Scene #9768: Walpurgisnacht II: Fairy Tales

Owner	Pose
Angela	The Magical Girl of Love has been recovering in the Library from the wounds she sustained in the battle against Idunn but she has been asking for assistance in rescuing her sisters from their book for some time and it's today that Angela has finally sent out invitations to everyone who expressed some interest in helping Love's sisters to the Library. As usual you appear in the Lobby, but it is a little different than before. First, there's more Concord agents milling about than usual. The former agent of the Central Team Nikki, who has long since left LobCorp's service in favor of working for the Concord directly, is directing them into cleaning up the area because much of the lobby floor has been torn apart and scorched from the latest visitors to the Library. She bows her head to the arriving Elites and guides everyone to the elevator, using a borrowed keycard to swipe the elevator and push the button that leads to the Floor of Natural Sciences. As the elevator goes up, you can see the damage hasn't been limited to the lobby, whatever battle happened managed to go up all the way to the fourth floor before getting stopped, at all places, Netzach's floor. Occasionally, through the windows, you can get a glimpse of a wounded Librarian tending to their injuries or quickly moving around to return books to their proper locations. But eventually the elevator reaches Tiphereth's Floor which, as you might expect from Tiphereth at this point, is one of the most organized floors in the Library. Every book is in its spot, the floors are clean, ladders have been carefully placed near the tallest bookshelves for easier reaching and the carpet is clean and freshly vacuumed. A long table has been set down for people to sit at as they'd like, and Chesed has gone to the trouble of preparing a pot of coffee with cups at every seated location along with a glass of water. Love is seated in one of the chairs already, looking tired and worn out, but moooostly healed from the battle of Idunn while Justice is standing behind her, ginormous as usual. Angela and Tiphereth are both here as well, Angela having seated herself at the head of the table and Tiphereth standing beside her. A chair nearby is reserved for Petra if she'd like it. Roland isn't hanging around here, apparently resting off some injuries himself.
Angela	"I have invited you all here," Angela begins. "Because Love would like help in rescuing her sisters from the grips of their book. But before we go in, I wish to discuss the manner of story that it is and the sort of threats that might arise within it. We have already sent Mikey in as a test subject and we discovered..." "That it is within the grips of Dark Nihil to be sure!" Love interrupts. Angela pauses, then continues as if the interruption hadn't happened. "It is actually totally peaceful, Mikey didn't even die at all. So we were able to collect a fair amount of intelligence, chief of which is that the 'Story' seems to be at a position predating the 'Fall' of the Magical Girls. Which makes sense since Love is not in the story and she is broadly considered to be the first Magical Girl to go berserk." "Approximately once every week there is a 'monster' attack but we have yet to determine the origin because it is Mikey we sent in." Tiphereth adds. Angela runs her hand down her face because she can get tired now in ways beyond mentally so and she even reaches out to the coffee Chesed prepared earlier and gulps down a considerable amount of it, for Angela, which is about a slightly long sip. "The Kingdom of Happiness, when it isn't under the rule Dark Nihil, is a metaphor for how the City could be. In other words, happier. There is some simplification due to the nature of it being a fairytale, naturally, but since it is meant to be 'The City', it is possible the current mood of The City is relevant to the state of 'The Story'. And it is very likely that the 'peaceful state' of the Kingdom will only last until we poke it hard enough. We can assume that the King and Servant won't wish to leave the story." It doesn't seem like Angela is going to talk about the damage in the Library if nobody else brings it up but she does, at this point, say, "Petra and I intend to go in this time as well. Since it is too dangerous for Love and Justice to go inside. I intend to go in about a week from today, but if there are any questions I am happy to field them."
Ember	Ember is actually the one who takes up the invitation this time; similar to last time, he is genuinely more open to Angela's goal of destroying the city, which matches his own desires for his own world vaguely. It would do him well to see how other worlds fare, and of course gain allies of his own for his own eventual war to fight. He does not try to hide his goals either. Ember is dressed in his usual fashion. Leather boots made for function over fashion, leather pants, but a red cotton shirt today. He also has bracers on each hand. Anywhere on him is a series of hidden knives, but he doesn't feel the need to openly carry one... that'd be weird. He also examines the damage as they go up in the elevator. Elevators are relatively new to him, and as such, have a sort of charm to them still. However, today, he's focused on the damage. He can GUESS what caused it, given what happened the last time he was there and the situation that broke out when they entered a book to rescue Angela. He assumes it was a similar situation that went a touch worse. In the meeting room, he takes a seat anywhere that's free. He has no preference, except not to sit near the head of the table. He sips his water, but looks oddly at the coffee. While there is coffee in his world, it's largely considered a 'rich man's drink' and hasn't really had any himself. He'll eventually drink some, maybe. 'That it is within the grips of Dark Nihil to be sure!' 'It is actually totally peaceful, Mikey didn't even die at all.' Hearing the conflicting stories, and knowing both Love and Angela's character, he decides to believe Angela. "So it is currently peaceful... and they fight a monster about once a week?" He asks to confirm. "So if they are not currently in their corrupted states... then how do we even begin a rescue?" 'The Kingdom of Happiness, when it isn't under the rule Dark Nihil, is a metaphor for how the City could be.' Ember thinks about this, and then asks... "So when it's under the influence of 'Dark Nihil,' it's closer to what the city is currently?" Ember asks, curious about what changes when the Dark Nihil take control. He pauses and then asks, "What should we expect from King and Servant? Both in their... well, let's call it Happiness form, and their Dark forms?"
Petra Soroka	Petra's also here, of course! She's in her monochrome Patron Librarian uniform, top buttons of her inner shirt sloppily undone, already sitting and waiting at the table nearby Angela. She's reading a book propped up to her knee as people filter in, putting it down when Lilian or Tamamo arrive. Her own state since Iðunn is better than Love's, but certainly not perfect. Obviously she's cleaned up in the days since enough that the most damaged skin visible is what's flaking off around the edges of the gauze wrap, but where Iðunn's fire caught her, it also got her hair. So, in cutting off the burnt ends, Petra's hair has returned to her formerly-standard bob cut, awkwardly ending just above her jaw. She fiddles with it restlessly while reading. "The Kingdom of Happiness, when it isn't under the rule Dark Nihil, is a metaphor for how the City could be. In other words, happier." "It's kind of hard to predict how the Book's going to react with missing holes in its story, but, like. I mean, in the metanarrative here, I feel like I can be pretty certain about one thing." Petra squishes her cheek into her knuckle, leaning on the table. "The Kingdom's gonna fall regardless. There's no fairy tale about the City that makes sense if the story goes that the City never became horrible in the first place. Whatever influence Nihil gets in the Kingdom, I think it's safe to assume that both Wrath and Greed will be our enemies soon enough, and that the way forwards is 'through', not 'backwards'." "Since it is too dangerous for Love and Justice to go inside." For the sake of people who might not be caught up on the lore, Petra elaborates. "Love and Justice were two parts of the four Abnormalities, and we don't really want to do any stress-testing of Tamamo's cursebreaking. It's already established fact that the Magical Girls get caught up in their worst disasters when all of them are together, so they could get got even without being Abnormalities, and maybe all of our work with them could get undone. So, yeah, they're not coming in."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia had long ago sworn she would aid Love in her battle against Dark Nihil, and reinforced it during Gregory's funeral. So, when the call for assistance in rescuing Love's sisters is received, Sarra arrives as quickly as proper preparation, hair care, and outfit selection would allow. The princess arrives prepared for battle. Or at least, as prepared as she gets. She has on her armored battle dress, a dress made of thick black leather with red armor plates riveted into place over her chest and in a skirt around her waist. She has her purse, containing all her power-ups. And she has her Silver lotus hairpin. For a moment when she arrives, Sarra is surprised at the damage to the Library. But after another moment she realizes it is probably from another attack by a corporation or association or something. Seeing injured, Sarra reaches into her purse and after a bit of huffing pulls out a small crate of green mushrooms. She offers them to one of the Librarians before joining the others. Sarra takes a seat by Love if one is available and offers her a smile. "Hello again, Love. So, today is the day we finally begin?" she says, then pauses as she notices Love's exhaustion. "Oh, are you alright?" she asks. Sarra listens to Angela's briefing, taking note of (and frowning lightly toward) Ember even as he asks pertinent questions. She also listens to Petra's elaboration on Love and Justice and nods lightly. When there is a break in the talking, Sarra does ask a question. Though, not really one relevant to their mission today. "So, who attacked the Library this time?"
