awakenedchaos | 17th Wheel of Fate [Written]

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17th Wheel of Fate [Written]

[Two weeks. It's been almost two weeks since Noel's rescue, and yet the one responsible for the kidnapping is still on the loose. It bothers the silver-haired Murakumo. Why let him roam free? Even if he was injured in the fight, to her, it just doesn't seem as if he got his just desserts yet. That's why she didn't stick around when he escaped - and why she'd spent the time since then following Hazama around, hoping for an opportunity to actually deal with him.

...But dammit, it's getting hard to keep this up. For once, she feels genuinely tired - exhausted, even. She had been pushing herself a lot this month... though she didn't think it would end up leaving her this drained. Sometimes, ν-13 is really a little too tenacious - or stubborn, rather - for her own good.

There's one thing she can still try, though. Even if the time isn't quite right, it's... it's worth a shot, isn't it?

And thus, she decides to write a filtered message to someone.]

[Filtered to Ragna // 57% unhackable]

[The journal's image shows nothing but the sky and a few trees, though the sound of flowing water can be heard. The writing is... messy, albeit legible, and Ragna should be able to recognize it as the same writing as that of the anonymous person that gave him a clue to Hazama's whereabouts a little more than two weeks ago.]

Reply as soon as you see this.

It's about that man. ...Terumi.

[That's all the "anonymous" person has to say for the time being. The specifics will have to wait a little longer.]

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What is it?

[Whew, he really did respond. And upped the filter, too... definitely a good thing. She would've done that herself, but it's... kind of difficult to focus on setting up a decent filter with how tired she is.

Her response is a bit... delayed, as if she's taking quite a bit of time to write it out. And indeed, she is - if only to make sure it's actually legible.]

You know that he fled after that fight almost two weeks, right? [Just... let her clarify that first. She'll get to the point soon enough.]

Who do you take me for? Of course I know that.

[Always so friendly. But that's what she was hoping to hear, so...]

~~He's~~ [...Wait, no. Let's try that again.]

...I found him. [Not quite the truth, but it's close enough. She doesn't really need to mention that she'd been following him since that fight, anyway.]

[He's quiet for a moment. As much as he hates Terumi and wants to kill him, he realizes that Terumi didn't go down with all those people mauling at him at once. However a surprise attack might go down better.

On the other hand, does he want to act so quickly after they just got Noel back? It might provoke him into doing something else.]

... Where?

[...She knows telling Ragna this is risky. Even that mob didn't manage to take Terumi out, after all... but he's injured right now. A surprise attack now might finally be enough to finish the job.]

He's north of the town. Near― [...She sort of trails off there. Something feels...

...off. Unnervingly so, even.]

Edited 2010-07-14 18:19 (UTC)

[Behind you, Nu.]

And just what are you doing, hm?

[... Near? Near what?]

Hey! Don't mess with me!

Ah—! [Sorry, Rags, you're not going to get a response to that. Instead, Nu's slamming her journal shut, turning around and activating her armor, because what the hell there's a ghost here. And one that seems... dangerously familiar no less.

...Except she's not fully closing it. It's just barely open enough to still be able to pick up the voices of the duo, although they're a little muffled.]

... Nu, care to answer me?

[She doesn't answer right away - instead, she backs away a little first.

...Dammit. This is exactly what was not supposed to happen. And despite the circumstances, she still feels as if she's obliged to explain, but... no. Programming be damned, she can't say that. Not now. Definitely not now.]

...Request denied. [She... can't tell him what she was doing. She mustn't. Even though it feels like she should to her...]

Fine, then.

[He pauses, seeming to drift closer to her.] Then do you care to tell me why you've been following me?

[Wh— he noticed that? But— how—

...This is bad. She'll attempt to back away a bit more once he drifts closer, not... entirely keen on letting him get too close to her.]

... [She doesn't respond to the question, though. Frankly, she can't think of a way to respond without making this worse. She can't exactly mention the actual reason why she'd been following, at least...]

I suppose that there's no use in asking, is there? You're... awfully quiet, Nu. It's almost like you're guilty of something...

I wouldn't think to hurt you, if that's what you're afraid of~ I don't hurt my dolls, after all.

[That's... honestly not very reassuring. But something about that last line catches her attention, at least.]

Eh...? [..."Dolls"?]

I don't want to spell things out for you. I don't even know how much you can comprehend in your present state. But no matter~

[He turns around.] I suggest that you don't go talking to people you shouldn't, Nu. You may find yourself in a... precarious position.

[How much she can comprehend in her present state...? Huh?

... ] A precarious... position...?

Oh, Nu... You haven't done anything to incur my wrath. Yet. But keep on treading these waters, and you just might have a new worry.

... But given your standing with others, I would quite like to avoid doing anything to harm you, at least.

...? [Her standing with others...?

...

He's not referring to who she thinks he is, is he...?]

You're quite... familiar with him, aren't you? Don't get me wrong, I don't know to what extent. But it is nice to see you... with someone who isn't old Raggy.

[...He is referring to him. And that comment? That just struck a nerve. Bad time to bring that sort of thing up, Terumi.

She's still not responding verbally, but that line does earn him a glare, even if it's obscured by her visor.]

What? [Gringringrin~] It's true. Obsession is unhealthy, you know.

