Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...Heh."

The taller girl chuckles, closing a single eye while continuing to refuse to make eye contact with you, a light tinge of red somewhat present on her face...

"Alright good, my mistake, means I can go back to being an unlikable punk, eh?"

...What a bizarre person.

With her consoling attempt successful, she immediately dives back into her more abrasive tone of voice and persona without batting an eye, acting for all the world as if it would still carry the same effect it had previously, but...

...Really, there's no way.

It just doesn't have the same oomph to it as before, but either way...

"..."

Alexia just smiles at the proceedings, as if this was somehow a positive turn of events?

That's silly.

If anything, it just proved Evita was a bit of a weirdo, still-!

'Ah, apologies, yes!'

Agatha chooses this moment, long after you actually need her, to make her reappearance inside of your head...

'The other me is calling for us! Says she wants us to come to the room right away! She says no rush, but also that you should leave now, and that there's a door in the cafeteria! A very strange person, me!'

Eh?

That was strange...

Calling for you already?

...Was she that needy?

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

A simple enough question, albeit crushing in it's severity.

Certainly, the reality of human relationships is that people have a tendency to hide what they perceive to be their worst sides from the people around them... They may do so for a number of reasons, from simply fearing rejection, to believing that the darker parts of themselves are unlovable, or anything in between, but...

You want to know.

No, you need to know.

More important than however this woman was manifesting herself now, was how you must appear in her eyes, yes...

If it's Aunt Alisa, surely she wouldn't lie or sugarcoat it right?

So...

"What do I think?"

Those unseeing eyes almost seem to focus on your face... Of course, she had always been good at that, Alisa could write, so it was clear that she had had her eyes once upon a time, but...

"I don't think my view has changed. Anyone would be at the end of their rope after being attacked like you have been... And no family is perfect. Sometimes we argue, sometimes we fight, sometimes we let each other down without meaning to, but in the end family is family, the love remains."

She smiles.

She's not lying in the slightest.

You'd be able to tell if she was, even as you were now.

"Don't you think so too?"

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Soba Shop -Gen-
11/16/2026
Night, Clear Skies

"The last thing she needs is to be swept up in our family drama. No, what she needs is a hot bath, a good rest and people willing to help her. Which is, the last I checked, exactly what we are, right?"

---The man smiles.

"Yes, that is more or less what we are."

He chuckles.

---It was true.

It happened like clockwork, at least once a year (or sometimes more) this family wound up pseudo-adopting one stranger or another for a time... It was such a common occurrence that the rest of the town seemed to know about it, that the Pendragons were the sort to offer aid to complete and utter strangers if they really needed it, then again...

Aoyama was a generous place in general, seemed to come with the small-town knit-community vibe this particular ward had when compared to the rest of Tokyo...

The school itself might be a pain in the ass at times, but the ward took care of those that lived within it... The Pendragons just happened to go a step further than most-!

"I'll do my best to keep the whispers to a minimum, although, even if I do that, the appearance of a child will... Well, as can be judged by Nori down below, I think certain members of the house may bear an inherent weakness to how do I say... A cute kid? It may remind them of your younger years."

And with that, the older man had let out a laugh that was rather boisterous, coming from him...

---And you had escaped soon after, mostly because it felt like you probably should or he might get the idea of coming downstairs and talking about your youth to your friends-!

A dangerous proposition, to be sure-!

Still-!

Past your mother (still sleeping away), down the stairs, through the main room where The Door (TM) does seem to have dragged the plate of food you had left it into it's depths, and towards the door where the sound of your friends was getting closer and closer to the main entrance...

Or well, two friends and a carry on...

"I can't believe you cut your hair! It was so pretty before!"

---Speaks the carry-on, Anima...

"And I can't believe you've been talking non-stop this entire time..."

---That would be Tsuki, dryly responding to the chatterbox.

"She looks fine, cutting her hair's not a big deal at all, geez."

---Isamu, being the obvious voice of reason between two women who have already proven once that they are not above trying to beat the crap out of each other...

"Ohhhh, nice time to chime in kid, that'll get you points with her, good job, raise those flags~"

Anima again, voice becoming teasingly sing-song, and...

"Flags? What's she talking about, Isamu?"

"...I have no idea."

"Should I gag her to make her shut up?"

"Ask Blaise. His house."

"Good idea."

---Hard to tell if they were having fun or not, but a physical fight doesn't seem to have broken out between the three of them yet, so maybe...?

Although opening the door and looking out, it seems like Tony was lagging behind the others...

You couldn't quite see him.

"Oh. There he is."

But the other three can see you now.

"Anima doesn't shut up. Like, ever. Ever, ever, ever."

Dressed in a crimson sweater now (having ditched the ancient school uniform for once) the vampire...

"She might wake your mom up if she keeps it up, so should I like, make her shut up? I could make the gag really hard to get off, you know? Payback for the beach."

She says all this with a completely straight face, as if the idea wasn't bizarre, and fast enough that Anima can't really say anything in her defense...

As for your sister and the kid on the other end of the street, well...

"Hah... Man... You're a tough one, huh...?"

Noriko, beaten by dizziness herself, is leaning against a light-pole with one arm, looking down at the ground in a slightly pale manner even as the child next to her just cheers, jumping up and down in an unbothered way, dragon physiology seemingly winning out over a human's in terms of how many times can we spin before one of us is overcome by nausea-!

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Soba Shop -Gen-
11/16/2026
Night, Clear Skies

Blaise couldn't help the small chuckle that passed his lips as he heard Tsukiko's request - or rather, seeing what sort of mood had taken over the trio by the time they had made it here. After all, while it wasn't exactly right to call it friendly, at least this banter was different from actually being hostile with each other. Isamu seemed to have more or less become fine with the situation, and while Tsukiko was complaining a lot...

--- Well, had she been actually angry, she would have done something already instead of complaining.

"That's alright. She'd probably just enjoy the scuffle. Moreover, if she wants to learn the hard way, let her. I'll make sure she'll take full brunt of the blame. In fact, maybe we should let her be noisy. That way she could learn that there are some fights you don't wanna start, no matter who you are," Blaise replied, flashing a somewhat dangerous smile towards the one-eyed girl. "That being said, if she wants to do that, I suppose she'll have to miss the homemade Tiger Ice Cream I was planning on serving before we head to the communal baths later..."

One might have called this double-sided attack "unfair" but in all honesty, Blaise didn't want this evening to devolve into yet another squabble. Rather, she wanted to make sure that now that it had come to this, people would be enjoying themselves... and though he would not have said it aloud, the same went for Anima and her host. Sure enough, she might have been a battle-crazy lunatic, but nothing said she couldn't enjoy her evening in another way.