Natsuki Nuki	"Boss! Boss!" A horn-bearing suited goon gasped as ran a letter up into Natsuki's office. "You got one of those letters that disappear you like a horror film!" "And you didn't open it?" Natsuki asked, not looking up from her desk laptop while she typed. "Do... do you want me to, boss?" The goon stammered, looking down at the paper in their hands. "Huh?" Natsuki had asked, finally looking up to actually look at what was going on. "Fuck no? I'm just impressed you didn't. Put it on the desk. I'm going to finish this email." ONE EMAIL LATER. . . Natsuki arrives through the 'usual magic', though a little unusual to her, in her larger and truer expression, tiger-headed and richly fuzzed in rich burnt orange tones fringed in white and deep stripes. She saunters dressed in dark charcoal grey hakama pants tied with a red belt ending in pantherine feet tucked in cleverly to thong sandals, riding perilously low on her hips and allowing thick serpentine tail to wave through the air in her wake. Wearing a red gi top under a white kimono jacket, she evokes a straight-from-picturebook look for her debut in the library, though her era is quite a bit behind her local 200X. Finding one of the tall chairs at the table to the right of Angela (and Petra!), Natsuki drops into the cushion as tail coils about the back and spills over only to double back and push head onto right armrest such that Natsuki leans on the left preferentially to couch own chin. Grinning sharptoothed at Petra with a split of black lips, Natsuki emits a birdsong giggle 'huyu-huyu'. "At least there's some fashion here, if it's a little thick on terms for just sitting down." She asides after the introduction, nodding to Angela and Love. There's no 'thanks for having me', since she was here to settle interest on a commission advance, but she leans in interestedly. "So, you've an issue with holes in a story. But this doesn't sound... wrong, or even out of balance? It sounds like your story is evolving, going along a magical girl sort of track?" Natsuki arches fingers on center table, grin shifted to Love and Angela. "Ever heard of Super Defensor?" A beat. "How about Kamen Rider? A steady stream of threats, an issue regularly, but the world isn't just harmed, but made better because of the heroics. If it's supposed to be a City that's happier, better, why isn't it mahou shojo?" Natsuki speaks this language fluently, if culturally. "It's... It's Ultraman?" She even does an little sit-up-and-pose and a 'kiyah', looking around. "Do you know? No?"
Tamamo	Tamamo's kept to wearing her full robes on visiting the City, and feels no compulsion to change that now. It is, somehow, never a 'vacation spot,' nor a fun opportunity for cultural exchange. It's just the City, and she's been clear on her feelings about that. The many layers of silk and the golden headdress are battle garb. It is also, conveniently, comfortable formal wear. She's said less, in total, about the Library. She says a little now. "Using a library as a battle arena continues to feel odd, to my own sensibilities. Neither swords nor flames are known to be good for either the preservation of books, nor for their lending." But she already knew it was being used for arena battling, so she's not especially shocked, either. "Good evening," she says. "I trust it finds you well enough." She moves to a seat. 'So, today is the day we finally begin?' "In the more physical sense, a week from now would be the beginning." 'How about Kamen Rider?' "I have known a few of these," Tamamo says, seizing on something she knows by personal meeting rather than cultural immersion. "A story of magical girls," she said 'mahou shoujo,' "who make a city happier... yes, it should be such a thing. It is, instead, a story in which the city makes the magical girls unhappy." Finger thoughtfully to chin, she speculates about a story she hasn't read, based on the author, audience, and environment in which it was told, all of which she does know. "Ah, to be clear, Natsuki, we are not so much concerned with preserving the story, but in retrieving the magical girls from it. The story served its purpose when it was told to a certain child, and now two of its cast have become too 'real' to return to fiction. To reunite these sistren is the completion of a miraculous wish left half-finished." 'The Kingdom's gonna fall regardless. There's no fairy tale about the City that makes sense if the story goes that the City never became horrible in the first place.' "The sad inevitability is such. The influence of Nihil is either such deep-rooted corruption that it can not be avoided, or else, that Dark Kingdom is a distraction, and the myriad desires and weaknesses endemic to humanity planted the seeds of destruction before all else. It can only be one of these. If the story is to progress to its next chapter in any way, it will find a cause for tragedy."
Lilian Rook	Lilian's own recovery after the last battle in Elibe is mostly defined by the slow process of bending back into shape after prolonged, severe stress. As opposed to what the Binding Blade did to her arm, the aggregate debt she has to pay to her body and brain, diffused between everything from sleep deprivation to blood count, feels 'lighter' for not being able to firmly pin any one thing on it. A little tired, a little sore, moving a little gingerly, responding to things a little slowly, feeling a little fogged and a little achey in ways that aren't any easier to describe than it is to see any traces of burns under the raincoat and autumn boots she'd come back from work in. It's just something she has to work off over a few weeks of mercifully little introspection. And so . . . "Cartoon monster of the week nonsense sounds fantastic, actually." Lilian decides, the moment she's found a place to sit. "The moral of the story is that there was a city." comes out of her mouth like an incantation; the only effect of which is to make her laugh for a second and noticeably lower her blood pressure. The coffee probably isn't good for that, but Lilian keeps hold of hers without ever quite putting it down, keeping it at an unusual arm's length where it's about all she can smell. "Bless your tidiness as always." she says, to Tiphereth. 'The Kingdom's gonna fall regardless.' "And it'd break poor Love's heart if it didn't." she says, mostly staring at the steam. Almost misgiving, even. "I knew Greed has been taken on and neutralized in combat before. I'm not certain if I've ever heard of that situation unfolding with Wrath." she says. "Besides the obvious." It puts her into a reminiscing mood. One deep enough for her to sip her coffee on autopilot, then flinch from the cup with a few sharp breaths. "Ah-- So, let's be clear. Shall we? What happened with Nihil before was completely unacceptable. I'm not doing that again this time." she says, like she has a million times before. "I should be able to expect better of you than I used to, shouldn't I?" she says for the first time. "I mean it." she says like a ward. 'Love and Justice were two parts of the four Abnormalities, and we don't really want to do any stress-testing of Tamamo's cursebreaking.' Lilian sidles up closer to Tamamo, which is a challenge, given how close she already was. "I already don't like that my wife made a miracle happen once and now it's essentially a given that it's her responsibility to keep doing it forever. You're on thin ice." Lilian says to nobody in specific. 'In the more physical sense, a week from now would be the beginning.' "Oh I've been wondering." A half-inch closer. Gossipy. "Isn't it just Love's usual thing? Blasting evildoers with beams and such? I'm actually quite surprised there's a strategy meeting for this one."
