Logs: Understanding

When: May 6th, 2010

Where: SEES Dorm

Who: Nagisa Renge, Itsuka Misuhara, Thora Kobayashi, Himeru Namikawa, Aigis, Mitsuru Kirijo, Hinata Itoh, Shiki Ichimonji, Shinjiro Aragaki

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

Last week, Nagisa had asked Itsuka for her help: to gather together those close to Shinjiro and Ran, who would have been affected by their being thrown into the TV--who were at their TV dungeons--and allow her to meet with them. Nagisa is aware that they will almost certainly react poorly to her; she imagines some of them may even become violent, SEES dorm lobby or not. She has accepted that this may happen, and arrives at the dorm following behind Itsuka, quietly trading oversized sneakers (there are layers of socks on to ensure that they don't fall off) for dorm slipper before she looks around. "It's been some time since I was here last," she muses, thinking of the time she arrived and nearly got run down by Thora. Before that, she came and Minato answered the door, and the two of them had a pleasant-ish conversation until she nearly hacked blood all over him, took some pills, and took her leave. Setting that aside for now, she looks around at the dorm inhabitants. Not really sure of who would be here because of Itsuka's summons and who's just chilling, she continues, "Is everyone here, Itsuka-chan?"

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

And, to be sure, Itsuka had called a few of the right people--the SEES leaders, in particular, needed to know--and clear--Nagisa's wish to talk to people about what she'd done. It was kind of difficult to bring it up to Mitsuru, let alone Shinjiro, but... it's important, isn't it? And she's willing to take responsibility if something happens. This might be the key...

Well, Itsuka often has some kind of plan.

In the meantime, she's moving in behind Nagisa, closing the door behind her, and--well, she wasn't here for Nagisa's last visit here. Instead, she replies, "You're here now," and stands up a little straighter to look towards the group at hand. She arrived first, but she also stayed to make sure Nagisa actually... came in.

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo [SEES] has posed.

It took some work to convince Mitsuru to agree to this meeting. To agree to let the enemy /here/ of all places. But eventually Itsuka was able to win the SEES commander over. The only condition was that it be held in the SEES dorm where they can not only monitor Nagisa but also react if it was a trap or ambush.

When the two girls arrive, Mitsuru is no where to be seen. Not just yet. A few moments pass before the red haired ojou descends from the stairs and into the living room proper. Her slipper feet pad noiselessly against the carpet and she comes to a full stop in front of Itsuka and Nagisa. "..."

Her head tilts downwards slightly at the Strega member, arms folded across her chest. "Renge-san."

<Pose Tracker> Thora Kobayashi [KDA] has posed.

What is probably the most unfortunate about this situation is that the very person that tried to run Nagisa down so very long ago is here today. Golden Week made an ideal time to get out of town and visit friends elsewhere as that way Thora could freely spend the night without worrying about classes. Even worse, Thora probably remembered that little fight.

The butch teenager lies sprawled on the SEES lounge couch like a large canine. She isn't asleep but engrossed in a handheld gaming device, oblivious to the impending meeting. Koromaru is probably lazing about on her lap.

This changes almost instantly when the door opens. Thora rolls her head back over the arm of the couch, peering upside-down to see who just walked in. Judging by the scent, though, she already knows: "Hey Itsuka-chan." she rumbles, pausing suddenly as she notices Nagisa there. "Hey wait a second, what's she doin' here?"

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

It was an odd text message to get just as she arrived back in Japan, but Himeru did not question it too much. She only managed to drop off her bags before she made her way toward the dorms.

She did not look terribly changed by the trip, although she had a different ribbon in her hair. She arrived uncertain, weaponless, simply as she saw no need to carry it with the crowd of Users who would be present. She simply moved to sit at the couch and wait along with others...until the door opens again, and the guest of honor shows up.

Eyebrow quirk follows at the small form she sees. This girl can't be older than herself, and people seemed to know this Renge girl. Rather than make a fuss, she remains seated and waits for explanations or for the intruder to speak.

<Pose Tracker> Hinata Itoh [SEES] has posed.

The last meeting Hinata had with Nagisa, well, it wasn't quite a polite and well-spoken affair. She can still remember the shouts, the fury, the sound of baseball bat pinging off of skull. There was one moment, however, that she remembered above all. 'That your, um... your 'pure feelings fuel your dark actions'?' It was on that note that the fight had left the youngest Itoh, and it was on those words that she couldn't seem to shake over the following weeks.

Had Itsuka not extended the invite, she would've likely sought Nagisa out herself. As it is, shortly after Mitsuru enters, Hina likewise pads in from the kitchen with a cup of tea in hand. No baseball bat to be seen. "Hey, Itsuka-chan," she smiles warmly. That her raven-haired friend knew Nagisa enough to arrange this was a little troubling, but she trusted Itsuka. This may come back to haunt her later, but for now its all good. Said smile dims as the attention turns to the little Stregite, but its still there nonetheless. We're all polite here. "Hey."

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

This may be a poor ending to Golden Week for TV RESCUE EXPERT Shiki Ichimonji, but he wouldn't have traded his presence here for all the gold in the world. The incident involving Shinjiro and Ran winding up in the TV world made him suffer in ways he'd rather not have to remember... but that was probably nothing compared to what Itsuka went through, right?

This is why he was so surprised that she, of all people, had been the one to arrange this meeting. He didn't ask too many questions when he learned! But now, as he sits at the Haunted Table, head tossed back, the back of it resting on his crossed arms as he waits for the appointed time... he does sort of wish he had asked more. What was she even thinking?

Then, the door opens, and approximately a dozen heads turn to face it, Shiki's goggle-bearing one included. So there they are. There's Itsuka, and the other, who Shiki has never met... Who is... kind of cute, in some weird way, actually? At least, she's a far cry from whatever had passed through Shiki's mind at the time. He raises a hand, expression attempting to be neutral, but still kind of... apprehensive. "Um. Hi!"

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

Aigis is also pretty uncertain about having Nagisa Renge over. Sure, it's not like she's a jer--OH WAIT SHE SHOVES PEOPLE INTO TVs. Well in all truth, Aigis is the sort of person less concerned with the psychological whys and more about the whats. She wouldn't have come by if she wasn't concerned that Strega was sending a suicide bomb to get rid of them once and for all.

But she has come and is kind of looking at Itsuka rather than focusing on Nagisa for the moment.

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

"Yes," Nagisa agrees with Itsuka, before people step forward and begin to greet her on their own. Some of them she recognizes--Thora, Hinata, Aigis--and some of them she does not--Shiki, Himeru, Mitsuru. Mitsuru is first in line, and Nagisa holds the taller girl's gaze (actually, she is as tall as Dai-chan, Nagisa immediately notes) until Mitsuru addresses her by name.

"Yes, that is me," she replies, nodding back politely. "Who are you?"

Thora makes her demands. Nagisa looks over her way. "Because I asked to come here," she tells the Oni of Osaka. Asking politely gets you surprisingly far!! She smiles at Hinata, however dimly the redhead may look at her, and replies, "Hello, Hinata." Shiki's raised hand and greeting gets him like: Nagisa waves to him, calling, "Hello!"

Himeru and Aigis aren't addressed because they didn't address Nagisa in the first place, though Aigis gets a nod of recognition, and when the young Stregite notices her presence, Himeru gets the same before Nagisa gazing back out at the crowd in general. "It doesn't seem like you all know why I am here," she observes; at the very least, Thora doesn't, though the awkward, defensive reactions some of the others have seem to indicate otherwise. Nagisa figures she may be wrong, though, so she continues, "There are quite a few of you here, so I will say it immediately: the person who came up with the idea to throw Shinjiro and Ran into the TV world was me. I am here now to see how all of you, presumably close to Shinjiro or Ran or both in some degree, feel about that."

