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Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2012 1:30 am
by Takua
Takua glanced over at the Twin Blade, wondering how he was going to tell her what was going on. First, he needed to grab her, say, do some shopping at the Bazaar before they headed out. Second, mention why he'd been so distant lately. He sighed mentally, reminding himself of his decision while rescuing Vesica. Although that made him think of Kira, and how prepared she'd been to gut him for his bad decisions lately, which wasn't a good line of thought. Fuck it, it'd just be better to move on and get going, sitting around waiting wouldn't help him any. She'd asked him where they'd be going. Right. "Eh, I was just thinking of heading to the bazaar and picking up some normal items, you?" Would she have a place that she wanted to go to more?

"Sounds good. As long as Miss Kitty keeps her paws to herself." And apparently not. Well, that made things easier. Although that little comment about a Miss Kitty made him smile, looking down at Vesica by his side, serving as his Eyes. The way she partly avoided the Twin Blade's head scratching drew a little bit more of a smile out of him. He flicked over to Talal, watching as the familiar looked up, teeth bared in a mockery of a smile, ears twitching in an amused manner. "So long as the vague comments are kept to a minimum, by both you and the Wavemaster, we have an agreement." The Wavemaster chuckled, reaching down to scratch her head, right behind the ears, feeling the snow leopard rise up into the scratch and force him to get a better angle. It was just as much a warning for him as it was for Talal, and he appreciated that. He also appreciated that she hadn't used her claws yet. "After you, I think. Let's make sure that she doesn't wanna keep scratching us."

She merely nodded. So, she didn't want to tie herself down to not being vague, then. Well then, that was...not terribly surprising given what a terrible friend he'd been recently. He seemed to be reaping a lot of what he'd sown recently. Damn. Relationships were trouble and a half, now weren't they? He started walking over to the Chaos Gate that resided in the center of the Elemental District, staying silent as he thought. Mostly he was waiting to get to the Bazaar because the noise would help cover what he was going to say. And what he was going to say was not something that he wanted anyone else to know at the moment, especially if they were allied with the Elites. Who might know anyways. Maybe not.

Elites were annoying.

But so were relationships, which just made him wonder how annoying a relationship with an Elite might be. Terribly annoying, probably. Might cross from annoying straight into ulcer-inducing. Realizing that he was distracting himself, he got back on topic right as they hit the Gate, flicking across Yamiyo to the bustle and din of the Bazaar. Since he knew that her hearing had been improved by Twilight, that made it easier to talk quietly and still know that they would hear the other. And now, he thought to himself as he started to speak, he could fuck it all up again. Just like he always seemed to. Why was it that whenever he opened his mouth, it seemed to be a river of bile and shit that got him into fights with...everyone?

"I'm sorry I haven't been talking to you...at all, really. I realized, as we were trapped by Xenobia, that I was...well, fuckin' nuts. Paranoid schizophrenia, if you know what that means. I was looking into psychology some in my free time before I was comatosed." He grimaced. "So, even if I want to trust someone, it's hard. Because I hallucinate, get paranoid...the rest of it." He sighed. Yep, fucking up again already, babbling and trying to get through it. And any time now, he was going to say something that'd get him up to his eyeballs in bloody shit. "So that's why I haven't been talking to you much. I've gotten a twilight ability, which is good, cause otherwise I couldn't see at all. I steal other people's vision. Well, more like jack into it. They don't lose it. And my other senses have improved a lot, obviously. We'll see if it sticks after I get my eyes healed up. Supposedly they're...well, healing on their own. Doctor couldn't help with that, just the rest of it." Pity, that, because he really wanted to see out of his own eyes again.

She had been waiting for him to stop talking, evidently, before getting in a few words of her own. "I know what that is. It helps explain your distance to some extent. I'm sorry it has been so hard for you. I wish you could have told me sooner but...." She paused, and he could understand why. Of course she would have hoped that he would have talked to her earlier. It only made sense, after all. When you're friends with someone, you hope that they trust you...which was hard for him, now. "Hopefully your eyes will heal completely but at least you have found a way to see in the interim. Doesn't that make you dizzy to look through someone else's eyes?"

He chuckled, and then started to laugh. He couldn't really stop. Eventually, he calmed down enough to talk. "Dizzy? I guess that's one way to put it. I walked like a stumbling drunk for a while. Plus, the person I'm looking through feels like they're being watched. I'll probably have to relearn how to walk normally once this is all over." The smile faded somewhat as he lead the way to one of the stalls that housed 'regular' items for sale. "I guess this is and isn't what I expected. I knew going into Juka that I might not walk out of it without being comatose. Knew it, resigned myself to it. Happened, just not in a way that I was prepared for. I'd have been fine with it but for this."

He shrugged uncomfortably, but there was a strange tension to his shoulders. "So I have two options. I can try to get back to the real world, get medication, survive. Or I can be fine staying here. But the second isn't so much an option as a death sentence, eventually I'll break down, and either try to kill everyone around me, or just kill myself. Neither is awesome." He stopped in front of the stall, 'looking' at the menu through Vesica's eyes, and his voice dropped further. It was nice, in a way, knowing that he could speak barely in a whisper, and she could hear him. "I'm...sorry I couldn't tell you earlier."

She looked around, picking up sporatic items &putting them back down. Basically 'shopping' for a good long minute-ish pondering what he said. How would she react? None of what he'd been saying was good, in any way. "I understand why you couldn't manage to say anything. We hardly know each other I guess. I suppose I just figured our friendship was at a different place then it was." She grimaced while the Wavemaster...snorted.

He was almost offended. Perhaps at one point, he would have been. But not right now. "Sure, right. Says the woman who followed me into Juka to keep an eye on me." He grinned for a moment, and then lost it. This was too serious for such silliness. "Look, you're the second human that I've told any of this too. I haven't even popped out of Yamiyo to shoot a flashmail to the people that I know in real life. I'm telling you something that, by all rights, you could stab me in the back with. It's not easy." Which, realistically, he should do. Get his real body on medication (and convince what doctor to do it?) so that he could control this in some way. Riiiight. And maybe he'd wake up in a minute, sprout wings, and Kamehameha the hospital into next week.

He sighed heavily, 'looking' away with his head for a moment, even though his hands were still getting out GP to buy weapons and armor. This had, maybe still was, kind of a sore point between them. "And yeah, I kind of blame myself for getting you involved in all of this, but I think I've made my peace with the fact that I'm wrong on that count." Mostly, anyhow. The Wavemaster still wished she didn't follow him into Juka and get comatosed. He was silent for a time, but there was an expectant silence that made it obvious he wasn't done. "You're a good friend, better than I've been. And mostly we seem to get into arguments when I'm being overbearing. Which, let's face it, is pretty often. Must be my hidden knight in shining armor, thought I'd killed him off years ago." He snorted again, something like a smile on his face. "But let's face it. If you've been through hell together, friendships don't break easy, even if you do barely know the other person." Something about fire forged friends, right? Or maybe that whole military thing was a whole line of bullshit.

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:58 am
by Talal
Her facial expressions changed with each statement. She hated to admit that anything he would say was right but…”You’re right on many things.” She exchanged her own GP for items being sure not to make eye contact with him. She didn’t like confrontation and even though she had wanted this conversation to happen for so long, it was still making her uncomfortable to have it. ”In retrospect, our arguments were more due to my own insecurities. Concentrating on you kept me from thinking too much about what was really happening.” She walked away from the table and headed for the next. Having to listen to the reasoning being given and thinking about how she felt and her own reasons for following him, tears were inevitable and she could feel them beginning to well up in her eyes. Damn her emotions riding right on top of the surface of everything right now. Why can’t her wall come back with a vengeance and be unsurpassable?

”You are not responsible for my situation. I did want to watch your back. I still do!” It was obvious that she was struggling for the right words and was shopping aimlessly to avoid eye contact with the Wavemaster. ”Your secret is safe with me.” The way she faded off, it would have been hard to notice that there was more that she wanted to say but had stopped herself. Vesica stiffened, and began to say something, but Takua cut her off before she could get started, even though it earned him a glare. ”Good to know.” There was something like a smile that she noticed out of the corner of her eye, but it wasn’t really a smile. She was hiding something from him, and he wanted to know what it was. ”But enough about me, what’s up with you?” The way that he dropped that was intended to let her know that he knew she wasn’t saying everything, and wanted to know more. If she wanted to share, or not, was up to her. The problem with the whole scenario was that part of her knew she needed to share and get it out, but the other part of her was held back behind her not like confrontation.

”Just trying to sort things out as usual.” She attempted a very unconvincing laugh. ”One more thing you were right about. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.” Vesica didn’t let the Wavemaster stop her this time. Her tone was a little sour, and very disapproving, ”You’re fooling nobody except maybe yourself. If you do not speak, it will fester until the most inconvenient time, and then explode. It seems to be how these things work.” She checked her claws for a moment, scoring the ground, and eyed the woman.


Talal sighed heavily. She really didn’t like the big kitty’s logic. She made too much sense and wasn’t shy about saying what was on her mind. The Twin Blade gave the white cat a grimaced look and her irritation was evident in her tone. ”I…. I guess I thought I was some bad ass that thought she could actually protect somebody when in reality I can’t even protect myself.” Vesica must have hit a nerve because that explosion she talked about sounded closer than anyone thought by the girls tone towards the end of the sentence. Her volume slowly rising with every word. ”I’m broken. My walls are gone and…and…I can’t seem to get them back and I hate the insecurity it has caused.” She saw a couple players semi-staring at her so she flipped the hood up on her cloak.

Vesica looked down, smug, like only a cat can once again. Takua just nodded, looking somber. ”No no, that’s understandable. I mean, really. If you were out in the regular game, you’d be a complete badass by now. Here, against everything and everyone that we fight against, we’re kind of shit on the totem poll.” He shrugged, pained, ”And really, how could you have known what you were up against?” He looked at her, or at least as much as he could, without opening his eyes. ”You’re not broken. Confused and off balance, sure. But not broken. Feeling vulnerable, maybe.” He sighed, ”Nobody could expect you to be anything but off balanced and trying to find yourself.” He grimaced, knowing he was doing this wrong. ”Don’t feel badly for not being a complete fucking rock. Nobody is, nobody should be.” He wasn’t giving her any sympathy, wasn’t listening, and he shut up because of that.

Vulnerable? That hit the nail on the head. I fucking feel like everything I’m thinking and feeling is always laid out on the freaking table for everyone to see. To completely convince herself of her own thoughts, her emotions were rising. The truth, however hard, was never easy to swallow especially hearing it from the one person that she had hoped would be a little more sympathetic. He understood, sure, but his tone and attitude was saying he didn’t care how she felt, he was just trying to get the conversation done and over with. Little dust tornados began to swirl by her feet, causing her cloak to swish but oddly enough around no one else. Crossing her arms in front of her and turning away, she mumbled to herself. ”I wouldn’t be so damned confused if you would have taken a few seconds to share a little once in a while.” She paused for several moments, a tear managing to find it’s way to her cheek before she sharply looked back at the Wavemaster with an ‘OMG’ shocked look on her face forgetting that he could hear like she could. ”I…I need to…I didn’t mean… I’m sorry.”

