Session Start: Tue Aug 30 19:05:43 2011 [Sunday, August 5, 2490 - 1647 local Snowflake time] [The Library at Squeegee Hall, with an open door out to the elevators, and a bank of windows facing out to the Lake, in front of which an old but still very handsome man has parked himself...] [Mini Victory Start!] * SeiSho sits calmly on a couch facing the windows overlooking The Lake. He's not asleep, but a few students passing through have wondered if the old guy was meditating. * Tasiya trudges desultorily through the library, seeking a distraction from looking at the ruins of her possessions after the fire and her family's departure. * Tasiya stops and blinks as she catches sight of the elder Sei. She looks around for his son, and, not seeing him, POUNCE--er, politely trots over. * SeiSho raises an eyebrow as she approaches. * Tasiya blushes a little bit. "Er--I'm sorry, Mr. Sei. Um, I hope I'm not interrupting?" * SeiSho clears his throat, then shrugs. "I'm not exactly busy at the moment." * Tasiya glances around a little for observers, or people potentially close enough to be within listening range. <@Ked> The library's stairwell is in occasional use, but no students really seem to be interested in getting back to studying yet. M-may I join you, please? * SeiSho makes an accommodating scoot to one side on the couch - there was plenty of room already. * Tasiya smiles happily and plops down next to him. "Thank you!" She then purses her lips for a second and taps something in on Dakdak, setting it to vibrate if it senses other EIs (since it's not smart enough to sense students) coming within listening range. You appear to be pleasant company - though if you need me for camouflage again, I can do without the excitement. * Tasiya stares at the elder Sei curiously for a second, then blushes at his comment. "Um, nnnot this time...I'm sorry about that, by the way!" Why be sorry? I though it was charmingly old-fashioned. * Tasiya grins, pleased though a little confused. "You mean, people don't do that anymore?" Her grin fades a little bit. "Should...I have done something else?" There might have been more effective tactics available, but I don't know the lay of the land around here well enough to list any. And no... people really don't do that anymore. On Earth, anyway. Oh. But...that's because things are so peaceful, right? More because there's no purpose to it - and no one perceives a benefit in hiding. Oh, okay. ...I've never been to Earth, so I guess I wouldn't really know. * Tasiya checks for listeners again and leans in a tiny bit. "All the Ladies say that it's for the best that we keep it quiet right now...and after what happened to John, I kinda think it's a good idea..." * SeiSho looks conflicted for a second, turning back to face the windows. You must know so much more than practically everyone else about this stuff! Even Lady Spoon kinda made a mistake once... Hiding is always easier-sounding. * Tasiya tilts her head a little. "I guess it makes sense to me right now. I'm not good enough at combat to fight off anything just on my own, and I'd feel weird walking around with bodyguards all the time, and even if there were bodyguards, something might still come up...and that's pretty scary." Yes... but. * Tasiya listens attentively. Have you ever considered the opposite scenario? ...um...um? What if everyone knew who you were? * Tasiya looks confused and a little worried. What if everyone knew who you and your friends were - knew who to trust, who to support... who to protect? * Tasiya tilts her head the other way. "I don't...wouldn't that be the same thing? Or make it worse? I don't *want* people to get hurt because other people are after me..." It won't stop everything. But if people know you, if you put yourself out there in the public eye, you become someone who can be trusted, someone who people will look to for leadership, and not some unknown factor that paranoids and fear-mongers can use in their propaganda. ....like...like Lady Composocrete... I'm not talking about just letting your name out - I'm talking about a full publicity blitz. Not stage-managed by Lady Blunt-object running your school, but done by you, for you. But, but I don't really...I mean...I don't think we're ready, at least I'm pretty sure I'm not, to have people look to me for leadership. I just don't know that much about stuff yet. Oh...ohhhh.... * Tasiya trails off thoughtfully a little. ...that is one downside. I mean, I don't think I'd want to hide *forever* anyway. You're younger than the Princesses were, when they really took the reins back in the beginning. You probably would make mistakes. You might even make critical mistakes. * Tasiya bites her bottom lip a little. "I still think there's a lot I can learn from the rest of the Ladies here before I think about going public, or whatever. I don't like making big mistakes." It would be a big change. It would also be a fight, since it's obvious most of the Hierarchy here is against that option. * Tasiya nods slowly... Wait, so... You're retired, right? I mean, are you? I didn't think you could retire from the Hierarchy...but, um, some Ladies didn't seem to know about you and...are you a SECRET? I think I've blown most of my cover coming here. But... I had some good connections back in the day, and so yes. I got the opportunity to retire properly. Oh...okay. * Tasiya blushes AGAIN. I, um...when I first started suspecting wh-who you really were, I guess part of me still didn't think it could really be YOU, so I...uh...I kind of mentioned what I thought to a bunch of people...I'm really sorry... * SeiSho waves that off. "Anyone with a magical sense can feel me. I never picked up that hiding trick." Yeah, but it wouldn't really tell them *who* you