2023-05-11: .meetingS

• Log: .meetingS
• Cast: Elisa Kafim, Yuliana Kafim, Gridman
• Where: Outside A Scandinavian Meeting Hall
• Date: 2023-05-11
• Summary: Gridman goes along to one of the Silent Calling's meetings, in order to figure out what Elisa did to Knight. Instead, he finds himself wrapped up in the Kafim's promises -- until Calibur steps in to evacuate him, after Yuliana reveals just how literal her changes are.

---

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

It is not so cold. It is springtime, and the venue is warm despite the outside. The people are still largely inside the meeting hall, eating the food they've generously provided. Their staff can handle that for now. The High Priestess is making a rare appearance outside, instead, having stepped out to look out into the air.

One could assume she knows she's being watched. That may or may not be the reason she's stepped out, however.

She is dressed in fine robes, with a horned headpiece, and she looks up to the sky, to the stars where it has become night.

She is tall, in her heels. She cuts a striking figure. And none yet have followed her out, though one has certainly noticed.

It is a time for meetings.

<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.

        Yuliana is -- passionate, by one measure, unhinged by another. Moreso than she was, in her speaking engagements a few days prior. She is driven, visionary, and what she preaches is the value of the people listening. A value which extends beyond the utility they can offer their systems -- their governments -- a value intrinsic to their selves. She insists they recognise the power inside themselves, and recognise their worth.

        She says the common man has been forgotten, in the endless war machine of the Federation. She says the common man has forgotten himself, and with no capacity to listen to his own heart, it is vulnerable to attack from outside.

        And, yes, she says there are those who would attack his heart, through their strange psychic violations. But to say that she has rallied the crowd based solely -- or even primarily -- on hate for a group whose existence she is still fighting to prove is incorrect. Her enlightened solipism firstly references the cruelties of institutions, pressing against individuals; a rebellion against authoritarianism, trapped in all the methods and meanings of authoritarianism.

        Even her anti-Newtype rhetoric is framed in this way; she portrays them as victims of those same systems, Federation black labs which would pluck any one of these people from their homes. Pitiable creatures. Beings who need help to stop transgressing boundaries.

        It is incorrect, by that same measure, to say that all she does is relate her pressured visions; the most notable aspect of these meetings, the reason why more and more people have been attracted to them, are the solid solutions they offer. Meditations on mindfulness to cope with the eternal war of the Earth Sphere; assertiveness training to help people stand up for what they believe in; or simpler gestures, food for the hungry, clothes for the cold, alms for the poor.

        Her heart may be hollow, but her offerings are not.

        And now, for those who heed these messages -- and more and more people are, as Yuliana and her people continue visiting them and speaking to their problems -- they're able to access a newsletter to get additional updates. There are video messages. It's all presented with the air that they're the first people who've been offered this, the first people they felt they could offer this to, and that exclusivity is intoxicating. (It's more broad an offer than one meeting, of course, but it matters how one delivers it.)

        Tonight's meeting has adjourned, however; the people mingle, and talk amongst each other, and eat. And the Oracle walked with them, and spoke with them -- with them, not to them, another aspect of personal connection which has begun lacing its way into these meetings as time goes on -- though there was always a sense of importance (of distance) which followed her, all clad in black robes and her dragon-wing cloak with its accordion folds, jewellery weighing down her neck and her arms and her waist, a tiara with gold dragon's wings stretching out behind her ears.

        But the High Priestess steps out, with impeccable stealth, and -- despite the face that more people may still wish to weave through the crowd to meet her -- the Oracle, too, excuses herself. She will come to see them again, she promises. She hopes they'll lend their ears to them again, she invites their own promises.

        She steps out, into the night air, and up beside the High Priestess. She does not wear heels, and that's the reason she's shorter, now, as her hands curl around Elisa's arm and she leans against her side.

        "Wonderful work, zhenushka," she purrs, smiling.

        She thinks the meetings are done -- but not everyone got to speak to her, in there.

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

It was a long journey from Tsutsujidai to Scandanavia. Gridman is bundled into a peacoat, a double row of buttons down the center. He's been looking for a chance to wear it, actually! His comrades -- Vit and Calibur today -- have not changed from their usual suits.

