Warning

According to Ar Tonelico: "This is done through the usage of a special device called the Dive Machine, which allows scanning the Static H-Wave bands of the Reyvateil and her partner, called Diver under this context, to send the Diver into a world created by the feelings and memories of that particular Reyvateil." Example below, from the game.

Dive hardware. Wielding the power of the Cosmosphere. (Which allows a connection to the soulspace servers, which are what allows the diving to begin with)

Mitsuko eyed the apple in the hand, looking fresh and rather big at first touch and sight. If Jumi was right then she would have to be cautious with it but why did she give her it anyway? Was it just a game? Shinigami, still looking annoyed, turned to them. The magical circle that had once appeared under her was gone now. A remnant of what true power she once had. "Am I really different from one? I have no idea how your humans rules work but I am after all the daughter of Death. I might even be worse...", she said with a sort of grin. Mitsuko had to admit that it did sound frightening. Demons from hell were no good but a daughter of Death didn't exactly sound good either. Shinigami still felt real to her. Without a thought, Mitsuko moved closer to the fox like to seek confirmation and embraced her, wanting to feel her fur. At this time, she felt oddly comfortable with just doing that without fear of getting hurt while doing it. Shinigami just looked down at her, sighed softly but held her back albeit a little awkwardly with her lack of human contact experience. She then looked at Hikaru and Jumi. "She may not be Death but she's close to him. Last time she used her powers on me, I barely could think straight. I don't think she is too powerful, though. She only caught me off guard. If she is one of yours, she is loyal to him.", she explained, leaving the lewd part of it for those who knew. Mitsuko did blush a bit herself. Shinigami thought for a bit before looked at Umi a little. "My deal is still open. You can check me if you like and find out yourself what I am made of, body and mind.", she said with some fun in mind. "You can then see and find a mean to protect yourself against her, if you can. After this is over, I wouldn't be against some good time...", the fox continued, leaving some thoughts in the air. Mitsuko didn't dare to show her face, instead just burying it in Shinigami for the moment. At least, it managed to hide any feeling she may have had in the moment. She didn't mind Jumi noticing but she couldn't bring herself to have Umi or Hikaru see her like this and Shinigami didn't really help. Nall only seemed oblivious.

Still, need to be careful with what you do since doing too much can just lead to problematic plot hole stuff later. (And I know because I did a lot. I sometimes brush close to them too). Emiko is what I'd call brushing close. I need to make her origin and reason to be there make sense or I know I'll regret it later and feel like crap about it. Especially if details like "A company exists and tries to make some things a reality", it changes the concept I first thought about. As it is, I could easily put warning in this story and she'd fit, with how she has dark color schemes. Her gremlin size and big mouth would be funny probably but her alert system, mostly useless in this context. I do have Mecha Mao, which I might intend to use as an android or navi. I still have to think about this part. I dunno why I'm not good at trying to think of a cyberpunk character but I'm just worried about either not making a character special enough (Boo, normal humans in cyberpunk) or too special but I dunno if I can think of that.

The shoes aren't really the issue. Game is very vibrant and colorful but very technologically advanced. I know a lot of science fiction settings but for cyberpunk, I dunno XD. I have many dark characters that would fit a dark fantasy setting but cyberpunk being dark "realistic" battle angel alita like, is not something I do a lot. I like them androids, though.

Jacking in only works as long as there's a chip, data bank or system to connect to, though. The technology of ar tonelico goes much deeper than that. And it already sounds complicated in general and I do a lot of it so imagine if someone who only expect a light cyberpunk story get into a complex core of soulspace diving and all of its layers. I think Emiko is the most complicated thing in the story so far just because of what she comes from. As it is, she's like the intro update to something bigger. I mean, just to show how strange Ar tonelico is in comparison, let's just look at the character itself as a design choice and it will tell everything with a single look. Because it's something.

And that's the thing. I mean, it's already sorta possible to do that without ar tonelico's tech. We have seen characters sometimes plug themselves to a cyborg or etc to extract a code. I'd start to see how jacking in works first, to see how characters visiting the digital space would go. (Or for anyone who has a net navi of sort) but otherwise, I dunno...

Right, well, all I'm saying is how we want to see it in this setting. IF we do. We already have a form of digital space if we do that. Diving into someone's consciousness seems... possible. Just complicated. In most cyberpunk settings, such things don't really exist. I still think that diving into Emiko's mind would set for a pretty dark story. As it is, I know I managed to extract a digital conscious to transfer it into a real body. Most people would call it AI but it goes a little beyond that. The future is very mysterious in its technological advance. As for diving into someone's subconscious or mind space, it would be good to know why and if it's worth being a possible thing.