She quickly turned, stowing away the items she had just purchased and began to force her way through the crowd to escape the embarrassment she had just caused herself. The air in the bazaar began to pick up, whirling around and blowing light weight items over on the tables and making clothes wave around like flags on a pole. To the astute observer, it would have been rather obvious that the air movements were following her like an ion trail of a space ship in a sci-fi movie including the eerie sound in the wind that you can’t quite put your finger on or place where it is coming from. The young girl was running, with no specific destination in mind other than to get away, tears streaming from beneath her hooded figure as she ran; the air picking up, stronger with every tear drop.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Meanwhile, Takua signed, taking a look at the swiftly retreating Talal. He turned to Vesica and nodded once as she looked up at him and then took off, wings lifting him upwards into the air as the feline shot through the crowd in pursuit of the swiftly vanishing Twin Blade. Groaning to himself, the Wavemaster cast Ap Do in order to catch up, doing the same on his familiar, and called out quietly. ”You know, I can fly, disappearing into the crowd isn’t really the best way to get away. Can you slow down? I’m aware it’s partly my fault.” The wind that was whipping up made it a little more difficult to fly, but that was fine, he could handle that much wind. He hoped.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

She continued turned the next corner she came to and headed into an alley. An occasional small wooden create getting taken up by the wind before getting thrown into a wall and breaking into several pieces. Her volume was low but her breath was heavy from the frantic running. ”It’s not your fault and if I slow down... you might get hurt. I…I can feel the air movement behind me and…. I think I’m causing it.” There was a brief pause in her response and the next few words were riddled with panic. ”I….I don’t know what to do.” She was losing it fast.

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:55 am
by Takua
The Wavemaster flew on wings of ice, mildly irked at both himself and Talal. He really ought to be better at this by now, he thought with resignation. Considering that he kept fucking it up whenever he talked to others, he should be learning for his own survival. Or maybe, whispered a nasty little voice, he should just stop trying at all. He ignored that, flying onward, trying to understand that the Twin Blade was emotionally compromised and hadn't meant what she'd said, even if it had revealed a lot.

What did it mean if you did something with the best intentions, and it didn't work out? He'd tried to be quiet about the true nature of the Eventide Crescendo, and she'd gotten curious and come after him. To keep him 'safe'. And had ended up getting caught in this all too. Earlier, he'd tried to take one of the team by hitting Garaa, and gotten Sekai caught in his retaliation. Again and again, it seemed like The World was trying to tell him that being the sacrifice never got him anywhere, hurt those around him, and never actually protected them.

Maybe he needed to start listening.

So he could understand why Talal was pissy that he never told her everything. But he thought he had a pretty good reason this time. Having an inability to trust most people made it...difficult to open up about the source of that distrust. And it wasn't as if he was the only person with secrets. Although, to be fair, he was bad about hiding them, and simply not telling anyone about the source seemed to just engender curiosity.

That was all idle thought, and maybe, just maybe, a bit more maturity coming to him. Maybe. He wasn't going to get so cocky yet. At the moment, he needed to catch up with Talal and calm her down, although...just maybe, trying to catch up with her was making it worse. But her own power seemed to be feeding off her own panic, and her power was causing her panic, and just making it all much, much worse. Vesica was following on the ground, but she couldn't move as fast as he could, and couldn't see him anymore.

Judging by the people she was running past, who saw her, and those around who saw him, he was following pretty closely. Her trail was also an audible beacon to him, something that he could follow without sight, just so long as he didn't run headlong into a building. The gusting winds made this more difficult flying, but it was manageable. He did, however, back off. "Try calming yourself down, and if you can't calm down, then just let go."

Her response, that it was following her, just made him sigh. She was losing it, was filled with panic, and certainly wasn't ready to listen to anything logical. Well, this was all his fault, so to the devil with the consequences, he wasn't going to let her get hurt. Which was all well and good to say and think, but it didn't help him when her power abruptly turned on him. Flying over a building one moment, fighting with the wind, and in the next it was a sharp, instant, tremendous gust that slammed him downward, into an abandoned building somewhere.

Turns out that having heightened senses makes things more painful. Turns out, getting smashed through a ceiling, and then the second floor, before landing in a pile of boxes, is quite painful. The prick of an emotional connection from Vesica went from annoyed, to concerned, and then right back to annoyed when she realized he was still alive, albeit with broken bones in several places and near death.

Oblivious brat. She growled, angry that the woman had lost control of her emotions and panicked over something so simple and silly. Emotions were a load of dogshit, she decided, a flaming pile of Vak loving scat that belonged in the most putrid corners of the world. It was one of the reasons why she was so irritated with her Mistress, and her newest charity case was even worse about it all. But this woman? She took the goddamn juicy deer, roasted it with Vak just to make it totally worthless, and then ate it in front of her. Hadn't she just said that letting something fester would make it worse? Well it looked like she was right. Like always. Hadn't anyone ever told Talal that felines were always right? She should, at some point.

"I told you, you would get hurt!  Takua?  Where are you?  Are you okay?  Oh God!  Please answer. "  He was actually pretty sure that she hadn't said anything of the sort, but he wasn't about to repeat that mistake. No sir. Instead, he listened and felt with his hands, trying to determine if anyone or anything was around. Nothing, except for the sound of Vesica getting closer and the puzzled conversations going on outside of the abandoned store. Some of them were just laughing instead, the jackasses. "Ow, yeah.  I'm fine.  I'm...well, somewhere.  Can't see, remember?  Nice Twilight ability."

He muttered the words to an Ola Repth under his breath, so that she hopefully wouldn't hear it from where she was. Or any of the people out on the street. He'd need a second cast in order to heal up all of the way, but that was alright. He did have the SP for it, after all. "Huh?  Twilight ability?  But....I thought mine was...." There was a short pause as she trailed off. "Keep talking, I will find you, unless you'd rather me stay away which I would totally understand. " He shrugged mentally. It was the only thing that made sense, in his perspective, considering that she'd just kinda whipped it out of nowhere at all while stressed..."Well, that's the only thing it could be.  Go ahead and find me if you can, although Vesica's coming as well. Ola Repth." He said that one out loud, having others hear it was fine.

After that, he stood up as carefully as he could, listening. It didn't take that long before Vesica busted through the front door, not giving a shit about 'property damage' with a lance of ice. With sight again, he could at last walk out the front door, right as Talal came trotting up. "I'm glad you are okay. I still need to figure out what I can do. I want to be able to help the group not toss them around like rag dolls..." She gave him an innocent grin, but he doubted her heart was into it.

But if she wanted to pretend to be amused and be happy, well, he could do that too. He grinned, a small quirk finding its way onto his lips.  "Well sure, but you can't do that by being afraid of it, or not using it.  Just don't get freaked out, or scared, and try learning how to control it.  Come on, I still need to buy a few things."

Of course, it didn't take long for Talal's true mood to burn through, and she asked to leave. They agreed to meet back up at the meeting point, and he watched as she hurried away, the smile on his own face fading away. Vesica looked up at him, an undisguised look of feline anger and unhappiness painted all over her face, and all over her voice as well. “Learn faster.” It was all that she said, but it was accompanied by a threatening claw upon his leg, pressed hard enough to point through cloth, and the touch of her talons was freezingly cold.

He snorted lightly, turning and walking away, until he was sure that even Talal wouldn't be able to hear his whispered answer. “I'm trying.” The impression that he got back from his familiar could not have been more clear about how she felt about that.

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 4:55 am
by Talal
Even focused on his voice as he flew, she still had to really strain to find his words amongst the hussle and bussle of the bazaar, especially the comments being made as she sped by in an Ap Do enhanced run. Just let it go he says. Thoughts riddled with fear once again induced a reaction out of the poor girl who had absolutely no control. In what seemed like mere seconds, the air around the girl filled the alley, swirling and tossing everything that wasn't secured to the ground up against the walls of the buildings. Another second and the Wavemaster had crashed into a nearby building, out of sight of the young girl. She called out to him...but there was no response. Deep down she knew she caused him to crash. It was the 'how' she didn't yet understand because the last time she checked, super hearing didn't hurt people. Finally, he answered, his voice sounding shaky and riddled with pain. Funny how those kinds of things can be picked up on when one is concentrating. She set off to find him and did so quickly, making sure to stay clear of Vesica. They agreed to finish up their shopping and headed off.

As happy as she was that Takua was okay, her happiness was all a rouse and she was pretty sure he knew it too. For whatever reason though, he didn't question it, didn't even hint. What he did have to say though, was somewhat rhetorical. She already knew she was out of control. Knew she was changing. Changing into what though? Once again, she felt as though she had worn out her welcome, or maybe he had his own set of issues to deal with during the break. After all, it wasn't just about her. Her friend was dealing with not only a loss of eyesight but with a mental disorder that was going untreated because he tried to do the right thing and help those he felt needed it. Just like she was trying to do for him. Look where it had gotten her though. She didn't listen to him and for that, he felt responsible for her predicament. He was....responsible. He didn't share what he knew. He stayed vague and secretive. Understandably so, now that she had seen what he was trying to hide but...how would he have known it would happen to her? Wasn't there the slightest possibility that she could have fought with the Eventides and still have come out of it as a normal player, able to remove the visor and go about life as it were? He couldn't have known. It was pure chance that Xenobia showed up like she did....ambushed them and took away their freedom. No way could he have known that would happen. She tried to keep up the smile on her face, even though inside she was still feeling unsteady. Thinking about the Wavemaster though helped occupy her mind in such a way that she had settled down...for the moment...until she started thinking about herself again.

Takua had gotten silent again and only making small talk while they shopped. The wheels in her head once again were spinning out of control with questions, thoughts, curiosities and at times, just out right panic that if she couldn’t get a handle on what she had become, then more people were going to get hurt. That was something she wouldn’t allow. But who? Who could she turn to in confidence? Who could listen and provide meaningful….or more to the point….helpful insight and information? Who did she trust? Trust. There was a big problem. She wanted everyone to trust her, knowing she would be there to help them in any way possible. Problem was…she didn’t have that feeling in return with any of them. She couldn’t let them in far enough to where she would trust them. She had told Canti that she trusted him…and she did to a certain extent. Maybe that was where she stood with all of them?

No, not really. The dark clad Twin Blade was different, and his hellhound companion had been there for her, recently, when she was at her most vulnerable. On the field with Rugu, Shadow removed her from danger. Even though the large beast of a dog was a creation and not run by any living person on the outside, Shadow still seemed to have some deduction and reasoning skills. Beyond that, the dark hound, as menacing looking and intimidating as he was created to be, Talal found a sort of solace. He was like her security blanket. All because of one single instance of…was it duty? A moral sense of the right thing to do? Compassion? All she knew was at its base, it was a decision to protect - whether it was Shadow’s own doing or it was Canti telling him to do it was still an unanswered question. One she wasn’t sure how to ask without sounding ungrateful to either of them. Would the answer make her feel any different than she already did? Canti had been the one to make her feel welcome, like an actual member of a group that seemed to have been working together for quite some time. Groups that typically were hard to intertwine oneself into. Yes, her fellow Twin Blade was trusted, at least to the point with her life. Maybe someday, if he felt the need to ask the right questions, she would trust him with who she was...on the inside.

Sekai had also tried to make her feel at least like she belonged, but was it because she felt responsible? Probably. After all, she was the leader of the clan Talal had joined. Then again, from their brief moments of conversation, the young Twin Blade couldn’t help but feel like there was more. The small Archer may have been a leader, but she also seemed very timid, formal, non-confrontational. Talal’s mind wouldn’t stop jumping from thought to thought. She would go on forever, but knew she didn’t have that luxury. Everyone was expected to meet up soon and she needed to be a bit more stable before that happened. They were headed into a tower….Xenobia’s tower. That thought alone was enough to make the girl’s heart beat way too fast from anxiety. She excused herself from the rest of the shopping, telling Takua she would meet up with him at the gathering point. She needed help. As she hurriedly retreated into the crowd, she sent off a message.
To: Sekai
From: Talal
Subj: Need to talk
There was no text in the body of the flashmail. She felt the subject line was sufficient. Hopefully, the small Archer was nearby and had the time.