Upon reaching the meeting hall, plans are reviewed. Check ins every 15 minutes. Vit stays outside in case something goes wrong. Calibur and Gridman go in and separate to try and take in as much information as possible.

Calibur, for the record, still has three swords at his back. Most people seem not to notice either the swords or the samurai himself, thankfully.

Gridman himself, quite short at 5'1", stays nearby the buffet. Scandinavian food is totally unknown to him, and he may as well take advantage! The meeting itself is... odd. Yuliana is charismatic and talented, and he really likes the parts about recognizing inner power! Though Gridman takes notes on his phone, he gradually grows so uncomfortable he can't bring himself to write down any more of the concepts introduced. Even Yuliana's oratory skill can't fool the young Hyper Agent -- not after he's been primed by the Shuffle Alliance reports.

Rikka, Leina, Lucine... He knows lots of Newtypes. They're not like what these women are saying all! Gridman has never felt like they were wanted to do anything to hurt him.

But that stuff about labs... He's heard about those kind of labs. Gridman shudders at the memory. If Yuliana hates Newtypes, why does she want to save them from those black sites? And what would her 'help' look like?

He deletes the notes he took. This isn't right. Oshansoo-san shouldn't be forced to carry these words.

Yuliana and Elisa look spectacular. Even if they're... some kind of psychic bigots (?), Gridman can't help but look at the fine robes and dramatic headpieces with stars in his eyes. So cool... Why does everyone get an impressive outfit for their job but him?!

Calibur signs up for the newsletter with his usual slight frown. Gridman hesitates, but leaves the sign up page open. Calibur has it covered, right? Even if those meditations and mindfulness training seem really useful... It's okay to take the good things from a bad situation, isn't it?

After the speech, Gridman checks in with his comrades, signaling his intent to follow Elisa. The doctor in green. Yuliana quickly follows. They didn't learn anything about Elisa's intentions for Knight or Tsutsujidai, and they came all this way. They can't just go home empty handed.

Without waiting for a reply from Calibur or Vit, Gridman slides Oshansoo-san into his coat pocket and quietly walks after the two women. He's not a Newtype, and the only psychic connection he has is with the other sundered pieces of his soul. Even then, it only really activates during battle. On the surface, there's nothing the High Priestess or Oracle should be able to object to about him.

Gridman hesitates at the door. This looks like an intimate moment between the women -- between the wives. Is it really okay to interrupt? Balling his hands into fists and working up his courage, the young Hyper Agent steps outside.

He looks like an average high school boy, if a bit on the shorter end of his peers. Perhaps the one thing unusual about him are piercing yellow eyes, almost a shade of burnished gold here in the low light.

"Excuse me," He sounds so polite, almost shy. It's not much of an act. "I..."

Gridman's mind blanks. How does he even go about asking what he needs to know?! Sweat beads at the back of his neck. Oh man, he should've made a plan...

"I'm... so sorry to interrupt. I came a very long way to see you, ma'am, and I couldn't bear to leave without asking you my questions."

With no other alternate path provided, Gridman's brain defaults to almost-honesty.

"I'm from Tsutsujidai. We're a small city, but we've been through a lot." Eyes flick to Elisa. "Have you ever heard of us? So much has happened... We found out, um. None of us are normal people. People from Tsutsujidai were created from the heart of a high school girl and brought to life by kaiju."

After the word 'kaiju', there's a slight pause. Looking for reactions.

"You know so much about souls, ma'am, and I've been anxious about this since I learned the truth about what we are." Gridman's eyes flick down, then back up to Yuliana. "Do Repli-Compoids -- that's what people from Tsutsujidai are called -- have souls? We're different from any other type of being in the Earthsphere. Are we 'real'?"

Gridman takes a breath. For some reason, his heart is in his chest. But he's just talking about the people of Tsutsujidai, isn't he?

"Do we have a right to exist, even if it hurts others?"

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

The meeting has adjourned, and with it, the peoples' claim on Elisa's time. She only has so much space for dealing with people, really. However...

"Thank you," Elisa murmurs back to Yuliana. "And yours, as well. You see? There is much we can do here, with your passion..."

However.

