It wasn't too long before Hikari regained full awareness, along with a nice, dull pain on her head. As she did, she noted someone joining her...Mikhail? He swiftly offered his assistance, which she was most certainly not too proud to accept. "I-I'm okay. You needn't worry." Completely oblivious to the show she was putting on, she was righted, and sitting safe and sound in her chair once more...though this time, she was gently rubbing the back of her head. It might've been a problem helping her if she was larger, but she was petite enough that she didn't actually need much space to move around. "I'm most certain that's lemonade. I made it just yesterday." Unlike her hand, the sarcasm had flown high over her head.
She took a look around, noting that everyone and everything was where they'd been before, with the obvious one exception of the Sharoan. "Everyone else all right? Good. And it seems nothing is damaged...that's a relief..." The priestess let out a rather large sigh, extremely grateful that no computers were harmed in the making of herself look like a complete idiot. They weren't state of the art, but they were still rather nice, so replacing even one would've taken a bite out of the temple's finances.
The question Mikhail had asked after returning to his seat caused Hikari to slightly, but visibly, flinch. While he hadn't spent much of the day with Yoshitsune like she had, she had to wonder if he was trying to provoke him at this point. And that...was not something she allowed here. "E-Excuse me, Mikhail. You've been asking Yoshitsune some rather...well, personal questions. I'm all for reflection, but I cannot say this is a proper time for it. I believe you should keep your questions to the actual art of kabuki. What he does with his life is his business, regardless of whether you agree with it." ...Ohh, did she sound too forceful there? She might've been too forceful...certainly more than she meant it to be. "...Um, I apologize if that came out a bit harshly. But this is a building for easing hearts, not burdening them. I must ask that, if nothing else, you respect that." ...Was THAT too forceful? Oh, she was so nervous now...hmm? That was odd. Did she just feel something a little...moist on her panties? ...No, that couldn't be it. She must've been imagining things due to nerves.
Temple of Divina (Electopia)
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He was vaguely disappointed that the young boy hadn't jumped in to share the wealth of his knowledge, rather than letting his navi answer the question, but regardless Mikhail nodded along, listening with interest to Kabuki's description of when and how the different forms of the technique were used. There were some similarities in some ways, even in ballet; usually though, the most extravagant on-stage changes they ever performed were the sorts that the dancer him or herself could pull off with a simple move or two, in a way that disguised it from the audience. A multi-layered folding costume, or the like, that allowed for a single switch.
The sight of Yoshitsune having what could only be described as a borderline medical problem in response to... was it really in response to catching a peek at Hikari's underwear? Seriously? The dancer wanted to sigh, but restrained himself. Unsanitary accidents aside, what occurred next was quite astonishing to Mikhail; of all the reactions he might have expected, being scolded by Hikari for asking personal questions and disrespecting the wishes of others had not been on his radar. As far as he could tell, Yoshitsune himself was the only one so far who had asked something inappropriate, and the priestess was the one using the name he'd asked them both not to already. It truly baffled him and he took a long breath to order his thoughts.
"I apologise, Hikari, if asking about costume-changing techniques was not enough related to Kabuki-theatre, and too personal a question for your tastes. Master Hideyoshi did not seem to think it was, nor miss Kabuki. I found the information shared quite interesting. Should I also apologise also for not respecting the wishes of others? I'm am not sure where I transgressed, since master Hideyoshi was quite... ah, the word... quite affirmative to my most recent comment." He sipped his coffee and raised one eyebrow at her. "If we are on the topic of respecting the wishes of others, perhaps I should remind you that master Hideyoshi requested that we not use the name you have spoken twice since." He chuckled softly as he spoke, doing his bet to show that the gentle ribbing was not really intended as a chastisement, then glanced towards his PET to ask Pirouette how everything was going.
He held his tongue at first, to appreciate the costume she had now changed into; it was quite impressive, and he was surprised by how well it seemed to suit her. His eyes darted to her wing-tips, where the hint of gold colour had been filled in, and wondered if he was going to have the delight of listening to Pirouette complaining about getting the colour out again later. It was also enough time for him to notice, from the view, that they were about to record something more serious, so he lowered the device again without asking her anything directly.
"As I was saying, young man, I find your field of expertise quite fascinating. It strikes me that, unlike in my own field, the work of the stage hands... What did you say the name for them was again? It seems much more involved and detailed a job, than managing the same for ballet." He rolled his mug in his hands briefly, then finished off the drink and set the cup down.
"The coffee was very pleasant, thank you Hikari."
The sight of Yoshitsune having what could only be described as a borderline medical problem in response to... was it really in response to catching a peek at Hikari's underwear? Seriously? The dancer wanted to sigh, but restrained himself. Unsanitary accidents aside, what occurred next was quite astonishing to Mikhail; of all the reactions he might have expected, being scolded by Hikari for asking personal questions and disrespecting the wishes of others had not been on his radar. As far as he could tell, Yoshitsune himself was the only one so far who had asked something inappropriate, and the priestess was the one using the name he'd asked them both not to already. It truly baffled him and he took a long breath to order his thoughts.
"I apologise, Hikari, if asking about costume-changing techniques was not enough related to Kabuki-theatre, and too personal a question for your tastes. Master Hideyoshi did not seem to think it was, nor miss Kabuki. I found the information shared quite interesting. Should I also apologise also for not respecting the wishes of others? I'm am not sure where I transgressed, since master Hideyoshi was quite... ah, the word... quite affirmative to my most recent comment." He sipped his coffee and raised one eyebrow at her. "If we are on the topic of respecting the wishes of others, perhaps I should remind you that master Hideyoshi requested that we not use the name you have spoken twice since." He chuckled softly as he spoke, doing his bet to show that the gentle ribbing was not really intended as a chastisement, then glanced towards his PET to ask Pirouette how everything was going.
He held his tongue at first, to appreciate the costume she had now changed into; it was quite impressive, and he was surprised by how well it seemed to suit her. His eyes darted to her wing-tips, where the hint of gold colour had been filled in, and wondered if he was going to have the delight of listening to Pirouette complaining about getting the colour out again later. It was also enough time for him to notice, from the view, that they were about to record something more serious, so he lowered the device again without asking her anything directly.
"As I was saying, young man, I find your field of expertise quite fascinating. It strikes me that, unlike in my own field, the work of the stage hands... What did you say the name for them was again? It seems much more involved and detailed a job, than managing the same for ballet." He rolled his mug in his hands briefly, then finished off the drink and set the cup down.
"The coffee was very pleasant, thank you Hikari."
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"Ha! Nay, I'm not bothered in the slightest," Yoshitsune informed Hikari, turning his head aside defiantly. "My life and the world of kabuki, hitherto, have been one and the same. It is hard to talk about one without talking about the other, as it stands. That is why I am so adamant about my freedom; as fine as the art of kabuki is, it shackles me, and I am eager to break from it," he explained, gesturing with both of his hands to show a motion indicating breaking his handcuffs. More practically, Yoshitsune was the type to go on and on about his personal life regardless of whether anyone asked, so keeping him from speaking about it would mean having to gag him.
