Chapter 94 - Log and Categorize
The swirling glow around you fades, leaving you in the Library's reception hall. That being the area in which Guests arrived, not the various locations where they were… Received. That would have been a far less pleasant welcome. As is, you take in the decorated, shining halls that make up the most basic level of your sister's EGO. Compared to the sterile nature of your own floor, it seems almost homey. When compared to your apartment, where you just finished putting three children to bed, it's a bit less comfortable.
An odd silence occupies the Library. Normally, you can sense the bustling of agents and the Sephirah throughout the structure. It may not be a workplace, but the Library still has plenty for its residents to do. Sorting the endless stacks of books, reviewing Reception strategies, and more recently repairing the damage done by the Head's attack. At the moment, though, there is nothing. This isn't particularly surprising. It is night, so everyone is probably asleep right now.
"I really should work on a better system for getting in contact with one another. Having you simply arrive out of nowhere without warning is less convenient than I'd like."
Well, almost everyone. Insomnia runs in the family.
"Evening Angela." You turn around to see your sister, the particles of her teleportation still fading around her. "And here I thought you'd be glad to see me."
Your sister sighs. "It isn't unpleasant to spend time with you, but some time to prepare before you arrive would not be unwelcome."
"What would you even do? Not much point in prep time when there isn't anything to prepare. The Library's pretty much always in a 'presentable' state, to say the least." you respond. It's true. Despite the sheer size of Angela's EGO, the whole thing always seems impeccably clean and organized no matter how occupied it is. While the Floors themselves require active cleaning, the areas between are just like that. Perhaps it's due to a quirk of Angela's personality, representing something like organizational capacity or a desire for order.
"Maybe not," Angela inclines her head slightly to the side. "But I could have told you in advance that the Patron Librarians are all asleep. As are the children you brought in. There isn't much reason for you to be here."
"Maybe I want to talk with you, did you consider that?" you say. "There are quite a few matters we have yet to resolve, plus most of the things I would talk to the Sephirot about apply to you just as much. Besides, we haven't had much time to talk just between us."
Angela blinks, then pauses.
"Oh."
"In that case, there are a few issues I would like to talk about…"
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The conversation trails on for some time, with you letting Angela lead for the most part and providing commentary or advice whenever needed. Mostly, she talks about the Sephirah. How she reconnected with them after everything that happened. Trying to wrangle Netzach into productivity. Getting offers of coffee from Chesed, despite the fact that she can't taste anything. Receiving similar offers from Binah, who seems to have taken an odd liking to your sister. A part of your bristles protectively at that news. You might have reached an accord of some sorts with the former Arbiter, a mutual respect for the other's capabilities, but that doesn't mean you're willing to ignore what sort of person she is.
Eventually, with some prodding from you, the conversation moves to a different area.
Roland.
When you've finally maneuvered things enough to ask about the man without it seeming out of nowhere, Angela looks thoughtful. Eventually, with her eyes closed and a faint smile on her face, she answers.
"Roland is a good friend, but nothing more. I'm not blind to the chatter going on behind my back, but it's all bullshit."
"Oh? What chatter? I was just making a genuine inquiry?" you tease. A little teasing is basically a responsibility as an older sibling, and you make a point to always be responsible.
Angela, for her part, gives a frustrated huff. "Ugh. Some of the Librarians are convinced that the two of us are romantically involved. Roland doesn't know, and I would prefer to keep it that way." she says pointedly, as if daring you to tell him. Detecting a shift in the atmosphere, you change courses.
"You seem unusually upset by this." you say.
It appears your suspicions were correct. A small frown stretches across your sister's face as she glares into the ground. She opens her mouth once, then closes it. You wait beside her while she decides how to answer, bathed in the faded afterglow of the Library.
Finally, Angela sighs. "X, do you ever feel like all of your relationships are complicated?"
You smile and laugh, a little more nervously than intended. "I'm not exactly the best person to ask about that sort of thing, you know?" When her gaze does not relent, you answer properly. "My kids are trained child soldiers who I exposed to the risk of Distortion. The Sephirah thought I was Dad up until recently, and that's going to skew things. I empathized with Nothing There, even after everything they did. My whole life is complicated."
"And what about us?"
You blink. "About us?"
"Is our relationship complicated?"
"I think that the answer to that question is, in itself, complicated." you say. Your sister glares at you in annoyance.
"I would prefer you just say what you mean without any needless obfuscation. I get enough of that from Binah."
