Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

White.

An endless rain of white and gold light explodes out of the darkness, and illuminates the now decimated field of battle.

Like fireworks exploding amongst the stars, those myriad lights dance across the heavens as a sign that the unexpected battle has finally come to a sort of end.

But it is their first time on the side of defeat.

The first time that their journey threatens to come to an absolute stop. Of course such things are obvious, when one deals in battle and death one's journey is one that will inevitably come to a crashing halt eventually; there is no one who is truly invincible, one way or another, there will always come a time when your strength comes up short, and it seemed that they had all finally hit that last wall together.

---This had been a mission of rescue, but it had quickly become a battle that couldn't be avoided... Those they had expected to find had been bound in something much tighter than chains, and for the sake of freeing their souls, the only thing they could do was pick up their weapons and face the enemy head-on.

There are some battles that must be fought, and this had simply become one of them. An ideal of peace and hope has it's place, but this opponent is one that will never come to terms with the definition of another's peace; it is concerned only with it's own terms and sense of self, and the light that rains down from the core of an infinite expanse threatens to wash away those that had finally found a wall they could not find a way to overcome.

---In the depths of space it should not be possible to burn, and yet her body has certainly been set aflame.

"..."

That too is only natural, the paths those lights draw are paths that combust with soundless energy. As an older model -the oldest model- it is perhaps only natural that her power will eventually fail her, and yet when it comes down to it, she is one of two that remain conscious until the end, eyes locked on the back of one to whom she was little more than a tool...

---In reality, her current condition exists because she had taken the burning light in his place.

However, this should not be confused with that emotion called love. While she was the first, she is not like the last; she is but a spare unit, a prototype that had existed to refine the process for what he would consider a much more 'noble' soul, and to that end, she held no special feelings towards her summoner, if she was a 'doll' to him than he was simply a 'Summoner' to her.

It was not for his sake that she had thrown her body in the way.

No.

It had merely been a calculated move for humanity's sake. Her condition had already been poor, and so to maintain their sides fighting power for even a few extra moments, she had simply decided adding more damage onto her already astounding wounds would be better than allowing that man to be wounded as well, keeping the healthy healthy and simply stacking damage onto the already wounded and useless.

It was just logic.

If one ran the numbers, it was the plan with the best chance of success.

It was logic that that man would approve of as well, the enemy needed time to gather power in-between its strikes, so the man should have time to escape, thus-

"...Hey. You're still alive, right? Hold on just a bit longer, I'm going to send you back home."

-These words come as a surprise.

Already half-consumed by flame, the woman he speaks to cannot truly understand his words... But at the same time, he makes no effort to truly explain himself either.

In terms of remaining power, it is idiotic to waste parts of it on her, nevertheless, the man sees it as the only possible course of action now.

Perhaps he understands that they have lost.

Perhaps he wishes for her to return to warn the others?

Her mind races to find answers even as her body attempts to rise of it's own accord, but it would perhaps be surprising if his motives were truly that thought out in this moment.

---It's not complicated.

---Out of all possible answers, it is not one that is difficult to understand.

He simply wishes to save someone, that is all; having lead a number of others to their ends of his own arrogance, the desire to ensure at least one person survives this encounter overrides whatever sense of tactics he still managed to possess before such an impossible opponent. He himself is not allowed to run, he will fight until the very end with the belief that he will win etched into his heart... For the sake of those that had followed him here he must do that much at least, but...

Just in case.

He will indulge this single wasteful whim of his and toss aside his broken 'sword.'

Now that it has come to this, if he must lose, he will be the last victim this entity ever manages to reach.

That sentiment becomes power.

He would not call himself a mage, but to say that 'magic' was beyond him would also be a mistake...

He simply preferred the use of a blade. Call it a swordsman's heart, but to defeat his opponent's through methods available to all mortals had always seemed more fitting for him, to keep him in touch with the original self that had started this journey.

But now, his magic sends someone away from their death and completely alters their fate. It lacks both grace and finesse, and is akin to someone desperately throwing another person out into the depths of space in order to ensure they avoid an explosion, but in this moment...

It is the best he can do.

---Soon enough, that light comes looking for him.

It is in it's nature to ensure the absolute obliteration of all opponents.

Or rather, because it has a habit of overlooking the things it once considered small, it no longer takes chances; thus, it comes to him as light, burning and searing, glowing like a malevolent sun, the man greets the potential end of his story in the same way that he greeted every other obstacle in his life.

The others have already been swallowed up, but he stands with their hopes on his back.

It speaks it's name.



He swings his fist.

---

Like a shooting star, she streaks across the night sky.

For a human, it would be an impossible to endure entrance in her state, but the cold air that rips at her body means little for one who had been born to be a weapon.

---Even so, the swirling snow obfuscates all view of her descent.

It is not like the world she had been born in would truly understand such things either... Time had moved ahead, those that had left had known it would not be the same when they had returned, but to return like this and be lost amongst snow and ice for eternity...?

It is a cruel sort of irony.

All non-essential functions were already shutting down to ensure her survival, but...

The time it would take to heal enough to move...

Would be more than enough time to bury her in the forgotten lands of the planet.

Amidst the start of a certain global conflict, a body fall into the depths of a world that has long forgotten their existence.

Spirit Pulse
-Mugen no Sekai-





--Prologue//New World--
"The Empty City"

Blaise Pendragon
Neo Aoyama, Alleyways
Monday - Morning

"We're sorry, we're sorry! We'll never do it again, we swear!"

Some people have next to no shame, and this particular band of delinquents was quickly proving themselves to be amongst the worst of the gangs you had been forced to give a somewhat painful lesson about showing general respect and decency towards their fellows. Most of the time the things you got yourself involved in were disputes amongst different gangs, or chasing down petty thieves who had at least had the 'strength' to try and take from someone who was actually conscious and capable of fighting back, but in this case...

The situation was none of these things.

The usual walk had led to you noticing a group huddling together in an alley, and further inspection had shown a group of three going through the pockets of two male high school students that had been lying unconscious on the ground, and pocketing the money they had found inside of their wallets, throwing shades of doubt on what could have perhaps been a misjudged act of good will...

Needless to say, things had escalated somewhat from there; the 'bravery' they had shown in robbing an unconscious person had done little to stop the ensuing fight that had lasted all of a handful of seconds, as a single punch had thrown two of them back into the trashcans (where they were now groveling), and had the apparent leader pleading in a shaky voice that this wasn't quite as bad as it had looked-!

"We didn't knock em out, and we were gonna call an ambulance we swear! But the money was like... A finder's fee, you know?"

Needless to say, it is not a logic that is really working out in their favor.

Still, the claim that they hadn't been the ones to knock out the students had Kaguya checking things out in the background after calling for an ambulance herself; of course she wasn't exactly specialized for medical diagnosis, but most COMPs could do general medical checks easily enough, and as she had found out, it was actually sort of true?

As far as she could tell, they had no real signs of physical or general magical injury. That didn't rule out curses mind you (the worst of those were apparently rather difficult to detect), but it did seem to hint that they were telling some form of the truth, after all, punks like them probably couldn't get their hands on any spells of that caliber, but...

A finder's fee? Taking someone's money as 'payment' for calling in emergency services for them?

It's the sort of twisted thing that makes it more or less impossible for you to just let them go even if they were technically telling the truth, and indeed, you don't really have any plans of doing so, but, if some small form of mercy had continued to persist even up till now...

"Hey you crazy, punk?! Got a death-wish?! Put down the boss!"

The baseball bat that cracks against your back (harmlessly and also literally, the bat snaps in half from the blow), is probably enough to obliterate the very concept of not beating up every member of this gang-!

Yes.

Turning your head to face your somewhat horrified attacker, a group of about eight other guys is standing on the other side of the alleyway. If you had to think of a reason, the pompadour sporting 'leader' you were still holding up by the collar, had probably sent an 'alert' out over his COMP, but...

"He didn't even flinch?! What the hell?!"

"Then use the one with the spikes, moron!"

...It didn't really matter.

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Neo Aoyama, Alleyways
Monday - Morning

"A true man needs no reward for helping someone out."

A pair of grey eyes, with a hint of gold in them, narrowed at the group of thugs. At the same time, a rough and muscular hand reached out and grabbed the boss of thugs from his pompadour hair and -slowly enough to make the ripping sound silence the whole alleway- started pulling. The cracking and ripping sound of the ridiculous hairdo coming off, hair-gel unable to keep the fake extensions together with the already receding hairline, echoed loudly and gathered all the attention to the tall, blonde boy that had just taken a baseball bat to the back without even flinching.

"Taking advantage of people in trouble... your mothers would cry their hearts out if they knew."

Then, without warning, the young man sprung into action.

Despite the horrified yells of protests from the leader of the delinquents, the young man spun around on his heels and hurled the guy forward, sending him flying towards the rest of his lackeys. The group fell over like a bunch of bowling pins, and with surprisingly similar sound. Immediately afterwards the left hand reached out for the guy that had broken his baseball bat against his back. With ease that a person should have never thrown another person with, the blonde youngster slammed the thug against the asphalt, taking care not to injure his face, nose or teeth. The force, of course, was still enough to knock him out, but at least there wasn't lasting physical damage.