Like, say, some ice cream, a movie, and then baths.

Wasn't a being out there who wouldn't enjoy that, Blaise was sure of it.

"Anyways, make yourselves at home. You can drop your stuff in the living room for now and just kick back and relax. I'll be with you in a minute. Oh, though... don't try to open the blue door if you can see it," Blaise continued, a momentary stoic smile on his lips. "It probably wouldn't even open, but I get the feeling that it won't like it if you're too persistent either."

With that, he gestured for the others to head inside. Meanwhile the boy himself started towards his sister and the small girl who looked absolutely unaffected by the ludicrious amount of spinning that had already happened. Perhaps it was time to save his sister from a cruel fate of self-destruction thanks to cuteness.

Though, speaking of 'cute'...

"Oh, and Tsukki?" Blaise stopped and looked over his shoulder, gazing at the vampire with a another rare smile. "Isamu's right. That hair looks good on you. The clothes too."

He nodded, as if in approval.

"Finally able to relax a little?"

If the vampire had gotten to the point where she felt comfortable enough to use her regular clothes, instead of that armor-like school uniform, then... well, it made Blaise happy as well.

And with that, the blonde youth turned back towards his original goal, and approached his sister.

"Need a little help with that, nee-san?" Blaise asked, sounding amused. "Can't believe you're the first one to tire out. Age catching up to you?"

He was being cheeky and he knew it, but for some reason, he found himself in a surprisingly good mood.

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

Cosmos felt her eyes tearing up again from hearing her aunt's words; to know that Aunt Alisa's view of her hasn't changed, even after all seeing that side of her, brought comfort and happiness to her heart. It reminds her that just like her mother, Aunt Alisa is a good person, one who of course wouldn't get discouraged from seeing that side of herself.

But...

"Don't you think so too?"

The moment that question was uttered, Cosmos couldn't speak.

Of course she wanted to say yes, to say that she thinks so too, but...

Is that really the case?

A small part of her mind couldn't help but to whisper that thought into her.

Did she not just have a meltdown not too long ago, desperately running away from the memory of her own mother and aunt? Not being able to accept the hidden sides to her family that breaks the near-perfect image that she had in her mind?

Could someone like her really say yes to that question?

Silently, she gripped her aunt's hands tighter, negative thoughts starting to fill her mind; after all, a mind spiraling into the dark hates being proven wrong in its misery, hates seeing something that tried to make it feel anything other than pain, so naturally it tried to twist everything into a fuel to drive Cosmos deeper into the dark...

Such is the nature of despair, of a broken mind that has only started to heal; despair clings to her like a shadow, a constant presence and reminder of the nightmares and tragedy, and one could easily relapse back into depression if they aren't careful.

But before it could spiral out of control--

'Of course you can.'

A familiar voice rang out in her head.

'After all, isn't that what you think of Alyx?'

The AI managed to stop her mind from dragging her back into the darkness.

Even though she couldn't see her, Cosmos could imagine Illia giving her a gentle smile from how soft and tender the AI's tone is, and suddenly she was reminded of the warmth of her aunt's hands as she listened quietly to what her constant companion has to say.

'It's true that you felt some degree of envy and jealousy towards her, that you just sometimes want to pull your hair out from how she behaves, and perhaps there's even some bit of resentment too. But at the end of the day, you still think of her as your sister, no?' Illia said tenderly. 'She's still someone you love and trust. She's still a part of your small world. And if you can do that for Alyx, then you can do the same for Mary and Alisa, too, even after learning that they're not as perfect as you thought they were.'

--Illia's right, as always, and Cosmos felt herself tearing up as she felt the darkness receding from her mind.

Once again, she gave her aunt a hug, and Cosmos silently thanked the Almighty God for blessing her with so many wonderful people in her life.

"Mm! I... Of course I do!" She sniffed. "Even though it still hurts, even though I felt betrayed, I... I love you and mom all the same...! At-at the very least, this feeling is greater than the pain and betrayal, so... Thank you, auntie... thank you so much for being here for me..."

'And thank you Illia, for never giving up on me. For reminding me of what's important.'

'You're welcome.' The AI replied back, and she could felt Illia smiling from those words alone.

She stayed like that for a minute before finally letting Alisa go with a small, bashful smile.

"S-sorry... It seems all I've been doing today is cry and cry..." Cosmos said as she wiped her tears with her sleeve. "But... how could you be here, auntie? Did you survive the attack after all?"

And she's scared to hope, but before she could stop herself...

"Did mother survive too...?"

She's already spoken the question.

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Dark Side of the Moon
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning (?)

A pair of eyes turn upon the small girl and she nods in response. Hyakka’s eyes shut softly for a brief second. In that second she expands her senses. The world with her eyes closed is different, but still the same.

Architecture and the ground are still there, their motionless outlines cold and grey. From the crystallized inhabitants of the moon, tiny threads dangle limply in the air toward her. Each one pulses weakly, the volume of their life faint and restrained. Her friends, Alice and the Hare of Inaba, radiate with the strength possessed within, flowing outwardly. The strings of spiritual strength, the unique signatures of their souls, are thicker, beating strongly and full of life, a far cry from the inhabitants of the moon.

The Hare’s is different, it being something far removed from a human. The ever-enigmatic other Alice, too, has an abnormal signature, owing to her own lack of human origins, however much she may model her appearance after one.

Their presence nearly drowns out the crystallized moon-people.

But there is another one. Hyakka draws her vision out, expanding her senses. She follows the unknown trail, its pulsing thread of spiritual force pulled taut.

After being shut for a single second, the girl’s eyes open and turn toward the new signature.

Wings of black metal appear behind her back.

“Two hundred meters, behind the gate. I am going ahead.”

The girl’s feet separate from the moon’s surface and she rises into the sky. With a single beat of her wings, the girl flies off in a gale of lunar wind.

Although she took off in a rush, there’s no sense of urgency in the one she’s chasing after. Their gait is calm, unperturbed. As though nothing is out of the ordinary for them, as if they walk through this crystallized city regularly without concern.

Are they the culprit? A survivor? An outsider?

An enemy?

From above, she’ll arrive and discover the truth soon enough. 200 meters passes in a heartbeat. Tamers can cross such distances in no time at all. One that flies freely in the sky such as Hyakka is no exception.

She floats over the location she detected the signature, staring down.

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Dark Side of the Moon
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning (?)

---You fly in a rush of lunar wind, a feeling both familiar and unfamiliar in this vaguely alien landscape.

It's only natural for you to do so, even in the modern age, it is somewhat less common for people to look up than anywhere else; humans have a bad habit of simply looking at the world ahead of them before anything else, and even in the worst case, that in which your target does manage to sense you, well...

