A City in Flames 1/3
Xasure Higeki
Detektive der Dummheit
- Location
- Germany
A CITY IN FLAMES
0900 ; TAYLOR`S ROOM
{What the fuck?}
Having just heard that familiar click again, Taylor looked up from her desk into space, having not bothered to sleep. She hadn't felt the need for it. She had briefly entered an almost trance, just for an hour or two, just looking at the sky, trying to discern the locations of stars, and had then felt refreshed enough that she couldn't sleep anymore.
Sirin´s voice, far more controlled than yesterday, echoed in her head.
{What? Is she still not over Wendy? She is slower than you, Kiana.}
{Oh Sc-}
{Nope, she got over that remarkably fast! But I think the WTF comes from … that. She has been kinda stuck on that one.}
Indeed, what caught her attention had not been Sirin´s reentry, but a new headline that went live nearly two hours ago. Well, not quite a headline, but a PHO post. And it was no longer available, but the content of said post has burned itself into her memory as if it was acid.
A dark alleyway, outside of a warehouse. A single street lamp functioning, flickering with a light tainted yellow by the stains on blub. It illuminated a part of the wall, allowing everyone who has watched the video to see what was about to happen. Shadowy whisps came out of the wall, like insects trying to escape something, before slowly coalescing into a form, the form of a girl.
She was dark-skinned, quite slender with a lean, athletic build with long, black straight hair. Normally Taylor would have no issue calling her pretty, especially as she was about as tall as Taylor, which was quite rare to her reckoning.
However, what was noticeable most of all, beyond the identity of the girl, was her appearance. She looked sick, confused, she was covered in blood, her arms covered in blood, as was her shirt, which had huge rips, barely enough to maintain her decency, enough so that one could have thought she participated in a late-night swim were it not for the visible shine of a red liquid covering her throat, some drops reaching up to her eyes which had a wild, almost feral look to them as she turned and ran away.
That girl was Sophia Hess.
Sophia Hess was Shadow Stalker.
That bitch was a hero.
Yet… as the scene replayed in her mind for the thousandth time she was trapped between two extremes.
She wanted to help the scared-looking girl.
She wanted to rip her god damn fucking heart out.
She wanted to clean the blood off and tell her it would be okay, that she did not need to look like a terrified kitten.
She wanted to tear her tongue out to see if she could continue with her goddamn mockery of all that Taylor loved while choking on her own fucking lies.
It was Sirin´s entrance that caused enough ruckus to shock Taylor out of her status of indecision.
Energy was building, a tension in her reserves reflecting the tension between these two wishes, pushing and increasing each other, higher and higher, more and more extreme. The screen of her computer froze then began to flicker and twist before turning off with a whimpering bang. The lamps in the room began to sing a song of distress with their whining as they began to burn far brighter than it was safe.
A Hero was injured and in danger.
A Hero took her friend from her.
With a pathetic wail, a bulb popped, then another, then another. Her hands squeezed together, crushing the desk parts she had her hands stabilized on, her nails ripping wood apart. Slowly, she stood up, unable to hear the whispers of the confidants that she had acquired, only able to hear the howl of rage and the heartbeat of panic in her ears. Something was building inside her.
A Ward had her life ruined.
A Ward had ruined her life.
Waves of sickening energy slowly started to pulse from her, and as they cascaded around her room, unbeknown to her, it showed its effects. The flowers died, the wood her chair was made of turned dark and darker, and then gray, and the pages of her books turned yellow. It was now in her mouth, filling her throat, something unreal, not physical but yet so physically pressing that trying to let it out was a natural urge, an instinct.
With the last vestiges of her mind, Taylor vanished into the Imaginary Space and then screamed.
0915 ; Lisa´s Apartment
{Vel, stop it. Lisa, apologize!}
{I will not. She had it coming!}
"I will not. She had it coming!"
Lisa, with an exhausted sigh and filled with contempt, let her forehead collide with the desk. Anger was coiling inside her, and her head hurt like someone had tried and failed to lobotomize her.
{Both of you! We are supposed to help each other out…}
Of the two voices in her head, Seele, as she introduced herself, despite Lisa´s disbelief of the fact that this was her actual name, was the kinder one. Also, more mature. She seemed to switch between matronly, expressing almost motherly disappointment with both her partner in invading her head and, for some awful reason, Lisa herself and being just a sweetheart girl.
Worst of all, it did make her feel bad. Fucking damn it.
{What can I say, I can not, will not, tolerate such fundamental stupidity. Really, she should just let you or me take control.}
Veliona, on the other hand, was a fucking bitch. Enough said.
"Well, I appreciate the interest, but no thank you. Not into psycho bitches."
{And I am not into blondes. Aren't you ashamed to reinforce that particular stereotype? Oh wait, you don't have the body for that, sorry, you only got the brains.}
Lisa gritted her teeth, trying to calm her emotions as she hissed out. "Well, if you are dumb enough to care what others think, that isn´t my problem, now is it?"
{Great attitude, so, how are your friends… oh wait, you don't -}
{STOP IT!}
Lisa winced at the spike of pain that shot through her brain, enough to send tears to her eyes. She could hear Veliona groan as well after having squeaked. She, for some reason, knew that Seele just slapped her upside the head with a disapproving frown.
{So, this Abyss Flower, what can you tell us ?}
"Can't you watch my memories?" Lisa tried to not sound bitter about that, but she failed quite miserably at it. Veliona had used much of her past as ammunition and probably had more stored away.
{While true, I don't want to violate your privacy any more than I do by… well, by doing that, without your permission.}
WHY WAS SHE SO SWEET?!
It made it hard for Lisa to keep her anger going.
"Fine, go ahead."
