XBLAZE - Concurrent:Butterfly [IC]

**Bird of Hermes** · August 29th, 2017, 02:10 PM

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

That was an accurate description of his aunt, even the fact that Mizuki could recall her from the deliberately vague description left him almost perturbed, but then again it wasn't his fault his aunt only ever seemed to have one color in her wardrobe. That meant their aunts had met already.

As his acquaintance paused he took a glance to Principal... Isako apparently, she was still giving all her attention to that fox-eared girl. Tsugumi pondered; how well did the two women know each other, did they leave a good first impression, did they start off with a rift, was Tsugumi going to have to to fix things to a nice and plain amicable relationship?

And then...

Oh, Principal Isako gave her a cafe? Aunt Arakawa had mentioned how she had wanted to open a themed cafe a few times if she had enough spare money to spend of such frivolous things and Principal Isako had just given her all the means to do that with no strings attached? No, there was always some string or loose thread attached, one way or another there would be something unfurling between them.

"Gah!"

After seeing Mizuki reach for her head in pain, Tsugumi felt a sudden throb in his own. Whether it was dehydration, lack of sleep or even just sympathy pains, it was a bother.

The sooner they all arrived at Tomobiki, the better.

**Airen** · August 30th, 2017, 06:58 PM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"Well, that's pretty open ended..."

A dry observation, but one that was made with hints of thoughtfulness as the raven-haired girl's eyes narrow slightly in thought, clearly doing her best to figure out the best way to divulge such a large amount of information to you.

"Alright, one thing at a time I guess."

One hand rising to her hair, the eyes that had been clouded with thought reemerge with the more characteristic focus.

"So important people," doing things in order, the voice she uses to answer your question is so clear and without emotion that it's almost like that of a robot, "Colonel Isako is not just a big figure in the Mitsurugi Agency, her ancestors were amongst the town founders, she was the mayor of Tomobiki once for four years, is enjoying a resurgence in popularity now that she brought in Mitsurugi Medical, and she and her sister Aoi are the sole heirs to the coal mines that originally led to the settlement of Tomobiki itself, although she has completely blocked them off nowadays due to dangerous foundations."

A pause, then:

"We have a town alchemist as well, although she works as a contractor as far as the mundane populace is concerned; her name is Adelina and she has a deal with the Agency to perform maintenance on Sleipnir Equipment. She wasn't popular with the townsfolk initially, but once they figured out she could make or fix basically anything, the business she has taken on has skyrocketed. You should already know Ariel so I'll skip her... When we work with the town police it's normally through a man named Nakamura Azuma, detective, good chances of being the police chief in a few years."

Shrugging, as if to say that was all of the people that came to mind, the girl continues after a brief rest, as if to ensure that you were still paying attention:

"So far as gathering places... "Moon Under Water," is probably the most popular restaurant, popular with foreigners in particular. The "Stray Sheep," Inn is also rather popular because of it's Hot Springs, but other than that, not much comes to mind; although once the mall has finished it's construction I'm sure it'll be the new place for people to kill time."

Another pause, eyes narrowed in further thought, and-

"Forbidden Areas... As stated previously, the Mines are strictly off limits. That's a command from the Colonel herself; and the townspeople like to pass around rumors that it's haunted, so no one really goes there anyway. The woods leading to the Mines aren't as strictly forbidden, but it's likely to be frowned upon if you're caught there for no reason. There's a Shrine near the woods too, but it's more or less abandoned; flashing lights and ghostly silhouettes have been reported near it, but my investigation didn't result in any findings, so it's been momentarily classed as just an Urban Legend."

Hailey texts back.

Spoiler:

"And as for things feeling amiss... Other than the Shrine bothering me, we've had a vigilante popping up in town, acting like a superhero every couple of months before disappearing again. Female. Confirmed superhuman, dresses like a ninja, calls herself Zero. Never saw her myself, and she hasn't gone beyond assaulting the occasional robber, but our inability to actually capture her is quite notable. She's very strong, at least, according to the reports we have."

A pause, then:

"Only time she ran upon being confronted is when the Colonel went after her herself, otherwise, she'd fight until a group showed up to try to take her out... And the fact that she managed to get away from the Colonel after being marked... Is quite something in and of itself."

