2022-04-17: Phantasm

• Log: 2022-04-17: Phantasm
• Cast: Alexis Kerib, Grace O'Connor
• Where: Tsutsujidai - Train Station
• OOC - IC Date: 0096-04-17
• Summary: A nice chat. Nothing to worry about.

---

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

The strange thing about Tsutsujidai is: It's legitimately difficult space to navigate in every sense of the word. The city layout is a little odd by modern standards. More than that, though, it's even harder to get to the unusual slices of it. The particular sub-space Grace found last time, with its swirling wreckage and ever-diminishing space... is just gone. It's as if Tsutsujidai never had a connection to Fumo-Fumo Land. Even the train that *had* led there is now 'in repair, with our deepest apologies.'

Still, there are worse places to go and be than Tsutsujidai, even if its newest resident seems to have fully disappeared into the void. It might not be the most exciting town -- but there's an air to it today that's just a little on the tense side. It's a sort of twitchiness, like a particularly threatening -- or perhaps particularly threatened -- beast. The sun feels like it's going to burn up.

Alexis Kerib doesn't seem to mind the aggressive brightness of Tsutsujidai's sun or its coiled-spring atmosphere over-much. Quite the opposite, in fact; he's having himself a nice little sitsy-sit at the train station.

No one pays that much attention to a lone cosplayer, after all.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

On the Nadesico:

        Grace has had a rough night. While she anticipated using her opportunity to board the Hortensia to collect samples. Pulling them while they're still in the egg is, after all, the best way to see how the hive clusters are currently developing... if any, countermeasures due to battles the Vajra have fought. Furthermore it allows her to detect potential interference from void waves generated in Fairy-9's recent concert and help judge her ongoing development as well.

        ... speaking of Fairy-9 though, Grace had tried to keep Sheryl out of harm's way. Her gambit to put her at the helm of the shuttle was a bid to ensure she would stay behind AT the shuttlecraft. Unfortunately the girl's flighty stubbornness proves the undoing of Grace's plan. In the end it meant that she couldn't... oh, for example, destroy the computer core and lock Ruri in the core room to await eventual reactor meltdown.

        No... she had to make sure that Sheryl got away safely, which by extension meant she had to try to save everyone else as well.

        Regardless the cost wasn't too high. The arm can be easily replaced, and while the opportunity to physically eliminate the Electronic Fairy was (again) lost... she did have a chance to plant some seeds that may later come ripe to harvest. Meanwhile her main body rests in a sickbay bed - her skin, made waxy by the extreme heat exposure, regaining some of its natural human appearance. The holes in her torso are starting to seal up while the melted black material from the flightsuit flakes off her remaining hand while the skin itself is replaced underneathe. Her right shoulder, sans arm, is bandaged up... largely just for the comfort of anyone else visiting medbay. Quite a few people tend to be uncomfortable at the sight of twisted metal and wires protruding from an otherwise human looking woman... as it turns out.

        At this point the body has entered a low power state while it continues repairs. Connected to Nadesico as she is, this allows her to monitor ongoing radiology exams and her body's status while occupied elsewhere...

... elsewhere:

        Grace looks none the worse for wear! Her typical green dress, typical glasses (their twin tragically lost in the Vajra counterattack aboard the Hortensia), typical hair tied up in a typical style. What is atypical is ... well her location.

        With a cybernetic suite designed for navigating and tactical awareness in physical locations... Tsutsujidai is a bit uncomfortable for her. Some of the usual queues present in the physical world are simply absence here. Specifically those that exist outside the realm of typical human experience. It is... in fact, a somewhat uncomfortable reminder of how used she has become to her body's mechanical nature that losing those extra senses is now disturbing to her. Regardless it is comforting in that it gives her something to blame for not being able to find what she was looking for...

        ... and instead she finds.

        "Good afternoon, Alexis." Grace offers as she arrives at the train station. She glances at the train, theapologetic sign signaling its repair... the lack of connection to Fumo-Fumo Land, or indeed anything showing that said connection ever existed. Her expression deepens into a frown, "It appears something has been severed... or deteriorated?" Her knowledge on this space is still incomplete after all. She turns to Alexis, "Or perhaps you moved it to a safer location, somehow?"