There was silence as the two went through her memories relating to the cape that landed her in this mess. She had no idea what was going on, and most of all, what was going to happen to her. Then again… it wasn't like the two could escape her questioning.
"Veliona. Can I ask you a question?"
{Finally acknowledging your better, are you? What do you want?}
"What are you? What is happening to me?"
{Couldn´t figure it out yourself, eh? It is fairly simple actually. I know that you are familiar with computers, so I will use it as a comparison.}
Lisa nodded along, preparing to move out and meet with Abyss Flower. That girl was nothing but trouble, but she was also the only way out Lisa had, at least right now. Thankfully, she had… something, Lisa couldn't find out what, that had motivated her to contact her about Coil. It was probably that she had figured out that Coil sent the two idiots after her.
{Not the best fit, but it should work unless your brain is as empty as your life. For this to be understood, you need to understand how Honkai becomes intelligent. Are you familiar with the process of Machine learning? It is similar to that.}
"Wait, which kind of machine learning are you referring to here?"
{Genetic is the nearest example I know of. Honkai, at its base, has no intent or will beyond being used. To exist without purpose is to be unimportant to existence. The purpose of the Honkai is unknowable, but for now let us presume that it simply abhors its vacuum of function, and seeks to resolve it in the most efficient manner.}
Nodding along, Lisa paused as she realized where this may go.
"So, what you are proposing is that the Will was formed by the Honkai energy as a way to resolve the issue of purpose. That it essentially evolved along a genetic algorithm, becoming smarter the more often it attempts a certain problem, and even if it succeeds, it tries to refine it. Eventually, it got smart enough to become what it is today."
Interesting, it would explain why it was so alien to her mind. Even the most advanced programmers would be awed by the codes of AIs that would have improved upon themselves for a single year. The Will had potentially millions of years to work with.
{Not bad!~ You do have something in that head of yours. But yes, that is enough to understand the basic principle you will need to understand what I am about to explain…}
Lisa sighed, having forgotten that her surface thoughts weren´t her own anymore. Picking up her bag, she was out of the door.
0930; Imaginary Space
Pain. Pain was a sensation that Taylor had an interesting relationship with.
Naturally, everyone had experienced pain at some point. Arguably, pain was not a thing of the moment, but a constant thing that was essential to life as it was understood… but the idea of pain was wide. Indeed, one could almost assign different personalities to pain, slow and creeping, sudden and hard, insidious and enduring.
Taylor had thought she had met the nastiest kind of pain in that locker… now, she wasn´t sure of that fact.
That pain, the fear, and hatred born of that Event had been a constant companion, alongside her actual companions that helped her. Sometimes it would come and go, just stopping by for a quick, albeit intense visit that sent her reeling, that she could catch herself from, sometimes it was creeping in the back of her mind, just waiting for the moment she had nothing else to focus on. Sometimes, it fuelled her to do something good even.
After she returned from the birthday party, it had, for the first time, felt like that state of happiness may persist, endure, instead of vanishing. It was why she hadn't slept. She didn't need the escape from her own thoughts anymore.
Now, however? Now she wished for the sweet embrace of unfeeling nothingness.
She looked down at her hands, or what had remained of them. Her brain didn´t do her the favor of making her forget the sensation and events while she had lost herself to her pain. She looked at the proud spire, once the only thing of magnificence remaining on this false moon.
It had been reduced to blood-covered dust, something she had done with her hands. The same hands she stared now down at, trying to ignore just how numb they felt.
The devastation she had wrought… it felt alien to her. As if she was watching a movie. Something that would have taken humans thousands of years to achieve and truly make was reduced to nothing because she couldn´t control herself. To see her hands be turned into bloody, gory chunks, only to be restored to perfection not a moment later...
Maybe they had a point… maybe Sirin had a point.
And even if not… it felt certainly like a goddamn failure.
{You packed quite the sad there, eh ?}
What.
Wendy had been a curious encounter for Taylor.
She was… she was more relaxed than Kiana. Taylor would perhaps even say that she was friendlier than Kiana. Kiana was friendly, but she had that Aura of a… It was difficult to describe. It was almost like the aura of a hero. An apex of some grand quality.
Wendy on the other hand had, and Taylor hoped that it wasn't some hidden bias manifesting, but she not only had a New Zealand accent which sounded quite amusing to her, although Wendy had angrily corrected Taylor after she had called it Australian, she was also quite in love with her free use of slang, which made it difficult to attach that sort of awe-inspiring opinion to her. The latter also made communication… interesting.
It wasn´t helped by the fact that she had outright admitted to finding it herself funny as well, so there was always a current of mirth and joy in her tone.
{What does that even mean?}
{Ah, doncha worry about that. But seriously, what the heck? Did that cunt fucked you up or something?}
Taylor couldn't help herself, starting to snigger with mirth. Here she sat, amidst the ruins of a grand construct, and this girl caused her to snigger with juvenile mirth at her word choice. Rubbing her hands together as she sat, watching the false Earth, Taylor tried to order her thoughts, to give Wendy a proper answer.
{Well…can you not simply watch my memories?}
{Yeah…no, not my thing. We can either have a yarn or not. Not nearly enough on the piss for that.}
The context provided her with an approximate understanding of what one of those words meant and, yet, the other confounded her… A sensation she was strangely thankful for. It was distracting.
{I can guess that you mean a chat when you say yarn, but on the piss?}
{Being drunk. Actually, that really sucks for you since you know… you can´t.}
Taylor couldn't help the smile on her lips, cracking through her facade. Wringing her hands, she took a deep breath, forgoing the communication via thought in favor of actual speech.
