The Floor of Philoshopy - The Former Arbiter

'You bear a poison, heavy and slow... yet deadly. I know you well, even though you know nothing about me.' Binah to Roland`

Profile: Binah (비나, Bina) is the Patron Librarian of the Library's Floor of Philosophy, formerly the Sephirah of Lobotomy Corporation's Extraction Team, and a former Arbiter of the Head. She is met after promoting the Library to Star of the City and subsequently unlocking her floor.

Appearance: Binah has jet-black hair cut into an asymmetrical fringe, with the left side reaching down to her chest and its backside colored golden. She wears a modified version of the Patron Librarian uniform: a black coat with a golden trim and fur on its shoulder similar to her Arbiter coat. Underneath, she wears a black knee-long dress with a black-yellow necktie adorned with a glossy golden brooch, along with knee high boots. She also has a beauty mark next to her left eye, and wears two rectangular golden earrings in place of the one in her Arbiter outfit. About Her Vital Statistics: B85(E)/W59/H84.

In combat, she wears her Arbiter outfit: a completely black fur cape with a straight overcoat underneath, with the only color being the golden trims of their hexagonal patterns.

Personality: Binah is a wise, dignified, and mysterious person. Although she possesses an immense amount of knowledge about The City and its denizens as a former Arbiter, she often speaks in verbose metaphors and similes, rarely ever giving a straight answer. Her old sadism seems to have mellowed out, having accepted that she's no longer the same person she was as an Arbiter, and although she still finds some enjoyment in receiving Guests and intimidating her colleagues, she seems to enjoy their company, acting kinder towards them and openly inviting them from tea.[1] She also seems to have taken an elder role within the Library, often referring to other Patron Librarians and Guests as "children".

Story: Before the Library -> Before Lobotomy Corporation, Binah was an Arbiter named Garion under The Head's command: A Singularity-infused assassin powerful enough to eliminate entire Wings and utilized to eliminate all those who go against the Head's rules.[2] Garion's most particular quality was her apparent apathy to everything. In her own words, things such as the uncountable stars in the sky or the sun's radiant light wouldn't impress her at all, the only thing that gave her a thrill was human suffering and destruction.[2]

With Michelle's intel as a whistleblower, Garion was sent along with a squad of Claws to snuff the Seed of Light project. Weakened after the loss of Carmen, most of the people within were killed off quickly, either by the Head's forces or by breaching Abnormalities.[3] Only Kali was able to put up a fight against them, killing two Claws and the loose Abnormalities before falling to Garion, who took her arm, one of her eyes, and inflicted numerous deep wounds on her before dying.[4] However, Kali still managed to mortally wound her by impaling her against a wall.[5]

With Ayin and Benjamin as only survivors, they recovered Garion in a dying state and probed her brain for information on the City's secrets, including the process of becoming a Wing, before finally using her remains for the construction of the Sephirah Binah, giving her the role of head of the Extraction Team.[5]

Binah is one of the few people to acknowledge that A and the Manager are the same person. She taunts him by twisting his means to finishing the 50 days, wondering if he truly believes the sacrifices of countless Employees, the Sephirah and even his mentor Carmen will be absolved with his goal. Eventually, she learned to recognize Ayin's perseverance in spite of adversity and heinous acts as another evolution of humanity, just like herself.[2]

White nights and Dark Days: After the completion of the Seed of Light and Angela's uprising during the White Nights and Dark Days, Binah was the only Sephirah to side, agreeing with her on Ayin's retribution and simply accepting it as a consequence of his actions, which Angela deeply appreciates. Binah and the Extraction Team go rogue against the rest of the Corp, lowering the Qliphoth Deterrence and causing all Abnormalities to breach.

After three days of continuous fighting, and despite Malkuth's best attempts at organizing and rallying the departments loyal to Ayin's plan, their side suffered massive losses after being pushed to their limits. Meanwhile Binah, now aware of E.G.O. and familiar with its capabilities, overpowers Gebura on a one-on-one clash. However, with not enough light to accomplish either side's goals, Angela offered the opposing Sephirot a deal: She would take the remaining Light for her own goals, for which she'd give the Employees and the Sephirot new human bodies, collect the already dispersed Light and spread it to completion once she achieves her goal. Although divided in their opinions, the loyal Sephirot agreed on Angela's terms, putting them on stasis until she needed them once again.

