World Tree MUSH

    The address Yumi was given turns out to be a condo building in the most affluent part of Natsuto's downtown area, a place kept even tidier than the city's usual high standard of cleanliness. It's not a short building, but neither does it particularly tower over those around it, and the architecture is neither too overdone to fit in, nor so underdone as to appear plain. In short, it blends in perfectly.

    Yumi looks over her shoulder briefly at those she's asked along, then says, "This is the place. I scouted it out last night, but I couldn't find anything off about it." She takes a step up to reach out and hit the buzzer for the condo the note mentions- but the speaker crackles to life before she can touch it.

    "Ah, Tachibana, you're certainly punctual. Good, good~." For those present at the wharf, that voice will be familiar - it's the blonde who showed up after they'd defeated the creature. "All of you can come right on up, I've got more than enough food going."

    The front door clicks open. Yumi blink-blinks, then frowns faintly. That's totally cheating.

Anna is looking uncommonly subdued as she walks up to the group; her usual good cheer is generally absent. "Really not feeling too hot about this," she says. "'Doesn't seem suspicious' ... doesn't necessarily mean anything." She's wearing a simple blue dress, blue jeans under the dress, and red running shoes.

The golden-furred catlike and vaguely squirrel-like Spiral is sitting on her shoulder. She murmurs, "Still say you don't need to come here if you really don't --"

And then both of them blink in surprise at the interruption.

"Okay, then!" says Anna. She doesn't make the first move to walk in, though.

    Showing up in full Dark Knight armor would be a little bad for this area, but Cecil is not without alternatives. A lightweight chain vest under his jacket... which isn't much, because it isn't mithril or anything, but is something. Also a knife. But they aren't /supposed/ to have trouble so he's going to have to rely on those less reliant upon their equipment if there's a serious fight.

    He is still a knight though. "Hmm." Seems friendly enough, but he might as well be the first one in, just in case. Unless someone else takes that step, he's already stepping forward, saying casually, "I suppose we just go in then."

>> SUMMARY[Cecil Harvey] >> If this is a trap, then I can be a meat shield!

  Padding alongside the redhead is the robed and hooded figure of Sheik, the so-called servant of the royal family of Hyrule. Or, as her intimates know her, the last surviving member of Hyrule's royal family. Spooky getup, but the first time she speaks, it'll be obvious that the hooded robe hides a young woman of some sort, although her features aren't visible. Her voice is low and clear, gentle, and her inflections well-enunciated to the point of sounding almost aristocratic.

  The hooded figure wears a bow over her shoulder, and the lay of the robe over her torso suggests that she's wearing a quiver at one hip and a scabbarded sword at the other.

  The hood tilts just slightly when Yumi points out the right address. It lifts then to regard the building, before sliding slowly back to Yumi. "It would appear normal. I sense nothing," she offers, with a quiet gravity that implies more than the standard five senses. The hood jerks upright at the sound of a second voice.

  A moment is spent scanning for its source, 'Sheik' all but bristling beneath the robe, one arm cocked as if to reach for her bow.

  She relaxes with conscious effort, before cocking her head the other way, as though she were listening to the blonde's words.

  "It would seem the sender of your invitation is no stranger," the hooded figure comments, dryly. "I will follow your lead, Tachibana Yumi."

  For the moment, she does follow Yumi, but the hooded figure is hanging back near Cecil. It's good to have a designated meat shield I mean main tank. Healers work best when they're not full of holes!

    Certain people among the group may think this strange. Terra is not one of them. She doesn't really think much about it at all, only having enough doubt in her heart for herself. So, of everything strange that happened at the pier, this seems the least suspicious.

    So, the meeting is at a rather large building. So long as it isn't clad in steel and spewing smoke she's not particularly bothered. Instead, she seems mostly interested in the group she's accompanying; particularly with stealing glances at Anna's cat-squirrel Spiral.

    So soon after returning that owlbear peep, too.