"Gyahahahaa~! Now you guys went and done it! Banchou's gonna FUCK YOU UP!"

An obnoxious, piercing laughter and mocking words accompanied the blonde youngster's charge as the young woman in rather dubious clothes cheered him on. Giving the group of thugs no time to recover, the youngster fell upon them like an avalanche, sending two of them to the ground with a single haymaker punch. Another was grabbed from the hand and delivering a veritable clothesline from hell, a rainmaker that send the guy spinning in somersaults before he fell down, unconscious.

As the thugs scrambled and tried to get away, a big boot clipped one of them to the back of the head, making his eyes roll to the back of his head. Another two were taken down when the blonde youngster charged forward, delivering a simultaneous gut-punch to each of them. The delinquents rose to the air from the power of the hit and slammed against the ground some three meters away from where they had originally been. This was followed by a flying roundhouse kick that caught up with one who tried to escape, making him crash into the nearby wall with an audible crack from the wall itself. The thug himself fell to the ground like the rest of them - unconscious, bruised, but otherwise without greater harm.

---------- And that left one.

One delinquent that, perhaps showing more courage than his peers, perhaps driven by a frantic flight-or-fight reflex, swung his spiked baseball bat towards the blonde youngster. The nails in the weapon hungered for flesh, promising to succeed in where its unadorned cousing had failed. Even the swing itself was made with enough desperate force that the youngster had no time to dogde...!

... But then again, he never had any need to.

"Hn---!"

The baseball bat, spikes and all, stopped like it had hit a wall. A powerful, large hand had caught it mid-air and wrapped its fingers around it. Slowly, ever so slowly, the fingers tightened their grip until wood of the bat itself started cracking. Just a half a second, a terribly fast half a second, and the whole weapon shattered into thousands of little pieces, the fragments of wood raining down around the absolutely horrified gangster-wannabe. Amidst that rain of wood, a fist careered straight to the side of the head of the thug, dropping him like a sack of rice with a precision strike that left no chance of avoiding it.

All in all, this one-sided beatdown had taken less than ten seconds.

And once it was over, the only ones standing were the blonde youngster in a school uniform and the girl behind him, cackling and mocking the thugs with absolute glee - almost like she had taken great satisfaction in their suffering. Or, rather, she definitely did find satisfaction in it. And had no shame or decency not to show it. In that sense, she was probably a thug much worse than the guys her partner had just beaten up. No, she most definitely was. Sticking her tongue out and pulling down the skin of her left eye was as disrespectful (and juvenile) one could get.

"There! I told ya! Banchou's a goddamn beast compared to yer sorry lot!" The girl laughed obnoxiously. "Losers like ye should just grovel and shit yer pants in fear, I tells ya! Feeeeaaaaarrr!"

The young man grimaced, pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance. It looked like the loud and brash boasting of the girl was getting to him as well.

"... Shut up, Kaguya. You're being vulgar again."

Immediately the young woman stopped mocking the downed thugs and retreated behind the blonde youngster, a look of absolutely false apology plastered on her face.

"Sorzzzz~! Won't happen again~"

The expression on the young man's face told that he didn't believe her for a second... which was the right thing to do. After all, when he started walking over to the leader of the thugs, the only one of them still conscious, the young woman flipped double-birds towards the hug and stuck her tongue out once more - just to rub their loss in his face even more.

But, even though the mocking of the girl continued, the young man didn't focus on it anymore. Instead he grabbed the thug-leader by his collar once more and lifted him from the ground, forcing the guy to be on an eye-level with him. The glare of the blonde was like chilling fire, so intense that it would have made monsters back down, but full of that tranquil fury that he had became famous and infamous for on the streets of Aoyama. It was a stare that no delinquent wanted to fall upon them again once they had gotten one taste of it, because they knew that what would follow would be even worse than the beating they had just gotten.

"If you see someone in trouble, you help them out. That should be obvious. You don't start going through their pockets for compensation. Would you want someone to do the same to you, huh? If you ever got in-over-your-head, would you want the help of someone who'd just steal your money? Huh?" The blonde boy growled, causing the thug-leader to shiver in fear like a little boy. "You're a human, not a demon. Start acting like that. Unless you say you're not good enough to do even that."

Crossing his arms and folding them across his chest, the blonde youngster let go of the thug-leader. He fell to the ground, to his rump, ending up staring straight up at the young man who was like a mountain that delivered punches, an immovable object and an irresistible force that did not relent when he saw behavior such as this.

What stared back at the now pompadour-less thug was a glare that instinctively made him want to straighten his back.

"Your parents would weep if they saw you lot behaving like this," the blonde youngster continued, his voice quiet but strong. "Are you and your friends willing to let them down? Are you saying you're not good enough to act like decent human beings? Because I believe you can do it. I'm not a simple man, but even I can do it. So? Are you a badass enough to prove me right? Or are you gonna continue to disappoint those who believe you're better than this?"

It was a fine speech, yes. Something that came from the heart of a young man with a straight back, firm ideals and clear eyes that suffered no injustice like this in his sight. So, that was why it was sort of a shame that the young woman behind him was absolutely gushing right about now, yelling out stuff like 'There we go!" and 'Patented Banchou speech!' and even 'This goddamn thing never gets old!'... and the less said about the yell of 'I'm starting to get so hot now!' the better.

But, nevertheless, with those words the young, blonde man softened his glare just a little bit... and offered a hand to the now-pompadourless leader of the thugs.

A hand that was willing to give him a chance to prove himself better than robbing a pair of unconscious high schoolers.

A hand that was willing to believe in him in a way that not many must have in a long time.

A hand that was willing to let him fix this mistake he and his friends were about to make.

In other words, this whole thing was...

------------- A typical day in the life of One-Man Gang of Aoyama.

The Duo Known As...

"What's it gonna be?"

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
Rose Cross Headquarters - Inner Gardens
Monday - Morning

For those members of the Rose Cross that were assigned directly to the Vatican City, the concept of daily patrols was one that was almost entirely unneeded from an entirely practical point of view. Unlike the other Tamer organizations, who often recruited demons into their ranks on a singular basis, the Rose Cross had started off with what seemed to be the entirety of the Heavenly Host at their disposal, and as a result...

In this city at least, there was next to no chance of any sort of violent crime that would not be immediately stopped by the surrounding angels. Of course, it wouldn't be correct to say that all of the angels were here in this city -a number of them had been sent out to support subsidiaries of the main organization- but there were certainly enough here that direct human intervention was not strictly necessary.

Even so, you continued on your daily patrols regardless.

The world -while mostly adjusted to the presence of magic- was still in what one could call a transitory period; the presence of angels in the skies around the city was one that many people would perceive as stressful due to the lack of a human element, and as a result, the human tamers made a point of showing themselves around the city on a daily basis. It wasn't quite as grand a task as the more uncommon missions, but it was one that was just as important in the grand scheme of things; Tamers were not just police, they were reassuring symbols of a sort, proof that humanity had grown far beyond what they had used to be, and for that reason alone you could say they were good for the mentalities of the civilians, a much more obvious 'human element' that they could see with their own eyes.

Even so, now that your own patrol has ended (and a certain sister of yours has started her own), the next step in your daily routine is one that is somewhat less concerned with the populace at large.

Namely, you are going to visit your mother.

While your opinion might be biased for obvious reasons, Mary had always seemed approachable to you in a way that few others could replicate, and went out of her way to ensure that she would always seem like that sort of person to others. Naturally kind and charismatic, she is the sort of person that can easily inspire loyalty in others; and while many of the other faction leaders achieve similar results by joining their Tamers on the battlefield, Mary is one of the few who seems to go out of her way to spend time with and look out for them during the more normal parts of their day to day lives.

---Of course, such things mean that she is commonly busy.

While she rarely participates in battle herself, her general charity towards others becomes quite a time-sink when combined with her actual administrative duties, and as a result, it's hard for you to really just see her whenever you'd like... It's understandable, she's easily one of the most important people in the world from an objective point of view, and yet she had noticed your silent pinings and set aside an hour every day, where she would just sit outside in the inner gardens and have some tea. This was the usual family time during her more busy periods...

Although it wasn't always just the two of you.

Sometimes Alyx and Alisa came by as well, but you had passed the two of them on the way here, so it seemed like it would just be the two of you today-!

At least, that's what you think, passing through the sea of bushes and trees on the way to the garden's center, but-

"---And that's how it wound up. I made the suggestion for it, and they decided to have me organize the operation... I'm aware it's rather sudden, but I'd appreciate if you could spare some of your more... amicable agents as well; it's a rare opportunity to get everyone working together directly. If that incident repeats in the future we'll need that sort of experience and global unity to be second nature."

...A man's voice?

While your first thought is that it might be Issac coming to speak with Mary, the tone of the voice is a bit warmer than Issac's impersonal kindness; it's more the voice of a friend asking a favor than it is a subordinate referring to their leader -a sentiment reinforced by what exactly that voice is asking for- and indeed-

"I agree, and I have no problems with helping in whatever capacity is needed... But there's no need to be so tense around me Kenji-kun, we're still friends right? Would you like some tea? It'd be a shame if you came all this way just to deliver a message."

-They do talk to each other with a certain air of familiarity... And Kenji...?