The young man was bottoming out the last of his milk now, but he had a clear, puzzled expression as Hikari exchanged concern that he was being prodded too closely and Mikhail, in turn, reminded Hikari that he'd asked her not to use his real name. His eyes widened a moment later when he realized that she had indeed been saying "Yoshitsune" rather than "Hideyoshi." "Yay, Priestess, the ballerino has a point! It is mete that you call me by my given name, Hideyoshi! No good can come from using my relatively famous kabuki family name right now, as I attempt to sever my fate from that of my heritage," finally realizing the transgression so that he could be offended about it.
He cast his eyes down at his PET from time to time, finding the newly formed idol group too juvenile for his tastes. "Cutting-edge idols are sexy as well as cute, posing for swimsuit shots while wearing bikinis. They should follow that example," he thought to himself, crossing his arms across his chest as he contemplated. He was interrupted from that thought my more questioning from Mikhail over kabuki theater specifics. "You are referring to the kuroko. Indeed, like in many aspects, kabuki requires excellence even from its stage-hands, who race about the stage to ready actor's costumes, move set-pieces, and create other effects. The purpose of the black clothing is so that, in the dark of the theater, their presence is unpronounced, drawing the eyes of others to the finery of actors instead. Although, I hear that those without an acquired taste for the theater find themselves distracted by the kuroko instead some times. They are like tourists, looking at tall buildings in a city! Ignorance is a fine excuse for a fledgling kabuki enthusiast, I suppose," he sighed. "But as you can tell, the kuroko is the perfect guise for me. As the kuroko work in the background, away from prying eyes, so do I. With this outfit, I won't stand out at all," he announced proudly, although the fact that the role of kuroko was such a curiosity to Mikhail ought to have tipped him off to the fact that regular people would instead find him all the stranger for wearing that outfit, perhaps even more so than if he wore kabuki make-up.
"How about you, Ballerino? I must admit, when I think of ballet, I usually think of a small girl, like your navi. What made you decide to take up that profession?" he asked; it was hard to tell whether he was genuinely curious or whether he was making a stereotypical jab at Mikhail. "And you, Priestess? Certainly you didn't rise from the cradle, knowing that you wanted to be a priestess for the Goddess Divina? At what point did you come to understand what you now consider to be your calling?" he asked, looking to the other. "Ha! I can imagine the two of your professions swapped. She looks as though she could be a ballerina and you look like you could be a minister of some sort, if you were dressed differently! Well, really, your navis look the part; it is you two who look odd. That is fairly unusual, is it not?" Again, not seeming to understand that he was the most strange-looking one in the room.
The young man was bottoming out the last of his milk now, but he had a clear, puzzled expression as Hikari exchanged concern that he was being prodded too closely and Mikhail, in turn, reminded Hikari that he'd asked her not to use his real name. His eyes widened a moment later when he realized that she had indeed been saying "Yoshitsune" rather than "Hideyoshi." "Yay, Priestess, the ballerino has a point! It is mete that you call me by my given name, Hideyoshi! No good can come from using my relatively famous kabuki family name right now, as I attempt to sever my fate from that of my heritage," finally realizing the transgression so that he could be offended about it.
He cast his eyes down at his PET from time to time, finding the newly formed idol group too juvenile for his tastes. "Cutting-edge idols are sexy as well as cute, posing for swimsuit shots while wearing bikinis. They should follow that example," he thought to himself, crossing his arms across his chest as he contemplated. He was interrupted from that thought my more questioning from Mikhail over kabuki theater specifics. "You are referring to the kuroko. Indeed, like in many aspects, kabuki requires excellence even from its stage-hands, who race about the stage to ready actor's costumes, move set-pieces, and create other effects. The purpose of the black clothing is so that, in the dark of the theater, their presence is unpronounced, drawing the eyes of others to the finery of actors instead. Although, I hear that those without an acquired taste for the theater find themselves distracted by the kuroko instead some times. They are like tourists, looking at tall buildings in a city! Ignorance is a fine excuse for a fledgling kabuki enthusiast, I suppose," he sighed. "But as you can tell, the kuroko is the perfect guise for me. As the kuroko work in the background, away from prying eyes, so do I. With this outfit, I won't stand out at all," he announced proudly, although the fact that the role of kuroko was such a curiosity to Mikhail ought to have tipped him off to the fact that regular people would instead find him all the stranger for wearing that outfit, perhaps even more so than if he wore kabuki make-up.
"How about you, Ballerino? I must admit, when I think of ballet, I usually think of a small girl, like your navi. What made you decide to take up that profession?" he asked; it was hard to tell whether he was genuinely curious or whether he was making a stereotypical jab at Mikhail. "And you, Priestess? Certainly you didn't rise from the cradle, knowing that you wanted to be a priestess for the Goddess Divina? At what point did you come to understand what you now consider to be your calling?" he asked, looking to the other. "Ha! I can imagine the two of your professions swapped. She looks as though she could be a ballerina and you look like you could be a minister of some sort, if you were dressed differently! Well, really, your navis look the part; it is you two who look odd. That is fairly unusual, is it not?" Again, not seeming to understand that he was the most strange-looking one in the room.
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"That...is not what I meant." Hikari placed her hands on her breast, one over the other, almost making it almost look like she was praying. Those that knew her best would recognize it as a sign of her forcing herself to overcome her nerves. "I mean, things like questioning the meaning of freedom, that seem to have no obvious meaning other than being provocative. It's a bit personal for those that have only just met!" That Yoshitsune was okay with it didn't matter here, oddly enough. She honestly wasn't sure if he'd even notice that sort of thing. "And furthermore...hmm?" The name she had spoken? But she'd called him...oh. OH. "...Oh my goddess, you're right! I've been using the wrong name! I'm so so so so sorry, Hideyoshi!" She immediately stood up, placed her hands in her lap, and bowed profusely to the young man. "I don't know how I got things mixed up...I'm so sorry!" As she sat down, the high priestess almost looked like she might cry...chastising someone else for getting too personal, only for herself to make such a basic error...she fully realized the hypocrisy in that, and hated that she'd done such a thing.
Luckily, no bodily fluids of any sort were lost in the meantime, as she calmed down by drinking a bit more of her lemonade. Even after that, she still had a good half of her drink left, while the others were nearly finished. The conversation, surprisingly, took a turn that let her contribute. "Oh! That reminds me of something I read once. You know how ninja are usually portrayed as wearing nothing but black all over? That actually comes from kabuki . As Hideyoshi noted, kuroko are supposed to be ignored as they work. However, if a play called for a ninja to kill someone, a kuroko would perform the act, and not an actor. Since they're intended to be as nothing, it would be as if the ninja had struck from nowhere, then vanished without a trace! I thought that was interesting, anyway..."
Yoshitsune then engaged in another Yoshitsuneish remark, which made her look down at her clothes. He wasn't really wrong; if it wasn't for her outfit, she wouldn't look at all like a priestess. But as for how she became that to begin with..."Oh, of course I didn't. Divina hadn't even been incarnated as a Navi until several years ago. Truthfully, at first, I was skeptical of what she claimed to be. I suppose most people would be. But after being with her, and seeing all that she'd accomplished...there's no doubt in my mind, or my heart, that she is as she says. And as long as I draw breath, I shall serve her, as her arms and legs in the real world. I may not look like it without this dress, but at the end of the day, I am who I am: the high priestess of the goddess Divina." This seemed to lighten the woman up a bit, and managed to give herself a small smile as she turned to Mikhail. "What about you? How did you end up in a profession you don't appear to look the part of? ...Unless it's too personal to share, of course." She blushed, mostly at herself for invoking her previous embarrassing acts.