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:28 am
by Talal
The response from Sekai did not take long at all.
To: Talal
From: Sekai
Subj: RE: Need to talk

o.o’ Um… okay, where would you like to meet up, and when? We have a little time before heading to Xenobia-san’s tower, so we can do it now if you would like. Just let me know, I can meet you there. Oh, umm, should… probably ask. Do you mind terribly if Kira and December-san come too? If not, I can ask them to stay elsewhere. ;

~Sekai
The young archer’s question if her companions could come was…unexpected. The dark haired girl had always figured that where Sekai went, so did they. It was an interesting thought to just have the small girl to talk to but then again, neither Kira nor December had ever given Talal a reason to steer clear.
To: Sekai
From: Talal
Subj: RE: RE: Need to talk

Umm… I guess they can come? I just need to talk to someone I won’t try to blow up. Heh. I am at the bizarre with Takua getting supplies. I don’t know where to meet. Is it safe to go back to the hideout in the Gan sector?
She wasn’t sure if she should have said anything about blowing people up but she had hit already sent it so…
To: Talal
From: Sekai
Subj: RE: RE: RE: Need to talk

I can meet you at the bazaar and we can talk there, I know a place where we will be, um, relatively safe to talk that’s around there. o.o; um… I’m… flattered that you feel you can speak with me without wanting to blow me up? Where in the Bazaar are you, I can come find you and then we can talk more?
She inwardly face-palmed at the reply but was still glad that even with that said, Sekai was willing to meet her.
To: Sekai
From: Talal
Subj: RE: RE: RE: RE: Need to talk

Meet you by the kiosk on the west end of the bazaar. And… thanks. 
The kiosk was only a few feet away from where the Twin Blade was when she sent her last reply. Waiting for the Archer and her companions to arrive, she used the time to purchase the general supplies that she wanted to stock up on from the kiosk. It hadn’t occurred to her to straighten herself up and just as the Sekai arrived, Talal caught her reflection in the glass of the kiosk. Her hair was severely windblown and her features well, she looked a little worse for the ware emotionally and there wasn’t much she could do to fix it. Emotionally, she was a wreck on the inside and Talal had lost any umph she had to put on the strong face at the moment. Besides, if she managed to ask the questions she felt she needed to, Sekai would know soon enough what her internal condition was.

”Talal-san,” Sekai runs up, looking slightly disheveled and out of breath, but otherwise her normal, concerned self. ”I’m sorry I’m a little late, there was a fight in the entry way, and then it got ugly so we had to go a different way.” She paused for a breath, taking a deep breath before tilting her head to one side and regarding the taller Twin Blade carefully. ”…what happened?”

To say the arrival of the small girl made Talal feel better would be an understatement. Even though it was only a short bit she didn’t relish the idea of being alone in the bazaar. It was all she could do to keep her arms from springing up and encompassing the smaller one now in front of her in a bear hug. Something she really wanted from someone in return at the moment. Between seeing her reflection and it apparently being enough for even the young polite one to question out loud, Talal’s hands quickly reached up and pulled the hood of her covering up over her long black locks and attempted to play down the question.

”Oh! Umm… I can’t seem to find a vendor that sells hairbrushes. Mind if we find somewhere a little quieter where we could may sit down?”

There was a long pause before Sekai finally nodded, seeming to understand an unspoken something and glanced around the bazaar. ”Brushes… hmm, I think I know a good place, come with me. Kira and December-san are there already, I think.” Lost in her own inward issues, the young Twin Blade hadn’t even realized the two companions were not with her. Another pause from the young Archer, her soft gold-brown eyes going distant, sightless, much like what she noticed players would look like when they were AFK. Mere seconds had passed however before Sekai blinked a few times and nodded. ”Yes, they’re there, do you have a preference for a brush or comb?” Sekai began to walk, turning slightly a few steps later to make sure the older girl was following her. ”Brush… I think.” a feeling of surprise washing through her as she responded, thinking how easy it had been to sidestep the question, even if the reason behind her look was what she needed to discuss. Turning to follow, Talal continued with the innocent conversation. ”Were you looking for them as well?” She was actually kind of curious how the others just happened to be near some at that exact moment. Had Sekai sent a flashmail? Was that how they all looked when sending a flashmail even though they were..different from the normal players of The World?

Sekai gave an odd little half-smile and a bit of an embarrassed shrug. ”Not really, I didn’t even think about it until you said something, but the place we’re going to has a lot of things.” She paused again, frowning a little as they reached a crossroads, the young Archer looking uncertain until that odd look in her eyes appeared again and disappeared a few moments later as she too the left path. ”This way, it’s not too far from here. This place is very nice, the ones who run it are, um, interesting people too, but they’re very private.” Her cheeks went pink for a moment, a guilty-sheepish look on her face. ”They’re not on our side, but they’re not, um… on the other side as well. They helped me out when I was going to get in trouble, so I trust them, just a little.”

That caused the Twin Blade to raise an eyebrow. What kind of trouble and when? Talal wasn’t sure about trusting them. She had seen that backfire before. With a bit of hesitancy in her voice, ”ok. Are you sure you know where they are? It’s easy to get turned around in here.” It was obvious small talk but the dark haired girl didn’t want to raise anyone else’s eyebrows by beginning their conversation before reaching their destination. She had already put on a big enough show earlier and didn’t care to do it again. Sekai had made a face at the question and turned towards the taller girl again, pointing to the distant line of white canvas tents in the distance. ”Kira’s letting me know which way, she knows I get lost easily here.” Judging by her face and the not so subtly mild sulking note in her voice, it’d happened on a number of occasions, and the Long Arm was quite fond of teasing the little Archer about it. ”They’re, um… what was it they said they were…” The white haired girl frowned a little, puzzling over what appeared to be trying to find the proper term. ”Um.. people who draw up the looks for clothes and costumes? I forget what that’s called. Sekhmet-san and Sobek-san are nice, if… um… a little, you know… energetic about what they do.”

Okay, that was a sudden change in topic going from getting lost back to the folks that ran the tent with the hairbrushes, but Talal understood well the need for subject changes and let it go. It looked like they still had a little ways to go and she was out of small talk ideas. ”I need to ask you some questions, but I am not sure they should be asked…, she paused and lowered her voice so that hopefully Sekai would be the only one to hear her ”…around those who are not like us.”

A curious look appeared as the white haired girl slowed down and turned around to look at the Twin Blade again, her short stature allowing her to sort of peek under the hood the woman was hiding under. ”Those like… oh.” Understanding took over and she considered a few things before shaking her head. ”They are like us, they’re just… neutral? I think is the best way to put it… as long as they have customers, they don’t care, not really.”

Not exactly what Talal meant considering they were still walking through a crowd of people but after a moment of thought, she found herself reaching the same logic with the tent owners as well so didn’t bother to correct the young girl. Sekai was tentative, a nervous smile appeared as the young teenager ducked her head a little. ”It’s the only place I know that’s kind of safe here, they’re stronger than I am… though not as strong as Demorian-san, I think. Somewhere in the middle.” Her smile grew a little, lighting her face from some of the uncertainty that’d clouded it ”So that means they’re good people, I promise.” Another blush stained her cheeks as she shifted her weight a little and plucked at the mid-thigh length hem of the gown she wore. ”…besides, people who can make such pretty things like this… they can’t be bad people, not in my experience. Bad people don’t make them because they can’t see them, if that makes any sense.”

Slipping the hood back enough so her face could be seen, Talal processed what had been said. ”So… they are also in comas?”

Sekai seemed to think about that a moment… and gave a bit of a helpless shrug as a result, although her expression seemed to imply it wasn’t something she thought too hard about. ”If they are, I haven’t heard them say it. They also may be very, um, smart AI too, like Kira and December- err, December and Zorya-san are.” She paused, eyes going distant again before they blinked, back to awareness. ”Kira says she doubts they’re AI, but that she could be wrong too, because they both have black eyes and that makes it really hard to tell who’s human, who’s not sometimes.”

Still so much she didn’t understand but she had already had discussions with Sekai about Kira so that part at least wasn’t so foreign of a concept to her. The idea that there was an somewhat easy way like looking at the eyes, to tell AI’s from humans was an interesting thought though. Talal simply nodded. ”Well, comatose, stuck in The World like us is kinda what I meant but it’s okay. How much further?” She really didn’t like talking in the crowd. Too many things were in the works and she didn’t want to jeopardize the group or anything else if she said the wrong thing out loud.

Sekai turned back, walking a little further with a frown, peeking in through one tent’s door way only to hastily back out and walk pointedly away from it. Her face was, quite frankly, the color of fire and a hand clad in blue fabric reached out to haul the girl passing by inside a different, though equally plain looking tent with a yelp of surprise from the Archer and stunning the Twin Blade to the point that sadly, she didn’t even react. After a split second’s pause, Kira’s head poked out and amber eyes landed on Talal almost making her let out a yelp of her own. ”In here.” A grin on her face that reminded the Twin Blade a little too well of Takua’s new friend, err, pet? ”She always almost walks into that other tent, it’s become a running gag with her.” A muffled, humiliated sounding ‘shut up!’ was heard from inside, along with the sounds of laughter from others within as well.

It felt odd to see them in such a light mood all things currently considered, then again… perhaps it was just because the dark haired female was just so confused, worried, upset and generally frustrated beyond belief that it was beginning to feel… like the normal way to be. Entering the tent, Talal smiled and nodded, her humor kicking in to shield her from the uncomfortable feeling she was experiencing. ”Looks like you are very comfortable here. Do we have time to chat before Demorian sends out a search party?” Smiling a little more, she hoped it would distract from her odd sense of humor.

”We got time to spare, worse comes to worse, we’ll just tell ‘em we’re running a little behind schedule or had to go looking for Sekai since she got turned around again.” A sharp elbow in the side seemed to catch Kira’s attention and she caught the girl’s arm before she did it again, leaning down so that her face loomed in front of the blushing Archer’s. ”Do it again and I’ll reconsider my earlier threat, understand? Sekai sufficiently quelled for the moment, Kira gave Talal a nod and a curious look. ”Little one said you need to talk and that it sounded urgent, she wouldn’t let me listen in on your conversation on the way here, so what’s up? Need me to go beat the shit outta that punk Wavemaster for you?”

Oddly enough, the two shop owners- one dressed entirely in scarlet with the head of a lioness, and the other naked from the waist up dressed in what looked like a replication of an Egyptian skirt or something with the head of a crocodile, had gone in toward what was presumably the stock area to give them a semblance of privacy. Talal’s face began to blush a little at the mention of ‘the punk’ as Kira so eloquently put it. Looking around the Twin Blade found the closest chair and sat down. ”Umm… no, th- that won’t be necessary. But thank you for offering? That is kind of what I needed to talk about though.” Removing her hood, Talal began trying to comb through her hair with her fingers. ”I don’t exactly know how to ask this so here goes… How do you figure out how The World has affected you?”

Kira frowned, as did the pink haired Twin Blade, appearing unsure of what the young girl had meant. It took Sekai a few moments to realize what she was asking as well, her expression suddenly going to understanding almost immediately afterward. ”Um… not to answer a question with a question, but… um, if Talal-san doesn’t mind, what kind of affected… are we speaking of? The, um, pss… um…” A look to Kira for help, the silvery-blue haired woman giving the girl a nod and said nothing as Sekai looked relieved and returned her attention back to Talal. ”Um, Psychologically, sorry I couldn’t find the right word and had to ask Kira… or are you talking more about… like what Zan, Nemera-san, Sihe-san, Demorian-san, Nighthand-san, Sheena-san… um, Canti-san and a couple others can do? A nudge from Kira and a not unkind looking reminder. ”You too, you know. Whatever the hell they call it, it’s gotten you something special too.” Kira looked to Talal and gave a slight nod. ”Special abilities, right? Things you, and the others, can’t do but are able to. Zan’s example was a good one, he was able to change his form.”

