2886/Lore with the Curator

Lore with the Curator
Date of Scene:	19 December 2025
Location:	Penguin Park - Museums
Synopsis:	This time, Mamoru's brought along Laisa, Veronica, Catra, and Amy to speak with Maryam Siddig, the curator for the Magic in the Making exhibit. A lore drop happens, alright.
Cast of Characters:	NPC Maryam Siddig, Veronica Perenna, Laisa Samuiko, Amanda Faust, Mamoru Chiba, Catra

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NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
The Art Museum @ Penguin Park is starting to get almost as much traffic after hours as it does during hours (or at least, that's what security would say. Takeda-san is not amused), and this day is no exception to that rule. Once again, Maryam Siddig is available to meet those who have warned her ahead of time about their arrival, standing in a thick coat to ward off evening chill, her deep green suit pants matching well with the cream color of the jacket.

The tall woman has a metal detecting wand for security's sake and a thermos of hot liquid - steam escapes as she takes a sip, and the scent of sweet coffee betrays what's inside.

The moon is high above them, the sky half full of clouds. Moonlight shines amidst the shadows, and Maryam's glasses glint a little in the glow from above.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Leaping in the moonlight. A habit as natural as breathing to Veronica by now, although this time it is a bit of an exception. No theft is being made, and no artistry is being returned.

That is not to say the museum curator doesn't have a calling card of her own. As punctual as clockwork, Maryam Siddig will be able to find one in her office right at the turn of the hour, promising a visit of the Princess of Sarek when the shadows have fallen.

Who is going to deny her a bit of showmanship?

The Princess of Sarek twists the window of the museum open for any waiting to join her that way (she has certainly left Laisa a message about wanting to investigate the Fade too), and she has started making her way to the office of the curator.

"Mrrow, hello, Madame Siddig", the moonlit princess smiles, letting a meow slip in for effect. "Thank you for reserving your time for us", she bows.

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Laisa Samuiko, upon receiving the message, decides that she's finally curious enough to meet the curator herself. This most certainly isn't the first time she's paid a midnight visit to the museum, though she certainly remembers the first time she followed the Princess of Sarek through a window.

    It doesn't take her long to notice the catgirl painter leaping in the moonlight as the Snow Angel skates through the streets below. With a soft smile on her face she speeds up a bit in order to keep up. When they finally arrive at the museum, Laisa thanks her for holding the window open with a wink and quickly hops inside.

    "Ah, so you're the curator I've heard so much about. You've caused quite a stir amongst us." Laisa's lips are perfectly flat, and the air around her is as cold as her eyes, but she doesn't seem especially unkind. Just maybe a bit hard for a stranger to read.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy is in henshin to travel to the museum by roof, but she does shift her clothes to a school uniform before walking in the normal way. She's not showing off -- at least, not in the way the Princess of Sarek is. After getting directions from the guard, she makes her way to the curator's office, and smiles and waves as she comes into sight of Maryam Siddig. "Hi, Siddig-san! Nice to see you again!" She walks up cheerfully. "Had a good couple of weeks?"

    The wand, though, catches her eye and she gives it a curious look.

    "Does that... do anything? I don't think someone coming in here to do harm is going to stop and let you scan them... also, some people can literally just conjure guns. And other weapons."

    Why yes, she is the sort of person who comes this close to arguing with airport security if she didn't desperately need to get through.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There's a little bit of a flash, and Tuxedo Kamen steps out of thin air as though coming out of an invisible room with an invisible forcefield door. He's holding his hand behind him, and then swoops his cape up and lets it flutter down, revealing... Catra Too!

"Evening, Siddig-sensei," the masked prince says, breaking from Catra and taking the last two steps to come up abreast of the other three girls.

He laughs at Amy. "It's plenty enough to mag-lite some rando in the head if one comes up to give her trouble. So's the thermos. I don't think I have anything metal on me? Except this," Tuxedo Mask lifts his pocketwatch a little. "Sorry I didn't warn you anyone else was coming, I didn't know."

Catra has posed:
Is there any particular reason to arrive at a museum in henshin? Probably not, but given that Catra actually has no idea what she's walking into she arrives thus attired nonetheless. As she arrives just behind Mamoru, she (just this once) allows him to be the one to break off the hand-holding contact instead of her, just to make sure she isn't going to get lost in time and space or something.

"Your teleporting is way better than Glimmer's, I'll have to tell her that next time I see her," she mutters.

Clad in her charcoal colored tuzedo with the firey orange highlights and with a sword hanging in its scabbard off her belt, the feline hangs back behind everyone else for the moment. She adjusts her cufflinks, eyes Maryam Siddig up and down, and kind of... slinks off that way, to look at things. Though the aloofness effect has a slight crack in it, given the ear that swivels to track the group as she meanders off, so she can continue to listen in.

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"Hello," Maryam returns, smiling at the girl in her window with good cheer. "You must be the Princess of Sarek. You know, I was glad to be the first to enter my office after you left this - security would not have been pleased with my attracting attention from a phantom thief."

The second girl through the window receives a smile as well, even if her manner is neutral and her presence makes the very air colder. Her snow-white hair and pale wings of ice are strikingly beautiful. "I can only hope it's been a positive stir, then."

Amy is next through the window, a more familiar sight, though the question sparks a laugh. There's magic in the air, but rather than stair she offers her own answer:

"It's not about stopping harm, it's about satisfying the lone request of Takeda-san, the night security officer on this floor, who's been very patient about my staying late to have private meetings."

Mamoru's answer does make her laugh, though. It's fair enough - the wand and thermos are both quite solid. Still - this now makes two girls with cat ears in her office, and she turns her attention to Catra for a moment, before realizing the young lady is interesting in exploring, and leaves her be.

"That, too. I might not have magic of my own, but a heavy object that isn't out of the ordinary can do in a pinch."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"Always a pleasure to have you, my love", the Princess of Sarek comments warmly when Mou Fubuki joins her. She certainly remembers that first time too, and definitely doesn't mind the reenactment, and her tail slips around Laisa's waist after they settle into the office.

The comment by Maryam makes the phantom thief laugh quietly. "Perhaps security could take my previous gift as a gesture of goodwill, and I did bring back here a painting that was replaced with a fake", she winks at Siddig.

"Hmm, I imagine that with all of us here, there are not many places safer than this", the Princess of Sarek considers with a catlike smile. "I do hope you find this guard suitable, Madame."

"I think your presence is very interesting, especially with how my predecessor seems to have Faded in the fourties. But you probably already know about her, since you host one of Basil's paintings", she adds at the 'stir' comment.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy ohs and nods. "That makes sense. Huh, I wonder what Maglite does now that you don't need heavy D-cells powering an incandescent bulb. Do they just make it weigh the same with smaller batteries? Or just pack like a ton of double-As in there...? Or has something else -- like metal detector wands -- supplanted it in the role?"