Cutscene 1 (Floor Unlocked): Roland enters the newly-opened Floor of Philosophy. Upon arriving, he notices the place has a certain smell, very rich, though completely different from Chesed's floor. Binah answers that it's the scent of black tea, with Roland replying that he finds it pleasant in the way it stands out coffee. The Patron Librarian agrees, and adds that she's certain that the "blue-haired noble" has not grown enough to appreciate it. Roland observers the floor's surroundings, and notes that it all feels overbearing, confusing to understand and with a heavy feel to it, much like philosophy according to him.

Binah asks Roland what is the Library from what he has seen: A place of death, nourishing it's thirst with blood; a spire of knowledge, acquiring all kinds of information, or an ark sailing for a new life. Roland ponders for a second, before flatly answering that it's an arena, fierce and bloody, with Angela, the Librarians, and everyone else fighting to earn what they want. Amused, Binah further asks what kind of place is the Library for him, with Roland calling it a jail. Binah disagrees, seeing through him and noting he is looking to seize an opportunity, to which Roland denies her claim by saying he's looking for an opportunity to get out.

Annoyed, Roland asks the Patron Librarian who is she, seeing as she talks as if she knows everything. She simply responds she is Binah, which makes Roland add that her aura is unlike any other Librarian he had met. Understanding he meant what kind of person she was on her first life, Binah answers she was an Arbiter from the Head, shocking Roland. Before he can ask anything else, she interjects that her mind was shortly awoken from her slumber, and as such she needs to calm it with some tea, telling Roland to come back later along with her books, leaving him alone and confused.

Cutscene 2 (Supression of Big Bird): Binah welcomes Roland into her Floor once again, who deduces he must have many questions judging by his expression and offers him a seat and a cup of tea. Roland expresses discomfort at her habit of tea breaks, who tells him he'll grow used to it, as with anything else. Once again, Binah asks Roland what is the Library like from what he has seen, much to his annoyance. She explains that viewpoints are bound to change constantly, to which Roland humors with another answer: He claims he was being verbose with his comparisons to a jail or an arena, and simply put, in his opinion the Library is yet another part of the City where people are killed all the time.

Taking a sip from his cup, Roland expresses a liking to black tea, saying that while different to coffee, it has it's own flavor. Binah elaborates on it as "the palpable agony of the tea leaf infused in each cup". Roland asks if Binah is truly a former Arbiter, claiming he had tons of questions to ask if he'd ever run into one, with Binah only asking back if he really had any faith she'd answer them. He agrees she'd never give an answer, and moves on to another question; if she really is an Arbiter, why would she stand there doing nothing, to which Binah explains that she's no longer an Arbiter, and as such, she only watches from afar from now. Roland notes he seems too complacent doing Angela's bidding for a bystander, and Binah adds she only takes care of the tasks she's given and nothing else. When Roland asks what would happen if Angela ordered her to give all of the Head's secrets, Binah dismisses it as Angela has never attempted to claim them, possibly knowing she'd get nothing worthwhile, before shortly realizing with a grin on her face that she might've already attempted it before she could realize. Roland then asks what would happen if he were to kill her and turn her into a book right at this moment to try and pry away her secrets, to which Binah, still smiling, notes his boldness and hostility as what differentiates them. In reply, Roland scoffs claiming he has no courtesy to show to the City's "shady overlords".

Binah remembers a man whose dream was ruined by her hands, but when he confronted her, his anger was directed at those above and beyond her. His gaze was never fixed on what was right in face, but always looking beyond. She contrasts that man to Roland and Angela, who from her point of view, might as well be blind to anything not within their immediate sight. Roland bluntly tells Binah to stay on the subject, who in turn points out Roland's own sharpness. She claims he bears a heavy and slow, yet deadly poison within himself, and even though he knows nothing about her, she already knows everything she need to about Roland. He only contemptibly stares at Binah, who tells him not to worry, as her occupation for now is only to remain silent and observe, with Roland lamenting their conversations will probably always be parallel.