In spite of this Zero's clear status as a criminal, or at least, a rogue superhuman that needed to be brought in, Rhea sounded...

Vaguely impressed by her existence.

**Airen** · August 30th, 2017, 07:20 PM

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"Naturally."

A confident smile.

"Well that, and a bit of personal experience, it's hard to hide things from a witness. They normally don't mind-wipe members of the supernatural community."

But a voice that bears hints of a deeper melancholy, as well as a somewhat disturbing hidden truth. It's only there for a moment, and the young woman doesn't really elaborate on it any further, as if the implications behind those words simply weren't important, and indeed, even as the words fade to nothing, she is already digging in her pockets for her phone, not the new one, but rather what you assumed was her old phone, and started scrolling through it's screens as if searching for something that she wanted to show you.

"But yeah, Amon looks like this-!"

Holding up her phone, an android model, the girl practically shoves the image into your face.

"He's captured now, and the Agency doesn't really have a history of break outs, so it's probably useless information... But on the off chance... If you ever see this guy, you need to run away as fast as possible."

**Daiki** · August 30th, 2017, 11:32 PM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Ah, yes the vampire.

The woman from Tomobiki was indeed the source of many talks.

She had been mentioned quite a lot during the last months. Alternate versions of her most renowned accomplishment never stopped to spread among the ranks. Not all of them flattering. None of them aiming for accuracy he suspected.

It was the fate of the successful to be esteemed with curiosity, awe, suspicion.

The masses could not empathize with exceptional individuals, no matter what qualified them to stand apart from the common man.The privileged could easily become victims, when their mind would succumb from the burden of discrimination, positive or not.

But Nagatani Isako was someone on a completely different level.

Not because of her abilities, nature or intelligence.

An exceptional mental fortitude. This was what made her shine.

An aspiration to save her sister. Becoming an existence driven for the sole purpose of preserving the life of another. Reaching beyond what was thought possible and achieve what nobody else could. To pursue a glimmer of hope against all odds.

An act so enticing it hurt him to simply imagine the mental strain one had to endorse in order to prevail in such a situation.

It was the kind of impetus that Lucas sought.

The vampire was highly skilled in numerous fields. Her achievements spoke unequivocally of her efficiency. At the time he had been purified for the first time, Lucas had already made up his mind about her, before even being introduced.

If it's someone like that, I wouldn't mind working for her.

And now that he was about to, he still had no reason to change his mind. You could do worse than having a good-natured and competent boss.

Aside from her, Rhea had brought up two other persons.

A civilian who could fix and maintain Sleipnir weapons. And the local police contact. Lucas was bound to meet them sooner or later so he had no need to press about any of them. Still memorized the names.

And yes, he was glad not to talk about Ariel Lynx.

Among all of the people he had interacted with, she was, by far, the most confusing. And it was telling, when insane Unions and Hailey, on a shopping rampage, should have been serious contenders.

Appointments with the head researcher were inevitable sadly. And the fact that it would have be on a regular basis didn't help abate his reluctance.

With a nod, he encouraged Rhea to keep going.

People in removed locations naturally fell prey to boredom and, possibly, a feeling of anxiety born from the former. The communities there would develop astray from common trends. Seeking their own way, they would desire for something different in order to stand out and seek value in their very isolation.

As such it was not difficult to picture some form of mysticism, or at the very least superstitions taking over. And in that case, two things would serve as curiosities;

Rumors and Interdiction.

Both would become outlets satisfying the civilians' need for entertainment. Naturally drawn to those, folks could behave in incoherent ways. Such as raising a shrine within the vicinity of woods bordering a forbidden area. Or creating a fictional character shrouded in mystery in order to deliver justice.

Lucas could have taken a moment to consider how skillful Zero would have to be to escape the vampire but, something else caught his eye.

Keeping a blank face, he delivered a swift strike with the expertise of one who is used to exploit the slightest opening.

"You like that kind of stuff, don't you?"

Lucas let that sink for a bit before cutting to the quick.

"For a Sleipnir, you're quite childish."

And before Rhea could attempt a recover from her slip-up, Lucas aimed the cellphone in her direction and immortalized her expression.