    Amy shakes her head. "Sorry. Um. Yeah, I understand just... doing a small thing to make someone else feel secure, even if it's of questionable utility."

    Amy tries to organize her thoughts for a moment. "What did I plan to talk to you about today.... uh... right, I guess there's... finding out what you know about Puella Magi of the past, and... there's a cursed friend of ours. Cursed by the ancient vampire Pomdoro... or something like that, I wrote it down," She pulls a little notebook from her bag, "and... since she works for Obsidian we're not exactly telling her about you. But we've struggled to find a way to life the curse..."

    Amy looks at the book. "Actually for that matter, there's also the question of, have there ever been magical girls protecting dreams in the past, or any knowledge about the nightmares coming to Tokyo now... oh wait, and how long has Obsidian been around?"

    She looks from the book to Maryam Siddig, a bit apologetically given how... much all that is. "Uh... what of that do you feel like addressing... or maybe it's better to ask, which of them have very short answers like 'I don't know'?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Mask takes out his phone and sets it to record audio, then puts it face up on Maryam's desk just in time to catch Amy's questions. "I'm being an archivist," he explains, eyes twinkling behind the mask. Then he takes a few steps back again, out of the way, trying not to loom. "My questions can wait until another night, I'm interested in everyone else's answers."

Catra has posed:
Catra stuffs her hands in her pockets as she meanders about, looking at things, looking at other things, looking at stuff, and pretending to be entirely uninterested in people or talking to them though her ear does consistently track the conversation in progress. She tap-taps an artfact sitting on a plinth with a clawtip to satisfy her curiosity and moves on, eventually making her way full circle and returning to the more immediate vicinity of the conversation.

The feline still doesn't say anything; but at least now she's eyeing Maryam Siddig up with her bichromatic gaze, finding a spot where she can lean against the wall and listen in less stealthily, ears perked up and tail wafting in the air behind her.

Can't rush a cat, afterall.

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Is it a positive stir? Laisa has to ask herself that, and the momentary hesitation means that she's blank staring at the curator for a moment or two before responding. "Well, opinions of you seem fairly positive. In a way you're quite popular."

    Mou Fubuki gestures to herself and says, "I am Snow Angel Mou Fubuki. My curse and powers involve snow and ice. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Siddig."

    As her girlfriend gets subtly cuddly in the office, Mou inches closer to her. Did her smile just get a bit wider?

    "Somehow I doubt any art related to my curse made it in here. Such a thing would be a closely guarded secret among my family." On the topic of the curator's self-defense, she agrees on one point. "Honestly, if it protects you from non-magical threats, it's better than nothing."

    Her eyes flicker towards Mamoru's phone for a moment. His explanation seems acceptable enough. "I suppose if I have questions, they'd be along the same lines as Amy's. How much do you know of other such curses? I know that my cursed item has been passed down through generations, but it hasn't always had a user."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"I can assure you that given what happened with the Louvre, they would take no calling card as a treat - even if I am intrigued to know more about the false painting you removed?" Her eyes are bright with curiosity. "I have no complaints at all, Princess of Sarek - and I do know something of your predecessor, at least to the extent that she existed and was much admired."

She does, after all, have a painting in her collection. One of the most exciting parts about all of this magic has been seeing how much of what they hoped was true is all the more true than their evidence suggested.

"Puella Magi and Curses... well, I can certainly say that we know of Puella Magi - not by name, but in the sense that we have noted the recurring motif of the egg-shaped jewel that certainly magical warriors possess, and how it's been referenced in so many pieces throughout history. Likewise, there's a great deal of information we have on curses in general, though not, necessarily, the curse of a Snow Angel. We know a good amount about them, though I imagine it barely scratches the surface of what's out there..."

She holds a hand up, not asking for quiet but a moment, as she thinks -

"You do have a lot of questions this time! Well, I'm happy to do what I can, but... Pomdoro sounds vaguely familiar. I may have something in my collection - or a colleague's - referring to that, and I'll follow up with you, especially if a curse is involved, though... well, you all don't need me advising you about Obsidian. I'm sure you've seen worse than I have, as their enemies."

She's going to avoid the trope of being an adult telling teenage heroes what to do - it's not like she can actually stop them.

"Obsidian, I have more information about - they consolidated in the mid 90s. Rather than focus on so many things, why don't we focus on a given topic at once? For each of you?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Ooh, Amy's friend is an archivist! She smiles to him, "You have a tagging or other organization system set up? Digital copies? In several places? Need any help setting that u--oh right you already have a guy."

    Mou's curse and powers revolve around snow-- "Wait, you're cursed???" Amy blinks at her, surprised to learn this.

    Amy listens, wide-eyed and focused on every word, as Maryam speaks of what's known of the past of magic. "The 90's? Why? What happened then?" One question at once! "Oh, right, sorry. Um. The egg-shaped jewel, and the monster that comes out of it, I do want to know more of the stories... oh!"

    She pulls a pen out of her bag and begins frantically jotting notes down. Obsidian -- 90's?!

    "Like for instance... I noticed there are a bunch of depictions of Joan of Arc in there... was she a Puella Magi?"

    And then, for some reason known only to her, she groans and holds her hand to her head.

    And then her mood does another 180 at the next thought, "Did she... get out of her contract and learn to wield other types of magic, like Cure Sharpsong?! If there's a story about ways to do that, even in cryptic hints..." her eyes shine at the thought that there might be an answer or even a clue to something she's scarcely thought of but that closes off certain futures, here...

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    With a smirk and a shake of her head, Mou responds, "I somewhat doubt they'd use the word 'angel' to describe me. Any stories regarding my curse would likely have been spread by its enemies, and would have likely blended in with other legends regarding yuki-onna. Apparently there are other snow girls with different magical origins than myself, but any similarities between us are largely superficial."

    Turning to Amy she taps the rosary hanging around her neck. "Yes. Though it's a curse I've taken on willingly. Sort of. It's a long story." Mou considers how much she really wants to get into this, but she doesn't really have a lot of specific questions to ask other than being generally curious. She decides to hold off in case someone wants to press her for details.

    "I too what to know if something happened in the 90s. Was there something that existed before Obsidian that allowed multiple dark generals to work together?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"But of course, please allow me to oblige", the Princess of Sarek nods, and starts narrating. "You may know about Mr. Hoshiga. He is a famous entrepreneur, after all, and has made a big splash in the international stage." She twirls her cane around, 'drawing' his silhouette in the air.

"Turns out he was rather enamoured by 'The Cat and The Spider', to the point he made a pact with a group of demons I am surveilling to possess the original, and leave you a fake. He made the mistake of boasting about it within my circles, and so I thought to 'correct' the placement", the Princess of Sarek finishes explaining with a smirk.

Mou Fubuki and Red may remember the fight with the youma that was seeking to halt their progress just the floor below their current one.