Angela	Angela smiles at Petra, "Thank you." She adds when she provides some additional background information. Angela lives in this world almost all the time so sometimes what seems like well trodden ground to her is helpfully reclarified by Petra. "Your grasp of the situation is as impeccable as ever." ''So if they're not currently in their corrupted states... then how do we even begin a rescue?'' She looks towards Ember and tells him, "It is as she says, no story about The City is going to ''remain'' happy, whether the Kingdom of Happiness is a future that may yet be, or a past that has been lost, it will inevitably turn to the City that IS. I cannot even say they are in their Happiness or Courage states for certain. For all I know, Nihil is fully active and just ... waiting for us. Aleph Tier Abnormalities are dangerous for reasons beyond their ability to directly do harm. And in Nihil's case, they comprehend this world quite clearly." "I'll be going too." Tiphereth says. To those that haven't met her before, she is a young woman with golden blonde hair, looks like someone who could be in the middle of highschool, wearing a long yellow coat and a light brown dress with a ribbon in her hair and around her collar. "The Magical Girls were under my care for a long time and if Nihil has to possess someone, it should be me. I'll be relatively easier to handle than the rest of you." Angela's fingers curl slightly against the table and she dips her head, cupping her chin as if she's mulling something over, and then lets her hand drop. ''It's already established fact that the Magical Girls get caught up in their worst disasters when all of them togehter'' Love fidgets in her chair, clearly uncomfortable with leaving the battle to others but Justice murmurs something in her ear that causes her to relax a little. Some of her need for glory and battle has faded after the battle against Idunn, at least for now. Even for people who have a future, it can be difficult to move away from such core aspects of their identity even with the help of a soul burning dragon. "Nihil represents the idea that 'better' is not possible, among other things. A land ruled by Nihil will be more Citylike innately, though to what extent I cannot say." Angela adds to Ember. She's pleased he's asking questions instead of just nodding along! "I've never met Greed in her 'Happiness' form. As an Abnormality, the two stages The King of Greed had were one of hibernation and one of slaughter. She is often seen as the one most tied to Nihil, no doubt because ''Greed'' is the predominant force of The City. As Greed, she will attempt to devour you, will encourage you to indulge your deepest desires, and failing that crush you to death with her dress or fist. While Greed is not considered an Aleph Abnormality, that gauntlet of hers is considered an Aleph Grade weapon in terms of pure ability to inflict harm. So ... try to avoid getting punched. As for Courage, she will act much like Love does--going out to help you do battle, but once she starts to doubt her friendship in you--do not reaffirm it or she will transform you into her enemy."
Angela	''Ever heard of Super Defensor?'' Angela feels a little more relieved with Natsuki's presence. The fact that she was able to eat that gauntlet and be basically still Natsuki means that she's probably ideal for this job. She wonders if in some ways, maybe Natsuki isn't Carmen's ideal person. Unfortunately, she's not sure she understands what Natuski is getting at. "I've never heard of Super Defensor. I know a few Kamen Riders." She looks to Petra as if to indicate there's an example RIGHT HERE. "To my understanding, it is a 'mahou shoujo' as you say, but Carmen ... Carmen likes darkness in her stories. She feels they are more real and true that way. In a sense, it is a 'mahou shoujo' but with the twist being that they inevitably lose. Changing the story to be a more traditional 'mahou shoujo'--is sort of what we are doing. Not that magical girl stories haven't always had a bit of... grimness to them, if you knew where to look." ''Neither swords nor flames are known to be good for either the preservation of books, nor for their lending.'' Angela winces. "Hopefully one day, the dual purpose of this EGO can become singular in purpose." Though she has to sort of admire the way that Tamamo summarizes the situation. A magical girl story is about a story where the magical girls make a city happier, instead the city makes the girls unhappier. It's simple, succinct, and perfect. "But Tamamo puts it better, the happy ending we are fighting for exists outside a book or a tale and in reality for the sisters to be reunited. Love and Justice have come a long way, it would be nice if we could provide the same growth opportunity for the others. Or at least, it seems cruel not to try." What came first, she wonders, the dark monster feeding on the hearts of everyone or the systems that create pained hearts in the first place? "Much like with Miss Red Hooded Mercenary, there likely won't ''be'' a book after this." ''So who attacked the Library this time?'' Tiphereth answers before Angela can, groaning with frustration. "It was that Philip again. He keeps dragging people over to the Library and he's gotten in his head that he should burn the whole place down, definitely not bothering with the rules anymore which I could admire if he didn't keep running away!" She settles her eyes on Sarracenia. "He ''definitely'' wants to kill you. He's even asked while swinging a burning sword around. I think he took your warning about burning the books as an invitation." "It was bound to happen. If he's escaping it is because the Library wills it." Angela says as if it isn't, somehow, up to her despite it being her EGO.
Angela	''Bless your tidiness as always.'' Tiphereth's irritation at having to deal with an annoying trouble fades immediately upon Lilian's arrival. She felt like she really hit it off with the Blooms during the space trip and she's happy to see Lilian again! "I'm doing my best. I ended up with the habit of being an extra hard worker and I might as well hold onto that. If the worst we have to deal with is some sort of giant cupcake monster, I'll count it a blessing too." Even Angela nods. She wouldn't mind a little bit of silliness even if things are sure to go just awful later as usual. ''What happened with Nihil before was completely unacceptable.'' "Indeed, that is another reason that I and Petra will be going in ourselves. Within the Book, the Abnormalities are stronger than they would be inside the facility. Though my hope is that the difference is less from ALEPHs and WAWs than from TETHs and HEs. You're all experienced Elites---well except for Ember, but he is asking good questions." ''I already don't like that my wife made a miracle happen once and now it's essentially a given'' "Um...I'm sorry..." Love says. "I won't ask for another miracle again. I really am grateful, I promise, I really am. Thank you so much Miss Tamamo." "At the very least, bending fate will be easier from within the story." Angela adds. ''I'm actually quite surprised there's a strategy meeting for this one.'' Angela smiles again. "Well, I don't want a repeat of last time either, Lilian. If Nihil appears, ideally there will be a 'magical girl' style solution within the story itself. But most of us here ought to be difficult to possess and we won't have to worry about poison gas or anything like that."