Talal nodded to Kira. ”Yes. The special abilities. Every one that I have seen are all so different. How do you know what to try or… use?” The original question may not have seemed like such an urgent matter but they were getting ready to face a tower and she needed to get a handle on things first.

A considering look was leveled at Talal, Kira taking point from Sekai as the small Archer decided to busy herself looking for a brush or comb to help the Twin Blade with her hair. ”I don’t know, that’s the short as shit answer and also the most honest anyone’ll give ya; no one knows for sure how it works.” The tall woman shifted her weight, folding her arms over her chest and continued to regard Talal with a mix of curiosity and the usual analyzing look that’d replaced her normal teasing and mischievous one. ”Could be anything from the… code or virus, or whatever technical bullshit they call it that they introduced to my world mutating your character and, as a result, granting you a unique special ability. Others may just develop because of the individual’s personality or, hell, maybe the damn thing can read a person’s heart and grants ‘em a wish or something.”

A small clattering sound and Sekai looked up, embarrassed as she help up a brush and walked over to hand it to Talal. ”I’m… still not sure what mine is, or even what to call it. But I seem to be able to… forma contract, of some sort, or an agreement with someone in this world who is a natural citizen, like these two…” She paused again, looking to December, the pink haired woman giving her a knowing smile and a gentle nod, as if reassuring her of something during a silent conversation. ”So they’re my um, party members, to an extent. They usually walk around, um, like they’re ghosted until I summon them to help me in a battle, and then they can use items… not spells, and I think that’s all. But they can be solid if there’s no combat going on.”

Not sure she liked the way that Kira was looking at her, Talal looked to the side a bit and listened. She was very appreciative of the brush and smiled at the Archer. ”Thanks for trying to explain it. I had asked others that basically told me the same thing. I guess I was just hoping there was a more cut and dry reason behind it all. I apologize if I have wasted your time. I would also like to understand the connection you all seem to have but that can wait for another time.” She paused, slowly running the brush down the length of her long hair. ”I think I’m starting to develop… something. I though I knew at least the type of things to watch for and possibly use, but after what happened in the bazaar today…” she trailed off at the end, looking blindly forward lost in thought, brushing the same grouping of hair slowly.

”I call it a blessing.” Sekai turned pink again, shyly smiling from beneath her bangs as she continued, her fingers twirling over one another in what appeared to be a nervous habit. ”Um, from this world, anyway. Sure, most here in Yamiyo have their abilities… but they are… I think what Dien-san called ‘hacked’, they are illegally gotten, even granted by another. With mine… it was king of like that, though there was a, um, compatibility prerequisite, I think.” The finger twirling stopped. ”If… it helps, think of it as the answer to a prayer, or a wish to help more in some way that you felt you were unable to contribute as the person you were before becoming… trapped here, until the day we break out.” The young Archer’s face seemed to darken a little, her tone taking a rueful turn at the end and her eyes drifted away from the woman sitting down. Kira, however, didn’t let it slide and spoke up. ”You mentioned that twice now, somethin’ happening at the bazaar and the way you’re being odd at the mention of that damn kid. What’d he do this time that set you off into thinking your special ability’s waking up?” Kira paused, thoughtful as she shrugged and answered the comment Talal’d made before the black haired girl could answer. ”We’re tied to Sekai, that pink haired wench, the black haired bitch you haven’t met yet and hopefully won’t any time soon, and me. I was her first,” a wicked smile accompanied the proud statement. ”So I kinda know more than others. We can talk to each other without flashmails, kinda like a more intimate form of telepathy or something like that.”

Between Kira and Sekai, December keeping quietly to herself, there was plenty of information to be had. There was just a night and day difference between how it was given. Kira’s explanation of the way they communicated, at least cleared up the odd blank looks and the fact that Sekai kept responding with comments from Kira even though the Long Arm had not been traveling with them through the bazaar. One thing in particular though, sparked the Twin Blade’s interest but required more of an explanation. ”Before I tell you what happened, please expand on these ‘hacked’ abilities. So what you are saying is that everyone here in Yamiyo has ‘hacked’ abilities but we are the only ones in comas and shall we say naturally born abilities due to how we exist here?” She paused, trying to put the puzzle pieces together thinking she needed to clarify more what she had just said. ”They all can still leave the game at will. They are regular players like we once were?”

”Like I said before; no fucking clue how it works, it just does. Some bastards are hackers, they can fuck with the data in your character and manipulate it into something else, something good or bad, just depends on if you’ve pissed the bastard off.” At this Talal wasn’t sure if Kira was annoyed with her questions or with the idea of hackers. She hoped it was the latter. If anything it meant they shared something in common and that she hadn’t pissed the Long Arm off. ”I don’t know numbers, and I don’t like asking people crap like ‘you get yours from that tent down the way, or you get yours natural’ like we’re talking about some chick going in for a boob job.” Sekai groaned a weak protest at the analogy, but stayed quiet other than that once Kira shot her a baffled but still irritated look as if to say it was as good an example as any to use. ”As for that second question? Not fuckin’ likely. I doubt many players here are able to leave Yamiyo, much less my world the way you guys used to be able to, and with help, will again once we whoop the shit outta the mastermind behind everything.”

The Long Arm’s expression went steely and cold. ”In the old days, before I chose Sekai, I could do things that I can’t now, because of my contract with her. Those were things I could do naturally, I didn’t have to think about it, they just showed up and I honed my power. Others don’t wait that long and they have someone else give it to them, like it’s a piece of armor or a new weapon.” Kira’s posture seemed to relax a little, whether or not it was a good or bad thing was left in the air. ”I guess I shoulda said that in the beginning; everyone I’ve met who winds up stuck here develops something. Maybe it’s my world’s way of trying to make up for trapping you here, maybe it’s something given to you so that you get the fuck out and return things to normal. Either way; two types of abilities are what I see- those given to you by someone else, and those that come on their own naturally.”

Talal just nodded at Kira. She had never seen the silver-blue haired woman in such a chatty mood before. Apparently, and thankfully, her irritation earlier must have been directed at the hackers and not at the Twin Blade. Still, admittedly, Kira’s tone was a little intimidating. At that, Talal switched hands with the brush and began working on the other side of her hair, her mind trying to file away all of the offered information, matching it up with the bits and pieces she had already gathered. However, it was time to keep her end of the deal and let them know what happened in the bazaar earlier. ”Takua did nothing wrong. In fact, he was trying to help.”

A skeptical look was given to the girl. ”Sure, and that he’s done nothing wrong means you’re either lyin’ and trying to protect him, or he didn’t do anything wrong for once and you’ve got an odd way of wanting to thank him by wanting to blow him, or someone else up?” A soft laugh came from December’s side of the room as the woman approached, jade eyes glinting with amusement. ”Maybe you and she are more alike than you thought, hm? Sounds like your way of thanking someone for their assistance.” Ignoring the heated glare Kira sent in her direction, the pink haired woman smiled comfortingly at her fellow Twin Blade. ”What that one is trying to say, is something went wrong in your talk, or you wouldn’t be so aggravated. Here, let me help you with your hair, that way you can focus on the conversation.”

Admittedly, not knowing how the trio were… was related the right word? Talal was having a hard time following December’s sense of humor. She nodded with a sorrowful look on her face though when the pink haired Twin Blade hit the nail on the head. Indeed her talk with Takua had not exactly went the way she had hoped and then ended just like most of their other discussions, except this time her frustration had actually injured the boy instead of her simply backing off and stewing over things. When the offer was made to help with her hair, she handed over the brush with a little hesitation. ”We… have not communicated well for some time and I admittedly have not… adjusted well. I have been basically just trying to keep from breaking, but I failed.”

There was a silence that filled the room as December used deft, smooth strokes through the other Twin Blade’s long hair, pausing at moments to manually pick through a tangle or snarl so that she wouldn’t be hurt. The silence made Talal want to run and hide. She was surrounded by females who had time and time again proven their strength, both emotionally and physically. Although she couldn’t help but wonder just how deep the connections went between the trio. The way they acted around each other was as if they were… family; but not in a sister-like fashion. She had never been close to other girls, typically having had mostly friends that were male. NEVER had she had another girl brush her hair either. It was an odd feeling but soothing at the same time. ”Is it that you haven’t adjusted well, or that you’ve been refusing to adjust, and thus broke beneath the inevitable once you realized the truth?” The jade eyed woman asked after the silence stretched far too long for her liking. She knew from the conversation streaming back and forth between Sekai, who’d physically flinched and currently looked smaller than she normally was as a result of the older woman’s words, and Kira, who was currently torn between jumping to the Archer’s defense, and agreeing- however reluctantly- with her. Another thoughtful pause as she continued brushing. ”They sound like the same thing, and even feel like it, as little as I’d like to admit it from personal experience, but they are quite different in the long run. Perhaps your communication difficulties stemmed from that? He serves as another reminder of why you are here to begin with, and though you want to help him and be of service, you find yourself…” She paused again, searching for the proper word to describe things. ”… lost, so to speak. In more ways than one, I suppose.”

When December spoke, her words were like a knife cutting through soft butter; soft with purpose yet making a dent in the young girl. It was like December had somehow read through all the garbage cluttering her mind and found a way to put it into words that made sense. At this, Talal crossed her arms and wrapped them around her waist, practically hugging herself. ”I am… lost in more ways than one.” She paused, the wheels grinding to find the right words to explain the feelings inside. ”I know I cannot do what I set out to do by following Takua into the Eventide Crescendo. He didn’t want me hurt. I didn’t understand that at the time and was stubborn and went anyway, thinking I could handle whatever was thrown at me.” Another pause. ”But I was wrong.” Her voice began to waiver as her emotions began to well up inside again.

The brush continued its steady strokes as December listened, as the other two listened as well. ”And now you do have an understanding of the dangers, unfortunate as it is, and are having to now face the consequences of those actions, however well intentioned they were.” A brief, but small pause. ”Much like the very person you had followed to begin with; he too discarded the warnings and chose his own path, as you have done, and has since paid the price, time and time again, for his actions and decisions.”

”So you’re at the breaking point,” Kira’s voice broke in, sharp in contrast to December’s motherly, comforting tone. Her expression was stern and unyielding. ”you’ll breakdown, you’ll cry and have one hell of a goddamn tantrum. Happens to everyone in some way or another, take it form me on that. What’s more important is what the hell you’re going to plan on doing after you’ve broken.” Her eyes narrowed. ”You going to stay broken, or you going to build something new out of yourself?”

Talal didn’t like Kira’s tone at all and began shaking her head, her voice raising, getting louder with every frustrated word. ”No… No… NO! You’re not understanding!” The girl kind of growled. ”Grrrr…. I can take the physical pain of getting hit, or even ghosting for that matter. I will always fight!” A slight but notable hum formed in the room. Small, lightweight items began to vibrate, barely but noticeable if watched. The corners of fabric flipping up ever so often.

”So fucking speak up and quit letting people talk for you. What’s making you break, huh? What’s got you so twisted up you can’t deal with anything? Kira retaliated, eyes flashing as Sekai reached out and caught her arm. December looked calm, though intrigued as she felt the tingling on her hands and forearms, watching the brush moving on its own away from the dark haired woman’s scalp. ”Is… it the unknown, Talal-san?” Sekai asked quietly, the first time she’d spoken in a while, her eyes focused on the Twin Blade for a moment before they moved to some of the small things in the room, and then to the brush in December’s hand. ”… Talal-san, take a deep breath, I think… your ability is responding and thinks we are threatening you.”