Luckily, no bodily fluids of any sort were lost in the meantime, as she calmed down by drinking a bit more of her lemonade. Even after that, she still had a good half of her drink left, while the others were nearly finished. The conversation, surprisingly, took a turn that let her contribute. "Oh! That reminds me of something I read once. You know how ninja are usually portrayed as wearing nothing but black all over? That actually comes from kabuki . As Hideyoshi noted, kuroko are supposed to be ignored as they work. However, if a play called for a ninja to kill someone, a kuroko would perform the act, and not an actor. Since they're intended to be as nothing, it would be as if the ninja had struck from nowhere, then vanished without a trace! I thought that was interesting, anyway..."
Yoshitsune then engaged in another Yoshitsuneish remark, which made her look down at her clothes. He wasn't really wrong; if it wasn't for her outfit, she wouldn't look at all like a priestess. But as for how she became that to begin with..."Oh, of course I didn't. Divina hadn't even been incarnated as a Navi until several years ago. Truthfully, at first, I was skeptical of what she claimed to be. I suppose most people would be. But after being with her, and seeing all that she'd accomplished...there's no doubt in my mind, or my heart, that she is as she says. And as long as I draw breath, I shall serve her, as her arms and legs in the real world. I may not look like it without this dress, but at the end of the day, I am who I am: the high priestess of the goddess Divina." This seemed to lighten the woman up a bit, and managed to give herself a small smile as she turned to Mikhail. "What about you? How did you end up in a profession you don't appear to look the part of? ...Unless it's too personal to share, of course." She blushed, mostly at herself for invoking her previous embarrassing acts.
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Mikhail held his peace while Hikari profused over her error. It seemed as though she was more than punishing herself enough for the misstep without calling nay further attention to it. In truth he felt a little bad for causing the woman such distress from what he had only meant as a well intended nudge. As the boy finally loosened up enough to show some meaningful knowledge about his art, Mikhail listened with half an ear while pondering the strangeness of Hikari's own behaviour. He wanted to comment that Yoshitsune was perfectly dressed to blend into the background, provided that he were on a kabuki stage, but he bit his tongue on that one too, choosing not to rub any more fur the wrong way.
His eyebrows rose for a moment as Hikari chimed in with a very interesting little fact of her own on the matter. It was a clever thing, now that he thought about it, and the idea made him smile softly. It was something he had not known, and it was very clever indeed.
When the conversation moved on to how they had each come to their life's calling, Mikhail was beginning to understand that the young boy was probably not going to hear much of what Hikari had to say after her unfortunate choice of words part way through; he wagered, quietly to himself, that the boy would be entirely caught up in imaging what Hikari looked like 'without this dress', as she said.
He nodded to both of them once eyes turned his way, shifting to stretch slightly. He'd already told them that he'd been drawn to dancing from a very young age, but, if they wanted to her more it wouldn't really do to refuse.
"Yes, it is common to think of female leads, for ballet. Even today, a male entering the field must often pretend he is doing otherwise, to his peers, or face ridicule. Still, if a man is established and finds a place in a well known troupe, then the accolades are high. For myself, as I said it began quite young. In school in Sharo, even from first form, we have speech and music as part of our core, you see. It often also covers rhythm and sometimes dance, and I did well in this. In my home, my family always had a very strong ideal that one should..." He lost the word he was looking for briefly then continued once he found it. "Ah, immerse ourselves in the heritage and the pride of our nation, and so there was always some piece of traditional, classical music playing, so it became natural for me to appreciate the rhythm and movement of such things. I do not suppose it is what my father intended, but it is what happened.
"My second form instructor, noticed that I always moved well with music that played in our classes, and he asked my parents if they had noticed." Mikhail chuckled softly to himself. "The story goes that my father assured him that I would grow out of it, while my mother said it was cute for a small boy." He paused, making a small spooling gesture with one hand. "It will not translate, but, she used the words that said it to mean only a child, and not for a man, if you follow. Anyway, it was enough that my instructor began to encourage me more towards such things, even knowing that my parents did not approve. He was a lover of the arts, and I am grateful for his keen eye. When I was in fourth form, at the age of ten, we went to see a production of Don Quixote. My old second form teacher was one of the adults asking us, and I think he had a hand in picking which production we saw. You see, Don Quixote is a very notable ballet, because it contains fully seven male lead pieces, and only four female lead roles... it is highly unusual like this, you know? My instructor asked, at the end, if I would like to learn to dance, as they had, and he said it was the most enthusiastic agreement he had ever heard from me.
"It took some convincing, but he prevailed upon my parents to allow me to move beyond the formal schooling courses, and enrol me in a ballet school, and I was accepted into the Vaganova academy. I have not looked back since. Right to the day I graduated, and performed my grand pas de deux for my teachers, I believe my father thought I would give it up, and get a 'proper' job. It was only when I was nationally acclaimed for my performance as Abderakhman in Raymonda, two years after my acceptance into the Mariinsky Ballet company... ah, I think perhaps, abroad it is better known as the 'Kirov' ballet company... it was not until then, that I think my father finally accepted who I am." It only occurred to Mikhail after he had chatted at length about his origins that he was at once doing a rather gratuitous amount of prestigious name-dropping... and also the almost certain probability that neither of his companions would recognise any of it at all anyway. He supposed the two facts cancelled each other out, more or less.
Again he glanced at his PET, hoping to jump rails quickly with an update from Pirouette, but the trio still seemed to be engaged in their interview, so it would need to wait. He contemplated drawing Hikari further on the sheer hypocrisy of a woman who made it her life's duty to spread her faith to complete strangers, calling a conversation about differing philosophies between new acquaintances too inappropriately personal and 'provocative'... but the woman seemed to be internally suffering enough as it was, so he promised himself not to bring it up again unless she did.
His eyebrows rose for a moment as Hikari chimed in with a very interesting little fact of her own on the matter. It was a clever thing, now that he thought about it, and the idea made him smile softly. It was something he had not known, and it was very clever indeed.
When the conversation moved on to how they had each come to their life's calling, Mikhail was beginning to understand that the young boy was probably not going to hear much of what Hikari had to say after her unfortunate choice of words part way through; he wagered, quietly to himself, that the boy would be entirely caught up in imaging what Hikari looked like 'without this dress', as she said.
He nodded to both of them once eyes turned his way, shifting to stretch slightly. He'd already told them that he'd been drawn to dancing from a very young age, but, if they wanted to her more it wouldn't really do to refuse.
"Yes, it is common to think of female leads, for ballet. Even today, a male entering the field must often pretend he is doing otherwise, to his peers, or face ridicule. Still, if a man is established and finds a place in a well known troupe, then the accolades are high. For myself, as I said it began quite young. In school in Sharo, even from first form, we have speech and music as part of our core, you see. It often also covers rhythm and sometimes dance, and I did well in this. In my home, my family always had a very strong ideal that one should..." He lost the word he was looking for briefly then continued once he found it. "Ah, immerse ourselves in the heritage and the pride of our nation, and so there was always some piece of traditional, classical music playing, so it became natural for me to appreciate the rhythm and movement of such things. I do not suppose it is what my father intended, but it is what happened.