**palad1n** · August 31st, 2017, 03:44 AM

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Hearing his guess being confirmed bring a small grin to Yuuki's face. Of course she would confirm it, but that doesn't make it any less amusing; she is certainly a good friend to have around, and he can say he enjoyed her company so far.

However...

Originally Posted by Moto Chiasa

"Well that, and a bit of personal experience, it's hard to hide things from a witness. They normally don't mind-wipe members of the supernatural community."

His grin fades the moment she said those words.

He made sure not to make it obvious that he's surprised, or that he noticed the hint of melancholy in her voice, but nevertheless the disturbing implication was clear.

Moto Chiasa... Is she...

Originally Posted by Moto Chiasa

"But yeah, Amon looks like this-!"

An image of a long-haired man, captured perfectly on her phone.

There are several possibilities that crossed his mind why she could be a witness or why she could have a picture of such a dangerous man on her phone, and none of them are pretty.

But then again...

"To those with the divine sense, it is easy to tell red from blue; to the minds of the mundane, I guess you could fall it a form of instinct if you wish; but at the same time, you confirmed it for me all on your own. You're quite honest."

Shuffling the cards in her hand, shifting her body more to better face you even as she pulls down the tray that had been embedded into the seat of the chair before her, there's a brief moment where her clothes shift and you can see something red lying, just beyond the right side of her collarbone...

... It would certainly explain her words and a glimpse of what he saw back then. It would even explain how she could know so much about Strange Reds.

Chiasa-san... must be hiding a heavy burden behind that smile and eccentric behavior of hers.

Originally Posted by Moto Chiasa

"He's captured now, and the Agency doesn't really have a history of break outs, so it's probably useless information... But on the off chance... If you ever see this guy, you need to run away as fast as possible."

"I'll keep that in mind." Yuuki replied even as he makes sure to never forget the man's appearance. "On the off chance that he broke out of the agency's prison and I see him, I'll run and immediately tell the agency. But..." He clenched his fist as the image of a certain white-haired girl in a blue dress, bloodied and battered as she told him to run, came to his mind. "If I ever see him attacking someone that I know... someone that I care about..."

"Then I won't run."

**Airen** · August 31st, 2017, 08:59 PM

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

While you don't pay much attention to it, your nonchalant journey back to your seat was accompanied with quite a few reactions from your fellow students. Whispering and mutterings still the norm, two brave souls in particular, one young man and one young woman, seem to lose to their body's basest instincts, reaching out to grab your tail as you pass, but the rather sound of one hand slapping two others to the floor, followed by the intense sounds of people more or less hissing at each other about morality, makes it so that you more or less fail to pick up on any of the more bizarre behavior...

Perhaps it is for the best.

Still rather confused about the principal's eccentric behavior, but almost positive that, on some level, this was all just her way of trying to get most of the students to like her, you pass an image of the box along to your friend, who has been strangely silent since her last text; and indeed, it takes her almost another full minute to respond to your messages, and when she does...

The cheerful stream of texts comes to a stop, or rather...

The grammar and contexts of said texts become a mishmash of text shortly after this. At first, you think that perhaps the new phone is just glitching out, but when words cease to be words, and simple letters are what appear in your message box, the mental image that comes to mind considering the context...

Is that two people are fighting over the phone.

Not a rough fight, because Kasumi would have ditched it already if that was the case, but rather a struggle with someone she knew, and thus, someone she would have more of a personal problem with just knocking unconscious.

Scrambled letters become replaced with a few moments of nothing, then...

...Definitely someone else.

...Someone with the kind of personality necessary to knowingly type an oujo laugh into a message sent over a text.

A light feeling of dread settles over you at the thought.

Not fear, no...

Dread...

Because that person...

Has no reason to be here...

**Kuroyuki** · September 1st, 2017, 06:03 PM

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

After I sent my text, it was quiet. For most people, getting a delayed reply back from your friend was odd. For Kasumi, it was kind of worrying. It wasn't like her to not answer back quickly after asking me when I was getting there. I started to get worried until one minute later, I finally got a text from her.

Texting

At first, I was happy to see that Kasumi was responding, but as it got closer to the end... I got worried about who she saw as well as the very abrupt end of the message. It got even worse when I saw that there were incomplete words and then random letters being sent to me. It got a little better when I realized that someone was fighting Kasumi for the fun but it wasn't a "serious" one. I waited for the next text...