Petra Soroka	"At least there's some fashion here, if it's a little thick on terms for just sitting down." "I try to do what I can." Petra snickers dryly, but really, she doesn't feel all that cool right now! She had her hair this short for over a decade and was never troubled by it, but now she feels like a gawky schoolgirl! "How about Kamen Rider?" "I am one," Petra says insistently, like it's something she has to prove. "My suit's still busted up so I can't whip it out, though." "If it's supposed to be a City that's happier, better, why isn't it mahou shojo?" "The City doesn't actually have any cultural concept of 'women', much less 'girls'. But, like, what Tamamo said. The, uh, narrative world of the book is basically just trapped in a perpetuating violence-cycle, and Love's sisters are stuck in that cycle." "I'm not certain if I've ever heard of that situation unfolding with Wrath." Being at work means sitting in work-posture, and on the work side of the table, where Tamamo and Lilian are not, and so Petra is forced to exposit rather than cling. "Once this loop, back when she was at O-5681; that was when Meika met her. Basically, Wrath spits acid and has big axes, Greed has vore and big punches." "What happened with Nihil before was completely unacceptable." "Yes ma'am. I'm more reliable than I was then. And Nihil's much more under our control this time too-- no matter what, I'll make sure that you don't have to put up with that, even if it means you backing out and me pulling twice the weight, in the worst case." "I already don't like that my wife made a miracle happen once and now it's essentially a given that it's her responsibility to keep doing it forever." "Well-- um, that's why I'd like to not risk it." "The Magical Girls were under my care for a long time and if Nihil has to possess someone, it should be me. Petra frowns. Even though it's Tiphereth, who'd hate to know the thoughts going on in Petra's mind, she can't help but feel a little uneasy about sacrificing her on the pyre of Nihil. Though-- in another sense, that's probably the safest place to be, if inside the book at all. "That does seem a little bit, like, giving up before we've even began, in terms of 'whether Nihil's going to yoink someone'. But I guess we might as well be prepared. I'm not even sure it can manifest at all without that, and better you than Greed." "Carmen likes darkness in her stories. She feels they are more real and true that way." Pointlessly, Petra mumbles, in continuation of her earlier thought, "That's because she never understood the hearts of girls." "It was that Philip again." Petra does not really have any sympathy for Philip, because she's pretty sure she's never even met him and he just keeps feeding people into the meat grinder continually. But, on the other hand, whenever Petra assists with the Library, rather than fighting on its behalf, her role is instead to target people to feed into it by giving them Invitations, so Philip is kind of an uncomfortable mirror that way. Also, the Library is a meat grinder! That isn't great either!
Ember	'I think it's safe to assume that both Wrath and Greed will be our enemies soon enough, and that the way forwards is 'through', not 'backwards'.' "Well, in that regard, it makes things easier. If it's bound to happen, then we just play along with the story until the inevitable happens, and then we deal with things then." Never mind that while this makes things SIMPLER, it doesn't make them any less difficult. He considers this for a moment; a story can't go backwards anyway, right? Ember has no idea who Sarracenia is by sight and just gives her an odd look when she gives him nothing more than a frown. When she actually opens her mouth, he... still doesn't remember her. It seems she didn't leave a lasting impression on him. He might eventually remember elections for her position and an actual constitution. 'Natsuki's questions about various properties.' "I haven't heard of any of these things. I mean, besides magical girl..." he motions towards Love. "And mahou shojo because..." he motions at Love again. It isn't like Petra has transformed into a Kamen Rider in front of him before, nor has he met Ultraman. For some reason, he will never meet him. He regards Tamamo and Lilian together. Mostly because Lilian is being overprotective of her, but... well, he can't /really/ blame her... she was responsible for Love and Justice's miracle, and being asked for that weight again can be unfair. "Well, hopefully there are other methods of doing this than only the one we know about... things may reveal themselves inside the book, even if they are stronger." Angela's response to his questions is genuinely quite positive about what he asked, so he's at least content he hasn't made a fool of himself. "So... Greed is likely the more powerful because of her connection to the city's current state..." he understands this; greed is also the reason Mythril is like it is. He looks to Tiphereth. "Don't go looking to be a martyr, though. I'd focus on what you can do in case someone else is chosen rather than gearing up to be the sacrifice." After hearing the strengths of the two magical girls explained to him, he nods, trying to put together a game plan. "So we would likely need someone to actually engage her, but the optimal strategy there would be to deal with her at range. That'd minimize dealing with her devouring anyone. We'd just need someone very hard to devour to keep her engaged..." For Courage... "So the game plan is to simply not fall into her trap and become her rival? Just don't accept any attempts at her doubting your friendship? Or would it be easier to play 'I'm not your friend' at her?" he sort of looks towards Love at this, because she seems to understand the narrative at play here. Does that work? 'It was that Philip again.' "Oh, the man from last time? And he keeps getting out? Troublesome..." he wonders. "Especially so if he decides to come calling if we're all engaged in the book.
Natsuki Nuki	'Ah, to be clear, Natsuki, we are not so much concerned with preserving the story, but in retrieving the magical girls from it.' From her position, drawing back from her pose slowly and vaguely thankful-looking that Tamamo admitted to knowing some of her references, Natsuki nods and returns to sitting up, lean falling now more on right side to brush fingers down the brow of her serpentine tail's head, massaging behind the snake's eyes while her understanding fell into new position. "So that's why my connection to Greed was important. You want to pull them out, not repair the story." She recites, almost gets to a question, decides better, and settles in lean against own tail to tease the scowly serpent glaring at Petra and figure out the situation. "So there's a dark kingdom that we'll just have to topple to skip to Season Ending, and we're breaking the two girls out of the half-empty story?" She begins. 'I already don't like that my wife made a miracle happen once and now it's essentially a given that it's her responsibility to keep doing it forever. You're on thin ice.' Natsuki blinks slowly, then looks to Angela with a flick of the eyes, Love caught in the same cone of sight. "So what are we doing, specifically? Destabilizing the situation, and...?" 'I'll be relatively easier to handle than the rest of you.' Immediately alerting with sit-different and light up interest at 'possessed', Natsuki's red eyes glimmer ambergold for a moment "Possessed why? Does the dark power inhabit someone? Oh, that's so interesting. I'm a bit of a curse expert, myself, though I wouldn't call it curse-breaking. . ." She can't help but giggle, fringing of birdsong about her change in mood. "Is this negotiable? Or are we going to be draining the power from you? And aren't you hurt?" As Nihil is explained, Natsuki shifts to twirling hair and looking interested-thoughtful, not hearing as much 'wrong' with the image being painted for her own purposes. Of course, she did consume the power of Greed that Angela offered her, and so there was a streak of that yawning, yearning ambition drawing her towards her questions and fantasies. "Super Defensor is a TV show, which is like if Kamen Rider was fake - media? There's a structure to the shows." She explains, knowing if she gives Angela enough of a lead she'll be able to figure it out. Thankfully, Super Defensor was basically just Kamen Rider - but a show! "Darker, though... I'd believe they'd still be going for a happy ending. Happy, at least, for the author. Dark, mature themes can mean pain and loss, but it also can mean a weariness. Do you think Carmen didn't want the ending to settle well?" 'My suit's still busted up so I can't whip it out, though.' Natsuki gives Petra a 'really now?' look but doesn't press. Barely even rolls her eyes! "Then you should get it." She decides, not needing to press Petra in her business mood. "Sometimes it's thirty, forty episodes of that that eventually comes to a kind of an end." 'That's because she never understood the hearts of girls.' Natsuki puffs out air through her nostrils. "Fuck. It's going to be some deconstructive despair knot, isn't it?"