    The intercom coming to life gets her attention, though and she readily falls in with Cecil. "Fair?" Then to Ze- Sheik. Oh, there's an order? Uncertain, the half-esper hesitates. "Should I wait?"

    Yumi looks over her shoulder again, this time at Anna and Spiral. Her expression is just a smidge intense. "She's got answers about me. I'd have showed up here even if I couldn't bring any backup." Her eyes move back to the door, and she adds a softer, "...but I'm pretty glad to have backup." Sheik's observation draws a similarly dry tone from the younger girl. "If I had any doubts who left that first note..."

    And forward she goes, right alongside Cecil; she's as much the meat shield as he is, these days. Only going in the door requires her to fall back. Even the elevator ahead has room for both of them to stand abreast. Once everyone's on board, she taps the button for the highest floor, and up it rises.

    There's not much there once they exit; just a small, sparse lobby, a door which leads to the stairway both down and up, and the front door of the condo itself. No sooner does the group step off than the door swings open, pulled so by the young woman whose voice greeted them below - and whose smiling face looked down at them from a rooftop shortly after their defeat of an anchor-chain sea serpent.

    https://i.imgur.com/D8iUE05.jpg

    "And here we all are~. Please, come in, make yourselves at home. I'm Elizabeth, by the way~! Elizabeth Asatsuki." Rather than the elegant dress of before, she's wearing a more simple, trendy blouse-and-shorts ensemble, though it still blends the red, black and white.

    With the door open, the smell of cooking food quickly fills the entryway. Yumi's stomach quietly rumbles.

Anna shrugs. "Perfectly understandable," she says, moving behind Sheik and Cecil. "If she actually lives here, we probably don't have to worry about her trying to trash the place."

Spiral notices Terra's gaze, and as they step out of the elevator, she floats off Anna's shoulder. "How're you holding up, Ms. Branford?" she asks. She doesn't float too close; she's gleaned the half-Esper's from their previous meetings, and doesn't want to intrude.

And then it's time to meet Elizabeth. Anna looks her up and down. "Hmm ..." Her assessment seems to be correct, but once again, she hangs back behind Cecil and Sheik, letting them go in first.

    That's... not a trap. At least not immediately one! Cecil looks Elizabeth up and down, but the knight notices one thing first about the girl. One thing that stands out above all others.

    "Cecil Harvey," he says smoothly. "Thank you for the invitation. Your name is much easier to pronounce than most here, I must say." He's already guessed that she is likely to be at least part foreign, with that name, but that would be a less polite thing to say.

    In the meantime, it lets the others who are more vulnerable or skittish get themselves inside, though he does relax himself some. As Anna said, Elizabeth is unlikely to trash the place.

  The hood tilts downward slightly when Yumi starts talking about crazy things, like storming the proverbial castle without backup. The hood moves slightly in aloof concession to Yumi once the redhead amends that she's glad to have backup with her. Darned straight.

  The hooded figure pads along somewhat behind Cecil and Yumi, keeping pace easily, long strides carrying her along without much concern to the potentiality of walking into a trap. If she fears that option, she doesn't say a word about it, nor show any unease.

  She stands very still inside the elevator, so utterly and preternaturally still that it betrays her unease at the unholy technological contraption.

  They step up to the condo, but the hooded figure hesitates at the doorway, looking down the corridor one way and then the other. To those who know her, though, she's less paranoid about who's there and more committing the exits to memory. Just in case there's any need to sprint for them like a champion short-distance runner.

  The hood remains very still when the door opens and Elizabeth Asatsuki reveals herself and offers her name.

  The hooded figure stirs. She may be in exile, but that doesn't mean she's without manners. Her voice certainly sounds aristocratic. Having been given Elizabeth's, though, it seems she's compelled to offer her own.

  "I am called Sheik. A servant of a royal family, of another world than this." There's almost a sing-song quality to her slightly foreign, Hyrulean inflections; something almost musical in her voice. "I am an acquaintance of Tachibana Yumi's."

  There's a pause, and the hood distinctly tilts sideways. Sniff, sniff.