"I am happy to hear my predecessor was much admired. I am doing my best to fill the shoes she left behind, and protect the mark she left on the world", the Princess of Sarek adds. "I am bound to her Ward with my life, after all, and I intend to take my duty seriously."

When Amy reacts strongly at the notion Mou Fubuki is cursed, Veronica's ears twitch, and her eyes turn to the snow angel, silently wondering if she is ok with explaining here, or if she should provide a distraction.

She breaths out amused when Mou Fubuki replies. "It's really their loss if they cannot understand how wonderful you are", the cat thief briefly hugs her close with warmth.

Catra has posed:
Catra is starting to get fidgety. Everyone else is talking, and she can only do the aloof thing for so long. ...Well, actually she can do it for a really long time, but right now she just doesn't want to. The old lady (older lady? oldish lady?) seems to be at least reasonably interesting and everyone else seems to be getting a lot of conversation out of this, except for Catra who is still just hanging around on the outskirts of the discussion with her hands in her pockets.

At least she's looking good while she's doing it, the girl can definitely work a tuxedo.

"Were there ever any Runestone users here?" she mutters, half expecting not to be heard. "I mean other than the ones like those of us who come from Etheria." A pause. "Or even any from Etheria."

Because really you never know.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Something in Seattle that made a generation of mahoujin rage against the dying of the light?" comes Tuxedo Mask's voice, quiet. He doesn't have Kazuo's scatter graph on hand or memorized, but he theorizes, "Something that made the Fade cutoff age jump down?"

He glances to Amy and smiles a little bit. "I've only recently started, you can have a look at my system and maybe help make it less idiosyncratic."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
Once again, there were many questions, and once again the curator listened to them all with bright, curious eyes. Before she would answer anything, she would listen to the story being offered to her - the story of the theft and recovery of an artifact within her very own museum. What the Princess of Sarak explained surprised her, but it did not shock her. The history of museums was a history of thefts, and not always due to bad actors outside of museums. While she was glad to have the artifact restored, she was concerned the mention of the ward that the Princess guarded and what it might mean for other artifacts that could be out in the world.

"It's unfortunate that he would seize those means to retrieve that painting. While there's no possibility that we would have allowed the peace outside of our care, the museum could have worked with him to find locate other pieces. The involvement of demons threatened his own safety as much as it threatened the well-being of our museum. I can't thank you enough for your efforts in retrieving a piece of our collection and restoring it to us. Not all phantom thieves would be as gracious nor as Noble."

The words are formal but very sincere, and she follows Sarek's sentiment with a nod towards Laisa.

"Perhaps your enemies would not, but your partner would. Many of those affected by curses seem to feel - and experience - the same. They are either enabled by their power to become warriors - often at great cost - or they are themselves transfigured into monsters who struggle to retain their humanity... and you're quite right that here in Japan, particularly in Hokkaido and Kyoto, there have been legenda and depictions of snow and ice warriors and enemies alike."

Which is a bit more information on curses, too!

Amy's excoted questions spark a small smile, as do Catra's quiet ones - "I'll explain Joan first, and then Obsidian and Seattle but before that... would you explain runestones? Some of the language of magical circles fails to reach us, so I'd like some clarity before I give a decisive answer."

Once Catra explains - or doesn't - she'll receive an answer.

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"Jeanne d'Arc - or Joan of Arc, as many Americans call her - was not a Puella Magi - she was not magical at all, unless her visions from her God were true, rather than the hallucinations of a young and devout girl, but she did not at any point take up the mantle of a magical warrior. What she did in life and as she faced death, she did as an ordinary young woman."

"However, In her wake came a number of girls in the months and truly the years after, who took up her name as their own and dedicated their courage as warriors to her name, her bravery, the role that she modeled for them. There was a young woman by the name Jeanne d'Arc who fought as a Puella, a Ladybug, a Chara Bearer, and many more. I don't believe any of them were empowered by her, saving the most mundane ways, but her legacy echoed in all of oir histories."

And isn't it just remarkable?

" I would that the story of Obsidian could be as inspirational. One thing you should know is that our understanding of Obsidian is limited by the fact that we have done our very best to avoid detection, to prevent ourselves from being observed and noticed and to stay in shadows, even as they step more into the light. Ironic, truly..."

She frowns, and speaks plainly.

"Before there was Obsidian, there was Kokuyoseki, which change its name to the English translation and it hit the world stage as a mega corporation of significant power. And before there was Kokuyoseki... there were enemies, countless, as this history demonstrates. There have been heroes and villains for much of our history, but there's little evidence that there was a consolidated effort of teamwork as there is now. This is new... in the sense of the historical record. I'm aware that Obsidian is older than most of you, and Kokuyoseki is older than I."

"Which leads us to Seattle. I was not an adult at the time Seattle was the magical center of the planet," Seattle was once the what, some of them might be thinking. "But I do know that times were difficult. There were not as many - never as many - warriors as there are now, and the enemies they faced were significant. We've never been very active with all of you magical warriors - for the most, we're small sects within a larger organization, coming together for great works and for preserving what we can, trying to deliver it to the next generation when and where we can. The majority of us can remember magic, but the Veil is strong, even for us, and that isn't always true. Obsidian rose while we focused our eyes on Seattle, and that meant that they were on the ground first, here."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    At the mention of Laisa's partner, Mou Fubuki giggles and blushes slightly. "Ah, well, she's very sweet like that." Her eyes go to Veronica for a moment, before turning back to Maryam. She crosses her arms and frowns as she considers what the curator says after that, however. "Turn into monsters? I mean... certainly I've heard of that as well, even amongst us... I suppose you can call us Accursed. I admit the thought does worry me a bit, but I haven't really seen any indication that I might turn into something bad."

    After all, she has heard about Puella Magi and their grim fate.

    "I suspect I'd be depicted as such, though. Those who directly oppose the Rime Rosary are themselves cursed and act as monsters... in a fashion."

    Wait... Seattle was once the magical center of the planet? "Wait... so... Tokyo is the magical center right now... but at some point in the past it was Seattle. Were there other such places before then? Is it tied to the ley lines?"

    After a moment she realizes what she's asking about and says, "Ah... but that might also be a mystery to you, too."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen's face is intent as he listens, and his mouth opens nearly at the same time as Laisa's 'wait'-- and then he nods emphatically. "If you know anything about the ley lines, or any way they might have been tampered with, or be tampered with, please do tell us? It's just, it doesn't sound natural for anything that's supposed to be tied to processes that move on geological time, if thirty years ago the magical capital of the world was in Seattle. How did Obsidian know to set up here if the center of magic was in the USA? Did THEY move the magic?"

There's a pause. "I realize there are a lot of assumptions in there, but I don't know where to untangle them yet."

Catra has posed:
Catra's ears flatten, and she goes quiet again, letting conversation move around her as she wrestles with the question. ...Did she give away too much? If this woman didn't know about runestones, maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut. And really, it's not like Catra knows a huge amount about them either, she's only had her own for a handful of months, not like the oth-- not like the various Etherian princesses (mutter grumble).

