Holy Templar Sanctum (Aincrad)

[Apollymi]

It was the case that Charles was normally on missions, but it seemed like this wasn't the type of thing that Father An sent him to investigate. Upon seeing the pair together she made a few assumptions about the princess and Charles and figured that the lass might have wanted his help in determining what happened to the supposed saint. Whatever the case, she gave the information he wanted and Charles immediately implied that he wished to meet the man. His words about those memories seemed to insist upon even using Janessa to find out what they were if he couldn't properly communicate them. "Oh? That is a pretty extreme measure," she claimed knowing that whatever happened with Jeanne d'Arc was a thousand years ago. The sudden interest in the case was strange, but there were many reasons it might have come up.

Case in point, Astolfo, the pink haired femboy who knew Jeanne d'Arc personally. Apparently, if one was going to tell him about it, it would need to be done with the aptly named 'Astolfo Surveillance'. This must actually be extreme. "I mean I have some free time, but I might want Janessa for that as well... " she said. She fully thought herself capable of caging the lad if necessary, but he'd been through something and she was quite sure her methods wouldn't completely keep him away from whatever he planned to do. Janessa should be around to make sure he couldn't move if such a thing were taken into account. "Fine, I'll take you... both I assume?" she asked. It was strange to see the Holy Princess walking about, but she was confident nothing would occur that they couldn't take care of while she was with them.

She stood soon after, that man who'd been her chair was placing boots on her feet and then handing her her hat like some kind of whipped zombie. "Make sure that curtain goes up straight and finish up in here," she said while walking towards the door. There was no teleportation method for Olivier so she'd walk with them to the teleport and off to the floor she kept her prisoners.

[Bloodedge]

"It's an extreme situation," Charlemagne offered in defense of the limits he'd go to. This opportunity could not be allowed to slip through their fingers. It had been too long since Jeanne's execution, too long without justice being properly served if they were on the right track. They couldn't let things like craziness or Astolfo's antics interrupt the process. The latter could have been managed, but even Olivier claimed she'd need Janessa for that. "There's no point wasting the manpower now. I'll tell him later myself if I have to," he said. Interestingly enough, Charlemagne had enough influence over Astolfo to forbid him from taking action. Of course, Charlemagne wasn't aware of that himself. If he had been, perhaps Astolfo would have known the truth ages ago. . .

Seeming to prefer the idea of not wrangling Astolfo before it was necessary, Olivier agreed to lead the way. She assumed both Charlemagne and Angelica would be taking the trip. She assumed properly. "Both, yes," Charlemagne confirmed. With Olivier going on to order her 'servants' around to cover her absence, Charlemagne stepped out of the room to wait. Ideally, this Geoffrey person would at least be capable of recalling and regurgitating information for one of his biggest spectacles. If not, they'd have to resort to something rather unpleasant. . .

[Apollymi]

"Obviously," said Olivier. She didn't know what brought about this interest in the case of Jeanne d'Arc, but she knew that if Charles set his heart on something he'd do it. There was always the possibility that the woman had done nothing wrong, and if that was the case, then people should likely be happy she was a saint and wouldn't just kill everyone involved as an act of vengeance. Whatever the case Charles claimed it wasn't worth wasting manpower to keep Astolfo in check. That made it sound like she should be preparing for battle, like the rest of this was only a formality of some sort, "Alright, but good luck keeping him out of it while you're actively looking into it," she said. It was somewhat surprising Astolfo wasn't currently in Charles' company.

Moving on from that point, there was the matter of both of these people being involved in the investigation. Olivier gave a casual glance towards Angelica and took solace in the fact that she didn't seem as odd as Father An, who probably would have never been involved in something like this. Of course, as they made their way to the prison floor, Olivier made a few statements. "I'll take you both straight back to Therage's cell, but there are quite a few cells between the start of that hall and the end where he is. I wouldn't make eye contact, and ignore any cries for help... I know that last bit is against most people's better natures, but prisoners are for the most part self-serving, they'll abuse any attention they're given," she explained of the situation. Angelica nodded her head at the explanation. It made sense she supposed. Whatever the case they entered the floor and Oliveir began to walk.