Like... Namasaki Kenji...? It's the only Kenji you could think of that she'd be familiar with, judging from the stories she had told you from time to time, but if that was the case, the leader of the SDCD being here rather than back in Aoyama... Was somewhat surprising-!



"...I'm sure your free-time is just as rare as mine. I'd rather not steal any more of it than I already have-"

A pause, then:

"Nonsense. It's only proper to take care of guests-! Five minutes of rest won't kill you."

Firmly, she shatters his weak refusals, and you...

Haven't been sent just yet...

Having stopped to listen to the surprising conversation without really thinking about it, it seems that neither one of them has noticed your presence quite yet... The proper thing to do would be to just arrive as you had originally planned on arriving. It might be a bit awkward at first, but running into someone as famous as Namasaki Kenji wasn't exactly a common event-!

But at the same time... They seemed to be talking about something here...

"I guess a couple of minutes wouldn't hurt..."

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
Rose Cross Headquarters - Inner Gardens
Monday - Morning

In the end, it seems it's somewhat difficult for a child to resist the urge of eavesdropping on their guardian, or rather, to resist the urge of spoiling a somewhat uncommon atmosphere between two friends.

The idea that Mary Fairchild and Namasaki Kenji knew each other wasn't absurd, no, while you had never seen him yourself, you knew that the two of them were part of a certain mission into space over a decade and a half ago, and had both been present in Tokyo during the advent of the second Kyuubi Incident, but the direct details of her involvement in such things were something that she had never completely elaborated on, seemingly because she thought it was better to not say anything more than what was necessary when it came to more... Confusing, aspects of the world's nature, things that the group back then had agreed most people should not concern themselves with, even inside of this newfound era of magic.

Of course, the Kyuubi Incidents themselves were famous. Revolving around the emergence and suppression of a monster called the Kyuubi, it was one of many manifestations of humanity's dark thoughts, a collective shadow the size of a city that had come screeching out of the earth in a bid to end the world... It was a monster entirely separate from demon-kind, linked instead to a certain "God of Destruction" that had called itself both "Nyarlathotep" and "Humanity," wreaking supernatural devastation on such a massive scale that the existence of magic -and soon after demons- could no longer be hidden by the various governments of the world. While Nyarlathotep had been defeated by a certain group from Aoyama back in the day, it was still listed as a potential S-Class Threat for Spirit Tamers, something whose emergence would be an automatic global incident...

---In other words, it's a final boss that was only put back to sleep, still...

To have two of the heroes from back then talking to each other... It's interesting in it's surprising rarity-!

"Still, a city in the North Pole? When exactly did it appear? I wasn't given any information on it."

Perhaps because they are both workaholics, the 'break' soon turns to them talking about work once more, or at least that seems to be the case.

"I'm not surprised you haven't, to be frank, we've only known it's been there for around an hour. The Worldwide Field isn't showing any signs of major disturbance, so we only caught it was there when the satellites noticed it as an abnormality, comparing it to yesterday's images. That gives it a time-frame of emergence of twenty-four hours, so the cause can't be natural... Unless it simply emerged from the oceans, which is the thought process that's led to it's current designation. In terms of structure it's archaic, somewhat reminiscent of Greek architecture; there are no life signs, but the systems have picked up the presence of shadow-types. Nothing extraordinary yet, but I feel it's worth looking into, never hurts to be cautious with this sort of thing, you and I both know these sorts of things tend to start small and grow over time."

"Yes... That is how things tend to be nowadays. But Atlantis is a fun enough name for it, perhaps it'll turn to be something beneficial? It's not healthy to assume everything could potentially destroy the world, you know."

A chuckle from Kenji then:

"But it's my job to assume just that, still, it's not like I'm feeling particularly stressed. Compared to back then, this problem will likely be rather trite."

...Atlantis huh?

A city at the North Pole?

It's a conversation that's certainly going places in certain areas, but in this same moment, as the sounds of pouring tea and chuckling replace Namasaki's professor-like speech-

...You can feel someone new enter the gardens.

For Tamers, it gets easier and easier to pick up on the specific signatures of their fellow Tamers once they've been around them for awhile, but in this case the COMP of the person in question is in a low-power mode, but, considering her specific talents, it's still rather easy for Illia to identify the man, as his presence was one that roared it's existence even when he just going about his day to day life, yes...

It's Isaac.

Walking as confidently as ever, humming lightly to himself with a gentlemanly cheer that made him admirable to so many...

His path is the same path you had taken to get here, and seeing as how that was the case...

If you don't want to be seen... You should probably move quickly.

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
Rose Cross Headquarters - Inner Gardens
Monday - Morning

There are many reason why Cosmos Fairchild love mornings; to be grateful that The Lord has granted her yet another day to live, to see the beautiful sunrise that signaled the dawn of a new day, to have a peaceful patrol with the gentle morning breeze...

But above all else, it is because she get to spend an hour with her mother that Cosmos loves morning so much.

If one were to look at the petite, teal-haired girl dressed in a white robe and her signature fluffy hat who is walking through the inner gardens, then they wouldn't find a trace of anything unusual - her posture is perfect, her steps measured, and a light smile graced her face - just like how she always did her morning patrols everyday, the perfect model of a Rose Cross Tamer.

But that couldn't be further from the truth.

If she felt a sense of calm and peace whenever she did her morning patrols, a time of counting her blessings and thanking The Lord, then her walk to where she'd have some family time with Mary is filled with nothing but joy. She doesn't let it show of course, but with how busy her mother is, the fact that Mary always set aside an hour everyday just for her just made her so happy; happy that her mother recognized her silent pinings, and happy that she is allowed to act just a little bit more childlike than whenever she is on duty.

The fact that she already passed by Alisa and Alyx on the way only made the day better, as that means she'll have her mother for herself today.

At least, that's what she thought until she heard a man's voice.

Stopping dead in her tracks and listening to the conversation without thinking, it was only after her mother offered the man - one Namasaki Kenji - tea that Cosmos realized she had been eavesdropping, and the dilemma that came henceforth; mainly whether to arrive just like she originally planned, or to further eavesdrop on what the two are talking about.

Now, normally Cosmos Fairchild is the very definition of an obedient daughter; she is honest, obedient, and follows Mary's teachings close to her heart. As such, normally eavesdropping would be out of the question, especially when it is something her sister will likely do in this situation...

However, Cosmos do recognize that if she were to arrive and interrupt her mother, then the head of SDCD might excuse himself in order to give her some privacy, and with how busy the two of them are, she isn't sure if they can have another chat like this in a while despite the two being friends. What kind of daughter would take away her mother's chance to chat with a friend for a few minutes?

Besides, they haven't noticed her presence yet, and she'd be lying if the conversation doesn't actually interest her just a little...

"Don't worry Cosmos, I'll be on a lookout if there is anyone who will approach or see you. You can focus on eavesdropping!"

"I am not eavesdropping Illia, just letting mother have some time with her friend." She mentally corrected her COMP, crouching and shifting a little to be more comfortable and hidden at the same time as she strained her ear to better eavesdrop- er, listen to the conversation.

"I wonder what Alyx will think if she sees you like this..."

"If you deliberately let her, I will be very cross with you."

"I was just wondering!"

... In the end, Cosmos is still somewhat childish after all.

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Velvet Room
??? ~ ???

These sorts of dreams were the only ones that you seemed to have nowadays.

Dreams filled with the color blue, of invisible songstresses, bizarrely prevalent disco balls, and enigmatic spiritual secretaries. Of course they are always interesting dreams, interesting because you are sure that this place is real in spite of being a 'dream,' and interesting because your 'guide' was seemingly always here to talk with you, be it to simply chat, or to play along with her many attempts at finding a 'fun' activity that the both of you could enjoy...

Last time it had been dancing, the activity most suited for a room that seemed purposefully designed to resemble a club, a place where people from all different walks came together to enjoy themselves but...

With just the two of you it had been a little awkward, still...

Today...

She is not here, or at least, you aren't able to see her even after blinking the 'sleep' from your eyes. While Agatha -from the little you could glean from your time with her- always had some self-conscious awkward moments, she had never actively hid herself from you after taking your contract, no, she had always been waiting upon that couch for your arrival, but...

This time she's not.

A deep inspection doesn't reveal her either, however, what it does reveal...

Are a number of bookcases propped up around the outer walls of the room, as if this club was doing it's best to double down as a library of sorts, and even beyond that...

There's a television sitting in front of the usual couch, it's faced away from you -so you can't see what's on it- but just like the bookshelves, it is definitely something that wasn't in this room before, and consequently, something that draws your interest, especially because Agatha had always told you to 'feel free' to look through her things, still...

These dreams also had a bad habit of ending at inopportune times, you could come back after waking up with through use of your key, but somehow...

You felt like this particular 'manifestation' of the room was special, in other words...

...You might only be able to investigate one of them this time around...

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
??? ~ ???
Monday - Morning

Blue.

Or perhaps Velvet?

It's a place that you never come to entirely of your own accord, a strange blue room filled with haunting music, the strangely calming echoes of a female opera singer that you cannot perceive with your traditional senses. While you have only been a visitor to this place a handful of times before this, that singer is someone you have never managed to find...