And then she falls silent, hands resting at her sides, and waits.

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

It was, Itsuka thinks even now, worth the effort to make it happen--and if anyone's going to hate Nagisa, shouldn't it be her? Her devotion to one Shinjiro Aragaki is well-known among SEES, frankly hard to miss. She had a rough time, that week when Shinjiro and Ran both were in the television, and having to face that about her senpais...

Well. It's also not like Itsuka has mentioned to anyone her connection to Nagisa.

The second-year's eyes flick across the assembled grou--she smiles back to Hinata, nods to Thora, too, though she doesn't address Thora-senpai quite so directly. As for what Nagisa is doing here... Well. Itsuka steps away from the door, then, glancing to Nagisa. And then, the answers come up, which is fine, except that Nagisa makes it kind of sound like a grand experiment instead of just... Hm. The black-haired SEES member speaks up, "And I thought it was a good idea, for some of the people affected and for her to talk."

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo [SEES] has posed.

Mitsuru can feel the other members of SEES and their allies lounging around the room. She can sense the sudden tension in the air as people recognize Nagisa. Mitsuru herself didn't. Not quite. She knew some of the details, Itsuka was kind enough to fill her in, but to hear this girl say it so blatantly...

Dark eyes flicker over to Itsuka and she gives a slight troubled frown. "I.. see.." Her response is slow, if a little hesitant. "I am Mitsuru Kirijo. The current leader of SEES. Is there any particular /reason/ to you wishing to discuss your actions with us Renge-san?" Her eyes flicker to the other SEES members. Her shoulders are tense. She's expecting a trap. She also leaves the floor open for others to chime in.

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

Hands slip between the couch cushions, seeking, grasping, also hiding the brief right hand twitch that she goes through. Himeru is slightly disappointed not to find a stabbing shiv or similar emergency tool. Her face twists in a temporary frown, but perhaps this was for the best NOT to obey the immediate primal urge.

"Why." is her question after several breaths to steady herself. Yet her voice lacks animosity or a chill to it, yet at the same time her actions may well depend on the answer. "What were your motives? If you say - as it's so common on the internet, the lols, I won't buy that."

<Pose Tracker> Thora Kobayashi [KDA] has posed.

The handheld is quickly switched off and put aside on the nearby coffee table. Gingerly, Thora encourages Koromaru to vacate her lap so she can flip over onto her stomach, then scoot down the side of the couch closest to the door. She leans over the arm she had been peering over seconds before, resting her chin on top of her two hands and her elbows on the couch.

All this happens rapidly right after Nagisa admits that she was responsible for tossing Shinjiro and Ran into the television. Her golden eyes are wild and feral despite her relaxed posture, suggesting that at any moment she can simply leap over the furniture like some great beast.

"I feel like ripping you to shreds and feeding them to my demons in retribution." Thora says in an all-too casual voice. People that don't know Thora well might think she's kidding. People that know her well will realize she isn't.

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

There's almost something soothing, to Shiki, with how that girl is greeting everyone so calmly, and while he has a hard time wrapping his head even around the concept of discussing this calmly... Well, for a quick moment, he's almost ready to believe. Especially with how Itsuka seems to have accepted this, for some reason he doesn't quite grasp.

However, when Nagisa brings up, so casually, that it was her idea to put his senpais into the TV... The boy's eyes widen, the innocent words plunging into him like a knife. And then... The chair he was on clatters to the ground. "What we feel about that?! Isn't it obvious? What do you THINK we'd feel about that? Are you asking us to forgive you?!" Himeru and Mitsuru's reactions are a lot more reasonable, but /he/ can't quite allow himself to control his emotions when it comes to that subject! Thora's suggestion, one that he takes seriously enough, is not one he'd advocate, but that he doesn't protest... probably speaks volumes.

It's rare that the red-haired boy get angry at someone like this, but there's something seriously unnerving about the way she's addressing this, and it's always, understandably enough, remained a sore point for him. His eyes dart to Itsuka, though, whose idea this was in the first place, and... Has she made peace with this already? How can she even... Okay, deep breaths. He averts his gaze for a moment, trying to calm down, if only for her sake.

<Pose Tracker> Hinata Itoh [SEES] has posed.

If there was a trap, fortunately (or unfortunately?) there's plenty of SEES - and huge powerful friends - here to take care of business. Hinata's eyes linger for an extra moment on Himeru, that ribbon was as commonplace as her own hairclip that the change of color was pretty obvious. Nothing to dwell on for too long, however. There had been that thought in her mind, that Nagisa would head here to take the next tilt of the wheel of vengeance following that last encounter with the Itoh sisters. It just didn't seem quite right. It just didn't seem something the Nagisa she knew would do.

So of course, the little Stregite had to shatter that illusion right quick. Hina shouldn't have been that surprised, she admittedly wasn't human after all. Fingers curl up into a fist, the last traces of sunshine and cheer in the second-year racing off on the next flight to Okinawa. To walk right in here and to announce it so calmly, so leisurely. Hina can feel the anger building up just from Himeru and Thora, that it hasn't led to 'lols' of its own can be attributed to a minor miracle. But then again, its not as if they knew what Hina and Kanon knew. And perhaps Itsuka too, it seems.

"You know how I feel," is all she can say to the little blonde, her gaze likewise falling to her classmate. There's an ever so slight knowing tilt of the brow, a way of silently asking how much she knew about their Strega friend.

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

Aigis's facial expression does not shift when Nagisa explains her reason for being here. The more telling aspect might be how she does not rebuke Thora for her casual and obvious threat. She does, however, not answer the question. Instead she asks one of her own.

"How old were you when you were taken?" Aigis asks.

And then she goes back to staring ahead with a notably blank expression, though she does look over to Thora and Himeru now, rather than just peer at Itsuka.

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed. Nagisa smiles at Itsuka faintly, giving her a slight nod. "Yes. Thank you, Itsuka-chan." And then she lifts her head again, looking again first at Mitsuru. "Oh, I see..." she murmurs, searching her face. "So you're his granddaughter." A pause. Her blase expression hardens a bit with determination, and she nods once. "Yes. I want to understand what it is to be 'human.' I have spoken with Shinjiro, Ran, Itsuka-chan, Hinata and Kanon about this matter--although with Hinata and Kanon, it was not really 'talking' and more 'attempting to beat me for the sake of beating me,' though since it was because they did that that caused me to come here eventually, so I don't mind that--and all of them have had very different reactions. So, I thought that it would be best if I came here and spoke with all of you at the same time. Dai-chan called it my 'homework assignment,' but I would have done this whether he told me to or not."

There is no trap here. None of the other Strega members are even aware that Nagisa intended on doing this, much less that she's here now. But since Mitsuru doesn't ask her if there's a trap, Nagisa does not volunteer that information. She blinks over to Himeru as the black-haired girl demands to know her motivations, but the small blonde merely turns towards her. "You may be aware that Shinjiro, at the time, had wanted to die," she replies. "I had thought that if he wanted to die, then falling into the TV world might do well for him. After all, when you do, you either face yourself and your life improves, or you die. At the time, I couldn't see that it would be anything but an improvement. Ran was thrown in because she was there, and she seemed close to him, but she did not know anything about Shinjiro's will to die, so it seemed to me best that she accompanied him."