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

Perhaps Alexis was expecting a visitor. Perhaps he just needed somewhere to think about Akane's plans -- which rapidly approach fruition -- that wasn't the sluice gate. It's hard to say what motivates Alexis; true evil, after all, is often incomprehensible.

"Hm?" Alexis gathers up to his full height in short order, hovering toward Grace. No one seems to pay his presence any mind at all. He forms up with her, as if he intends to walk with her -- or whatever it is he does -- rather than just sit here and have a conversation; he lets her choose the speed and the direction of the movement, though. "Ah -- yes, the monster. Rest assured, I'm keeping it quite safe; as for the space it had been sleeping in..."

He glances from side to side. "... *That* topic might be better reserved for a more secluded spot, I think." Even here, there are limits to how much they ought to discuss with prying eyes... especially with things so permeable lately.

"But first -- I'd like to congratulate you on your *excellent* work at the concert," he notes. "It's really been an honor to watch you operate, you know. It even gave me a chance to work on a side project!" He's quite affable about the whole thing.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        'The monster.' Yes, that is the appropriate way to refer to those creatures. Those words alone help raise her esteem towards Alexis, having had to deal so often... too often with colleagues who tried to argue for the feelings of a race of beings who lack even a rudimentry nervous system. Even if when connected to a hive cluster their actions resemble those of a more complex organism, individually they are just that: Monsters.

        ... thankfully Alexis doesn't waste time in bringing up something that drops his esteem in the secretary's eyes...

        "Yes..." Grace begins softly, "Perhaps that would be best." Her eyes slide across the horizon - once again being careful to keep an eye on Alexis. While normally it's hard for someone to sneak up on her... in this space she cannot be sure.

        Grace moves up to walk alongside Alexis. "I also appreciate the assistance you rendered at the concert. The incident achieved its primary goals, and then some." The stoking of old memories of war has already begun murmuring in more distant Zentradi marine fleets, whispering of the old ways and the warrior culture that they had lost. "However it seems you were involved with a bit more than assistance."

        "Why did you move the Nadesico's operator back to her ship." Her voice carries a subtle edge of frustration, "I must admit that particular bit of 'assistance' seems more like 'interference', on the face of it."
Anti teleports in.
POT: Anti is now set observer.

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

Alexis's reading of tone is -- spotty, but he catches that irritation. A vendetta against the Nadesico's operator, perhaps? ... Oh, *perfect*, Alexis thinks to himself. Whatever momentary irritation Grace has is surely fine with him. He leads her down those sleepy city streets, and before long, over an overpass. It's not used terribly often -- a perfect place to stop and chat.

"I made a promise to her that I'd come when called for help!" he answers, at first; lead with the worst part of it, and... "... Now, of course, there are caveats to that, and perhaps more importantly there's an end-goal in this."

How much to tell her...? He can give her much, but some of it might jeopardize a meal he's currently lined up in his head for *after* the young Ms. Hoshino. He looks at Grace thoughtfully -- insofar as he can, with that impassive mask, at any rate.

"I've been working on -- hm. 'Raising a monster in her heart' isn't quite the right term for *her* -- not all hearts give rise to monsters so cleanly. But you can see the loneliness, the turmoil, in her heart, yes? I find these things... pleasing."

The panels on Alexis's face light up in the parody of a smile, for just a moment. "*Eventually* I hope to see those things turned against her vessel! There's something about the human heart," Alexis explains, producing a bullet-shaped capsule with a picture of a vaguely humanoid shape that, were you to tilt it forward, might have a whale's silhouette, "that makes *excellent* food for the right type of predator."

In summation, he says, "So I suppose the concert achieved even more than you realize! I have her trust, and surely as a researcher you can appreciate the energy released in breaking a bond!" ...Chemistry humor. For all that Alexis loves unexpressed feelings, he rarely lets a good bit of wordplay go similarly unexpressed.

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        The two walk in silence together through the sleepy streets of the City that is Not. Grace is willing to wait for them to arrive at a more private locale before continuing into further details. After all, she has just as much to lose... if not more if her partnerships through BioNet and with Alexis were uncovered. It's perhaps for this very reason that the eventual choice of location strikes her as particularly odd: On an overpass. Somewhere that if any random passerby were to come by they'd stick out together like a sore thumb.