"My second form instructor, noticed that I always moved well with music that played in our classes, and he asked my parents if they had noticed." Mikhail chuckled softly to himself. "The story goes that my father assured him that I would grow out of it, while my mother said it was cute for a small boy." He paused, making a small spooling gesture with one hand. "It will not translate, but, she used the words that said it to mean only a child, and not for a man, if you follow. Anyway, it was enough that my instructor began to encourage me more towards such things, even knowing that my parents did not approve. He was a lover of the arts, and I am grateful for his keen eye. When I was in fourth form, at the age of ten, we went to see a production of Don Quixote. My old second form teacher was one of the adults asking us, and I think he had a hand in picking which production we saw. You see, Don Quixote is a very notable ballet, because it contains fully seven male lead pieces, and only four female lead roles... it is highly unusual like this, you know? My instructor asked, at the end, if I would like to learn to dance, as they had, and he said it was the most enthusiastic agreement he had ever heard from me.
"It took some convincing, but he prevailed upon my parents to allow me to move beyond the formal schooling courses, and enrol me in a ballet school, and I was accepted into the Vaganova academy. I have not looked back since. Right to the day I graduated, and performed my grand pas de deux for my teachers, I believe my father thought I would give it up, and get a 'proper' job. It was only when I was nationally acclaimed for my performance as Abderakhman in Raymonda, two years after my acceptance into the Mariinsky Ballet company... ah, I think perhaps, abroad it is better known as the 'Kirov' ballet company... it was not until then, that I think my father finally accepted who I am." It only occurred to Mikhail after he had chatted at length about his origins that he was at once doing a rather gratuitous amount of prestigious name-dropping... and also the almost certain probability that neither of his companions would recognise any of it at all anyway. He supposed the two facts cancelled each other out, more or less.
Again he glanced at his PET, hoping to jump rails quickly with an update from Pirouette, but the trio still seemed to be engaged in their interview, so it would need to wait. He contemplated drawing Hikari further on the sheer hypocrisy of a woman who made it her life's duty to spread her faith to complete strangers, calling a conversation about differing philosophies between new acquaintances too inappropriately personal and 'provocative'... but the woman seemed to be internally suffering enough as it was, so he promised himself not to bring it up again unless she did.
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"Hmph! You are forgiven!" Yoshitsune announced, holding one hand forward dramatically towards the priestess. He'd never pass up an opportunity to be a gracious person when it cost him nothing to do so. The conversation continued to agree with him; he smirked and nodded slowly. "Indeed! I am rather like a ninja, am I not? While I stay hidden in the shadows, my skills are sharp and my role is vital to the success of my entire association," he added, thinking that he liked the comparison. Somehow, in his head, the portrayal of ninja being derived from Kabuki had transformed into "Hideyoshi is like a ninja."
Hikari answered his question next, offering answers he only half-cared about, but was still listening to hard enough to criticize. "All that she has accomplished, you say?" he asked, with a vague accusation that he hadn't seen her accomplish much himself. "True, I suppose her number of followers is somewhat sizable. I'll ask you this, then: how did she get started? Who were her first disciples in the net? She must have performed some kind of miracle to make them follow her, as did Jesus Christ of Nazareth, or so they say."
Mikhail had his own answer to offer; this one he paid attention to even less of than Hikari's, given that he had, perhaps unconsciously, perhaps not, mostly said it in an attempt to ridicule the ballerino. Not to mention that Hikari had unintentionally just gotten him thinking about her without her robe. "Well, Ballerino, like myself, you defied expectations, reaching out to what was in your heart of hearts and rejecting the things others told you that you ought to do! Noble, noble indeed. Perhaps I shall find my true calling in much the same way and accomplish many such accolades myself?" he asked nobody in particular... although, if his story was really like Mikhail's, he wouldn't have rejected his father's kabuki legacy, seemingly just to pursue a life in a different role in another kabuki theater. "It is interesting to compare the three of us, who search individually for our calling, to the three navis we watch over: each has 'free will,' yet each does more or less what they were programmed to do. I suppose it's lucky that they have a passion for it, then? But it would have been just as possible for Kabuki to be made a Kabuki navi who hates kabuki! What a travesty that would have been... But it makes me wonder. Has Pirouette ever rejected her profession? And has Divina ever rejected her... divinity?" he questioned, not knowing a better way to name the profession of being a goddess.
At the same time, it seemed a noteworthy development was occurring on the net; he watched, critically, as MoCapMan bowled into the tent, seeming highly unprofessional in his behavior. Yoshitsune became mildly more sympathetic once MoCapMan revealed what had happened. "Sounds like even the world of net idols, where girls are prided in their youth and innocence, can be a cut-throat business!" he observed, rubbing his hairless chin thoughtfully.
Hikari answered his question next, offering answers he only half-cared about, but was still listening to hard enough to criticize. "All that she has accomplished, you say?" he asked, with a vague accusation that he hadn't seen her accomplish much himself. "True, I suppose her number of followers is somewhat sizable. I'll ask you this, then: how did she get started? Who were her first disciples in the net? She must have performed some kind of miracle to make them follow her, as did Jesus Christ of Nazareth, or so they say."
Mikhail had his own answer to offer; this one he paid attention to even less of than Hikari's, given that he had, perhaps unconsciously, perhaps not, mostly said it in an attempt to ridicule the ballerino. Not to mention that Hikari had unintentionally just gotten him thinking about her without her robe. "Well, Ballerino, like myself, you defied expectations, reaching out to what was in your heart of hearts and rejecting the things others told you that you ought to do! Noble, noble indeed. Perhaps I shall find my true calling in much the same way and accomplish many such accolades myself?" he asked nobody in particular... although, if his story was really like Mikhail's, he wouldn't have rejected his father's kabuki legacy, seemingly just to pursue a life in a different role in another kabuki theater. "It is interesting to compare the three of us, who search individually for our calling, to the three navis we watch over: each has 'free will,' yet each does more or less what they were programmed to do. I suppose it's lucky that they have a passion for it, then? But it would have been just as possible for Kabuki to be made a Kabuki navi who hates kabuki! What a travesty that would have been... But it makes me wonder. Has Pirouette ever rejected her profession? And has Divina ever rejected her... divinity?" he questioned, not knowing a better way to name the profession of being a goddess.
At the same time, it seemed a noteworthy development was occurring on the net; he watched, critically, as MoCapMan bowled into the tent, seeming highly unprofessional in his behavior. Yoshitsune became mildly more sympathetic once MoCapMan revealed what had happened. "Sounds like even the world of net idols, where girls are prided in their youth and innocence, can be a cut-throat business!" he observed, rubbing his hairless chin thoughtfully.