"That girl… Sophia Hess… is Shadow Stalker. A Hero, somebody who I looked up to in some fashion. This same girl was the inciting factor that my best friend not only betrayed me but proceeded to torment me for a large part of my school life. She… I… They eventually locked me into a school locker filled with filth. It was then that I accepted the deal with the Will."
Taylor cringed at her abysmal summary, but each word was barely forced out.
{Sounds like a bitch alright. Guess I can see where you are coming from.}
Perhaps it was the tone, perhaps just how refreshingly frank she was compared to Kiana, who spoke with chosen words of kindness, and Sirin, who, Taylor admitted, probably was fueled by zealotry to monologue, but Taylor couldn't help it as she laughed.
"Yep, and yet still… I want to help her. Isn´t that kind of screwed up? I mean, I guess that is just some sort of sympathy showing, but-" She squeezed her hands together.
When she arrived here, she had slammed her fist against the nearest thing, which was the central pillar of the palace. She had imagined it to be Sophia´s face. It cracked. Then her hand cracked and something in her mind rebelled against the idea to lose against even this hallucinatory Sophia, so she had forced the energy in her hand, reforming it before slamming the tower again, and again. Rinse and repeat, each new crack on the marble surface a delightful mark on Sophia's face in her mind. As the stone turned to dust, covered by her blood, her mind gave her the delightful feeling of having just crushed the head of the bitch.
"I- I- Also want to hurt her so damn much."
{Hold it. I am gonna be straight-up honest here. Help her and give her a hiding afterward, or the reverse, nobody cares.}
"Co-come again?" A few times in the past years Taylor had the will or pride to sound indignant, but now she couldn't help it.
{Look. You are being angsty as for no darn reason. I wanted to hurt the people that fucked my life as well, and I did. Was it great of me to do that? Fuck no, but it was not evil either. And I did far worse than you simply thought of maybe doing while punching a rock that ain´t even actually real.}
Taylor opened her mouth and then closed it. The frankness was odd. Kiana always rolled with her feelings, helping her through them, while Sirin made her confront the issue head-on, demanding that resolved it. Wendy´s nonchalance was both confounding and irritating in the same breath.
{Look, you have a date to get to, so get your shit together. If you want to worry about losing control, then work on it by actually using said power and either prove yourself wrong or increase your control. Simple as.}
A hand attempted to raise in rejection, yet, Taylor simply nodded her head with slight hesitancy. She couldn't put the finger on it, but there was a shudder going down, a bad feeling in the back of her stomach at the prospect, however, objecting simply because of a feeling, a flight of fancy, was not a sustainable course of action. She couldn´t quite help the need to ask a question though, one that burned in her mind.
"Why did you come to talk to me?"
{Well, I am the visitor and it kinda felt like I had to do something to earn that… soooo…}
With a slight snicker, Taylor focused her will, overcoming the barrier of hesitation, and returned to her room before swiftly departing to the meeting place she had determined with Tattletale. At least that had been the plan.
{Taylor-chan! I have worked on something!}
Few times had mortal terror struck Taylor as in this moment. That tone of voice. It reminded her of the time her mother was so in love with a cute outfit that she wouldn´t take no for an answer.
0945; Street
Lisa was moving as quickly as she could through the alleyways and small shortcuts of the city towards her destination. Catching a quick look into a window, she was quite happy with her disguise. Every identifiable feature was covered up in some form or fashion. The art of disguise wasn´t to go for some extreme elaborate disguise however, no, it was to transition between two normals. This included posture and expression. Where Lisa was a confident standoffish young woman with flowing blond hair and fashionable outfits-
{PSHHHH, as if.}
and Tattletale was already semi-famous for her grin and smug attitude, at least in some circles, right now, she looked like a goddamn secretary of the 90s. Her hair was done in a bun with a wooden hair needle, an olive green skirt, and a boring same-colored blouse. The only thing that was odd, for some perhaps, was her high collar coat, but it was still winter, so it at best got her a raised eyebrow. Instead of a challenging grin, she had a worried frown, instead of an almost teasing gesturing, she held her bag with an almost claw-like grip on her chest.
{I would say fuck you, but I can't possibly imagine who would.}
{As if I cared for such pathetic ideas. And I know you care just as little as I do. That being said, I know that blondes have a difficult time keeping their mouths shut, so I forgive you.~
As it is, Stigmata are, in essence, a hardcoded function of reality manifested, often in the form of a brand, which entities can use in combination with Honkai Energy to achieve an effect, or, in case of the more complex, a whole lot of different effects packed together.}
Lisa processed the new information, trying to incorporate it into her understanding of the subject matter at hand. The explanation was a bit out there, but she liked to think that she had understood it. Still, it couldn't hurt to test the waters.
{I see. You emphasized will and intent before. Would I be wrong to assume that Honkai can be shaped through one´s will and Intent then? Much like Spells in some of the more popular and generic fantasy settings?}
She could almost feel the raised eyebrow, and couldn´t help the rising feeling of glee that overcame her whenever she managed to deduce something important.
{There is a bit more science involved in it, although I am not sure if it was actual science or arbitrary rules set in place, but yes, that is about right.}
{So, if achieving an effect alone through Honkai energy and Will is like a spell, Stigmata would be akin to runes or the like. When shaping Honkai through one´s will is flexible but dangerous, uncontrollable even unless other factors aid in it, Stigmata function like a flashlight or any other technology in theory. They were crafted to achieve an effect, mimicking the intent without ever exposing the actual mind to Honkai. Going by that and your earlier explanation… Are you telling me that Stigmata are essentially self-evolving AIs?}
{I am impressed, you may not be a total waste of space after all. Yes, True Stigmata and those that are close to them in quality are essentially self-evolving. Leave them around long enough and an intelligence will appear. This intelligence is always influenced by the user, sometimes they have certain traits pre-planted. In True Stigmata, this happens pretty immediately, as they are the most advanced kind, but it is theoretically possible for personalities to be imprinted onto Stigmata by hand or even appear in artificial ones. I won´t go into the minutiae of lesser types of Stigmata here however. There is a lot to the technology that is fairly abstract, such as how it interacts with genetics, but at this moment in time, there is no point to it.}
This caught Lisa´s ear, and she replayed the conversation in her mind as she wandered through the streets, and so enough, a smile was on her lips, sharp and smug.