Frustration and anger at Kira’s unrelenting tone turned to fear as she followed Sekai’s eyes to the items on the tables and then what the young Archer told her to do and why. As her fear grew, so did the strength of whatever was causing the air to move around them. The smaller vibrating items were now starting to move around as if they were caught in a gust of wind. All of the women’s hair began to lightly swoosh. ”No, not again! I… I need to go… so you don’t get hurt… just like he did! This is what I needed to talk to you about, not the other stuff. That… was supposed to stay buried!” Her weight shifted on the chair as she eyed the door and began quickly plotting a path.

Several things happened at once; December and Kira blocked the path out, and Sekai stepped forward enough to get Talal’s attention on her. ”Talal-san, it’s okay. I,” she paused again and tried another method. ”Talal-san, listen. You’re not in any danger, and your, um, special power is reacting because you are afraid. It’s responding to you.” Kira and December were prepared, neither of them looking ready to budge, though they nodded to one another, a plan already in place should the panicked Twin Blade try bolting. ”You don’t get to run, you came to us, you’re gonna do it our way; confront it and whatever happens head on.” A cocky smile on her face took some of the sting out of her words, but only a little. ”Just aim it over at the harpy here or me if you’re that afraid; we can take it- unlike that punk kid.” December just gave Kira a sideways look before her attention fell back to Talal. ”If you leave, you risk being attacked when your power goes awry and injures someone unrelated. You will stay, because anything that happens can be healed with little trouble, and we can begin discussing what comes next. But first, take a deep breath and imagine a calm place.”

Their words were not necessarily wasted on deaf ears. Talal attempted to listen through her panic. Her fight or flight instinct was on high and still set to flight mode, although they were right and she had come to them for help. Her eyes quickly moved about the room looking for another way out, but the only other door led to where the tent’s owners had disappeared to. She tried to breathe as instructed, but ended up almost hyperventilating instead. The sharp words from Kira and her obvious dislike for Takua brought the dark haired Twin Blade’s focus squarely on the Long Arm. Without any warning, everyone’s ears began to ring and a sound wave hit Kira dead on; Talal taking the opportunity, bolted for the exit. ”You sound just… like… VESICA!”

Kira took the wave head on, the 25+ levels that she had over Talal helping to reduce the effect. Flinching as the damage was done- but Kira gave the other girl a particularly feral grin in response, her amber eyes glowing brightly as she summoned her spear into existence. ”Newsflash, that damn cat sounds like me; she used to be mine before she decided to go use that damn kid as a scratching post. But enough about her, she’s not important,” Kira rolled her shoulders, looking a little wind-tossed, but not particularly rumpled or affected, though the skin around her chest and collarbone seemed to be pink from impact. She smirked, giving a one handed gesture to beckon the girl closer. ”You’re too pent up, time for you to get some of that out. You got me to step back a little, I wanna see if you can me me bleed; and hey, I promise not to use the mean end of my spear too, just to make it more even.”

Kira’s eyes flicked to December. ”You, be ready to interfere if she tries to bolt; Sekai’ll let you use her since I’m out right now. We’re gonna settle this one way or another, even if it means one of us sits on her and the other knocks her on her ass until she gives in.” December rolled her eyes, looking rather put out by the turn of events, and the fact that she’d been reduced back to a spiritual form, fairly transparent at that too, and gave a look to Talal. ”We can discuss this, if you would calm your fury and fear, you’re only harming yourself by running from it, it’s another inevitable, you know.”

Her chest rose up and down heavily from the adrenaline that coursed through her body. A combination of the fear of the unknown that Sekai spoke of, the feeling of being out of control with her new abilities, not to mention not really knowing what said abilities were yet exactly, and the rage she was feeling toward Kira for the blatant disrespect of her friend and mentor. Not necessarily a lethal combo, at least not for Kira. It was sure to get the young Twin Blade in trouble though since impulsive rage and fear never ended well. ”He is not a punk kid!” Stopping mid-flight to the door, her blades drawn, Talal sprung towards her opponent.

December merely sighed and resigned herself to watching the fight, as Kira seemed to have summoned it on herself. The Long Arm’s expression didn’t change much, the feral smile only growing satisfied as Talal sprang towards her with blades drawn. ”Sure he is,” She waited for the blades to fall before parrying with her spear, intentionally being insulting as she tapped the flat of the blade against Talal’s thigh. ”He’s not an adult in his country, he’s irrational, doesn’t think and recklessly throws himself without a good goddamn,” Her spear spun, the flat of the blade tapping against Talal’s other leg in the blink of an eye. ”reason or consideration of his life- just like a punk kid who thinks it’s all a big goddamn game.”

Rage had taken over everything else; Talal completely fixated on Kira and her words. Her skin tingled as she tried to parry and dodge the Long Arm’s spear to no avail, getting slapped on the legs like a child. She crouched to the ground, on leg stretching out in a leg sweep. ”It’s NOT a game to him!” The area around them hummed a sound like that of an electrical panel.

Kira’s eyes flashed, glowing brighter in color as she gave a bit of a hop to avoid the leg sweep, bringing the flat of the blade down a third time, against her left shoulder- this one hard enough to sting and shave a few hit points off. ”No? That’s funny, because he fucking admitted it when we called him on his bullshit from earlier!” There was a level difference there, and it was going to get more apparent until Kira decided she’d had enough and ended it in what would probably be a fatal strike.

Thoughts streamed fluently through the young girl’s mind. It wasn’t true. She would never believe that it was. Especially now that he had shared his secret with her. He would have not admitted to something if he was in a good place at the time. He must have been off kilter. But he had trusted her with that secret, so it was her job to convince the woman without giving anything away. Sizing up the AI, she wondered what was behind the glowing eyes. ”You really think that intimidating people into submission is going to get you the truth? You’re more gullible than I thought!”

”I don’t have to intimidate that little pain in the ass to get the truth,” Kira retorted with a harsh laugh as she dodged, avoiding blow after blow until one managed to get her. A small triangle piece no bigger than a bottle cap, flew off of the Long Arm’s outfit, swirling in the air in front of them. Talal couldn’t help but smirk a little, feeling a small sense of accomplishment against the higher leveled opponent. Another sound wave was sent towards the woman. ”I get what I want because I’m,” she took the wave like it was nothing to her, stepping into it just like the first one, allowing it to push her back as she stepped forward again, this time settling her stance into one that Sekai knew all too well; Kira was going to settle it in the next two hits, at most. Tossing her hair out of her face, she bared her teeth in a parody of a grin and aimed the spear point at Talal. ”I’m the one they fuckin’ asked for help. They trust me to do what’s best for ‘em, and that’s why I know that brat needs his shit rode like nobody’s business, not coddled and handled with kid gloves.”

Rage and adrenaline can only take a person so far and it was getting obvious that because of all the extra activity and unintended use of the Twin Blade’s new abilities, she was getting winded; no pun intended. The dodge and parry continued at a furious rate between the two women, both intent on winning the battle and not necessarily the physical one. Even through all of this, the Long Arm’s words held some resemblance of making sense. Talal couldn’t even come up with a good retort against the last statement because even she had come to her for help. Well, not actually Kira but she supposed that when you go to one, you go to all with this particular group. She only had one last thing to say and then it was time to end the cat and mouse game. Talal positioned herself near the door. She could feel the fatigue coming and really didn’t want to be around to be laughed at by Kira when it happened. The best thing that had come of this was that the young girl finally realized that whatever her abilities were, they were definitely tied to her emotions. That might be a problem but for now, she started thinking about everything that made her made and waited for the emotions to take over hoping that once she was out, she could bring herself back into check. Mini whirlwinds began forming in the small tent, the time was now. ”Just because…” she swung ”… they asked you for help…” she dodged, then parried a swing of Kira’s spear and swung again ”doesn’t mean they trusted you! I don’t trust you! Trust has to be earned!”

At the last second, Talal noticed that she wasn’t alone in this fight. Sekai had somehow partied up with her. Why would she go against Kira? The Twin Blade glanced at the small Archer, shaking her head side to side, hoping the girl would not interfere. Talal didn’t want her caught up in what she hoped would happen next, and by hope she meant that she hoped she had enough umph left to pull it off and make it past December.

Kira blocked the moves, parrying and returned the assault silently, chipping away more and more of the Twin Blade’s health in retaliation. She looked bored now, the smile having vanished completely as she just the other fight herself into the ground and didn’t seem to care when she started hovering a little above the floor. The few inches were not really what Talal had been hoping for. Whatever had fueled it before, wasn’t there now ”Now who’s gullible? You think that Takua actually decided on his own to tell you what’s been plaguing him? You think that Sekai, December and I don’t know anything about that little shit? Think again; we;’ve known what’s wrong with him far longer than you.” A smirk appeared on her face as she raised one hand, gesturing in the standard ‘bring it’ manner. ”Now, come on, hit me with your best- or are you afraid your best isn’t good enough?”

Kira didn’t particularly are what it was she took out of the girl as long as her point was put across. Talal would not win, and that was Kira’s point; there was nothing she could do, alone, with no control over herself, her emotions, her power as it manifested- and no semblance or even the illusion of control over her own heart or destiny. It wasn’t acceptable to her, and she would make that point abundantly clear before they parted ways. She wouldn’t allow another of the Army of Darkness, another person who made her little one cry out of remorse and guilt for, to go the way Takua had and end up getting herself ass over end into something particularly stupid because she hadn’t been thinking straight.

Honestly, some lessons just had to get taught the hard way, and there could be no better teacher than her… well, experience, but Sekai wouldn’t be alright with that and would meddle until she wound up hurt again –also unacceptable.

December seemed to have vanished, and Sekai was looking oddly serene, concern still in her eyes, though something seemed off about that as well… and had managed to silently replace where December had been standing to block the door. Her bow was out, held in front of her by th curve in a loose grip that was likely deceptive in nature, given the Archer’s class and her ability to fire an arrow quickly when need be. Talal felt like she was back at square one only this time she was ready for a long nap, and of course there was not time for one. She knew she was ready to break; no longer was there enough strength to keep whatever measly façade alive that she thought she had. The swings stopped and the blades were tucked away safe as the Long Arm motioned her to bring her best. One might of thought she was giving up until Talal crouched down mustering the best snear/glare she could and positioned herself like a linebacker ready to tackle. What did he see in her that made him feel he could trust her with his secret? Here she was so open about it, assuming the Twin Blade knew exactly what she was referring to. Why? The feeling of a tear forming told the dark haired girl it was now or never. What the Twin Blade didn’t know was that Sekai had done that very same ‘gonna tackle’ move at a couple of different points. Sure, Talal was probably built better, more sturdy and less delicate than Sekai, but regardless, it’d backfire the same way and only injure the dark haired woman rather than the Long Arm herself. Amber eyes glinted slightly, acknowledging the something the other probably hadn’t wanted her to notice- and waited for the girl to attack. Lunging toward the Long Arm, Talal stood part way and then jumped up. Instead of aiming for Kira however, she aimed for the stack of crates next to her, using them to turn her around with a bit more velocity than before and she made one last ditch effort for the door.

Which, really, would have gone better had she not been so damn obvious about the feint. Or maybe done it to someone who didn’t expect things to happen differently than anticipated. Rolling her eyes as the crates tumbled, Kira lazily spun around, playing with the inches of air under her feet and smiled as the definitely looking dishelveled and tattered up woman made a dash for the door. Sekai moved almost automatically, with a couple jerky movements that hinted that something wasn’t quite as normal with the timid, soft-spoken girl as her arm swept out to the side, the gilded edge of the metal bow catching the fleeing Twin Blade hard enough in the gut that Kira sort of cringed, feeling minorly sympathetic out of the sense of pain that’d likely caused, and knocked her back. If it didn’t knock her on her back and take the air out of her lungs and daze her, Kira thought with an amused look as she watched, the twenty five levels of difference didn’t even remotely feel as big and different as it had when she’d been around Talal’s levels and got her shit whooped in the old days.