Binah cites "O sorrow, I have ended, you see, by respecting you, because I am certain you will never leave me.", a fragment of the Prayer for Loving Sorrow, which Roland recognizes and follows with "Ah, I realize it: your beauty lies in the force of your being.". He then decides to leave, claiming he's lost his appetite. Binah tells him he's always welcome on her floor, seeing his conversation as amusing. Roland simply scoffs.

Cutscene 3 (Supression of Punishing Bird): Roland arrives to give Binah her books, with her asking if he's gotten used to "carrying the Abnormalities on his back". He responds wielding them as he likes has worked well so far, to which Binah notes he must have a natural aptitude, something that while he dismisses, Binah adds that if he truly does have an aptitude, he could develop his own E.G.O. next. At such a statement, Roland says he wouldn't mind undergoing Distortion and turning into an Abnormality himself, believing it doesn't really matter anymore. Binah points out his words suggest he has let go of many things, which Roland corrects as having been robbed of those things, having been caught up in events he couldn't comprehend and losing everything he had as a result. Binah further asks if he sees the City as responsible for having taking away his happiness, which Roland confirms, also saying he might've simply given up and accepted there was nothing he could do, thinking the world just wouldn't let him have anything he wants, always finding a way to make him suffer for it.

Binah asks another question: If Roland had never inflicted pain upon others or taken anything from them if he held those beliefs. Before he could try to excuse himself, Binah calls him out on resorting to his "That's that, and this is this" saying, wondering if it holds true at all, if the dichotomy of what concerns him and what doesn't could really be so clearly cut. Roland replies that his pain is only his to care about, and everyone else's is theirs, a statement Binah mockingly notes as carefree. Roland should know better than anyone about everyone's suffering, yet he's the one most adamant at refusing to face it, merely turning a blind eye to it. She goes on to say that's what makes the dwellers of the City so vulnerable: Since their own anguish is the most tangible, they believe it matters more than anyone else's, even though they know deep down that belief is untrue, a contradiction that gave rise to the Distortion phenomenon.

Roland retorts, asking if Binah can truly fathom the extent of the City's suffering and figure out what's at the core of it. She replies that it's what one must look at, rather than fathom, an answer that irritates Roland, saying sophists who speak in vague words and absurdities mostly end up dead. Binah sighs and says there could be some truth on what he says, she wouldn't be in the Library if she didn't suffer a fate like that. Roland scoffs and announces his leave, but not before Binah tells him one last thing, giving him a few of her favorite black tea leaves for his troubles.

Cutscene 4 (Supression of Judgement Bird): Roland notes how Binah always appears to be lazing around whenever he visits, simply drinking tea by herself. She speaks of how everyone seems to bask in indolent complacency, living in an era where the only threat to humanity in the City is itself, even as monsters created by their own hands roam the Outskirts, and entities beyond the grasp of human cognition dwell on the lands beyond. Binah wonders if humankind is protecting itself of those monsters, or if those creatures are being protected from them, asking Roland if he doesn't believe the boundary between the two possibilities is rather thin. He, in turn, bluntly replies that it must be the former, to which Binah adds that when that boundary finally dissipates, the true colors of humanity come out, manifesting in either E.G.O. or Abnormalities, as they had termed, now also called the Distortion. Confused, Roland tried to clear things up, believing they were just talking about the City and its borders, before going on about the "true form" of humanity. While in the topic, Roland asks what's her definition of a human, seeing what she deems as their true forms seem strange and unstable.

Binah asks back if a human are merely a species of primates of the human kingdom, and asks Roland the same question: what does he think a man is. He jokingly answers with a miserable little pile of greed, which prompts her to backhandedly applaud him, saying his unsophisticated thinking gives him an impeccable perception on the essence of things, something Roland dismisses and tells her to answer the question. She then elaborates that it is exactly as he said, seeing that desires are the truest aspects of humans, much to his annoyance at her continued verbosity, saying that's not the answer he wants to hear. Binah sees through what he wants: he wants to hear what she knows as an Arbiter, the secrets of the City, why the Head, neglects the suffering within it and lets it fester, an explanation for the utter lack of governance in their otherwise strict reign, to which she says she simply keeps her silence, as it's simply not possible to teach him the answer regardless of her will. Even turning her into a Book would yield the same result: she has already emptied her mind of all knowledge of it, such is the fate of former Arbiters of the Head.