{.. Damn it.}
{You are one of these Stigmata intelligences, aren´t you?}
{Yes and no. She is my other me, and you will treat her as such.}
Lisa had forgotten that there was another voice in her head and both a blush and a grimace crept up her cheek at the scolding tone of Seele. She had been screamed at, shouted at, but it had been a long time since she was scolded.
{Fiiinnneee. I can´t tell the actual difference as it is. But seriously, I can guess where my new tattoo comes from now, but since I got it from the Will, does that mean I will become a Herrscher?}
{I am sorry, but no. Not by the Stigmata alone at least. To be considered a Herrscher, you would kinda need a core that is compatible with the stigmata to unlock its full power, and you kinda don´t have a core. You will get other benefits though! I am fairly sure you will get our relation to the Quantum Sea! That, and our physical abilities! With none of the downsides of being a Herrscher! You will be able to throw cars, teleport, and be essentially immortal.}
Lisa barely managed to evade collision with the people walking behind her as she froze. {... Everything connected to Taylor is fucking bullshit. Give me a bit to process this whole… thing. What did you find in my memories?}
{Well, she is definitely Void which normally would result in me being quite concerned, however, given how she behaves, I am fairly sure she got Kiana-Chan as a partner!}
{... Who is Kiana?}
{A Friend!}{A Fool!}
{Who is sometimes a bit silly!}{Who is sometimes an acceptable companion!}
{I… see. Truly informative. I suppose you could-}
(Taylor disguise roll vs DC 50 at 1d100… 13, fail, good old, good old.)
The reason why Lisa stopped mid-thought wasn't because of some awe-inspiring flash of inspiration or the sudden realization of some universal truth. No, the reason why she stopped was that she wasn´t quite able to even begin to compute what disguise Taylor had chosen for this meeting if it even could be called such.
{Is… is that a recolored White Comet battlesuit? With a coat?}
{Hmm, I think it is actually a design Kiana made. I can see the tell-tale signs of her designs.}
Lisa had difficulties deciding what first to look at, every single item and being an attention hog, from the oak-colored hair being done in a braid, thrown over her shoulder like a snake which laid between the valley of her chest, reaching the naval, to the large sunglasses sitting upon her nose, fully hiding her eyes beyond the almost mirror level reflections. She had to admit, it did the job of making her not appear like Abyss Flower… for anyone not looking for more than a second. She didn't have her usual outfit on, instead having something that may as well belong on a mode show.
Most notably, she had a coat, long and black, yet noticeably thin, with a V‐neck that just went under her bust, with black fur rimming its cuffs and hem. While it didn't have a fur collar per se, she herself wore one. One that looked admittedly quite cozy. Dangling from it, connected with a strip of black leather that contrasted with the pale skin of her chest beneath, was a pendant in the form of a three-petaled flower, each petal white as snow, with an emerald as the center body, framed by a frame as black as obsidian.
If that were the end of it, it would have been fine, or so Lisa told herself, but even for less observant eyes, the clues that this wasn't just a very fashion-aware lady were easy to spot. First foremost and perhaps were the gloves. As far as she was able to tell, they were made of a material resembling the texture of neoprene. They each had a motif of flower petals, once more three, on their back, although this time they were green, yellow, and blue. They also had slight pads at the fingertips and palms, signifying that these weren't just intended for simple fashion use. Although, that was by far not the only thing supporting that particular conclusion. The coat did a good job of hiding it, but anyone taking a closer look, which, given just how tight the dress-up was, they were practically invited to, could tell that she was wearing a bloody body glove beneath it.
Said body glove was midnight black, the same coloration as the coat, but had motifs of flowers growing upwards mirrored on the front of it, framing the bust. Most of it was still hidden, but enough was visible of the belly that one could spot the framed abs. The lower half of the body glove was a bit lighter in coloration, and the legs were designed to appear to be straight-leg trousers, with a vine motif going up the sides of each, but that was nothing more than attention-grabbing apparel, designed to hide the shoes. The shoes had surprisingly no heels but weren't combat boots either. Indeed, they looked more like dancing shoes, looking exceedingly practical-minded in comparison to the rest.
Overall, while it made her look vastly different from Abyss Flower, it certainly was not fucking inconspicious.
Said walking fashion statement was currently sitting in an alcove of the agreed-upon meeting place, a fairly non-descriptive diner.
1000; Beth´s Diner
{I can´t believe I let you convince me to wear this!}
{Yo-you don´t like it?} How could a voice have puppy eyes?!
{N-no! I like it! It is very pretty… just not really inconspicuous…}
{I knew-}
{ENOUGH!}
Sirin´s shout surprised Taylor, her voice echoing in her ears despite being entirely mental. It did rip her out of the impending nervous breakdown however. It may seem silly, to be nervous about one's appearance after having flipped through the air with a short skirt, but it felt different.
She couldn´t help but be thankful for the difference however, it was something that allowed her to divert her attention from that fucking bitch Sophia.
First, she had thought it was simply insecurity nagging at her heels, but that felt incorrect to her. Her source of consternation was more deeply seated. It had taken a bit to figure it out.