Texting?

An ojou laugh over the phone? Who would do su-. '...you won't believe who I just saw at the station.' Someone I know... that would ojou laugh over the phone. Despite my growing dread, I didn't appear that way. My normally impassive face had a note of panic nothing noteworthy, but my eyes and tail told a different story. My normally "lazy" eyes were sharp and panic-filled. My normally calm tail was now rigid stiff. Hard for someone to pick up unless they knew me or were good at reading other people.

Normally I would be fine, but I was going to meet her without my strongest eldest sister (who would occupy most of her attention). My only back-up was Kasumi but it seems like she can't stop or occupy her either... That's right I was going to meet the Bane of the Aoyama, IRMINA VON EINZBERN, after I got off this train. And there was nothing I could do to avoid her.

**Airen** · September 1st, 2017, 08:56 PM

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

As a general rule, most Unions had an exceptionally high tolerance for pain when it came down to it. It was an ability that came with the disease, the act of progressing from one crystal phase to another wasn't exactly the most pleasant sensation in the world, it had always been a pain that reminded you of nerve damage, a pure pain of the nervous system, as if fire, or perhaps lightning, went surging through your veins and all throughout your every time your crystal went through any sort of change.

Because of that, the dull ache that you feel now, one that seems to originate from your eye, or rather from right behind your eye, ultimately seems rather tame in comparison. It is basically a normal headache, yes, thinking that at first, you nevertheless label it as annoying, sending out a silent wish that the long train ride would finally be over, and you could, perhaps, crash at the student dorm's and reset your schedule...

Yes...

Having complained of drowsiness before... This new pain seems to have brought a whole new level of fatigue along with it. You're tired, very tired now that you really think about it, and rubbing your eye unconsciously, the sound of the train's chattering occupants, of Mizuki turning to yell at (and smack the hands of) two students who had tried to grab the poor fox girl's tail, become drowned out sounds, washed out in an audible sea of color and...

Before you could even contemplate the idea that you'd pass out once more...

"..."

Your next blink invites you to a sudden darkness.

---}i{---

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Day Phase: ???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: ???
Seithr Rating: 0
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

"TA-TB units detected, requesting assistance with startup."

You had only meant to close your eyes for a moment, but when you open them again, it's definitely within the confines of what you would call a dream. Yes, while you don't actually remember falling asleep, the sheer fantastical nature of the world you find yourself in now, a world of what seems to be endless sky, complete with strangely darker clouds, is enough for your rational mind to declare that whatever is going on here is only really going on inside of your head.

But it's pretty enough for a dream, you suppose.

While the space is basically entirely empty except for the presence of clouds, it's pretty quiet and peaceful, the sound of a gentle wind the only real thing that you can hear as you test the space all around you with your foot.

It doesn't actually look like you're standing on anything, nevertheless, it seems that you can walk around amongst the clouds here all you want without actually falling down. It's a sign of lucidity you suppose, once a person was aware that they were dreaming, they were apparently able to exert some level of control over the dream, so in that sense, being able to walk on the sky makes sense, but...

Off in the distance...

You can see two humanoid figure watching you, so far away that they simply look like featureless silhouettes, beings of a hard white light, mixed in amongst all the dark blue colors.

Usual bizarre dream imagery...

But when you see them...

They motion for you to come closer.

**Airen** · September 2nd, 2017, 09:22 AM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"...Huh?"

Contrary to her previous level of focus, it seems to take the raven-haired girl a moment to actually comprehend what it was that you had just done. It was a very unexpected move, to take a picture of the almost dream-like face she had been making, but when it finally clicks, the (bullying) truth of your words comes just a bit closer to light, as instead of repairing her stoic mask, that girl-

"C-Childish?! What's wrong with liking superheroes?!"

-Actually seems to deem it necessary to defend those same expressions.

"I mean the vigilante angle isn't the best thing since we're the good guys too, but being willing to fight for justice by yourself, stopping the crimes the others don't see, before escaping gracefully into the night... That's cool, right? She even announces her presence so the fights are fair-!"

A random superhuman being capable of taking down Sleipnir agents that get in their way, was likely more 'worrying' than it was 'cool' but...