The thing is, and while the company keeps servers working, diving requires a diver and a reyvateil, so to speak. So it's not ONLY to sell an experience since it needs two people who share a certain bond. It allows one to find things in the subconscious layers. Even if we ignore the ar tonelico system, diving in someone's mind seems... odd. XD Ar tonelico is honestly the first game that really gave a meaning and purpose WITH an entire description of it. It makes sense. I just dunno how it would work here. Like, what's the selling pitch? Dive into the subconscious of your loved one just for fun? Even cyberpunks settings usually give some sense to things. Not just for giggles, I guess. In remember me, the weird system was a way to erase bad memories, choose what you want to remember. "sell" memories for money like it was a currency. In the depraved style of cyberpunks, it worked. I am not sure how to apply the same principles of "what do we get from it" with diving into someone's mind since it dives into a soul...? I wouldn't call it invasive but it can lead there easily if done the wrong way. The selling pitch of that idea has to be done well to think "this would work great, let's do it."

Someone distrusted wouldn't be able to have access. Or it would be a violation. Tbh, I know how Ar tonelico works but applying it to cyberpunk is another story as I don't have much expertise there. Also, reminder since it seems to have been forgotten but a user cannot stay if unwanted. The person being dove into CAN expel a diver out of their mind. When I was saying broken, I was mostly referring to potential bug from experiments. Or a rare bug from the system itself. It doesn't have to be a thing either. But yes, even with protections, we have to find a reason for diving into a soulscape being a thing. What benefits does it do? What is the political stance of being able to do such in a cyberpunk setting. My only Emiko story element here is based on "Being able to deal with a digital scape megaman battle network style.". With ar tonelico being mentioned as idea, I don't mind trying it but it needs to be done properly, I guess. Reyvateils had the advantage of stronger song magic in its own game. Therefore, diving THERE did make sense, but here? Dunno.

I mean, the broken minds is just something I made up. What I wonder in the cyberpunk fashion is if someone got experimented on, forced to open their mindscape but something went wrong and it broke them, shattering their soulscape to irreparable levels. I don't think that would happen normally with the official releases. Probably 1/100000. I believe it's good to give the person who "allows" someone in, to be able to drive that person away if they get uncomfortable with what they can see, considering it's the subconscious. Also, if we say that it's to build a bond with someone, it's logical that it requires trust to go deeper and deeper. You wouldn't show a stranger your deep secrets.

You misunderstand. Diving is based on mutual trust. No one can just arrive and JACK into your mind. The mindscape is a place that can be visited in the subconscious of someone so you share more about you to them. As you understand each others more and build more trust, you form a strong bond and dive deeper into their mindscape if they allow it. The reason I mentioned real life benefits is that no one would do it without reasons. If it makes someone somehow stronger from it, then they get a kind of benefit to form a stronger deep bond with one other person. Nobody will suddenly get their mind invaded by someone else randomly. So does it sound invasive? Not really. You can expel them out. In cyberpunk fashion, they probably make sure the public eyes don't see the Broken Minds easy. Just saying they could exist, in a lab or something. But yes. I think the idea holds well so far. It might need a bit of work to get it done properly but it could fit. Emiko is only there as "She was made real from the digital space and she is searching for her sister."

Nah, Mind Dive is too weird. Although the term "dive" is when you dive into someone's consciousness. When I say monster, btw, I just mean people with broken minds. I kinda want to use an ar tonelico term for the company. Something like Dive, Soulspace, Cosmosphere, etc. Monsters don't have to be. Still, I think failed experiment exist. Also, I'm a roleplayer at heart so I like smut but I'm more of a fantasy writer than anything else. I dunno what kind of smut with we can do with diving but it can open doors to subconscious fun. In the case of Emiko, chances are it will be a bit more story or dark based. Whether that's boring or not, well... I still think some story is important.

Well, I don't think you store money in your mindspace. XD But something forceful might definitely corrupt and damage the person's mind. And this is why the dark side of things, there are monsters named the "broken minds" where the mindscape thing failed. (I am just making things up now.) Seriously, though. I dunno how deep we want this to happen. It kinda reminds me of "remember me" where people in a cyberpunk style were selling their literal memories for money. Or memories were twisted, corrupted or wiped in certain cases. But in this case, Ar tonelico named the thing the soulspace. Or the cosmosphere. It has very interesting cyberpunk ish element that could be used: https://artonelico.fandom.com/wiki/Soulspace I suggest that you take a look at this, especially the 2nd paragraph. Things seem to be managed by servers, which could be stored in the company thing. It does make sense in the grand scheme of things. So if I were to introduce Emiko to this, she could be the plot element that advance characters to find more about "DIVE" (if I was to call it that because cyberpunk loves simple but striking names). I'm going deep with this but the ideas are flowing. This could get pretty crazy but I think this is the thing that give me a start somewhere.