Thora's reaction in particular is interesting. Nagisa wouldn't expect much else from the Oni of Osaka, whose killing presence spikes at her words, but all the same, she gives her a thoughtful look. "So you would murder me for harming them, even though Shinjiro doesn't like murder? How do you reconcile that?" This question is not ironic or accusing in the slightest; she means it sincerely, genuinely wanting an honest answer to the question. This may piss Thora off all the more. Then Nagisa regards Shiki when he shoots up from his chair shouting if she wants them to forgive her-- "No," she says bluntly. "And it's because I don't know that I'm here. I ask nothing of any of you beyond what you think and how you feel. I expect that many of you want to hurt me, or perhaps even kill me, as Thora already said. I don't mind that; you have a right to how you feel. So if you want to attack or even kill me, you may go ahead and try."

'Try' being the operative word here. Despite Nagisa's calm demeanor, she isn't quite so blase as she appears; she's aware that if Mitsuru gave the word, they could easily kill her, or at least severely harm her, regardless of Itsuka's wishes in the matter. There are enough people here who are angry with her to do that. /It must be nice,/ she can't help but think, /to be so loved.../

"Yes, I do," she answers to Hinata then, soberly. "At least somewhat. You hate me enough to team up with your sister to inflict severe harm on me, but not enough to kill me. I am not sure what you think beating me up but not killing me would accomplish, though, if your stated goal is to stop me from hurting others; you don't /know/ I won't hurt anyone else once we've parted ways, especially since physical pain is not a very big deterrent for me. Unless of course you were lying, and all you wanted to accomplish was to hurt me for hurting Ran, and nothing else mattered." And then Aigis weighs in with a question completely unrelated to the topic at hand. "Taken?" Nagisa repeats, slightly confused. A moment later, once realization dawns, she replies, "I was seven years old." At the very, very, /very/ least, she is honest.

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

At Mitsuru's troubled look, Itsuka nods, not quite managing a smile of her own. She's... a little more nervous than she thought, and a little less worried than she ought to be. Still, maybe her standing like she knows what she's doing will help /something/. It's hard to hang around with someone as stoic as her senpai without picking up at least a little bit, so she's able to do just that. And... It's not her place to answer for Nagisa, either. Not at first--but..

Her eyes slide to Thora, and Mizuhara has no doubt that the Yasogami student means what she's saying. It's Shiki's outburst, though, that brings a little wince to her face, as she starts to take a step forward without realizing it. "Shiki..." She stops, and frowns, letting out a little sigh. She doesn't think that's what Nagisa's asking, really. Or...?

No, everybody is angry. Everybody except for Aigis, at least, who gets a little look. And--Itsuka frowns. "Nagisa-chan, don't taunt them." Wait, taken? "You wanted to be more human, and most people don't talk about this kind of thing that calmly. It's a big deal," she insists, though.. perhaps notably, she doesn't move that far from the Strega member at the moment, either. Of course--she's not expressing /her/ reaction, either. Maybe she already knew.

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

"Taunt them? That isn't my intent..." Nagisa begins, turning back towards Itsuka, demeanor puzzled. Her frown turns a little more fretful when Itsuka explains what she means, though, and she murmurs, "Oh, I see... No, I understand it's a big deal, but--" It's *now*, oddly enough, that the girl seems to start to become flustered. It fades, but does not entirely disappear, shortly thereafter when she adds, expression clouded, "...Then it isn't good to be so direct, either?"

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo [SEES] has posed.

Mitsuru is not /angry/. Not particularly. She's a little upset to hear the news but she's had years to learn how to school her emotions. A flicker of something unpleasant crosses her expression at the mention of her grandfather and immediately she gets a feeling of dread. Who is this girl to know 'that man'?

She can hear and feel the hostility rising in the room from everyone save Aigis. A pale hand rises, like a commander giving the order to her troops to settle down. "Everyone," she states calmly. "Calm down. Obviously she is either here to bait us and thus give Strega even more reason to openly antagonize us or.." Well now, that's interesting. Learn to be more human? Her head tilts slightly to the side.

She narrows her eyes slightly at Nagisa. Seven years old.. taken.. The Kirijo Labs..? But they stopped those experiments! How old is this girl..? When did the experiments continue? Mysteries in Mysteries.

"Regardless of her intent," Mitsuru continues. "I will not allow anyone to hurt her while she is under my roof. Not unless it is in self-defense." Her eyes sweep to the other members. "Do you understand?"

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

"Understood." Aigis says, cupping her chin for a few moments, as if in deep thought. Then, she nods. "I will fetch materials. I will be back shortly." She looks over to Mitsuru and says, "If I may be excused..?"

If she receives permission she will go upstairs, inexplicably, presumably to fetch these... 'materials'. Whatever they may be.

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

Too much data. Dai-chan? Taken? Himeru catches the bit about a grand-daughter, but how would someone who would be no older than...

She seems to zone out momentarily, her mind wondering how someone who looked in her mid-teens would even know the man who broke the fabric of reality. Was she an experimental subject? Really? Her fingers clench on the armrest, tightening and then loosening entirely. Synapses connect thoughts, melding the anger and rational thought to reach some degree of conclusion.

The prohibition for harm comes in at a good time, leading her mind to quite literally lockdown any and all offensive Persona ability, part of the young girl perfectly happy to follow orders. "Nagisa Renge." she begins, seeming to momentarily struggle not with words, but with a sudden brief bout of laughter that sounds slightly unhinged as she comes to a single conclusion.

"Thank you."

Wait, what? "Thank you. For everything. For what you set in motion that day. Not just to give Shinjiro Aragaki that epiphany, or for giving those who cared for him the chance to see the pain he carried on his shoulders..."

Her left hand lifts, wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes. "Still, had things ended not so well, who knows how things would be now."

<Pose Tracker> Thora Kobayashi [KDA] has posed.

"Oh /fuck you/!" Thora suddenly slams her hands against the couch arm and stands, completely abandoning any semblance of a relaxed state now. "Don't act like you did him a favor! The TV world isn't there for your fucking entertainment or group therapy!" Not that Thora hasn't considered the option of throwing people in herself, but never with the intention that they "get better." Moreso that they'd "get dead." Unfortunately, whoever was trying that strategy now wasn't very successful as of late thanks to the rest of the KDA. Even the attempt to really game the system and throw someone in right on the night the fog rolled in didn't work.

Sure, it was pure /luck/ that Akimoto was discovered. But now that the KDA knew about this tactic, they'd do what they could to watch out for it getting used.

She grits her teeth and her shoulders hunch, her stance growing more aggressive with each passing second and each word from Nagisa. "I'd try." She snorts, eyes flicking over to Mitsuru, "But I expect that they wouldn't let me." Her gaze shifts to the others in the room, mind wondering about who else would stop her, and something dark and violent writhes in the subconscious of her mind, altering her aggressive dog resonance just slightly into something more hateful. "So what I /feel/ about this doesn't matter."

Pausing suddenly, Thora turns to stare at Himeru's reaction to this confession, exactly opposite of Thora's own. Was she really being ungrateful about this opportunity Shinjiro was given? She wasn't exactly happy that Shinjiro was going to kill himself over his accidental act of murder. But to give this Strega bitch the validation over this...

She growls angrily and turns away, plucking her coat off the couch and slinging it over her shoulders.

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

Shiki doesn't quite realize the extent to which Hinata is restraining herself, but he's distracted for a moment. ...What does Aigis' question have to do with anything? The fact that Nagisa responds is even more puzzling, but he doesn't dwell on that for now, since he... doesn't quite understand the relevance.

Mitsuru urges them to calm down, however, and he's trying to, honestly! But listening to her talk... She's like some kind of alien, isn't she? Even as she says all these horrible things... Yeah, Senpai wanted to die back then, as sad as it was, and... Ran accompanying him? She's still dragged in an innocent into this, didn't she?! What was she thinking, what was...

