View source for 1506/Dangerous and Rare

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/05/25
|Location=Mitakihara - Downtown
|Synopsis=Utau consults with Riventon about Norie and her curse.
|Cast of Characters=83,47
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau's increased affiliation with Norie, and her ever growing concern over her..Condition, had been her primary driving force behind paying Riventon a visit. At least the vampire girl seemed to trust the creepy scientist, even if Utau was a bit wary of him. But lately she had lost faith in the various heroic types who had either lectured her, judged her, or outright betrayed her. Perhaps if what Norie says is true, Riventon may not be so bad afterall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Finding UMBRA headquarters was not too difficult. Afterall, they had affiliations with Easter Corp., besides, Utau had told Norie plenty of times that she wished to speak with the girl's supposed benefactor on peaceful terms, so her visit here may not come as a complete surprise.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Even so, Utau feels a little nervous as she arrives at UMBRA hq, slipping in the front door no problem, and heading for the lobby. Once she explained who she was looking for, the secretary had pointed her in the right direction to Riventon's office, and had called ahead to the scientist to let him know he was about to have company..

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon is more than happy to meet Utau - his star is rising in the heriarchy of Eclipse once again, and so his facilities look a little less bare (and a lot more ostentatious.) He's already standing at the front door to his office, where he ushers Utau in with a strange smile on his supiciously pointy face.<br /><br />The office is both fancy and yet undecorated - it seems to lack personality, lack a real touch - like it exists only to impress other people with visions of status, and not for the pleasure of its occupant.<br /><br />A look outside will reveal the strangeness of the upside-down Mitakihara skyline, and Riventon quickly ends up looking out the window at it, hands behind his back, then turning to look at Utau with his bright green eyes. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of hosting one of Tokyo's greatest celebrities?" he asks, though his tone is a bit over the top.

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau is used to glamour and fame, and so she's probably not as impressed as she should be when she steps into Riventon's private office. Iru grins devilishly as usual, peeking over one of her shoulders, while Eru is completely absent, hidden in her little pink and white egg that hangs from Utau's belt along with Iru's goth egg. Seems the little angelic guardian chara is totally against Utau's being here, which is not surprising.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The young idol singer's cool amethyst gaze peers towards the window, at the odd skyline, then quickly returns towards Riventon, watching him thoughtfully as if she were sizing him up. Back then, if Utau had chosen the path of light, she may have found herself on the receiving end of one of his notoriously powerful attacks, or maybe eaten by one of his Youma.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Thankfully, Norie had been there to quickly change her mind. "Riventon-san.." She bows her head slightly in respect, knowing that he could be a powerful ally - or a dangerous enemy. "I'm afraid we got off on the wrong foot the last time..In fact, my reputation was nearly tarnished due to that little..Misunderstanding."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She may be laying it on a little too thick, and Utau's never really been one to flatter others. However, she knows that she could have got herself into a lot of trouble, had Riventon tattled on her during that whole fiasco. "However, it seems that Norie-chan and myself have become good friends since then, so I dont regret pulling back from that battle. I was blinded by my foolish feelings for a certain..Hero..And it got in the way of my better judgement."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau takes another cautious step towards Riventon. "But let's let by-gones be by-gones. I came here to discuss Norie-chan..She always speaks so highly of you, and she told me you are helping her with her..Condition.."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon turns to Utau and shrugs. "Well... realistically, what you do with your own time is Easter's problem, not UMBRAs." He seems to stop a little at her foolish feelings remark, but recovers. "I didn't see any reason to inform them of it. I suppose I could've if I wanted to make your day worse, but I really didn't have a huge reason to do that." Actually, it's more that Riventon got involve with all of the equipent he acquired and it just wasn't high on his priorities list.