were, would i--hey! That's right! * Tasiya 's eyes get really really big. "You're...in uniform? Like, right now? And...all the time?" The real me is all aged out. Oooohhhh...I guess I didn't really realize that you could do that. * Tasiya looks at the elder Sei with even MORE respect, if possible. "Do you still...do you still remember *everything*? From all the way back then and stuff?" A couple hundred years - fasttime - will fade memories of anything... but yes, I remember the beginning. * Tasiya inhales so hard she looks like she's going to pass out. "Woooooow!!" Have you ever....I mean, did you keep any...you should write a book! I consult on the stupid TV show. ...that's as close to a memoir as I'll get. The full truth is too dangerous, even now. And too private. I heard Princess General Royal wrote a book or a diary or a journal or something at some point, but people say either she never did or all the copies were destroyed in the second War, or the Hierarchy has it super-duper- locked down so that nobody can *ever* see it. * Tasiya looks like the effort of not letting out a MASSIVE SQUEE at hearing about Sei Sho's consultant job may, in fact, kill her. * Tasiya takes a couple deep breaths, trying to calm down. "You---you DO?" ...wow. There are lots of things in the deep deep basement back at the Palace. It's possible some might be dug out someday, but not while the Queens are in charge. ...whoa...I guess I can understand that. And if it's private, that makes sense. Why--I guess I can't ask why the full truth would still be so dangerous, because then I'd know enough for...it to be even more dangerous? Don't overthink it. * SeiSho sighs. "And there wouldn't be much that's useful to you, anyway." * Tasiya nods a little. "I, uh...I was going to ask about the old days. If maybe...there are things they're not teaching us now...that we could really stand to know, and stuff. ...oh." There's one bit that you may really need to know. * Tasiya blushes EVEN MORE. "I guess I also...wanted to hear if the people from back then, if your...your old team was everything it looks like they are. But since you consult, I guess I already know the answer to that one, too." * Tasiya perks up and looks super duper attentive! If she were any more all ears, she'd be a giant ear! We were never as slick as the show makes it look. We were young, and scared, and in way over our heads. Sakura faked it pretty well, but that was just her natural cynicism. ...*you*...were scared? All of us were. But Sakura trained us to be dangerous, and in those days, that was enough. * Tasiya nodnods a little, wide-eyed. ...I already told Murdon this. But if you ever come to the point where you know the question, I'll answer it for you. ...L--Mr. Sei...I have LOTS of questions. * Tasiya looks down. "I know that's not what you mean, but...yeah. I mean, how will I know when the question is The Question?" I suppose that's unfairly mysterious. But it's about as good as I can give you, given my Orders. Oooohhhhh..... But... I'll give you a freebie. * Tasiya looks appreciative! * SeiSho waits. I mean a free question, dear. Oh! Oh my gosh...it's so hard to pick.... * Tasiya gets really really quiet, and goes almost cross-eyed, running over potential choices. * Tasiya looks down at her folded hands and bites her lip a little. The question comes out almost in a whisper. "When...Wildfire. She didn't even seem to recognize the Princess' Order. And I know...we were told you could fight it off in class, but...and she didn't even say "Lady" or anything, she just said she was Wildfire. But she didn't *feel* that different from us, and we feel the same as all the other Ladies...I don't...have you ever seen anything like that before? Do you think...she *isn't* one of us, maybe?" That's a little more serious than I was hoping for. And it's not something... I've never seen anything like that, no. ...oh. Though... you might want to ask yourself what it means to you if she isn't one of us. I thought maybe...I don't know. The Order seemed to just...bounce off her. Like she didn't recognize it at all. * Tasiya shudders a little. "I know. It kind of scares me." I guess I'll just...trust the Hierarchy to tell us how to deal with it, if anything really bad happens with her... * SeiSho makes a sour face. Better to trust yourself, I should think. * SeiSho leans forward and levers himself to his feet over his cane. "So which young Lord is your favorite?" * Tasiya looks thoughtful at his answer. * Tasiya then blinks at *his* question. "Mr. Sei! That's not really fair, there're only two of them!" *You* had *lots* more choices! * Tasiya grins, back to normal again, at least on the outside. Such is the fate of a Lord. Alas. * SeiSho looks like he really regrets that. * Tasiya tilts her head. "Oh, c'mon, Mr. Sei. Was it *really* that bad?" It hit me worse than most. ...there's a reason for that, but it's not one I'm going to share. Be kind to them. Oh. * Tasiya blinkblinkblinks. "....uh. I don't think that'll be a problem, Mr. Sei." That is good. * SeiSho totters firmly off towards the elevator. * Tasiya doesn't take the hint, and bounces over to press the button for him, but she doesn't pester him any more. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Sei....shou." Farewell, young Lady. May your loves be true, and your enemies... dead. Th-thank you. * SeiSho skillfully jabs the ground floor button with the cane, and the doors close silently. * Tasiya bobs a little, not enough to obviously be a curtsey, but enough to hint at the intention of one. "Have a safe trip home!" * Tasiya turns as the doors close and mutters to herself. "....maybe I'll get lucky and we'll get more Lords..." [Mini end!] Session Close: Tue Aug 30 21:17:55 2011