You're also in there as long as they allow it. If they try to expel you from their subconscious, you generally get jacked out. So for it to work, there has to be a permission, a mutual trust etc. A stranger could not just do it and in cyberpunk's case, there probably is a protection against it anyway. Normally, not everyone has that kind of "mindscape" so I'm not sure exactly how it would work but considering that it's cyberpunk, it's probably something that gives a benefit at the cost of having to form a bond with someone. Friendship is magic.

"mindscape". Exactly! It is filled with memories of the person, from the more open one to the more secret ones deep in their mind. There's lot of imagined stuff as well but it all fits in with the personality of the person involved. The same company that did that system probably tried to pull Emiko out. If one was to go in her mind though, jeez... Chaos. I think it would be an interesting story arc, though. Also, the person is not technically conscious at that moment but everything that happens in their mind still writes itself in their memory. So when their subconscious interact with your presence in their mindscape, they do remember it and all that. A strong bond = a stronger reyvateil power as well.

Well, to understand how it works, you have to understand how reyvateils work or it would be all over the place. It's not just as simple as connecting into someone's mind. There are layers and the layers that are accessible change based on how much the person trusts you. In cyberpunk, someone could probably "hack" their way in but it might do pretty bad damage to the person's mind, which is a big no no. It needs a special kind of technology to allow this and I have a feeling I could easily set a company that makes it. (With characters inside)

Holy crap! Ar Tonelico and reyvateils. This is my universe. Here we freaking go. Reyvateils having a connecting to the digital space with their singing. I see that I may need to push my ideas a little further. Let's see how far my company with Emiko's shenanigans went with their experiences. Although, the source of the digital space stuff wouldn't necessarily be there. Still... With their "money", they might have the power to push some limits like the above. Cyberpunk doesn't seem too far from the "We love to play gods, no matter what happens." lol

Fixed, I think. At least temporarily. Not sure how long Zerochan will allow the link but yeah.

I could always use someone who could have helped Emiko find herself to reality. It's basically like taking megaman.exe and making a real life copy of it. I am just throwing ideas, though. The digital space itself can be comprised of anything. Jack into whatever and find how things work. (Cyberpunk does it anyway, or at least to an extent.) Mecha Mao could be part of the net navi thing going on. (Mao really is everywhere. She is a multiversal being of sort. Like a 4D being in Star Ocean). But yeah, ideas ideas. I am mostly digging into the part of fantasy science fiction of it more than anything. Megaman had odd object with net ports so who knows how far this can really go.

Well, funny you mention that because Emiko technically comes from the digital space. it's almost like Megaman battle network stuff. So that could be an introduction to it, kinda. I have some characters I could use that also matches this kind of thing and system. I've had some characters dealing with digital networks here and there through my stories.

Shinigami looked slightly annoyed but otherwise didn't interfere with her answer, this time. The girl was at least right on one thing, she indeed was Shinigami and it's all that mattered to her. The relics, the gifts of Death, she had thrown them away in the mansion when she was trying to relax with Jumi. Whether they were still a thing in the hands of Death or not, she had no regrets about it. The girl looked at all of them but grinned to the words of Jumi. "Oh, you're no fun. Still irked by what happened back then, aren't you? It was a fun game and you won, you should be happy. Besides, you saw things you should not have. It could have went worse, you could have died in there... Or found Mao.", she joyfully mocked. The catgirl still there had remained quiet without speaking a single word yet. Whoever she was for this girl, she always looked serious and ready to launch if she was ordered to do so. Her golden eyes appeared to keep their gaze on the surrounding people of the temple. The tension held for a moment, as Mitsuko wondered if anyone would advance to ask the last question. Nall himself looked afraid to see what would happen while Shinigami kept her cool just fine but looked annoyed by the girl's game. "You can leave. Tell Death I will find him later. Next time I see you, I will send you to him myself.", she threatened, making Mao's ears twitch but stay still... The daughter of Death herself was being serious about this. The reaper girl pouted but respected her choice. "As you wish... Don't think it's over, though. Enjoy your humans while you still can. Let's go, Mao~ ♪", she told the cat who stared at Shinigami a little longer before she obeyed and floated closer to her master. Mitsuko moved closer to Shinigami before interjecting, "Wait... Where is Lenneth...?", she asked, getting the girl to look at her for a bit, "The cat who was after you...? She put up a fight and almost destroyed me. She's out there and for you to deal with. Bye bye, now...", she said while she threw an apple for Mitsuko to catch then disappeared through her portal. The cat took a final look toward Shinigami and the others before she finally flew through, closing it.