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((Pirouette Returning From -> First Annual Net-Idol Canival))
Mikhail glanced down at his PET again as it gave him sign that Pirouette had returned. the chat had ambled a little bit since they began, sometimes checking in on the mission and other times not, but the instructor's concern for his navi led him to focusing mostly on her for the next few moments at least. The screen of the PET was displaying her room still, and the ballerina was standing with her back to him, looking at her dressing mirror. He could see her wings trembling slightly, and the way her arms were folded it was obvious that the girl was tense.
"Pirouette... you have returned, is all well with you?" As much as he had expected the wordless shake of her head it still put a frown on his features. "The mission board, it appears all has been a success, has it not? But you are not pleased with how things turned out are you, young one?"
"It is unclean money. I feel dirty and unclean. I will not take it." She had turned her head slightly while she spoke, not looking directly at him, so much as talking over her shoulder. The folding of her arms had become more of a self-hug as she answered, and Mikhail winced.
"It is rather a lot of money for the time, little one. Remember how excited you were to earn some spending change for upgrades? Are you sure you—"
"I do not want it!!" The girl's shout cut him short, coming out with a surprising amount of passion and force, and Mikhail nodded more to himself than anyone else.
"Alright, my little lebedёnok, alright. I understand, it is well. Perhaps you should have a shower, yes? It will make you feel better, and I will make you a deal. You do not need to accept the payment. I will take it for you, and I will spend it on other things, yes? If then I later decide to buy you a present, it will be with my own money, as the school pays me, yes? It will be fine." At last the girl turned around properly, letting her arms unfold until she was simply clutching one by the elbow. Her wings had fallen back and she sighed when she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Net, no da tol'ko dlya vas... I am going to bathe now. Please say goodbye to the others for me?"
Mikhail gave her a small nod and she darted through swiftly to her private bathroom. The ballet instructor sighed and slipped the PET into his pocket for the time being before looking at his companions again.
"I am sorry, she is very upset it seems. I would apologise for her, if she has been rude to either of your navis." After a moment he brought his PET out again. "In fact, I recall, yes... Hikari, your Divina, she offered her contact details, but Pirouette forgot to return them. Do allow me. I will pass them to you as well, if you wish, young master... your Kabuki seems the friendly type, so I'm sure she would appreciate the exchange, yes?" He quickly set about rectifying the lack of mutual details that Pirouette had left, then went on to collect the offered reward from the mission board as well. With that done, he slipped the PET away again and stood.
"At any rate, I should return. Classes to teach and prepare for, you know? Thank you both for the interesting time. I hope you will forgive me for going abruptly, but I think we have both had enough excitement for one day now, no? Be well in yourselves, until we meet again. Hikari, Hideyoshi," He inclined his head to each of them, and offered a hand to shake in case either of them felt like the gesture, then began to make his way back to the entrance of the temple building, with the intent of heading home.
((Returning To -> Mikhail's Home))
Mikhail glanced down at his PET again as it gave him sign that Pirouette had returned. the chat had ambled a little bit since they began, sometimes checking in on the mission and other times not, but the instructor's concern for his navi led him to focusing mostly on her for the next few moments at least. The screen of the PET was displaying her room still, and the ballerina was standing with her back to him, looking at her dressing mirror. He could see her wings trembling slightly, and the way her arms were folded it was obvious that the girl was tense.
"Pirouette... you have returned, is all well with you?" As much as he had expected the wordless shake of her head it still put a frown on his features. "The mission board, it appears all has been a success, has it not? But you are not pleased with how things turned out are you, young one?"
"It is unclean money. I feel dirty and unclean. I will not take it." She had turned her head slightly while she spoke, not looking directly at him, so much as talking over her shoulder. The folding of her arms had become more of a self-hug as she answered, and Mikhail winced.
"It is rather a lot of money for the time, little one. Remember how excited you were to earn some spending change for upgrades? Are you sure you—"
"I do not want it!!" The girl's shout cut him short, coming out with a surprising amount of passion and force, and Mikhail nodded more to himself than anyone else.
"Alright, my little lebedёnok, alright. I understand, it is well. Perhaps you should have a shower, yes? It will make you feel better, and I will make you a deal. You do not need to accept the payment. I will take it for you, and I will spend it on other things, yes? If then I later decide to buy you a present, it will be with my own money, as the school pays me, yes? It will be fine." At last the girl turned around properly, letting her arms unfold until she was simply clutching one by the elbow. Her wings had fallen back and she sighed when she looked up to meet his eyes.
"Net, no da tol'ko dlya vas... I am going to bathe now. Please say goodbye to the others for me?"
Mikhail gave her a small nod and she darted through swiftly to her private bathroom. The ballet instructor sighed and slipped the PET into his pocket for the time being before looking at his companions again.
"I am sorry, she is very upset it seems. I would apologise for her, if she has been rude to either of your navis." After a moment he brought his PET out again. "In fact, I recall, yes... Hikari, your Divina, she offered her contact details, but Pirouette forgot to return them. Do allow me. I will pass them to you as well, if you wish, young master... your Kabuki seems the friendly type, so I'm sure she would appreciate the exchange, yes?" He quickly set about rectifying the lack of mutual details that Pirouette had left, then went on to collect the offered reward from the mission board as well. With that done, he slipped the PET away again and stood.
"At any rate, I should return. Classes to teach and prepare for, you know? Thank you both for the interesting time. I hope you will forgive me for going abruptly, but I think we have both had enough excitement for one day now, no? Be well in yourselves, until we meet again. Hikari, Hideyoshi," He inclined his head to each of them, and offered a hand to shake in case either of them felt like the gesture, then began to make his way back to the entrance of the temple building, with the intent of heading home.
((Returning To -> Mikhail's Home))
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Conversation was cut short as matters turned from professions and life stories to the matter at hand, namely winning the idol tournament and setting things straight between Glow and Mo. Once that was done, Yoshitsune sat brooding, resting his chin on one fist while Mikhail and his young navi conversed. He narrowed his eyes, beginning to open his mouth before Kabuki revealed her return, calling out his name to gain his attention. She shook her head quickly, indicating that the two probably weren't going to appreciate his input right now. Still watching them with thin eyes, he spoke quietly to his navi. "The girl is a fool. She understands naught of the value of money, that much is clear. I surely expect I will have to dirty mine own hands to sustain myself before my quest is through, and if it is in as harmless a manner as what she was made to suffer, I shall count myself lucky. You could barely begin the first few acts of a dramatic performance with that snippet of a challenge," he scoffed. "Think about it! She didn't even have a doppelganger who wished to be a prostitute or lead a religion astray. Hers only wished to master a dance. Her tears are the foolishness of comedy, not tragedy. Ha! The early kabuki hands would practice prostitution to make their money, unable to feed themselves as actors."
"And you, my brother, do not know the feelings of a woman, nor the feelings of a father towards a daughter. Indeed, you know very little," his navi scolded, faded back to black. "Very little of anything at all. If money was as important as you thought, the two of us would never have left to find your freedom. Caught up in this web of betrayal and misdirection, it's no wonder poor Pirouette finds herself feeling so uncomfortable."
"Ha! Poor Pirouette indeed. She must live a dull and boring life, if such a minor trifle is all it takes to move her to tears. I suppose some look for the drama in everything," he countered.
"While some live such easy lives that they instead create it for themselves by abandoning their possessions and friends," Kabuki reminded him. "You're hardly one to criticize anyone for the logic of their behavior or for letting their emotions rule them. But enough of this..." she begged. "Look, it seems they're done speaking..."