It seemed to be another step to indicate the unavoidable nature of her change, of her growth, for a lack of a better term. Few of her own old clothes fit her now without being quite indecent in how tight they were, and her recent moment of outrage had brought something to her attention. She had barely any feeling left in her hands. She could still perceive pressure, but things such as heat and cold, softness and roughness, at least in the quantities most common, were just… no longer present to her. She still had the memories of them, which, while it should give her comfort, only served to torment her with what was lost to her.
Her change of clothes seemingly simply underscored this change, bringing it from a level of impression to undeniable reality, from a thing she knew about, to a fact she could witness. She no longer burrowed the clothes of another, but now wore her own.
At least, her change of clothes seemed to dissuade people from approaching. She was admittedly surprised by that.
Naturally, then, somebody actually approached her.
{Quite cute, not much of a fan of the bun, but still quite pretty.~}
{Hard on! Love the office look!}
{My loathing for the two of you may yet eclipse my apathy towards humanity.}
{So I get your motor running, eh?}
{Careful there, little bird. Do I have to remind you what being under my boot feels like?}
{Maybe I like it~?}
{Yes, you do certainly love to be abused. How else could one explain your fate? Bound forevermore?}
{...Fuck you.}
{You wish.}
{...Objectively, sadly, yes.}
Luckily, one of the features lost to Taylor was the capability of an involuntary blush. Looking at the blond girl, about the same age as her, she raised an eyebrow as she had the gall to sink into the booth, on the side opposite to her.
"I am sorry, but I am-"
"You don't have a concept of what inconspicuous means, do you?"
Freezing in place, Taylor opened her mouth and closed it, then held up her finger, before finally getting out something. "Lisa, is that you?"
"Naturally."
Taylor couldn't quite believe her eyes. She almost poked the other girl, just to see if it was some weird illusion or tinker tech. Before she could, however, her finger was slapped away.
"Who is now the sexually deviant entity~?" Came the teasing response, the now familiar smirk gracing her opponent´s lips. "Touching a girl without permission, what a shame."
While Taylor was immune to blushes, she wasn't immune to embarrassment. Lifting her hands as if to deflect the accusation, she shook her head. "No! Not like that. I am just amazed."
"I am fairly sure that a walrus in a maid costume would awe you in how fucking inconspicuous it is in comparison to you. That being said, we have matters of business to discuss and I kinda want to try and keep it short. The first point on the agenda, I have to ask. Ever heard the name Seele?"
Having the control of your body ripped from you, Taylor decided, fucking sucked.
Surprisingly, it wasn´t Sirin who took it, but Kiana.
Taylor could still see her reflection in the fake glasses of Lisa. She could tell that her eyes had switched color from her Green as Abyss Flower, to a burning Azure, shining with enough energy to be visible even through the shaded glasses of the aviators.
To Lisa´s credit, she didn´t even wince or cringe away from the glare directed at her, but one could see how her muscles went taunt in anxiety.
"I kinda want you to -"
Before Kiana could finish the sentence, Taylor forced control back into her own hands.
{What the fuck, Kiana?}
{...Sorry. Seele is the name of one of my friends.}
Ah.
"I suppose that was Kiana then?" Lisa noted with that same, now far less attractive, smirk on her lips.
"I would advise you to be careful, and to explain." She had little energy for the social power games Lisa seemed eager to play. "Because if you don´t, I will walk."
"Fine, fine! Can't even take a little teasing, can you?" Showing her hand in surrender, Lisa leaned forward, resting her head on her hands, taking a deep breath, before unbuttoning the blouse to showcase what looked like a Tattoo.
{A Stigmata? Seele´s? Why?}
{What the hell is a Stigmata?}
"Apparently, your whole deal is infectious. I got her and her darker, edgier-" She winced. " and quite charming, other half in my head."
{Taylor. Make Skin contact with her.}
Feeling the tension and caution that permeated through her mental headspace, Taylor decided to simply follow the command, releasing the hold that maintained the form of her right glove, before gesturing for Lisa to take it.
"How forward." She also elected to ignore the comment with a roll of her eyes as Lisa took it.
{KIANA-CHAN!}
{SEELE-CHAN!}
{Greetings, try hard.}
{Nice to see you, Ice Queen.}
{Well, this is odd.}
{... I hate it so much.}
Tēnā koutou!}
{Wait, who is she?}
{It is nice to meet you too!}
{That is Wendy! I have told you about Wendy, haven´t I? She was the holder of the Gem of Wind, and the Herrscher of Wind. But she is totally sweet!}
{No, you have not.}
{That is because she got over Wendy as quick as the wind, one may say.}
{That is not-!}
{It´s all good! Wouldn't want her to bitch about me if she has other things to worry about.}
{...wait a second, how do you two know each other? Seele isn´t a Herrscher!}
{I am actually, on a technical level at least. I do take the part of Personae of the Herrscher of Death of the Previous Era, although I have never met her. Stigmata personality and all that. That is pretty much a pattern for them. Most of them are not really present if you know what I mean.}
{True, I met the Himiko of the Previous Era, she was… it wasn't nice.}
{That is nice and all, but could we please focus on getting a certain snake off my tail?}
{Quite. We need his ressources if we are to expand our operations and prepare properly. Especially if we plan to enhance our little sister's girlfriend.}
{I am going to ignore that. As it is, Coil seems to be slipping. I was called in for tomorrow. I can likely fool him for a bit, but with my new nature, it likely won't take too long till he notices that his power won't work on me… so, the best call is to have you follow me tomorrow, and then I keep him occupied while you come in.}
{Based on her memories, I would estimate that they have at least six squads of Mercenaries with advanced weaponry, meaning about 84 Mercenaries at the least. The base she is referring to has four layers, with Coil´s office being the fifth. Nothing too difficult, if we keep him occupied or take him out.}
{You missed something. He kind of went the deep end with the paranoia, so he most likely hired some of the minor capes under his banner. Usually, they aren't really noteworthy, but given his current state and the already screwed number balance, that is something worth considering.}
{So, we are looking at a platoon, if not a company of opponents with weapons of unknown damage potential. On top of that, we need to account for the possibility of capes. Hmmm… I can think it is possible, but it will be both dangerous and difficult. Are you sure you can keep him occupied?}
{You doubt us? While Lisa may be pathetically unprepared to deal with it, I will ensure he will suffer, don't worry about it.}
{So, we have a deal?}
SPECIAL EVENT
DEATH OF THE SNAKE
[Accepting this Special Event will replace tomorrow's actions with it. This is a high-stake, high-reward mission that will consist of a long combat encounter and represents a major shift in the status quo.]