Itsuka, if she's paying attention to him, will probably notice that he's making a monumental effort not to lash out at her words. Avoiding looking at her, teeth clenched, he responds to what she answered to him specifically. "We're all very upset, yeah. You've made us suffer a lot. We put everything on the line to rescue Senpai and Ran-san, you know. ...and you /don't understand/?!" He looks back up again, wiping his forearm over his eyes.

Thora's outburst is predictable, but it does surprise Shiki nonetheless. Oddly, at least her reaction is... relatable, as violent as it might be. "Thora-senpai!" he squeaks out, having trouble mustering up his authoritative 'field leader tone'. "I get your feelings, I really do, but... not here, not now..."

But then... wait, has Himeru gone crazy?! His head snaps to her, a horrorstruck look in his eyes. Right, right, his friend has always been... weird... It's almost easy to forget these days, but...

Is Nagisa like that too? Someone who baffles him so much, who can't grasp how he feels and vice versa? And he's accepted Himeru as a friend, hasn't he? Is the world filled with crazy people? Should he just... accept that? He looks down to the ground, voice softer, but still with an edge to it, with his next question "What... are you?"

<Pose Tracker> Hinata Itoh [SEES] has posed.

Oop. Hinata never did tell the rest of SEES about her and Kanon's little judgment trip, did she. Well at least they don't have to worry about her exploding here, she already has! Nobody seems to have picked up on that, however, in the midst of Nagisa's confession. If you could call it that. The youngest Itoh had heard most of it that night, there's little here she hadn't heard from the Stregite before. There were things left unexplained however, and the centerfielder is about to answer when there's another query from the floor. Taken? And then an answer. "Seven?"

The conversation is rewound as Himeru has an ill-timed laughing fit. How did Mitsuru's grandfather fit into this? There's a puzzling look given the heiress before its turned to Nagisa. "Yeah, maybe me 'n Kanon just wanted to hurt because we were hurt. A lot of us still do," she nods to the now disgusted Oni. "I hope you don't think any less of Nee-chan, Thora-senpai, but she's forgiven Strega for what happened that night too." She just didn't do it with laughter or thanks.

And then back to the growing troubling thought that Shiki seems to be fixed on as well. "What does Aigis-senpai mean by 'taken'?" She has a bad feeling about the answer. Please don't let it be true.

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

Intent just isn't as important as action, Itsuka's found. All the good intentions in the world don't mean a thing in comparison to what somebody /does/... well, except sometimes. Itsuka's missing a few things, as well, especially the exchange towards Mitsuru, the significance of why Aigis is leaving--she's kind of focused already. "Be direct enough to get the point across, but too direct and nobody'll want to listen because it'll seem like you don't care," she explains, with... actually the tone of someone who cares talking to a friend who doesn't get something. Her voice is gentle, if a little strained.

The Eclipse Squad member can't relax just because Mitsuru's made her position known, though it does help to know that that's how she feels here--after all, the SEES commander is a pretty stable influence. Himeru, too--Itsuka almost smiles at the bout of laughter, and the thanks, the expression quirking briefly on her lips but fading almost immediately in the face of Thora--who she respects--responding so harshly. But no, that makes sense, too. Its Shiki's who she's really watching, though, and she can tell that he's trying not to lash out. She appreciates it, though she shrinks back slightly, closer to the wall, as the matter continues.

Did Hinata really do that, though? Itsuka gives her friend a considering look, then, watching her without saying anything at first. Then, though, then she's willing to speak up, "...It's not just about personal feelings," she says, in a tone that's difficult to bring out but is even, clear of any stuttering. "It's not about our pain, or senpai's pain, or anything like that."

"Yeah, it's nice if everybody can understand one another... but it goes right back to what we saw, when we went to save them. To what's 'right'. If she doesn't understand," she addresses SEES, "Shouldn't there be a way to help her do that? To find what's 'justice', instead of just lashing back and continuing the cycle? I mean... that's why we had this problem in the first place, isn't it? With what happens when something goes wrong? With..."

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

That does make it a little easier to deal with, when Mitsuru declares that no one is to harm Nagisa unless it's in self-defense. She doesn't intend to attack anyone first, either, and it's somewhat reassuring to know that she probably won't get attacked in the middle of trying to speak. Although-- "No, my reasons for being here are my own. The rest of Strega isn't aware that I am doing this," she informs the SEES leader helpfully. "I'm not sure that Takaya would approve if he knew I were doing this."

And yet she's still here. Himeru's reaction of laughter and gratitude is met with a stunned blush, but before Nagisa can smile, Thora is screaming at her at the same time. It's striking how completely different their reactions are. Shiki, whose name she still doesn't know, is somewhere in between, and Hinata asks her a question while Aigis excuses herself...

Nagisa bows her head, before she looks over at Itsuka and nods once. "All right. Thank you. I'll try," she murmurs, before looking at the crowd in general. Thora... doesn't seem like she wants a response, just that she wants to yell, and Nagisa has encountered enough of this lately that she doesn't bother. Instead, since it seems she's making moves to outright leave, the Oni of Osaka is addressed first: "Thora, do you consider yourself to be 'human'? If you don't, does that matter to you?" After all, here Thora is screaming at her for trying to kill someone, while Thora herself is not precisely someone who views murder in general as 'wrong.' To be honest, she thinks Dai-chan would probably consider her one of the most human people here, since she is living a contradiction--a lie--but what Dai-chan thinks isn't everything. Speaking of, Nagisa looks out at the group in general, pale blue eyes sweeping from side to side, and adds, "I would actually like to ask this of all of you: what do you consider 'being human'?"

There's a small smile Himeru's way, and counter to her stoic behavior earlier, Nagisa actually seems genuinely grateful for her gratitude. "I do not know if I should be thanked, since Shinjiro was unhappy about it and Ran thought there had to be a better way, but... thank you. I am glad you think so, since that was what I'd wanted. Ran thanked me, too." That smile fades at Shiki, and she sighs a bit. "No, I don't," she says, a little unhappily. "But I do not think I understand what it means to think like a human anymore. I had thought that maybe I had become more human lately, but... No, I think I understand a little," she amends, thinking back to her recent conversation with Takaya, and the one that followed the next morning with Daisuke. "You don't want to be separated from someone you love, do you? You don't want to lose them. So you become anxious, and upset. It's probably natural for you to hate me."

What is she? "I... don't know," she admits to Shiki. "There is a time when I do not think that would have mattered very much to me." And then Hinata finally asks that direct question, and Nagisa stares at her for a long moment, glancing at the rest of the room before she gives the redhead a faintly sad look.

"By the Kirijo Group, to be experimented upon," she tells her quietly. "Although technically I was not 'taken,' I was 'adopted,' the end result was the same."

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo [SEES] has posed.

Mitsuru nods absently at Aigis when she asks to be excused. Her dark eyes remain focused upon Nagisa, though she registers everyone else's reactions. She does not try to stop Thora. Himeru’s laugh is curious. Everyone else..? It's understandable. But what really draws her attention is the mention of 'adopted'. She goes absolutely still and eyes narrow. "When?" The heiress demands. "When did they take you?"

<Pose Tracker> Thora Kobayashi [KDA] has posed.

"That's real great for your sister, Hinata-chan." The Oni of Osaka scowls. "I'm real glad everyone here wants to forgive the Strega member for trying to kill them. But you know what? I don't." A quiet, angry glance is thrown Itsuka's way before she turns fully, stalking towards the front door. As far as she cared, this wasn't her problem anymore.