Cat calls, threats and all kinds of pleas came from the mouths of those currently being imprison. Olivier usually ignored them and so she had no problem, figuring her advice would be taken she kept walking towards the end of a hallway which seemed to get darker and darker as they approached. At the last door, there was a padded room with no sharp objects allowed inside. This was the cell of Geoffroy Therage. "Here you two are, I'll wait here. Remember he's pretty messed up..." she said not knowing what all the expected to get from this man as far as information was concerned, but he was one of the few people Olivier managed to feel bad for during her time as Grand Inquisitor.

[Bloodedge]

Olivier was right. So long as this investigation was ongoing, Astolfo was a danger to the 12 Peers' ability to function within Aincrad. Him learning of Jeanne's absence and the reason behind it would put them all at risk of exile, which would effectively end the current mission. That couldn't be allowed, so Astolfo would know only when there was time to rein him in. Moving on, Olivier escorted Charlemagne and Angelica to the floor from which she operated, passing through the place of imprisonment with a few words of warning. She had multiple individuals under incarceration. They would be making noise of all sorts, including cries for help and the like. Charlemagne didn't need to be told such things should be ignored; he trusted that Olivier would only lock someone up with good reason. Whether she used them as furniture for good reason or not was still in question, but that was not a relevant topic at the time.

So, onward they went. As the group passed numerous cells, Charlemagne could hardly tell who each individual was calling out to. Well... the cat calls were obviously not intended for him, though some of them were the most concerning to hear. Continuing forward, he assumed Olivier was more than used to that part, and simply hoped Angelica managed to tune it all out. Pleas for help, however, were very... strange. He heard one particular man barking about his innocence, but... he knew that voice. That individual was an important figure among the Saxons, formerly belonging to Fierabras' group. Innocence was not something that man knew. Regardless, they would soon enough be approaching the final cell which... looked about on-brand for a madman's place of imprisonment.

Olivier made it clear that she would not be joining them in the room ahead. There was such darkness, the only figure he could make out was one shifting about in a corner, their form obscured by shadow. There was a... scratching. Charlemagne couldn't tell what was happening exactly, but he assumed this Geoffrey person was clawing at the padded wall. "Legendary understatement," Charlemagne said, casually pointing out a cliché as he stepped into the room. "Shut us inside," was the final thing he said to Olivier. Only one foot in the door on Charlemagne's part, and the older male within stopped his incessant scratching. Geoffrey sniffed the air. Something had his attention. "The Father visits? Has he learned his future, so bright and so dark? The child, the wife, the temptress? Which is it he brings with him?~" Geoffrey rambled, seeming to have immediately shifted a great deal of his attention toward Angelica.

[Apollymi]

They moved through this hall and various pleas and things were heard. Angelica for her part in this procession had her vocabulary increased by a vast array of words one wouldn't hear in her position. Some of them weren't even being yelled at her, and were things she understood to be directly related to the kind of dominating presence given off by one like Olivier. 'Step on me, general!' and 'You can use me as a chair, I gotta way better seat than my back!' and 'You'd look less bitchy with something in your mouth!' All of those sounded horrendous as things to say to people. If they weren't locked up for whatever they did, they likely deserved to be punched directly in the mouth for sheer audacity, by Angelica's standards at least. Though admittedly the things they yelled at her were no better. 'Come back, those tits are my salvation!' and 'I'd give my life to lick her feet!' followed by, 'Feet?! FEET?! I'd lick her shitter if she'd let me!' The voices went on and on, but Angelica could only process words she didn't know and become more confused by them. She'd have to ask someone about a few of those, and the confusion was visible across her knit brow though she said nothing about it.

Ah but she took Oliver's advice and looked nowhere towards them. Until they reached the dark room where a man was busy scratching at the walls. Apparently Charles wanted to be shut inside and Olivier wasn't the type to question orders from the man she chose to take them from. "Sure, easy though... he's not really a danger to anyone else but he's still pretty fragile," she said and after Angelica crossed the threshold she shut the door behind them. The first words out of this man's mouth were ones which didn't really make sense. The only people in this room were Charles and Angelica. "The Father isn't here. And those titles feel a bit weird to hear..." she finally managed. Well, it was best if they didn't upset this man while trying to get out of him the information they wanted. Why he assumed the father had come to visit she couldn't know.