Lilian Rook	'For all I know, Nihil is fully active and just ... waiting for us.' "If he is, I'll remind him how well it went for him last time." Lilian says, unhappily staring into the bottom of her coffee. Of course, at that time, Nihil was using Netzach, and there were a million other things wrong, and the entire underground facility had turned into a wish-magic-highschool, and both Carmen and Exis had been able to physically manifest just long enough that their embarrassing behaviour is all that Lilian really remembers between that point and the blood-spitting grindstone that followed, ending in her cursing everyone's names. 'I'll be going too.' Lilian widens her stare incrementally. "Is that wise? Even with your rebuilt body, what exactly do you plan to do?" 'She is often seen as the one most tied to Nihil, no doubt because ''Greed'' is the predominant force of The City.' "Strange. To think I'm of the same mind as Binah with this, and not you." 'she will attempt to devour you, will encourage you to indulge your deepest desires, and' Lilian glances to her right, which is both where Tamamo and Petra are by coincidence. "You know. Perhaps I'll sit that one out. Seeing as I should set some concrete expectations and rules about my whole 'I'm not doing it all for you again'?" 'but once she starts to doubt her friendship in you--do not reaffirm it or--' Lilian opens her mouth for a split second, only to end up with a frown. "I can't tell whether I should sit that one out too. I've never been able to tell when it comes to that sort of thing. And none of you are very good at making friends anyways." Therein lies the implication that 'sitting out' probably means 'in Tamamo's lap, complaining'. 'She feels they are more real and true that way. In a sense, it is a 'mahou shoujo' but with the twist being that they inevitably lose.' "Well then she's right." 'Much like with Miss Red Hooded Mercenary, there likely won't ''be'' a book after this.' Pulling back her fingers from the edge of the cup, where the steam has subtly fizzled black-gold for a while, Lilian chances a sip of coffee, holds her eyes shut through until the aftertaste fades, and then says "Ah, okay. That was my only remaining question. Glad to know it doesn't cause a time paradox or create a black hole or that sort of thing." 'It was that Philip again. He keeps dragging people over to the Library and he's gotten in his head that he should burn the whole place down' Lilian narrows her eyes. Something metallic hisses at her wrist. ". . . No, surely not." 'I'm doing my best. I ended up with the habit of being an extra hard worker and I might as well hold onto that.' She smiles. "Though it's idiotic to think that hard work will get you everything you want, having a strong work ethic will get you all sorts of places regardless. It's a rare trait, and a valuable one; do keep hold of it."
Tamamo	'Cartoon monster of the week nonsense sounds fantastic, actually.' "If that was all it was... that would be a better, happier City." 'What happened with Nihil before was completely unacceptable. I'm not doing that again this time.' "Hmm?" Tamamo doesn't visibly lean on Lilian -- she's sitting properly. But she is Right There, conversation sprites casually overlapping. 'I already don't like that my wife made a miracle happen once and now it's essentially a given that it's her responsibility to keep doing it forever.' 'Um...I'm sorry...' Tamamo gives Lilian's hand a squeeze under the table. "Ah, I should like to say that it is perfectly fine. However... it is true, that a miracle is not such an easy thing, and is, quite nearly, something that cannot be repeated by its own definition. 'Miraculous' and 'expected' can never be held together. There were wishes taken and responsibility taken to pay for what was done, then. Can such a price be paid once more? Is there such a fervent wish? If there should prove need to perform the impossible, it is not you or I who owes such a debt as to pay the blood-price. I will weave, but I supplied neither yarn nor dye, that day." She looks around the table, hunting, possibly, for a fervent wish. Her eyes settle on Tiphereth for a moment, the ghost of a smile seen at 'it should be me.'
Lilian Rook	'Indeed, that is another reason that I and Petra will be going in ourselves. Within the Book, the Abnormalities are stronger than they would be inside the facility.' Lilian sighs, shutting her eyes again as her shoulders sag. "Oh come on. Now you're definitely making it sound as if I'm going to be waging one-woman-war again." 'Um...I'm sorry...' "You're sort of the person who least needs to apologize." Lilian grumbles. "It's just been on my mind, lately. What people do when one of their prayers are finally answered." 'If Nihil appears, ideally there will be a 'magical girl' style solution within the story itself.' "Hm?" Lilian steals a second glance at Love, between blinks at Angela. "Do magical girls often solve that sort of thing in ways other than violence? I have to admit, I've never consumed much of the genre." She pauses. "Um. What was that about poison gas?" 'I try to do what I can.' For no reason at all, Lilian decides to say, "If it's bothering you, you can just ask me, you know." It's hard to tell whether she's being incredibly hypocritical or actually making a point. 'no matter what, I'll make sure that you don't have to put up with that, even if it means you backing out and me pulling twice the weight, in the worst case.' ". . . I'll be holding you to that." Lilian says, warily. 'things may reveal themselves inside the book, even if they are stronger.' "Perhaps, but I'm not feeling so hopeful after the last storybook adventure." Sarracenia. It was Sarracenia's. 'So what are we doing, specifically? Destabilizing the situation, and...?' Honestly, Lilian still doesn't really know. "Abducting a pair of magical girls and brainwashing them to our side, so we can complete a set of Heavenly Four. Obviously."
Natsuki Nuki	'Abducting a pair of magical girls and brainwashing them to our side, so we can complete a set of Heavenly Four. Obviously.' "Ohhhh!" Natsuki answers, taking Lilian entirely seriously and worse wholly as a satisfying answer. "Not a bad plan, and probably necessary for Greed." She decides, appreciating Tamamo in periphery to Lilian as the obvious brainwasher in this scenario with 'miracles'. "So one lucky one of us has to suffer a terrible possession? And then we defeat, abduct, and brainwash? That's straightforward enough, clear goals. That's a doable checklist."
Ember	'Abducting a pair of magical girls and brainwashing them to our side, so we can complete a set of Heavenly Four. Obviously.' Ember shakes his head. "Do you really have to put it like that? I mean, given all the times you complain when other people do it to you." 'That's a doable checklist.' Ember has decided Natsuki is going on a list for later.
Sarracenia	'In the more physical sense, a week from now would be the beginning.' Sarra's cheeks tint red slightly. She is in actual battle garb after all. She nods to Tamamo."Of course, but today is when we start! The planning is the first step, is it not?" she says with a smile. "Today is the first day of when we will eventually free the Kingdom of Happiness from the Dark Kingdom! It is exciting!" Sarra gives a double fist pump and giggles. "And if this somehow affects the City in a positive way, all the better!" 'The Kingdom's gonna fall regardless. There's no fairy tale about the City that makes sense if the story goes that the City never became horrible in the first place.' Sarra's smile fades to a somber neutral. "But, sometimes in such a tale the only way to the happy ending is through the darkness." she says. "Such as what happened with my storybook world and Gregory. Not only did we free a kingdom from a dark influence, but we caught the one responsible and Gregory was returned to us!" 'Cartoon monster of the week nonsense sounds fantastic, actually.' Sarra nods in agreement, still smiling lightly. "Indeed! Such things should be trivial for us, and allow us to get used to Love's storybook before we have to delve deeper." 'The Kingdom's gonna fall regardless.' 'And it'd break poor Love's heart if it didn't.' Sarra's smile fades again. That is one aspect of Love she hasn't figured out yet. How do you keep someone who has admitted that if there is no evil to fight she might start some evil from doing that without them becoming the evil? Sarra lets out a long sigh as she considers it, and looks over at Love as she does. 'The Magical Girls were under my care for a long time and if Nihil has to possess someone, it should be me. I'll be relatively easier to handle than the rest of you.' Sarra raises an eyebrow at Tiphereth. "...possess someone?" she says, the idea drawing a slight shiver from Sarra. It wasn't all that long ago that something dark possessed her, however briefly. She wouldn't wish that on anyone, even Tipereth. "Is that...required?" 'It was that Philip again...' Sarra blinks in shock, eyes wide. "W-what? He wants to kill me?" she exclaims in disbelief. Then her fists clench. "He wants to kill -me-?! -And- wants to burn books?!" Her voice reaches a shrill pitch on that last part that she hasn't reached in a while. It takes her a bit to calm down after that, and even when she does it is to a smolder. "...I think I need to find Philip and talk to him." 'It was bound to happen. If he's escaping it is because the Library wills it.' Sarra's eyes slide toward Angela. The princess is still smoldering, and that phrasing is very odd. "...so you are letting him go on purpose. Letting him bring more and more people here." she says, voice very clearly unapproving and that kind of angry that results in overly calm tones. 'Perhaps, but I'm not feeling so hopeful after the last storybook adventure.' Sarra huffs. "Admittedly it took much longer than I liked, but we did eventually get to the happy ending, where everyone lived happily ever after." she says, then hesitates. "...though...I do agree avoiding such a trial would still be preferable."