Nagisa speaks to her again and Thora pauses halfway through the door. Slowly, she turns to look down at Nagisa, her eyes gleaming. "I'm not human." she says in a quiet voice. Before she continues, she actually seems to be thinking about this. "...I don't think it matters." She looks away and puts a hand to the door, pushing it open. "Even some people out there like monsters. Those people that do are important to me." Her free hand, which is stuffed deep into her pocket, curls into a fist. "I don't like it when those few people are taken away."

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

Aigis is gone for a bit.

There is a faint noise from upstairs. Something collapses, noisily--books or maybe blocks of some sort? Something heavy but not shatterable. There is a secondary, smaller crash--and then silence.

Then footsteps. Heavy footsteps, you can hear mechanical gears whirring, the stomps resounding through the wood, and then down the stairs--one step at a time. THOOMP...thoomp. thoomp.

Instead of seeing an Aigis come down, it's more like seeing a stack of binders with feet. And on top of those binders is a stack of volumed manga. Somehow, Aigis manages to navigate to the lobby table without crashing into anybody but she sets them all down eventually with a faint exhale that seems less from exertion and more out of relief that she didn't drop anything on anybody.

"Very well Nagisa. I have been studying humanity for some time and have brought you research materials so you can start the trek away from being an inhuman monster and towards being a human being as is your right. I apologize that you will have to study like I have studied but I anticipate that my unique status as an automaton may be more beneficial to your philosophical, ethical, and cultural growths than simply 'talking to people'. Humans, I have found, do not understand why they do what they do a significant portion of the time. This is understandable, as humans have an innate understanding of what it is to be human and while analytical texts do exists--and I have provided some of my collection of psychological and philosophical discourses here, much of what it is to be human is a collection of subconscious data that is difficult to analyze."

She lifts up the volumed manga first, though one seems to be more a 'storybook' thing--Hamtaro, to be precise--while others are visual novels such as Haruhi Suzumiya, and there's even some Utena, Cardcaptor Sakura, and even a Princess Tutu DVD and one chapter of 'Fist of the North Star'. "This is important cultural reading material. I understand you are probably not particularly wealthy, so you should read these starting with the Hamtaro collection and ending with Utena and Fist of the North Star."

She lifts up the binders, one at a time. "This is my collection of psychological texts from Jung to Freud, among other miscellaneous authors." Aigis continues, setting that and a similar themed binder to the side. "This is a collection of political essays from the last four years, abbreviated due to the numerous amount of material in that regard." She sets that aside as well. "These three binders," She continues, "Are a collection of personal observations during my periods of 'watching' individuals at the fountain. I hope you find them informative. They typically note facts rather than emotions unless they are particularly obvious, I apologize but I am still learning in this regard." She sets those binders aside and then sets the last one down. "Here is an itinerary of activity to improve your 'soul'. This includes cooking, walking pets, reading at the library. There are seven possible itineraries in a 24 hour period--not modified for your sleep schedule, but I am sure you can manage--depending on your day. Vacations and other days are not present but we can cross that bridge when you are ready."

She looks up, "Is everything understood? Do you have any requests for clarifications? I understand it is a lot of homework but you have much catching up to do."

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

Gone crazy? She left? She generally would prefer the term 'slightly eccentric' but there was always something less than conventional about how Himeru's mind operated, and why she saw things differently. Thora' stare is met with a smile, "We can't undo what was done, Thora-san. Nor does this apology absolve her of this act, but there's no sense purging her just for that. Not when for her psychotic sense of kindness she actually did something that turned out right instead of being responsible for a double homicide. And besides, this carpet would be horrible to clean from stain."

Gee, so kind.

Her gaze turns back to the dangerous guest, "No, you earned my thanks. You probably don't see what you set in motion and ultimately, you might never, but sometimes the best way is ugly and messy. Besides...he's almost always looking unhappy."

She shifts her posture, left hand dancing on an invisible chart in the air, seemingly to move things around. "Just for the record, what was your experimental number? Or were they humane enough not to barcode you?" Hime as often has the tact of a Tomahawk Missile at a wedding ceremony. Her thoughts however shift at the weird gifts Aigis bring to the less fortunate girl. Odd assignment.

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

It's lucky for Hinata that Shiki has mostly ignored the matter of Kanon and her beating Nagisa up... though even once it dawns on him later, chances are he won't feel in much of a position to judge. Still, though, there might be Words with the Eclipse leader in the future. Thora's words, too, are harsh but true... And if he were alone with her, he might even let himself be swayed by them, but then...

Itsuka speaks up, with infinite patience that, like a lot of other things tonight, Shiki has trouble understanding. But what she says... it... it does make sense, doesn't it? He doesn't like the sound of it, and it's not as if doing what she says is /easy/ in any way, but...

Besides, getting so mad is... unlike him, isn't it?

At least Itsuka's advice seems to be helping. That weird girl really does care, right? ...sort of? At least, as Shiki notices, she feels a little bit more genuine, now, and her question... What does it mean to be human? "...That's a hard question." He looks to her again, not quite directly. "I guess it's something you just /know/ you are." Ugh, that answer wouldn't satisfy anyone, would it? "...Tell you what, I'll think it over, and give you an answer later, okay?" If Itsuka really wants to help her... well, he'd be a pretty crappy boyfriend if he didn't try hard to, right?

But the next revelation... ...They had heard many hard things about the Kirijo group, hadn't they? Does that mean that they're the reason she's that way? ...Wouldn't helping her out be part of SEES' mission statement, come to think of it?

And then Aigis arrives, interrupting his train of thought, and-- h-huh. Wow, that makes his own effort to find an answer pale in comparison, doesn't it? He literally gets a bit paler at the sight of how much the android girl deploys for this purpose, eyes wide. "I... I'll still try to find a short answer anyway," he says to no one in particular, but loud enough for all to hear, scratching the back of his head.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki [SEES] has posed.

Shinjiro shows up so quietly most people who aren't all that Resonance-sensitive might not even sense him coming. For all he can have a shattering presence, capable of breaking the courage of others through a mere harsh look, he can sure walk like a cat when he really wants to.

He came down the stairs a few moments ago, but he hasn't announced his presence yet. This is because he is too surprised.

He's looking narrowly at the way Itsuka stands next to Nagisa, like a friend, and entreats on her behalf. He doesn't say anything, and it's fairly impossible to tell what he's thinking.

<Pose Tracker> Hinata Itoh [SEES] has posed.

Its true, Itsuka, if that guilty shying away Hinata is doing is any indication. The Chicago Way was invoked, and there was blood. It looks like that talk they need to have just had another action item added to it.

The tables are turned, and now the question was posed to SEES. Perhaps this as Nagisa's intent all along, to see just how they would answer. Or what she considered 'humans' to answer. Thora's answer is ignored at first, the amber-haired teen suddenly finding herself thinking more on the question than anything else. "That's, uh, a good question, its not exactly something you really think about, y'know?" A hand rises to tug at her ponytail, if Nagisa went through all this trouble then she deserved an honest answer. And perhaps so did Thora. Sadly, Shiki demurred so its up to her to provide the answer! "To be human is to relax under a quiet night of stars, to enjoy good friends and good food," words spoken with a knowing glance to Itsuka, "To chase down fly balls, to thrill yourself with the latest chapter of your favorite manga, to feel the tingle of a grapermelon slurpee, to laugh, to cry, to- to love and want to be loved, I guess?" Whoa. That was kinda poetic there. Even Hinata's a little surprised.