There will be quite the gap in between you and them, still...

---Their gait remains calm, unperturbed, no matter how close to them you (or your friends down below) get. They do not show signs of sensing you, or at least, if they are sensing your approach, their response to it is to completely ignore it, but...

"..."

Eventually, they come into view.

For Hyakka herself, the clothes of the man likely mean little... He is dressed in the robes of a priest, not the alien clothing one might suspect from a city on the moon, no, he bears the clear signs of the catholic church, from the strange 'white' power radiating out from the depths of his soul, to the rosary he wears around his neck, all pointing towards him being an existence that, much like your own, likely calls the distant planet his home, however...

That soul... Is it a human soul...?

Certainly you can feel humanity in it, that 'white' power, no... It's more akin to a dim light, shining faintly within his chest...? Angelic heritage perhaps?

Or something else?

Either way, his movements are completely composed as he seems to examine the area... He walks around unperturbed, stopping from time to time only to take a closer look at the various crystalline sculptures that surround him... It's strange, one might think one would panic more if they found themselves on the moon, let alone if they find themselves on the moon after some sort of bizarre cataclysm, but...

"..."

Complete composure.

He stands after kneeling for a moment, then...

"..."

He looks up.

Right at you.

And...

"Greetings."

He's certainly a priest all right...

His voice booms naturally, without any need for a microphone...

It's honestly rather impressive.

"How rare to find another traveler! Are you lost, little one?"

---Although perhaps he is a bit too casual about things?

Either way...

With Alice and the others watching you from down below, on the other side of the gate from the man (where he can't see them) you...

[Airen]

Daisuke
???
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...Heh."

---After a good fifteen seconds of silence, that's the first sound the young woman, Sakurako, makes after your little outburst.

It's a very ambiguous sound, a single chuckle, followed by a gaze that starts amused and then wanders off to thoughtful, eyes rolling up slightly, as if to observe the stream of curses above, before finally looking back down at you and letting loose what seems like her best attempt at a smirk...

"Don't heh... Worry about it... I owed someone one, and... I can't stand... Overly touchy ghosts."

Her eyes look up again, at the moving mass of negative emotions and memories.

"They go completely bonkers, forget who they even are, and start assaulting everything around them... It's just gross, have more... Dignity as a soul, you know?"

She nods.

Is it to herself, or to you?

And bonkers?

Who says bonkers nowadays...?

"Heh..."

Then...

Yes, then...

"But uh... Touching me inappropriately...?"

She tilts her head, and...

"Where did you touch...? Shoulders are fine right...? That's where a man grabs a woman in dramatic moments right...?"

...What kind of question was that?!

[Bloble]

Daisuke
???
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Erm, um, where I touched? You want to know?"

Daisuke's avatar freezes for a moment, as he takes the question literally, missing the strangeness of its wording. His memory banks are on his body, so he has to remember the hard way. As he does, bits of static slowly begin to distort his face, until...

"Um, first I grabbed y-your shoulders... and the small of your back... and, uh, your arms, a bit... then I hugged you close to my chest tightly..."

In the end, the sight is that of a flustered boy being made to recite something embarrassing by an older girl. Or at least, something he is embarrassed by.

"If you say it's fine, it's fine! But, uh, still..."

It's not as if he regrets his actions. It's just that the COMP called Daisuke has a modicum of self-awareness, and is the type to take advice to heart. In this case, a very particular set of advice that was drilled into his head some time ago. His avatar, a mix of his younger and older selves, looks sheepishly at where the ground should be, only momentarily meeting Sakurako's eyes.

"Chris says it's not good for a boy to do that to a girl unless she says it's okay. Or, um, unless she's giving a really complex set of subtle signals that say 'please slam your hand against that wall really hard like don with me in between'!"

Daisukes pauses. Realizes something. Peers at the Sakurako's avatar.

Nope. No signals. She doesn't seem to be that sort.

"W-well, if you're not mad, that's good... that means I don't have to 'take responsibility'..."

That said, the 'advice' he's acting on is growing more and more sus by the second.

Daisuke, having somewhat recovered, tears his eyes away from his savior and looks at the stream of souls all around them again. His expression tries and fails to harden as he takes in just what they're in the midst of.

"All these are people in trouble, then? How are we even supposed to help them?"

There must be tens, hundreds of thousands of them. If there are more in the distance, perhaps even millions. Each is a person in distress, overcome by their emotions, lacking self-control and dignity. Even if every Tamer in the world was assigned to these ghosts, they would lose just from being grossly outnumbered.

"Maybe talking to them one on one? But there's no time to do that; Aoyama's in trouble now... and Lexie's in trouble too... I have to get back there quickly..."

It seems his plan stops here. There's no way to stem the tide. If crashing the site won't do it, the only other option is to go to the source of the rain and deactivate it, cutting away the curse's vector. Yet he can't do that.

Actually, as he is, can he do anything at all?

Well, yes. He can ask someone who seems to recognize this place. Chris isn't available so...

Daisuke looks back up.

"Um, Saku... er, Nee-sa-? Wait, no, uh, Blackrose-san? Should I call you that? Is there anything that can be done here?"

[Airen]

Lydia
Main Processing Unit: Online
Location: Astrolabe, Fields

"...Ha, you're quite the aggressive one, aren't you?"

---No emotional reaction.

Where the woman at first stands there smoking her cigarette, accepting all of your words with a blank face that is so perfect it's hard to tell if it's eerie or simply awkward, when you're done, when your lecture finally collapses into a threat and forces her to respond to your words and ideas, well...

"I've been nothing but kind to you, you're being quite rude, you know?"

She simply says this, an empty smile crossing her face, before...

"But fine, fine, I guess I can argue for a bit... Let's see... Stop these fools? Like a fight? Me? A Knight and an Eclipse User with an obviously close relationship, all by myself? You think I came here to do something like that? That'd just be silly, my chances of winning are... Eh, somewhere around 20%? Bit too much of a risk for me, sorry."

She's a purposeful blank slate.

That is becoming more and more clear as time goes on... It's not like she's an emotionless machine, no, she's simply choosing to suppress all of her emotions entirely, leaving only the ghosts of feelings behind, the shell of emotions that nevertheless light up a face with brilliant eyes...

"I'm just here to point out that they have no real plan, they're running in here with the vague idea of buying time, and in response, their existences will be completely and utterly eradicated... And they'll fail at their goal anyway, you see? This whole last charge is all rather pointless, you can't slay this enemy, they know they can't do it and yet they're gonna throw themselves on the fire anyway... That's just stupid. So many dumb kids nowadays so eager to meaninglessly go down for the greater good, you kidding me...?"

---Although a hint of actual emotion does appear here, yes...