Tamamo	'That's because she never understood the hearts of girls.' "This has the ring of truth." Truth can be a tricky thing, in the context of stories. 'You know. Perhaps I'll sit that one out.' "You have been speaking of wishing to see others put to use lessons learned, and of giving them the opportunities to do so," Tamamo says, giving sincere justification for Lilian to not be doing any work. 'So there's a dark kingdom that we'll just have to topple to skip to Season Ending, and we're breaking the two girls out of the half-empty story?' "If it goes as Ms. Angela suspects, then, overpowering all involved would be a necessary step. It would not hurt our chances, certainly. Subtle touches are a relevant concern only in certain aspects." On that notes... 'Abducting a pair of magical girls and brainwashing them to our side, so we can complete a set of Heavenly Four.' Tamamo considers this, and nods. "Yes, it is just as you say. Only after a bit of strong persuasion will they be ready to live among others. Ms. Love was quite hopeless, once upon a time, you recall, but she is doing so much better now." She avoids using phrases like 'good girl' here only for the mixed company.
Angela	''That does seem a little bit, like, giving up before we've even began'' "Wasn't that Lilian's suggestion?" Tiphereth asks. "Well, if it ''does'' come to that, I intend to resist as much as I can, but I'd still rather it be me than one of you. Or even the Magical Girls if we can stop it before then." r''That's because she never understood the hearts of girls.'' Angela is more receptive to this thought than she was before, and frowns as many conflicting thoughts and emotions collide against one another and ultimately come to nothing. She'll know for sure what she feels about all this eventually. Right now, their goals seem to be in the same direction. "I'm not objecting to an evolution of the plan, especially once inside. But I'd rather have an outline of a plan than nothing at all." She nods to Ember's estimation of Greed too. "But to be clear, every magical girl has two sides to them. Happiness is Greed's other side. And Greed ... is ultimately the opposite of happiness, a hollowness and emptiness that can never be satisfied." She looks back to Ember. "At least in the sense of the magical girls. I am aware of your politics, but Greed ultimately was designed the way she was designed. She may be emblemetic of the social ills, but she is also its victim and forged from it." ''Don't go looking to be a martyr, though.'' "I'm going to be going in with the Hornet EGO," Tiphereth says. "I'm not--" She sighs and looks away rather than answering, frowning. ''So the game plan is to simply not fall into her trap and become her rival?'' "Taht is the most important thing," Angela agrees. "Other than that, she is just a big monster to fight. Though there is a possibility she'll work with Greed, it's hard to say. Saying you are not her friend may make her hostile, but it is better than becoming a part of her story." ''Especially so if he decides to come calling if we're all engaged in the book.'' "Hopefully not. But Roland and the Librarians will hold him off if he comes again." ''So that's why my connection to Greed was important. You want to pull them out, not repair the story.'' "Exactly." Angela tells Natsuki. "As someone ... well not exactly chosen by Greed, but acquainted through her through the EGO, you likely can connect to her in a way that others cannot. Certainly, the way to turn ''hunger'' into ''happiness''." Natsuki does seem generally pretty happy despite her grand desires and curses and she's certainly a respectable member of society. "The Story may attempt to use us to fill in the gaps, but keeping aware of our own 'dualities' because Nihil will certainly endeavour to make use of them. Typical magical girl villain stuff. 'Ah you thought you were good, but actually.'" ''So what are we doing, specifically?'' "If Wrath and Greed are in their uncorrupted state, you can just convince them to leave with you. If they are, you might have to fight them first. If Nihil appears, I have no interest in rescuing them. They are free to remain in an empty book. Consider it replacing Carmen's ending with our own."
Angela	''Possessed why?'' "Nihil, is a dark force that prefers to possess hosts to interact with the world." Tiphereth explains further. "It is possible they might be able to form a body of their own within the book, but I'm fine. I ought to be pretty easy to take down without hurting too bad even if Dark Nihil is boosting me with their own powers." She pauses and adds, "I mean, if you want to try breaking Nihil, I certainly won't complain." ''Do you think Carmen didn't want the ending to settle well?'' "...I think Carmen...would rather the better future be in this reality, rather than encouraging us to satisfy ourselves with the happy ending in a storybook." ''It's going to be some deconstructive despair knot, isn't it?'' "Hahh..." That isn't a no. ''Is that wise?'' "I don't know. But ..." Tiphereth admits. "Carmen's been talking about Enoch and I in the books lately. Whatever she's been leading towards, I suspect it's going to be in this book. I have some responsibility towards her, and to him." ''Strange. To think I'm of the same mind as Binah with this, and not you.'' "What do you mean?" Angela asks. ''I can't tell whether I should sit that one out too.'' Angela doesn't really have a good argument for Lilian to lend a hand beyond 'it would be appreciated' and that seems to be something that she is considering pushing back here. "I can send you back out the book any time you want, at least." But Tiphereth approaches Lilian, moving around the table, reaching for her hands to hold them in her own for a moment. She doesn't really have a good argument either, and wouldn't feel right begging Lilian's aid. "You're right, too many people rely on you, and you carry too much. I...really enjoyed that trip into space. I feel like I got a little closer to my brother through it, and--well I can say I've been outside the galaxy now." She grins. "If I could wish on a star right now, I wish I could make a miracle happen for you. Not that you need it, I suppose, but it'd be nice wouldn't it?" rAngela looks down at her hands, feeling similarly, but is kind of stunned at how readily Tiphereth just said that. They didn't seem all too close, did they? And yet. ''But I supplied neither yarn nor dye, that day.'' Love looks confused, due to her memory of that time being altered to remove those who wished for that miracle, but Justice nods once and says, "Nevertheless, Miss Tamamo, the ability to make wishes and payments work together into a result, has changed our lives forever. You will always have our upmost gratitude and respect. You may not need it, but you can call upon our blade and staff at any time." ''Now you're definitely making it sound as if I'm going to be waging one-woman-war again.'' "That is not my intention. But a one woman war--that is not how these tales tend to go. There are four magical girls for a reason, after all. If we are unable to find a solution that isn't making you do all the work, I can't imagine Nihil defeated under those circumstances while we are within the book."
Angela	''Do magical girls often solve that sort of thing in ways other than violence?'' "The violence is meant to be incidental. They are supposed to learn lessons about each other and themselves and then translate that into a greater understanding of the world, one that runs counter to that of the villain. In this case, Nihilism. The idea that one should not try at all." She pauses and coughs into her hand. "Ah, Netzach, while we were in the dream world, was hoping to slowly poison us with Enkephalin gas so that we would die in 'happy dreams'. ... He's better now. For a given value of better." She frowns. Was it THAT time or one of the other million times Netzach went crazy? She ultimately shrugs, sometimes these things blend together. ''I'm not feeling so hopeful after the last storybook adventure.'' Angela and Love look at Sarracenia simultaneously. She covers her mouth at how Lilian answers Natsuki's question. "Yes, more or less." ''Double fist pump!'' Love mimics this. Double fist pump! She could use that actually. Sarracenia does mention that Gregory WAS saved in the end and Angela frowns. DID the storybook adventure actually go exactly as it ought to have with Gregory just being a contrived moment of darkness to add stakes? Ugh, she doesn't want to think about that. "Possession isn't required, but we are preparing for the possibility." ''I think I need to find Philip and talk to him.'' "Be careful," Tiphereth warns Sarracenia. "Maybe bring a friend." ''So you are letting him go on purpose.'' "No." Angela explains. "The EGO is. The EGO is me, but..." She frowns and leaves that thought unfinished. Maybe it's some element of her she doesn't want to openly acknowledge, or maybe the EGO isn't as ''hers'' as she thought it was. Either way it's troubling. "It is not a conscious choice of mine, at the least." That, she can at least be confident in.