But she's still not done. Even if it sounds like the roof's collapsing, she surges on. "No matter what may have happened, if you have dreams and you have a heart, then... yeah, that makes you human." The thumping is too loud to ignore, however, and down comes a walking pile of books. Hina has to back away, lest she get buried in binders! "Whoa!" As Aigis sets them out, detailing each in order, the youngest Itoh's eyes wander over to the pile of manga. "You should start with the Fist of the North Star. Just look at the awesome radiating from the guy on the cover!"

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

The query of how to be human seems to fly above her head for a time, Himeru may just seem not to care, until grey eyes look back at the young Stregite. "Can't tell you, would be cheating. The journey's the answer, assuming you're willing to take it. Live, love, learn, suffer, be used, get knocked down, feel betrayed, yearn to be love, be rejected instead, cry, scream, forgive, or don't, get back up either way, or maybe stay down. Spoilers: You die at the end like everyone else. Inevitable end, but not one to really worry about. If you do well enough, you won't regret too much." is her cryptic answer. "And if all else fails, steal a life from Player Two. Just watch out for collateral if you do, s'messy."

She laughs faintly, thinking her morbid humor is actually funny. Not much unusual there.

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

Itsuka catches that angry glance from Thora, alright, and briefly feels as if she's going to be speared to the wall just from the force of those eyes. She stands her ground, though, taking a shallow breath to steady herself. She doesn't realize it, but she /is/ feeling something strong here, instead of being kind of numb like she thinks she is over this matter. The question... 'What is it to be human?' Well, she's discussed it, and she nods them to Nagisa, who said she'll try. She even approves herself that Takaya might not approve if Nagisa were here. Good.

No, it's not really 'easy'. The answers are coming, anyway, to the questions about humanity. She's at least happy to see Nagisa thinking about it, though what she hears about Kirijo... it's troubling. She doesn't answer the question of humanity, herself, instead glancing towards Himeru and letting herself feel better about it. She doesn't mind a lack of tact from /her/ of all people, except... uh. When Aigis comes down with her binders, and her lectures, Itsuka kind of forgets the somber moment very briefly, tilting hr head to just /look/, and--

Shinjiro's arrival, though, doesn't need announcement for her. She'd sense him even without resonance, it feels like, and she looks straight toward him as he arrives. She sees his narrowed eyes, and doesn't respond to a single other thing as she gazes right back. She's serious, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

"I think it was about ten years ago," Nagisa tells Mitsuru quietly. "It was the same time as Takaya, Jin and Chidori. Um, so you understand more clearly, I am seventeen years old right now. I know I do not appear that way, but ever since the experiments, it seems like my growth was stunted."

Then, over to Thora. Since it's no wonder that Thora hates her, it's a pleasant surprise that the taller girl answers her at all. "I see. Then 'morals' and the like are meaningless to you," Nagisa muses quietly. "If it were someone you didn't know, you wouldn't care; what makes it meaningful is that it was someone who accepts you, even though you are a monster." A pause. Then: "Thank you for your answer."

No, Shiki, that answer is hopelessly insufficient. Nagisa simply stares at him for a moment when he gives it, then nods once when he promises to think of something longer. "Thank you," she tells him too, before regarding Himeru. Her reactions to Thora and to her seem to contradict, but... Nagisa nods once, before Himeru asks a question that most would consider horrendously tactless and hurtful.

"I don't remember if I had a number or not," she replies with quiet matter-of-factness. "I don't remember very much very clearly of the days they were performing surgeries on us. I have read in a book that this is called 'repression.' I'm not sure what you mean by 'humane,' either, though they did throw me out when I turned out to be a failure, if that helps answer your question."

She's silent as Himeru and Hinata give their answers on what they believe it is to be 'human.' They give distinctly more thorough answers than anyone else has so far--Dai-chan will talk for ages, but he talks in loops and circles so it doesn't quite count--and Nagisa feels that Hinata specifically recounts her own experiences. It occurs to her that this is a self-centered way of viewing humanity, but she supposes the only think one *can* know if one isn't actively searching outside oneself is one's own experiences... Himeru's answer is difficult to follow since Nagisa has no idea what she means by Player 2, but she didn't need those spoilers. Ohh, she didn't need those spoilers. In the end, she nods once to each of them. "Thank you. I'll think about that." And then Shinjiro appears, but... Aigis appears too, trumping basically anything else at this point as she thumps down a massive stack of reading material for Nagisa to peruse. The short girl blinks at it, then at the robot, and noting what she says about 'turning from an inhuman monster to a human,' she wonders aloud, "Aigis, has Thora read through this material?" Nonetheless, the girl peers over the manga and notebooks and books and so on and so forth. Ultimately, she smiles at the robot. "Thank you very much. I appreciate this." Boy, Aigis isn't kidding when she says it's a chore to ask humans directly about what it is to be human... This is technically the first time Nagisa's been told straight-up that you can't explain it, you just have to /know/, and that's a terribly unhelpful answer.

<Pose Tracker> Mitsuru Kirijo [SEES] has posed.

Mitsuru seems to think this over for a moment. Ten years ago.. so around the time of the explosion but before her father fully took control. She frowns and then looks up sharply at Himeru. There is a dark expression that clouds her face for a moment. She's still and she doesn't know how to respond to the others. It is obvious that the news of the Kirijo Labs /experimenting/ upon the others, upon those who are now part of Strega has shaken her. Strega is her fault. Well not her fault directly but the blame is as good as settled.

How do you respond to that? How do you fix that? Her eyes flicker over to Shinjiro when he walks in and she nods silently to him. Fortunately for everyone, she doesn't have to explain when Aigis somehow appears with a miraculous number of books, binders and other reading materials.

<Pose Tracker> Thora Kobayashi [KDA] has posed.

If there's anything that pissed Thora off thoroughly, it was her anger being reacted to with condescending smiles. It doesn't help that she was effectively powerless here. The people present wouldn't let her just start assaulting Nagisa. Bristling further, she narrows her eyes at Himeru. "/We/ were responsible for there not bein' a double homicide. We pulled them out of there." She at least seems calmer now, if only slightly, but she doesn't seem like she wants to continue sticking around if everyone (Aigis included) is going to celebrate this alleged "turning over of a new leaf." Silently, Thora keeps her own suspicions of this act to herself.

Just like she'll keep her own opinions on Fist of the North Star to herself. The hairs on the back of her neck prickle a little. Lifting her head, she peers over her shoulder, eyes settling upon Shinjiro standing there. Another stab of bitterness sinks in her gut and Thora pushes through the door fully, eager to leave before she really lose it and attacks somebody. It reminds her all too much of when they had to pull /Akimoto/ out of the TV, an act of kindness that consistently bit the KDA in the ass further down the line.

One more pause though, to confirm for Nagisa in a deadpan voice. "Yeah. That's exactly it." Unfamiliar with Nagisa's particular...approach, she assumes that she's both mocking her and getting up on her high horse about 'being the better person' or whatever it was.

Her muscles tighten and she starts to shake a little. Deciding that this is definitely a signal to leave, she steps through the doors and exits the building completely now.

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

"If they weren't somewhat humane, you would be a carcass in a dumpster after they declared you a failure. Proper operational closure requires evidence cleansing." she retorts, always skilled at finding the worse kind of scenario. The glare from Mitsuru however seems to make Himeru shrink a little, and try to make herself smaller and also quieter.

"Of course. I didn't know it at the time, but that seems to be a rather reliable assumption. And..." she doesn't finish that sentence addressed mostly to Thora, her gaze caught on where some people have been looking: Where the Sempai in question has been standing. "Just so you know Sempai, Kirijo-Sempai has forbidden purging of the guest at this moment in time unless she engages hostilities." she reminds, as if to be helpful. "She can probably explain her motives herself if you care for it."