Someone approaches, and he says 'excuse me', and Elisa turns towards him, looking curiously in his direction. His golden eyes are fascinating..

"Very well," Elisa says of his question, and then considers. The answers--the queries--yes...

Her eyes widen in surprise and interest. "Brought to life by a kaiju, you say..."

Her reaction is interest, not fear.

She glances to Yuliana, for a moment--and then back to Gridman.

"You exist," Elisa assures Gridman. "...You are different, but it is those differences that give us strength. And our relationships with the kaiju of this world will help see us toward the future, as well--few know of such things, but you are the very incarnation of that cooperation."

"No, you are quite real indeed. You have 'souls'. I am certain of it. And many of us hurt one another; it is part of the vagaries of individuality. But the long, hard work of understanding each other cannot be shortcut. It is something to be addressed."

"You do have a right to exist, young man. Your differences shall make you stronger. Beware of any who would try to make you the 'same' alone without acknowledging them. Beware of those who would claim we have no such differences."

"And rejoice, that you live."

<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.

        Only so much time for dealing with people, yes -- but Yuliana isn't like them.

        She leans against Elisa, and smiles. "Yes, I see," she affirms. "You're right, Elya..." She always is.

        It's a private moment, yes. A private moment intruded on by a boy with golden eyes, and Yuliana turns with Elisa, hands still curled about her arm. "Hmm..?" She prompts him, tilting her head.

        She looks to Elisa, hearing her interest, seeing the surprise on her face. She smiles, to her, encouragingly. If he amuses her, why not engage him?

        She is quiet, as the High Priestess speaks, though she smile she offers to Gridman makes it clear that Elisa's stance is her own.

        "How wonderful," she says, when she is done, "that you would come all this way. Tell me, what is your name?" She's interested in him, apparently. Or -- at least -- her gesture is convincing. Her heart is silent, and none can see what lies there.

        She gestures, with her free hand, palm displayed in a show of peace. "A man once said, 'I think, therefore, I am'. That you are capable of asking this question -- that you may interrogate your own existence -- surely this is proof inherent that you are. You must have interiority of your own, do you not?" She does not stop to clarify how her belief that men didn't have those inner worlds inside themselves led her to think they were actors on a stage for so long.

        Kaworu would know. Anyway.

        "Tell your story with your own words," Yuliana smiles, "and in time, the people of this world will hear you. There is no shortcut to this work, but it is worthy."

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

"Do you know anything about kaiju?" Gridman asks Elisa, innocently, though his golden eyes are sharp. "The only ones we've seen are the ones who attack the city. They don't even bleed when they're injured."

It's clumsy.

"M--my name." Gridman stutters. Can he invoke Yuta here? Would that tie him to a political group he knows nothing about without his consent? Slipping one hand into his coat pocket, Gridman touches Oshansoo-san. A red creature... Always by his side and helping him. A friend.

"It's Akadachi." The name rolls off Gridman's tongue smoothly. "It's really nice to meet you. I didn't think you'd be so caring in person."

Elisa and Yuliana both offer reassurances to Gridman's question, and he finds himself genuinely feeling better. His shoulders relax slightly, and tears gather in his eyes -- quickly blinked away.

"T--thanks." A breath. Why is he so affected? "I didn't expect to hear that. People have been so kind to us so far, but I've worried, deep down, that I'm doing something wrong. That even though I'm doing all I can, It's not enough for the space I take up."

Gridman brings his free hand over his heart, thinking about interiority. "Just wondering if you're real is enough to be real?" He laughs quietly. "That seems so easy. Is that really all it takes? Even for someone like me?"

Pulling his hand away from his chest, Gridman looks at it as if unsure, turning his own palm over to stare at the veins showing through the skin of his pale wrist. If he's as real as Yuta is, why does he have to be the one to sacrifice--

No. That thought is shut down immediately. Gridman can't let himself go there.

Elisa speaks of how valuable differences are, and Gridman manages a bright smile. "I definitely believe in that much. My com-- close friends and I couldn't be more different, even though we were all created from the same place. But it just means when we're together, we can do way more than we could on our own!"