        Is this a play? No... too obvious. Still part of this does make her wonder if Alexis is as capable as he sometimes seem to be. After all the apparent flakeyness of his personality clashes with the apparent usefulness of his abilities. Still he seems to understand this space and its rules better than she does. She'll trust him for now...

        ... was perhaps what she was thinking until his words regarding his promise to Ruri rise from his faceplate. If that was meant to be a salve to her irritation, it instead proves to be an irritant. The secretary's eyes narrow, and she tilts her head so that the slanting light on the overpass renders the lenses of her glasses opaque. She is silent for now though.

        Sometimes you get more by keeping your mouth shut than yelling at someone in anger.

        And her silence proves fruitful indeed. While her eyes remain hidden to light-based vision, and even her eyes themselves are inscrutable at best, her view of Alexis and his project go through a rollercoaster ride. Byt the end though what surprises her, especially in his last statement, is how close their current plans align.

        After he is done speaking though she takes a moment to stand there in complete silence. Her silent silhouette a strange echo of one lost to time - especially with those glasses of hers shining in the glare of sunlight.

        "I suppose that will work." Grace finishes, with a hint of resignation on her voice. "Admittedly it would have suited my plans more for her to have met an abrupt end under a Zentradi's rifle, but I'll accept that you likely had plans for her even before I arrived at the Earth Sphere..."

        "... but perhaps we should endeavor to coordinate better to ensure our plans don't conflict in the future."

        And by 'we' of course she means 'you'... but that's always the game in BioNet isn't it? Giving just enough information so others can help your schemes, but not enough that they might profit off of it.

        "You are right though." Grace admits, with just a tiny degree of warmth... perhaps, eagerness? "A great deal of energy can be released at breaking a bond. Especially if you can provide the optimum conditions for the reaction to be utilized..."

        '... I'm sure she will. I mean Ranka, by the way. Just keep in mind that flesh and blood people are different than what you might expect.' Grace's voice is a bit soft, a bit melancholic, 'If you expect everyone to be as reliable to you as a machine is, you might end up getting hurt...'

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

Despite the seemingly very public location, no one seems to come close enough to bother with them. Indeed, even though they're on what looks like a very exposed overpass, there's... almost no foot traffic. One person shuffles past, at a gait described generously as unenthusiastic.

What a strange space.

"Oh, indeed. I've been working on gaining her trust for months," Alexis says, shuffling whatever device he's holding back into his cloak. He keeps much in that void -- all of it, for the moment, inert.

"I thought you'd understand. I should have warned you, I suppose, but the chaos of these things often precludes too much in the way of forewarning about these eventualities." He decides to let that stand, for now.

He glances down at her. For a moment, he has an experience of deja vu. In that instant, it feels like millennia have melted away --

-- but, really: No man ever steps in the same river twice. It's not the same river, and he's not the same man. It's good, of course, to see someone who can be well-cast; less so to imagine recasting the whole drama mid-performance.

"Hmmm," Alexis eventually murmurs, thoughtfully. "I don't suppose you'd like to meet someone, in that case...? If we're going to be coordinating a little more closely, I suppose I could introduce you to the brilliant heart at the center of this universe."

He pauses, then seems to realize something. "Ah -- avoid telling her about our... mutual aid organization, and avoid sharing her secrets, hm? She's not ready to know such things."

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        It's an understandable casualty in this line of work. To expect every BioNet member to coordinate fully with every other would result in the rapid unravelling and dissolution of the entire network. That would not suit the purposes of any of its members, nor its stake holders. Still the apology on the part of Alexis does help to mollify her sense of injury in being denied the instant gratification of Ruri's demise.

        Of course it helps that a new set of jingling keys is set to be waved before her...

        In spite of everything she has been through, all the trials that have broken her down and reforged her into an implement of despair and nightmares, she is still remains a woman of science at her core. And even if she doesn't necessarily have the time nor resources to give Tsutsujidai the full inspection it deserves (especially since much of said resources are now dedicated to the Ranka Fan Club of Kaworu and Ruri trying to keep certain websites from DDoS Hell), were such an opportunity to drop into her lap... well it'd be enough to set her nonexistant heart to racing all over again.

        And it's that sort distraction that Alexis offers her - specifically in meeting the 'Brilliant Heart' at the center of this universe. After all this place only resembles the material world superficially, at best... and that it was such a careful recreation of the physical human world suggests that there must be something human at the heart of it.