Rather, the one that had awaited you here was a strange old man with a long nose. His appearance had been somewhat alarming at a glance, the sort of visage that one can typically see only within the depths of his dreams, but one that had nevertheless housed a spirit that you could not call hostile.

Strange perhaps, but it didn't 'feel' like he was an enemy.

---Even so, his words hadn't necessarily been helpful either. He had simply called this place the Velvet Room, made a remark that your presence here was "truly interesting" before disappearing himself, leaving you to explore the contents of the room until you had awoken from the depths of this dream.

The second time you had come, he had told you his name was "Igor" and had then disappeared once more, as if determined to remain as enigmatic an existence to you as he could possibly be...

This time around, the old man does not seem to be present here; nevertheless, the room seems to be more or less the same as it had been in your previous visit. If one had to compare it to something, it would be like the dance floor at a club, or perhaps some sort of concert stage? There were bottles of what seemed to be wine in compartments under the distant velvet sofas, and the speakers that lined the center of the room and it's walls seemed designed to spread the sound of the woman's voice out towards a crowd that does not exist.

Indeed, in this moment, in this world, the only one that seems to be here is you and that invisible songstress.

---As far as dreams go, it is rather lonely, even with the presence of a songstress that seemed to be no more tangible than a music file.

Considering your circumstances in the real world, the idea that even your subconscious was leaving you to drift alone is one that might come across as inherently sad, but even as you give into the urge to do something and take a step forward, that creeping sense of loneliness is shattered by the sight of something that you can only describe as 'bizarre."

Namely...

"..."

A woman appears from the right side of the room, clutching a clipboard to her chest.

Her movements are not fast. They are slow and deliberate to the point of coming across as somewhat hesitant... Seeing as how she is the only other thing moving around in here, it's only natural that she draws your attention. Since you seem to be her destination (for one reason or another) you prepare yourself to move out of her way if necessary, but...

"..."

Getting close to you, she...

Waves her hand slowly in front of your face without bothering to introduce herself, as if...

As if...

...She wasn't sure if you could actually see her or not.

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Hallways
??? - Night

Even the SLEIPNIR had a certain cycle of activity to it.

Much like any settlement, it is a place that is most active during the daytime; even the most reclusive members of the organization emerge from their rooms to participate in meals and the like, and the non-tamer personnel can be more readily found out in the open, be they members of the technician or research teams, or those shop and restaurant owners that had begun showing up recently, renting out space in the center of the ship for the purposes of making it a bit more "homely."

But at night...

At night, this place seems to shut down like most others.

The off-duty Tamers tend to retreat to their rooms, while those on call move closer to the Command Deck; of course the ship rarely ever stops moving completely, there's always a pilot on duty, but...

All in all, it's calmer at night.

And being unable to sleep, you had found yourself wandering this nighttime atmosphere, even if only to convince your body it's time to sleep through a classical walk in the night. The air inside the ship isn't quite as refreshing as what you might find in a walk in the park under the stars, but if you head up onto the top of the ship, the sight of the massive OOPart cutting through a sea of clouds, along with the roaring wind that comes with it's passing...

Is a different sort of calming experience, one that is a bit more fantastical in nature; not only that, the stars are pretty easy to see from this high up, and at times, the childish delusion that you could reach out and grab the moon with your bare hands arises..

Yes.

Before you know that, you find yourself heading in that direction; no one is around to stop you, not that they would probably ever want to... After all, so long as one accomplishes the missions they are assigned by the organization, they are able to use the ship's facilities as they like, taking walks through the halls, using the simulators or the libraries...

Minding their own business, everyone just keeps to themselves; not only that, you're pretty doubtful that the other members have any appreciation for more 'sentimental' sights, and thus you don't expect to find anyone up on the deck in the dead of night, and yet...

The moment before you step out onto the deck, out of the shelter of the ship and into exposure of the elements, you...

---Can feel the tension of a battle.

Of course, it is not the tension of a death match. It is not something that feels like blood or desperation, it's simply the quiet clash of two wills, two souls, crashing against each other until one manages to knock the other down...

In other words, it feels like a spar, and one of the 'energies' participating in it feels familiar, like a certain aunt of yours, but...

Stepping closer as one defeats the other, but not so close that you would immediately give yourself away, the person that you had expected to be absolutely victorious, is instead...

"..."

...The one that has been knocked back onto the ground, a decisive, open palmed blow on her solar plexus marking her as the clear loser of whatever 'round' of a duel she had just been participating in...

Is Adala.

---It's an impossible sight in many ways.

For one thing, if there was a person on the ship who could be called the "strongest," it would be Adala herself... Being stronger than everyone else was sort of a necessity for the role she played in this organization, considering the egos the SLEIPNIR tended to draw to itself, the person calling the shots had to be strong enough to keep the others in line... Not only that, every story you had ever been told about "Aunt Adala" was that she was close to invincible, the "strongest of the Lagerkvists," someone who commands the respect -even if not the affection- of the Karlfeldts, but...

Right now, that 'invincible' person has just been knocked down with a single blow, and the deliverer of that strike...

"Hmmm... It's been awhile since I won so easily... Your fists were all over the place... Something bothering you, my little uchenik?"

Is a strange woman.

Someone you can't recognize immediately... Naturally, her appearance as a 'stranger' threatens to trigger your instincts to intervene in whatever is going on out here, but...

Her tone of voice (and choice of words) implies a familiarity with your aunt, and...

"...Don't call me that. I graduated from your class a long time ago, Wright."

...your aunt's response, while outwardly cold as she rises to her feet...

Does have a hint of a smile that comes along with it, as if she had a hard time showing her 'stone cold' face to this person...

Consequently, you immediately become aware of the fact that you've stumbled across something she probably wouldn't have let others see, a meeting with someone she clearly 'trusted,' some form of teacher, judging by the words of the stranger, but...

Before you can decide if you should keep watching to see if you could see something else 'rare,' or retreat while you have the chance...

"..."

The strange woman's eyes lock with your own.

The immediate assumption is that you have been caught, and that she will announce your presence immediately, but...

Instead of that...

She simply winks at you, seemingly keeping the secret, before returning her attention to her silver-haired student.

"Aw, you're still so mean to me... What's up with that? Come on, tell teacher what's wrong~"

"What's wrong is that you're completely unreliable... So quit talking cute and put your fists back up, I can't let this end on a loss."

...Yes.

This is a bizarre scene indeed...

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Hallways
Monday - Morning

The moment you step out of your room, the intensity of the gravity inside of the ship multiplies by a factor of ten.

It was a form of training common to the head of your organization, and one that you simply bear with a grimace nowadays, accepting it as the price necessary to exist on any capacity on this ship, after all...

This ship is, in many ways, the family legacy.

Or perhaps, it is simply something that your family is destined to pine for eternally?

While it is not something that is obvious at a glance, you did hold a connection with both this ship and your leader that was somewhat more 'innate' than those of your fellow Rothschild Tamers, namely, if one were to observe the family tree of the Karlfeldt's, it is possible to make a direct connection between you and Adala Lagerkvist, namely, she is a sort of Great Aunt of yours through adoption, a seemingly immortal head of the main branch, who has shown no signs of passing on her inheritance -the SLEIPNIR itself- to anyone else.

---However, as far as you have been able to tell through your time here, that familial connection has offered you next to no benefits. From the start it was clear that she was someone that didn't practice nepotism, she didn't seem to care that you were technically her grand-nephew at all, and seemed to expect just as much from you as she did the others...

Perhaps more so even, as she didn't seem to agree with certain 'ideals' the Karlfeldt operated under... Of course you didn't have any proof of this, but she has never spoken of them in a positive manner, and... Well...

While her mind was somewhat of a fortress, as if she had trained specifically to shield herself from most forms of mental manipulation, you had gotten vague feelings of 'suspicion' from her on your first meeting, although her thoughts had gone radio silent after that; to put it bluntly...

---It kind of felt like she didn't trust you, or at least was questioning your motivations (or perhaps the branch family's motivations) to some degree.

Which made the current situation odd; namely, for the first time in your many months of existence on the ship...

She had summoned you to meet her in the cafeteria. She hadn't given a real reason for it, treating it almost like she was giving you an order, although the message itself had been sent through a texting application rather than the more official channels.

So you certainly could turn it down if you wished, but...

Well, this opportunity just felt rare to you.

She was still family after all... Even if she felt so distant she might as well be a stranger to you.

Upon recognizing your COMP's ID number and A.I signature, the door to the cafeteria slides open with a metallic beep. Every security system present on this ship was designed to cause as much trouble as possible for unauthorized individuals that happened to exist on-board it, to the point where the idea of anyone being able to actually board and conquer it is laughable, still...

You couldn't remember a time when the Commander herself had come down to this level of the ship, but the sounds of laughter and conversation that emerge from those inside seem to indicate that she's either not here yet, or that her presence here might not be as mood-shattering as one would normally expect it to be, and-!

"Ah, you decided to come. Come sit down then, I'll pay for whatever you order later on, so don't worry about that."

A rather blunt invitation, one that seems designed to not waste any more time than was necessary... Is what clues you in on your aunt's position near the entrance of the cafeteria.

She's sitting at a round table alone, but looking at you with the usual stoic eyes.

---Yeah.

Just as you thought, interacting with this person in a more casual sense...

Might be somewhat difficult...