Lilian Rook	'Ohhhh!' Oh good! That means Lilian has the right idea! If Natsuki understands the plan and says it's fine, she guessed correctly! 'So one lucky one of us has to suffer a terrible possession? And then we defeat, abduct, and brainwash? That's straightforward enough, clear goals. That's a doable checklist.' "In the likely scenario, yes." Lilian says, folding one leg and looking very pleased about it. 'Do you really have to put it like that?' "In case you haven't noticed, I'm multilignual." Lilian says, still in English, prim as can be. "You should try to at least passively observe other people's lexicon and symbology. That way, when you come across a lapse in communication, you can make yourself understood by invoking what they understand things to mean, rather than shouting into the wind." This is a skill that Lilian has demonstrated only a few hours ago! It is also a skill she completely refused to exercise with anyone she already dislikes before literally this year! Get off your high horse Lilian Rook! 'Of course, but today is when we start! The planning is the first step, is it not?' Never in a million years will Lilian agree with Sarracenia against her own wife. However, she can be nice. "It's good to know that we're finally underway, I agree. It's an implicit promise that the subject is no longer a matter of 'one day, eventually'." 'Indeed! Such things should be trivial for us' Lilian's Will Save is tested. The training retreat currently gives her a +15 bonus towards Sarracenia particularly, so she passes it. "So long as everyone keeps cool and uses their heads, I'd think so." 'W-what? He wants to kill me? He wants to kill -me-?!' Well. That's fair. It's not like everyone who hates Sarracenia was also there. "If he's survived the Library that many times, you should be careful." Thank god for coffee to neutrally sip-from. Even if it makes Lilian want to wince each time. 'This has the ring of truth.' "Her whole thing is sort of being a pervert for everyone's hearts precisely because she doesn't understand them and they're all so terribly exotic to her, right?" Lilian says. "Granted, not understanding them is the order of the day in the City. I think it's a reasonable response to being the only one who know who realizes that they're there." 'You have been speaking of wishing to see others put to use lessons learned, and of giving them the opportunities to do so' Lilian laughs, nervously. "Well, it'd be very gratifying, as an instructor, if it worked out." 'Yes, it is just as you say.' Yes! Perfect score! "It's for their own good, after all~"
Ember	'That's because she never understood the hearts of girls.' "Well, admittedly, my life experience is being a boy and then a man, so I can't say I don't understand their hearts either. So this will be a learning experience too." Ember fully admits, rather than trying to avoid the truth of his experiences and all. As Angela and Ember actually discuss the plan for dealing with the two magical girls, he nods to her. "A framework is better than going in without one. Even if you can't plan for every last contingency, having a general knowledge of what your strategy is when encountering things, or a way out if things go wrong." 'She may be emblemetic of the social ills, but she is also its victim and forged from it.' Ember nods... what a thing to consider. Being possessed by Greed itself is such a strange thing. However, he will acknowledge that she isn't a monster to kill, but a person to free. "I suppose I'll learn more once I experience the story itself once we are in there." 'Saying you are not her friend may make her hostile, but it is better than becoming a part of her story.' Ember considers this as a potential option. "Well, it might be a good way to avoid being entrapped in her story... though it does lead me to believe... couldn't she name Greed as her rival in this regard? What would happen if this does happen?" Tiphereth's answer is enough for Ember to accept. "That's fine, but I think people will be sad if something happens to you." Though with the prospect of Greed potentially being possessed...hmm. 'Hopefully not. But Roland and the Librarians will hold him off if he comes again.' Ember nods, considering what he knows of Roland and the other forces... well, they did hold them off before. 'If Wrath and Greed are in their uncorrupted state, you can just convince them to leave with you.' "Nothing is ever that simple... but it'd be nice if we could just do that," Ember admits. 'Carmen' "So I've only heard this name a little, but she is coming up a lot right now... so who is Carmen?" Ember asks, "Forgive me if this is a touchy subject." 'That way, when you come across a lapse in communication, you can make yourself understood by invoking what they understand things to mean, rather than shouting into the wind.' Ember squints at Lilian; he hasn't decided to put her on a list, but he is really considering it.
Lilian Rook	'Wasn't that Lilian's suggestion?' "Was it--?" Lilian blinks. "Last time? I'll admit it; I don't remember much of what I said at the time." Ohhhh now she sounds sweatyyyyy. 'Hopefully not. But Roland and the Librarians will hold him off if he comes again.' "As a woman who can learn from experience, I've realized there's something very important I should say while I have the opportunity." Lilian says. She faux-clears her throat. "Do not mention to Philip that I am here. No ifs, ands, or buts." 'The Story may attempt to use us to fill in the gaps, but keeping aware of our own 'dualities'--' Lilian frowns. 'Carmen's been talking about Enoch and I in the books lately. Whatever she's been leading towards, I suspect it's going to be in this book. I have some responsibility towards her, and to him.' "Hey wait no no nonono say anything but that! You're asking to be tragically killed!" 'What do you mean?' "The City enriches those who could impede its smooth operation, but don't. It's a subtle difference from how systems are built to enrich the greedy, but it's there. The predominant force of the City is 'Fear'." 'I can send you back out the book any time you want, at least.' "Oh! Well that's reassur--" 'You're right, too many people rely on you, and you carry too much. I...really enjoyed that trip into space. I feel like I got a little closer to my brother through it, and--' "--Wha?" Lilian just about spills her coffee at Tiphereth suddenly grabbing her hands. She only doesn't because fingernail-sized shards of black metal catch the cup across scores of carefully balanced points just before it sloshes over the edge. "Thank? You?" Lilian says, bewildered. "I'm glad? I'm glad. That it was a good experience for you! But you really don't have to-- I mean in this case I was only . . ." She glances anxiously at Petra. "Of course it'd be nice. But, ah, perhaps we should save 'wishing' talk for, the end? Because of the volatility." 'The violence is meant to be incidental. They are supposed to learn lessons about each other and themselves' "Oh well fuck me then." Lilian groans, retrieving her cup from a concave nailbed of floaty ferric fingers. "I've learned all my lessons for this year. I'm afraid I'm fresh out. So, good luck for the rest of you. Try wringing the new guy for a few unresolved traumas, perhaps?" 'Ah, Netzach, while we were in the dream world, was hoping to slowly poison us with Enkephalin gas' "How the fuck do I not remember that?" Lilian mutters into her coffee.