[]Accept
[]Do not Accept
(Event Roll: Discord called low… 100. SHIT is going down.+1 Enemy Encounter)
(Roll amount of enemies d3 … 2+1 =3)
(Roll for enemies … 9,1710(replaced due to 9),21, Lets go ASSHOLES!WHOO!!)
(Roll amount of enemies d3 … 2+1 =3)
(Roll for enemies … 9,
Just as Taylor gave her answer, Lisa froze before cursing. "They can't possibly be that fucking blatant." Shortly followed by the sound of muted cries of horror and fear. Lisa leaned out of the booth, and color fled her face. "Fuck. Fog and Night just came to the door."
Taylor´s attention however was caught not by them, but by someone staring at them through the window. Bright orange hair, face masked by a gas mask that looked like it belonged in a world war flick. Something was off about them, an almost unnatural stillness to their body. Even their hair moved only a slight delay, almost as if it was more gaseous than solid in nature.
The redhead cocked their head to the side.
Fearing that any overly large movement would unleash the sudden tension in the room into its cataclysmic form, Taylor decided to take caution, and instead of pointing the third member out to Lisa, she instead decided to resume the mental connection, sending her an image of the redhead, receiving one of Night and Fog in return.
Night and Fog were standing side by side in the middle of the diner, watched in terrified awe by the civilians. Night had high-heeled boots, but beyond the clear-cut differences such as the opposing gender, this along with the color of their outfits was the only distinguishing feature in terms of costumes. Cloaks, cowls.Gray for him and black for her. Although something seemed off about him, it seemed … less solid in a fashion, as if something was moving beneath it.
{Fuck. Think you can take them?}
{Probably, I am quite tanky if I need to be. You, get out. If all fails, I can run. Get the civilians out.}
{What, no more useless fear of your own power?}
{I can do that later more.}
Lisa gave her a nod, and without turning around, she stood up, mixing into the crowd and moving rapidly outside. Past the two capes, who seemed at least willing to let them go. Apparently, not even the Nazis wanted to have civilian casualties if it could be avoided.
As soon as the Diner was empty, Taylor stood up, finally facing the dangerous duo. Her stance was one of resolve, her expression even, not betraying a hint of her emotions. She lifted an eyebrow.
"Can we resolve this peacefully?"
The woman shook her head."I am sorry dear, but no."
"Chucks. Want to tell me at least why we are doing this? Last I recalled, you weren't even here when my little issue with the Empire started. Aren't you supposed to be in Boston?"
Night cocked her head, a smile on her lips, unnerving with just how fake it was."I fear that you are little more than a means to an end in this. I am terribly sorry, but if a friend asks for help, well, you gotta do what you got to do." The slight cheerfulness in her voice caused Taylor to twitch. It felt off in a way that reminded her of someone.
(Initiative rolls!)
(Taylor 1d100 + 50… 94, 2nd)
(Fog 1d100+ 30 … Nat 100, 130, 1st, free action)
(Night 1d100+ 30 … 69, 3rd this ain´t QQ bitch.)
(Tiergart 1d100+ 30 … 56, 4th)
(Fog activates his ability! Fog Cover! Advantage to Night, -3 Stamina for entities inside the Fog.)
(Night activates her Changer form! Reroll Initiative at +50. 1d100 + 50… 138, 2nd)
(Taylor 1d100 + 50… 94, 2nd)
(Fog 1d100+ 30 … Nat 100, 130, 1st, free action)
(Night 1d100+ 30 … 69, 3rd this ain´t QQ bitch.)
(Tiergart 1d100+ 30 … 56, 4th)
(Fog activates his ability! Fog Cover! Advantage to Night, -3 Stamina for entities inside the Fog.)
(Night activates her Changer form! Reroll Initiative at +50. 1d100 + 50… 138, 2nd)
Before Taylor could even open her mouth to speak once more, the male counterpart of the woman exploded into a fog that quickly filled the entirety of the Diner. It was obnoxious to her senses, biting even as it rolled over her skin.
{Interesting. A fairly dangerous compound. I would recommend keeping your mouth shut and not breathing it in.}
FIGHT!
ROUND 1! FIGHT!
The biting smog-like substance that filled the air of the diner burned upon her skin, telling Taylor just how dangerous it was. She knew that she couldn't even feel pain if she punched stone with all her might, barehanded, yet this substance was burning her skin. It was tolerable, her resistance far higher thanks to the lesser amount of pure humanity inside her, but still, it harmed her.
{It does remind me of the Miasma of Death, though less potent. Be careful to expose as little as possible to it and don't breathe it in. It won't kill you, but it will drain you faster.}
(Abyss Flower, Night takes 3 Stamina Damage.)