[... ... ...~~Hypocrite.~~

...ν-13's starting to see why Ragna dislikes Terumi so much. Though she's still not going to respo—

—Wait, no, that's not quite right. She seems to be muttering... something in response. It's too quiet for even the journal to pick up, unfortunately, though it seems as if she's simply repeating the same word over and over a few times.

...That's probably not a particularly good sign, is it?]

Edited 2010-07-14 19:28 (UTC)

[If Terumi could raise an eyebrow, he would. But... yes.]

Have I struck a nerve, Nu~?

[As a matter of fact? Yes. Several, actually.

The Murakumo continues to mutter the same thing for a little longer, but eventually stops... rather abruptly no less. When she speaks up again, her tone is different from before - there's a distinct hint of outright hostility in it.]

...Target determined to be a threat. Murakumo unit has been activated... Loading extermination protocol.

[Does that answer your question, Terumi? She doesn't really care if this is actually going to work right now - frankly, she's... not thinking this through. At all. Blame the lack of sleep, if you will.]

[He just laughs. Even if dear Nu has gone rebel, it doesn't matter; she can't hurt him.]

[Or can she? Regardless, she's pretty determined to try at least.

Trying to use Sword of Destruction with the energy she has at the moment probably isn't the best of ideas - she realizes that much right now. So instead, she'll settle for the next best thing. That shouldn't be too draining on her right now, right?

Either way, she's dashing over to the ghost, and once she's close enough...]

...Extinction.

[...With one swift motion, she's bringing down a significantly larger variation of her drive blades on the ghost.

Even if it might not do that much, she can at least try, right?]

Edited 2010-07-14 20:02 (UTC)

[The blade just goes through him. No effect here.]

... Really, Nu? You're no fun at all...

[...

...

...

What.

It didn't do anything at all? Okay, that's... that's bad, to say the least. She's... just going to back away for the time being.]

...Target determined to be intangible. Further combat is not advised.

[And as far as she knows, she doesn't have anything that could be used to fight against something intangible, either... dammit. This really isn't going like it should.]

I'll let you off easy... this time. But I suggest you stay out of my way.

Oh, and tell Ragna that they didn't win. They didn't stand a chance from the very beginning. Could you do that for me~?

... [Nope. Not as planned at all. So now she gets to play messenger?

...Well then. Fine. No verbal response, but the fact she's not going "request denied" again is probably the closest thing to an agreement that Terumi'll get right now.]

Don't kill yourself out there, Nu~ And I suggest staying away. I wouldn't want you to be a watchdog for the puppy. You have many more talents than that, after all.

[No response yet again. You're not winning any points by talking like that, Terumi. ...Though she certainly doesn't have any intentions to get herself killed.

...Doesn't mean she's going to listen to that other bit. Whether she helps Ragna out or not is something she'll decide for herself.]

I think we've spent enough quality time together. Heed my warnings, Nu, I only give them once.

[And so, he turns to leave.]

[Okay, is he done being a dick? It's Ragna's turn.]

Nu! What the hell!?

[Surprisingly, not even Ragna is getting a proper response from the Murakumo. In fact, the fact he's even talking to her is barely registering right now.

...Instead, she's quietly repeating the word from before again, though just like before it's not loud enough to make out what exactly she's saying.

...Maybe she just didn't quite hear him. She is a bit tired. Saying something again might help.]

HEY!

[...Nope. She's still repeating that word. Try aga—]

—Eh?

[...Okay, so maybe that did work. For the time being, anyway.]

The hell are you up to!? [Because now that he knows that this person who was giving tips was actually Nu, and Ragna doesn't like that one bit.]

[It actually takes a moment for her to realize that that's Ragna talking to her, and as a result, it takes a moment for her to respond. When she does, though, the mechanic tone is gone - and without that tone to mask it, it's very easy to notice that she sounds exhausted.]

Um... I was trying to help you get rid of that hindrance, Ragna. [Her usual playful manner of speech is noticeably absent as well; she doesn't really have the energy for that right now.]

[Ragna's tone, however, decides to take a turn for the worse and become threatening.] Don't bullshit me.

I'm not. You know I wouldn't lie to you about that, Ragna. [And that really is the truth - she can't stand Terumi after what happened to Noel. And that conversation with him? That didn't help. At all.

...She's starting to feel a bit light-headed over here. Um.]

I don't trust you. [With that, he moves to close his journal. Think you can say something to stop the action? He's sort of pissed.]

[...Saying stuff like that really doesn't help when she's already a tad unstable, Ragna. But eh. She'll try something, at least.]

But... It really is true, you know. I definitely wouldn't follow him for nearly two weeks to find out where he was hiding if it wasn't. [Remember, Ragna? Even Terumi himself mentioned that a little while ago. Then do you care to tell me why you've been following me?

...That probably explains the exhausted-sounding tone, too.]

[It stops him from shutting it, that's for sure. But if only for him to fall silent.

She had a point.] ... Tch. [But now he's just closing it. Not slamming it shut, at least.]

[Well... that's an improvement over the other response, at least. And as much as she'd like to say something else, by the time she's actually able to think of a response, Ragna should be done closing his journal already, unfortunately.

...Ah well. Maybe she'll just... see if she can find a decent spot to rest up at or something. Because for some reason... she honestly doesn't want to go back to her apartment right now.]

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17th Wheel of Fate [Written]

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[Action] assume whatever icons I use are... in his ghost form. |D

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[Action // Voice (filtered 95%)] ...Pretend she's still wearing her armor in that icon. :|;

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[Voice... or, well, not, I guess.]