Petra Soroka	"I'm a bit of a curse expert, myself, though I wouldn't call it curse-breaking. . ." "Man! Fuck! Is that an option, actually?" Petra looks around the table, then towards Ange, gesturing towards Natsuki. "If we get Nihil inside of Natsuki, she'll just eat it! Well-- maybe after we beat it up a bit first to weaken it. That sounds awesome. Keep Nihil in the family." It's not an especially high priority of Petra's, but the Concord mission statement is one she's loyal to. After Lilian and Tamamo, and herself, any power or influence that can be reinvested into another Partner is a net good for the whole organization. ". . . I'll be holding you to that." The grim atmosphere of the potential repeat of Nihil's disaster, and the miserable dependence on Lilian that followed, doesn't actually penetrate Petra's mood all that much. She wiggles, pleased with herself. "Hold me to anything you want. I want to always be good for it." "He wants to kill -me-?!" Does Petra know this guy? Thinking about it for a little longer, she recalls some dim memory of a loser bickering with Sarracenia during a Reception she happened to be passing by. Is that seriously it? Is this really a case where Petra is on Sarracenia's side? "...so you are letting him go on purpose. Letting him bring more and more people here." "Bringing back whatever people are stupid and idealistic enough to try and help someone who's already failed before, I guess. Or who are cynical enough to use him as bait and think they can handle the Library. And so the world turns." Petra's role has been to try and minimize the number of 'heroes' fed into the machine, but as the Library's grown, that's been more and more impossible. "'Ah you thought you were good, but actually.'" "And this is how I can defeat Nihil once and for all. I've never thought I was good." "If Nihil appears, I have no interest in rescuing them. They are free to remain in an empty book. Consider it replacing Carmen's ending with our own." And yet, despite just having said that, Petra is subjected to an unhappy glimmer of empathy on the topic. "Not to say that we should, or even that we could. But there is something a little bleak about the personified belief that life can never get better being the one that never gets better." "Carmen's been talking about Enoch and I in the books lately." "What? That's scary." Petra really, honestly, does not like how much of a helpless cult the atmosphere of the Library has been. Angela's insistence that everything that happens is the Library's doing rather than her own is uncomfortably shamanistic in how it deflects from herself, and Petra has never been happy trusting Carmen to do the right thing, no matter how much she tries to force Petra's hand. But also, that's Tiphereth's dead mom, so if she's reading tea leaves about her.... "But a one woman war--that is not how these tales tend to go." "For magical girls, usually even in their darkest moments, there's still two."
Petra Soroka	"Do not mention to Philip that I am here." "Oh! Yeah! Now I remember him!" As usual, Petra's memory snaps into focus once Lilian acknowledges its subject, even though she wasn't even there at the time. "He showed up after we dealt with Scorched Girl's book. I-- you know, being me-- made it very clear that you didn't condone anything about the Library. He already saw Sarracenia and made the connection to the Association, but if anything, he should be blaming me."
Angela	Angela isn't too happy about it either, the feeling that the Library is less and less hers than she thought it was. The more it grows, the less control she seems to have over it, but it's not as if Philip escaping and bringing more people back isn't helping her in a roundabout way. But she's starting to feel less and less connected to even that goal herself. Is this why she couldn't go outside in that future Woz showed her? Because she just ... lost interest? Or decided there wasn't anything out there worth seeing? She doesn't need to be an empath to sense that, somehow, the atmopshere of the Library hasn't been as strangely joyful that LobCorp could have been during it's last loop. Why must there always be some terrible cost to every step forward she makes? Will there even be anything left for her in the end? She doesn't know what to do but move forward. Maybe like they hope with this book, an opportunity will present itself. ''Couldn't she name Greed as her rival in this regard?'' "Oh that's scary." Angela says, having not thought about this before but it feels horrifyingly possible. What would even happen? This doesn't usually happen with Abnormalities but nothing about this is ''usual'' in that regard. ''Nothing is ever that simple...'' Angela nods her agreement. ''Who is Carmen? Forgive me if this is a touchy subject.'' "Carmen is a scientist who used to work at Lobotomy Corporation before it became a Wing of the City. Her goal was to 'repair' the hearts and minds of the people in The City so that they could learn to 'love themselves' but in the process left her physical body behind in order to become a 'Voice'. Sometimes she talks to me too, but my mind was based off of hers, so it makes sense. We are, nonetheless, very different people. Or perhaps, I am elements of herself that she thought she ought to leave behind. I don't know, but I was never able to properly become her. Even when I wanted to." ''Was it--?'' "Over the banter band, I believe." Tiphereth says.
Angela	''Do not mention to Philip that I am here.'' "If Philip sees you, he is not leaving again." Angela says. "And I certainly do not intend to bring you up to him." ''You're asking to be tragically killed!'' Tiphereth's expression goes from happy to a quiet deadpan frown. "Is this how it goes in Elite work?" She looks to Petra's own exclamation. "I'm not going to die a second time. I've got my own things I'm looking for." ''The predominant force of the City is 'Fear'.'' "Face the Fear..." Angela murmurs. "No, perhaps you and she are right in this..." She says as if remembering that slogan reminded her of the true pillar that binds the City. Only people who truly lived in The City could come up with a proper slogan that exemplifies everything they were pushing back against back then. It reminds her of how little she is aware of her own world. ''Perhaps we should save 'wishing' talk for, the end?'' Tiphereth's cheeks pinken from embarrassment, both first and second hand. "Ah, you're right. Sorry. I got a little carried away." Tiphereth pulls back, stepping away, running her hand across her own face as her cheeks grow hotter. ''Keep Nihil in the family.'' ''Not to say that we should, or even that we could.'' Angela frowns, taking into account the idea of even saving Nihil in some capacity. Is that possible? It feels like going back to that question of Idunn but without the tragic backstory. They are what they are and always have been, which is maybe a little more tragic in some ways, but she already feels like she's asking so much as it is. "I don't object to reaching for more than what is planned. But we ought to be careful." Natsuki doesn't really feel 'Nihilistic' to her, but she wouldn't really mind her consuming the power if she can. Maybe it'll be her that provides a miracle this time. ''For magical girls, usually even in their darkest moments, there's still two.'' "So if nothing else, at least two people will have to be pulling their weight." Angela seems to be in agreement on this.
Sarracenia	'I ought to be pretty easy to take down without hurting too bad even if Dark Nihil is boosting me with their own powers.' 'Be careful, Maybe bring a friend.' Sarra still frowns lightly at the idea of getting possessed on purpose. "I say we hold that as plan B. I do not wish that on anyone." At the warning to be careful and the mention of friends, Sarra huffs softly. "I may be fresh out of those again..." she murmurs, thinking back on Xion at the training retreat. Not that Xion was unkind, but to Sarra it felt like all those times people tolerated her without actually liking her. After a moment more thought she adds, "...but then, perhaps I at least have comrades who might be willing to join me." 'No. The EGO is. The EGO is me, but...It is not a conscious choice of mine, at the least.' Sarra looks skeptical at this, but lets out a sigh. "...if you say so. You seem sincere, at least." 'It's good to know that we're finally underway, I agree. It's an implicit promise that the subject is no longer a matter of 'one day, eventually'.' 'So long as everyone keeps cool and uses their heads, I'd think so.' Sarra gives a firm nod to both! "Exactly! It will not be too long now until Love's sisters and world are saved!" She is also getting a large bonus to her saves right now, and misses that the comment could easily have been aimed at her. 'If he's survived the Library that many times, you should be careful.' Sarra gets a thoughtful frown as Lilian says that. "Mm." she says, acknowledging without saying Lilian is right. 'Do not mention to Philip that I am here. No ifs, ands, or buts.' Sarra nods lightly. "Of course not. It was bad enough that he saw me here. I told him you and Trideag were not involved in helping the Library. Perhaps he even believed me, since he is now after me." 'He showed up after we dealt with Scorched Girl's book. I-- you know, being me-- made it very clear that you didn't condone anything about the Library. He already saw Sarracenia and made the connection to the Association, but if anything, he should be blaming me.' Sarra mmphs in anger. "We also saved him at least twice, if I recall correctly. That he could go from that to wanting me dead..." Though, if he blames her in some fashion for the loss of Salvador and Yuna, it is a bit more understandable.