<br /><br />"Norie-chan..." Riventon says, musing, like the words are strange coming out of his mouth. He tries again. "Okana-san is having difficulties, I'm aware. I'm trying to help her through them, but I worry any sort of... scientific or research-based assistance I attempt to render her will be squelched by the fact that I don't think she wants to be helped, in a way. She hasn't quite accepted that, much like you and I, she's simply different than the people around her." he says, looking away.<br /><br />"What she really wants is something I cannot give her. She wants her 'normal' back."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau seems a bit relieved that he wasn't concerned enough to 'tattle' on her. But more importantly, she may just have a chance at gaining his trust, and possibly an ally too. And she could think of a dozen ways he could have made his life worse, or vice versa. But, she has more important matters to consider, right now.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you know what's wrong with her? I think she mentionned some sort of curse. And..I think she's getting worse. She's still able to control herself, able to keep herself in check, but.." She sighs, stepping up next to him, gazing out of the window thoughtfully as he explains a little of what's going on. Utau had noticed it too, how she seemed not to want the help the last time they had met.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Does she really not care..Or is she just slowly accepting her fate? You know, if she loses herself to the monster within, who is to say she wont turn against any one of us she once called 'friend'? I'm sure that's not what she really wants. I'm sure it's just the curse that's changing her.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau narrows her eyes, glancing over at him as he seems helpless to stop what is happening. "You're supposed to be one of the smartest people in this city..Perhaps in this country! Is there really nothing you can do? I can't just...Stand by and watch helplessly as I lose another person I care about!"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I kinda have an idea. Her energy is erratic, though. But I have no way of knowing that's just the result of the curse, or if it's a result of her early efforts in fighting the curse." Riventon muses. "I have no desire to see her turn into an uncontrolled monster." he adds.<br /><br />"I mean, strictly from a resources standpoint, I've expended enough on her that it's far better for me if she remains useful than if she turns into a youma. I can make plenty of those." he says, perhaps a bit coldly. "And on a personal level, I don't want to see that happen, either." he admits. He walks over to his desk and sits on it, rather than in the chair. Sometimes his really-a-15yo-self gets let out in small actions like that.<br /><br />"But I don't think I can ''stop'' what's happening to her. I might be able to help her control it, but not change it. Whatever forces she's dealing with - they're both incredibly powerful and incredibly attached to her spirit, distinctly."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau arches a brow as he talks of an 'idea', clinging desperately to that little shred of hope. That maybe all is not lost. Her eyes widen a little, hanging onto the end of that sentence, although he doesn't go into more detail than that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her expression quickly darkens however, when he speaks of her 'usefulness', and her hands clench immediately into fists. "Her...Usefulness!? Are you Kidding me!? She is NOT just a tool, and I will NOT let you treat her as such...You do realize that she thinks of you as a friend, dont you?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Iru also glares at him, clenching her fists, looking ready for a fight. "Heh! He's no better than Easter, Utau-chan! Lemme at him! C'mon!!" but with a wordless look, Utau stops her little chara in her tracks, shaking her head slowly before looking back at Riventon, somewhat impatiently.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you can help her control it, that's something. But..Will that be enough to keep her humanity intact? If there is something I can do to help..." Utau catches herself before she can say 'please', not wanting to look too desperate, although it is clear from the expression on her face that she does care about this girl, enough perhaps to risk something to save her?