"We've fought too hard to treat this life as anything but a gift." The young Hyper Agent's eye turn so soft, so gentle. "Even if time is running out for me, I'm going to treasure every second I have, existing this way."

Gridman looks back up to the Oracle and her High Priestess. "I want my story to be one that helps people. I want to be more than just someone who exists. How did you get the power to help so many people all over the world?"

Despite his inner turmoil, Gridman hasn't forgotten his mission.

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

"Yes," Elisa answers. "I studied kaiju. I am quite familiar with many forms, from the specimens in your Tsutsujidai to those that are more properly simply very large animals, on much of Earth."

Oh yes, Yuliana. It was a private moment, but Elisa is forgiving today, because this boy is of clear interest. Yuliana speaks her honeyed words as well, and they are so, so sweet. The name...

"Mister Akadachi, then. How lovely to make your acquiantance."

"It is natural, normal to take up space," Elisa assures 'Akadachi'. "Humans do. They exist in both space and time, and this is a truth as yet unchallenged."

"Indeed. That is all that must be for your story to be heard. You must tell it."

She places a hand on Yuliana's arm. She is pleased.

"We, too, are different," she says, gesturing to Yuliana and herself. "But this gives us strength. What one can do supports the other. We are perfectly matched in this way. Perhaps you, too, have found that match."

A gift... Hm hm hm. But from whom?

"Ahh," she says. "You face the end of your earthly journey."

"Our Oracle can tell you more of hope there. But for my power..." She considers. The power to help so many people?

"We all have that power," she says, lifting her hands expansively. "It resides within each of us. One must only embark upon the path."

<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.

        "There are many kaiju to be seen, here," Yuliana smiles, mysternous. She smiles, still, as he introduces himself. "Welcome, Akadachi," she is beneficent, and the familiarity she claims with his name at once is so natural. Were she speaking Japanese, his name would surely be yobisute, without an honourific to speak of. (She isn't, of course -- she's matched Gridman's version of English, with an accent which has taken a walking tour of the world -- but she could.)

        Her gaze softens, as Gridman speaks of feeling as if he's doing something wrong, taking up all this space. "Would you believe," she asks him, gently, "that I've felt much the same, at times?"

        In a conversation Yuliana had only once, a year and a month ago, she asked Elisa: Do you know how many times I've thought -- this pantomime doesn't deserve me? Why should I equalise this awful world, when I'm regarded the way I am? When no one appreciates what I can do for this tired narrative?

        It was foundational.

        And so were her anxieties, eternal outsider, witness to a world unlike theirs.

        "For people like you, and for people like me, there is a place," she smiles, as Elisa's hand comes to rest on her arm. Her own release their hold on Elisa's, as she lifts them up -- only to place a hand at her elbow, again, once they finally lower.

        "I am a labile, spontaneous creature... my High Priestess is steady and true. It is the interplay of our inspiration and dedication which lifts us to such heights. We are stronger, together, as you and your comrades are." The Shuffles' intel did say that Yuliana came from the REA -- clearly she hasn't been able to shake all its influence. "And every day together is a gift... yes."

        She is the one whose hand lifts, now -- though she reaches out to Gridman, instead, with an open palm. "But I tell you, Akadachi, this existence isn't all there is," the same thing they've repeated, here and there, in their messaging. Its meaning is... mysterious. "Though this Earth abjures you, there is more which may accept you, without care for illness or fatigue."

        Her hand pulls back, to clasp over her heart. Her eyes close, with another smile. "I have Seen it," she says, the word a proper noun. "The truth tears into me when I look through the cracks in this world... ah, even when I close my eyes. But for so long, it was private, to me. I couldn't reach anyone... I didn't think it possible. Surely my words would fall on deaf ears... surely no one would believe me."

        She opens her eyes, and smiles, to Gridman. "But my High Priestess gave me her strength," she explains, "and in the end, there were many willing to risk everything to save me from the horrors of that laboratory. It was then I realised -- I had to help the world. There was something I could do...! Because help was given to me, I was able to grasp the strength to help others. And I was able to do this only because I retired from the world, and looked inwards, into myself. Into what mattered, to me... this is how I gained the strength to come here and speak, as I do."

