considerably tragically annoying." She exhales. "I would prefer if this does not end with Flamel Parsons giving Kei Fukuide a happy ending in his head while he bleeds out." ''I think that's an important question for anyone to know about themselves.'' Angela nods once. "Indeed. It is important." ''We're both kaijusapiens.'' Angela files away another note for herself. Thinking kaiju. Makes sense to her. "I hope you are able to find her, then." She tells Shira. "Though if she's unwilling to listen, perhaps you should try being the one to listen, first."
Meresankh	"Belial rescued Kei at a lowest point, when he had lost everything. Do you feel you would be able to be the 'hero' you are now if you weren't so incredibly blessed?" "Bah!" Meresankh scoffs. "The Great Betrayers of my people offered their hand when we were most likely to accept it, and then exacted a terrible price. We see this again and again across histories and cultures: Belial only hesitated to ignore Kei Fukuide because he knew the man could be useful for a time. Belial is no benevolent king, when Fukuide's utility is exhausted Belial will abandon or destroy him. Such a bargain earns sympathy only from the naive." When the Tekken starts, Meresankh deliberates over her character for a time, rejecting the assorted cyborgs of the franchise to settle on Leroy. "His medallion," she asks. "Is it a symbol of office? He has the bearing of a great king." Although her mechanical precision is well suited for the character's fast-paced Wing Chun, Meresankh lacks a feel for the game's tactics, her strategic mind being more practiced with legions and fleets than a single body. She's no match for Petra's game-sense, but she'll hold her own well against the other newcomers to the game. "I would prefer if this does not end with Flamel Parsons giving Kei Fukuide a happy ending in his head while he bleeds out." "If Kei Fukuide cannot be convinced to abandon his pursuit, or else cannot be protected from Belial's inevitable wrath, he will be destroyed. On our terms or on Belial's."
Flamel Parsons	Flamel flashes his winning smile at Sarra, happy for approval. A fast nod! Soon after, he speaks up to , "I was pretty careful! The only part of his mind I wounded was psychohazardous processes. It's just, there's a bit more psychohazard than healthy mind in there at the moment, and this is the best we can do." He does wind up giving Angela a look, one that fades his smile(!) a fair bit. "You know, sometimes I turn this thing over in my mind the way you asked, and I get the feeling you just miss being mean to X. Please don't trash palliative care in here, this room specifically. Kei isn't dying. Kei is doing the opposite of dying! We can't stop him from healing. You're angry at me about a situation that's the opposite of true." He then turns on Riku. "There's a theory some people have, one that I like. The theory goes, that kindness is something that comes from mental fortitude, because it means you need to have the spare mental faculties to hold someone else's needs, the spare mental energy to fulfill them, and the presence of mind to connect the two. It's a good paradigm to approach things with, I think." "I think that minds are above the material, and that as long as you had the faculties and the energy, you'd make the logical connection." He gestures around. "If every villain could be blamed on... I don't know, purely on psychohazards, we'd be playing moral games forever. You do the actions you do, from the mental fortitude you have. That band can vary, but it's pretty absolute." "But! you want to reach out to him anyway. Because of that fortitude. So, that makes it right to do. Doesn't it? And in the end, that's what protects this town too. One way or another, those capsules will do something terrible inside him, make him more dependent on Belial or more focused on him. It's worth it to fight to take them back."