        ... and please forgive Grace if she for one second does not believe it is Alexis who provided the blueprint. Though it leaves the question as to what actual role he serves here. Regardless:

        "Should I explain the same to you with regard to my own protege, Alexis?" She asks, with a subtle smirk to her face. "Regardless I understand well enough. Perhaps we require a pretense for the two of us to meet. The Galactic Fairy's manager and your... Brilliant Heart?"

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

It'd be easier than it seems at first blush. Despite Alexis giving the impression of a universal traveler with countless different realms under his belt, the truth is that the ones closest to his heart have always been those that look like wards of Tokyo. Maybe especially those that present themselves as unusually cosmopolitan.

Perhaps there's more to the question of what Alexis gets out of this than it seems.

"Hm! A concert, here, then...?" Alexis's head cants up toward the sky, a moment. That's a risk, to be sure -- attracting the spirits of sound to this place is a risky prospect. ... on the other hand, the rewards it presents...

... Akane's more attentive than she lets herself believe. If someone woke this sleepy little slice up with a song or two, and *happened* to upset Akane enough to get her to lash out... Well. That night's sunset would give way to a dark night indeed, one would suppose. Even if she doesn't realize just how much it hurts her to hurt another -- even if she celebrates the 'victory' she's earned...

Protege... interesting. A nuanced word to use. "Ah -- so that's the nature of your relationship with her! Of course, of course," Alexis says, looking out toward Tsutsujidai's setting sun. "Unless you ask, I'll leave her to you; I have a feeling I would be... a complicating influence on your own plans -- though please, don't hesitate to reach out."

Curiosity gets the better of him. "... What is it you're hoping to accomplish with her? Or, hm -- put another way... is there something that makes her irreplaceable? I'm sure someone of your brilliance could engineer backups." Wryly, he notes, "Indeed, I suppose I'm talking to an engineered backup right now!"

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        At the Nadesico... the other Grace, the one in low power mode while her consciousness is elsewhere, is still laying in her hospital bed unmoving. Someone watching her would assume she was sleeping - after all, her brain wave patterns and the automated breathing motions her body are making all roughly follow those of a normal human. At least until there is spike... and a subtle twitch of Grace's eyebrows. It's almost like she experienced some sort of shock in her sleep that nearly roused her to waking...

        ... the source of said shock requires following the connection through the Nadesico's network, out into civilian mail servers where her encrypted 'emails' are deciphered into communication packets that are then sent through FTL communication through local, hidden communication nodes set up by the Galaxy 'refugees' and then eventually into the body standing with Alexis at Tsutsujidai. The body which was just told she was a 'engineered' backup.

        Perhaps she should have known. With his apparent control over space, and the hooks he has into Ms. Hoshino, it shouldn't have been surprising to her that he might have known. But perhaps it's because of his aforementioned flakey personality that she allowed herself to believe in a moment of distraction that he didn't know.

        Mistakes like that could prove costly.

        Regardless the physical display happened and cannot be taken back. The snapping of her head toward his direction, the widening of her eyes. Even the slow melt back to indifference does little to disguise what has come before. Finally she (needlessly) clears her throat.

        "So you've noticed." Grace states calmly, "I am the sort of person who prefers to have contingencies in place, of course. It wouldn't do to be incapacitated by something as simple as being blown to bits in a reactor criticality event."

        No comment on her relationship with Sheryl, even after Alexis gave his own remarks. The term protege is common in the talent manager industry - though it is perhaps a bit more ... informal, and warmer, than the sterile and professional 'client'. Grace only provided the curtest of nods to the suggestion that he should stay out of the way of her plans with Sheryl... and to the suggestion that she could simply replace her.

        "And of course she can be... replaced." There is a hint of hesitation... less than a fraction of a second. A communication error between her bodies... or something more? "However, it would cause an unwelcome delay if Sheryl was harmed. So while I think a concert in this space is something we could work out..."

        Not exactly something she welcomes without understanding how it works, mind, though it might give a fascinating opportunity to see how the sleeping beast reacts.

        "... I'll need some guarantees that she won't be permanently harmed."