        She sighs, head inclining. "It is... dangerous, of course. Even if I avoid the Federation's holdings, I have done them a great insult, existing beyond my time limit." And she chooses the framing deliberately. "They would like nothing better than to apprehend me for... questioning... and I'd disappear into another laboratory even as the media reported on my imprisonment, you understand. But though the cost of failure is high, I cannot do nothing. I think you are like this, as well, Akadachi. Am I wrong?"

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Elisa has studied kaiju. It's not much of a lead, but it's confirmation they have the right person. That's kind of useless, considering how official Shuffle Alliance intel always is, though...

"Our kaiju are pretty unusual." Gridman agrees. "One of a kind, honestly. I'm really interested in learning about Tsutsujidai's type. Do you know any details about them? Beyond what you can just find online, of course."

The alias seems to work, and Gridman has to suppress a sigh of relief. Maybe he's better at acting than he thought! Those lessons from Leina for the pageant all that time ago must be still paying off.

Tell your story. Gridman visibly swallows. He can't do that, not without hurting an innocent young man. But it sounds so appealing, to be able to take up space, to be heard...

Elisa's words find a corner of the Hyper Agent's mind to make their home.

Gridman smiles wryly. "Yeah, my friends and I are pretty much a matched set." Inside his pocket, Gridman taps the screen of Oshansoo-san, automatically sending the 'I'm okay' signal to Vit and Calibur. He's not ready to come back yet.

"I've heard about what you went through, ma'am. I don't blame you for feeling that way." Gridman's voice is soft as he addresses Yuliana, his eyebrows drawing together in distress. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that kind of thing could... really actually happen. Knowing it's real now, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. Worrying there's a lab being set up for the Repli-Compoids, or somewhere hidden in Tsutsujidai."

"I do face the end, yeah, I..." Gridman sighs. "It feels like it's been so short. I haven't done anything I've wanted to do yet, not really. But I have people I want to stick around for. My friends, my partners... I'm not ready to go."

Yuliana reaches out, and Gridman almost takes her hand, before she pulls it back. Whoops, that could've been awkward.

"What you're talking about, um." Gridman scratches the side of one cheek. "What you've seen," he doesn't quite capitalize it properly, "can it, um. Create a new body for someone? Without damaging the original?"

Gridman sighs. It's a stupid thing to ask, he feels like an idiot having even said it. "I'm glad you two found each other. Nobody should be alone. And I'm so glad you got out of that lab!"

What Yuliana says matches up with her speech earlier. Meditation, inner strength... Gridman's never considered that sort of thing. Really, he's avoided spending time with his own thoughts.

With a shudder, Gridman thinks over the idea of Yuliana being taken back to a laboratory. Even if she's got cruel, strange ideas, that's not right. Nobody deserves that! Horror like that -- it should be stomped out entirely!

"Yeah! I can't abandon the city, knowing how much darkness there is in the world!" Gridman says, enthusiastically, before catching himself. "No matter the cost, I want to do everything I can, for as long as I can. Nothing's more important than protecting Tsutsujidai."

Gridman's eyes look overbright as Elisa says everyone has the power, as she gestures so grandly. "How..."

He shouldn't be asking this. These people hurt Knight. They're trying to hurt Newtypes. Self-sacrifice and longing war in his heart. Gridman turns those odd yellow eyes up to the stars.

Rikka said if anyone deserved a vacation it was him. He can be a little selfish, right?

"...how do you embark on the path?"

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

"Some!" Elisa answers, of Tsutsujidai's type. "They are indeed quite unique. Kaiju shaped by the will and mind of one girl... It is a fascinating subject. But I have had little chance to study them in general, of course. Tsutsujidai is... not my area."

She nods along, as Yuliana mentions how she once felt. Indeed it was foundational. Back then...

The lies that must transform into truth. Yes, Elisa remembers well.

"A matched set... yes, very good," she says, and if she notices the motions of a hand in a pocket, she does not say.

"Ah, my Oracle has such strength within herself. And she can show others so much. Our Oracle..."

She cannot do nothing. yes, indeed...

But can it create a new body...? Elisa tilts her head, quite curious about this indeed. Without damaging the original, is it?

"Yes," Elisa says. "Yes. To remake flesh... It is within our Power."