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

Shiki, at least, is glad that Hinata and Himeru are able to pick up the slack on making cool speeches when asked an existential question. It's not quite what he would have answered-- especially when it came to stealing Player 2's lives, but at least that was /something/. It's odd, really, how it seems he has a cool speech all ready to blurt out when he's kicking someone's butt, but not when it seems like it really matters, huh?

And Thora storms out, with Shiki looking on sadly. Yeah, she... He still understands how she feels, to be honest. Another person he might need to talk to, and soon, too. For now, though, he doesn't stop her. What good would that do?

There's something deeply unsettling, too, about the fact that the girl before them is in fact seventeen years old. That's... one year older than he is, isn't he? And still, she looks so...

And then... Shinjiro comes in, one of those who, of all of them, probably has the most of a right to speak, to judge. The situation is explained without his need to chime in. Luckily, too, because the only word that can escape Shiki's lips, right now, is a feeble "Senpai..."

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

If explaining humanity was easy, it wouldn't be the sum of human experience.

"I am uncertain which of this material Thora-Chan has partaken in." Aigis explains. "But if you mean to insinuate she is inhuman, I disagree. Thora-Chan is very human. Sometimes humans act as if they are inhuman. This too is human. The philosophical texts would likely be most useful in this regard as it goes into metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, logic, and so on." She seems neutral. She is not particularly happy with Nagisa. In fact, her emotions are particularly well hidden for a reason. She knows that if she shows how she truly feels, she would be a bad robot, if she grabbed Nagisa and ripped out the lower portion of her skull--and it would be so easy--she would be a bad robot. Emotions are useful, wonderful things but a robot must be careful of them. When you are powerful, capable of crushing any sort of individual you'd like if you just 'let loose', well, you can't lose control so readily. She is apparently willing to help Nagisa 'become more human'--but it is not as if this research was done for her either, she is simply providing Nagisa with the materials she obtained for herself. Perhaps it is merely strategic--making it more difficult for Nagisa to justify her darker acts makes it harder for Strega to perpetuate their deadly cause. Perhaps she just believes everyone should have the chance to be human.

"Do not thank me. If you become human, you will see how horrible you have been. That is a terrible punishment. I do this simply because I do not wish for you to harm others. I do not care for killing, so death is not something I can easily inflict on you. I expect a full report on what you have learned within two weeks, otherwise I will be unable to trust your sincerity in wishing to become human. You must not blame me for my mistrust, because as you have claimed to be inhuman, this means you are inherently untrustworthy."

"It has been proven to me that as the courts cannot prove that you have willingly put people in danger of dying that it would be impossible to arrest you, but there are other methods to repay your debt back to society."

She looks over to Thora as she heads for the door, then back to Nagisa. "Excuse me. Good luck on your report."

She heads after the Oni.

<Pose Tracker> Hinata Itoh [SEES] has posed.

It was kind of a cool speech, and then again it was kinda self-centered. A moment or two more of thoughtfulness and she could've drawn from Shiki and Itsuka and even Himeru and Thora. As it was, it did seem that Nagisa learned something from it. Maybe. It left the teen divided, however, part of her wanting to help the little girl further explore what it meant to be human while the other was in firm agreement with Thora. Hell, Nagisa herself wondered why the two Itoh’s didn't finish her off. This one, however, is of solid enough mind not to throw out her immediate and rather passionate answer: Because that's not what she does.

And it'd be kinda heartless to just outright kill someone who's been abused like Nagisa. "Seventeen!?" Hina repeats again, rather surprised that the little(?) girl is older than she is! It comes as a shock to Mitsuru as well, which helps settle that uneasy feeling, but put in with what she knew of Kazuo and Metis and... gah. Kirijo made SEBEC look downright humanitarian back then.

And Aigis has a plan and more importantly Shinjiro himself is here. Hinata nods politely to the older boy, respectful as ever. In fact, she thinking for a moment and starts to step away from the crowd as well. "I'll, uh, go make some tea for everyone," she nods before disappearing back into the kitchen.

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki [SEES] has posed.

Itsuka meets his eyes without flinching. Shinjiro regards her another long few moments, waiting for her to speak or explain herself. To say why she is here bringing Nagisa as a friend to be coddled, rather than in the 'questioning' context he was expecting. She doesn't say anything, so his gaze turns away.

Shinjiro's grave grey eyes move towards Thora as she turns and shoulders her way out. He can guess, even if he wasn't present, why Thora is leaving. He isn't sure himself how he feels about Nagisa's 'turning over a leaf' thing. He isn't sure whether he really wants to believe it or not. As much as he denies it, he IS aware of his own bleeding heart and how it can occasionally blind him, leading him to believe people when he perhaps ought not.

His own conflicting feelings about Nagisa are thinning his patience. His intense dislike of her is sourced not from the way she tried to kill him, but from the way she casually tried to kill Ran as well just because she was there. Some part of him is certainly aware Nagisa probably does not know any better and is not truly to blame for being fucked up, some part of him does want to give her the kindness she has lacked-- but at the same time he finds it very difficult to be kind to anyone who nearly killed Ran.

Himeru pipes up. Shinjiro's expression goes colder than permafrost, though he's still looking straight ahead at Nagisa. "You should already know I don't /purge/," he says, the edge of reproof in his voice. It's not until he hears Shiki that his gaze thaws a little, concern briefly creasing his expression at the frailty in Shiki's voice. That concern carries over to Mitsuru as he looks at her, perhaps guessing at what's troubling HER about this situation. His expression suggests to her that she can talk to him later if she wants.

When he finally looks back at Nagisa, it's with sharp eyes and a short voice. "All your 'learning' is pointless if you won't leave Strega. You can come here and ask your questions as many times as you want. It won't mean shit."

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

There isn't a way to fix it, frankly speaking. But Nagisa no longer begrudges Kirijo, and once Mitsuru falls into silence, the girl no longer addresses her. Likewise for Shiki, who falls into silence save when Shinjiro enters the room. Maybe another time, but... Nagisa nods once to Thora as the taller girl leaves--it hadn't been her intention to come off as sarcastic or condescending, but when your reactions just plain aren't normal according to human standards, it's hard to get across your true intent.

"That is true," Nagisa muses to Himeru. "They could have always been less careless. Perhaps they thought I would die regardless, and thought to save themselves the effort."

Then Aigis is talking, and Nagisa frowns at her. "I asked Thora herself just now, and she said she was not human either," she explains. "So I--" But Aigis is railroading her, berating her, calling her 'inherently untrustworthy' while blatantly ignoring a fact. Normally Nagisa would simply accept this without reacting much one way or another, but something about it just-- something in her chest twists—

"No."

Nagisa's voice has suddenly gained a hint of steel; appropriate, perhaps, given whom she's addressing. "I do not blame you, but no. I did not come here to prove myself to anyone, and I dislike how you say that I owe you a written report if I want your trust. I did not come here to get your trust. I will not write a report for you."

Why is it that when Dai-chan said it, she was all right, but when Aigis says it, she feels a kindling of that old cinder of anger...? Nagisa doesn't know, but she holds tight onto that glimmering of upset emotion even as the robot makes her exeunt. That's why, when Shinjiro speaks, she turns to him with that glitter in her pale eyes—

"..." But what Shinjiro says is true. Without speaking, Nagisa lowers her eyes to one side. "..."

Yeah, leaving to make tea is probably a good idea right around now, Hinata.

<Pose Tracker> Itsuka Mizuhara [SEES] has posed.