---Anger.

---A deep, relentless one.

Although she snuffs it out rather quickly, still...

The sudden shift was enough to catch even you off guard...

"It'd be one thing if you knew how to kill it. But you can't kill it. Now's not the time for a stupid last charge, it's to fall back and figure out what to do from here, if you can even do anything at all..."

She flicks her cigarette away.

It quickly crumbles to ash entirely and becomes mere dust in the winds.

"Not that I think you should anyway, talk all you like about forging your own fate, but that's just arrogance too isn't it? That's something strong people get to say, look down on the weak who couldn't change their fate and tell em it's their fault, they didn't struggle enough, didn't believe enough... It's all nonsense."

---There's something intimidating about it.

---Even though she doesn't look that powerful at all, there's a certain intimidation factor to her spirit that's hard to ignore... It's like...

She's pushing you back just by existing...?

"If I could hit a button that makes everyone's dreams come true, then by God I'm going to hit that button. That's just how it is, that's where all my toil and struggle led me... You gonna deny me that?"

She smiles.

---It's hollow, but...

Also testing...?

Probing...?

"You're saying that's wrong...?"

---Meanwhile, Sarah...

Is looking around with something like suspicion...

Alarm...?

Is there something going on around you...?

Other than the flowers blowing in the wind in their endless cycle of death and rebirth you can't see anything, but...

[Airen]

Daisuke
???
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---She smiles.

The entire time, a twisted smile that clearly is enjoying the reactions of the squirming boy far more than her earlier tone of voice would suggest...

---So really, it's more of a smirk.

One that makes it even harder to operate effectively, as the look on her face is one that is practically eating your radiating emotions alive, but...

Eventually, you tear your eyes away from her, and move your attention to the souls, asking the obvious, namely...

How does one help an amalgamation this big?

And to that...

"Heh... I'd say call me Nee-san but she'd get mad... Yeah... She'd get mad... I shouldn't take advantage..."

...She pops up right behind you.

---Even though she should be an avatar in this sort of place, her presence is very real... Of course, the presence of the souls above is also very real, but vengeful spirits in general have excellent affinity with technology, in terms of a host it's practically ideal, still...

Hands snake around your head, not touching you directly, but almost miming the motions of a hug from behind...?

...A vampiric esque hug from behind...

But she doesn't touch... Probably because she doesn't actually have the nerve to do so...

"But eh... Well... Honestly, it's a bit too... big... at this point..."

She refers to the chaotic mass of spirits.

Can't exorcise the whole thing at once... These sorts of beings like to heh... Egg each other on..."

She chuckles darkly.

"Misery loves company after all, they've gotten so used to licking each others wounds they can't stand it if anyone tries to... Leave... Heh... At this point, it's probably best to just... Seal it..."

A pause.

A long pause.

A long awkward pause, then...

"...Heh. Bury it forever."

She brushes the strange moment off...

"In these cases you wanna catch it early... This was allowed to fester... Although it doesn't look natural either... Someone's heh... Idea of a joke..."

She shakes her head, although her voice remains somewhat close to your ear...

"At this point, best thing you can do is get out of here yourself... Shouldn't be too hard..."

Another dark giggle.

"I'll help. Dealing with clingy souls is a... heh specialty of mine..."

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Soba Shop -Gen-
11/16/2026
Night, Clear Skies

"...Blue door...?"

For a moment, Isamu stares.

Truly the youth had been doing his best to get used to the bizarre phenomena that followed you around, but...

A door?

Specifically a blue door?

Having... Emotional capabilities...?

Living in your house...?

"...Got it. Won't open the... Blue door..."

He heads inside, expression set in a strangely determined way, meanwhile...

"...Tiger Ice Cream?"

Anima's initial reaction to the insinuations of being punished by a certain mother had been a huff and a chuckle, as if the very idea of it was laughable, but...

"The hell is Tiger Ice Cream...?"

For some reason this gets to her in the most... Bizarre way...

"Are there... More flavors than vanilla...?"

Her eyes widen, and-

"This era's humans are so... Indulgent... Sugar... Everywhere... How do they do it...?"

-she says some vaguely concerning things before she too heads inside...

As for the last, the one who had simply shrugged when her offer of forcibly stopping an inevitable problem arises, and who has stopped in place after hearing a compliment, Tsuki...

"...You think so?"

...Turns towards you.

"...Made em all myself, figured I couldn't wear that old thing forever... Not a schoolkid anymore."

She chuckles, then:

"...So yeah, guess I'm relaxing a bit. Still got... That thing to take care of, but..."

She pauses, then...

"Heh... Nah, not something to talk about tonight."

Disappears inside with a wave of her hand...

And this...

Yes this...

---Leaves you alone to bully a certain sister of yours.

"Need a little help with that, nee-san?" Blaise asked, sounding amused. "Can't believe you're the first one to tire out. Age catching up to you?"

"It's uh... It's not a matter of age...!"

A finger points defiantly in your direction-!

Although her continued dependence on the pole makes it clear she's still recovering...

"She doesn't get dizzy-! Kid is tough! Super tough... Reminds me of you when you were a kid... Real energetic..."

A somewhat dizzy smile...

"But if you think you're up to it, go ahead, give it a shot-!"

A cheeky smile.

As for the kid, well...

"Ah, you're back!"

...Lot more lively than she had first been at the beach...

Was it the presence of a bunch of people she was starting to feel safe around, or...?

"Did you find your mommy? She was missing right?"

Perhaps the simple talent of kids to talk without worrying about it too much...

[Zurvan]

Lydia
Main Processing Unit: Online
Location: Astrolabe, Fields

"...The strong? Look at me, I’m a COMP that lost their partner, a defensive ornament that failed in its most vital task. Even my memories were robbed of me, how could I ever be ‘strong’."

The anger in her voice doesn't dissipate. No in comparison to her earlier tone and stance it only grows fiercer still.

"But that doesn’t matter. What matters is what you do after experiencing failure or loss. There are those that will give in, break, perhaps even fall. And there are those that won't let such things stop them from trying once again."

The tone unmistakably holds a significance here, in a way it is more telling than Lydia herself would know. To an AI that was just awakened once more to the land of the living, these words are spoken as a undeniable truth, but...

"I’ll be the second. To the point where I’d rather face oblivion for my choices than accept some unwanted salvation. Spare me from such a cheap fate."

COMPs are born from bonding with a soul. It is why they'll often take the shape of a memory of the host. That is why their spiritual signature is identical to their original wielder.

"Have you experienced loss, Leah? Failures? Did they get to you, to the point you stopped believing?"

There may be another factor at play in her defiance… One she doesn’t, or rather can’t know, yet influences her choices all the same.

