Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
Rose Cross Base - Outdoors
11/16/2026
Monday - Afternoon
Weather: Rain

"That's right. She's my oldest. We were... Separated by an accident when she was little, me, Saria and her sister, so I didn't get to do much of the raising myself."

While Aurora's honesty and straightforwardness is quite surprising, that wasn't the reason why Cosmos had suddenly went still; like pieces of a puzzle filling up gaps in the larger picture, the goddess' revelation brought her back to an encounter that felt like a lifetime ago: Her encounter with the White Shroud in a corridor between worlds.

The first clue was not only the revelation that Aurora was Saria's mother, but also that she has (had?) a sister.

The second is Ciel's unusual behavior, almost as if she's ashamed or feeling guilty.

And finally, Ciel's comment that Aurora was "built", which might make her daughter also considered to be an artificial creation.

Indeed, when all these facts lined up in her head...

Dolls can't be allowed to rebel like this...

I'll break it for you.

"...Preciel... Is she talking to you? What is it saying? That it'll break me? Like they did my mother and sister? Just like that? Do you think I would have come here if I didn't think I could slay a disciple?"

...Then the possibility of Saria being the White Shroud made a startling amount of sense.

Of course it's merely conjecture, and the evidence are circumstantial at best, but the girl is at least a strong suspect in her mind now; the irony that the one person she had allowed to get close outside of her family is actually a White Shroud isn't lost on her, and past Cosmos might have felt so utterly betrayed that she would have done reckless things...

But now, that feeling is more subdued.

Perhaps it's because she's literally standing before Saria's mother right now, and her saintly demeanor helped to curb her more negative feelings; perhaps it's because of how Ciel acted that she understood just a little bit on why the White Shroud had been so angry, why Saria might have chosen to don the mantle; or perhaps all of her recent experiences had helped her to become more mature, to process this revelation in a calmer manner than she otherwise would have. Whatever the case, she is thankful to God that this is revealed to her now, and not before.

Of course, that doesn't mean the feeling is completely gone.

Cosmos could feel her heartbeat beating faster and faster as heat rushed to her ears, and while she managed not to let any of this be apparent (at least outwardly), she wondered whether the goddess before her could see and hear her inner turmoil.

She'd definitely need some time to properly process this revelation and come to terms with it later, but for now...

"I... I see. Do you want to meet with Saria, then? I'm on a mission right now, but I can fetch her for you if you want." Cosmos offered with a (hopefully not strained) smile.

"A mother-daughter reunion is a precious thing. I think the two of you should meet when you have the chance..."

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Himawari ~ Dirac Sea
??/??/????

"Bridge is fine."

Eve nods at you.

"The 'other side' is... Not ideal." A brief pause, as she considers how to properly explain why. "It's intended function is more like... A cage. Does not connect well to the vessel's systems. Would be dangerous if it did."

Another nod, as if she felt this explanation was sufficient.

So a cage, huh? You had found Eve inside of it, but did that mean the cage was for her? The android had seemed more or less benevolent so far, even to the point where one might call it gallant or 'knight-like,' so it seemed unlikely, which meant that if it wasn't meant to hold her...

It had to be for the other occupant of the ship right?

"..."

Still, with Aleta in what seemed like deep thought, and 'V-V' only able to nod her avatar at you inside the depths of your crisis, you make your way back to the bridge as best as you know how with Eve following dutifully behind, a door that hadn't been here the first time you had come inside the ship (before you had used the password on the outside) leading to the room that you had earlier identified as the bridge of the ship.

Much like the other rooms, it had been altered somewhat by the 'turbulence' the ship had experienced earlier. The nine sun and moon dream-catchers that had been hanging over the bed have tangled themselves together, some of the "Nightmare on Oak Street" posters have fallen off of the walls (they had been hanging on with thumbtacks alone it seems) and the laptop that had once been on the bed, has slid across the floor to the corner of the room, just below the console and old-fashioned style helm wheel. A number of different connection ports are easily visible on the console, and the radio -which had been turned on the last time you were here- still seems to be on, and...

Just like last time...

Through the static...

"Well, I won't deny that I ______ her up there. _____ running away from home like she did..."