Petra Soroka	"Given humans occupy the top of the trophic pyramid, humans tend to wind up hosting and amplifying the fragment." "Oh, sure. Like psychic mercury poisoning." It's weird that Petra talks like this sometimes still, when she's a psychic and also pretty happy about being a psychic! "...what...why are you two wearing...that?" "Wearing what?" It's a pretty normal hat! One could assume that Petra would wear clothing with a gay slogan on it due to being gay. This isn't why, and she'd actually be bothered by someone assuming that, but it's a pretty clear reason. "It did not seem to help last time, but...I will try again anyway." Once it becomes clear that this is a sort of dudebro version of magical girl cheer circles, Petra zones out a bit. What she could say to try and cheer someone up... somehow, she reflects on the fact that she's become remarkably good at that. It isn't wrong to say that, despite her attitude, her 'love' for people and things has only grown over time, and it's a regular occurrance for her to try to comfort or reassure people she cares about, including often cheering Lilian up. She's careful to not mentally assign this ability as something uniquely difficult-- anyone could cheer Lilian up-- but there's a level of sacred importance to her role in Lilian's mood that makes her feel like Riku should be child's play. She's actually about to try and say something, when Sarracenia opens up her reassurance by passive aggressively sniping about how he didn't listen to her last time. Petra chokes on a chip, inhaling it by suddenly laughing, then covers up her face while she recovers. "I don't know what she meant, but when Riku threw her into the ocean, she kept going until she disappeared..." Petra mouths the word 'kaijusapiens' in faint awe. "... Was she repeating the word 'sinking' in a way that made it seem like she wanted to sink? Or was throwing her in the ocean just, like, the cruelest thing that came to mind in the moment? I mean, from that summary, it sounds, uh, really horrible." "You see, the Little Star that I developed allows me to project my senses nearly anywhere." "Oh, shit." Like Sakura! "Well, like, you should be careful with that, dude. Now that Riku knows, he's gonna be super paranoid about being watched, and that sort of thing would make him start to hate you whether he wants to or not. You should set up, like, a signal or something, that lets him know when you're watching. It's probably best for everyone."
Petra Soroka	"He didn't cause any of the pain to Fukuide intentionally, and his father's favor isn't something Riku is reveling in." Petra points at Sui emphatically to interrupt, then pauses when she notices some chip dust on it. Enveloping her finger in the Silver to disintegrate all of the dust, she gestures with her other hand instead. "No, man, you're misunderstanding me. I've never been unfair to anyone in my life. Riku is someone who consistently wields others, and lets himself be wielded, in a way that's thoughtless to the outcomes of those actions, and deflects blame away from himself in both cases. It's Riku's fault that Parsons is involved. Ultraman fucking Geed isn't a passive participant in the Ultraman Geed show. He makes whiny little noises when he hears things that have negative words, but he doesn't change what happens." "If Riku's unhappy, it's because he hasn't chosen to do the things that will make him happy. He hasn't chosen anything at all." That does actually sound a little bit like what Fukuide was saying to Riku before. Oops! "You don't get to be wounded and sullen and defeated about things like this. And you can't go to other people and put out your hat like a little Victorian orphan boy-- sorry, you know what I mean-- and tell them to tell you what to do to make it better. What do you want, who do you want to save, and how will you do it?"
Flamel Parsons	Flamel pipes up briefly, critical at Petra. "Hey, what? I was hired to deal with Kei by a vague yet ominous conspiracy of aliens that didn't even know Riku existed. I'm not even sure Riku knows about them, don't put that on him. You weren't even involved in that." He does a dismissing gesture. "This isn't a TV show where every shot of Kei in anguish is always following a shot of Riku doing something with cutaways to Belial's approval. You're projecting a bunch of narrativization, I'm here because of the AIB."
Meresankh	"If Riku's unhappy, it's because he hasn't chosen to do the things that will make him happy. He hasn't chosen anything at all." "What do you want, who do you want to save, and how will you do it?" "You raise a good point. Riku," she says, turning to the younger Asakura, "Once this immediate matter is settled, I think it is time to consider what you will do to prevent this from recurring. Belial could have any number of pawns, and we must be ready - or take action ourselves."
Petra Soroka	"You're projecting a bunch of narrativization, I'm here because of the AIB." Petra scoffs. "Oh, what, so now I'm being overly conspiratorial? Since when was this not a safe space to draw lines between clearly connected circumstances?" Petra gestures with the remote in her hand at Riku beside her, waggling it uncomfortably close to his face without looking. "He literally tacitly approved of the shit you did in the radio. There's always someone who has a name in any circumstance, and it's always their fault whatever happens. I don't even remember any of the people from the AIB, except that girl that dressed like Xion."