While it is true that she was created in the aspect of Lara Karlfeldt, a big sisterly figure that time and again rose to the occasion in the eyes of her young User -thus naturally embodying the ideas of an unbreakable hero- reality presented itself differently.

Yes, no matter how inspiring Lara was in her past, at the end of it all even she had vanished. Missing in Action. Presumed dead… no, the elders outright spoke of her being deceased.

In other words, even if part of ▅▅▅▅▅▅ didn’t accept the truth, a part at least had to recognize what transpired and what that meant.

That she was no longer there…

Lydia, being an embodiment of the unbreakable Lara in her early days, likely carries that final observation too. The fate that she and her younger brother would be torn apart by tragedy...

…Perhaps it’s only fitting then that she and her User have indeed become separated?

That some fates are doomed to repeat themselves?

Of course, having awakened only with a sliver of her full memories, the girl isn’t aware of this core truth of her own existence.

Perhaps then, she is doomed once again from the outset of her awakening?

Time will tell, she is not alone after all.

But regardless of her memory, this facet of her creation has led to a desire to break free from a fate enforced by others. The wish to deny what could be fate… and carve out a happy ending that she is satisfied with.

Salvation by the hands of another, does not belong in it.

To struggle mightily against fate… her own strength never had anything to do with it.

If there was a strength Lydia possessed, it would be that she was always the more emotional and social of the pair.

So, the tiny glimpse of anger in the otherwise blank canvas speaks volumes to her. It does not go unnoticed. She presses further on it, led only by instinct.

"What was it, that made you stop believing? That led you to your own struggle?"

By what she truly believes, is right.

"You don't even see it do you?"

Lydia spreads her arms out towards the night sky, a sky filled with the stars overlooking the world since ages past.

Except... there's something wrong about it. If one were to look carefully towards the starfilled sky, only a single conclusion could be drawn to the observant.

That there are too many stars in this sky.

"This sky, is fake. It's a lie pretending to be the truth. Much the same like you, and whatever salvation you believe is coming."

Quickly Lydia's gaze naturally lands on a certain spot within the darkness of space. A place that would normally house the Auriga constellation, yet is now an empty place devoid of light.

It doesn't matter, she herself doesn't know why she looked upon that spot, or why a pang of sadness mixed with her anger.

"You claim it's foolish and arrogant to forge a fate for oneself, yet here you are, doing it for the whole of mankind? A button that would make everyone's wish come true, how is that any different than dictating fate? All you'd be doing is cradle humanity, making it so no one can grow. We need pain, suffering, loss, through those harsh timers we experience life. Light needs darkness, as life needs death."

It is said that the wise do not expose needlessly expose themselves to danger, since there are few things for which to cares so vehemently.

"You Leah, who has struggled and toiled to create a lie into truth, are a hypocrite. You simply chose to make the call for all of humanity, removing any choice in the matter, now that's some arrogance."

Yet in great crises, the wise is willing to give even their life - knowing that under certain conditions, it is not worthwhile to live.

And you know what the worst part is? That no matter how tender, how exquiste... your salvation, this paradise... it is but a lie. A lie will remain a lie. That's all it'll ever be."

Wind flares at the ending of Lydia's passion-filled seminar. She's a fool in manty respects, true, but her heart is in the right place.

By herself, she floats up as the winds of Personal Gale take her up, her eyes fixed to the Astrolabe.

Only time will tell who turns out to be right in this battle.

One not fought with spells, steel or flesh.

But with words and ideals.

"I'm not going to deny your efforts... but I will ask you to use them in a better way if the chance arises. My quarrel lies not with you, and I don't care if these girls have no plan."

In the end, Lydia herself never cared for a plan. She awoke to a World in need of her, of a sprinkle of hope, a mere minute of extra time to a dwindling counter.

"All I need, is to speak to this... Administrator."

She never had a plan either, she is simply here, and chooses to do all she can. Even if its meaningless, she will try all the same.

To understand why things must be this way.

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Soba Shop -Gen-
11/16/2026
Night, Clear Skies

Blaise couldn't help the smile that rose to his face.

"Yeah. She came home just today," the blonde youth replied. "So guess that's one mom tracked down, one to go. At this rate we'll find yours come tomorrow morning."

Having said that, and with his own nee-san daring him on, Blaise reached out and put his hands around the waist of Fia. Then, holding on strong yet gentle, he hoisted the girl up from the ground and plopped her on his back, letting her ride on his shoulders. It wasn't exactly spinning her around in a contest to see who'd get more dizzy, but the evening was pressing on and if they excited the girl too much, she wouldn't be able to sleep at a decent time.

So for now, it was only a shoulder-ride to the awaiting ice cream and a movie, followed by a bath that would hopefully gonk the little hellion.

And that just left...

"Come on, nee-san. I'll make some tea too, so you can rest those old, weary bones on the sofa while waiting for the desserts," he said to Noriko, that cheeky grin still on his face. "If we get you to sit down quickly, maybe you can also save some face. I mean, it's been some time since I've seen you as the one who got dizzied instead."

While he chuckled and teased the older woman slightly, Blaise still offered his arm for his sister. After all, if she really was so woozy that she had to take support from the pole, she might need some help getting back inside the house.

... It was a strange situation though. A kid on his shoulders, helping his sister walk straight, getting back to the house he called home... it was almost like Fia had become just yet another member of the big family that lived within these walls, just another sibling to add to the mix - and in that sense, Blaise found it somewhat odd how natural it felt. Not unpleasant, only slightly odd.

And that wasn't even taking into account the friends that were awaiting inside. Well, two friends and one... what even was Anima?

At least she had decided to behave.

Perhaps Blaise would give her an additional scoop of ice cream, subtle hint that he appreciated her effort.

"Oh, right," Blaise spoke up as he started towards the building. "Gramps came back too. He's in his room, doing... well, whatever it is that he always does there."

[Bloble]

Daisuke
???
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Bury it forever..."

As Sakurako appears behind him and wraps her arms around his shoulders, contrary to expectations, Daisuke doesn't immediately panic.

Rather, he leans back against the girl and puts his hand over hers, very naturally. As if this exact scenario has happened to him so many times that he's now completely used to being hugged from behind by an affectionate buddy. That's why, instead of being creeped out, he's rather reassured.

The young COMP looks at the thousands of writhing souls, feeding off of each other's agony. In this state they are certainly nothing more than a self-perpetuating mass of hatred. A perpetual motion engine of curses that will pollute anything it touches. Even trying to shave off a few at a time won't go so easily; they'll stop each other from leaving, staying in this clumped form. And of course, there's no convenient core to be destroyed to dissipate it. All that would really do is spread it around, enable the separate parts to grow larger by drawing in others.