"What sort of ______ would I be setting for everyone else if I didn't _____ little when she came back? It's _________ time out."

"...So to more directly answer your _____ question, since what you seem to want is a confession... I did it. Jonathan R. Black."

Come a series of quiet, broken words, spoken in the tone of an arrogant sounding man...

Yes, the radio was making noise...

Like it was picking up on some sort of distant frequency...

Same channel as last time too.

----

Daisuke
Brewed Awakenings, Aoyama
11/16/2026
Monday - Dark Hour

"...geeze. You're out of character, Robin. Or are you even him in the first place? It's getting harder to believe by the second."

"Well..."

The fairy smirks at you.

"Don't get too used to this, I just happen to find this... Scenario... We find ourselves in so distasteful that I have no recourse but to be... As you humans say... Helpful."

It frowns.

"Once a story reaches it's conclusion and decides to go it's own way, no further harm should be done to it. At least not by the playwrights..."

It chuckles.

"It's a feeling like that... I don't expect you to understand it."

A single finger.

It extends a finger towards your face slowly, as if it was going to poke you...

"Regardless... You are not incorrect. The distance between Ace and Savior is... Not that substantial, and going to the girl seems relatively pointless, of course, humans do pointless things all the time."

It shrugs, that enigmatic smile returning to it's face.

"I am here for two reasons, one: to keep my word to the summoner, and..."

It trails off.

But the implication...

It's certainly the most Robin implication, that being...

'To keep things interesting.'

Something like that, still...

"...Right. Pointless."

Shuichi -who continues to maintain his bizarrely emotionless face- stands, and...

"I'll go after the girl. The rest of you stay here."

...Starts towards the door.

[Airen]

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR - Logan's Room
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

“An order?” He pauses briefly. “From Alexia Wright?”

"Mhm."

A slow nod.

"It's one of her theories. At the end of all of this, there needs to be an onlooker... Someone who can say to the World that this is what happened. To use an analogy... I suppose it's like theater? Without an "audience," the "story" doesn't mean anything, so I'm taking the role of the audience. Interfering too much would mean that I'm taking more then a step onto the stage and becoming an actor. If that happens... Then there is no audience."

A pause.

"Or rather... I suppose someone else would become the uncontested audience."

A sad hum.

"It's... Something like that. If there was someone trustworthy, an observer that fills all the requirements I do... They could take my place, and I could step onto the stage all the way, but..."

She sighs.

Ah, metaphysics, never easy to wrap your head entirely around...

"But no worries!"

Another pump of her fist.

"You guys will do just fine without me! I believe in you! My sisters are less tied up this way, too-!"

---

Amelia
SLEIPNIR - Logan's Room
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

"...Remember, Gods can be very proud, petty beings."

While it seems like this Goddess is of the mischievous sort, the seriousness with which it answers the first of your words, is...

Absolute.

"Something that you saw as harmless, is something one of them could easily see as a sleight." She chuckles, as if aware of the obvious irony in her words. "The Greek pantheon was famous for it, no? So was the Judea-Christian God, real fire and brimstone type, Babel's a classic case, although I suppose humanity did have it coming that time..."

Another dark chuckle.

Of course...

“Back at the SDCD, when Aleta landed in Logan’s arms. That was your handiwork, wasn’t it? I think I’m starting to gain an appreciation for your craft. Right now I don’t think there’s any opportunities for situations like that, but can I count on you in the future, oh Goddess? I like the cut of your jib.”

"Fufu..."

She makes an ungoddess-like sound soon after, so quickly that it almost becomes hard to take her seriously again...

"My power may have been involved..."

She admits it, looking around with sly eyes.

"What's more looking then falling into the arms of a gallant young man?" She cackles. "Truly my blessing has led that child to greatness! Although it has also... Made her somewhat reckless I suppose..."

Somehow...

You get the feeling that she only realized that last part just now... Still-!

"...Problems for another time."

She shakes it off quickly-!

"So long as it seems like it'd be entertaining, you can count on me. The dense humans are... Fascinating. Seeing exactly what it would take to get certain ideas through their skull is always an enjoyable sort of challenge."