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

"I do my best to keep apprised of the capabilities of our allies," Alexis says, with explanation by way of non-explanation. Despite how flakey and absent-minded he *presents*, the truth seems to be another matter entirely -- on some levels, at least, Alexis is *quite* aware of what's going on. Perhaps it's that he doesn't sweat details he thinks are beneath him.

A guarantee Sheryl won't be permanently harmed... frustrating to give, to be sure. Destroying a source of song would be absolutely disastrous for Akane, especially since she... wait. *Would* she even do such a thing? She'd come home from her meeting with the Gridman Alliance much more interested in talking about that other girl's trip to a concert than anti-Vessel of Light tactics.

In such a case, it's nearly-free to promise *and* easy to blame on Akane should something go wrong. "Rest assured, I have no interest in allowing your project to come to harm," Alexis offers, "even if it sounds as though the harm would ultimately be minor. Indeed, if you were to hold a few events here, that would accelerate my own timetable!"

The teal panels of his mask light up in a smile again. He leans forward a bit, toward the railing of the overpass -- only to correct his posture a moment later. "There *is* a modest chance of a kaiju attack in such a case... but with even a little forewarning, I'm sure you'll be able to handle caring for your fairy in the same way I cared for mine, yes?"

<Pose Tracker> Grace O'Connor has posed.

        Meetings between BioNet members is less a business match and more... fencing. There are a lot of big egos, and megalomania runs rampant among all its members. That Alexis isn't forthcoming with the information is far from surprising... at the very least though it does help confirm that he keeps an eye on happenings in and around the Nadesico.

        Is he aware of ongoing cyberwar being waged between Grace, Ruri and Kaworu over Ranka's websites? Honestly she'd be more surprised if he WASN'T given the ever growing resources being poured into that struggle.

        And like most wars on the internet, the benefits are not imediately clear...

        Back in the non-internet world of Tsutsujidai however, Grace watches Alexis as he mulls over her request for a guarantee that Sheryl would not be permanently harmed. Not a promise for her safety or a request for protection - after all, both of those could be interpreted and used against her and her plans. She isn't certain but she does feel that Alexis is the sort of person you have to be careful in choosing your words around.

        ... like a contract with the Devil, be careful what you wish for.

        Once he affirms her request, albeit in his own words, she mulls over his response within her head. "That is..." She pauses as he makes a note that there may be a modest chance of, y'know, KAIJU attack.

        At this point, Grace's lack of understanding as to how the Kaiju come to be, or who creates them, really work in Alexis's favor.

        "That is acceptable." She finishes her throught, before turning to look towards the railing of the overpass as well. She passively notes the distance the sun has traveled. Does time flow at the same rate here as it does outside? Even if it does... can she trust the sun to be a reliable indicator? So many questions in this mysterious land. "Providing for security is another one of my responsibilities. It's no different here than it is anywhere else..."

        A data packet arrives from outside Tsutsujidai, indicating the local time on the Nadesico as well as providing several compressed images recording activity near her body. Only the occasional nurse checking on her biometrics, it would seem. Still... perhaps this excursion has taken enough time.

        Shame that she didn't get to review the state of the sleeping Vajra . . . but well she did offer to turn it over to the care of Alexis before, after all.

        "It's about time for me to make my return. I trust we'll be in touch regarding further arrangements for the concert?"

<Pose Tracker> Alexis Kerib has posed.

It sounds as though things have reached an agreeable conclusion, for the moment -- and what's more, Alexis has gathered that littlest extra bit of information regarding the relationship between Grace and Sheryl. That draws his attention around to that bond again -- and perhaps another bond, or bond-to-be...

... no, it's once again best to take care in balancing those roles. He's already seen what happens when you lose command of a narrative you're building in real time; best to avoid risking it. Even if Alexis has carefully avoided getting anyone 'over' him to capitalize, it's still just too risky.

"Yes, certainly," Alexis agrees, regarding the concert. "Have a lovely evening. Please, feel free to explore the city proper -- you've mostly seen its damaged spaces, yes?" Already he's floating away, but he offers, "This is a place where none of the tragedies of the last sixteen years of the Universal Century occurred. I'm sure it'll give you and your fairy fascinating material to build from. And, ah -- if you wanted a space to leave a spare body or two unbothered, I'm certain there's a capsule hotel around! This city's people rarely check up on things, you know."

He floats off.