"They're... runetones," she says at last. "The really powerful magic users from Etheria have them. They take different forms, some are really really big and whoever is connected to them has to visit them to recharge, like the Black Garnet, others are much smaller, like... Well, smaller." She shrugs her shoulders lightly. "Anyway, they're from Etheria, which is the planet I'm from, but they still seem to work here. They probably work anywhere there's magic."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Transfigured into monsters... Amy thinks of Taro's alternate form which he prefers actually. But certainly she can imagine someone becoming a werewolf or vampire or whatever and feeling it'll take them over -- she's read stories like that, and also there's Norie, and Klarissa didn't even need to look like a monster, and also she and her friends were zombies...

    Amy listens curiously. "So many real magical girls named themselves after La-- after Joan d'Arc, huh?" She cycles through three different monikers mid-name, and rubs the side of her head. "I guess I can see why..."

    Amy listens as Obsidian and Seattle are spoken of. "So... wait, what do you mean Seattle was the magical center of the planet? What happened there?"

    She mutters, folding her arms, "So I was on the wrong coast to get magic the first time, huh..."

    She nods to Tuxedo Mask at his comments about, how did Obsidian know.

    But there's also another couple of thoughts in the back of her head.

    "Could you find out if-- no, I guess that's private, actually, I'll ask later." Did Jack the Ripper have proteges before Taro, and what happened to them... she's not sure people have put together who Jack is, and whether it's right to say. She shakes her head, and then looks curious.

    "So... what did you think was going on when everyone was acting like zombies?"

Veronica Perenna has posed:
There is a moment where the Princess of Sarek turns her head towards Mamoru, and her ears follow suit. Why name Seattle specifically? Did she miss something about it?

But with the compliment Siddig a warm blush flourishes on her face, and she pins it for later, slightly bowing towards Maryam. "No need to thank me, really, I can't bear when people rob others like that", she says, standing back upright. "It was a joint effort, too. Don't give it too much weight", she stands back and nods sagely.

When she looks at Maryam intently a second later, she hums a note or two and adds "Though... If you really want, you can keep taking care of my painting the way you have so far, if it is not trouble. How about it?" Both of her hands fingergun at the Curator, and she sports a grin.

The remark about calling Mou angel makes Veronica lean a bit more into her beloved. Of course she would, she thinks, watching Mou with sparkling eyes. "Mou is a great heroine, and the stories are completly missing out." Though, the conversation doesn't pertain much to her. Her curse is really only an accident that didn't exist before she got it. "My predecessor wasn't cursed like me, but she no doubt gave her enemies a lot of reasons to nonmagically curse her name."

The cat thief's eyes fill with curiosity when Maryam explains the story about the Jeanne d'Arcs, and makes a mental note of going back to the depiction of the Jeanne d'Arcs when their stories are explained. With that information, any difference that she can note down would be a lot more telling of the people they were. Maybe it won't be useful, but it will certainly be interesting. "That's amazing. I should pay a lot more attention to their personalities.

The conversation turning towards Seattle makes Veronica blink rapidly. She didn't actually consider a shift like that would be possible, at least not by someone's hand. And her eyes stretch at Mamoru's question. If Obsidian is able to do a shift like that, the scale of their fight is really different, isn't it?

She silently watches the others ask the questions burning on her tongue.

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"It would be against my own principles not to thank you," Maryam smiles at Veronica. "Some of the items here have been in my family's custody for generations. Others have been faithfully guarded, and even more procured at my own direction. I care for them as much as some people love their pets - it pains me to know that another was missing."

First the jar, and now this - or, possibly, first this, and then the jar... it's nerve wracking. Having another returned is restoring her peace.

"That would be no trouble at all! I look forward to bringing that painting to a resting place in my home museum, and sharing it with future generations."

"I don't believe it's likely you'll become a monster when you've already become a warrior," Maryam reassures Laisa as best as she can. "What I've seen and read about seems to indicate that it's a bit of a one or the other circumstance when it comes to curses."

She doesn't want to scare the girl, not when she has no proof she should be scared! Magical girls becoming monsters is a bit unprecedented as far as she knows. Monsters becoming magical girls, on the other hand...

"I've not heard of the Rime Rosary that I can remember, but my memory isn't flawless. If you'd like, I can see if there's more we have."

Their resources are hers!

As for Catra - "There are a number of stories of warriors and princesses with stones to protect, though... I believe we have pieces with large stones, and myths about warriors from strange lands, but - well, those aren't unique among magical warriors. I can arrange for you to view them, if you'd like. You would know more than I, if they're what you believe them to me."

Amy receives a nod. "They did. There are those who did not, as well, but in that era in particular, she was a vision of courage to those who felt lacking, and importantly, a name. As I'm sure you know, while some of your peers come with monikers, others are left to declare their own. I imagine it was a search for strength, which led many to claim her name as their title."

And then, of course - their surprise on her face, as she realizes that she had taken for simple, obvious knowledge is very much not that for the young warriors gathered to her side. Briefly, Maryam wonders of perhaps she shouldn't have said anything, but the thought quickly dies.

"From roughly 1960 to 2010, Seattle was the center of magic. Prior to that, from 1890 to to 1960, the center of magic was Paris, France. Which is coincidentally the reason there is still magic in both of those cities - enough for magical warriors to exist in an active state, unlike in most of the world." Maryam smiles wryly. "This, I can actually speak on somewhat extensively. You're right, Chiba-san, that this is nothing natural - the leylines were tampered with, though not for the purpose of evil. Even our organization isn't old enough to have existed when that great work was completed, but the result is that the leylines are... gathered, in certain areas, layered atop one another such that magic can be more easily coaxed to circulate and gather. In those places, magic of all kinds can be gathered more easily, transformations and monsters rallied and used with less effort. Obsidian didn't move magic to Tokyo... we did."

"First, in Paris, in conjunction with the creation of Eiffel Tower, and then in Seattle, with the creation of the Space Needle, and now, in Tokyo, with the Skytree Tower. The towers are a focus, to gather magic in a grand working, pulling power from the other lines to those here... and as to why Obsidian came here... I imagine it's because their forces wanted to pick the battleground, in a place of power for them. Obsidian grants them enormous resources, and they were gathered, prepared, and established before we were. As I'm sure you've seen, it's given them an advantage."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Laisa shrugs at Maryam's offer and says, "Hm. Well, the Rime Rosary is just my henshin device." She reaches for the necklace and holds up the rosary to show it to the curator. "The Samuiko Clan bears a curse called the Flames of Passion, and all of them are controlled by it even if they are otherwise mundane. The Rime Rosary makes me immune, in addition to giving me my powers. I guess if I had any questions about that, it'd be 'how many generations back does the curse really go?'."