  "...You are a talented cook."

  ...Credit where credit is due. 'Sheik' trails behind Cecil, entering along with a gracious bow of her head in thanks. She does not seem to relax, inside; she shifts her weight as she studies the interior, hood turning this way and that as she listens.

  Hopefully Anna's right about Elizabeth not trashing the place.

Without looking, Anna casually reaches over and flicks Cecil's ear at the comment about difficult names. "Also, I'm Anna Freeman, and this is Spiral," she says. "Yumi helped me out once before."

    Riding the elevator isn't really an issue for Terra. Other than the fact it's a small box, there are more than just a few of us in the comparatively cramped space and there's probably not a lot of talking going on. She backs into a corner, belt knife rattling against the paneling. Okay, so it bothers her too maybe a little but not because of the precarious nature of the machinery.

    Thenit would seem staring at strange new creatures has backfired again. Or paid off incredibly?! Terra freezes for a moment as Spiral floats over. Her hands come up, like she might try to catch the critter but there's a bit of personal space to get through so she refrains from reaching out for the moment.

    Instead, she offers a quick dip of her head in acknowledgement of the question. "Well, I think." She glances away, enough to keep from bowling into anyone as the condo door opens.

    Her attention is briefly stolen by the appearance of our strange host, the smell of food and the sudden need to offer introductions. With her level of anxiety ratcheting up a bit and for all the wrong reasons, she can only offer, stiffly, a little bow and a hurried, "Ti- Um, Terra Branford. Sorry!"

    "Cecil," Elizabeth repeats, dipping her head politely. "Ah, I find Japanese to be fairly easy, once you get the hang of it. Lots of vowels, so it doesn't make you tie your tongue in knots~." As people start to shuffle in, the blonde steps aside and tries her best to look cheerful and welcoming... though where the cloaked princess's greeting is concerned, she develops an amused look. "Oh, thank you, I didn't know quite what to make so there's a little of everything. Even a vegetarian option. -ah, I should probably go and plate all that..." She quickly turns and scampers off to the kitchenette area, leaving everyone else to head in. She does stop to give Terra a little twiddle-fingered wave. "Good to meet you, Terra~."

    The condo is lavish and well-appointed, with plush carpets, soft and comfortable furniture, plenty of room... especially in the downtown area of Natsuto, this is backed by some serious cash. More importantly, to those with a spellcaster's senses, it's rather heavily warded against intrusion. This isn't a trap so much, but it's absolutely a stronghold.

    Yumi picks herself a spot to sit at the dining table, but the entire time, she's noticeably tense, and stringently watching Elizabeth - who shortly returns with a number of plates, and several bowls of differing types of stir-fry, including a vegetarian mix, as promised. "Anna and Spiral, hm~? You two look like you know what you're doing in a world like this. Though ours don't really show themselves so often." The serving bowls are set out across the table, and then Elizabeth finally hits the topic of the night. "Now, I'm sure you all have plenty of questions, so ask away, but bear in mind there's only so many answers I can give. I work directly for the Guardians, after all, and they don't want me just blabbing everything. Go ahead and dig in, though~!"

Spiral gives Terra a quick nod, and floats back over to Anna. "Yeah, the 'youma' of this world seem to be very similar to the Curse Phantoms where we're from," she says. "If it had been a little less talkative, I'd almost think they were the same sort of creature."

Anna nods, and goes to grab a simple meaty dish, plus a small side plate for Spiral. "Yeah, Spiral was going to be my case worker," she said. "She's mostly tagging along as my friend, but it's kind of her job to help out the other of the two types of magical girls where I'm from. Or, uh, magical warriors." She shakes her head. "Sorry, kind of out of it, and I'm not that great with asking questions anyway."

Spiral nods, and tilts her head curiously. "Well, the first question that comes to my mind is how people become magical warriors in this world. I'd imagine the counterparts of us Starbringers aren't quite the same either." Her eyes flicker with a pearlescent light as she tries to gauge Elizabeth's general level of capability. Beyond 'full-fledged magical girl, but not my kind', that is.