[Bloodedge]

Someone who proved dangerous to themselves was one to be approached with care; Charlemagne understood that well. In this case, he definitely couldn't have Geoffrey even trying something before they got their information. His order to lock them in the room with this man was based on that logic; he wouldn't allow an escape route. Not even two seconds spent within the cell, and Geoffrey's madness became clear. He started talking about the Father, presumably Father An. Attached to that mention was an allusion to Angelica, questioning her identity within the scope of a specific list. Child, wife and temptress were given. Well... she'd technically fit the first bill, but Father An was not here, as Angelica herself pointed out.

"Weird? No. True? Yes." Geoffrey spoke again while moving himself away from that dark corner. He stood, but he slouched. It seemed he was a rather tall individual, strangely muscular for someone imprisoned for nearly a millennium. He was soon visible beyond the shadows. His skin was tan, his hair long and grey. Facial hair was arranged embattled upon his lower jaw, and a deep scar was carved over his closed right eye. "The Father is here. Here." Upon repeating himself, Geoffrey glanced in Charlemagne's direction. His right eye opened then, appearing with a red ring instead of being amber like his other eye. "Heavenly Father, hallowed be thy... ho? Mother? Hard to say."

Geoffrey was moving about the room while Charlemagne visually inspected the walls. This man seemed to have a pension for symbols. He had repeatedly drawn a hexagon with four lines through it, their alignment just between a cross and an X. Strange... That seemed slightly familiar, and Charlemagne couldn't tell why. "I've never been anyone's mother, or father for that matter. Anyway, we've got questions. Do you remember Jeanne d'Arc?" Charlemagne asked. Geoffrey had returned to inspecting Angelica more directly, appearing infinitely curious about her for some strange reason. Even his glowing eye held a special alertness to it. The moment Jeanne d'Arc was brought up, though, Geoffrey became... excited? "Mother?! Yes, Mother was beautiful! Beautiful like Child here? Yes, but too much! Too much for man. Therage saw, but could not see! Took his eye for being unworthy, Mother. . ."

[Apollymi]

This day was bound to get more and more confused as it went on. The symbols on the wall as well as this man's crazed looking visage all spoke to some great disturbance. He seemed to be rather distraught about everything and even decided to correct Angelica's word choice. He claimed what he said was true. Actually the look of that was strange and Angelica found herself copying it into a gem of equal size and shape. Whatever the case, it was something weird.

As they moved on from this point, Charles took this man's attention and referred to Jeanne as mother. It was strange for Angelica to hear it wasn't the first time she'd heard a reference to mother, but it wasn't exactly the same thing. "My mom mentioned the Mother but it definitely wasn't Jeanne. And I am pretty sure everyone would have known if Jeanne had a kid, she loves kids..." she said logically. Beyond that this man claimed his eye was lost as a consequence for seeing something too great. "This really doesn't make sense," apparently there was a reference to Angelica as child. If this man was thinking from his perspective as formerly attached to Father An that at least made sense. "I don't think Jeanne would have wanted you to lose an eye, she's not that kind of person," Angelica mentioned while she fiddled with that new jewel in her fingers. What kind of information could she and Charles even get out of this man. His words were cryptic and seemed to be illogical at base.

[Bloodedge]

"Jeanne never had children. There were some people who looked a bit like her, but they had to be more distant than that," Charlemagne added. He knew Jeanne had at least three siblings, and that she was the youngest of them. If their order of birth held true in this world at all, it made sense that one of the others would have children before she did. "No children, Mother. Child is Child, Father is Father, Mother is Mother. No children between," said Geoffrey. This man really wasn't keen on making sense to anyone speaking the common tongue.

More importantly, there was the matter of his eye and the apparent cost of gazing upon... Mother, as he put it. Jeanne wouldn't have taken anyone's eye, but perhaps some other force did? "Unworthy, unworthy! Too good for Therage. Eye must go," he stated. Something was in that eye─ something beyond humanity. Charlemagne had seen that hue of red before, but... that didn't make sense. Moving on, there was still a question yet to be fully answered. Maybe those crazed ramblings could be counted as enough. "Jeanne d'Arc. You were the executioner that day. You're someone who would know what she said at the stake. The records say she called to a demon. . ."