Sarracenia	Sarra knew the hero speech was a risk, but she was hoping after the victory over Zetton that Riku might be more receptive. It seems her speech skill is not nearly high enough though. Not only does Riku look completely uncomfortable, he just denies everything and questions himself even more. Sarra winces a bit and rubs her arm uncomfortably. "Sorry. I am...still working on the star of hope part." she says, then sighs. "...What you are,,,How you came to be...those are not the most important things. They are nice things to know, yes, but What you choose to do, how you treat people...those are the things that determine who you are. But, if it helps...I would say you are human in all the ways that matter." Having failed her second speech check with Riku in close to as many adventures, Sarra goes quiet after that little addition and a small sigh. One of these days, her attempts to help will actually help. Meresankh says some of the same things that Sarra had said. Flamel seems to appreciate her praise, but Sarra can only manage a small smile in return. She listens to what the others say and watches the game being played. Petra laughs at her attempt, which makes Sarra mmph and slump down in a seat on the couch or nearest chair. When Petra goes in on Riku, Sarra starts to get angry. "What do you expect him to do? Let the kaiju and Fukuide and Belial just destroy everything while he watches so that he can then be clear of all fault? And just how does he 'wield' anyone else? And -please- do not sit there and claim you have never been unfair to anyone. You justify it just as much as you claim these actions are being 'justified' against Kei, and do things just as terrible in the process!"
Shira	> "Though if she's unwilling to listen, perhaps you should try being the one to listen, first." "Mmn," Shira nods as she accepts Angela's advice, "I'll remember that, thank you." > "... Was she repeating the word 'sinking' in a way that made it seem like she wanted to sink?" Shira nods again, towards Petra this time, "Yeah." Tilting her head back, she stares towards the ceiling while rolling the memory around in her mind, "She said she had to. To 'equalize'. Equalizing...pressure?" She closes her eyes, head tilting, voice drifting off into a soft, thoughtful tone, "Maybe she developed into...some sort of deep-sea form..? Her scales were even darker than Voltarion's..." She becomes somewhat distracted by TEKKEN SEVEN, falling silent to watch the fights take place. After some close fights with Sui and Meresankh and embarassingly crushing Flamel, she speaks up, "You're really good at this, Petra."
Riku Asakura	Angela gives Riku a lot to think about. Things were heading towards one of two endings. Either his death at the hands of Fukuide, or what Angela said. Riku /really/ doesn't want anyone to die, but on the other hand, what can he do? Would Kei even accept any hand he gave him at this stage? He takes a breath, steadying himself. "I... will reach out to him, try and resolve this without either of us dying if I can help it. Maybe there is something I've overlooked." Meresankh goes into her own life experience: the Betrayers that turned them into robots and stole her people's souls, right? "Maybe Belial is like that, but... you saw that land in Fukuide's mind. He's a victim; even if he's doing awful things, we can't just declare that the only path for him is death, right? That's... that's not the world I want to build." Flamel tells him that there is some deep mental fortitude he has because he wishes for others' needs. However, it comes to the topic of Fukuide again, and the capsules inside him doing something horrible. "I will take them back, or rather... we will take them back, but I want to avoid the fate that Angela is worried about too." Petra first accuses Riku of doing something horrible. "She was giant at the time, and I was trying to get her to stop fighting another robot controlled by the government and destroying the city. She... was actually talking about sinking. I just... was really trying to avoid another city-destroying fight. Especially when she wasn't necessarily dangerous." Sui, when addressed, seems to think about it for a minute. "Hmm. I'd suggest a pager, but those went out of style years ago. Maybe a text message. You're right, of course; I wouldn't want to intrude on his private life." Though when Petra goes into him about being unhappy and not choosing, he takes a moment to genuinely self-reflect about this. Up til now, he has bungled into things a lot. It reminds him of what Lilian said to him when he wanted to join Trideag. There is some clarity in these moments, because right now he's definitely lost sight of something. Even when Flamel pipes in to inform Petra that it wasn't him who called him in but the AIB, he looks a little surprised... which makes sense after some time. It even goes back farther for him, to when he and Leito had a talk about why he puts himself into danger with Zero. People want something to protect... but what does /Riku/ want? "Right now, I want to protect this city, and I want to...reach out to Fukuide to try and get him to stop. If I can't at least do that, then I'm not really good at trying to be a 'hero' like people think I am." When Petra points out he didn't do anything to STOP Flamel, he nods. "I didn't... so I'd like to try and start now. No more attacking Fukuide's mind. We have to be better than that." When Sarracenia starts going into Petra, Riku holds up a hand to try and get her to stop. "She might be harsh about it, but she's not wrong. I let what Fukuide said get to me, and I let a bunch of stuff I shouldn't have slide. It isn't about my father; it's about Kei and what... if anything, can be done to break him out of this spiral."
