Chapter 175 - Rational Solutions
"We're not afraid of you." Sena says. Her voice is low and tight, reigning in the tangle of emotion yearning to break loose. It would be easier for you if that were true. It's very difficult to convince people not to be afraid of you when that fear is rooted in the idea that you're going to try and manipulate or control them. Anything you do, however earnest, can be claimed as a trick of some sort. You'd be more insulted by the comparison if you weren't aware of your own potential for such things. You have Lobotomy such a visceral name for a reason. Being able to act and think as a human does human does not make you any less dangerous than any other Abnormality. Not that you would hurt a child beyond what was necessary, certainly not in that way, but you could, and that possibility will always be terrifying.
So you're just going to work around it instead of through it.
"I'd hope not; I don't look very intimidating, do I?" you joke. You have no idea how much your appearance contributes to their fear of you. They are quite a bit smaller than you are, but that's just because you're a fully-grown adult and they're both in their teenage years.
Sadly, neither Ashley nor Sena answer you. Confusion flashes in their eyes; whatever they were expecting you to say, it wasn't that. Sena takes a step back, not out of fear but simply to rebalance herself.
"Anyways," you say, waving your hand to one side, "how's the room? I know it's not perfect, but we only had so many rooms available and I don't want to ask Angela for too many favours."
Your sister wouldn't say no, but it would irritate her to have you ordering her around more even if those orders were phrased like requests.
A moment of awkward silence passes where nobody speaks. Finally, Ashley opens her mouth.
"There's a window."
"There is a window." you agree. There is, in fact, a window. Plain white shutters are drawn over the cheap glass that stares out into a monotone blocky city skyline. The buildings are more shapes than actual structures, but their arrangement is still familiar. P Corp's Nest is a long way from home, you recall, but the Institute of Design and Humanities is the best in the City for architecture. You- or Ayin, you suppose- spent five years in this apartment room. Now, it's an improvised prison cell. You can't help but smile at the thought. It felt a bit like a prison cell already, so keeping someone inside who doesn't want to be here is just the last step.
"Where even are we?" Ashley asks, having found your prior explanation insufficient.
Maybe you shouldn't be explaining this to people you're holding captive, but you also can't see any useful applications of this information. "This place is a simulated environment. The room is the main focus, so everything outside that window is just set dressing. You can jump out if you want, but you'd just find endless rows of the same featureless buildings. You'd also have to climb eight stories to get back into the room, so I don't advise it."
Climbing up and down those stairs every day was not fun.
Sena looks out the window, silently makes a decision, and then turns back to you with a slight frown. "That doesn't answer our question. Where are we?"
Much like the window, there's no harm in explaining how the Library works. Its own functions mean escaping might as well be impossible with Angela still in control. The actual issue is that the Library's full powers are… intimidating, to say the least. Once again, you will have to decide how much information to omit if you don't want to cause a panic.
Or you would if you planned on doing any of the explaining yourself. Instead, you're going to employ one of the most important strategies for effective leadership: delegating.
"That's a rather long story. In short, this place is called the Library. It belongs to someone close to me. You're on my floor at the moment, since Angela's get upset at me if I loaded more work on her." you explain. It's important to get across a disconnect between you and the Library: it belongs to someone other than you, you're not the highest authority here.
"This is… your floor?" Ashley echoes.
"It'll make more sense if somebody from here explains it. Come on, might as well get to know your new neighbors." You wave your hand toward the door and step halfway through, inviting Sena and Ashley to follow. The two share a look then Sena takes a tentative step forward.
The atmosphere as you descend the Library is oppressive. Unasked questions sit idle and waiting on the tongues of your reluctant companions. They hold their silence out of different measures of fear or suspicion. But children are curious, and curiosity can only be restrained for so long.
"What are you going to do with us?" Ashley asks. The words sound more like an accusation than a real question.
"Nothing, really." you answer. "You'll be staying here for the immediate future, but I'm not going to do anything else. You're too dangerous to let run freely, but I don't have anything against either of you personally."
A hollow laugh escapes Sena's mouth at the implication that she and Ashley are dangerous in comparison to you. You don't acknowledge it.