"I mean things are obviously complicated between us," you answer. "But that doesn't mean that our relationship has to be complicated. There might be a lot of weird stuff going on with our history and our family and… well, us, but I think I'd prefer we just be upfront with each other and deal with it like normal people would."
Angela considers for a moment. "Yes, I think I would also prefer that."
The two of you sit in silence together. A comfortable silence, not waiting for an answer or for somebody to speak. Of course, it's not long before the silence is broken.
"For what it's worth, I have also felt a strange kinship with even some of the more destructive or malevolent Abnormalities. Roland has as well, and the Librarians report similar feelings to a lesser degree." Angela says. "As beings drawn from humanity, it would make less sense if people weren't be able to relate to them in some ways. Certain concepts or ideas are almost universal."
An uncomfortable thought occurs to you. But this conversation has already moved to more serious grounds. You said that the two of you should be more upfront with one another, and maybe this time you're going to try and actually take your own advice. You take a deep breath, and ask a question you don't really want to hear an answer to.
"What concepts am I related to? I know you've got some sort of scanner system in the Library, and I'd like a second pair of eyes on this sort of thing." Unspoken, but not unheard, is a more desperate request: I'm not sure if I can trust my own judgement.
Angela freezes, caught off guard. Only for a second, though. She stares at you, golden eyes reflecting the even lights.
"As an Abnormality, you are a direct continuation of yourself before. It just happens that because you considered the Facility an extension of yourself to some degree, it has now become a part of you. Most of those features are fairly standard, however…"
"However..?" The way your sister's voice lowers doesn't sound great.
"You have a specialty for manipulating the Seed of Light. You're actually producing it again, though only in small amounts compared to the original Facility. I'm only guessing, but it might be using interactions with you to generate the necessary energy."
On some level, you already knew this. Homura and Kyoko had to have been exposed to the Distortion Phenomenon somehow, and the other kids are all affected to some degree. The Seed of Light was used up in the City, so more had to be coming from somewhere. But knowing that your relationships with your kids, everything you're doing, is all still feeding into your parents' old goal…
It feels like you're back in the Facility. Like you never really left.
That thought is promptly removed with extreme prejudice. The Seed of Light was only ever a means to an end for you; a way to make a world where the people you cared about could be happy. You used it to save Kyoko, so it's still serving that purpose.
Noticing your internal conflict, Angela quickly moves on.
"More broadly, you seem to be associated with learning, building, and authority. You are somewhat like that Library in that sense, though with extra focus on Abnormalities."
"Thanks, Angela." you say, a smile brought to your face at the comparison between you and the Library. "It's good to be able to confirm this sort of thing externally. Anything I can help you with?"
"Actually, there is." your sister answers. "The Abnormalities on your Floor need to be brought under control. While they are being kept contained, their powers are not presently accessible by the Library. If you could confront them, it would be very helpful for the future."
"Sure, I can help out." you respond. "Though considering what Abnormalities we've got locked up there, I'm not sure how much I'll be able to do."
"It's possible you may be able to deal with the Abnormalities without fighting, but we will be able to proceed even if you cannot. The Abnormalities within the Library are weakened," Angela assures you, "so you should have an easier time dealing with them. Besides, you won't be dealing with them alone."
"Oh?" You raise an eyebrow. "I thought everyone else was asleep?"
"They are." Angela confirms. "That is why I will be accompanying you. There aren't any rules that prevent me from facing Abnormalities myself, after all."
"Oh!" you say again. Your smile grows wider. "It's a pleasure to be working with you again then, Angela."
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Receive…
[] The gaze from the keyhole is fixed on its target without ever stopping.
[] All things in nature are bound to turn to dust one day.
[] They cared about each other from the bottom of their hearts.
[] Pink is considered the color of warmth and love, but is that true?
[] Fall beyond the bounds of convention.
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Der Freischütz's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Sheets for X and DoSaM will be updated before the next chapter. A sheet for Angela will likely be released at some point, though due to the amount of accumulated powers she has it will likely be a very long sheet.
), you have the cult leader and main recruiter (Kyubey), and you have all the ones that payed for being scammed by said cult leader that are now painted as ennemies and you definitely shouldn't listen to them because they're dangerous/Mad/anything the cult leader wants really (Mostly witches, but also probably the magical girls that oppose Kyubey, who probably get some propaganda campaigns and targeted assassinations to silence them.).