The moment Charlemagne spoke of Jeanne calling out to a demon, Geoffrey sprung into action. He darted toward the young man, grabbing him by the tunic with speed that surprised even the seasoned adventurer. Those eyes contained fury for a moment. Why? "Father! Holy Father knows? Holy Father... will make many mistakes. Plans gone astray, one life... twice lost! Mother knows Devil, Devil does not know Mother! No. Nexus. Nexus, Mother. Ask Child, Father! Child knows Nexus, Nexus knows Child! Nexus knows Father, but Father, no... Father does not know Nexus. But Father knows Child! Mm!" Geoffrey had begun nodding, as if anything he said made sense. There was even a smile upon the old man's face toward the end of his speech. "Father knows Child, Father knows Wife and Temptress. Wife, Child knows Nexus. Father can know Nexus, but Temptress... Temptress knows Devil. Temptress knows Devil, and Devil will know Nexus! Mother kill Father, Father kill Father. Nexus watching, waiting. Child and Wife, key Father! You see?!"

[Apollymi]

Alright, confirmation. Jeanne didn't have chilren, well Angelica knew that too. As for others who looked like her, there was an explanation. "One of the last times I saw Jeanne she mentioned finally seeing her eldest sister and claimed that she had quite a few nieces and nephews because of this," she said, that was a fair enough point. But it wasn't one which would be allowed to sand very long.

Geoffroy finally had words to share about 'Mother' as he called her and what she said. What she knew and what she was connected to. And while none of it really made sense his actions seemed to imply that Jeanne had nothing to do with demons from what he could tell. He also claimed child was not a reference to the Holy Maiden in anyway. No it seemed more specific than that. From what Angelica could gather this reference was directly for her. Ah, but what was this? He implied that the Holy Father might know and used a word that Angelica had never heard before. "What's a Nexus?" she asked, that didn't sound like the name of a demon, nor did it sound like the name of a god. It sounded like a thing, maybe a proper noun thing but a thing none the less. Though the rest of this man's words implied that Angelica knew of the Nexus. Yeah, that really didn't make much sense.

"I really don't see. This doesn't really make sense... but it sounds whatever a Nexus is it isn't something that could be considered god nor demon." If this man was telling the truth as his jumbled mind interpreted it, it was obvious that he saw some kind of plot coming in the future and that he was at least remorseful about the death of Jeanne d'Arc.

[Bloodedge]

Nexus was a name repeated multiple times. This was not the first time Charlemagne heard of it. No, he last heard it mentioned... well over a thousand years before. In a moment, he could hear Jeanne d'Arc calling out to the Nexus He could hear it because he'd heard that word spoken in her voice before, oh so long ago in another world entirely. The Nexus was a feature in Age of Eternity, something that appeared in the video game as well as the trading card game, albeit in different ways of course. He only knew it to be some sort of interface for the video game. In terms of the card game, however, he could explain it fully. "The Nexus was... something in the card game I played─ the one like this world. There were rare Nexus cards that could alter the outcome of an entire match. If you had one, you could only have one in a 40-card deck; that's how powerful they are."

What he knew of the Nexus was that it was a powerful thing, but it was not a god by any means. Even the game he played contained cards with listed divine attributes, much like Astraea... Angelica's literal mother. How queer. "Nexus cards were applied to the entire playing field, so... a location? Is the Nexus where the other gods are stuck?" Charlemagne wondered. "Gods, no. No gods. Nexus, no gods. Child is right, Child knows. Wife knows better. Child of Father and Mother... also knows better, but not Child. Must find Wife, but Temptress! Father is weaker than Mother; Father must know Temptress. Nexus, too much for small Father. Too much for big Father! Father... is not big Father."