That's why, in the end, sealing it off might be the best way. One that handles everything at once and prevents future contamination. It wouldn't be able to curse anyone else. The people of Aoyama and the rest of the Earth could be protected.

Yet for some reason, Daisuke doesn't seem too happy with that plan. He stares straight up, meeting Sakurako's gaze with his own, clear eyes shining in the darkness, and lets her know his feelings on the matter:

"That's no good. If we do that, they won't be saved."

Simply because, in the end, those are people in trouble, aren't they? At the moment they might be hostile, but to leave them as they are for eternity is the same as giving up on them completely. The opposite of everything his buddy believes in. And also... a betrayal of what it means to be a Spirit Tamer who fights for Justice.

"You said it doesn't look natural, right? On our end it's manifesting in Aoyama somehow, which isn't normal at all. That must mean there's someone in the background using these souls for their own purpose, making things worse than they'd usually be. If we can find and stop them, then maybe it would become manageable."

Of course that's easier said than done. His own effort to put a stop to this was woefully inadequate. But if it's Chris...

He pats her hand reassuringly.

"We'll definitely figure something out. Thanks again for helping me, Blackrose-san."

It's time to go, then. The people back in reality need him.

"I'm the one who owes you one now. So if you're in trouble, you know who to call. Although... even if I didn't owe you, you're still my buddy's precious friend. So Bright Justice will definitely come help if you ever need it."

He paused. Realizes something.

Gives a sheepish grin.

"Oh, but please don't put yourself in a tough situation, okay? It's important to take care of yourself too!"

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Alright good, my mistake, means I can go back to being an unlikable punk, eh?"

“… I’m glad you understand. Although I think I would prefer it if you were normally a little nicer…”

It was convenient for Eva that Evita had decided against making eye contact after that latest exchange: it meant that Eva didn’t have to do so herself.

Even putting aside her own embarrassment from earlier, she still had yet to make up her mind on what to think of the girl: Even if she knew that Evita was not as bad as she initially thought, Eva was not so saintly as to decide to start over afresh with her and try to get along- and judging by the girl’s reaction, she doubted Evita was comfortable with that kind of response either.

… it was hard.

'The other me is calling for us! Says she wants us to come to the room right away! She says no rush, but also that you should leave now, and that there's a door in the cafeteria! A very strange person, me!'

That was why she welcomed the distraction that Agatha had provided her. She couldn’t imagine what the reason was, but she figured Agatha wouldn’t call her over for nothing, and she wasn’t going to say no to more time to sort out her thoughts.

Besides, the sooner she went, the sooner she would know what it was Agatha wanted. Giving a nod- a pointless gesture more done so out of habit then for anyone present- she then turned to address the occupants of the room.

“Actually, Miss Evita, Miss Alexia, it seems someone is looking for me- I’m afraid I must excuse myself for a bit.”

As she stood up, ready to leave, she glanced again at the cup of tea she had put down earlier, still untouched. Remembering the apparent grumbling Evita had gone through to prepare it, she felt the urge to say a couple words.

“Ah… as for the tea, I’ll drink it when I get back. I don’t think this will take long, after all.”

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...Heh, that's right, you better drink it!"

A slight turn of her head and a single closed eye, face stuck in what now seems like a perpetual wink... Or perhaps a simple attempt to look stereo typically cool? Certainly the girl's punk-esque style of clothing was trying to invoke some sort of rebel without a cause attitude, but...

---There are cracks.

Oh are there cracks, it seems she's not quite as good at being mean as her initial behavior towards you would imply...

"As for the nicer thing... Eh... Not really my style."

She chuckles.

"..."

And leaves it at that, as vague and mysterious as always...

---Really, had you met somewhere before?

You're getting that feeling again, like perhaps you should know this person, but...

"Ah, well, if someone is calling for you I suppose it's only polite to answer."

Ultimately, Alexia interrupts that particular train of thought with a good-natured chuckle of her own, waving you off in a casual manner...

"We'll still be here I'm sure, so don't worry about it."

---And with that, you're free of the current set of social obligations.

Returning to the cafeteria isn't too terribly difficult a process, it's almost entirely a straight shot after all, but it seems that the cafeteria -or rather mess hall- had gotten quite a lot louder in your absence, yes...

It seems the other groups had arrived here at some point?

Dozens of more people had appeared inside of this room... The SDCD members were all easy to spot, scattered throughout the area and intermixed with the other groups with almost casual ease, their organization symbol (a blue butterfly) prominently displayed at various places on their clothing (typically the shoulder), although it seems some dark-haired young man was in an argument of sorts with some white-haired one...

One that had them doing some sort of... Eating contest?

While a bunch of people cheered the dark-haired one on, with only a single red-haired woman and a snowman cheering on the other... Competitor...?

Or at least, sighing for the sake of the other one...

---Bizarre group, the SDCD, that legendary Aoyama weirdness was already shining through...

Then again, a lot of people said Tamers in general were bizarre people, something about heavy exposure to magic doing quite the job on one's common sense, so...

Maybe it really was a normal event?

That girl you had seen earlier, one of the two initial Roth members who had greeted your group at the teleporter, is talking rather enthusiastically to a tall purple-haired girl (seems her name is Lexie) and just to the side of them...

"..."

Ah, there it is...

A blue door.

A familiar translucent blue door, the one that led to the Velvet Room, just sort of...

Existing against one of the walls?

---And sticking her hand out of it, as if this wasn't bizarre...

Was Agatha...

Or at least you were pretty sure it was Agatha's hand, seeing as it points directly at you as you enter the room, before...

Motioning at you to come closer...?

Was no one else seeing this?

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Aoyama, Tokyo ~ Brewed Awakenings
11/16/2026
Monday - Noon

When it came down to it there was always a high bar that existed between someone who had mastered the art of combat, who embraced battle prowess and lived by its tenets, and a mere “technique user”.

The demon was surely one of the former. One who had long carved a bloody and bloodied path through the years and ages, learning the many lessons of a warrior and battle master.

Raz was just one of the latter. As a user of songcraft and enhancement magic, he was more a “king” then a bishop or rook. Slower. Weaker. Requiring protection in order to continue his work of directing the flow of battle, relying on a single ability instead of true mastery of the way of the sword.

In other words , it was an inviolate rule that an ability user would be weaker then a combat master.

…But…There was no rule that said a single ability couldn’t beat a master!



A furious exchange of blows, steel and bone in a medley to discordant for music but beautiful in its own form of deadly art. The flash of Lied Ortus combined with the unexpected reversal of Raz’s single ability Nukitsuke was enough to change the disrupt the advantage of a decisive strike. Had the demoness not turned uncounted years of endless battle and peerless instinct into a disorderly chop against the flight of the golden blade the Bard might well have cut her down in the first pass.