She hasn't even told you what the purpose of this meeting is yet...

...Was there a purpose at all?

[Zurvan]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Hallways
Monday - Morning


The door to the outside opens, and the increased gravity kicks back in. While the gravity is a good reminder of where he is, and with it, how far he has come, Ludwig has gotten used to it in the many months he's been here.

This ship, the SLEIPNIR, is still a marvelous sight to behold. It's technology far beyond what humans have made, the people here strong and disciplined, honing themselves to be their very best. Walking through these halls has been the part of the Karlfeldt goal for as long as Ludwig has lived with them. But simply being here isn't enough for them. Their end goal, the family's ideals and their legacy still rests on Ludwig's shoulders. Funnily enough, the increase of gravity is also a reminder of that weight, albeit more literal than the family's expectations and legacy. Regardless, now its just become another part of his life here, just like the ship.

And yet, despite the prodigious nature of this place, its grandeur, Ludwig has gotten used to that as well. Truth be told, while his surroundings have changed majorly, his life has not really changed much at all. The elders of the Karlfeldt family were just as insistent on continuous training and perfecting one's self as the Commander is here, and just as rigid in their thinking. The pressure felt hasn't lessened throughout his life, and how to act towards the elders isn't very different from interacting with Adala either.

You'd think spending your whole life with such people would make it easier to deal with them, and yet getting used to them is still a feat that has yet to be managed. Nevertheless, Adala Lagerkvist wished to meet, and disobeying her wishes, well, the consequences of such an action are probably best unexplored.

Plus, it's a rare occasion where the head of the Lagerkvist family herself wants to meet, so it's probably worth to check up on her.

As he walks through the long hallways, the sounds of the SLEIPNIR engines as its ambiance, Ludwig thinks to himself.

I wonder if she's aware how similar they are, they even shut themselves off in a similar fashion, their minds like an impenetrable fortress.

A female voice enters his mind, giggling to herself.

Hehe...perhaps it's a family trait.

There was no point for Ludwig to do the same, he didn't have any secrets worth keeping from her. She probably knew more of the branch family than he did, and well, there was no need to put up any barriers around her, she could probably tear them down anyway if she wanted.

The ambiance of machinery changes to the sounds of laughter and idle chit chat as soon as the cafeteria's door slides open.

After briefly looking around the room, the sensation of a shielded mind is felt from behind, as sure enough there she is.

"Ah, you decided to come. Come sit down then, I'll pay for whatever you order later on, so don't worry about that."

"Thank you, Commander", I say as I nod and take a seat.

As we sit, one stoic gaze meets another.

i can see the family resemblance already, aren't you two a bit too stiff?
Well, I doubt she's interested in a casual chat.

"I don't think I've ever know you to waste time, or to do things for without purpose, so why don't we go straight to the point.
How can I be of service to you?"

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Cafeteria
Monday - Morning

"...Eager to please, hm?"

For some reason, the ghost of a smile appears at how quickly you offer to accept whatever orders she might give, as if some part of her found the behavior to be amusing to some degree. Of course, while the SLEIPNIR Tamers are an odd bunch that come from all different walks of life, she has always expected a certain level of uncompromising obedience from her subordinates that cares little for how important they happen to think they are...

She was the sort who could could be looking a fully manifested Divine Spirit in the face, and tell them to fall in line or face the consequences without an ounce of hesitation or fear in her form or voice. That was just the sort of person she was, a woman with all the grace and power of a Queen, whose words bore a sort of innate authority that is difficult for anyone to deny...

It is that sort of quiet but overwhelming strength that is probably necessary for handling the sorts of egos that the SLEIPNIR tend to draw to itself, aware of this strength you decide not to fight her on it, respecting her as an older member of your family, but...

Here... she just chuckles, as if your actions had opened her eyes to something.

"...I apologize. Sometimes I come across as more forceful than I truly mean to be... I might have an assignment for you later on, but I really did just intend for this to be a more casual meeting. For now, you can be at ease."

---What?

An unexpected response.

"I was lectured by someone recently about being a bit too cold towards family. While I do not agree with being too warm either, I decided I should at least try to act slightly more like an aunt when I get the chance, to that end, I decided to call you here."

---Yes.

Surprising indeed, and it does feel like the truth, but...

Only to an extent, as if some sort of "secondary reason," also existed...

"However, if you wish to do something concrete for me... Why don't you tell me your opinion on the Karlfeldts? I am aware of your history. Is such a thing alright to you? Do you resent them?"

And perhaps...

This was it?

What did she expect you to say? What was the purpose of such a question?

It's... Hard for you to say...

Especially because she's keeping her own feelings on the matter hidden...

[Zurvan]

"...Eager to please, hm?"

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Cafeteria
Monday - Morning

As soon as her smile appeared, it had vanished.
And yet, the sight of that fleeting smile was enough to make a lasting impact.
The unyielding, immovable Commander of the SLEIRPNIR and its crew did not only just show a crack in her usual stoic and icy demeanor, but she also showed a side of her radiating genuine warmth.

And as her smiled fades away in an instant, my own expression softens.
Perhaps she really is here for a familial chat.

"Teehee, you. Are. Smiling~~~"

A far too self-satisfied voice rings out, teasingly poking fun as well as informing me that I let slip a smile of my own.
Still, she sounds incredibly smug about this, annoyingly so.

"I was lectured by someone recently about being a bit too cold towards family. While I do not agree with being too warm either, I decided I should at least try to act slightly more like an aunt when I get the chance, to that end, I decided to call you here."

I wonder, what kind of person would be able to lecture our Commander, must be someone that's known her for a long time, yet can stand up against her.
A friend, perhaps?

The thought of her having old friends she talks with, it's somehow comforting. We might as well be strangers, but she is still my aunt, I couldn't help but worry over her just a bit.

Then again, worrying over others isn't exactly rare for me to do.

Regardless, she made the first step in opening up, and despite this certainly being more friendly than expected, I can't help but feel a gnawing suspicion that there is something else she's after.

"However, if you wish to do something concrete for me... Why don't you tell me your opinion on the Karlfeldts? I am aware of your history. Is such a thing alright to you? Do you resent them?"

And there it is. Seems we both have a ways to go before really making any sort of familial bond, but I suppose there's no time like the present.

"No, I cannot say that I resent them. I can't say I agree with their methods, but it has formed me into who I am today. It's why I can walk this very ship, and continue living my life. I doubt anyone here has had a easy, happy childhood. Adversity makes us stronger. I certainly hold no joy for them either, but I cannot deny that they have given me a place to belong, a goal to strive towards, and people that granted me happiness."

As I speak my mind regarding my 'family', my expression grows more stoic and solemn.

"Their methods I do not agree with, their cruelty is not something that any child should experience, however I do understand their goal, their ideal. As long as I can continue onward to that ideal, they shall continue to support me, and no other children would befall my fate."

Taking children from their homes and using them as experiments, its not something good people should be capable of doing.

"Well, supposedly I'm their last, and sole inheritor now, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have other plans going on. All for the sake of their legacy."

The happy chatter from the cafeteria flows back in my ears as I return to silence, wondering what sort of reply my aunt The Commander expected, and what she's thinking now.

Of course, she wouldn't let such thoughts slip through her fortified mind, there probably aren't any cracks to find there.

But if she intends to be warmer to family, even if its just a bit, maybe I can ask her a question that's been weighing on my mind for some time.

"I must say, I am surprised there's someone out there that's capable of lecturing you, but since we're on the subject, may I ask what you think of the Karlfeldt's goal and their ideals?

Perhaps this question is pushing my luck, however as far as I've sensed she also finds them distrustful, and if she knows my history, perhaps we can find some common ground.

Besides, part of being a family is being able to openly talk to one another, if I can get her to open up about this, maybe, even if just a little bit, we can build a mutual relation of trust little by little.

That, or she'll find some way to make life her far harder. But that in itself also has its benefits.

Either way, it's worth a try.

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Cafeteria
Monday - Morning

"...Turning it right back around on me, huh?"

Having given your honest answer to a question that was certainly uncomfortable in a number of ways, you decide to push your luck just this once, hoping that the current scenario is one that will get her to actually tell you what she's thinking for once... Of course, her ability and persistence towards keeping her thoughts hidden is completely understandable, in the end she is the leader of what amounts a supernatural police force, as well as one of many members that sit on the World Council for Supernatural Affairs... There are almost certainly secrets on the level of national (or hell, worldwide) security locked away inside of that head of hers somewhere, so the ability to block access to such things can only be expected, but...

That ability, as well as her aura, often have her come across as almost inhuman to you.

That is, perhaps, why that smile should be capitalized upon...

It is a rare chance to see if you could reach the 'human' that existed beneath the 'legend' and 'commander.'

And...

"...Well, I suppose it is only natural for you to ask. I've never made it clear, have I?"

After a moment's thought, it seems she agrees to answer-

"Ultimately, I feel that I cannot trust most of them. There is a familial connection to be sure, they are certainly my kin, but their eagerness to claim the family legacy has caused them to taint themselves in a number of ways. They claim they wish to support me and help carry out the family duty, but I am more than certain they would plunge a knife in my back if given the chance. Such things aren't entirely unheard of in our family tree I'm afraid, our origin is not quite that of your traditional heroes. Dark Summoners were used to simply taking things as they please... The fragments of those instincts will remain for some years to come."