    With a wry smirk, she adds, "My family considers themselves to be a big deal, but I'd honestly be surprised if you'd ever heard of them. There might be some mention of our curse in esoteric histories somewhere, but even if there wasn't the lack of information would, itself, be informative."

    Perhaps even validating, since Laisa kinda thinks her relatives deserve to be taken down a peg.

    The knowledge that the leylines were moved makes Laisa blink. "Wait. You did? You have that kind of power? ... How long have you been planning this exhibit?"

    Without thinking about it, she leans sideways a little against Veronica's shoulder. "Ah, my girlfriend is so sweet to me. I am just doing as the others here do, protecting the innocent and keeping the darkness at bay."

Amanda Faust has posed:
> Magical girls becoming monsters is a bit unprecedented
    Art depicting a Witch hatching right there but yeah she didn't know

> Lots of people who didn't get names with their powers named themselves after La Pucelle actually
    Amy, who had no good ideas for a name but desperately wanted to avoid the obvious nickname, nods. "Yeah, I can see it." Had the legend of Jeanne D'Arc been on her mind at the time and she were in a bit different of a mindset... yeah, maybe. Imagining someone in a similar situation trying to think of a name and landing on such a legacy for that name... it's kind of a warm thought.

    

> It was us.

    What.

    Amy stares, and listens. "...Doesn't... Toronto, and some other places, have towers like that too...? Does that mean it's next?" She can't help smiling a little at some internal joke that only Rashmi, Molly, and Setsuna would get.

    "So..." Amy's mind runs off in a bunch of directions at once, and she tries to pick one to turn into words. "Why those three cities in the first place? And..." with all the thoughts on this, she jumps to an adjacent track, "...wait. You said 'a grand working', but by who? Can leylines be manipulated by non-magic-users like yourself? Or was there some magical kid architect... or a bunch of mahoujin working with you...?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"That's some hubris," Mamoru says, looking judgemental and ill-at-ease, shoulders hunching as he crosses his arms and shifts his weight. "Like fracking. Anybody monitoring the ongoing side-effects?" A beat. "Of moving the leylines, I mean. Or was it before the scientific method was codified? It sounds very much like Western Englightenment mindset kind of thing to do."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
The thanks are appreciated, and so is the promise, and the Princess of Sarek gives one of her own with a grin. "Then feel free to call on me should you ever need it." A phantom thief, actively assisting a museum? There have been weirder tales, probably.

The wheels in her mind spins, meanwhile, as she takes in the news. Not only interesting information, but very important, and her eyes gleam when Maryam reveals just what kind of feat their organisation did. "You... You... did this?"

She takes half a breath, and she leans forward towards Maryam. "How does it work? How long have you been planning that? Did you ever consider another city or were you set on Tokyo from the start? Did you have a preference for the Ward of the tower or was that a matter of space? And do you plan on ever moving the leylines again?"

She really can't help contain herself when something that stirs her interest appears.

The dig at Laisa's family isn't missed on her, and she gives a grin at her. She can only share in her girlfriend's joy at those kinds of people, especially since they are the same kind of stuck-up people she has to deal with back at home.

'How could I not be so sweet to the brightest and bravest star in my firmament?' is basically written on Veronica's face as she reaches down with her hand to intertwine their fingers.

Catra has posed:
Catra listens to the answer which doesn't really answer her question (though she's willing to apprecaite that Maryam tried), and shrugs her shoulders lightly. "I've only had mine for a short time," she guardedly admits, "Really, the one you'd be wanting for that is Glimmer, but she's... not... really available at the moment."

Because she's working for Obsidian, in a far more committed manner than she herself ever did. This planet is so weird.

"But, sure, in the absense of a better scholar I'll take a look." Who know what you might learn by just taking a look?

"Actually, I have to agree with Mamoru, fiddling with magic like that is dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. It's dangerous if you do know what you're doing. Trust me, I would know." She does not, however, elaborate on how or why she would know. "But I mean whatever you did it and here we are so I guess that's that then."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
The Museum Curator does indeed promptly lean into examine the rosary when given the opportunity, humming in interest as she looks over the beads and designs chosen for it. "Fascinating, that a curse known as the Flames of Passion would be countered by a Rosary which grants you powers most similar to a Yuki-Onna."

Fire countered by ice, a classic elemental clash...

"But you're correct in that I haven't heard of it off-hand. It may be in someone's stores, and if not, you will be correct in knowing that a lack of knowledge, is, indeed, informative."

"And I will, indeed, call upon you, Princess. Should I receive word of museum thefts - besides that at the Louvre, of course - especially which may need your touch, count on me to be your informant."

If this were a video game, Veronica would have received a pop up saying 'you have gained an ally! this may unlock additional quest lines.'

As for Catra, her guarded answer is noted, but Maryam simply says, "In the absence of a greater scholar, you who understand anything at all become the scholar. Any time you'e had with your stone is more than I've had with one, isn't it? When you're ready, we can look through some of the images I have access to."

With the surface questions satisfied, there's the greater flurry of questions being asked, as there's a very reasonable amount of surprise being expressed. Maryam listens closely with the ear of someone used to questioning and being questioned, as some of them speak over each other to various extents. There's a number of similar questions being asked, so...

"Firstly, to clarify, I, personally, do not have this power. I, personally, had nothing to do with the decision, actually - I was aware of it, but distantly, as I was more preoccupied with my doctoral studies, honestly."

At the time, her research was simply of higher priority...

"I've been planning an exhibit for three years, and this, specific exhibit, with these curated pieces, for a little over a year - it takes quite some time to convince some of the world's leading art museums to lend their pieces, even to someone they're quite familiar with," she explains first, to start off with. "And to my knowledge, Seattle is the furthest north for the Americas, so I'm afraid Toronto won't be an option. It isn't so much that all towers are options, but rather that a tower is an ideal tool for harnessing the powers that be."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"I hope you won't mind if I don't go into all of the ways that the task was completed, but, in essence, we didn't choose Tokyo - Obsidian did. When we finally realized what they were, and what they were doing here... while there was disagreement, in the end, the people of Tokyo could not simply be left to their whims. Tokyo became the next battlefield because these enemies, particularly as cooperating enemies, could not be allowed to continue flourishing. Our decision was largely based off of land - we needed to purchase land for the tower project, or collaborate significantly with interests that would cooperate, and likewise, around that time, the proposal for the school was made - the two projects were pursued together, which is why Radiant Heart Academy first began as a school in general just two years before the Skytree Tower was completed."

"And to clarify - we ourselves are not moving the leylines, but moving power along them, concentrating it from place to place. Should we ever move that power again, it would only be when Obsidian is no longer a threat, and Tokyo itself is safe."

She shifts her attention to Mamoru, looking amused, and trying not to be condescending, even as he can't help but remind her of her nieces and nephews, with his instant judgement and doubt.