But 'darkness'. Elisa smiles mysteriously. "Protect it well," she says. "For it is precious."

But he shouldn't ask. And yet he does. He does indeed...

"To show you the way... that is the way of our Oracle," Elisa says, gesturing to Yuliana with a knowing smile. "But to wish it is already the first step. To listen--to know."

"Yes... The seeker has already set foot, when they realize the call..."

<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.

        "Perhaps we could visit," Yuliana smiles, to Elisa, as if they've never been. (She doesn't say they've never visited before, of course. Not out loud. Not in so many words.) "You could write some papers about Tsutsujidai's kaiju. Comparative research, isn't it? Wouldn't that be wonderful?" Dr. Kafim is a kaiju researcher, after all, when she isn't being a... motivational speaker.

        "It is impossible to imagine," Yuliana assures 'Akadachi', speaking of those laboratories. "And the suffering within is impossible to quantify. The creation of human weapons cannot be tolerated. Even if they claim to like who they are... few who went through such a thing are better than they were, when they entered." And she is downcast, as she glances away. "I wish I had been allowed to remain a normal human. I didn't know what I was agreeing to... not really. I am... lucky, or blessed, that for some reason the horrors they visited on me created something greater than they hoped to make. But it is still a burden I bear, you see, being more than I was. The responsibility weighs heavily on me."

        Her hands come to rest, again, at Elisa's elbow, taking her arm. A surface reading might imply her to be a fine accessory. "But there are those you must stand by," she agrees, smiling again. "Those you must never leave. The people who lighten your heart... they are so, so important. Yes... with this determination, I can show you the way." The implication she leaves unsaid; the implication is obvious.

        She's standing by Elisa, after all.

        (It is meaningful that he reached out. It is meaningful, too, that he could not yet grasp anything.)

        Yuliana smiles, as well, when Gridman rails against the darkness. "Our High Priestess speaks true," she agrees, still smiling. "That you would embrace your desires, and reach for your happiness, is key to your understanding."

        She smiles, meeting his gold, gold eyes -- and with a little pat to Elisa's arm, takes a step forward, reaching out to him again. "You are a special boy, I think," she says, bereft of weapons. "Are you capable of looking to the truth, without flinching or pulling way...?"

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Tsutsujidai is not Elisa's area? Gridman frowns slightly. That doesn't match up with what Knight said. It must be a lie. Don't forget why you're here, Gridman!

"If you'd like to visit, I'm a pretty great tour guide." Gridman smiles. "There's free outdoor concerts every so often, if you're interested in that kind of thing as a break from research."

This is a dangerous decision. Does he want "the doctor in green" back in Tsutsujidai? Is it worth the risk to figure out what she's up to, and what she did to Knight?

"You do seem incredibly strong. Both of you." Even without Knight's account of what happened, Gridman can feel the power of the two women before him. He's thankful for Calibur in the other room, even if the conversation is peaceful, and... interesting. "I've heard the proof of someone's character is in their actions, rather than their words. And tonight, some of the people listening looked like they hadn't seen this much food in ages."

Gridman's heart twists as Yuliana expresses her wish that she could've stayed a normal human. Is that how Yuta's going to feel? If he has the chance to take all of this away from his host, does he even have the right to walk away from it?

"I'm so sorry." He murmurs. "Nobody should..." Gridman trails off. What is he, if not a human weapon? Not like Newtypes and Yuliana, but in his own way... "...nobody should be forced into that."

'Those you must never leave,' Yuliana says, and Gridman bites his lip, hard. "Yes. There's so many people counting on me. And people... I don't want to leave behind. People I love very, very much."

The hand in Gridman's pocket squeezes around Oshansoo-san (the moment ruined slightly by the creature's squishy nature). Within the phone are dozens of pictures of Gridman, Kaworu, and Rei. His partners, who have been through so much themselves. What would his leaving put them through?

Elisa can make Gridman a body of his own? Immediately, light sparks in those vibrant yellow eyes. His voice takes on a robotic note -- still full of emotion, yet somehow metallic. "Really? And it wouldn't hurt anyone, right? It would just..."

A little laugh. It's almost desperate. "Then everyone could get what they want!"