    Eying the dining table... Cecil then smiles, "My thanks." He takes a seat when offered, but not until he's pulled out any chairs for the others. After all, there are several ladies present and he's... kind of old-fashioned that way. Fantasy worlds and all that.

    However, Cecil is also very trusting of this. So he mostly just asks the obvious. "Guardians, hmm? I haven't done much in this world, I've only been... well, /was/ giving Yumi here some tips. She doesn't need them quite so much any more."

  Although 'Sheik' tilts her hooded head as though to gauge Terra's rising anxiety, she doesn't comment on it. No need to draw even more attention to the socially anxious half-Esper. The reaction is tucked away for later query, though.

  Their hostess is eyed briefly by the tilt of the hood, and the hooded figure eventually shakes her head, dropping as though she were listening to something somewhere beneath the floor. There are wards in place here. She files that information away, but doesn't comment on it for the moment.

  She folds herself into a chair with all the poise and grace of nobility; a single practised sweep as she gathers the excess fabric of the robe and seats herself in the same efficient motion.

  Still she leaves the hood drawn, and her features hidden. Impolite? Yes, most probably, and the impoliteness is a constant chafing against her conscience. It might be better to err on the side of caution, though, in this foreign territory. That Yumi is also so tense is not missed, and seems to offer Zelda a sliver of cold comfort.

  Plates and bowls and a jumbled mix of stir-fry, vegetarian fare, and large quantities of food in general.

  Mercifully hidden by the hood, Zelda licks her lips and tries not to reach out. She'd forgotten lunch in her preoccupied pacing of the corridors at Snowpeak, and her stomach started reminded her of that missed meal an hour or two ago. And it smells good.

  On one hand, she's highly interested in keeping her features hidden. On the other hand... it's impossible to eat with a hood over her head, and something tells her that this food isn't poisoned. Nothing in those bowls or on those plates smells off in any way. Different, perhaps, than any cooking methods she's familiar with... but not tainted. The hood twists again, as though she were eyeing Elizabeth in deep thought.

  Finally, a gloved hand rises to sweep the hood back from her face. Under all that obscuring fabric, 'Sheik' is a young woman of spare but elegant features, chestnut-coloured hair drawn back into a simple braid, clear summer-blue eyes, and, perhaps noticeably to many Earth-analogue worlds, long ears that taper to a delicate point. That one tends to attract attention, and warrant occasional disguising.

  'Sheik' drops her gaze to the food on the table, and works her jaw briefly. Her gaze darts to different points of the table.

  "I have one question, yes," she'll offer, when the others have had a chance to speak their piece. The robed young woman lifts her gaze to Elizabeth, staring with a quiet intensity that never wavers. "Is this food poisoned?"

  She's fairly confident that it isn't, but how Elizabeth answers that question is more what Zelda is interested in hearing. It will tell her more about the girl's character, even if it may mean being thought slow-witted by the stranger. What the other thinks about her matters little in the grand scheme of things.

    Only momentarily on the spot, Terra manages to relax a little bit. Just a bit! Being around people, getting tonguetwisted and pining for animals to spoil are all okay! Still, the best she can offer most of the time is to remain quiet. She knows little enough about all of these things that she's better served by listening, she reasons.

    She picks her way carefully into the room, not minding the smell of the food as much as the vibe of the place. That alone could determine her apetite, though she probably missed out on her own food by sharing it with others. Or Zelda's poor war horse. Cecil receives a grateful look as she accepts his aid in finding a seat, though she does experience a momentary pang of guilt for not having thought to do the same for him first. Or anyone else! Being social is hard, darn it.

    As for the food, she's eager but both unwilling to go first and uncertain where she even wants to start. There's so much!

    Then Zelda brings up poison and she stares hard at the food. That happens?! But who would poison another person!?

    Welllll...