"Perhaps it was hubris. Perhaps it was desperation. We don't know what they did, or how. We only know that it was done, and some idea of the why - these were people living in desperate straits, pressed beyond their limits. They made a choice that has impacted all of our lives, but, it was far from Western Enlightenment thinking - as best as we can tell, this decision was made sometime around the 22nd century BC. We don't have a way of studying what the world was like before then, but we do our best to take note of the events that happen due to our choices, when we move power along the lines. And yes, it is dangerous - but, particularly now... so too would leaving Tokyo to fend for itself have been."

Sometimes, there are no safe choices, only least dangerous ones.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy looks from Maryam Siddig to Mou, "Wait, so the curse isn't the ice but the...?" Asking 'what's your curse then' seems rude, though, and also Amy's not entirely sure it wasn't explained before at some point.

    There's talk of Leylines, and after 2½ years of high school the visual of the teenagers telling off the older woman for being irresponsible is a notable one -- although it's not like Maryam Siddig herself was responsible.

    Amy just gives a slight shrug at Toronto not becoming a leyline nexus like an old RPG predicted. The information that being in a northernmost position on a continent is far more interesting...

    "So Obsidian was here, concentrating their power, and there couldn't have been enough mahoujin to fight them once they got going. And moving the leylines here probably helped them too, but it helped us more by making their advantage relatively less."

    But the decision was made... in 21XXX BC? That's during the Silver Millenium, isn't it?! ...Wait, no, 21XX BC. "So that's... guh." Michel showed up way before that, and apparently didn't stay long.

    Amy briefly wonders what Maryam Siddig and the people who would be Candidus Cordus ended up doing in the other timeline... no, focus!

    Long after Michel... "Did any... magical stuff happen around then I'm forgetting?" She looks to the other mahoujin, and back to Maryam. "When was the Bronze Age Collapse and the Sea People, again? Is that connected to magic--" She shakes her head.

    "Sorry, look, what do you mean by the decision was made then, that you -- that the Candidus Cordus, I mean -- should move the leylines to Paris, Seattle, and Tokyo? Is there an ancient prophecy, or something?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru gets a half-interested half-mulish look on his face, but he can't look anything up because his phone is recording, so he produces notepad and pen again and writes down '2200 BC?? wtf??' And then he glances back up and says, "I can provide you with what the ley lines looked like a hundred and twenty-eight centuries ago. Just, you know, nothing in between." A beat. "Because I was dead for a while. But later on I'd like to see the organization's literature on the subject."

He glances at Amy. "No, that was like 1180 BC or something. I thought of that too, though."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    So... three years. What was Laisa doing three years ago? She thinks back... "That would've been around the time of my awakening. Though... well I wasn't exactly alone in that, was I?" she says, glancing at the others here. A lot of them showed up at around the same time, all at once. "I'm guessing that the business with the leylines triggered a mass awakening event. Well, not that I'm personally complaining..."

    As her hand is reached for, she gently entangles her cold fingers with Veronica's. She softly smiles at her kitten for a moment. Amy's half-question pulls her away from that as she decides to indulge her curiosity a bit.

    "The curse grants me freedom from certain forms of mind control, but in return it deadens my feelings. Basically, I can't be controlled by emotional manipulation. Not even my own. So... coldness of the heart, so to speak." Rubbing her thumb against Veronica's hand, she adds, "There are some feelings that the curse can't overcome, however."

    Turning back to Maryam, she says, "In some ways I feel like I should thank you. My life has gotten better since I became magical... even if it's also a bit more complicated."

Catra has posed:
"Yeah well I'm not really a scholar," Catra blandly bemoans with her hands in her pockets, "I literally only started attending school like, four months ago, and I'm not expecting to pass any coruses that don't deal directly with combat. So I mean, whatever." She shrugs her shoulders all without taking her hands out of her pockets. "Where I come from there wasn't a Veil or a Fade or any of that stuff either, everyone knew about magic and some people could do it and that was basically that."

She pauses, and mutters under her breath, "And at least most of them were jerks."

So, hold on, at least some of the people here can credit Maryam's orginations's efforts to move power around with the result being that they became magical warriors or whatever? Well, that doesn't apply to her or to Mamoru, except--

"Wait, is it possible that your people's screwing around with magic power is what brought me and--" my friends? "...The other Etherians here? 'Cause I'm pretty ready to accept that, uhm, one person's actions on our end of things weren't enough to cause all this to happen."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Oh. Well, duh. It's a bit too much too go into all the technical details. It was probably so intricate that it would take a long while for Veronica to understand all of it, anyway. And it would possibly amount to Veronica getting an education in magic, and she is not sure her interest goes 'that' deep.

'Yeah. They really want to be done here before the next decade', she thinks, giving a low laugh. Still good to know that they meant there to be a surplus of magic to contrast Obsidian. Many threats would come too, so they really could fix everything all at once, give or take.

It really was dangerous, but how else could they fight back? They would have been scattered all over the planet. Catra's line of thought checks out, too.

She smiles back at Laisa, and she warms up when their feelings are addressed, leaning close to her cheek and giving her a peck.

Though, three years ago... She was still in London then, and wouldn't be coming here for a year more depending on when exactly was that. "Is there a reason the painting of Sarek sealing the demons of greed was left out of the exhibit you were planning? It was in a museum warehouse when I found it", she asks, tilting her head to the side.

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"We've never had an accurate count, on the mahou in a given area, but we rarely encountered evidence that there were more than perhaps, up to twelve, magical warriors at a given time in the center of magic, before all of you. That your generation is so expansive is a mystery to me, as much as it is to you," Maryam confesses. "But - it is unlikely that many of you would have awakened, were the power center not shifted."

She nods to Amy, next. "You're correct in that Obsidian was benefited - but you were all benefited more. They were already empowered, even if to a lesser degree. The majority of you were not. When 'the power turned on' as it were, you the majority of you would have likely been toddlers. Some of your allies, probable infants." She nods towards Mamoru, next. "As he said, the collapse of the Bronze Age occurred in the 12th century BC, so separated by quite some time. As for literature... well, we have some notes, from those who were most interested, of course, but, you'll have to brush up on your French. English you might be more familiar with, given Japanese curriculum. I'm afraid that what the leylines looked like then will be more use to you, than me - we don't have the ability to undo what was done, then."

She hopes that won't be too disappointing, because it's simply the reality.

"No, there's no ancient prophecy - or, if there is, I'm not aware of it. As the leylines are now, there are overlapping lines gathered at certain points around the globe - these are what allow for the 'center of power' phenomenon I've been discussing with you. One of those is in Paris. Another is in Seattle. The third, is here in Tokyo. There are several other points, including one surprisingly in the ocean, but - when we shift the power along those lines, we're only moving them to those pre-set points. What areas in the world are eligible to become the center of power was decided when the leylines were moved."

She is deciding not to react to Mamoru casually stating that he was dead for awhile. She has other things to focus on!