The ramblings were making less sense by the moment. At some point, Geoffroy had claimed 'Father' and 'Mother' had no children between them. Now, he claimed they did? "Let go of me. What are you even talking about? You just said mother and father don't have children!" Seeming to respect Charlemagne's wish, Geoffroy did indeed release him. Of course, that came with a slap to the back of Charlemagne's head as the man stepped away. "Stupid Father, stupid! Weak, stupid! Wife, teach Father! Mother, Father, Child but no Child! Simple! Cold devil woman less stupid than weak Father!"

[Apollymi]

Something powerful. That was the description of the Nexus. Charles seemed to have some sort of understanding of it, but it apparently wasn't enough of one. He claimed it was a thing a deck was only allowed to have one of, because it was so strong. "Hm, that sounds strange, I don't know what that means enough from a statement like that," Angelica said, it was a hard concept to wrap the mind around. Luckily they weren't in this place alone the man known as Geoffroy seemed to know that the gods weren't stuck in such a place he claimed it to only be the Nexus. "I don't think the gods are quite so stuck anymore anyway. My mom said she was planning to retire, that she was using her link to me to leave. She said it was a gift from the Mother. Not Jeanne, but whoever that was originally," she said drawing back on former knowledge but still not really having enough to go on. It was kind of annoying.

Regardless Angelica was starting to understand when things this man said referenced her instead of anyone else. Well, that was odd, perhaps he meant whatever Angelica would grow up to be would have a better understanding. His logic didn't seem to be rooted in normal time progression. Still that man's words also didn't clear it up enough for Angelica. "You said you weren't the only one who came from that other world. And that some got here a different way, would they be able to explain it in a way that made more sense? Because the only part of this speech I kind of understand right now, is that you and Father are somehow similar or equivalent in his mind and I am not sure why that might be the case either," she asked after Charles had been released though slapped in his head. Most of what Geoffroy said didn't make sense, but perhaps more context clues would help them figure out exactly what was going on between all these people using similar names and title. "Whatever the case, it sounds like Jeanne definitely wasn't praying to any sort of demon. Which makes sense, because Jeanne was never innately religious she just wanted to help people," she said of the woman who was known as a saint. Or rather The Saint.

[Bloodedge]

"It's something like... Imagine a human wielding a Divine Artifact against a group of kittens. That's the sort of power a Nexus card could have," Charlemagne explained, knowing there were very few players who even managed to acquire Nexus cards. He had one to his name, and he'd never even had the chance to play it even then. Regardless, Angelica presumed the gods were not 'trapped' within this Nexus as Charlemagne figured. Her mother did claim the gods were set free. Perhaps they were stuck there previously, and were just successfully leaking out? "Hmm. Then maybe they were there? Maybe one of those gods was linking to Jeanne from the Nexus, and she─OW!"

For the second time, Charlemagne had been slapped in the head by Geoffroy. This time, it was enough to cause an impact and leave him rubbing the point of contact. "Why?!" was all he could say. "Father stupid. Weak. Child, also stupid. Wife better. Find Wife, less weak Father. Less stupid. Think, stupids! Wife, Temptress, find! Nexus with Mother!" The way Geoffroy said those last words, Charlemagne couldn't be sure what he meant. What order were those words meant to be in? Whatever the case, Angelica was onto something with the idea of asking others from his original world. "You know what? Yeah. Let's ask Olivier, or I guess... cold devil woman. Maybe she's got some direction," he said, moving toward the exit. In that time, Geoffroy looked toward Angelica while addressing both visitors. "Trust Therage. He knows you can know~"

[Apollymi]

Apparently the power of the Nexus in Charles understanding of it was nearly absolute. Even so, that didn't actually make sense to Angelica either. Of course, it would only come to make more sense as time went on, but she wouldn't get to know that. No, because right at the moment, Geoffroy was insulting them both. Ah, but that only came after another smack to the back of Charles head. "I think those hits are a sign you're on the wrong path in your thinking," said Angelica. She could potentially see why someone would do that. Especially with Geoffroy being properly incapable of communicating his thoughts in a way which made sense to anyone talking to him. He had to do whatever necessary to get his point across.