If wishing is the first step... Has Gridman taken it? The way his eyes shine with hope... Yuliana calls him special. She promises happiness. Her hand reaches out.

"I've..." Gridman swallows, fixated on her hand. "I've been through a lot, too. I haven't flinched yet. I don't think I will."

Slowly, he reaches out his own hand. Fingertips brush Yuliana's palm. His ring finger's nail has a little sticker of a red star on it.

"What do I have to do?"

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

It would be very nice if it were a lie. That would show that Elisa's word couldn't be trusted. and yet...

"Yes," Elisa says. "That would be lovely. I suppose my reasons for avoiding it have dimmed..."

"We could certainly use a tour guide! I do enjoy concerts. Music is something that is of interest to me." Says the half-Meltrandi. Perhaps not a surprise, there. Or maybe...

"Indeed. If we learned of such a laboratory... Why, we would not be inclined to tolerate it. And thanks to the might of our friends, perhaps we could do something about that."

Yuliana 'wishes'... Hmm. "It is a great responsibility," Elisa agrees.

"We are strong," Elisa agrees. "That is true. We must be, to walk the path. But you, too, possess a strength."

Actions, not words. Elisa smiles.

"Indeed."

Gridman's light--the light in his eyes--is clear to Elisa. That light...

Perhaps it would be not be so bad to possess it.

"It need not hurt anyone at all," which is not quite the same as 'will not', but who's counting?

'Akadachi' asks what he must do, and Elisa is still smiling. "You must look," Elisa says. "You must see. ...And you must not look away."

She regards that little red star...

"Yes. We shall see." She awaits her wife's judgment.

<Pose Tracker> Yuliana Kafim has posed.

        All smiles, warm and wonderful: "Music is lovely, isn't it? Why, I took little Shari to that opening concert the other day, who was it... Ran, Ran... well, she was delighted, I'm sure!" Yuliana... was at that concert?

        But nothing went wrong at the concert!

        She smiles, again, when Gridman praises her strength. "Thank you, dear. We do try to hold these functions in places where people will benefit. There is no point in feeding the rich, who could have their heart's desire in an instant. Neither are the most fortunate the ones who are hurt most by war. The people who most require aid are frequently those most forgotten... I am glad I can do more, now, than I could perpetrating those systems." Yuliana sighs, looking up. "Of course, I was always sure to facilitate the bribes of charitable organisations who wished to work without being bothered in the REA... but that entire framework speaks of something deeply broken, don't you think?" If Gridman goes back and asks his contacts about this, later, he'll find that she wasn't lying: Yuliana did facilitate organisations like the Yumi Foundation operating in her territory with the usual bribery, and didn't place onerous conditions on them.

        Except for harrassing certain young members, but really, that's not business. That's just personal!

        "I do not like to tolerate crimes of science committed to living flesh," Yuliana agrees with Elisa's careful opposition, considering those labs, and her smile fades as she does. "Do call on us should you need aid, won't you?" The offer is so open, and it doesn't appear dangerous, given in concern. Is it possible that Yuliana really does oppose human laboratories, having come out of one...?

        Well, that's for Elisa to know and him to find out.

        Just as Elisa knows the responsibility weighing on them -- and the strength they need to walk. And she knows how attractive that golden glint is too, right? Of course she does; they are green-eyed monsters.

        "Everything," Yuliana agrees, as she steps forward and takes his hand. Hers are calloused from years of war, with little nicks and scars from battles long since faded; a wedding band decorates her ring finger, rose gold laden with onyx and emeralds and diamonds. Her other hand comes to cradle his, and she looks into his eyes, with that beatific smile. Hers go on forever.

        "Then I will place my hope in you," she says, with an edge of raw vulnerability in the arch of her brow and the quiet of her voice.

        She takes his hand in hers and hers and hers and hers.

        The things which unravel from inside that cloak -- the cloak which seemed to move in some unseen breeze, almost as if possessed -- are a little like snakes, at first glance. At another, they resemble orchids; at a third, grasping claws. They are black, with green detailing, frills pressed back to their serpentine lengths as three fingers curl above his hand and two thumbs grasp down below. She does not unsheathe her claws; the jaws do not catch and bite.