After many more stairs and a pause to ask one of your Agents where Yesod is, you've made your way to a small side-room in the Floor of Technological Sciences. The soft violet lighting filling its finely-made halls illuminates rows of charts and displays, not unlike the staged exhibits and environments in your own floor. While the Floor of Geography displays landscapes, Yesod's diagrams each break down a different machine. Some simple, some complex. Just beside the door to the study where Yesod is reading is a poster listing the components for a cold fusion reactor. A relatively rudimentary device, but complicated enough that nobody outside of an engineering field would ever imagine its construction.
Yesod himself looks comfortable when you and the prisoners enter. His eyes are narrowed as he stares at the open book in his hand, his other hand moving between the three other books laid out open on the table beside him. He lets out a sigh somewhere between irritation and relief when he hears the door open and sets the book in his hand atop the other three.
"Hey, I've got visitors for you!" you announce cheerfully.
"Oh?" Yesod raises an eyebrow at you. "Are you not also a visitor?"
You smile sheepishly. "Technically, though I'm only dropping by to bring these two over. They need someone to get them acquainted with the Library and I thought you were the best one for the job."
You see both the moment the question of "Why aren't you doing this yourself?" arrives and the moment it is discarded. If you're here, you must have a good reason for it. He looks to the two children behind you, and understanding flashes in his eyes.
"Well, I'm flattered you have such a high opinion of my people skills." Dry sarcasm fills his words, not biting but cold enough that nobody who didn't know the man would recognize it as teasing. "Who are these?"
"Ashley Taylor and Mikoto Sena. They were under the employ of the Adult Who Tells Lies until recently." you explain. Yesod's eyes narrow when the Abnormality's name leaves your mouth.
The former Information Team Head shakes his head. "It feels like every time you've appeared recently, it comes with some new workload for somebody. Have you considered a more casual get-together sometime soon?"
You smirk. "Now you know how I felt." The Facility didn't leave much time for conversation that didn't at least have work tacked on at the end. That meant getting handed new assignments after every conversation longer enough to be called a conversation.
"Be that as it may, that was then. We have more time now for… fraternizing, if it must be considered such." Yesod says.
"More time, sure. But I've still got the same job as always." you say. Whatever reply Yesod imagines to that goes unsaid. "Anyways, think you can handle it?"
Yesod again observes the two children. "They're quiet, at least. It can't be worse than some of the others you've saddled us with."
Quiet, but not idle. Ashley and Sena are exchanging a series of glances and expressions, forming a silent conversation over Yesod's appearance. Neither appears to have decided exactly how they feel about him yet.
Yesod can be a harsh man at times, but he's a good person. You suspect he'll be more trustworthy to the children than any of the more overtly friendly Sephirot.
"In that case, I'll leave the three of you to it. They've got a room in my floor when you're done; it's just to the left of the Whale skeleton in the third hallway." you instruct before slipping out the door. As you go, Yesod's last words catch you.
"Just remember what I mentioned. You could do with a short break."
With those words in your ears, you step off to your next responsibility.
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Porccubus' Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
Schadenfreude's Sapling - Observation Level 2/3
The Adult Who Tells Lies' Sapling - Observation Level 1/3
CENSORED's Sapling - Observation Level EXPUNGED/REDACTED
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Yesod's Suggestion
[] Don't Bother
You do enough talking with people as is-it's not like you're some kind of recluse! It's just more efficient to also get work done at the same time.
[] Plan For It
There's no time at the moment, but you could plan something later when you're free.
-[] Book Club
Hod's put together a book club with some of the Agents. The next one's in two days, and getting caught up on the book they've picked this week won't be too hard.
-[] Tea Time
Well, tea and other beverages. It might be interesting to see what Binah looks like when she's having a regular conversation with people… oh, who are you kidding. She's not capable of that.
-[] Girls Night
Apparently Junko and some friends have a bar where they like to go out drinking, and you're invited! You don't believe you can actually get drunk anymore, but it still could be fun?
[] Just Do It
Go see who's not busy right now and ask if they want to chat
[] Write In
You may select option 3 in addition to one choice from option 2