Being against Sleipnir was not necessarily evil, after all...

With all the branches being their own independent entities, it was impossible to label Mitsurugi as a whole as "morally right."

They were a bit too hush-hush about everything for all of the branches to be completely clean of moral compromises.

And really...

The nature of the job, at least before the advent of purification... More or less guaranteed that everyone was compromised to some degree.

"At the very least, she should be strong enough that I could learn something new from fighting her-!"

...And that...

...Was that a major part of her motivation?

**Bird of Hermes** · September 2nd, 2017, 11:49 AM

Tsugumi Uro
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Day Phase: ???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: ???
Seithr Rating: 0
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

"What in the-"

This was clearly a dream or a hallucination. Tsugumi had just been struggling with that headache and the pain fixated just behind his eye until darkness swallowed him now and he was floating in the azure. It wasn't as if he was falling into the sky, he was standing perfectly still in this endless sea of blue and while with substantial footing so there was no fooling him.

However...

Dreams have somewhat warped cognition, they have some way or another of fooling you into thinking they're true even when their premise is complete nonsense, you always believe what you see. Still though, he denied the 'reality' in front of him because it was utterly preposterous. Truth is oft stranger than fiction because people can only make so much up. This however? Too much. He couldn't believe something this nonsensical, or at least he didn't want to believe.

At least.

There was something in the distance.

Two figures stood there like bastions of self contained white light in the blue. They gestured for him to come closer and Tsugumi felt as if something was compelling him to comply. So he began walking towards them. Then...

No.

The dream was tricking him, the complement, everything. This could not be truth. This was just a manifestation of stress, dehydration, weariness or the several other things bothering him. With the distance halved, he stopped in his tracks. He needed to know what was happening, like a feeling in his gut he couldn't control. It felt out of character even to himself but he didn't want to bend to easily. Was it determination? Pfft, not likely, just denial of this utter dramatic poppycock as his aunt would say.

"Now, you come to me."

**Daiki** · September 2nd, 2017, 02:20 PM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

The teenager listened to Rhea's tirade as he sent her photo to Hailey.

Spoiler:

Following that, he proceeded to edit the picture, adding different elements, such as a goatee and a monocle, before setting it up as his cellphone background.

Lucas could have went for a serious answer to Rhea's inquiry, but his main focus was elsewhere. Instead, he simply stated what he thought of a character from a certain franchise.

"Because only idiots would introduce themselves in a dramatic fashion while wearing a ridiculous costume. ~~If you're going to kill someone what's the point to name yourself? This is real life. No need to break the fourth wall for an audience that doesn't exist.~~"

Lucas gives her a perplex look when she mentions Zero being cool.

"I disagree. The whole idea of creating a situation where she appears at a disadvantage is overshadowed by the fact that she was never in danger from Sleipnir agents to begin with. The instant a bigger game enters the grounds, she runs.

Someone who likes being in control and having the attention. Likely takes pleasure in tormenting those with lesser skills. Also, cowardly enough as to not engage in a scenario where she doesn't have an overwhelming advantage.

Might beat up minor criminals in order to make herself relevant. Or feel better, really."

It wasn't an issue of good vs evil. Simply a tyrant abusing power. It could become a serious concern, especially when the person acted independently from the law. Of course, the Agency was not powerless against such a person but, the kind of measures that could be deployed in order to deal with the vigilante could easily become as much as a source of concern.

The teenager found her last words surprising.

"And what could you ever hope to gain during a fight with Zero?"

**Airen** · September 2nd, 2017, 03:10 PM

Tsugumi Uro
Location: ???
Day Phase: ???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: ???
Seithr Rating: 0
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

They do not respond to your words, at least not at first.

Having given in to the whims of your dream self's cognition, the amount of space you've covered on your way to the strange beings is by no means minuscule; halfway there, you can see them a bit clearer now, clearly enough that you are able to make out more distinguishing parts of their featureless bodies. First of all, one of the apparent silhouettes has the form of a male, muscular and tall, around six feet in height, while the other is that of a female, also vaguely muscular, but a good foot or so shorter than her male counterpart, with something resembling a white scarf trailing along the ground behind her, the only piece of 'clothing' that you could really pick out from amongst their glowing silhouettes.

