[A tinny man's voice gives what is clearly a default answer machine message. Vira-Lorr is still figuring the phone out it seems.] "Hello, we are not available now. Please leave your name and phone number after the beep. We will return your call." *Beep*
I vaguely remember that little excuse. Sometimes I was [gasp] being an irresponsible, foolish child of a three hundred year old. And I do love the girl, though not in that way any longer, but you're not wrong. She tends to breed poor relationship decisions as fast as I do.
mmm.... yes, that power, though in truth? It was only our powers combined that ever gave the power to do that. Individually we never could have done anything like that, and only because they had just woken. I've been practicing combining magic here...
It's been a mixed effect, but I've had some success. I think I could do it again, but it's exhausting.
Imagine that... [His tone was dry and sarcastic.] Perhaps after dying many times and having to sew your head back on, you've decided to pump the breaks a little. [He wasn't going to mention that taking over FEAR seems to have given her purpose and focus, which seemed to have done her well.]
And what have your successes been when it comes to combining magic? [He didn't know much about it, but he had seen how Vira made it work. That was good enough for him and generally asked no further questions about it.]
[It really had. It had given her a sense of being 'in charge' and someone who needed to be reliable. Being 'head of magic' just meant that she was researching things and free to do as she pleased. The Commander didn't have that convenience.]
Mmm, a little, I must admit. It's almost been pleasant.
An ally with a gift for thunder magic and I have tested the combining of our abilities. I supply magnetized earth in large chunks and they provide the electrical current. Spin the stones and a powerful electro-magnetic field forms. A magnetized steel slug of sufficient size can be shot through it before exhaustion sets in.
It's... essentially a railgun, only an artillery placement. That kind of power might take a lot for us to produce, and not be quite as potent as what Sharona and I used to do, but I am certain it could devastate most of the threats we face here, even the large ones. A pity we couldn't test it on a Kaiju. Basically we could combine the power so each of our strength focused on half of the effect, more than doubling the resulting power.
[She didn't actually say Makoto's name. She swore to keep that secret and mentioning Jupiter or Makoto would risk that, but the basic information was safe.]
[He imagined that the stability made things better for her. He had debated joining FEAR as she rose in the ranks, trusting her judgments. However, his hesitation remained to not ally himself with any faction or area in this place. Being independent allowed him more freedom.]
Are you talking the girl you liked? Or someone from back home?
That sounds like a powerful ability, but it relies too heavily on two people to perform, which could be difficult in a situation where multiple fronts exist. You could still be overwhelmed with numbers if the charging took too long.
[All that meant to him was that they required a group of people to cover them and allow them to beef up security on the matter. Fighting in groups was simply a coordinated effort, but it could be done under the right leadership.]
text; un: ushiromiya (early february, sometime in the middle of the night)
[Oh my! Well, this was certainly a topic? Vira-Lorr might not have been in the best frame of mind the last few days, but she was able to muster up her thoughts. It took her a minute. It took her fifteen actually, of those precious minutes, but she did text back.]
That depends somewhat on the person asking out on the date. However, most people, when they ask someone on a date that is just a "friends date" will usually incorporate the friend caveat themselves.
Does this person smile a great deal when they talk to you, and try to get close? Do they, in fact, seem to smile more for you than they do for others?
The person I've developed the technique with here is rather shy about their abilities and doesn't publicize them. In this case, I'd actually be more comfortable not sharing their name.
Sharona and I, back home, had a similar tactic. I would use a spell that breaches space and time, and they would use entropic energies to conjure a momentary breach and hole in space that connected to what I think you call a point singularity? The connection didn't even last a second, but I'm sure you can guess the damage it caused.
[Yep. This mother fucker used to summon black holes when she needed to kill a god. Her world could be over the top.]
But you've hit the old tactical nail on the head there. At home, we had two of our number skilled at drawing attention and surviving. They were just good enough at holding the attention of an enemy that they served as the focus while the rest of us prepared the castings of joint magics.
It can't be done without time, support, or advantageous position. But if you can do something like that, the power is incredible for that one strike.
Very well. I can make my guesses based on your associates and go from there.
[He had no reason to pressure Vira to give up information as she was rather open with him as it was. He could still guess based on who she spent time with and fought alongside, and there weren't that many people who he had heard had any kind of lightning based powers.
He snorted at the idea of Vira causing a black hole. Of course she did.]
You should have stayed a virgin if that was a your power level. Still, if we could promote you to that level... you could rip your way to where Sodder is being kept.
[That would be too easy and there would be no telling what kind of damage that would do to Sodder herself. It could also sort of sunder the place they were staying, but it would be a work in progress if they had that ability.]
[She winked at him. His guess was spot on, actually, given that she'd relied on the strength of their bond and that both had combined arms maneuvers. She just didn't want to break her promises to her friend.
A snort and a laugh was returned.]
Well, keep in mind. That was because our arts were combined. Sharona and I were akin in power level, and the combination further increased the potency. I saw this incredibly stupid cartoon on television the other day, where two young men learned the most colossally stupid dance to merge their powers.
But it was informative. They had to maintain their levels of power at near equal stages, if not precisely the same, and hold a unique bond. It is the sort of thing that sounds foolish until you see it at work.
As for tearing our way, I'm not sure that's wise... [Though in February...]
It isn't always about you being capable of magic. What you do that has a necrotic effect might be something that could be drawn on. It might be harder, but there are ways... if you want to try someday.
Yeah. They're always smiling, and also very touchy.
But I'm pretty sure that's something they do with everyone? I don't know, we usually just interact one on one, I don't see her around other people all that often. But when I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's just in her nature to act that way.