According to the man they needed to find Wife and Temptress. Wife to Angelica seemed to be a reference to herself though apparently not as she was right now. Perhaps this man had more than just the past jumbled up in his head. And he was actually trying to give instructions but he couldn't because his mind was currently wrong? Yeah, Olivier had described his as 'broken' perhaps it was his mind that broke and made him seem insane? That seemed logical. Whatever the case, it seemed that Olivier was the person to ask more direct questions and Charles equated her with the 'cold devil woman' but didn't receive a smack for it. "Why cold devil woman?" asked Angelica.

Olivier was at least paying attention so she was ready to open the door when they reached it, all the while Angelica had a sentence hit her ears that made it seem like this crazed man had some level of faith in them. Perhaps, if they figured this mess out they could get Jeanne to talk him down, it might help him to know she didn't hate him. Ah, whatever the case, Olivier found herself replying to the question she'd heard as she opened up the cell door. "Because he has a unique understanding of the natures of people he has contact with... do neither of you sense it?" she asked of them seeming to have no problem being straight forward the nature of her being in case they weren't aware. She had a little test ready if neither of them truly understood her nature.

[Bloodedge]

"I think these hits are a sign that my brain is too stationary," Charlemagne insisted. At this rate, his brain would enter a continuous game of pong, bouncing between either side of his skull for all time to come. They had all the information they could get from this man either way, so Charlemagne was content to leave him alone. Of course, that didn't occur without Geoffroy offering some parting words to the pair. He knew they could know? What a weird way of speaking, though that was the most sensible thing Charlemagne heard from him thus far. "If everything else he said was like that, I'd have a way better time getting his weird message."

Olivier was quite the attentive jailer, as always. Before Charlemagne even knocked or called out, she was opening the door and letting them out. She even had an immediate response to Angelica's curiosity, at least the one involving Olivier herself being called 'cold devil woman' by Geoffroy. That man clearly had a unique understanding of others and... probably everything else, based on his general mannerisms. Now then, what was this thing about Olivier as the cold devil woman? There was something to sense, but she felt the same as always to Charlemagne. He'd never noted anything evil about her, despite her questionable methods, so the epithet of devil made no sense to him. "The only thing I sense here is the prisoners. Everything else feels normal. Well... except her," he mused, nodding toward Angelica to point out her strangeness as of late. "Though apparently, I'm also weird today. What's the deal?"

[Apollymi]

"Well maybe it'll get moving?" Angelica offered though it was mostly jest. At least they seemed to be capable of moving on from this point. They'd be greeted at the door by Olivier without much incident or even needing to alert her to their return. It seemed she was indeed attentive, but if she wasn't she would have died a long time before now. It was part of her instinct to be so aware of her own surroundings. Whatever the case, after leaving the space she shut the door to the cell behind them looking in on Geoffroy and shaking her head. This poor man was in a bad way and there was never any way to fix it, that she could find.

But there were more important things on the list right now. According to Charles he felt nothing odd about Olivier. She felt to him as she always did and he only knew for a fact that Angelica felt strange and that he was weird because Angelica told him so. Ah, that would make a bit of sense. A small bit of information would come from Olivier about the things she'd come to understand. "Mana signatures are acknowledged by individuals strangely, in the case of most normal humans, their mana sense ends up connected to whatever ever sense they've trained the most. To me, you smell a bit different, slightly stronger, a bit like her and like someone else, but I can't exactly place it," she said her nose up in the air. "Meanwhile she... smells like the open sky on a starry night. That probably doesn't make sense but that's what I'd equate it to," she said with a casual shrug. "As for what about me, it's easier to skip the questions, both of you touch the mark with your senses active, you'll understand," she said with completely related posture. What mark, the visible one right above the start of her cleavage visible to all.

Angelica looked at the lass, she was willing to play along and reached out with one finger, leaving room for Charles to also touch the mark on her chest. When both of them touched it, a pulse would occur, which was more akin to a minor leak. Cold would be the feeling but it wasn't just cold, it was like running into a head wind in the middle of a blizzard and the blizzard was consciously trying to tear you apart, literally trying to destroy everything it could even through that finger. Of course it wouldn't actually happen but that was the source of Olivier's power. Angelica's eyes widened as she looked up at Olivier, whatever that power was, felt... opposite of what Angelica was herself. "What is that?" she asked seemingly confused by the contradiction between the woman who was so nice to her, and the obvious destructive power within her body.