You stare at them, and they just stare silently back, not motioning for you to approach again, but just when you think of doing something:

"Request acknowledged. Creator Anti-Cessation System T-A Active. Verifying Subject: Identify yourself."

"Request acknowledged. Creator Anti-Cessation System T-B Active. Verifying Subject: Identify yourself."

...They speak to you in a perfect unison. The blending of the voices makes it difficult to hear the individual tones, and thus, what you're left with is the impression of a chorus speaking at you.

Again, you feel the compulsion to answer. Whether it's a mere result of the dream's cognition, or some other form of manipulation, when the two speak to you, you certainly feel a sudden impulse to tell them your name, but even before you can decide if it's an impulse you should give in to or not, you-

"Creator Anti-Cessation System; System Designation: T-C. Status: Unable to boot Core Processes. Requesting transfer of necessary Magic Element from Predecessor Units for purposes of Unit Activation."

-Hear yourself answer.

Unlike the other two, who are speaking in unison, your own voice responds to their 'inquiry' with 'information' that doesn't actually make any sense to you.

And it is certainly your voice, but...

Your mouth has not moved, and in fact, hearing that voice, your own voice, speaking out of it's own accord from behind you, you turn your head instinctively and find...

Your own silhouette, a pure white just like the others...

Standing directly behind you as if it was your shadow.

**Airen** · September 2nd, 2017, 04:06 PM

Yoko Aoyama
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Was this the feeling of an inescapable doom?

Suddenly aware of the fate that awaited you at the end of these train tracks, your now (slightly more tense) body does nothing to respond to the messages of the certain overbearing older-sister type that had apparently managed to (somehow) defeat your friend at the station. The older girl wasn't someone who liked to fight (in the normal way), so by all rational means Kasumi should have been able to defeat her, but...

That person... Didn't always follow the rules of logic...

The conflict... Had likely been decisive.

In the midst of your panic, you hear the thud of someone's bag hitting the floor, and a ball rolls across the aisle, past your feet. In your current state it is not much of a distraction, it is simply a thing that happens to be going on at the moment, something that's not quite enough to tear you from (hopeless) thoughts of how you could perhaps get away if you put on a hoodie (it's impossible).

But, as a young man walks over to retrieve the sphere, which is apparently his (why it was even out right now was another question entirely) he pauses after picking it up, eyes landing on you accidentally, but then again with more purpose, as if he had noticed the subtle stiffness that had afflicted you...

"Hey... You feeling alright? No one pulled your tail, did they?"

A natural, sincere concern for a stranger.

**Airen** · September 2nd, 2017, 07:34 PM

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"...Wow, no hesitation."

For the first time, the subtle hints of smugness that the girl had constantly been hurling in your direction weren't present in either her expressions or her face. It's a somewhat stunned face, as if she doesn't quite comprehend the intensity with which you had responded to her words, but it's a moment lost in time, a single solitary moment of surprise before...

"...Oh! I see! So you're that kind of guy, huh?"

The smile returns, along with the more mischievous voice.

"You made some pretty neat expressions as you worked that information over in your head, did you think of someone specific? Is there a special someone you definitely have to protect no matter what, eh, eh, eh? A girlfriend maybe?" Elbowing you lightly in a friendly sort of way, the girl is definitely acting a bit more casual towards you than what newfound acquaintances would normally follow, "Or are you just one of those silly people with the general hero urges? That kind of mindset gets you killed, you know. If the enemy is Amon, you won't really have room to worry about anyone else."

Crossing her arms, and then tilting her head slightly...

...You can't really tell if she's scolding you, or if she's actually impressed by what you had implied.

**Airen** · September 2nd, 2017, 08:12 PM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"Phrasing it like that... That's a boring way to look at it..."

She didn't seem to agree to your assessment of the rumored vigilante, but at the same time, it's not hard to notice that she doesn't exactly deny it either...

Likely because, as she had said, she had only heard of this "Zero" through reports and rumors from people in Tomobiki. Nevertheless, it wasn't exactly surprising that she would go for the more "dramatic" angle of this character, being stuck out in a secluded location, those sorts of stories, of superheroes wandering around at night, might just be some of the only entertainment she could find out here in the middle of nowhere, especially with her admitted enjoyment of 'superheroes' in general.