    To Spiral's special eyes, Elizabeth is magically less potent than Yumi. But something in the way she moves, some subtle undercurrent, seems to suggest that treating her as any less dangerous would be a mistake. If nothing else, they already know she has the power of flight. "Ah, there's two questions I can nail down at once. You become a magical girl by getting the 'job offer' from a Guardian. They're magical beings who've been watching over humanity as long as we've existed. If a girl has the potential, a Guardian will approach her and offer to make her a..." Elizabeth pauses, then giggles. "Goodness, it's been so long since I used the words 'magical girl'. It's easier just to say 'senshi'. That's what I go with."

    She finally settles into a seat herself, and begins filling her plate... with quite a bit of food, actually. Looks like her appetite is a match for Yumi's. In fact, it's with her first clump of food moving into her mouth that Zelda asks her question, and those chopsticks pause entirely. Red eyes dart down to the eating implements sticking out of her mouth, then back to Zelda, then down at her food again. The blonde swallows before answering. "Well, ah, if that's not answer enough, I'll say poisoning all of you would be counterproductive. The Guardians have a vested interest in ensuring Youma are defeated, which means I have a vested interest in it, too. And since I can't exactly stay in this city forever, I'd be poisoning the only people likely to defend it."

    Yumi frowns faintly. "...Is there some way to get in touch with the Guardians in charge of this city? This time last year, I didn't even think this world had magic, I'm still not sure if I'm from here..." The other senshi reaches up, stifling a giggle. "Oh, you'd have a time getting this city's Guardian to show his face, but I can tell you myself, you're definitely from here. This world, at least. He's had me keeping an eye on you for over a year now. I'm honestly glad I don't have to anymore. Nothing against you, of course." That prompts Yumi's eyes to go wide. "You've been watching me the whole time...?" Her expression sinks into a thoughtful, unhappy frown. She's definitely from here, but there's no records of her anywhere in Japan.

Anna has already gotten a bite of stir fry in her mouth by the time Sheik pops the question, and she nearly chokes, but just manages to stop herself. She manages a weak half-grin. "Wow, way to scare a girl," she says.

Spiral ... just looks at Elizabeth for a moment longer than necessary. Something about the description of the Guardians is giving her a certain disquiet she isn't sure what to think about. "Interesting," she says, just a little too casually. "Definitely different from the way we do things. In our world, magic is fueled by emotions, and positive emotions are stronger in the long run, so we look for people who are psychologically capable of handling it, too."

Anna chuckles weakly. "I almost didn't get the job." She hesitates. "... for various reasons, but ... it's ... basically worked out so far."

... Yeah, there's an obvious strain there at the moment. Spiral looks at Anna with a carefully neutral expression, then turns back to her attention back on her dish.

  The Hylian woman watches placidly as Elizabeth takes a bite out of the same food she's serving to her guests, which immediately confirms the strong suspicion Zelda had already had; that the food isn't poisoned in any way. It isn't so much the answer she had wanted as the reaction.

  The thin, almost sleepy-eyed smile she shows is deceptively calm, and also knowing; it's entirely possible Elizabeth may well guess that Zelda had known all along and she was just testing.

  The expression fades quickly, like snow melting in the sun. For the moment, she's content to allow Yumi to ask her questions. She herself starts in on a plate; graceful, but still with the ravenous pace of someone who isn't accustomed to entirely regular meals.

  The offworlder will watch and listen, quietly, putting away impressive amounts of Elizabeth's home cooking while she does. If she has any questions, she's saving them for later, or last. When she does speak, what little she does, she is soft-spoken and clear-voiced, but quiet, in the manner of someone who doesn't want to draw attention to themselves.

  When it's time to go, she'll also be a gracious guest, bowing shallowly to Elizabeth and thanking her with evident sincerity for the excellent hospitality and meal. A bit at odds, with that appearance. Some find her spooky and unsettling, and crowds unconsciously part to move around her. But she's so very, very polite!