Though effective, despite what one might think, Nukitsuke was not an anti-demon technique. Rather, just as expected from a practitioner of iaijutsu, it’s strength was in reversing the flow of battle in motion. Less effective against those who approached the battlefield with a calm head and clear strategy for victory, it was strongest when turned against an enemy who attempted to win a duel through pure martial skill and overwhelming ferocity by turning momentum against them at a critical juncture.

So it was with the golden winds at his back that Raz began his own onslaught. The demoness’s temporary blindness made up for Raz’s weaker abilities. Lacking the DTG while he still was a knight, and Lied Ordus stabilized his tamer abilities, he did not possess the ability to buff himself from a mediocre combatant to a dangerous warrior.

….But…


….To put that another way…

Thats what made this kind of fight so much fun!

Ibaraki was no mewling pup. Even blinded and staggered, she was tracking his movements. When Raz re-sheathed his sword after ducking his head under a five splayed clawed hand strike that crackled in the air aimed at his back, she was already preparing a furious kick that staggered the young knight, sending him into a back handspring off his left hand as he was forced to interrupt his counterattack. Not content with having won the exchange, the demoness proceeded to rip the table she had just been enjoying a cup of coffee at moments before out of its studs and sent the heavy piece flying at her enemy.

When Raz planted himself, he had but a bare moment to see the massive weight flying at him with enough force to crack rakukaja infused bone.

An outside observer at that point would likely have seen little beyond a skinny man watching destruction bare down upon him…and then watching calmly as said device spit itself into two equally sized halves, flying to either side around him, the only proof of his motion being the ring of a swiftly sheathed sword. Ibaraki wasn’t done, leaning forward and tensing herself to leap.

This time she wasn’t fast enough, as the bearer of the golden sword followed his strike with a charge, extremely low to the ground, so much that his shoulders were no higher then knee high.



The golden swing of the Sword of Song arced out, no lethal blow, but maiming, disabling certainly. The elder demoness was off balance for a quick stomp on the blade and she was force to redirect her own momentum and leap over the blade instead.

The knight clearly had been waiting for this maneuver.

Without missing a second, he turned the draw into a recovery, jabbed the empty sheath into a destabilizing knock into the solar plexus,


and then with three quick draws cuts into an enemy who could not alter her own course once airborne.

It might have even worked…if it wasn’t for the fact that while Raz was still bereft of his magical enhancements…The woman who had declined to eat the delicious Banana Oni Tart had…started to regain her vision.

The first cut, she jerked her head aside, the blade so close its golden luster intertwined momentarily with wild golden locks. The second strike was bereft of momentum and direction after she cuffed a fist and directed the strike into a forearm. The cut might have crippled a normal warrior, but the resolve and tenacity of a demon’s rate would barely notice such a wound. The final strike she actually caught between her two clapped together palms. It was only the slickness of the blade and Raz’s better grip on the melodic note adorned handle that allowed him to wrench it from her hands and prevent himself from being disarmed.

And yet…?

There had been something odd in that last exchange…

Yes Ibaraki had started to regain her senses, but that didn’t appear to be the only change. There we been a hint of gentleness in the last strikes. A hesitation…born from…?

“Zerah! Matador! It’s a set up, they aren’t doing this on their own! Don’t kill them, just pop ‘em the dry gulch…oh dear lord, now he has got me doing it, I mean, knock them out!”

Zerah and Matador were two of the three greatest swordsman Raz was acquainted with. The other was a lovely knight who isolated herself but was known as a renowned mistress of the blade. Anyway, it was…reasonable to rely on them.

Or it would have been. There were several concerns with the current situation. When preparing an ambush, it was appropriate to ensure the engaging party was prepared well and marginally stronger then the defending force, so that the element of surprise and power deferential lead to an easy victory. This hadn’t been such. It could have been incompetence in motion, or…

…It was a distraction.

The true target was after all, Dejah. Perhaps she was being attacked, or perhaps the puppeteer hoped to trick the information out of raz, and when that failed tried to get him to reveal where she was by calling the stage. If Raz or the DTG were unwary, didn’t take steps to prevent tracking, the information Raz withheld from the demon could be revealed inadvertently.

Plus the current situation was untenable. Capturing an enemy without killing or seriously wounding them traditionally involved far greater skill or weight of numbers, which Raz and the blade masters did not seem to posses. Zerah was skilled, but the damage to his weapon was likely hindering. Raz’s opponent was shaking off the sun induced blindness, and the Bard couldn’t even sense the matador very well to to the skeletons natural affinity for darkness and Raz’s lack of the DTG’s enhanced battle field awareness.

It was hard to save six lives when even three were doubtful. And the Bard of the Kingdom was only one man after all.

One man who lived by a code.

And one important tenent…maybe for master of Songcraft, the most important…was that he held nothing back when lives were at risk.

Against the Matador? There had been no true danger, at most he would lose his pride. Against the butterfly woman at Merlin’s? Raz might have been in danger, but the mage of flowers was clearly not threatened.

But here, now? With his allies pressured, with she whom he had sworn to protect challenged, when he could sense the creep of shadows that twisted minds and drive the unwary to apathy syndrome gathering close?

…Then it might be time for a performance rarely shown.

Raz took a long arcing leap back, allowing himself to burst threw the coffee shop window. The horde of muscleman were gone, if they had ever been there at all. Raz's sense's had been preternaturally attuned. Minus the DTG, it surprised even he that he had felt the truth of the encroaching shadows. They didn't just menace him. He could feel their entangling entropic approach developing on so many levels that it defied belief or understanding. He knew with disturbing, yet reassuring clarity that he wasn't the only one, right then and there, even if not then and there, who battled the darkness.

"And baby, I am just one man, but what one man can't do, WE CAN!"

ANd when Raz stuck a single gloved index finger, once more...



The earth broke.

In a thousand times...in a hundred realities, and ten thousand layered times...Nothing existed but a single, empty moment. Not but white wrinkled darkness. But within that darkness ...was the truth

Even the legendary demon could not encroach on that empty boundary. There only Existed a single knight....a single knight, and a world of people unwilling to give up. The rainbow colors that swirled out, heat riser times ten million, and then a hundred million more. A COMP? Such a thing was not needed. There was a planet full of people who willingly paid the price. Microphone? Who needed such a thing, the whole world sang the song of battle. The true glory of a knight wasn't to defend the weak.

It was to remind the weak that they weren't weak at all...!

"My heart goes out to each and every last one of you. The prologue is coming to an end, the true show is about to begin! The darkness is at hand, but we can drive it back together! So if there is a song in your heart, if you reject apathy, then let me hear you say it!"