Her light disappointment with the assessment bringing her closer to how she had been earlier, more calm, and thus, a bit less cute, her answer to your last inquiry was presented in a way that was far more befitting a member of Sleipnir.

"Strength. I need to be a lot stronger than I am right now."

A blunt and clear answer, accompanied with an ever so slight tilt of her head, brushing her raven-hair from her eyes.

"Fighting the same people over and over again leads to diminishing returns, if you want to be truly strong, you have to experience a variety of different styles. Zero can effortlessly defeat most of my fellow coworkers, therefore, I feel it would be a stimulating conflict even if I also wind up losing to her as well... No, especially if I lose, that's when you learn the most."

Yes...

In comparison to the childish tirade... This was a very blunt statement.

**palad1n** · September 2nd, 2017, 11:05 PM

Watanabe Yuuki
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

Whatever feeling he had when he saw her subtle smugness replaced by a stunned one disappears as soon as she suggested that he has a girlfriend.

"N-no, that's wrong." He denied, even though his cheeks has reddened a little. "Evelyn is someone important to me, but she's not my girlfriend... couples do things like hugs and k-kisses, right? We've only hugged once, so we're not... she's not my girlfriend."

A somewhat honest response that sounds like an excuse. It was only after he stopped that he realized that Chiasa has successfully baited him.

This girl's pretty sharp... and pretty good...

Thank the gods he didn't reveal anything more during that small outburst. If she knew that they've been living together for the past two years, he'll never hear the end of it... nor will Evelyn, if the two become friends.

Originally Posted by Moto Chiasa

"Or are you just one of those silly people with the general hero urges? That kind of mindset gets you killed, you know. If the enemy is Amon, you won't really have room to worry about anyone else."

"I'm not that noble." He replied with a wry smile. "I'm not someone who will help a random stranger that I don't even know. But the story's different if it's for someone that I know."

"Besides, I don't necessarily have to win against him." He continued, looking at Chiasa straight in the eyes. "I have no dount Amon is stronger than me... a serial killer who has killed unions before is definitely stronger than someone who had just got his power. But I can stall. Maybe even forces him into a game of cat and mouse with my drive until the Agency arrives."

"But I won't run." He repeated. "Even if it's foolish and can get me killed, it's better than running away and live the rest of my life with regret."

Once again he didn't directly say it, but the implication is clear.

Watanabe Yuuki will not run if Amon attacked Moto Chiasa.

**Daiki** · September 3rd, 2017, 06:49 AM

Lucas Guerrin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train), Tomobiki Outskirts
Phase: Early Morning, Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly
Crystal: Phase 1
Seithr Rating: 40, (Safe)

"It's possible. But, as far as I am concerned, it remains a superior mindset to becoming excited at the simple idea of coming across a particular target."

He knew that it was not something she wanted to hear, but he still stated it.

She had reverted back to her initial demeanor and Lucas knew that he had committed a misstep. However, he had no reason to apologize about voicing his opinion about that little fantasy of hers. It would, in fact, be better for her to ditch such unnecessary bias. He did not say it aloud though, as it would no doubt further antagonize Rhea.

"A sound reasoning," Lucas conceded. "If you disregard the fact that you could eventually get a crippling wound, or simply die."

His tone was contemplating, as if weighing the good and bad. There was no judgement in his statement, since he was the last person that would blame someone for risking their own life.

There could be many reasons for one to wish to improve but rarely to the point of accepting to get thrashed around. Whatever was her rationale for becoming strong, it was of prime importance.

"But maybe you wouldn't mind that."

His gaze lost outside, through the closest window, his last line more an inquiry than anything else.

**Bird of Hermes** · September 3rd, 2017, 12:20 PM

Tsugumi Uro
Location: ???
Day Phase: ???
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: ???
Seithr Rating: 0
Crystal: Phase 1 (Clear)

"System... T-C?"

Tsugumi feet a strange resonance with this white silhouette. It's the same size as him, same shape too. He racked his mind but couldn't think of any reason why 'he' would be over there.

"Unable to boot Core Processes. Requesting transfer of necessary Magic Element from Predecessor Units for purposes of Unit Activation."