Jumi's sarcasm was not unjustified and Mitsuko knew way too well. She was not going to allow things to go that far. The fact that Hikaru allowed it was already a lot but she could tell that he would react if that girl and her cat went just a bit too far. Two questions and nothing else. The deathly girl seemed slightly annoyed by Jumi's lack of faith. "Rude of you, little fairy. It's only a game as far as you play by the rules. I will do the same... I will give you this one since you didn't let me finish. I am the Emissary of Death. His most loyal servant and devotee. The one and only who truly understands the beauty of death. In this regard, Lady Shinigami was born as a perfect symbol of his fearsome power.", she said playfully. Mitsuko opened her mouth as she wondered if it meant what she thought it meant. If she was not a demon then... Once Jumi proposed her little sarcastic offer, the fox snarled back at her, now being a bit annoyed by the fact that she was lied to. The hostility was not toward Jumi herself, anyhow. "Tell me more about me, then. Why am I here?", she ended asking with a menacing tone. The girl figured that she would ask and nodded, snapping her fingers and making an apple disappear but also a triangular magic symbol appear under the fox's paws, "You are the daughter of Death, that part did not change. You were the hallows made flesh and given the powers of the relics. Now, you're Shinigami.", she told her.

Hellhound stopped eating to nod to Akemi, whatever the question meant. For the beast girl, she had eaten worse before so a quality meal like this did well test her tastes. For what it was, she enjoyed what she was eating. The amount of humans coming around didn't even bother her. She was used to approach them anyway, as long as they didn't try anything against her. As Akemi started eating, the hound just continued eating her own meal, a bit non-humanly but that's all she knew. When she was finally done, she put the bowl away and wiped her mouth clean, finally giving a thank you for the food as well, now that she able to talk. Her behavior was very doggy but at least she wasn't burning things with fire. As Hellhound looked around, her eyes finally took notice of one strange person outside who was not like other ones. Humans had their ways to dress that made them human compared to the hound who only dressed as much as she was comfortable. What she wore now was an exception but still pretty light, like she liked it. This one human however was dressed like another animal and a skimpy one at that. With a sign in her hand, one hellhound couldn't quite read, she looked like one of those mascots or whatever Akemi had mentioned. Giving her a poke, the hound looked at her. "I think one weird human is doing something outside... Is she one of the mascots you talked about?", Hellhound asked curiously.

Despite what happened so far, the Emissary did not seem too surprised by the interruption but still looked cautious now. "The hero in shining armor, I presume. So literal, in your case. You're not being very fun right now. Disappointing... Shinigami, for you to be called a lady guest, you must really be proud.", she said with some sarcastic delight before she snapped her fingers and transformed into her magical form or whatever it was, with her floating torn robe. A void gate appeared behind her anew, showing pitch black darkness and unexplainable metal shapes. The fox was not sure what to think of it except for what familiar feeling emanated from it. A feeling of death or at the least a complete lack of life... Mitsuko felt some annoyance as some more of the girl's power showed to them. Something that felt familiar but for different reasons than what Shinigami felt. "W-wait. We should still hear what she has to say.", she told Hikaru while taking a step forward. The girl's gaze locked on Mitsuko, smirking to her softly. "A smart girl... She wants the game to go on.", she commented but Mitsuko shook her head. "This is not for you but for Shinigami.", the valkyrie replied, careful with the way she avoided questions as well. The fox calmed down but said nothing, crossing her arms for now. The catgirl appeared to keep an eye on them as well but before anything, Mitsuko wanted the permission of Hikaru to continue. Maybe with his help, they could get something out of it. The girl and her cat could have escaped anytime they wanted by now but the reason for her being there was not quite clear yet. Mitsuko didn't think that it only was to give them information. She didn't trust her like she did with Shinigami, who admittedly looked pretty scary at first. Still, there was something else to her. She said she was allowing them to ask three questions... If they did not go beyond them, would the girl hold her side of the deal and leave them alone? There were too many things that they needed to know, about her, Shinigami, Lenneth, Death maybe? Mitsuko's plan was not to leave her any chance... But if maybe they got answers...