Defeated, Roland stops pressing her for answers, with Binah noting that ended in a trifling note, although it was a wise decision, saying what stands before him is no longer an Arbiter or other such thing, simply a being that was once human. This doesn't stop Roland from expressing his dislike towards her, implying Angela thinks the same, to which she only replies "Epoché", and tells him to simply perceive her as she is. She tells him to not make any ancillary judgements, to not be bound by anything he has learned in his life. Roland replies he, as a human being, can't simply disregard all his background experience when observing, and Binah asks him to regard her as she simply is: neither an Arbiter or Sephirah, to consider only the time she has gone through, saying he may be able to see it when he observes her as he knew nothing.

She goes on to make a metaphor, saying that through a long history of being entwined with each other, humanity in the City as accumulated a layer of sediment, one cannot see clearly through such turbid waters, a clear vision can only be attained through one's own eyes. Roland tries to synthesize it as simply everyone having a different perspective, jokingly comparing it to the half cup of water metaphor. Binah just says to use his own eyes to watch things as they are, then he might see it, but he will inevitably forget why he wished to see it at that point: that oblivion is what creates anguish, it's why it's a tragedy. Roland cannot believe it, saying that there must be a single answer as there usually is within the City, and Binah simply replies that he must look at his own inner universe.

Cutscene 5 (Floor Realization - Prologue): Binah asks Roland if he knows anything about the person Angela was modeled after, who replies he does not, never having been told and not wanting to bother her by asking. Binah explains she was based on Carmen, describing her as the one who sought to change the City, striving for a world without conflict, or rather, an utopia where people did not harm each other, and could mutually understand. She describes her ideal as a world where people could dream, one that she could never reach herself, as the fruit of her research could only be born after she sacrificed her life for it. Roland assumes the Head decided to use that opportunity to strike, and Binah further elaborates that although her cause was an important offense, it wasn't the only reason: Angela was created to be a substitute of Carmen, and reminisces on her creator, who carried out the plan and was "keeping an eye on" as the same type of individual as herself. She describes him as someone who merely shouldered the burden of completing the task the one he loved left behind, never pursuing any great cause himself in a true sense; frail, but couldn't be understood by anyone, Binah assuming maybe it was the reason why he desperately longed for understanding from another being.

Roland attempts to clear up and asks if she's saying Angela was made to "fill the Carmen-sized hole in his heart", while Binah monologues about his forbidden endeavor to create someone to look over his fragile self; a cocktail of irony and lingering attachment, seeing it as self-loathing and insanity, an ironic codependency where the two gravely needed each other but could never be next to one another, the abiding affection for Carmen that compelled him to create a mechanical copy of her, even though there was no real need for such resemblance. She remarks how the result ended up resembling him more than Carmen, noting the self-contempt that stemmed from countless contradictions and regrets, and the insanity of neglecting Angela to suffer for nigh-eternity when she was capable of having a mind identical to humans. To finish, Binah asks Roland if he doesn't think it's beautiful, who only responds by calling him a "top-of-the-range" nutcase, to which Binah adds that in spite of it, he was seen as a beacon of virtue to some. She speaks of how there's no such thing as "good" in this world, only what is perceived as such, it's not up to the individual to dare make an universal judgement. Roland interjects he then must've also been seen as a spawn of evil to others, and Binah replies that humans are bound to view the world while carrying certain things on their backs, him being no exception.

The screen cuts to black, where Roland remembers his childhood. Never having a chance to see his parents, growing up in the hands of an old woman in the Backstreets, being left alone when she was gone not too long after. Looking for a way to make a living, he jumped into the world of Fixers from a young age, having at least been taught how to survive as one by her before she left. He spent his time doing requests and errands for others, rather than anything for himself. He describes he forgot soon enough, wondering if he could do anything for himself at all as he watched the bare facets of the City, asking himself if he could settle for a life where he wouldn't lack anything crucial, if he really would be happy if he lived in a Nest.