Yoshitsune spun his head with cat-like quickness to lock eyes with Mikhail, a somewhat guilty action. "Of course. It is mete that I have others I can depend on, even in an existence as inherently lonesome as mine. I would be happy to offer you my contact information," he responded with a semi-polite frown, a bit better than his judgmental, sulky pout. "You will be well as well," he ended queerly, giving Mikhail a quick bow as the instructor left. "Hmm... Sister, I have been harsh, but the two are fine enough folks. Both enslaved to their craft somewhat I would say, which has unfortunately colored the lens with which they view the world... a narrow scope, if you will."
Kabuki rolled her pink eyes, thinking her brother grew more ironic and hypocritical with every word. "Priestess," she spoke up, "it's been a great pleasure to work alongside the goddess Divina again," she offered. "We should be going as well, though we thank you for your hospitality. I hope that this hasn't caused too much trouble for Divina; I know that having a doppelganger is troublesome for most people, but rarely does it border upon sacrilege," she added, although it sounded more like a joke than she'd meant it to. "I'm sure the matter's in hand, though."
"Indeed. I take my leave," Yoshitsune finished, his drive to study the priestess more closely, perhaps in private quarters, somewhat tempered by his recent diversion. "To the stores" he said aloud in a somewhat cheerful voice, although it wasn't clear who he was speaking to. Having money was pretty rare for him, but he was more eager to spend it than save it.
((Leaving to Scilabs))
"And you, my brother, do not know the feelings of a woman, nor the feelings of a father towards a daughter. Indeed, you know very little," his navi scolded, faded back to black. "Very little of anything at all. If money was as important as you thought, the two of us would never have left to find your freedom. Caught up in this web of betrayal and misdirection, it's no wonder poor Pirouette finds herself feeling so uncomfortable."
"Ha! Poor Pirouette indeed. She must live a dull and boring life, if such a minor trifle is all it takes to move her to tears. I suppose some look for the drama in everything," he countered.
"While some live such easy lives that they instead create it for themselves by abandoning their possessions and friends," Kabuki reminded him. "You're hardly one to criticize anyone for the logic of their behavior or for letting their emotions rule them. But enough of this..." she begged. "Look, it seems they're done speaking..."
Yoshitsune spun his head with cat-like quickness to lock eyes with Mikhail, a somewhat guilty action. "Of course. It is mete that I have others I can depend on, even in an existence as inherently lonesome as mine. I would be happy to offer you my contact information," he responded with a semi-polite frown, a bit better than his judgmental, sulky pout. "You will be well as well," he ended queerly, giving Mikhail a quick bow as the instructor left. "Hmm... Sister, I have been harsh, but the two are fine enough folks. Both enslaved to their craft somewhat I would say, which has unfortunately colored the lens with which they view the world... a narrow scope, if you will."
Kabuki rolled her pink eyes, thinking her brother grew more ironic and hypocritical with every word. "Priestess," she spoke up, "it's been a great pleasure to work alongside the goddess Divina again," she offered. "We should be going as well, though we thank you for your hospitality. I hope that this hasn't caused too much trouble for Divina; I know that having a doppelganger is troublesome for most people, but rarely does it border upon sacrilege," she added, although it sounded more like a joke than she'd meant it to. "I'm sure the matter's in hand, though."
"Indeed. I take my leave," Yoshitsune finished, his drive to study the priestess more closely, perhaps in private quarters, somewhat tempered by his recent diversion. "To the stores" he said aloud in a somewhat cheerful voice, although it wasn't clear who he was speaking to. Having money was pretty rare for him, but he was more eager to spend it than save it.
((Leaving to Scilabs))
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Hikari looked down at her PET, watching Divina reform inside of it. The goddess seemed a bit more upbeat than the others, mostly since she was neither overly upset at the mission's end results, nor did she have to deal with a particularly judgemental operator. "Welcome back, Lady Divina!"
"Hello, Hikari! I do believe I overall preferred the ending to this mission than the one from earlier." The lack of rape probably had something to do with that, though Kabuki was the only one around that would possibly know that. "Did you get the chips from the GNA?"
"Of course!" The priestess displayed three chips in her hand in front of her PET screen, each of which, while they had varying levels of viciousness in their pictures, all aided the cause of not harming a fly. "We can go over them once the others take their leave."
That didn't take long to start happening, though Mikhail offered to give her his e-mail, with Divina's earlier offer not being reciprocated. "Of course, I'd be happy to accept it! I'm sure Lady Divina would like it as well!"
"Well, since I'm here, I may as well come out and say that I would like it very much."
"Ahh, yes, you are back, aren't you, Lady Divina...eheh..." Wow. She totally blanked that her goddess had returned, and was perfectly capable of confirming things herself. Whoops. "I'm sorry about that..."
"Don't worry about it. You echoed my sentiments exactly, after all."
"That's true...thank you. And thank you, Mikhail!" She declined the handshake, but instead rose, placed her hands in her lap, and bowed. "You're welcome here any time, so if you're in Kotobuki, please don't hesitate! Until then, take care, and may the blessings of Divina be upon you!"
With the Sharoan gone, Kabuki started to talk to Hikari, who nodded at what she said. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Lady Divina seems to have some sort of plan on that front, after all. And I, for one, have no reason to doubt her on it!" She the proceeded to bow, much as she had before. "Thank you for coming, and of course, you're always welcome in the temple! Blessings of Divina be upon you!"
When she looked up, she noticed the theater hand was already gone. "...Um...you know, I trust them both, but do you think I should've accompanied them to the door? I feel like that was a bad move as a host..."
"I wouldn't worry. Mikhail shouldn't have any problems, and Hideyoshitsune, or whatever he wanted to be called, had that 'I'm totally blowing my cash at the shop right now' look in his eye."
"Oh...in that case, I guess there's no need to worry, then." A moment passed before she spoke again. "Oh, right, the chips! I've already gotten them and looked up the effects of one that I didn't know offhand." She pulled out the chips again, presenting them one at a time. "Two of them are simply modified versions of things we already have. Here's an IronShield1, which offers less durable protection than the IronShield2 we have. Here's a Recover50, which is stronger than the Recover30 we already had...and here's something new: Candle2. It places, well, a candle nearby, and as long as it stands, it'll slowly heal not only yourself, but all allies, as well! It seems reasonably durable against attack, and also has an immunity to Fire elemental attacks. It seems tailor made for us!"
"That it does. I don't think we have anything to complain about!"
"Not at all!" Hikari started making her way to her room, but...the question nagging at her for a while couldn't wait. "Lady Divina? Now that we're by ourselves..."
"..." Divina knew the question about to be asked. She wasn't looking forward to it, though if anyone needed to know the answer, it was her high priestess. "...You want to know about the first mission from today, correct?"
"I would. You've been pretty evasive about it, and that's not you. Please...I want to know."
"...All right. But I have a couple of conditions."
"Of course." ...Conditions? That was new. "What are they?"
"First, head into your room."