-and is unfailingly blunt.

---Of course, it's not too surprising of an opinion.

She had never spoken too highly of them, and considering your own past... While a part of you will certainly second guess implied insults at your 'family,' another part of you can't help but acknowledge that it's not exactly an impossible thing for them to be thinking either.

"I cannot give them what they want; or rather, I suppose I should say I refuse to give them what they want in their current state. I will continue to do so perpetually, if I must."

A sigh, as she finishes speaking her mind.

She doesn't raise her voice throughout any part of it, no, she remains completely cool throughout it all, nodding to those on kitchen duty as they bring along an -almost comically large- plate of Belgian waffles.

"If that's an unfortunate answer in your eyes I apologize, but now that you're being used as their inheritor, these are the sorts of things you should know... My only advice is to do what you decide you want to do, rather than just doing whatever they tell you to do."

She doesn't elaborate any further, rather-

"That aside, the cooks seem to be showing off today. While I can appreciate generous meals, and it's certainly good for morale... I think fifteen waffles is a bit much for a single order, no?"

-Moving from that 'serious' topic to a more casual one as easily as switching lanes on a road, the silver-haired woman calmly separates the stack into two, then-

"Do you want half of mine?"

-goes back to being surprisingly aunt-like, even if only for a moment.

[Airen]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama, LOVELESS Shopping Mall
Monday - Morning

Life and death struggles can take many forms.

It is not always about physical or magical battles to a finish, sometimes there are more mundane struggles that could very easily mean disaster for those who fail to win them, and indeed, having risen long before the sun itself this morning, the battle that you had just fought was one that would decide not only your fate (for the next week or so), but that of a certain roommate of yours as well, yes...

Your struggle was the classic struggle of the student with a very shallow wallet.

It is not even that you lack a source of income, no, you are certainly paid the same as most other members of the SDCD in spite of your past, but certain traveling expenses from your youth had yet to be paid off in their entirety, and not only that, fate seemed to conspire at times to drain you of your already dwindling finances, whether it was sudden hikes in bus fees, pickpockets, or tech repairs...

It seemed almost like you were destined to live on the edge of absolute financial devastation, the sort that might force you to fall on the charity of the SDCD...

---Which, perhaps as a matter of pride, simply didn't feel that appealing of an option. Many people already thought lowly of you, and while the kind probably outnumbered them overall...

There was no need to give certain people any more ammunition to use against you.

That is why the battle you won had meant everything...

The LOVELESS Shopping Malls (along with being popular to the point of there being about a dozen in Tokyo alone) all held a certain supermarket within them known as "Aeon." As far as supermarkets go it was pretty standard at a glance, the point of the LOVELESS malls was that they were capable of fulfilling basically any need a customer had without them having to leave the actual establishment at any point, so something as basic as a grocery store shouldn't be anything noteworthy, and to most people it wouldn't be, but...

---Every Monday, there is an early-bird sale. 50% off for the first thirty minutes.

In many ways it's just a blatant gimmick plot to get people inside of the mall itself the ; the stores had a sort of unconscious synergy to them that sent you from one to another if you didn't pay attention to it, but for a student with limited funds...

Getting those items is a necessity.

It is life or death... Or at least...

It's the start of a path that leads to such things-!

Still, this time around you conquered fate. Emerging from the store with bread, eggs, and other essentials aplenty, the battle-like atmosphere of the grocery is one that you leave with both a grimace and a shudder. While it's slightly crazy, it wasn't exactly impossible for an actual fight to break out in their over half-priced bento... The student life was a rough one, even in the magic age...

Still, all that was over and done with now.

All you had to do was get this stuff home, and you were easily set for the next two weeks-!

Indeed.

...What fate has in store for you in this moment is certainly rather cruel.

"Yoink! You sure buy a lot of food mister!"

---A fairy yanks one of the bags from your hands, before flying off into the distance, towards the doors that lead to the outside.

Thieving Fairy AGI: A

There doesn't seem to be a reason, in fact, from an outsider's perspective it would look just like a random petty crime. Demons are not so different from humans in that regard, they are not above shop-lifting per say, but there were a number of people that had exited the grocery alongside you, and out of all of them...

You were the one that fairy had targeted.

---Call it paranoia, but...

It didn't really feel like a coincidence, and if it was...

---Then maybe the universe really did hate you.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
??? ~ ???
Monday - Morning

I am Eva Ellet.

A faithful spirit tamer of the Rose Cross.

Although my life so far has been short, I think I have tried to live it in a very proper and ideal manner.

I do not slack off or cause trouble for others- instead, I do my best to get along. Towards other people, I always try to be polite and courteous, and do my best never to offend anyone unnecessarily. I always do the chores- the house is spotless, with all objects allotted in their appropriate places at any time. Food is always prepared on time, and according to the tastes of whoever I am making it for. And with regards to the gospel of the church, and their policy towards demons- I do not think I could do justice to all of my thoughts in just a few words so I will be brief, but needless to say I do not believe I am lacking at all regarding the matter.

And naturally, I do not indulge in any vices or excess.

It goes without saying that I have never ever been to a dance floor or concert. Nor do I listen to music as a past time, and I have certainly never drank. I have never physically done any of these things. Of these facts, I can be certain beyond even a percentage of doubt.

But this room clad in blue, the music that fills its interior- these are not unfamiliar to me.

I have been here before.

I don’t really understand why, but lately I have been, for lack of a better word, off. Sometimes, I hear voices. Other times, I appear here in my sleep. I cannot find any physical reasons- a fact that is both reassuring and unsettling in different ways. After realizing there wasn’t anything to be done about it, I try not to talk about it to other people.

But if you had to ask me overall what I thought of this experience…
Then I must admit that it’s a little exciting. I know this isn’t what I should be feeling when standing in this shady room of unknown origin, but I am a little excited nonetheless, and feel a little guilty for it.

At the very least, I don’t think this is a bad place. This opinion is not entirely a naïve one- I have considered the possibility that Igor might be a demon, especially with his strange appearance, but I did not feel like he was dangerous to me, nor to humanity in general.

That doesn’t mean that I like him, of course. If anything, his cryptic words thus far annoy me.
I want him to tell me what he means, and to explain to me why I am here- but he is not present at the moment, so I do not have anyone to speak to.

Seeing as I have previously investigated the room on past occasions, I don’t have anything to do here. It goes without saying that I am curious- but there is nothing that can be done about it here. I simply wait in the room for something to happen- to an observer, it might look like a life-sized doll had been placed inside.

Waiting is not something I am unused to, but the thought of left alone in this room, with nothing to do- is rather bleak, even if it is also not something I am unused to. But as I consider taking some sort of action, I see something appear.

It is a woman(?).

Interested, I stare at her as she approaches and prepare myself to move out of the way if her destination lies behind me- not that I have any idea of what it could be, in this room.

And as she waves her hand in front of me, I blink, a little surprised at the action. Does she not think I can see her?

I contemplate my response, and decide that it would be appropriate to introduce myself.

“Excuse me, miss.” My intonation is polite and soft- I don’t want to startle her, as I’m sure anyone might if a statue had certainly started talking. If I did that and she happened to vanish on me like Igor, that would be very… upsetting. “I do not believe we have met before- I am Eva Ellet, spirit tamer from the Rose Cross.”

My greeting is well rehearsed- one that I’ve practiced many times. Whether or not that has made it more effective unfortunately, is not something I’m aware of. I consider offering her a handshake, but decide against it. Still, to demonstrate to her that I am indeed here and responding, I give a short bow.

“Might I ask who you are? Are you stuck in this room as well, by any chance?”

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Velvet Room ~ Stage
Monday - Morning

If you had to make a guess at her nature from body language alone, the word that would come to mind would be "timid," or perhaps even "uncertain." There is an obvious hesitance in her actions -as well a stillness in your own- that seems to demand a somewhat more subdued touch, and so you speak about as softly and politely as you know how, which is likely good, seeing as how even this reaction leads the woman to flinch back so hard that she would have tripped if anything had happened to be behind her at the time-!

"Ah, the Master was correct, you don't just exist here, you are aware-!"

Unfortunately, she doesn't seem to register the actual words you had used, at least not immediately. The widened eyes marvel at you as if you were a sort of treasure or rare specimen, even doing a single circle around you as if checking to make sure all of you was completely solid, but she seems to realize the awkwardness of this reaction after a moment, judging by how she fake-coughs into a fist, expression taking on a startlingly crimson color as embarrassment apparently seeps through...

"I am sorry for ignoring you," a short bow in late response to your own, "But it is not normal for someone to arrive here that is not on the schedule. My name is Agatha. This room is both my residence and my prison, but for you it should be neither... If the two of us have managed to be here together, then it means that you have a journey you will be embarking on, and that I am to accompany you on that journey, at least to an extent. That is one of the laws of this room."

While those lines feel somewhat more recited, there's also a more obvious confidence within them, as if she was pulling herself together now that she knew someone else was actually watching her movements.