As for Catra's question - "...possibly?" She looks apologetic. "That could have been an unforeseen side effect, or it could have been something else. Truly, I'm afraid I can't know without knowing more about your world - or rather, more likely, you can't know, as I'm sure you're more informed than I. I wasn't even aware anyone had been drawn over."

She is a museum curator, an art historian, an anthropologist... not a scientist, unfortunately.

Veronica's question, however, she can answer, "Yes, actually! I was planning to cycle several artifacts through the museum, and I have shifted some of the pieces, while we've been here - it encourages the museum to keep fostering the exhibit space, rather than asking us to move along so that another partner can use this space. It boosts museum traffic to have rotating items and exhibits, and we compromised by assuring the museum we would continue to have new options to draw back visitors while we maintain the space."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Laisa listens attentively to Maryam. So the museum is rotating its exhibits for that reason. "I had noticed that they changed ever so often," admits Laisa. "I was hoping it wasn't because more were being stolen. Honestly it's reassuring to be able to ask you directly about such things."

    Turning her eyes towards Catra, she adds, "Well, we've actually had quite a few offworlders end up here, as I understand it. Especially those from other dimensions or timelines. There's no guarantee that time in your world is in sync with ours. Maybe once an opening was made on your end, it linked up with a part of our timeline that had a spike in magical activity? Like a lightning bolt finding the path of least resistance."

    Laisa's cold cheek is pecked, and turns a little rosy. She giggles at her girlfriend's flirting and squeezes her hand.

    "I'm not sure if that metaphor makes sense. I'm honestly just guessing anyways."

Amanda Faust has posed:
> I wasn't exactly alone in that, was I?
    "July 17th, 2023. A week and a half after my birthday." Amy states plainly, with a slight grin. The day her life became a lot better!

    She looks to Maryam Siddig curiously, "But... three years ago was before you knew there'd be so many of us, or decided to make contact... was it in hopes that some of this time's mahoujin would see it and learn some of their past?"

> Laisa explains her curse...
    "Oh right, I remember you explaining it now... That kinda sucks, but..." Amy smiles at the mahoujin couple, "I'm glad you were able to overcome it!"

> There were maybe twelve,
    Amy nods, remembering Inai-san and her once-friend saying the same.

When the 'power turned on', most of you were toddlers.
    Amy does some quick mental math and furrows her brow, muttering, 'I was still in America, on the wrong coast...'

    After the explanation, she looks to Siddig again, "One's in the ocean? I wonder where..." she remembers her earlier theory that there might have been a magically-hidden land mass... but it's probably one of the mermaid kingdoms, and if it isn't, they should absolutely ask mermaid cartographers what's there...

    "Actually, can we get a map, to see if any of them correspond to magic stuff any of the rest of us have ever heard of? And to help our magic experts' research into understanding what Obsidian is doing..."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica nods, thinking to herself. So there wasn't really a deeper reason, and Siddig didn't know about the threat it posed. Maybe when it would eventually have been brought to see the light of day, they would have tried to reach out to as many hearts as possible with their corruption, shaking behind the barrier.

She is not sure how likely that is, but it's a silver lining they were never given that chance to be out in the open. At least, it could have been a lot worse, with the negativity of darkness lying low and flowing into them, everytime they use their magic.

"A map would be useful", the Princess of Sarek perks up, agreeing with Amy's request. "Maybe a second one too, please. If we could see the before and after of the modifications you did, we could understand the results a lot better."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It makes sense that they don't have the ability to change it back -- they don't have the ability to do it in the first place, that was people 4200 years ago. Mamoru doesn't look disappointed, just bright-eyed again, maybe determined. "So I'll learn French. Anyway, I'll email you a million questions, but I'll try to be organized about them, but probably a bunch will have you pointing me at super-specialists, which is fine, I'd love to nerd out with them."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
"I'm glad it was noticeable," Maryam says, pleased, "It means that you were visiting to notice. And I'm glad that you all can ask me questions as well, as I do enjoy being able to speak with you all." It's pretty great!

So there have been many off-worlders, which makes sense, given what Terios-san had said before, about the ship, and Device Mages scattered across time, apparently.

"It was," she confirms to Amy. I hadn't had any luck reaching any of those who were in Seattle, and well - to be frank, being able to meet all of you has been a blessing for my research and understanding. Being able to meet you all - my entire life has been with the belief and faith in magic, and being able to assist you all is a miracle."

But! There are still more questions to answer, so the conversation rolls on, continuing, "Yes, there's one in the ocean - I haven't looked at these maps much myself, as they're outside of my specialty, but it should be possible to get you photos, so long as you're careful with them. Obsidian likely knows of this information - may well have as much as we do - but, we don't want to share more with them than they already have."

Which is why she hesitates, and then says, "And so... I understand that you may be familiar with those in Obsidian, but I would hope that you don't share with them anything I've shared with you?"

Ah, a belated worry.

And then she is asked for a map.

"So... the thing about maps," she says, slowly, "Is that they are... well, the history of cartography isn't modern, of course, but ancient maps are not... precise. I've been told its actually been quite the interesting experience understanding how they relate to our world, given the state of them? We, don't have the ability to map the leylines ourselves - I'm genuinely not quite sure how many of you might have a similar skillset, but I would be delighted to see the results if you do have modern maps."

At Mamoru's determined, bright-eyed look, she certainly doesn't sigh or try to put him down, just nods, sharply. "I'll do my best to connect you to those still observing that sort of thing, and to get copies of notes otherwise."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Laisa thinks back to other ancient maps she's seen, in passing. She's only seen one or two in a school textbook before, but they were... interesting to say the least. Especially those that did not account for the curvature of the Earth in any way. She does not have a lot of faith in their accuracy, but...

    "Even if they aren't precise, having some kind of reference point may still be helpful. Someone at some point in human history found those maps useful, or so I would assume."

    She glances around at the others, then at Maryam. She bows quickly yet politely, while still holding onto Veronica's hand. "It was a pleasure meeting you, curator-san. Thank you for everything you've told us. If I find something of interest to you, I'll be sure to pass it along."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There's a distinct and specific kind of bright interest, going on here, with this Mamoru here, yes there is. He glances to Veronica and Amy, hand poised over his notepad, and he says, "I still have all the notes on the leylines and junctures from the Midnight Tokyo project, and Luna has a copy of the leyline map we were using, and I can make a rudimentary map of the Pleistocene leylines. This one could explain some things I've wondered since that project started..."

Then Laisa's getting ready to go, it sounds like, and Mamoru straightens up, un-leaning from the doorframe. Maryam's worried a little belatedly, but Mamoru shakes his head. "I'll reiterate the caution to take care with the information, in the same place I posted people should come to talk to you-- but I'm fairly certain it's well understood, especially by any of us who may unfortunately have stupid brothers who are still in Obsidian, not to give them any information, any power."