Before Talal could even catch a glimpse of the daylight beyond the door of the tent she was aiming for and having been played with like a rag doll, out of nowhere came a pain so sudden and intense that she thought something was going massively wrong in the real world. Thrown backwards and unable to breathe, the Twin Blade landed not too softly on her ass and slid into the legs of a nearby table. A little dazed, she took several small painful gasps of air as her lungs allowed and glared at the small Archer in disbelief. An attempt at standing was failed without even the intervention of the others; her foot giving way and sliding out from underneath her. Talal’s glare, meeting the white haired girl blink for blink, noticed something off. Something about her eyes.


”As admirable as we all find your defiance, and dislike of the… princess over there, I don’t believe we have finished speaking yet, and it is quite rude- as I understand it- to just leave a conversation unfinished because of a mere disagreement.” When Talal heard December’s voice come out of the small girl standing over her, it was a little eery. The formalness was almost too much for the dazed girl to handle though; making her think to hard to listen to the overly worded statement. Still, she couldn’t help but cringe and halfway double up again due to the pain when the bow was removed from her stomach; wrapping her arms around her waist once again. The sound of a carefully nocked arrow glowing with soft white light grabbed her sight before staring down the snowy-haired Archer’s eyes- now lacking a pupil- briefly before her head dropped; long black strands of hair hung down and hid part of her face. ”Now, from my observations, when things are not particularly stressful, you seem to be a reasonable woman, why not return to that and clear the air, hmm? I assure you, it’ll be much less painful for you and much less aggravating for Kira and I… not to mention less worrying for the dear girl currently very concerned about you here.”

Not sure if it was the pain, her failure to win the fight, or just her mind giving way to the inevitable, tears dropped from both eyes as the girl nodded in agreement to the request. The air around them settling quickly, most likely from the lack of concentration and energy the poor girl had left. Slowly the beaten, battered and now bruised Twin Blade sat herself up a little and leaned against the table leg. Drawing her knees in close, she spoke softly; a huge tinge of embarrassment and pain heard clearly. ”I… don’t know where to start.” She attempted to adjust the sliced portions of her pants to cover up where Kira had managed to break skin during their fight.

A long period of silence passed before a quiet, soft voice broke it. ”Ola Repth.” White-blue light swept through the tent, healing all within range of their injuries and restoring the players’ hit points to full once more. Still softly speaking, the little Archer settled herself into an uncomfortable but formal looking position on her knees, sitting with a properly straight back that had to have been taught from childhood. ”…maybe try from the beginning? Sometimes… sometimes it helps just to start completely over.”

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2012 6:18 am
by Talal
The healing from the Ola Repth restored the Twin Blade’s health in the form of hit points and most likely a mended broken rib or two, but it could not stop the left over feelings of stinging, tingling skin, now bruised ribs and most of… her pride. Looking up, she could see three separate and solid women once again. December and Kira, now that the battle had finished, nodded to one another as the pink haired Twin Blade settled herself near the door- just in case- as the woman in the strapless blue gown purposefully strode toward the back room to speak with the shop keepers for some reason or another, an odd half-smirk on her face while she did so. Talal couldn’t explain why she brought her legs even closer in, away from the small Archer in a manner of distrust and an obvious wince of pain. Yet… she was basically willing to answer whatever questions were asked no matter how personal. Tears still silently streamed down her face, but in slower intervals than before; the young girl fighting within herself to regain some resemblance of composure and maybe- just maybe- a little scrap of her pride.

”The beginning… began with my first quest in The World and was also my first time meeting Takua. Is that what you mean by the beginning?” She looked at the white haired girl currently sitting rather stiffly in front of her before another glance was made at December then to Kira’s back as she stepped into the back room. ”Can I also ask… where did December go towards the end of the fight and why did you sound like her?” Her tone was a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

The hurt showed despite the fifteen year old’s best efforts not to let it, and not for the first time did the girl find herself believing whole- heartedly not only had it been the best idea to relinquish her position in the Army of Darkness, but that the other woman’s lack of faith was well deserved; after all, it was her fault that Talal-san was comatose, the same way it was her fault for Raquar, for Takua-san, Baron-san being like this too. ”The… beginning, it’s… um, wherever you wish to start, I suppose. Wherever… makes the most sense, I guess, maybe where things first began feeling wrong, or different?”

It was frustrating to be at a loss, she wondered just how Nighthand-san, Raine-san, Sheena-san and Nall-san could stand doing this over and over and over again, acting as if it weren’t a big deal when new people came into the group… or when those who had become allies, comrades… had just up and vanished, or betrayed them. ”N-normally, Nighthand-san, or even Raine-san or Demorian-san would be the best to ask… I learned… um, from Zan… so that’s the only reason I understand these different abilities, sort of.” A blink, confusion and then relief mixed with a bit of embarrassment crossed the young girl’s expression at the question as she tucked the longer tendrils of the snowy hair behind her ears. A nervous habit, one that she might not have been aware she did. ”December, um, and Kira… and Zorya-san all have the ability to do that… although we don’t want Zorya-san knowing that until, um, we’re on better… terms, I think is the best way to put that.” She flushed, clearly unused to talking about herself and her own abilities. ”It’s… part of what my special ability can do. It… started even before I was like this, Kira would step in and take control of this world’s version of me when something went wrong, or I was… too upset to think clearly and needed help.” She shifted again, resettling herself back on her knees with her hands properly folded in her lap. ”Now that… the me from our world, and the me from this world are the same person, there’s no boundary separating us anymore, Kira or December can temporarily take possession of my body and move it accordingly, and use my weapon, my spells or items if they need to. That’s why their voice comes out of my mouth, it’s because they’re the ones in control.” It felt like a bad explanation, but it made sense to Sekai… even though she was the one it happened to, so that might have been why. Still, if Talal had anymore questions on the subject, it was the start to said explanation and she would try and answer all that she could. ”Um… don’t… feel like you can’t ask questions, either. I’ll answer any that I can as best and as truthfully as I can, and if I can’t… I will see if I can find someone who could.”


So, Talal wasn’t the only one confused on how things really worked. It was too bad that Sekai was the only one that ability pertained to. The tent wouldn’t be in such a disastrous state if they could have done that with the Twin Blade. Although, it’s hard to say how she would have reacted, not being in control of herself. Which begged the question… ”So… you… are okay with…sharing… your body? Doesn’t it make you afraid to not be in control of yourself? I mean no disrespect, I… just don’t like the feeling of not being in control. It, it scares me.”

There was a moment where surprise took over the young Archer’s face at the question before a thoughtful expression took its place. ”I was, in the beginning… when I didn’t understand, didn’t know what was going on or why I would suddenly lose control… or the times when I couldn’t remember doing or saying something.” Her head turned, away from Talal and to the back of the tent, where she could just barely see the edge of Kira’s gown and a hint of the silvery-blue hair that fell to the tall Long Arm’s waist. Her expression changed almost immediately once the woman was in her sight, softening as a very soft, gentle smile appeared. ”It took… a while to become okay with it, to be comfortable with allowing the control out of my hands, and into someone else’s,” her expression temporarily darkened, ”especially with things that have happened, in the past.” A moment of quiet again before the young girl smiled again and shook her head, still looking in Kira’s direction. ”But… yes, I am okay with it. It’s… not as comfortable with December,” the pink haired Twin Blade only smiled in understanding at the apologetic tone in the girl’s voice, ”but… it’s not like that with her… it’s different.”

A hand raised, wiping some of the moisture from her cheek before the black haired girl lowered it to the floor to help readjust her position once again with another wince. If only she had that level of trust with someone. Sure she had begun trusting a couple of individuals in the group and one rather large dark hell hound. The thought made her grin. Did she… have that kind of trust with any of them? The kind where she would be willing to put her life in their hands? To be there without being asked? Perhaps not… yet. Not that she didn’t yearn to have that feeling back in her life again. She followed the line of sight from Sekai to the Long Arm in the other room, noticing how relaxed looking it made the silver haired girl look. She smiled a bit with perhaps a slight tinge of envy. ”It should feel different. After all, they are different. You are also not quite as close with one as you are the other, if I am not mistaken. They protect you.” Her words began to become disjointed from each other; they were sparking thoughts and of course, even more questions.

Sekai nodded to confirm Talal’s statement, smiling a little more despite the pink flush to her cheeks that the softly spoken confession brought. ”Kira’s always been there, with me. Always looking out for me, doing what she thought was best for my sake… because she wanted to, not because she had to.” Her expression softened a little more as she finally looked back to Talal. ”I love her,” Sekai said simply, the honesty unable to be denied in her expression and in the words she spoke. ”and, even if she doesn’t say it, she feels the same. That’s why it’s different than the others.”

Talal’s brow furrowed slightly, thinking. ”It is… it’s just… Takua and I… I came here to protect him from himself. I… care deeply for him because I look at him like an older brother. Family does what family must… keep each other safe.”

Sekai listened, her expression understanding and turning a little sorrowed as well as Takua’s name was mentioned. ”You can only protect him so much as he’ll allow it, it is what I have had to learn the hard way with others.” there was pain in her voice as she looked down at her hands, folded in her lap as they were. ”But you aren’t… you aren’t wrong, necessarily, and you sound like Kira too, with the whole ‘do whatever may be necessary to keep another safe’…” She picked at her skirt hem and tried to find the words without giving everything away. ”He… was upfront, with us and explained things so that we could, um, understand as much as possible.” Mild frustration flickered in her face as she sighed. ”That’s… why Kira is… being how she is when he’s mentioned. She’s mad at him for asking for help and then going off and doing something very dangerous that could have gotten him killed… permanently.”

Talal listened to the soft words of the small girl in front of her; watching her expressions and how they changed between subjects. Everyone did it, some were better than others at keeping more of a straight face regardless of the topic. The Twin Blade tended to bounce between the two. It all depended upon her mood. An obvious reason she supposed why whatever her abilities were, they were definitely tied into her mood and emotional state just as Sekai had mentioned earlier. This wasn’t helping her any when she attempted to stand, grimacing from the deep bruised pain of sore muscles in her stomach and abdomen as well as from the mental hurt that finding out he asked them for help but never came to her for it. Like she had told him in the bazaar, they each viewed the friendship they had from different levels. The anger and frustration was no longer directed at the Wavemaster, but at herself for being so naïve and gullible. Still, she felt compelled to stand up for his decisions back in the battlefield even if she didn’t have a clue what was behind making them.

”Perhaps getting killed, was in his mind, better than any of us ending up that way. If we, or at least as you said, Kira and I have the same way of thinking when it comes to doing what we must… why the double standard when it comes to him? Is he not doing what he feels he must to protect his friends and those he cares about?” Her voice had become slightly raised during her argument. Her weight shifting heavily to her right hand and arm that was pushing up from the table she had been leaning against.

Pain showed itself clearly in the Archer’s eyes as she looked at Talal, pain and no small amount of guilt. ”It’s not… not a double standard, you can’t protect the ones you love, and be with them, if you are dead.” She was clearly upset by the turn in conversation and was scrambling for words of some sort as she shook her head. ”I don’t… want Takua-san to die,” for a moment, instead of a girl with an odd amount of wisdom, she sounded… very, very young, much more so than the appearance of her late teenaged character suggested even with the round face and very big gold-brown eyes. ”I don’t want him to die, so I… I try to do as he asks, and keep him safe when he, um, when he isn’t sure if anything is safe anymore.” The same pained expression was back, accompanied by a bit of frustration that was self-directed, as if the girl were blaming herself for something. ”He… I don’t understand, not very well at all, what his… condition is and why it happened, or anything. I don’t understand it at all, but he and Kira explained enough to get the… um, idea, across that he cannot always…” her expression went troubled again, once more at a loss for words as she glanced helplessly in Kira’s direction, clearly wishing the other woman would stop chatting with the shop owners and come back to help her find the right words.