{Got it.}
Most annoying of all, it was thick enough that she couldn´t see where the fuck Night was. Taylor has heard of her, naturally. A changer that would change into a horrifying monster as long as she wasn't seen. And apparently, said horrifying monster went right for her. The sound of clicking claws was all around her, and she tried to estimate where it would come from. There was a change in the sound, a bit more hollow than before…
(Night attacks Abyss Flower with Multilimb attack! Night rolls against DC 60 with a +30 … 90+30 = 120.)
(Abyss Flower reaction roll! Grasp! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 120 with +60 … 48+60 = 108. Fail)
(Roll damage for Night´s Multilimb attack! 3d2+2= 1+2+2+2 = 7!)
(Abyss Flower reaction roll! Grasp! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 120 with +60 … 48+60 = 108. Fail)
(Roll damage for Night´s Multilimb attack! 3d2+2= 1+2+2+2 = 7!)
{The counter!}
Having lost orientation for a second, Taylor swirled around to the counter, her blade in her right hand, intending to slash with all her might-
SHICK!
Pain filled her body. She couldn't see it, the fog too thick. She hadn't quite believed Sirin when she explained just how much damage she could tolerate, but now, feeling long, jagged, serrated claws piercing through her jugular, through her arm into her lungs, pinning it into place, and one that missed her lower abdomen, instead of piercing it, cutting a huge swath of it like it was a butcher's cleaver, deep enough that she could swear one would see bone.
She had expected more blood. Instead, she could feel how the huge ball of energy, deep inside her, shrunk, its energy building new strains of fiber rebuilding the lost muscles and flesh the moment it registered the loss, her capabilities barely impaired, yet it had been a while since she felt so physically drained.
Then, her brain, which had stopped for a moment due to sheer surprise, began to process the fact that she was in pain.
{FUUUUUUUUUUUCCKKK!}
(Abyss Flower cuts Night with Sword! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 60 with a +20 … 120, Nat 100, no reaction roll!)
(Roll Damage for Abyss Flower´s Sword attack! 1d6+2= 8! Max damage!)
(Check if ??? is listening… d2… 2, yes)
(Roll Damage for Abyss Flower´s Sword attack! 1d6+2= 8! Max damage!)
(Check if ??? is listening… d2… 2, yes)
Perhaps it was a testament to her inexperience that her first reaction to pain was to smash, but a useful attribute of being blinded by pain was that one acted without one´s usual hesitation or restriction.
She couldn't fault Night for being surprised, every other Brute in the town would have frozen at the damage she had inflicted on her. Even Aegis needed some time to account for the near loss of both throat and lung, not even beginning on the near bisection. However, her state of surprise did provide Taylor with an opportunity.
Despite how unpleasant it was to have fish hook-sized claws inside her, these claws were still connected to Night herself, and thus, they were quite indicative of where the fuck that bitch was. Letting the blade vanish from the pinned arm and reappear in the other, she quickly brought it down onto the joints of the claws. She wasn't sure of their exact location, but intuition guided her hand.
An ear-piercing scream was heard, and now, there was a lot of blood. She could feel the consistency of it, inky, slimy, very much fucking icky.
Outside of Taylor´s point of view, or even general awareness, stood the third and unknown member of the trio, with fiery red hair, and a gasmask, as if he was silently watching the carnage inside. He seemed to have little care for possible civilians outside of the Diner, and to be fair, few would dare to approach a cape fight in any manner but an observant one.
{Okay, but who the hell is that?}
{How the hell am I supposed to know that? Even with my power, I can't just pull random names out of thin air!}
Leaning around the corner, Lisa tried to observe this new cape, feeling unhappy about this situation. It would be a fucking miracle if Coil didn´t figure out that she had met Abyss Flower!
Just as she was about to remove herself from the situation entirely, she noticed that the eyes of the gas mask glowed red for a moment. A moment later, a loud curse came from inside the diner.
(Tiergart uses his Thermal Vision for a brief second!)
(Night recovers all her Stamina!)
(Night recovers all her Stamina!)
Realization hit her. The only weakness that duo had was that Night needed to leave Fog, to heal herself up, but with this third member, the only thing that would be worth covering would be that very weakness!
(Lisa enters Combat!)
Lisa realized what she had to do. Taylor was strong, but this was a combo that would cause even a ramped-up Lung serious issues. The fight would escalate, and it would only end when one side gave in, or both decided the damage to everyone would become too significant.
So, she had to take out the support.
{Finally! Now let me take control and wre-}
{No.}
Lisa enjoyed the brief moment of surprise she got, the same smug grin appearing on her lips, before she, with a quick move, pulled out the small handgun she had in the pockets of her coat, 9MM, and took aim. She didn't want to shoot lethal, but any shot had the potential to be. A risk worth taking.
(Lisa uses 9MM against Tiegart! Lisa rolls against DC 30 … 100, Nat 100, no reaction roll!)
(Roll Damage for Lisa´s 9MM attack! 1d6=5! Crippled!)
(Roll Damage for Lisa´s 9MM attack! 1d6=5! Crippled!)
She pressed the trigger, and the knee of the red-haired individual exploded into a shower of red, causing him to cry out in pain, nearly falling to the floor, yet remaining standing on one leg, if loudly cursing.
{... Well, that works.} The pout in her voice caused elation in Lisa´s stomach.
The mask turned around, and-
(Bella enters Combat!)
(Bella uses Dragonmaid KICK! against Tiegart! Bella rolls against DC 10 due to crippled +30!… 100, Nat 100, no reaction roll due to Crippled! Double damage replaces Effect!)
(Roll Damage for Bella´s Dragonmaid KICK! attack! 1d6+2*2=8*2=16! That guy is fucked… not dead, but fucked up.)