He had no idea what any of this meant and just repeated it as if he would come to understand whatever this dream of his meant. Not that he actually had any clue what was going on. The same feeling from earlier; that cogitative whim to know, to understand... to reach out, quite literally in this case.

He extended his hand till it was almost touching 'his' silhouette, then hesitated. All of this was beyond his comprehension, a delusional fantasy, not one that he wanted to partake in for now. Perhaps Tsugumi could override 'his' request.

He twisted on the ball of his foot and moved towards the tall male and scarfed female-

"I've had enough of this, I'm out."

**RacingeR** · September 3rd, 2017, 04:51 PM

Loraine Irwin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train)
Phase: Early Morning, Before Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly.

Uh, well.

That was unexpected.

Lori blinked, staring at Vier for a moment, looking like a deer caught on the headlights. She wasn’t surprised about her name being known; it’d be stranger if one of the Ten Sages didn’t know her, given all the wars she had almost started. She was mostly just surprised at randomly running on one of the Lost Authorities out of nowhere in the train car. She knew many, many secrets, but she hadn’t been informed about Vier being here.

Suddenly, this whole adventure had become much more interesting.

Given her knowledge regarding the two Lost Authorities, they had been her subjects of interest since long ago. Part of that was her natural thirst for knowledge, the almost impulsive need to investigate and figure out their sorceries, the same impulse that had driven Ishana’s authorities to the brink of madness when it came to solving the trouble she left on her wake.

But the other part could be called something akin to a sense of kinship.

She knew little of their actual powers and how they worked, but their description had always made her think that there was some resemblance on her own ‘forbidden’ Sorcery…

Lori shook her head slightly, noticing she had been lost in her own thoughts. She looked at Vier again and smiled at her. “Eh, why not? Was getting bored anyway.” Vier didn’t seem to be near as much as a pain in the ass as her fellow sages, and as a girl getting dragged towards a cage, she very much sympathized with Vier’s feelings towards Ishana.

With those words, she nodded at the magus boy, before taking a seat at Vier’s side. She didn’t say anything else at first, however, taking out her new phone again, and placing her fingers on it. Immediately, the color of her phone started shifting at a fast speed, changing through a variety of colors such as various shades of green, blue, gray, silver and even hot pink once.

Finally, the phone stopped at a deep shade of red, and then switched to a golden color. Lori lifted her head, and asked Vier a very important question a magus would ask when meeting one of the fabled Lost Authorities.

“Which color looks better, red or gold?” She asked, holding the phone as it switched between those two colors. “Or maybe a combination of both?”

**Airen** · September 3rd, 2017, 05:58 PM

Loraine Irwin
Location: Akatsuki (Night Train)
Phase: Early Morning, Before Sunrise
Date: April 11th, 2056
Weather: Clear Skies, Chilly.

"...The Thousand Witch, huh?"

Responding to your nod with light words that made it clear he knew who you were, even if the reverse wasn't true, the youth that had been so enthusiastically attempting to fight a losing battle against a Sage, was one who seems to mostly shut down as you take full advantage of the older woman's offer and sit at her side, although this action in particular, taking so casually that it was clear you hadn't thought about it much...

Was one that seemed to be making one of his eyes twitch in light annoyance, even though Vier herself didn't seem to care about the placement very much; and indeed, while she does look towards you as you fiddle with the colors of your phone, it's only a light gaze, one that lasts for a mere instant before she's back to watching the passing trees and waiting for someone else to speak first, one hand going over to a small cooler at her side, and plucking another bottle of orange juice from amidst a sea of crisp clear ice.

For a Sage, her body language was very relaxed; she wasn't sitting up needlessly straight, or trying to make herself seem taller than anyone else, she was just laid back, one of the few passengers who actually seemed to be truly enjoying the train ride for what is was, when all of the other things were stripped away from it.

And this laid-back attitude even seems to extend to your inquires, as she doesn't stop sipping away at the bottle to answer, but after a few moments it falls from her lips and...

"...Gold with red flames?"

She offers this as her answer, showing neither annoyance or surprise with the innocent (mostly non magical) nature of the question; unlike most of the Sages from back home.

Thread: XBLAZE - Concurrent:Butterfly [IC]

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