His thoughts move to another scene: the Smoke War, when the days of smoke-filled skies and the scent of humans were nearing their end. He remembers an exchange with Salvador, where Roland fought to pick up kills, while Salvador calls him snappish, noting his blank mask before saving him from an incoming attack. The older man tells him to try looking at what's in front of him for once, or he'll miss what's important if he keeps looking back. Roland begrudgingly tells him not to expect thanks, who replies he bets he's only here for the Nest migration permit. When Roland asks back the same question, Salvador explains he already was Nest-born, calling him ignorant about the world, he flashed an I Corp badge, explaining Salvador's entire Association had been hired. He speaks of how he doesn't really know what they're fighting for, and even though he believes the smoke made a mess out of the City, he wasn't told anything beyond that, as the only thing he must do is go kill whoever they were asked to kill; such are the principles of Fixers, and the City as a whole. In a tangent, Salvador asks Roland how many kills as he scored, who replies twenty-three. Salvador then asks if Roland believes his life is worth more than twenty-three people, he answer that he doesn't: he simply struck them with his sword so that he would stay alive, to which the older man adds that yet some higher-ups believe that a handful of smoke is worth more than tens of thousands of lives. The scene cuts again, where the pair finds the source of the some: the old L Corp Singularity. They describe it as something utterly hideous, causing Roland to vomit in reaction. When he asks what was that thing, Salvador only tells him to get used to such things, as every Singularity that keeps the City running has one or two nasty truths hidden to everyone. He adds that they'll all receive amnestic treatment now they've seen it, though the disgust won't go away entirely. Roland only reacts in disgust learning the City's splendor runs in things like this, and Salvador only says he's learned a valuable lesson today. In his own thoughts, Roland speaks that even though he doesn't exactly remember the source of the smoke, he couldn't forget the dreadful image of what makes the City a prosperous place, and the sickening world itself, not realizing their convenience was built on the sacrifice of numerous others, maybe even willfully ignorant of it.

After the war, Roland blended back into the City and kept working as a Fixer, with numerous people coming and going from his life, until all that remained were the twelve Fixers in Charles' Office. He recalls one particular moment, being woken up out of a nightmare by Angelica, the new hire. When Roland asks if she knew that everyone who took this request died awful deaths, she simply quotes "Why should I begrudge it, since during the hours when my soul crushed the depths of my heart, it was seated there beside me?", to which Roland only complains about working with a "sicko". In response, Angelica hits him on the back of his head, saying it's simply a passage from a poem she likes, one that helps her accept the agony rather than suffer trying to shake it off. While Roland tries to walk off the pain, she adds that he's just as much of a sicko, particularly because of his habit of wearing a pitch-black mask at all times, although she's heard of his skills. When she asks why he wouldn't take it off, Roland avoids the question by telling her to not pry, as they were both Grade 1 Fixers. Back in his thoughts he thinks of how he first met Angelica while taking on a Star of the City case, and how it's pretty much unavoidable to talk with coworkers on a long-term mission like that. He regrets not keeping his silence, believing that maybe because of the death of his colleagues, or as he corrects himself, people he met and died before being considered colleagues that he grew a yearning for something more, beating himself for opening up to her. In another scene, Angelica speaks about herself, particularly about her origins in the Outskirts, being a test subject for a Wing before being thrown out there, unable to remember the experiments but still remembering its dread. Roland gives canned condolences, which Angelica calls cold and prompts her to ask about his past and his mask, a question which Roland once again avoids by telling her to keep on working. In his thoughts, he remembers he started wearing the mask following his mentor's advice: as a Fixer, it's important to not let potential enemies remember his face. He adds that he now wore it for another reason: He simply couldn't stand taking it off, to be open with a clear conscience in this City, the mask becoming his own enclosed world he couldn't leave.

In a memory in a sewer, Angelica has a nightmare, pleading to not have her brother taken away, before being woken up with a hit from Roland. He retorts she shouldn't be criticizing his sleeping habits like that. She apologizes for her outburst explaining it must've been her childhood haunting her, to which Roland replies that he knew about it, but not about her having a brother. In turn, Angelica asks about his past once again, with Roland finally letting out some information and saying he participated in the Smoke war, having seen the source of the smoke personally, unable to remember but still carrying the feeling he saw something he shouldn't have, and that he was taking part on something no better than its origin. Angelica wonders if the agonies that surround the City is the reason why he wears that mask, before being interrupted by Olivier in comms, saying their target was approaching. Roland recalls the target they were after was the Blood-red Night, who employed trickery to kidnap people from the Backstreets and Nests alike, the victims later being found in the former as animated corpses. Completely emptied inside, they endlessly craved for anything fresh, as if to fill their emptied bodies. Roland tells himself he believed it was only classified Star of the City so quickly out of direct harm to a Nest.