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Himawari ~ Dirac Sea
??/??/????

The first thing Mokujima Chris does when entering the bridge is set down the laptop housing 'V-V' and pin a fallen poster back onto the wall where it belongs. This place ought to be kept as Sakurako left it, she thinks.

The crackle of the radio quickly distracts her from continuing the impulsive clean.

"...right."

It is not difficult. One end of the cord into the computer, and the other into one of the many connectors near the old-fashioned wheel. The kid will do the rest.

"First task... strengthen that signal."

The kid will figure that out, too, no doubt. Meanwhile...

Chris moves onto the dream catcher, gently and patiently disentangling it. There's much to be set in order here. Best to start with the easiest task.

"A cage, you said." The remark is directed at Eve this time. "For whom?"

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Karlfeldt Estate ~ Forest
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

"Would you rather I be more... Conventionally Godly? I could show you my true form and shatter your mind, if you'd like?"

“… I think I’d prefer to continue conversing normally, without any mind-shattering. If I’ve understood what you’re saying, I assume you’d like that as well- otherwise there’d be no point in coming here to meet me, correct?”

Eva considered what Marlene had told her.

It was definitely a very ‘Godlike’ response… there were many supernatural entities who worked and acted in mysterious ways. For them, there was definitely nothing contradictory about giving an order that they purposefully contradict themselves later… as annoying as it was to try and understand.

She had never heard of a goddess of possibilities before, but for one to act like that as well was not hard to imagine.

“It’s not the most satisfying answer, since it just invites the question of what your actual purpose was in giving Liesl that order was… but I imagine we could be here all day if I were to ask every question that came to mind. So I’ll just ask the one I want to hear the most.”

Not that Eva wasn’t curious- she would be lying if she said she wasn’t curious about what the actual purpose behind that order, or whether Marlene really knew the Lord, or why exactly Marlene had come out to talk to her, but if there was only one question she wanted answered at this moment, then it was undoubtedly…

“--- Why did you do it? What do you get out of doing all of this?”

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Karlfeldt Estate ~ Forest
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

“--- Why did you do it? What do you get out of doing all of this?”

"Why?"

---A slow, amused smile crosses her face.

"Well because I like humans of course, I'd rather they be happy then sad!"

A baffling answer, even more so when this 'Goddess' had just admitted earlier to saying what she feels she needs to say to get the responses out of people that she wants... They are words that make it difficult to trust this claim, even though her facial features and bodily movements all point towards her telling the truth...

"It's super bizarre. You'd think for beings whose worlds are made out of thoughts human worlds would be happier, but no! All the little imperfections remain, almost like they want to struggle... It's quite strange, quite strange indeed~"

She pauses, placing a finger on her chin.

"Then again, asking me that kinda question sorta implies you don't believe I can just be a benevolent being, huh?"

She places another hand on Saria's other shoulder, the girl unmoving now, expression completely neutral.

"So how about this? Another layer of sorts?" She grins. "Not only would I rather humans be happy then sad, but there's a certain... Divine Spirit that I'm trying to capture; one that's a lot weaker when the masses are content."

A pause.

Purposeful...

Almost heavy...

"Yeah... I guess you could say I'm trying to put the thing calling itself the Big G, old Cosmic Chrome Dome, Mr. Fire and Brimstone himself into a small, vane-filled box. Or something like that, anyway~"

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR - Logan's Room
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

Logan smiles sadly. “You’re a kind girl, Burroughs.” Being the lone observer must be terribly lonely. “I’ll bring this play to a happy end so you can join us for the curtain call.”

And with that, he makes for the door.

Amelia
SLEIPNIR - Logan's Room
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

“I’ll remember that. Thanks, Goddess…?” Amelia trails off, realizing that she never got the deity’s name. Whatever she would’ve said next is mercilessly cut off by the sight of Logan’s avatar moving toward the front door.

: “Wait, hang on! I haven’t talked to Burroughs yet!”

With the barest hint of a smile on his face, Logan begins to count. “60… 59… 58…”

: “YOUUUUUUU…! I’LL GRIEF YOU, I SWEAR!”

Amelia rushes her character toward the library to say her greetings and far-too-soon goodbyes.