December cleared her throat delicately, catching Sekai’s attention as she shifted her weight and intervened on the young girl’s behalf. ”His judgment can’t always be trusted, is what she is trying to say.” The words sounded harsher than what she intended, despite the calm, but comforting tone that was standard out of the jade eyed woman. ”As a result, he asked us to keep a very close eye on him, and… to prepare to intervene if case such occasions were to come up. It may seem like a double standard, but in actuality, he is only trying to do what he can while stuck in this world, where the help he needs isn’t available.” A pause and a thoughtful look as the Twin Blade seemed to be reviewing her words, nodding finally to confirm that she’d said things in a way she found appropriate. ”Such an occasion indeed happened, if I’m gleaning information properly out of the conversations that’ve occurred, during the fight between the Elites, and as a result of our being ill prepared, and Takua’s decision not to do as he had promised with the three of us, there were some… hurt feelings, to put it lightly, and thus an unpleasant confrontation followed.”

Talal’s fingertips rounded causing her nails to dig into the fabric and bobbles on the table. Why was she so… emotional about everything? It all hit her in the wrong way, came out of her mouth in the wrong way and it was making her extremely frustrated and angry with herself. The crystal-like trinkets that were scattered on the table began humming softly. A minute vibration was noticeable to someone with a trained eye for detail. ”I did not mean to upset you, Sekai. I am not mad with you or the others. I am… I think just as frustrated as you are when it comes to understanding certain things and I can’t seem to find the right words to ask the right questions.” The vibration of the table was becoming a bit more apparent and Talal couldn’t hide the beginnings of a panicked look on her face when she looked down at the table and whispered to herself, ”Not again.”

Big brown eyes suddenly looked straight at the small Archer and then over to December. They were filled with fear and looking for help before closing suddenly. The girl’s long black locks following the downward motion of her head. ”He told me what he is dealing with, which you all obviously know about as well. So, I understand now why you feel the way you do.” Unfortunately for the young Twin Blade, understanding wasn’t doing her any good. She was for some insane reason, an emotional wreck. All because of her fear of the unknown. Her fear of losing control and getting hurt because of it, or hurting someone else. She knew where her fear stemmed from but knowing it, just made her anger that much stronger because she was too mentally weak to change it. Looking up, the only thing readable on the young girl’s features was sure and utter panic.

”I CAN’T CONTROL THIS!” She motioned with her left hand to the activity on the table. “”Whatever THIS is! I heard your conversation back at the hideout between you and Takua. I remember you saying we were nothing but fodder or some such thing. I was clear across the room and shouldn’t have heard any of it… but I did! Then when Takua and I talked after our little group meeting, he and I found out we can both hear each other’s whispers when our backs are turned. I tested it with Canti too! So… I thought that this was something to do with sound.” The rumbling and humming got a little louder and faster, much like the Twin Blade’s speech. At this point, everything she was saying was rambling out at light speed. ”I’m…afraid of it. Afraid of not having any control over it. I don’t want to hurt the wrong people. You got a taste of the tornado-like action earlier. I… I couldn’t control it with Takua and I… ended up basically throwing a small building into the air at him because he was flying… trying to catch me. It sent him flying 2 or 3 streets over and into another building. Vesica had to go find him and then he had to heal himself and then here… again with the tornados.”

Her breathing quickened and she was not even trying to keep eye contact with any of them and began working her way towards the door. ”What is it? Is it sound? Is it air? Is it this God forsaken game screwing with my head? All of the above?” At this point Talal was rambling like some crazy person you see walking down the street talking to themselves, not paying any attention to anything or anyone around them, gesturing whimsically with her hands and arms. ”And then there are the people. You come into a game to have fun and somebody, somehow manages to break all of your defenses and then leaves you broken because they don’t know how to fix you. Then you meet them again and talk and somehow become friends so you follow along to help like anyone would do for a friend. Then you meet more people and become friends with them. You fight and heal and sometimes turn into a ghost… which is a pretty freaky thing I must say… and then you all of a sudden get vine-whipped through the eyes and everything hurts and goes dark. You wake up in a cold dungeon with hardly any clothes on and find more friends and a really nice guy with wings who helps you get through all the really high places and…”

Several long, quiet moments passed while Talal worked through the reasoning in her own way before nodding. If anyone didn’t know better, she looked like she had a few of her own voices talking to her in her head. ”I see.”

December watched and listened to the girl ramble on from her place by the exit, intrigued by the short story of her fellow Twin Blade’s travels thus far. It filled in some of the blanks in the information she had already gathered. She also could tell by the vibrations, even in the dark haired girl’s emotional state, that she had little energy left to fuel the automatic reactions much longer and if she wasn’t careful, would most likely drop to the floor from exhaustion if she didn’t calm down again soon. Feeling certain her post at the door was no longer necessary, December approached the young woman, motioning with a wave of her hand back towards the chair. ”Come, sit down and rest. You won’t be any good to anyone if you don’t. Besides, you came to us for answers and I don’t think you have gotten all of them yet. Let’s sit and see what we can figure out.”

The calm, serene voice of the pink haired Twin Blade broke the young girl from her rambling trance-like state. Her simple request and indisputable logic had no trouble convincing Talal she needed to do as she was told. She looked over to Sekai with the softest smile she could muster. As her body turned to follow her line of sight, the area where Sekai’s bow met her body was not going to let her forget her rash behavior anytime soon. Her arms once again hugging her midsection before she spoke clearly, slowly, as if everything she had just said out loud had only happened in her mind. ”I’m sorry if I upset you. It was not my intent. I was simply trying to offer a different viewpoint. You and I are very similar in many ways on the inside. My emotions are simply getting the best of me lately.” She sighed, trying to calm herself down enough that things wouldn’t start swirling again. But inside, her mind had settled on thoughts that she was a failure. She was afraid, plain and simple but telling them that was just going to get her ridiculed for being a whimp or something. ”Takua was right to choose to confide in the three of you. You are strong and where one may not know what to do in a situation, the other can step in. As for me, I can’t help anyone until I figure out what The World has in store for me.”

Sekai looked to the exit of the tent, a frustrated expression lingering before the sadness took over again and she shook her head. Instead of making the girl feel better, it seemed as if Talal’s words had hit a particularly sore spot for the girl. ”I’m not strong at all, not in the way that matters the most in either world, anyway.” Kira and December, on the other hand, she felt were, but that was another argument all together.

”I thought that same way you do, and I still do sometimes, but…” She looked back to the black haired girl after a long moment. ”It’s not true, that line of thinking.” Her bow in her lap, she raised a hand and swept it slowly around the room and gestured at the world outside of it as well. ”It’s not about what this world has in store for you, what your eventual fate will be.” Pain flashed across her face even with the small, warm smile that appeared; a face of grief, or maybe even just that of someone who had lost someone very important. ”My nii-san, and… and Zan did too, they taught me that you can’t… you can’t just let this world decide your fate, any better than you can the world we came from.” Her eyes lifted again. ”We all… we all joined this world, we came here for a reason that only we ourselves know, we came to this place with a… goal in mind, so to speak.”

Sekai’s voice, having grown extremely quiet, quickly picked back up to a normal tone as she looked back to where Kira was still talking with the shop keepers. A momentarily distracted look came on her face, and a look of dismay quickly followed it, whatever the answer Kira had given her, it wasn’t something the young girl had anticipated. ”Umm… what was it… oh, um, yes.” She flushed a little, trying not to look terribly guilty as she let her eyes leave Kira’s form. ”Just… remember your reason for coming to this world, everyone comes here with a reason, even if it isn’t always a good one. I… I remember mine, and I keep it with me as much as possible, even when it hurts.” She flushed further and squirmed a bit in her still straight posture. ”U-um… that is to say… oh how did Onii-san put it?” She made a face, her expression pausing and temporarily distracted as either Kira or December said something in their bond. ”…well, yes, he did say that too, but I’m not going to say it like that!” Clearing her throat and coughing politely into her fists, her back somehow managed to go straighter as she spoke. ”Um, paraphrasing a little, I guess what I’m trying to say is, well… make your own fate, and make your own destiny in this world. This place… it’s magic, you can be anyone, become whoever you wish here… as long as you work toward it. This world is one where you make your own destiny and future.”

Talal couldn’t help but smile, listening to such words of wisdom come from such a small and sometimes timid girl. By expression alone, it seemed she had a more… troubled past than the Twin Blade had, but it was painfully obvious that manners and posture were of the highest value. A value that the young girl didn’t want to think about how they might have been… instilled into the small Archer.

”Perhaps you’ve already discovered the why for your abilities…,” December suggested mildly after a moment’s consideration. Jade eyes examined the tattered clothing with a bit of distaste. Honestly, the woman was such a sadist, there was really no need to shred everything as well as the girl’s confidence and temper. Such a brute. ”…as your abilities manifest when you are… greatly taxed, to put it delicately. As a result, you become… defensive, wanting to protect yourself from being cornered and you ‘push’ out with whatever it may be.” Another thoughtful look, golden bangles jingling merrily as she tapped a pink shod foot. ”Come to think of it, I recall a second incident prior to the ones we witnessed today, and the one with that Wavemaster boy as well.”

Sekai looked surprised at the information, looking to the pink haired Twin Blade for further elaboration. December smiled and gave her a bit of a nod that made the gold-brown eyes widen to comical sizes on her young face. ”Oh! That was what hit Rugudorull-san after the shriek. Now it makes sense.” Sekai turned back to Talal, looking curiously at the older girl. ”From what December is saying? I… I think it’s sound based. Um, do you remember what you did before you went unconscious in the battle? If not, I could tell you from what I know.”

A surprised look washed over her before her brows furrowed and she was deep in thought. ”I… I don’t remember much, no. I remember…” she paused seemingly frustrated to find the right words. No way could she tell them she was hearing voices, they would have her committed or something. ”I remember a headache… and things getting louder… and then I…” she turned to the table beside her and began to figit with the items on it ”…I woke up in Shadow’s mouth.” Her face flushed, embarrassed by how the ending sounded.

Sekai nodded, solemn as ever. She understood the gaps in memory, she still had a lot of them herself from… many an occasion, both caused within and outside of ‘The World’. ”Your power awakened in that battle, I guess the collective noise of battle and people talking all around you was too overwhelming and you kind of, um, lost control. Because you hit Rugudorull-san with a big burst of… something that kicked up dust but otherwise wasn’t really visible. A much bigger version than what you, um, got Kira and Takua-san with, so to speak.” Her expression changed to optimistic and hopeful, trying to be positive and make the other woman feel better. ”Sound is probably what caused it, so that’s what your, um, ability decided to attach itself to as a sort of theme. Try making it work and testing it out a little at some point, it couldn’t hurt really.” Another pause, a thought clearly occurring to the girl as her expression suddenly lit up, excitement brightening her honey colored eyes as she looked back to Talal.

”If… it’s true, and Talal-san really does have abilities relating to sound, um, manipulation and control, and then Takua-san has things he thinks are related to sight and a few others we’re not sure about yet,” Sekai’s cheeks flushed with excitement, looking for all the world like a little girl who’d just been told she was going to Disneyland for the first time. ”Talal-san and Takua-san could make the ultimate spymaster team! It would be just like in a super hero comic in America, and that would be very, very… how do they say it… um… cool!”