Itsuka will explain to Shinjiro, since she can tell that he's waiting--she opens her mouth but doesn't say anything, taking another step forward, as he turns his gaze away. Her eyes close, and again, she takes a steadying breath. It's okay; she can tell him about it. She's doing this /because/ of him, so if he's going to hate her for it, she--no, no, he wouldn't--but then, maybe he would, it's--

The conversation is starting to shift to something of a blur, for her, even with the revelation at hand. And Nagisa's asking all those questions--but Thora's right about what she says to Himeru, too. She's leaving, and.... Mm.

Wait. Nagisa is seventeen!?

Even that, though--the exchange between her and Aigis is something valuable, maybe, important, and... she looks to Aigis at what she says about 'terrible punishment'. She's completely right about that, and Itsuka knows it. "I... that's right," she replies. "It's not easy to do--"

Nagisa's sharp retort gets Itsuka's attention again, and her mouth sets a little. Okay. Now, she can actually say something. Even if she is wondering whether she did the right thing at all. Hinata can go to make tea, and that's okay, though, "Being human doesn't mean you're trustworthy either," she murmurs, and then adds more firmly, "You can only do what you think works, but... senpai's right. It's give and take. You can come to try to just learn, Nagisa-chan, but learning doesn't mean anything if you don't put it to use. That's part of why I agreed to help you set this up. Because... it takes action, not just words. That's why I won't let people just attack you for what you did. I told you that before," she says, her voice at least settling into a rhythm though she's feeling light-headed all of a sudden.

"Because if you show that you want to be more 'human', get better, then what can I say but that you should? Maybe it'll be hard, but--I don't think it's right that people can get off for the bad things they do just because they're fortunate enough to have people who care about them, while others are stuck. It's not. So..." She slides her eyes to Shinjiro. "That's why. I've hurt more people myself than she did pushing you two in. And I barely got so much as a lecture."

<Pose Tracker> Aigis [SEES] has posed.

Aigis is merely extrapolating from what Nagisa referred to herself. She does not trust Shadows or monsters, the way Nagisa has referred to herself--not Aigis--by distancing herself from her humanity.

"We are not your servants." Aigis says after a moment, looking over her shoulder. "We are not the tools by which you will obtain humanity--the way you behave implies to me that your statements of not knowing what humanity is is a complete and utter lie, 'bullshit' as others would say. It makes me consider that you hide in this way to distance yourself from your acts. I will treat you as a human if you'd like, I will treat you as a monster or a machine if you'd like, but I will not provide you with both. Figure out what you want to be. We do not owe you education. You have been free for approximately ten years. You had more time than I had to discover humanity, even disregarding the seven years prior that you had."

"So I believe you are not really trying. I have given you the tools. You can seek the moral high ground or you can learn. You /will/ pay for your actions. It is my hope you do not pay for your actions with your life."

She continues on her way.

<Pose Tracker> Shiki Ichimonji [SEES] has posed.

Shiki watches Aigis leave after Thora, letting out some rather cold words even after showing a rather generous part of herself. He can't quite claim to fully understand her reasoning, but that wouldn't be the first time tonight. Argh, why must all of his friends be so complicated? Nagisa's reaction, however, is also... unexpected, even given what he had seen so far. And Hinata leaves, too, thinning out this crowded room even further. ...Tea does sound nice, though.

And then, Shinjiro speaks up, answering Himeru in a way that is... vaguely... reassuring, sort of, and finally... he gives Nagisa his own assessment on things. Which... makes a lot of sense, really. He didn't expect his Senpai to forgive so easily, but he could have been crueler to the young-- older(?!) girl, couldn't he? "He's right," Shiki adds, rather quietly. "It's just no good if you keep hurting people like that, you know?"

But then... Itsuka makes a cool speech of her own. Man, what is it with everyone besides Shiki having a cool speech in them tonight?! She's... hurt more people? He wouldn't quite put it that way... At least unless there's something he doesn't know, but... At least he agrees with most of it, right? "...I think he's right. I can't forgive you just yet, but I'll try to help you if you try hard too, okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki [SEES] has posed.

Shinjiro's eyes sharpen even further at Nagisa's sudden contrary streak. He is obviously not going to be so forgiving. "What did you expect?" he begins. "Did you expect her to just sit and answer all your questions? You expect her not to test you back? If you didn't come here for either've those reasons, then what? You come here just to get what you want out of us and leave?"

His eyes flicker to Aigis briefly as she echoes his sentiments. They are quick to return to Nagisa, wearing the kind of scourging expression that has flayed many a person's courage. "You forget yourself. Whatever YOU think you 'decided to come here for,' at the end of the day you were only ever here because I LET you be here."

He won't touch her-- Mitsuru has forbidden it. Instead, he simply turns his back and begins to walk away. "Kick aside our trust if you want. But don't expect to ever come back in here without it."

<Pose Tracker> Himeru Namikawa [DS] has posed.

"I know, Sempai, I'm sorry." she meekly says, lowering her eyes. Given how Nagisa was changed and her humanity tampered with, she worried that in anger, Shinjiro might make something harsh.

"Be thankful for their incompetence..." she mumbles, perhaps too softly to be heard, but Himeru meant it. If the old conglomerate had dealt with the problem as she would, they would all be dead and incinerated. Clean up your messes properly, even if that was a disturbingly cruel thought she had no difficulty imagining it.

She is not that surprised that the young girl refuses to cooperate with the robotic girl's demands. What Nagisa does and does not want is not ultimately her concern, and while she was willing to contain her anger for now she saw no reason to love the young looking girl either. She ultimately will make her own stance with her own actions. "I...have data to process, some things to decipher, somewhere else to be." she says, making a move to vanish via the backdoor.

<Pose Tracker> Nagisa Renge [S] has posed.

'Learning doesn't mean anything if you don't put it to use; it takes action, not just words.' 'We are not the tools by which you will obtain humanity... So I believe that you are not really trying.'

'I can't forgive you just yet, but I'll try to help you if you try hard too, okay?'

'You come here just to get what you want out of us and leave? Kick aside our trust if you want. But don't expect to ever come back in here without it.'

In other words, to distill their sentiments into a single truth, Nagisa will not be 'human' unless she forsakes everything she has been up until now. To die again, and be reborn once more... But she has her doubts that this would be true. Dai-chan said that a human's hate is as good as their love, and she believes that *he* believes it, thus why she delights in *his* hatred... but she doesn't believe that of humanity at large. The message here is clear, especially so in that bone-searing glare of Shinjiro's.

It's possible, yes, that Nagisa could choose to "die" again, to cast off all she had. But to a girl who grew up wanting to be loved, this contempt, however well-deserved it may in reality be (its accuracy aside), is overwhelming. She lowers her head. ...She can't say anything now. Better to leave and think this over later. But even with Itsuka's support, and Himeru's thanks, this has been demoralizing for her. The other thing Nagisa has taken away from this is that she should just *know*, and talking and acting as though she doesn't makes her, in their view, a liar. There's no meaning in protesting this, though. And so, swallowing back that frustration (for Nagisa finds she *is*, and that she's hurt, something she'll have to mull over later), she bows her head again. "I apologize," she murmurs. "Thank you for expressing yourselves honestly." Another nod at Itsuka, and Nagisa turns to leave--without touching the stack that Aigis had left for her. This may get interpreted by SEES in general that she's refusing their help, and it wouldn't be entirely inaccurate to look at it that way. But if they're angry at her for trying to ask them things, then it's best to do this research on her own, rather than relying further on their grudging graces.

If not stopped, Nagisa will trade dorm slippers for her sneakers and leave without another word.