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon shakes his head side to side softly, causing his purple-tipped hair to go everywhere. "Just because I consider her useful doesn't mean I don't consider her a friend, Hoshina-san." he says. "It doesn't mean I don't care about what happens to her. In fact, it means I care more. Many of my friends are also assets. That's not cruelty. That's me respecting their talents and abilities. If I tell you that you have a beautiful singing voice, that doesn't mean I only see you for your talent - it means I acknolwedge your value."<br /><br />Riventon squints at Eru, and leans closer to her. "It's rather shortsighted to consider me either worse or better than Easter. We all want the same things in Eclipse. The power to change the world, to remake it as we see fit. To make our allies rise and our enemies fall. When you boil it down, we're really all the same." He says, then turns his eyes to Utau. "Even you look at things that are going on and you work for the power to change them. Wether that's Norie's condition or... someone else close to you."<br /><br />"I'm not sure. I know I'll need more time. I'm trying to at least slow it so I get some time to work on it. I'd wager that, if you want to help slow it, being kind to her will help. Give her something of value in humanity to cling to. Don't worry her about becoming a monster, or about what's going on with her. If she dwells on it, she'll just accelerate the rate. Dark energy doesn't just cause negative feelings- it's empowered by it, as I'm sure you've witnessed when you fought while angry versus while calm. I presume it's the same way for her little curse."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau continues to glare silently at Riventon as he attempts to explain what he means by 'useful'. Unfortunately the young idol singer has only ever been used and abused by everyone she's ever known - except for Ikuto, and who knows where he is now, or if she'll ever see him again?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Easter only uses me for their own ends, so that they can become more powerful. They care nothing about me as a person.." She leaves it at that, not wanting to divulge more than she needs to. No reason to reveal anymore weaknesses to this creepy scientist guy than she already has.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead, Utau decides to focus on whatever she can do to help Norie. "So..I should just be a good friend then? But I'm not sure I can give her anything of value besides my friendship.." Sadly, Utau's never been good at making or keeping friends, and it really comes with the territory.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sighs, "All I know is that when I'm angry, I feel stronger when I fight. But...If Norie were to feed off of me, would it make it harder for her to forget me?" it's a crazy idea but..Utau's tired of losing people she cares about.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon looks at her. "Well, Easter are... short-sighted, then. I've learned emotional connections with people make them more reliable and better allies." he says, pushing a small paperweight around on his desk idly. "I have no reason to harm people who are assisting me. And no reason to throw them away. That just means trouble down the line."<br /><br />"Anyways, enough about my philosophy. Being a good friend can't hurt. But just try to keep her spirits as high as you can. That might counteract what's going on. One of the reasons I've tried to become so mellow - it helps keep the power under control..." and then a smirk crosses his face. "...until I need it."<br /><br />"But you want to keep hers in check, so counteract it with positive emotions. It should work, anyways. I mean, it's the best chance we've got until I can finish the project I'm working on." He can't give much more information because it's too closely tied to his OWN condition.<br /><br />"Well... she does need to feed off someone, as near as I can tell. She burns off energy passively where a lot of people like her don't. She -needs- energy."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau frowns. "Respect and honesty will make you the best allies. Being dishonest or leading a person on, especially by establishing a false emotional connection and then turning against them later, are surefire ways to make dangerous enemies out of former allies." Yeah, she's been there and done that.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Still, she nods as he describes how she can be a good friend. Trying to cheer others up is rather difficult for Utau, who is usually pretty negative most of the time, except when she is touching people with her music. "Well, I suppose I'll give it my best shot.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And there's that project he's working on. Utau arches a brow, curious, "So. What exactly are you going to do? Is it something to do with that cursed necklace of hers..?" Really, magic lore isn't a particular strength of hers, but Utau is certainly curious.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon shakes his head. "It's really just simple. If you keep stabbing everyone in the back, eventually it'll be your turn for the knife." This is something he's been thinking about for a while. Wether he'll actually put his lofty goals into play is another question - but he has been known to respond when his allies find themselves in trouble.<br /><br />"I prefer to avoid stabbing other people in the back, so they don't find reasons to make mine a scabbard as well." he says, nodding. "And that'll go for you too. Don't make an enemy out of me, and I won't go out of my way to challenge what you desire."<br /><br />"I'm not sure. Her necklace is very different from the magic I'm used to using... so I'm somewhat having to learn myself."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau frowns. "I have no intentions of betraying anyone or stabbing anyone in the back. That would be pretty stupid, coming all the way up here, in your domain, and attempting something like that. Besides, I imagine you would make a better ally than enemy."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She arches a brow when he speaks of different kinds of magic. "I dont understand..Are there really that many different kinds of magic? I thought there was just bad magic..And good magic. A curse is just a curse, isn't it? Isn't there any history you can find out about that necklace? Surely it can just be broken.."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But there was that other thing she was curious to know about too. "So..What exactly does UMBRA do, anyway?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Well, they're similar, but when you get down to a mathematical, scientific level, there's very small key differences. It's not the easiest thing to break down but... like, not everyone has Charas, right? Or Soul Gems. Different sources of power mean your energies are all just a little different."<br /><br />"I'll have to talk to Norie more about history. Maybe I can count on you to be my eyes in the field? Sorry, but Eclipse has a project that's been keeping me very busy, so if I want to be able to do any field research, I'll need an assistant."<br /><br />"We're in charge of research for dangerous and rare magical items, basically. UMBRA is, I mean."

:'''{{#var:83|Utau Hoshina| (83)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Utau sighs, "No, I suppose not. But then, I'm not entirely familiar with the other sources of magic out there. But I'm always curious to learn more about them. However, perhaps I should hit the library too. It might help.." she listens thoughtfully as he explains what UMBRA is about..And has a bad idea. Perhaps if they could help her find the embryo and free her from Easter? But..No..<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a tired sigh, she heads towards the door again. "Well then, I'll continue to keep an eye on Norie and help her as much as I can. I trust you will give me an update if you find anything new?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Riventon nods. "Absolutly. And if you ever decide you want to get your hands dirty with something other than X-eggs, I've usually got something on my plate to find or secure. You'd be surprised - it's like Tokyo's just littered with magical objects and places large and small."<br /><br />"I'll... hopefully have something for you soon." he says, standing up. "Thank you for meeting me here."
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