"WORLD WIDE CONCERT!!!!"

Wise up!

iaijutsu practitioner: unlike true martial artists who refine their weapon and body skills into perfection, Raz Stone instead is a mere “technique user”. One who has practiced a single move over and over until it has become something special. For the knight of song, the idea behind Japanese steel, that being, art and beauty turned into a weapon to compensate for weakness reminds him of himself. And the style of it appeals to him. As a result he may use one single physical ability.


Nukitsuke: a lethal draw meant to meant to strike down an opponent from an apparently unguarded position. This is a single refined technique designed to bridge the gap between the untrained and trained swordsman. For Raz Stone, who does not practice martial arts and is rarely called to fight physically, recent events notwithstanding, this practice was on the level of a hobby. However the gift of Lied Ortus and repeated events requiring him to fight alone have encouraged him to use this skill more practically. This effect is equal to physical abilities granted by “battle beat” and on the turn it is used, Raz gains the speed advantages of a martial skill, or counter acts them against an opponent who also possesses such. Like all physical abilities, this skill is ranked C. If a charge from Lied Ortus is used, it will gain the pierce ability.

While strong, this ability is limited in that it has a one turn cooldown before the mechanical effect can activate again. generally this skill is more useful against those who attempt to overwhelm with high battle stats and martial skill vs those who approach combat with a clever plan.

Wise up!

-Wishing Star-
Cost: 5
Restrictions: KoTR, Knight Trait
As a knight, you have become a catalyst for the wishes and hopes of the people that believe in you, and have become capable of manifesting a supernatural ability through that same belief. Much like a custom spell this ability can take any sort of form, it is, after all, something forged by humanity’s belief that you possess it.

However unlike normal custom spells it carries the “belief” of humanity and can be conceptual in nature, with it’s strength as an attack based purely off of the level of your renown within the confines of the world, if one bears enough belief, even A Rank abilities can be made manifest ‘alone’ in this manner, and barring extreme circumstances (other side is going hardcore power of friendship) will likely overcome all other A Rank Spells in terms of a direct clash.

However, such power can only be made manifest once an arc.



World wide concert!
One of the most classical and some might say required abilities of an idol singer is an ability to convey feelings directly to the listener on a deeply personal level. To put that another way, no matter how many people may be in a crowd or how many others have also listened to the album, a true fan will find that it seems like somehow the idol sings to them and nobody else, melody that joins the souls of even those who have never met. The world wide concert embodies this feeling of closeness. By uniting the hearts of those cheering him on, Raz creates the global concert. Throughout the world, even from other continents or planes of existences, believers will find themselves spiritually observing and supporting the show. With millions cheering him on, for the one performance, Raz is able to make use of significant upgrades. First, as the stage now represents the world itself, even as far as fans in a different reality, ANY allied character, no matter the distance gains benefits as if they were standing on the stage with him. Second, all such characters are temporarily granted skill Dancing all night! And finally, Raz’s Renown will temporarily double, including all bonuses. For a single moment, he could be considered a global star on equal footing with Joker and the others.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

The cafeteria was a much livelier place than she had remembered. No doubt thanks to the new arrivals and their various interactions- very eccentric individuals, from what she could tell. But they seemed to be having fun.

Good for them.

She couldn’t deny that she was a little curious, but she had come here for a reason. There was no room for getting sidetracked: when she was done, she would probably head right back to the lounge Alexia and Evita were in.

Scanning the rest of the cafeteria, it didn’t take long to find; a blue door, presumably leading to the Velvet Room, located on what she was fairly certain was previously a normal wall.

It felt a little odd how she seemed to be the only one who could see it, but then again, at this point, Eva was used to rather weird things when the Velvet room and Agatha were involved. It might have been stranger if other people could see and interact with it.

Accepting this oddity as a fact of life, she made her way towards the door as the hand gestured. As she drew close enough, she spoke quietly, making sure no one would overhear and think she was talking to herself.

“Agatha? You wanted something?”

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

"S-sorry... It seems all I've been doing today is cry and cry..." Cosmos said as she wiped her tears with her sleeve. "But... how could you be here, auntie? Did you survive the attack after all?
"Did mother survive too...?""

---Certainly, it is a difficult series of questions.

Ones filled with a fragile sort of hope, hope in a parental figure that had appeared to escape their fate and thus hope that the other one had managed a similar miracle... They are the natural questions to ask, ones that you have finally gotten around too even though you know that the answers could potentially be quite painful, but...

"...Hmm, so I was killed here...? Or at least, I appear to have been killed here...?"

She says something rather strange at first, as if she herself wasn't actually sure what her own fate had been... It's an oddity, one that automatically raises quite a few questions in your brain, but...

"Okay. One thing at a time."

Ultimately, she just smiles and nods at you after a moment.

"How am I here... That's a question with quite the story behind it..."

She chuckles.

"I do not have time to tell the whole thing, but... A long time ago, I... Accepted an offer of sorts from God, in exchange for my eyes, I was... Well, I became able to appear in these sorts of decisive moments, ones where my family is at risk. Perhaps it would be more correct to say that this me is an incarnation of my lost eyes? A piece of my body and soul, traveling through causality by God's Grace...? Perhaps this me is a... Concept of sorts, now...? A being of the unconscious?"

One finger comes to rest on her chin, and her expression becomes surprisingly thoughtful, as if she herself wasn't sure of the answer... What was she saying? That she was a piece of Aunt Alisa's soul? A part of her essence?

"I can't really say for sure... The exact mechanics behind it are rather beyond me... I was never particularly talented when it came to the cognitive sciences, and I don't have quite as much time as I'd like, so... Let's just say that I am a cut-off piece of her soul, manifesting now as a sort of... Guardian Angel?"

It's a bit of a bizarre story, but she does feel like Aunt Alisa, this is definitely her, so...

It also seems like the truth...?

"Because of that separated nature I know some things the other me doesn't, but there are also some things she knows that I don't... I cannot say for certain what happened to your Mother and I here, I find it rather unlikely that we were actually... Attacked and killed, was it?"

She pauses, and her expression darkens slightly in thought.

"..Yes. Something about that doesn't quite feel right to me. It's too... Artificial... Considering the circumstances, I'd say it's more likely we were just made to look like we had been killed, doing something like that would be a much easier crime, considering what Mary is and it would have the same sort of affect as what the enemy wanted to happen here... But I can't say anything for certain."

She shakes her head slightly, smile apologetic now.

"This World is, after all, something of a Nightmare right now... And I mean that in quite the literal sense."

Her voice gets more stern, and-

"It's all a bad dream."

-says that, as her hand comes to rest gently on your shoulder.