Angela	Angela nods once to Shira, but quirks her head at Meresankh. Kei will be inflicted by Belial's inevitable wrath? What? Why? If he's so evil as everyone says, why would he be wrathful towards Kei just for doing monster of the week shit. She thinks a little further and considers if Belial actually is not so different from when she first met him, and well--surely if that's the case she could dissuade him. She is confident in her ability to communicate. Angela looks towards Flamel and says, "...Flamel, to be clear, I am not objecting to the nature of the procedure, I am objecting to it being the best that can be offered." But then she hesitates, is this Flamel taking her advice to be, like, more affected by things? Maybe she should be a little more gentle. "I understand that right now he is not in danger of death, but I am concerned at where I see... the ''flow'' of things going. I appreciate your honest input." That should do it, Angela thinks. The hat is probably not a hat that Angela would normally wear even if she is in a relationship with a woman, but she sees no further need to get into the hat. The Little Star makes her think of The Eye, but little else. She's untroubled. She doesn't have to hide secrets from anyone. She kind of doesn't want to. ''Once this immediate matter is settled--'' Angela exhales. "Once it is settled, it may be too late." ''He literally tacitly approved of--'' Angela thinks of Cinder again and she runs her hand down her face. Does she really just miss having an enemy like Ayin? An X to push her frustrations out on? No, it is the victorian orphan that is wrong. "Let's not forget that we were called here explicitely because, we are told, Riku has lost sight of who he is. Finding a stronger sense of self is the goal we should be looking for, not shrimply--" Shrimply, to ease tension. "--reassuring him of his righteousness. Even if our outlook is entirely wrong, you can't expect these questions, these statements, will never be thrown at him in the future." ''What do you expect him to do?'' "Wielding others for aid isn't strictly a negative, Sarracenia, but it does mean that he has some responsibility for those he summons for aid, or who come to him to aid him irrespective of his calls. His presence results in multiversal aid. This seems obvious." ''You're really good at this, Petra.'' Angela isn't exactly sure what Petra did but she nods because of course Petra's good at whatever it is she did. ''Maybe there is something I've overlooked.'' Angela is so surprised by Riku agreeing to do this that she's a little suspicious about it. But she can't figure out what to be upset about so she gradually relaxes. "Alright."
Meresankh	Noticing Angela's confusion, Meresankh continues. "If Fukuide remains Belial's servant he will eventually outlive his usefulness and be disposed of, or will die in the attempt of striving to please Belial. If Riku succeeds, Belial will want revenge on the turncoat." "Right now, I want to protect this city, and I want to...reach out to Fukuide to try and get him to stop." "Splendid! A goal. Now we need a plan. What does reaching out look like? How do we do it, what can you offer him? Flamel may not be the best facilitator after how the last encounter ended. Perhaps I could modify a pair of my mindshackle scarabs to link your mind to his, or even a set to permit a group... intervention." She just namedrops her 'mindshackle scarabs' like it's nothing. Then she perks up with another idea. "Oh! Sui, you wish to do right by Riku, yes? Perhaps with your powers from the Little Star a link could be established. We could communicate with Kei during his repose, and perhaps study the negative energy converter which Belial has planted in his soul."
Flamel Parsons	Flamel snipes back at Petra. "Come on. This is the guy who's the only one to give me grief after the mistakes I made who wasn't affected by them. You think he's not holding me accountable? He's got more objection to stuff I do than just about anyone besides the people who are suffering the epicenter of the downsides. That girl's his sister, I'm here because I got hired by her bosses, and I'm not leaving just because there's homo-sexuality happening in the vicinity of the global annihilation conspiracies. Have you met the CIA?" What the hell does THAT mean? For Angela, he... sighs, and nods. "I need to figure out a way to get Ultraman Geed to defeat the Belial in Kei's mind." He says. "That's been the idea I've been trying to work with. It's just real tough. He's not even ready to rumble with the real deal, much less a love-powered mental image. But that's not on the table right now." "What's the way Ultraman Geed can reach out, without touching Kei's mind..." He thinks for a long time. And them Meresankh, of all the people involved, is the one to spark something. "...Hey. Wait. Sui." He turns to the host of this gathering. "Maybe I was thinking about things wrong, the sinister evil robot got me thinking. If I linked Riku's mind with yours, do you think you could take him to see what can be seen at a set of coordinates I have? There's a planet that was destroyed a long time ago..." He taps his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe sincere sympathy will break the mental impasse. Maybe Riku can reach out as someone who also tried to find him in that place, and understand that pain." It is an effort, or so it might seem, to approach this differently... albeit no less psychically.