He comes forward to pick up his phone, vanishing his notepad and pen in a little bit of sleight of hand, then gives Maryam an apologetic look. "Sorry I got cranky. Thank you for having us again. I'll try to convince people to come during the day, especially over break!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy cannot help but smile as Maryam talks about how wonderful it is to finally be involved in magic and not just hear about it. She does see a bit of a mirror of her own experience of escaping to fantasy worlds all her life and then one day becoming a part of magical things for real.

You haven't told Obsidian anything. right?
    Amy immediately looks like a child who knows she's in trouble. Not because what she let slip to Norie about what the Fade does is likely to be important, but... It was drilled into her from an early age that whether she's in trouble, or seen as guilty, has no correspondence to her own understanding of things and is entirely up to those who think she 'should know better.'

    She's cultivated a detachment from her teachers at Radiant Heart -- not always entirely successfully -- but they don't know what's really going on with the world, and Ms. Siddig does. Amy cares what this adult thinks of her. (Inai-sensei kind of felt more like a senpai than an authority figure.)

    There's a distraction, though, and Amy's eyes light up when Mamoru mentions super-specialists. "Is that a thing? Are there people who might be able to figure out stuff about how my soul gem works or if there might be a way out of the contract one day?"

    ...But without any emotional shield, it weighs on her, and then Mamoru speaks too and she feels guilty -- because even the knowledge that knowledge has to have come from somewhere could be a key -- and ashamed and honesty is a core part of her identity that hasn't changed...

    "It slipped out!" She can't meet anyone's gaze. "What the Fade's probably gonna do to me... when I was talking to Okana-san. The, the one cursed by the vampire, when she asked what happened when she awakened the Dullahan that was in your exhibit... she, she didn't remember..."

    She glances around at the others and Siddig, fearfully, braced for angry judging words. "I said I couldn't say how I found out, when she asked! I'm sorry!"

    She looks down at the floor, waiting, fingers clenched. It's not that she's really thought about what her friends will think and how they'll probably respond to, so much as an old fear has gripped her too tightly to think, right now...

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen immediately takes off a glove and holds his hand out to Amy. "Hey, whatever you think people are going to say or do about that? Is almost certainly wrong," he says, and if she takes his hand, it's the sudden warmth of his power and his regard; he's rueful. He's, honestly, not entirely surprised. He's not angry. "Sorry I didn't explicitly tell you not to. But uh, don't do that anymore."

Laisa Samuiko has posed:
    Laisa glances over to Amy at her confession with a frown. It's hard to read her feelings with her face as blank as it is, but she's not really getting angry either.

    "Well... Yeah don't tell them anything else. Anything said in this conversation should not be repeated elsewhere, except in trusted company."

    She's not angry, just cold, and it's not a significant mood change from the way she's been the whole time. Her eyes glance towards Mamoru as if she's missing something. Did Obsidian not know about Puella Magi? Laisa was assuming that they did.

    "For me it's no concern. I don't know that many in Obsidian that closely."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
"I have some of the notes too", Veronica tells Mamoru, taking out the book with jewels patterned like constellations Nephrite wrote in. "I have not been particularly checking it out lately, but if we need to go look at something, I can always flip through the pages", she offers. It has really been a while since she took this relic out.

So Amy talked to Norie-chan? "I don't think it's a big deal, but I will talk to her too, and see what she thinks of that time. And I promise that nothing that you have shared with me today will reach anyone in Obsidian."

She squeezes Mou's hand when she holds onto it, and with her free one waves at Maryam. "Really, thank you soo much. This was really kind of you. We will keep up informed on anything new. Until then, take care."

NPC Maryam Siddig has posed:
Maryam has gained some knowledge here - she's had some experiences now with her museum, and so - the fact that one of her exhibits became a youma makes sense to her. In a way.

"It's not a problem," she tells Chiba-san. You were surprised, of course. It sounds like you yourself have a wealth of information, and I hope that we can share with one another."

She bows in return to Laisa.

"It was a pleasure to meet you as well. I hope that if you have further questions, I can continue to help."

And then he is surprised, and it's because -

"Ah, I see," she says, and allows the others to speak first before she says anything else to Amy. "It's not fine, but - it happened, and you clearly feel regret, and I hope that in the future, you'll make a different choice."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy looks at Tuxedo Kamen. There is a glimmer of hope that he'll understand, amongst all the fear. His words and demeanor, and Laisa's tone... well they're a far cry from worst-possible-scenario but it was a fuckup and

    She looks at the hand. Realizes the glove is off and the offer thus signified. Takes his hand

    (She does mentally lean into the power's warmth a little. The slight dissonance, the splinter between her and Earth-that-would-be-Home, is still there but her mind is on other things and so not picking at the wound and making it worse this time.)

    --a slight cringe at the ruefulness and knowing it's because of her. (No concern of anger, as it wasn't in his voice and it never occured to her that he'd hide it)

    That they got some source of information on the Faded is itself information, and they know Obsidian has already reached out to Mrs. Siddig, she can imagine Riventon putting that together somehow...

    In the background are thoughts tied to her mental state -- the core memory of being told as a child she looked guilty when she merely sensed for the umpteenth time that she was in trouble for something she didn't even know yet, and resented the implication that she knowingly did something wrong -- with the vague mental image of her childhood home's living room and father as they looked then -- except, unlike then she does judge this time as having done something wrong

    and worse, she isn't sure how to prevent it again. The memory of the conversation is vague -- a mental image of Norie sitting under a tree on campus eating donuts, and a vague memory of the information exchanged more than exact words.

    Not recorded in Amy's memory is what her internal thought processes were that led to the slip-up, only the 'oops' of realizing what she'd done after, and if she doesn't know how it happened she cannot honestly promise it will not happen again although obviously she will try

    She doesn't remember whether he explicitly told her not to share such information or not, but she already regarded it as wrong and a breach regardless (given the memory of the 'oops' feeling.)

    There is a slight mental protest at Mou's apparent recognition of this as a case of not having given clear enough instructions -- Amy is not claiming literal-mindedness as a defense here! But trying to explain that will probably make it worse...

    She listens in attentive agreement to Ms. Siddig's words, but cringes at the end of the sentence, because no choice was made and so she's not sure how to make the correct one, she can only think of extreme measures like not coming here again or never talking to anyone with Obsidian again, and both options are painful because she wants to help Norie, and there's always that hope that people like Kagayaki-san will come around

    But she can't see how to communicate that and he can feel the break happen as she recognizes that thusly, Siddig won't understand all that. Eyes wet and throat tightening, she stares into the middle distance with the demeanor of every sullen teenager chastised for something they know was wrong while not knowing what to say.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's got his filters up, so he's not bowled over and overwhelmed. He squeezes Amy's hand and murmurs, "We can talk later, okay? I can see where you're getting hung up. It's fixable. Let's get out of Curator Siddig-san's hair--"

Then his attention's on Maryam again and he says with a bow, "We've kept you after hours long enough."

He tugs gently at Amy to come with him out the door.