"Ah, but I should clarify. This is a room that aids it's guests, but it is also one that only opens for those with a contract. You have stumbled your way inside of here three times now, so I cannot call it a miracle, but I cannot work on your behalf if you do not hold a contract, nor can I allow you to come here willingly if you lack one. To that end, I have brought one here for you today. It is not a Faustian deal, there is only a single term that must be upheld, and I have no interest in taking souls, but I do wish to know if you would agree to uphold it."

So saying, she offers the clipboard to you, along with a bright blue pen; atop it's surface is but a single sheet of paper, drafted like a contract, there is only a single line scrawled across it's top in elegant handwriting-

I, the contract holder, agree to assume responsibility for all of the decisions I may make

-Along with a place for you to sign near the bottom...

It's a simple set of terms all things considered, really, all it was apparently saying was that you wouldn't be allowed to blame anyone else for the things that happen to you due to your own actions... That's something that most people should just do regardless, a sign that one has matured into something that at least resembles an adult, but...

"If you wish to ask something else of me before you decide whether or not to sign, I am willing to answer them if I can."

It was still a contract.

-----

Velvet Room
While all characters will benefit in some regard from forging bonds with others, characters with access to the Velvet Room are able to take those connections and forge them into a more tangible power for the self, due to the rooms ability to reveal that which has been born within one's sea of souls. These powers manifest as either upgrades to one's Persona, or as additional Spirit Commands, some of which could not be taken at the time of Character Creation, and may only be unlocked by bonds with certain specific characters.

Of course, like other training methods, visiting the Velvet Room to unlock these powers will take up a portion of one's training period during free phases. The amount of free phases in the RP are limited, so make sure to use them wisely.

Additionally, the "Velvet Room" can be chosen as a hang-out location during off-screen actions; while you cannot meet people there that do not have access to the room themselves, Tamers often come and go across the Velvet Stage, and you might be able to meet people you might not encounter under normal circumstances.

One may be called to the Velvet Room during main story sections as well, but these summonings will not take any resource from the player, and instead represent the room's attempt to 'guide' their guests to a more positive outcome in their journey.

[Airen]

Raz Stone
Brewed Awakenings, Avalon Branch
Monday - Morning

"..."

Brewed Awakenings. A coffee shop and cafe hybrid that had been amongst the first of the modern buildings constructed on the isle of Avalon, and one that was apparently present in some capacity in all four of the Major Tamer Organizations, showing that the franchise owner must have quite some pull with people in higher positions. It was a place that always smelled faintly of coffee, that scent that many regard as magical in it's own right, as the seduction of caffeine lures the fatigued from their morning stupors and returns them to their brighter, more able personas.

Of course, it is a place that most people simply come to briefly and then leave; while the occasional book readers or writers do hang around in the booths from time to time, your duties as a knight made it somewhat difficult to hang around in coffee shops for extended periods of time. More often than not you were supervising the training activities of the brand new squires, being sent into the forests to retrieve the occasional hypnotized recruit from the fairies (who seemed to find some amusement in the situation every time), or even responding to incidents on the main land if you happened to be close at hand at the time...

A knight had to be proactive! The people had to see you working hard for the good of everyone! That is what it means to be a symbol of heroism for humanity!

---They are tough standards to live up to, and while you certainly live up to them in your own unique way, it's still a lifestyle that keeps you relatively busy all things considered; that is why this scenario is somewhat special, you did not exactly choose to come here no...

You had been brought here by someone, or rather, you had been more or less dragged here for a talk by a certain squire, who had chosen this place because her family apparently owned it (at least to a degree), and so she could use it as a secure place of sorts...

"..."

It is apparently the result of seeing something she had not wanted you to see...

It had simply been a low-priority alert, a human guitarist using unregistered magic to make passerby a bit more likely to toss money his way. It was something that sort of stepped on the purity of music as an art-form, removing the ability of the audience to judge it for what it was, and thus your step-in had been poised to be slightly more personal than normal, but...

There had proven to be no need, the girl that had dragged you here had dealt with it herself. Dressed like a punk-rocker, and apparently on the way to karaoke night at a nearby cafe, the girl had confiscated the guitar as a contraband magical item, informed him that he would have to get it back through an official channel and appeal, and had then gone on her way. In some ways it was a good sight, an efficient squire doing their job quickly before moving on to other things, but you had vaguely recognized the COMP signature and...

Well...

Curiosity was a hell of a thing.

"...Alright, I'm not going to ask why you were there, but... I'm really going to need you to keep all of this a secret-!"

And well, who would have thought that Sara Cross had an alternate punk rocker persona that she operated under at restaurants? She had gone all out with it, using low-ranking transformation magic to alter her clothing, hairstyle and pitch of her voice-!

She hadn't even been a bad singer, far from it really.

---But she had apparently spotted you in the crowd while doing so, and while the possibility of withdrawing coolly from the situation may have crossed your mind before then, it seemed that she had automatically assumed a worst-case scenario-!

...Did she find it to be embarrassing?

...Was Sara Cross capable of finding something embarrassing? She wasn't a direct student of yours but even judging from what you had learned by osmosis, that seemed kind of strange-!

Then again...

Everyone has their weak points.

"I might curse you if you don't."

This appears to be one of them!

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Brewed Awakenings, Avalon Branch
Monday - Morning

Was it coincidence...or was it fate? Many believed in the power of something greater. Call it divine will, in whatever form you like. Perhaps the path humanity walked was based on the whims of some greater demon, an omniscient power far greater then the demonic or angelic hosts? Or maybe indeed, as preached by the church, a benovalant God tested humanity in order to temper the souls of men and maiden for some greater purpose. Raz was not willing to accept such theories, but occasionally he felt as if things around him drew together.

If not god, then perhaps some sort of Greater power...or perhaps Manager developed a path and offered those worthy a chance to walk it.

Oh no, it was not his meeting with miss Cross that had Raz feeling somewhat introspective. The world was filled with minor meetings. Even learning of her alter ego could best be described as an amusing chance coincidence, a time when he got to learn about one of his fellow members of avalon.

...No...what had Raz mildly interested in the way that things fit together is he was fairly certain that Sara was entirely unaware...

That Raz absolutely adored coffee! the taste, the sensations, the smells of a good cup of coffee were in his opinion entirely the equal of a woman's body, or the thrill of finding that perfect sound in front of a crowd.

Well brewed coffee was smoother then a A-list hostess, kinder and gentler then a mother's touch. Good coffee brought readiness to meet the world, and comforting warmth at day's end. Like a perfect idol, coffee could please anyone regardless of age or gender. Some took coffee naturally, luxuriating in the complex and deep flavors that when brewed properly sprang from each roasted bean. Raz himself usually took it such. But some felt coffee required some assistance. From just a touch of cream to enough additives to make a good sized dessert, and it didn't matter in the slightest. Coffee loved every one of it's fans. Without discrimination, with an utterly perfect purity.

The amount of nights or early mornings Raz had spent, a steaming cup of coffee as his guiding star, writing or preparing for the next session numbered greater then the grains of sand on the beach. Raz tended to brew his own coffee because time at a coffee shop tended to cause time delays he couldn't afford if he intended to continue balancing two lives and what essentially amounted to two full time jobs.

So perhaps Sara could be forgiven for having taken him to a place he had often come in to buy beans from. Nonetheless, Raz had to cover a smirk with the rim of the thick ceramic coffee cup as Mrs. Cross had guided him to "her" territory.

As she spoke, Raz was enjoying a particular though less appreciated roast. Normal patrons of Brewed Awakening shied away from the larger then average beans, preferring something with a more natural look, but Raz could never get enough of Malabar coffee. Developed by simulating or even utilizing monsoon like conditions, fine coffee beans were exposed to significant pressure and wetness for about 4 months. This resulted in a larger bean with a slightly different color then standard unroasted beans. More importantly, the natural wet washing process leeched acidity from the beans. This resulted in a smoother, darker flavor, though it lacked the spice of stronger brews.

Raz liked those too of course, but in the morning, it was hard to compete with the thick, rich aroma of fresh malabar coffee and the accompanying rich, almost chocolaty taste that it was known for. Perfect and warming for starting the day.

...Or for trolling a squire.

...Raz again had to suppress a grin with a quick sip from his coffee as she threatened him.

Oh Sara was very scary. Sure Raz had rank but that meant very little when you got right down to it, at least from his point of view. End of the day, it was the job of anyone in Avalon, from knight to squire, medic and bard, to provide hope and inspiration. Sara was hardened by battle, and keeping this secret was important to her. Put bluntly, if she wanted to make him pay for spilling her secrets, she probably could.

...But flip that around...

It was a flicker from the small wing emblem located on the left lens of the Hermes shades that reminded all present that the conversation didn't just have two participants. Because there on the table, broadcasted in holographic form, was a miniature form of an old private eye, complete with a thick magnifying glass hanging from his duster.

"Toots, come on now, you gotta know this here peeper can't stop bumping gums even to save his ma. You best get ready to put screws on!" the DTG A.I. noted without introducing himself. Though in deference to a lady, he did touch his fingers to the long brim of his fedora. A flash of very shiny teeth peeked out from such. He was probably having fun.

Of course for the DTG, it really was not needed to introduce himself in the first place. Some A.I. were quiet, mostly contenting themselves with communicating with their wielder's and other A.I. The DTG was different however, by making use of certain broadcasting properties of the Hermes system, he boasted a nearly unheard of ability to interact with the outside world, and never hesitated to make sure it was apparent he was always "on the case" as he put it.