        They are so cold.

        "Another world awaits you," Yuliana promises him, quietly. "Here I stand on the threshold, fully settled in neither existence. But I have Seen it, Akadachi. It has reached me. This Power can achieve... so much."

<Pose Tracker> Gridman has posed.

Time ticks by. Though Gridman clutches his phone in his pocket, he does not tap the screen to send the signal. Sky Vitter, outside, frowns and stands up straight from where he was leaning against a wall.

"Do you mean Ranka?" Gridman asks, excitedly. "I was at that concert too, with my partners! Wasn't she amazing? I've never yelled so loud in my life."

"Thank you. Tsutsujidai needs as many allies as she can get, especially if BioNet is sniffing around. If I find one, I'll send a message." Gridman looks so relieved at the thought of having more powerful people care about shutting down people after the Repli-Compoids.

Yuliana's words on social justice remind Gridman of Leina. He smiles. It's good to know there's people who care so much about the world, especially those most vulnerable.

"It's kinda sad bribes had to happen at all, yeah." That's troubling. Are governments really that corrupt? Is that normal? "But I guess the only thing that matters is that people got the help they needed, right?"

Gridman's strength... It's the whole reason he's here. The whole reason he met any of the people he loves. Is this path the one for him too? Has his journey led him here for a reason?

"If there's a way to make everyone happy, then it's okay for me to do it." Gridman says, slowly, convincing himself aloud. "It's not being selfish if it's for everyone. Just because I'm getting something too..."

Why does he have a sinking feeling in his heart, despite how good this all sounds?

Gridman and Yuliana join hands. For someone dressed so fantastically, her hands are still rough... He's surprised by that, and by the sheer wealth displayed by the wedding band. The Neon Genesis Junior High Students have money, sure, but not that kind of money. How much would something like that even cost..?

Yuliana's other hand cradles Gridman's, and his eyes snap up to hers, captivated. They never seem to end. Even Yuliana's words feel distant, as he gazes into the green voids before him.

"I'll keep it safe." Gridman murmurs, absently.

As the orchid-serpents unfurl, Gridman can't seem to really mind, or pay them much heed. Yuliana and Elisa... they can make his dreams come true. They can save him from having to leave everyone. What are some snakes in the face of that? Is this all he had to see?

Even as those grasping jaws -- hands -- open and curl around his hand, Gridman doesn't flinch.

Someone else does, however.

In a blur of speed, a humanoid shape darts out through the doors, and then -- Gridman is simply gone. No harm is done to Elisa or Yuliana, no trace is left of 'Akadachi'.

"Calibur!" The young Hyper Agent shouts, angry, "Put me down! I was doing something really, really important!"

Wind blasts red hair back, the samurai not stopping until he's met with their third comrade. One look at Calibur's face is all Vit needs, and soon the two have disappeared from the street before the meeting hall.

"G--Gridman." Calibur grits out. "T--that woman had snakes. F--from her back."

Thunking his head against Calibur's chest, Gridman seethes. "That doesn't matter! You don't understand!"

The samurai offers no further comment until they reach their shuttle. Vit and Calibur compare notes, leaving Gridman to his own devices. He fumes, quietly, poking at Oshansoo-san's screen.

---

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>hi i got your username from the newsletter
>this is akadachi
>im sorry about tonight
>id really like to talk more sometime

<Pose Tracker> Elisa Kafim has posed.

Elisa smiles at the matter of little Shari. "Ranka," Elisa agrees with Gridman. "An adorable girl with an adorable voice. Did you know? I met her before she was famous. She was doing jingles for a restaurant... That heart will serve her well, I am sure."

Then, of bribes, "This world has many such injustices. If we can correct some of those.. then all the better."

But soon, Gridman speaks of safety, and he also comes closer. Grasping jaws and hands, and then...

"Hmmm," Elisa says as Gridman disappears. Perhaps she hears a shout. Perhaps she doesn't.

"...Yes," Elisa says. "This one is... special," she agrees. "You have Seen much. And I see in this one... something unique."

"Thank you for indulging me, my darling." She smiles.

---

>That is well. I would be more than happy to discuss what you have seen. Soon.