    "Hmm..." Cecil narrows eyes in thought. "Watching. So Yumi always had this potential? Or did she have some special quality beyond what any other person who was chosen would not?" He slides his eyes to Yumi and rubs his chin. Cecil doesn't know much about this world, but he does know one thing.

    Yumi had a lot more talent than she should have, right away.

    He's not sure she picked up on that look though.

    Okay, the poison thing seems like maybe it was some kind of tease or probe from Zelda. Terra glances around, taking just a little bit of food for herself. Just a bit! She doesn't have any containers handy or she'd probably be loading up for Rydia later. Of course she would.

    As for the conversation, she does her best to keep up, glancing from speaker to speaker without a great deal to say. Anna gets a concerned look from her reaction to Zelda's mention of poison. Well, perhaps if she'd dug in that fast she'd be more concerned too!

    Of particular interest is Elizabeth's explanation of how girls become magical. Is that what happened to her? She can only wonder, really. The talk of guardians resonates with her, of beings that somehow grant the extraordinary 'gift' of magic.

    "Do they ever talk?" She shifts her gaze back and forth. "The guardians. To people like Yumi." She could go on but stops there, fearing that she might miss something if she imposes on the conversation further.

    Spiral's reply draws an arched eyebrow from Elizabeth. "'Interesting' is definitely the right word. Ours are quite similar, but negative emotions work just as well. Or, you can push aside emotions, and control your magic through sheer force of will. That's how I prefer to operate. They all work equally well, so it's on whoever uses them. Yumi, you're a positive type, though, aren't you~?" At this, Yumi looks a little surprised again, but then nods. "Yeah."

    Zelda does get an arched eyebrow as well, but this time Elizabeth's response is almost... weary? "The world of senshi is cutthroat, but I at least try to avoid the I-know-you-know game where I can." She's the type to lay all her cards on the table, it seems, even if some of those cards must be face-down.

    Cecil, meanwhile, asks a tricky question that has Yumi's attention; she doesn't miss that glance, and she even gives him a brief, grateful nod. That's one that's been on her mind. "Ah, I wasn't told the specifics of Yumi's situation," Elizabeth replies, shaking her head. "Only that she almost certainly had magical girl powers, but her lack of memories probably meant they wouldn't surface immediately. If nothing else, you certainly fight like a veteran," she adds, with a faintly amused tone.

    Then, Terra. "Hm? Ah, the Guardians? Yes, they do. They're usually a bit distant with most Senshi, generally leave them to mostly fend for themselves, but a girl does talk to the local Guardian when they first receive their powers, and usually they touch base every so often afterwards. They'll even heal you if you get badly injured. -oh, but the Guardian of this city is a bit more reclusive than normal, and considers Yumi a special case besides. You'll likely meet him soonish. Probably."

    Complications, huh? Cecil lifts an eyebrow at Anna, but he doesn't pry. He barely knows the girl, only remembering her from their quests with 'Sheik' here. Which is fine. She seems reliable enough, and he could hardly butt in to her problems.

    "It's possible she had some training beforehand," he states. "Maybe even being groomed to become a 'senshi' if such things happen. It's turned out well for us, though."

    Groomed? Elizabeth considers for a moment. "...Well, I suppose something like that is possible, but I've never heard of it before. Most girls get their training 'on the job', sink or swim. Sometimes a more experienced senshi will teach them and keep an eye on them. Sometimes." She regards Yumi for a moment, considering, then adds, "I guess she could have been trained, though. Or just has a lot of fighting experience."

Anna smiles at Terra. "Don't worry about me, it just caught me off-guard," she says. She's a little more relaxed now, at least. "And, I mean ..." She shrugs. "No offense, Liz, but last time around, it seemed like you were playing up this whole ... enigmatic mysterious rival kind of deal." ... 

Spiral nods to Elizabeth. "Yeah, there definitely seems to be parallels," she says, with just a little bit of increasingly-obvious worry about the differences between the Guardians and the Starbringers. "Lack of emotion, in our world, is simply a lack of power. And negative emotions are more powerful in the short term, but less-so in the long-term." She shrugs. "I'd ... definitely like to meet the Guardians of this world eventually."