Raz responded as he usually did, by waving his hand through the image and simultaneously sending a command through the link between Hermes and Heat that disrupted the interface between the two. The DTG flickered out with a single upraised middle finger to mark his passing.

"Sara Sara Saraaaaaa....." Raz said, rolling the last syllable. "Of course I can keep it a secret! Why wouldn't I. Hell I'll even do you one better.. You ever need an alibi for where you have been out to, you can come to your pal Raz for help. I'll lie till my tongue turns black if need be, you can count on me." Raz smiled over another sip of malabar coffee. "Of course....favor for favor, I'm sure you wouldn't mind doing something for me...."

Raz paused to let the moment build. He couldn't help it. A flair for the dramatic coursed through his veins alongside a probably unhealthy amount of caffeine.

"I'll help you now, and in the future... but in exchange I want....a song. A real one. If you are wearing a get up like that, let alone singling like that, you must have something that is uniquely the sound of Sara Cross." At that Raz raised a hand in a wave which took in Cross's punker attire. "I would prefer it if you have written it yourself. I imagine of course you must have a few that you have worked on. However anything will do provided you are willing to say 'this is my song.' Of course, it does not have to be now. A promise to sing for me will do."

Raz settled back in the old fashioned wooden chair, letting the aroma of coffee rejuvenate him.

"Of course, if you wont give me a song, I guess I would have to give you one. Performed perhaps, at my next show." Raz's accompanying smile had far to many teeth.

"She's a Cross one..."*

Raz began, tapping a beat on the rim of his mug.

"...little squire..."

"She really loooves to sing!"

"Sara way to win her heart,
or will song rip us apart?

Little squuuuire!"

Raz slowly starting nodding along to a melody in his head, and rapidly seemed to lose interest in his surroundings.

Unbidden, again the DTG popped up on the table. "Sweetie, best make your case soon. When he gets like this there ain't no reasoning with him!"


*To the tune of "Mr. Grinch."

Wise up!

-Dancing All Night-
Cost: 2
Restrictions: None
Your home was once the stage, and perhaps it still is? Whether it be as a rock star, movie star, or even as a member of some sort of idol group, the fame you possess as an individual does not entirely stem from your existence and activities as a Spirit Tamer. Whatever the case, you retain your celebrated skills from your time in showbiz (such as singing and dancing) through which you may be able to better impress (or charm) new friends. In addition, you remain remarkably good at ‘selling’ your brand to an audience, to the point where those that don’t like Tamers normally might just like you regardless, but...

Because of that same celebrity status, a lot of people know a potentially uncomfortable amount about you, and as a result, people that go digging around into your past won’t have too hard a time of it. Increase the REN of the character by 40 points.-

[Airen]

Raz Stone
Brewed Awakenings, Avalon Branch
Monday - Morning

"...You want me to sing for you?"

While your song is a vague enough threat on it's own, an insinuation that secrets might just happen to slip out live on stage if she doesn't comply with your (admittedly easy) request, the younger blonde can't help but repeat it to herself aloud after a moment, her eyebrows narrowing slightly in thought even as your song begins to echo out throughout the shop. While it's the sort of song that certainly draws attention to itself -even if the tune it used still wasn't in the public domain- the young woman doesn't panic at any of the insinuations, no, her mother owned this chain of stores, so if she requested it the employees were loyal enough to not really talk about anything they had happened to hear...

No... The problem was still just you. But it seemed she was being presented with a counter ploy, even so...

"A personal screening of the scream of my soul...? The depths of my pathos? A melody that belongs only to a daughter of the Golden Witch? Your demands are steep..."

A smirk...

Yes.

While a normal squire might lose confidence when faced with the much more talented members of the knights, this girl is one that thinks quickly on her feet, and doesn't let much drag her down-!

"I suppose that's fine. If I can come up with one I am proud of, I will comply with that request... You've already heard me once, so the secret's broken in your case."

She agrees, easily enough-!

However-!

Such things are also often a sign of counters... Of a sort, anyway-!

"However, to put my name to song in public... While it will certainly defeat me in a single blow, it will spell doom to you as well; do you think an idol can just get away with that sort of thing? To shatter the dreams of one's more shameless fans so carelessly... At best, it is a method of murder-suicide for you. If my secrets must be shouted to the world, I will ensure that it is a story of tears that stars you as well-! You won't be forgiven-! A scandal, starring a knight that shattered the privacy of a young maiden, causing her to burst into tears on camera-! Your numbers will take a hit. That will be step one of the infinite spiral that will be my revenge."

Of course, this doesn't stop less wide-ranging methods of secret spreading, but-!

---It seems a bit of thought was put into this-!

And, as if to really drive this point home, a hologram of a tall blonde woman projects itself from Sara's watch; superficially speaking it resembles her sister Eliza, but the crimson eyes are both more kind and more merciless-!

"Yes. No tactics are forbidden in the event of any form of information breach. If necessary, we will even employ scorched earth. Do not underestimate a witch's resolve."

---While one's A.I partner will typically take the side of the user in most cases, it seems that this one was particularly motherly and protective, to the point of coming off as extreme... As the eyes that stare at you kinda seem to scream 'I'm searching the internet for blackmail material' right now...

...Taking things a bit too seriously, perhaps? Or just stressing a form of insurance all their own?

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Brewed Awakenings, Avalon Branch
Monday - Morning

Raz was willing to bet pretty good money that Sara Cross was not a good gambler. This ordeal had started when her attempts to threaten him into silence had met with a less then successful result, though Raz had of course gone easy on her. She was his cute subordinate after all. However her response to this had been to double down on the threats. Even had her claims been entirely valid, he wasn't concerned in the slightest.

Being an idol was not just about showing someone to look after, a back to follow or a handsome smile to swoon over, it was about showing humanity in all its forms, from beauty to the very humanity inherent in mistakes. One actually tended to grow in popularity with the occasional scandal, it generated public interest. A famous play write had once succinctly put it: "I don't care what the newspapers say about me as long as they spell my name right."

Raz had repeatedly found there to be quite a bit of truth in the old saw. Of course, he felt it was a bit incomplete. One needed to occasionally show a bit of human weakness in order to move past it. Do so, and fans would celebrate your redemption instead of becoming jealous of your success, or worse, tarring as inhuman and unable to understand the hearts of your admirers.

Raz often likened such to a good cup of coffee. Delicious coffee was one of the most wonderful, euphoric experiences one could have on this planet. ...However...if one never had a bad cup of coffee, they might find themselves less able to appreciate the subtle complexities of a really good cup of coffee. it was in contrast that created perception, created understanding. Plus it didn't hurt that "I tried to threaten him into silence and he tried to make me sing!" was not perhaps the career shattering scandal that Sara had been portraying. Raz had actually quite looked forward to making Sara aware of this. In fact, he had half a mind to print one of those amusing "Do it!" memes on the front of his shades in fact, except....

Raz's wince was hidden behind the Hermes Shades....but it was still apparent in his voice.

"Your Comp...she just went online didn't she? Whelp, guess that means the jigs up."

Without warning, the DTG popped back up tipping his fedora at the new A.I. briefly before issuing an excited all purpose announcement. "You ain't kidding the jigs up! Once the Canary start singing," the DTG thumbed a finger at Sara's AI, "the lil' looker's gonna hit the ing-bing but quick, savvy?" Unsurprisingly, the detective looked provably thrilled at the idea. To say that Raz did not have an especially over protective A.I. was a bit of an understatement.

"He said once your AI tells you what I assume she is pulling up, you will freak out." Raz sighed, answering the unspoken question.

"I guess ill bite the bullet myself," The dark haired man went on, shrugging ruefully. "See the good news is, you don't have to sing for me. Never did, though of course I would like you to. Baring your 'pathos' as you put it, is a bit wordy but its not wrong. Singing is at heart, baring yourself to the crowd, asking them to love and accept you. Music is the purest method of conveying your feelings. Why wouldn't I want you to convey yours?"

"...Having said that, the idea that I might expose you? well, that was just me having a laugh. Cause the bad news is... once you reach a certain level of popularity, people treat finding you in public as kind of a 'where's waldo' game, and they post about it online. " Raz cleared his throat for a moment and then rather uncannily did a picture perfect imitation of an excited high school girl's voice. "Saw Raz buying coffee beans today, Squee! Bought the same brand he did, #better then tea!"

...Using the Heat system to sing in a female voice for a change of pace or to act as his own back up in a duet was a familiar refrain from the Bard of the Kingdom. As such, it was not particularly noteworthy.

"Sooo...if one replays the last hour or so, you grabbed me quite emphatically in a fairly public area, walked me through more public areas, and then brought me here, a place I go all the time. Sorry to say, but by now we have almost certainly gone viral. I bet they think its a daaaaaaate. And while your disguise is pretty good, give a couple hard core fans a few hours and some basic facial recognition software....well, I dont doubt that your name is uh, trending, as they say."

"I guess what I am trying to say is..."



"...welcome to being a celebrity."


The moment hung out there a little bit longer before....

"Psssst" The DTG stage whispered. "He's weak to electricity! Just saying!"

Wise up!

REN: X > 120