The sound of a door closing immediately rendered that condition moot. "Just stepped inside!" It was a decently sized room, though a decent chunk of it was empty space. Hikari herself had a bit of a minimalist streak, having little more than a bed, a work desk with a computer on it, and a small table with a couple of chairs. The sole sign of any luxury was a large TV on the wall opposite the bed...and even that had a story. "What else?"
"I want you to sit down at your computer, and take some detailed notes. You're wanting to write a book about our exploits, no? This...is probably something you'll want in it, and I really have no plans on telling this more than once."
"...Okay." Fortunately, sleep mode made that a quick transition. "Word processor up, and I'm ready to type. Go ahead."
"...One more thing. This story...is probably going to freak you out. But I'm not stopping. Even if you're crying so uncontrollably that you can't even type, I'm going to keep going. Like I said, I'm only telling this once. From there, it's entirely your duty."
"A-All right..." ...Just what happened that'd make her cry? She had a really bad feeling about this..."...I'm ready. Start whenever you want."
The goddess took a deep breath. "Well, it starts when I and Kabuki entered some coordinates in Yoka Area..." She went on to tell the whole story. Of Uprising, of gathering support against Kozuke, the rally, the negotiations, the...part that happened after that...and how the purple house in the district now fell under their own jurisdiction. "...And I believe that's everything. ...Hikari? Are you all right? You look pale."
Indeed, the priestess's face was white as a sheet, and contorted to fight off those tears she'd been warned about. Still, it was only after finishing her typing, and leaning back, that she let them flow. "Sniff...th-that's awful...you went through all that...and I d-didn't even know..."
"Yeah, I think you can understand why I'd rather not go around telling that one to everybody. But...I think it needs to be told anyway."
"Maybe, but...why didn't you contact me? Surely I could've done something...if-"
"All right, I am NOT going to stand here and listen you play the what if game. Things happened. They were...unpleasant. But in the end, everything worked out. A man of foul intent was removed of power, and now we have our own virtual hot springs."
"I know, b-but...sniff! Just knowing you went through all that..."
"It's fine, really. The path to happiness for all has some rather foul muck on it. We knew that going in. I, for one, refuse to be discouraged after one incident."
"...I suppose you're right." She'd known Divina long enough to know that there was a little bravado behind all that...but for the most part, she genuinely wasn't concerned with recent past events. "If you're okay with how things turned out, I suppose I have no reason not to be."
"Right! Now, dry those eyes!"
Fortunately, a nearby tissue box fixed that problem. "Okay!...Say, I don't think you ever mentioned something. Whatever happened to that...Kozuke, his name was? I know you kept him from killing himself, but you went a bit mum on the subject afterward."
"Oh, sorry. Well, you know I'm big on second chances, so I made him an advisor of local customs to SteamMan. That way, we won't step on everyone else's toes more than necessary. Though, if we play our cards right, we can bring lasting change to a place in dire need of it."
"I see...I suppose based on what you said, he'd feel honor bound to stay in line."
"And if not, SteamMan knows who to call."
"Right!"
"...This probably isn't a big surprise, but I'm feeling a bit peaked. What do you say we call it a day?"
"All right. It's a bit early for me, though...I suppose I can go over a couple of things by myself."
"I have faith in you, Hikari. Just, don't work yourself too hard, and you find yourself curled up like a cat on one of those chairs downstairs, hmm?"
"Th-that was just the one time! And I fully plan on it staying that way!"
"Good!" Divina could hear a clicking noise, signifying that Hikari had set her PET into its charger. "It might be early for a human, but for a goddess in Navi form that's been through all sorts of things, I think it's just peachy. Good night, Hikari! See you tomorrow!"
"I think so, too...good night, Lady Divina!"
-------------------------------
Somehow, the events had managed to take even more of a toll on Divina than she'd thought; she'd managed to sleep away a good 16 hours. She let out a huge yawn as she came out of sleep mode, and looked around the room. "Huh, no Hikari. What time is it...that late?! Yeesh. So much for not setting the alarm..."
It took a few minutes for her high priestess to actually enter her room; she did so with a half-eaten piece of toast in one hand. "I wonder if Lady Divina's up yet? It's not like her to be asleep this long..."
"Good morning, Hikari!"
"Whoa!" Despite her shock, she managed to not lose her uneaten breakfast. "Oh, good morning, Lady Divina! Feeling better?"
"I do. Though, I wish you'd waken me up a little sooner...I probably could've lost an hour or two and still been fine."
"Well, you know the saying, 'let sleeping goddesses lie'!"
"...I'm pretty sure that's NOT a saying. But, point taken."
"Oh...say, did you by any chance get another vision?"
"Nope. Today, we're doing it the old-fashioned way."
"I see. Considering what happened yesterday, maybe that's for the best..."
"...Anyway, hmm. Nothing's scheduled for today. And yet, I feel like doing something..."
"Oh, I know! You know how the Virus Zoo is accepting peaceful viruses? You can always head on the Net, and see if you can find any!"
"That's true, but it feels like it'd be rather dangerous on my own. I'm not really one for deleting, after all, even if it's something capable of tearing me part. But I guess there's no law saying I have to fight them off. And if I get a scratch or two, well, that healing power meant for others just gets used on myself this time, I suppose."
"Yes, it's not without danger..."
"Well, it's not exactly stopped you, so it sure shouldn't stop me, right? All right, send me in!"
"All right, but...I don't think my computer's hooked up to anywhere beyond the local network. So, if you're against that..."
"Not at all! Let's check out the virtual neighborhood! We don't do that enough, anyway."
"As you command!" PET removed, and pointed at the computer tower's jack-in port. "Jack in! Lady Divina, Execute!" Pew, infrared beam!
(TO KOTOBUKI AREA)
"Hello, Hikari! I do believe I overall preferred the ending to this mission than the one from earlier." The lack of rape probably had something to do with that, though Kabuki was the only one around that would possibly know that. "Did you get the chips from the GNA?"
"Of course!" The priestess displayed three chips in her hand in front of her PET screen, each of which, while they had varying levels of viciousness in their pictures, all aided the cause of not harming a fly. "We can go over them once the others take their leave."
That didn't take long to start happening, though Mikhail offered to give her his e-mail, with Divina's earlier offer not being reciprocated. "Of course, I'd be happy to accept it! I'm sure Lady Divina would like it as well!"
"Well, since I'm here, I may as well come out and say that I would like it very much."
"Ahh, yes, you are back, aren't you, Lady Divina...eheh..." Wow. She totally blanked that her goddess had returned, and was perfectly capable of confirming things herself. Whoops. "I'm sorry about that..."
"Don't worry about it. You echoed my sentiments exactly, after all."
"That's true...thank you. And thank you, Mikhail!" She declined the handshake, but instead rose, placed her hands in her lap, and bowed. "You're welcome here any time, so if you're in Kotobuki, please don't hesitate! Until then, take care, and may the blessings of Divina be upon you!"
With the Sharoan gone, Kabuki started to talk to Hikari, who nodded at what she said. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. Lady Divina seems to have some sort of plan on that front, after all. And I, for one, have no reason to doubt her on it!" She the proceeded to bow, much as she had before. "Thank you for coming, and of course, you're always welcome in the temple! Blessings of Divina be upon you!"