Sarracenia	Sarra flinches as even Riku gestures for her to be quiet. She blinks in surprise and hurt, though only those with mind-reading powers would know why it hurts as much as it does. She bites her bottom lip to keep from letting a tear or a sniffle escape. That wouldn't help Riku, and would give Petra and Angela more ammunition. She pulls her knees up against her on the couch and just looks at the floor for a few moments, fighting herself more than anything. 'Wielding others for aid isn't strictly a negative, Sarracenia, but it does mean that he has some responsibility for those he summons for aid, or who come to him to aid him irrespective of his calls. His presence results in multiversal aid. This seems obvious.' Sarra's eyes turn toward Angela. She has been hearing a lot of talk from Angela lately that things are not as negative as they sound. This one at least makes a little sense. Sarra isn't in a state to agree with Angela, but can at least understand her point. Sarra listens to Meresankh and Flamel, but has no ideas at this point. Smash Moon Healing comes to mind, but Riku can't use it with the capsule he has. It seems everyone is leaning toward the help Kei option, which is the heroic option to be sure. Sarra just has one question. "So...what happens to Kei if he lets go of Belial and accepts this hypothetical olive branch? He has so far been unrepentant toward his actions. Do you think he will just give himself up for reform after?" she asks, then her eyes widen a bit. "...wait...is this...like one of Love's dark magical girl redemption stories...?"
Riku Asakura	To Riku, he really had just internalized and accepted what people were saying to him. Or, in this case, what Angela and Petra were saying. It's not easy to accept when you're not doing right by people, and it's harder to want to do better for them. Riku nods at Angela's small acknowledgement of his new goal. Meresankh follows up with some potential strategizing. Though when it comes to 'mindshackle scarabs,' he tries NOT to just recoil in horror but shakes his head. "I don't think using the scarabs is necessarily a good idea... maybe trying something less invasive..." Sui, on the other hand, shakes his head at the Evil Robot Queen, "I can't do that, unfortunately. I can see places very far away, and also if I were out there, he'd come after me. Most Kaiju are attracted to Little Stars, and I think Kei would love to snuff mine out for Belial." To Flamel's suggestion, Sui thinks about it. "I'm pretty sure I could. If he needs to see that place, I am sure we can show it to him. If he's willing." To which Riku nods in affirmation. If it's something he could see to genuinely see what Fukuide went through... Sarracenia's mood shift doesn't get ignored by Riku, who tries to place a hand on her shoulder. It's not that he doesn't appreciate her attempts. Or her intentions, but to him in that moment, Petra and Angela weren't wrong. He feels bad that she wasn't the one whose words could reach him. Though to her question, "I don't really know. Honestly, I don't know if it's even possible to reach him. I just can't /not/ try. Maybe he'll go into AIB custody, but if he does turn on Belial, we'll have to protect him from my father." Flamel would get the warning first; his men at Pedanium Zetton would feel the kaiju start to move. Then starts to get up. They'll call to warn him that he's active again. Worse... The building shakes, dust raining down from the roof above. "I think he's aware of my presence..." Sui says, to which Riku looks very worried. "I can try and get him out of here, maybe get him to the closest elevator to Nebula base," Riku suggests. It seems their plan is falling by the wayside.
Sarracenia	Sarra looks over just slightly when that hand lands on her shoulder. She takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. Well, at least he didn't tell her he hates her and doesn't want her help and she should just disappear. That's what's happened the last couple of times she tried. She lifts her head just a bit, looking up at Riku with mostly just her eyes, one blue and one softly glowing green. She huffs softly. "...it is you. If anyone can reach him and bring him out of his darkness, it is you." she says, somewhere between proud of Riku and his ability to do so...and bitter at her lack of ability to do so.