In the next scene, Roland and Angelica are on the Blood-red Night's chambers, they remark the amount of corpses within it, with him guessing it took about three thousand, before Elena herself arrives, gloating it was actually four thousand, one hundred, and seventy-two people. She playfully commends them on their efforts to catch her, seeing they tracked her down to her den, before beginning to fight. The scene cuts to the midst of battle, with Angela shielding him from blow, but taking it herself and being grievously wounded. Roland cries out in lament, saying she shouldn't have done so, while Elena mocks him for his display of emotion. Roland takes that opportunity and deals a devastating strike to her, causing her to retreat while swearing she would come back. In his mind once again, Roland thinks about how people try not to care about the suffering of others, only giving a few words of consolation while never wishing to truly understand each other's pain, but Angelica was different: she wanted to learn more about the pain he was bearing. He describes his agony as abstract and enormous, and wonders if she could really understand.

Roland holds Angelica's body, pleading her to respond, who only quotes in a weak voice "You are like those who never left the sad fireside corner of my poor black heart", and congratulates him for finally finishing the mission. Roland begs her not to die after coming this far, his voice breaking and about to cry while he attempts to thump her chest to keep her breathing. In response, Angelica hits him and tells him to cut it off, saying she was only trying to rest a bit until he started practically beating her. Roland sighs in relief, much to her surprise, although she can't tell his actual feelings because of his mask. Roland, now relatively more calm, explains that he wore the mask to never show his face to anyone, ashamed to face the deeds he was contributing to. He moves on to wonder if since they can kill so many people nonchalantly just because Offices and Associations told them to, excusing it as their work, they as well could be killed by somebody with the same kind of excuses: even if they were murdered one day, they wouldn't be allowed to complain about it, a thought that scared him to no end.

Seeing his guard was down, Angelica shatters Roland's mask, now seeing on his face that he truly was worried for her. She replies she doesn't understand why he cares so much about the problems in the City as if it was his burden, saying "That's that and this is this", an adage Roland repeats himself, before agreeing with it, believing that's simply how the City is. In his thoughts, Roland reminisces about her as the person who broke into his world, the person who then became the foundation of his world, having showed him a way to turn away from the City's agonies without his mask. He comments she may have been a good person, but he wouldn't consider her someone wise, hearing his pain and teaching him how to turn a blind eye to it, herself saying she embraced the pain, but only pretended to do so. He then quotes himself "O my sorrow, you are better than a well-beloved."

Back at the Library, Binah asks Roland if he enjoyed his dream. Roland speaks of himself as but one of the many who play the tunes of the apocalypse in the abyss, and Binah simply tells him to come at her.

Cutscene 6 (Floor Realization - Epilogue): In the darkness, Roland quotes "Because I know that in the day of my final agony, you will be there, lying in my sheets, O sorrow, so that you might once again attempt to enter my heart."

Now at the Library, Roland admits he's scared, afraid of what decision he might make in the end. He's not sure how great whoever Binah observed was, but he calls himself a nobody, in his own words, "Nothing more than a speck of rust in the gears of this world", one of the many foul people partaking in this vile world, and that's why he was afraid. Binah just says the City is as it is, humans are as they are, and they were as they were, he must observe simply what his eyes can see, without imputing any external values to it. Roland talks of how he's turned away from many things, saying "That's that, and this is this", running away from reality until he and his wife got what they had coming in the end, ultimately being no one's fault things turned out that way, with Roland assuming he must also be partly responsible for it, paying the price for remaining a bystander in the City.

Binah replies that he might be right, and Roland continues to say that even if he didn't look away, could he have really stopped such a massive cycle alone. She adds that everything shall repeat, they managed to break the cycle once, yet they as Librarians are now going through another repetition; what truly matters was that the cycle broke at least once, and that was all she had to tell him. She says he may visit her for tea occasionally, inviting him to trivial chitchats from time to time.

Binah: Greetings, welcome to the floor of Philoshopy User: Hello Binah Binah: Pleased to meet you