When she looked up, she noticed the theater hand was already gone. "...Um...you know, I trust them both, but do you think I should've accompanied them to the door? I feel like that was a bad move as a host..."
"I wouldn't worry. Mikhail shouldn't have any problems, and Hideyoshitsune, or whatever he wanted to be called, had that 'I'm totally blowing my cash at the shop right now' look in his eye."
"Oh...in that case, I guess there's no need to worry, then." A moment passed before she spoke again. "Oh, right, the chips! I've already gotten them and looked up the effects of one that I didn't know offhand." She pulled out the chips again, presenting them one at a time. "Two of them are simply modified versions of things we already have. Here's an IronShield1, which offers less durable protection than the IronShield2 we have. Here's a Recover50, which is stronger than the Recover30 we already had...and here's something new: Candle2. It places, well, a candle nearby, and as long as it stands, it'll slowly heal not only yourself, but all allies, as well! It seems reasonably durable against attack, and also has an immunity to Fire elemental attacks. It seems tailor made for us!"
"That it does. I don't think we have anything to complain about!"
"Not at all!" Hikari started making her way to her room, but...the question nagging at her for a while couldn't wait. "Lady Divina? Now that we're by ourselves..."
"..." Divina knew the question about to be asked. She wasn't looking forward to it, though if anyone needed to know the answer, it was her high priestess. "...You want to know about the first mission from today, correct?"
"I would. You've been pretty evasive about it, and that's not you. Please...I want to know."
"...All right. But I have a couple of conditions."
"Of course." ...Conditions? That was new. "What are they?"
"First, head into your room."
The sound of a door closing immediately rendered that condition moot. "Just stepped inside!" It was a decently sized room, though a decent chunk of it was empty space. Hikari herself had a bit of a minimalist streak, having little more than a bed, a work desk with a computer on it, and a small table with a couple of chairs. The sole sign of any luxury was a large TV on the wall opposite the bed...and even that had a story. "What else?"
"I want you to sit down at your computer, and take some detailed notes. You're wanting to write a book about our exploits, no? This...is probably something you'll want in it, and I really have no plans on telling this more than once."
"...Okay." Fortunately, sleep mode made that a quick transition. "Word processor up, and I'm ready to type. Go ahead."
"...One more thing. This story...is probably going to freak you out. But I'm not stopping. Even if you're crying so uncontrollably that you can't even type, I'm going to keep going. Like I said, I'm only telling this once. From there, it's entirely your duty."
"A-All right..." ...Just what happened that'd make her cry? She had a really bad feeling about this..."...I'm ready. Start whenever you want."
The goddess took a deep breath. "Well, it starts when I and Kabuki entered some coordinates in Yoka Area..." She went on to tell the whole story. Of Uprising, of gathering support against Kozuke, the rally, the negotiations, the...part that happened after that...and how the purple house in the district now fell under their own jurisdiction. "...And I believe that's everything. ...Hikari? Are you all right? You look pale."
Indeed, the priestess's face was white as a sheet, and contorted to fight off those tears she'd been warned about. Still, it was only after finishing her typing, and leaning back, that she let them flow. "Sniff...th-that's awful...you went through all that...and I d-didn't even know..."
"Yeah, I think you can understand why I'd rather not go around telling that one to everybody. But...I think it needs to be told anyway."
"Maybe, but...why didn't you contact me? Surely I could've done something...if-"
"All right, I am NOT going to stand here and listen you play the what if game. Things happened. They were...unpleasant. But in the end, everything worked out. A man of foul intent was removed of power, and now we have our own virtual hot springs."
"I know, b-but...sniff! Just knowing you went through all that..."
"It's fine, really. The path to happiness for all has some rather foul muck on it. We knew that going in. I, for one, refuse to be discouraged after one incident."
"...I suppose you're right." She'd known Divina long enough to know that there was a little bravado behind all that...but for the most part, she genuinely wasn't concerned with recent past events. "If you're okay with how things turned out, I suppose I have no reason not to be."
"Right! Now, dry those eyes!"
Fortunately, a nearby tissue box fixed that problem. "Okay!...Say, I don't think you ever mentioned something. Whatever happened to that...Kozuke, his name was? I know you kept him from killing himself, but you went a bit mum on the subject afterward."
"Oh, sorry. Well, you know I'm big on second chances, so I made him an advisor of local customs to SteamMan. That way, we won't step on everyone else's toes more than necessary. Though, if we play our cards right, we can bring lasting change to a place in dire need of it."
"I see...I suppose based on what you said, he'd feel honor bound to stay in line."
"And if not, SteamMan knows who to call."
"Right!"
"...This probably isn't a big surprise, but I'm feeling a bit peaked. What do you say we call it a day?"
"All right. It's a bit early for me, though...I suppose I can go over a couple of things by myself."
"I have faith in you, Hikari. Just, don't work yourself too hard, and you find yourself curled up like a cat on one of those chairs downstairs, hmm?"
"Th-that was just the one time! And I fully plan on it staying that way!"
"Good!" Divina could hear a clicking noise, signifying that Hikari had set her PET into its charger. "It might be early for a human, but for a goddess in Navi form that's been through all sorts of things, I think it's just peachy. Good night, Hikari! See you tomorrow!"
"I think so, too...good night, Lady Divina!"
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Somehow, the events had managed to take even more of a toll on Divina than she'd thought; she'd managed to sleep away a good 16 hours. She let out a huge yawn as she came out of sleep mode, and looked around the room. "Huh, no Hikari. What time is it...that late?! Yeesh. So much for not setting the alarm..."
It took a few minutes for her high priestess to actually enter her room; she did so with a half-eaten piece of toast in one hand. "I wonder if Lady Divina's up yet? It's not like her to be asleep this long..."
"Good morning, Hikari!"
"Whoa!" Despite her shock, she managed to not lose her uneaten breakfast. "Oh, good morning, Lady Divina! Feeling better?"
"I do. Though, I wish you'd waken me up a little sooner...I probably could've lost an hour or two and still been fine."
"Well, you know the saying, 'let sleeping goddesses lie'!"
"...I'm pretty sure that's NOT a saying. But, point taken."
"Oh...say, did you by any chance get another vision?"
"Nope. Today, we're doing it the old-fashioned way."
"I see. Considering what happened yesterday, maybe that's for the best..."
"...Anyway, hmm. Nothing's scheduled for today. And yet, I feel like doing something..."
"Oh, I know! You know how the Virus Zoo is accepting peaceful viruses? You can always head on the Net, and see if you can find any!"
"That's true, but it feels like it'd be rather dangerous on my own. I'm not really one for deleting, after all, even if it's something capable of tearing me part. But I guess there's no law saying I have to fight them off. And if I get a scratch or two, well, that healing power meant for others just gets used on myself this time, I suppose."
"Yes, it's not without danger..."
"Well, it's not exactly stopped you, so it sure shouldn't stop me, right? All right, send me in!"
"All right, but...I don't think my computer's hooked up to anywhere beyond the local network. So, if you're against that..."
"Not at all! Let's check out the virtual neighborhood! We don't do that enough, anyway."
"As you command!" PET removed, and pointed at the computer tower's jack-in port. "Jack in! Lady Divina, Execute!" Pew, infrared beam!
(TO KOTOBUKI AREA)