[ Especially since Ange can't phantom why anyone would only smile at her, or more at her than anyone else. ]
So, it is possible that they are interested in you 'that way.' It is also possible that they might just be very physical and friendly about their contact with those that they share the company of with. I know some women like that.
If I'm not being too bold, who is it that's asked? That might help, provided I know them.
[ Not that Ange thinks there are other Rubys in Deerington, but you never know. ]
If you know her, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean. That girl is so friendly with everyone, how am I supposed to figure out in what way she meant this?
The custom weapons maker? Oh, I know her. She's a very energetic young woman. No, I could easiy see how you'd be confused with that one and unsure where you stood. On the one hand she does seem lie the sort of person who would take a friend out on a date. On the other, I don't see any reason why this wouldn't be a date date.
I will say one thing, with that one. You're in luck. If you want the answer, just ask her if it's a date date or a friend's date. I'm pretty sure she'll both understand, and possibly even appreciate a little directness. She strikes me as being a touch blunt at times, so explicit clarity doesn't hurt. She's not a very subtle girl, so there's no need to beat around the bush.
Of course, if she tells you "Date Date" I iimagine you're still going to be very unsure, since you're about to go on your first, yes?
[For a moment, she was taken aback by this message. The quiet way that Makoto spoke. The way that he spoke. Vira-Lorr was initially struck and then worried.]
Makoto... what are you talking about?!? You didn't take my happiness. Do you mean what happened in December? [Fidget.] Th...That's not what happened at all. You found yours. That's different.
He said that I dashed your happiness, that no matter how hard we try someone will have to pay when we find love or happiness. And that no matter what we'll ruin it.
That shadow jumping ghoul and I are going to have a little chat.
[So, he wasn't the only person that it could have been. She'd mentioned getting turned down to a few others, but the thing was that she also knew them all and even if one of them might have been pissed off, which none were to her knowledge, they never would have put it quite that way. Only one friend of hers would, and they'd had words.]
So. We're still in this blasted hotel. Do you want to get an ice cream sundae? My treat? I... I want to be very clear with you. If two people fall in love with the same person, but they love only one, yes. The other 'loses out' but that doesn't mean that anything is ruined.
I... I am happy for you and Atsushi. I was happy when Max and Chloe acknowledged each other's love and publicly dated. I'm not upset that Minako doesn't remember that I asked her out. I'm fine that Keith moved on, and I moved on from him. Yes, it hurt. My heart was broken, Makoto, but ... you cannot love without risk, and seeing you happy is an incredible salve for any heartbreak. You happy is more precious to me than my own happiness, because I care.
That old ghoul's heart shriveled to dust a long time ago, and he refuses to ever let himself love again. He's come close so many times and he throws them all to the curb rather than let them fail him. He's cold, bitter and alone. And I'm very pissed off he dragged you into that. You don't dserve it.
especially because I doubt you came to him of all people for relationship advice. You had another argument and he used that as ammunition against you didn't he?
I'm not hungry, there was plenty of stuff at the festival. I just got back to our room.
[Her head was spinning slightly and she felt a little sick to her stomach from the thoughts that kept going through her head.]
I do love Atsushi, but that shouldn't mean that someone else has to be in pain. What if I ruin everything with him?
He was looking for something at the beach and found my father's wallet with pictures inside. We were arguing about why she would bring something like that here. Then he said something about Usagi, I started to lose my temper.
And I know you well enough by this point to appear even more clever.
[Maybe because he took more of an active interest in who she associated with and what she was up to rather than keeping everyone at arm's length away from him. She had spent the time to weasel her way in, so he kept an eye on her. Vira was rather open with him, so his options of people to fit the description were limited as far as he was concerned.
He figured that someday they would be able to open this place up completely. They had been patient enough and the layers were stripping back. He thought it would be just revenge for all the times that she had been killed that Vira rip them down to wherever Sodder was being kept.]
I think I know the cartoon you're talking about. Some of the boys around this place still watch them now and again. [And maybe he had been spying on them.]
The longer we wait, the more horrors we will face. We have been patient enough, but I imagine more information will be revealed as it always is.
[He slowly nodded his head, though wasn't so certain how his ability would lend anyone a good effect.]
I doubt I will be much use. That ability isn't one that is natural, and I can't say I exactly understand its power basis. You might get a better sense.
It'd be so dumb! Imagine receiving a text like that! What if she just meant it as a friend date, and then I'm coming in asking something like that, making everything super awkward!!!
[ Enjoy those rapidfire texts of Ange's stream of consciousness, Vira-Lorr. At least she now seems to realise how dumb that text streak must have looked, so she simmers down a bit again. ]
Yeah, it's my first date. Never even thought about going on one before. Ever.
Makoto, you're not going to hurt him. You're both so worried about hurting the other that you'll be fine. I'm sure of that.
[That was actually a bald-faced lie. She knew that one reality was that they could worry themselves so sick if they kept at it that the stress would supplant the love, and she didn't want that to be a reality for her friend. She just wanted her to be happy.]is someone who's expressed interest. I just want to make sure I'm not rebounding with her. You're both important to me, and I don't want there to be any confusion if I'm with her. But I actually... I thin I'm ready to say yes, if she'll have me.
Ngh. So... he is my friend, but I know something about him. He's an incorrigible jackass and a troll who insists on winning every argument he gets into. So, if he feels he's losing, he'll twist it and hit you where he thinks he can hurt you. It's hurtful, nasty and not an endearing quality of the man. He knows that saying something about Usagi will get you riled, even if he doesn't actually mean it. He knows bringing my name is a low blow that will hurt you, even if he's wrong.
He and I are going to have a talk. I can be forgiving of friends with rotten habits, but I don't want him doing this again. That overgrown baby should know better. He was just trying to hurt you so he could win the argument.
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