Talal chuckled and smiled at the young girl’s analogy. ”Cool indeed… IF, and right now that’s a big if, I can get it under control.” She looked over towards December and then back at Sekai. ”I can’t put the group in danger. I need to get it under control. Depending on someone or thing to upset me and then hoping that someone else is there who can calm me back down? Is not a good plan. Not to mention, I’m tired of being so emotional.”

The girl’s enthusiasm seemed to fizzle out quickly at the admission, something akin to a concern in her eyes again. ”It… may not make sense, but I would prefer Talal-san to remain emotional, and to have her abilities controllable, but still more powerful when fueled by emotional outburst than to have them completely under control and,” Her hands fisted in the fabric of her dress for a moment, shoulders hunching slightly and then returning back to their proper, straight position they had been the entire time. ”…and run the risk of falling into the same pattern that happens to many of those who gain control over their powers, and master them to their limits.” She finished after a long moment. ”It shows you haven’t forgotten who you were, and what you were, when you entered this world.”

December chose to interrupt the conversation point there, as she knew where that train of thought was going for the little Archer and felt it were best that they returned to something better. ”Gaining control over your power will be the same as getting use to the feel of the… I believe it’s called a ‘controller’ when you first began your adventures in this one. You will not master anything immediately, but through trial and error like any other skill, wouldn’t you think?” She smiled again, pleased at having been able to relate with a human subject. ”Worry about yourself first and foremost, dear, as I believe we have proven that there is very little for you to worry about until you start climbing the upper tiers like Takua and my little mistress here have been in terms of power, as well as the leaders of this interesting little group of people. I don’t believe you have much to be concerned about in the form of group endangerment.”

She glanced to Kira, quirking a pink eyebrow delicately in response to a glower sent in her direction and gave a dainty shrug in return. ”That said, it takes a little while for things to work out. Let it take its course and allow it to run through. Do what you can to harness it through practice, trial and error, as that is the way all discover and gain mastery over themselves and their own unique talents as well.” Another smile, this one entirely different this time as the lion headed woman poked her head out of the back room and looked directly with scarlet eyes at Talal. ”Do you need more time, dear? As your personal assistants are quite ready to appropriately attire you, and If you do excuse my rudeness, you could certainly use a bit of a makeover after all is said and done.”

Confusion flickered over the young girl’s face as she looked from December, to Talal, and then to Kira as Talal moved away, backing into a table. She rose slowly, easily from the overlight stratight position she’d been sitting in and tilted her head a little, trying to figure out what was wrong. ”Your clothes,” she explained after a moment’s pause, ”they’re, ummm, in need of repair, to say the least. Sobek-san and Sekhmet-san are…” a frown, what was that word… fashion something, clothing… tailor? ”Style consultants, I think? They liked to make outfits for people and give them makeovers, what, um, ever that may be called. I’m not sure.”

December looked amused. ”Scared of us, dear? I don’t blame you, of course, it’s certainly been a rough day for you, after all.” She gestured over to where Kira was conversing… arguing, maybe, with the crocodile headed man over something or another. ”Consider it a gift, and an apology for upsetting you so much… and for allowing Kira to ruin your clothing.”
Talal quickly relaxed with Sekai’s explanation, flushed and a little embarrassed at her off the wall assumption from before. What she wouldn’t give right now to have some of her calm, cool exterior (and interior for that matter) back. The sound of December’s voice brought her eyes from watching the small Archer rise to her feet without so much as a bauble of being off balance after all that time, to the eyes of the pink haired Twin Blade. Reaching back, Talal quickly pulled her hair into a bunch and then pulled it around so that it was hanging in front of her over her left shoulder. ”N… no, I’m not scared of you. As you said it has been a rough day so I’m just a little on edge so to speak.” They were giving her a gift? Of clothes? It was true, her outfit was un-repairable at this point and based on their own choice of dress, she didn’t think it would be anything horrible or hideous. The part about ‘allowing Kira to ruin her clothes’ however had her a little baffled except that she knew the Long Arm did tend to be a bit… wound up a lot of the time lately. So apparently, the younger Twin Blade wasn’t the only one needing to get some things out of her system so she ran with it, not wanting to be rude to the group of women. ”Glad I could be of assistance?” A small half quirked grin appeared as Talal turned her head towards the back room; brows slightly furrowed and her eyes concentrated on what little of Kira she could see, curious if she could tap into the conversation. After all, they did say it would come with practice and if it was involving something she was going to have to wear… well, she might have to interrupt and offer at least a color choice or something… right?


Kira was ridiculous in her ability to gauge whether or not she was being looked upon, or listened upon as was the case. Just as enthusiastically as she seemed to be enjoying her conversation with the lion-headed shopkeep, she just as quickly stopped, giving an all too familiar grin that had the pink haired assassin shooting her a suspicious look, and had a pained expression appear on the young Archer’s face as she groaned softly into her hands, hiding her face even as she shook her head slowly from side to side.

That look never bode well for anyone, and especially not for the person it was directly aimed at.

”You gonna just sit there and act like some heroine fresh out of a magical girl hentai or you gonna get in the dressing room and let them do their thing?” Kira called out, as tactful and colorfully descriptive as ever.

With a tilt of her head and a questioning look, the dark haired girl slowly stood up from the chair with a soft but audible inhale of pained air between her teeth. ”Um, no uh… of course not. I’m coming.” What exactly was Kira referring to? She had never heard of that term before and Kira was, to say the least, a little too happy about the whole thing. A mood that she couldn’t recall seeing the Long Arm in before. She looked over to Sekai as she walked past slowly with a questioning and somewhat worried look, attempting to cover what shredded parts of her clothing as she could with her hair, arms, and hands and whispered, ”… what’s a girl hentai?” Talal however, kept walking so the small Archer didn’t even have a chance to answer her, the taller female reaching the curtains to the back room where Kira was waiting.

Talal might have thought twice about that question, had she been able to see the loon on Sekai’s face that appeared shortly after the question’d been asked, to say nothing of the color that flooded the girl’s face down to the roots of her hair in response. A message must have been exchanged, as there was a small, protesting squeak from Sekai right before Kira chuckled low in her throat and shoved Talal all too heartily into the changing room. ”In you go!” Her voice was entirely too enthusiastic and cheerful, the swish of the curtain leaving December and Sekai out, helpless to do much of anything against the combined might of three very intensely focused individuals hell bent on creating the perfect outfit for their Twin Blade companion.

There were sounds of arguing, of protest very likely coming from the vastly out-numbered, and out-leveled Twin Blade within the changing room, and one or two shouts for “two shades darker- no, I said darker, not lighter, you blind snake.” Sounds that continued for quite some time, until they abruptly stopped, and Kira sauntered out looking pleased with herself.

Also a look that usually bode nothing well, as it meant Kira had gotten her way. ”She no longer looks like a n00b,” Kira announced proudly as she rejoined the other two, wrapping one arm securely around Sekai’s waist to tug her closer to her side, ” and once she learns to get over herself, she’ll be moving around like a little badass to back up the appearance.”

December sent her a look, Kira grinned all the more. ”Well, she will- once the shock drops off her face, and she learns not to flip out and act all demure and shy and shit.” She amended, only a little, but there was no remorse or on-second-thought notes in her voice.


Shuffling of feet could be heard from the back room as the pair of tailors attempted to shoo the young girl out into the main room to ‘show off’ their newest creation. ”But… don’t you have a… a… a throw over or… a sweater… or a shawl? Yes a shawl!” The pair shook their heads back and forth with a resounding ‘NO’ and continued moving the young girl to the door where she stopped firmly, grabbing the curtain. Simply peeking her head out from around the curtain as if she was in the shower, you all go ahead, I will meet you at the group rendezvous point. Just a few minor adjustments need to be made, no need to wait.”

”You keep thinkin’ that, we’ll see ya ‘round then.” Kira informed her cheerfully, all too happily guiding Sekai out the entrance of the little tented area and back into the Marketplace. ”Excellent work, you two, worth every GP spent.” And, to the sounds of Sekai’s panicked inquiry and December’s cautious questioning, the three women left, leaving Talal to fruitlessly argue her case against the two shopkeepers.

For several minutes, the brown eyed girl argued with the shopkeepers hoping to persuade them into making a cover piece for the outfit. Her argument seemed to fall on deaf ears, or rather well paid ones. Since it didn’t sound like the shop keeps were stuck in The World like the Freedom Fighters were, it wouldn’t do her any good to argue that she might get cold with so many… openings in the outfit, not to mention that it might not bode well for her or the group if players found out about them. Extremely frustrated at the whole ordeal from start to finish, Talal reluctantly did her best to drape her long black hair over her chest and stomach, as well as her now fully exposed back save for a small strap just above her waist. It was all she had to cover her rather sparsely clothed body. The skirt would be okay, she supposed, it was kind of like wearing a 2-piece bikini bottom to a swim suit. However, her modesty would have never allowed her to wear the top half of the bikini, which is why her choice was usually a one piece or even better, shorts and a T-shirt, or sometimes even both. Her hair had also gotten a makeover and sported a small braid on either side of her face with the top and sides combed straight back and hanging loosely. Having done what she could, she stepped out of the small tent into the flow of the hustle and bustle of the bazaar. Her insecurity was picked up on immediately by some of the men in the area who began making cat calls at her as she walked by, which in turn increased her stride. Never before had she realized how lopsided the ratio of male to female players really was until now. With every step she internally fumed at Kira. Not only had she ruined her other outfit in the first place, which now the young girl was starting to think was planned the whole time, but she chose an outfit that, although beautiful in color and style, was way too revealing and not something the Twin Blade would be comfortable in anytime soon. Why would Kira do such a thing just before entering Xenobia’s tower? Why do something that would break Talal’s concentration so much that it could potentially endanger the group? The exact thing the dark haired girl had gone to them for help with in the first place and didn’t want to happen. It was a good thing she had already finished her shopping prior to the encounter. The jaunt to the rendezvous was quick considering she had done everything except use a speed charm to move through the crowd as quickly as possible to lessen the inescapable humility, and staring eyes of the other players.

Arriving at the meet up point apparently ahead of most of the rest of the group except Takua and Nighthand, the Wavemaster giving her a small wave and a smile, Talal found a spot against a far wall and took a moment to send off a message.
To: Kira
From: Talal
Subj: Why?

What the Hell! The shopkeeps wouldn’t allow me to purchase any more clothing. Not even something loose to… to cover up with. They said they were simply following your instructions and they were now closed for the day.
To: Talal
From: K1ra
Subj: RE: Why?

First rule of training; never question the methods of your teacher. If little one here survived one of my makeovers, so will you. Don’t be late back to the group now!
What! Teacher? How did she…? Oh, right, that telepathy thing they shared. Kira must have been listening in somehow to their conversations while she was back in the room. So not fair! Well… the Long Arm had better watch herself because Talal was told to practice and believe it when she would practice as often as possible to listening in on Kira. Payback was a bitch sometimes. Talal didn’t want Kira as a teacher at this point. Their personalities definitely clashed... or did they? December seemed to think that Talal and Kira were rather similar. She had nothing but time to think about it while she waited for the group to arrive. To be honest, she wanted to get moving and get to the Tower. Hoping it might provide some small amount of cover from onlookers until she could better deal with her new look and hopefully the rest of the group would be too preoccupied with traveling and fighting through the tower to notice… hopefully.

Re: Little of this, Little of that...

Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2012 4:03 am
by Nighthand
Takua: +400 exp, +5 Artisan Souls, +Grunt Doll
Talal: +3100 exp, +Bloody Blades, +4 Noble Wines, +5 Resurrects, +2 Hale Cross, +1 Divine Cross, +2 Soul Charm, +1 Reflect, +1 Cover