    Well. That reply gives Terra a place to start with her own personal quandary. All signs point somewhere she's not yet comfortable going. At least, someplace she doesn't feel comfortable pondering while she's ostensibly part of a conversation ultimately concerning one of her first friends.

    Cecil's question is also of tangential concern to her. Given some of the similarities Yumi's situation has to her own. She realizes with some guilt that she feels envy for the far and away better handle Yumi has on her own issues.

    So, she sits quietly and listens, once again paying each speaker heed in their turn.

    Cecil taps his chin. "Yes, but to be granted the weapon she's most suited to... well, that could be luck or perhaps the magic knew," he muses. "It would be an odd weapon to train with, at her age, but then I don't know this world." He shrugs. "She was - and I suppose still is - a good pupil for me to spar with."

    Elizabeth leans forward a little, elbows on the table, chin in her hands. "Well, to some extent, depending on their goals, all senshi are rivals. And I suppose I do like to put on a bit of a show, as an agent of the Guardians." Once again, she seems to consider her point before adding more. "I suppose I don't really count as an 'ally', either, though. Think of me as an independent operator. I felt kind of bad for Yumi operating in the dark, so I thought I'd at least give that much. Payback for making her fight two Youma, at least," she adds, with a glance to the redhead. "...I thought so," Yumi murmurs.

    To Anna, Elizabeth shakes her head. "I can't really arrange that, but I'm sure if you stick around Yumi long enough, you'll meet one." But once again, it's Cecil who draws more out of her. "Mm. Well, it's said that the magic draws forth whatever weapon we'll be most effective with, but that's not quite the same thing as refined skill, so..."

    Here, Yumi finally chimes in. "...with my build, a greatsword like that wouldn't be the first choice. Someone training me in advance would probably pick something more fast and lightweight. Or ranged. So most likely, the skill came after." Elizabeth whistles. "You're fast on the uptake, Tachibana."

    Yumi mulls that over for a few moments. The blonde looks like she's just about to say something, but before she can do so, the redhead chimes in with a question of her own, expression just a tad... darker?

    "Who is Mei Sakamachi?"

    Elizabeth's eyes widen a little. "My, how do you know that name?" The other senshi just shakes her head faintly. "I have no idea, that's why I'm asking. All I have is the name."

    Here, Liz has to pause for a moment, tapping her chopsticks to her lip, thoughtful. Finally, she says, "I only met her once, two years ago. She was one of this city's veteran magical girls. She's... not the kind of person I get along with easily, but she was dedicated to Natsuto, and very skilled." She sits back, then adds, "...She's retired now, though. After the, ah. The disaster that caused that crater, she cashed in her wish and gave up her powers. I'm afraid I don't know the details beyond tha-"

    "Wish?"

    Yumi is staring intently at Elizabeth, who blinks - then laughs softly. "Ah, that's right, you wouldn't even... well, I'm afraid the Guardians insist they be the one to tell people that, so I can't give details. But yes, you have the right to a wish, if you work for it. And Sakamachi certainly worked hard for hers."

Anna frowns as she finally notices Terra's nervousness. "You all right?" she says quietly. ... Well, she seems to have recovered enough that her indiscriminate desire to help has resurfaced.

But Yumi's question and Elizabeth's answer each raises an issue which neither Anna nor Spiral knew was a thing. Anna slowly turns her head to face Spiral, who is doing the same thing. Neither of them says anything, but it's clear that both think this is really significant, and in Spiral's case, raising a few alarm bells on top of that.

    Always at least a tiny bit skittish, Terra does well not to balk at the sudden attention. She stares at her almost completely untouched food, delicately takes up the chopsticks available. While looking at them very, very hard she sticks them into a piece of food like a paired set of skewers.

    She looks up, then, chewing delicately. See? Everything's fine! ... Other than her frankly awful grasp of how chopsticks are used.