(Bella uses Dragonmaid KICK! against Tiegart! Bella rolls against DC 10 due to crippled +30!… 100, Nat 100, no reaction roll due to Crippled! Double damage replaces Effect!)
(Roll Damage for Bella´s Dragonmaid KICK! attack! 1d6+2*2=8*2=16! That guy is fucked… not dead, but fucked up.)
CRACK!
She did not even see where the new arrival came from. Just that she arrived with the speed of sound and a kick with enough force to cause an audible snap of displaced air. Standing there with her leg outstretched, wings proudly spread a faint static sound as if someone just activated a faraday cage.
The masked guy on the other hand was deeply embedded into the metal front of the diner. She first thought he was dead, but then spotted slight, shaking raises of his chest.
Electrical Eyes focused on her.
{Who the hell is she?}
{How the- I already- GODDAMNIT!}
Today was not her day.
(Round 1 over)
(Initiative rolls!)
(Taylor 1d100 + 50…64+50=114,3rd)
(Bella 1d100+ 50…65+50=115, 2nd)
(Night 1d100+ 50…93+50=143,1st)
(Lisa 1d100+ 30…5+30=35,4th)
(Initiative rolls!)
(Taylor 1d100 + 50…64+50=114,3rd)
(Bella 1d100+ 50…65+50=115, 2nd)
(Night 1d100+ 50…93+50=143,1st)
(Lisa 1d100+ 30…5+30=35,4th)
ROUND 2! FIGHT!
(Abyss Flower, Night takes 3 Stamina Damage.)
{Oh good, she can regen like a mother-}
{Nothing to worry about, eh? The solution is simple. I think Taylor figured it out.}
{Oh?}
{If that bitch wants to bump in the night, let's shine some light on her. First, I need to get my hands on her}
Taylor took a moment to focus herself, sharpening her ears, letting go of her reliance on sight. It wouldn´t help her, but the Fog did not mute sound, so, it was easier to focus on that, rather than try and see her foe.
(Night attacks Abyss Flower with Multilimb attack! Night rolls against DC 60 with a +30 … 49+30 = 79.)
(Abyss Flower reaction roll! Grasp! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 79 with +60 … 100+60 = 160. Counter! Perfect! Throw!)
(Abyss Flower reaction roll! Grasp! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 79 with +60 … 100+60 = 160. Counter! Perfect! Throw!)
Click clack cluck, the claws of the monstrous Night scraped against the floor, the wall, the table. Trying to move around Taylor, she incidentally gave her just enough information to work out where she was in that brief pause as she readied herself for the attack.
Just as she lunged forward, Abyss Flower recognized where she would come from. Whipping around, eyes closed, hand stretched out, Night stopped just centimeters before ripping into her once more with vicious intent. The sharp tips of the claws just vibrated against the sudden constraints, unable to fight it.
Taylor couldn't see her, but she could hear the scraping against the ground with her ears and feel it through her grasp on her form. Slowly, she began to force the claws upwards, higher and higher before Night hung in the air, motionless, helpless, splayed out like a beast at the mercy of a taxidermist.
With a flick of her hand, there was a wet sound and cries of metal as Night shot side wards fast enough to not only leave the fog visibly coiling, trying to fill the now empty air, but to force the monstrous body right through the window, taking the metal decor with her.
(Bella uses Dragonmaid KICK! against Night! Bella rolls against DC 30 with +30!… 11+30=41.)
(Night reaction roll! Night rolls against DC 41 with a +20… 54+20 dodged.)
(Night reaction roll! Night rolls against DC 41 with a +20… 54+20 dodged.)
Bella wasn't sure why her Queen had elected to meet with the blonde girl. She ultimately cared little as to the justifications of her reasoning, as her decision itself was all the justification she needed.
After the… admittedly, catastrophic, evening. Bella had done as her Regent has often suggested. Never to her face, she was too gracious and kind for that, but to her confidants, her sister regents, the Fool and Boss.
She had asked herself what it was that caused that outburst. No, not the outburst itself, but the loss of control, to the point where she had actively ruined something her Master cared about.
She never quite figured it out. For all that she had an understanding of the psyche of sentient beings, she couldn't figure herself out. Although, her time of introspection was cut short by the appearance of her Boss.
She had been consumed by Rage. It had been a long time since Bella had the honor of watching a Herrscher rage against something. Yet, she couldn't help but notice the differences. Her Queen was always graceful, if childish at times, she had a certain flair to her actions, even in the rage, she had spoken the words of the bible, welding its messages as mighty portents of doom for the insects to digest as they were crushed beneath her heels.
Taylor, on the other hand, behaved more like a wounded predator. She wouldn´t twist the fabrics of space and time for her goals, she wasn´t mighty enough yet, but Bella had seen how she decimated the spire. There was a sense of primal intelligence to her actions, always seeking the most devastating spot to strike.
After she left, Bella had followed her, worry consuming her mind, allowing her to disregard her previous issues. Her Queen needed to be serviced, and it was a call she would never refuse.
Especially if it meant she had to crush Humans.
Looking towards the Blonde, Bella was ready to advance on her, only to be interrupted as something crashed through the window of the Diner, still hidden by a bellowing of the fog as it impacted the ground with a wet thud, before rolling fast enough to escape the grasp of the fog.
A woman stood up, dressed in one of these costumes. She stood rather insecure, trying to clear her head.
With a leap forward, Bella tried to eliminate whatever possible danger this woman could present, yet, as she brought her heel down towards her head, the Woman managed to move to the side just enough for the kick to hit the street instead.
(Abyss Flower attacks Night with Grasp! Attack! Abyss Flower rolls against DC 30 with a +60… 92+60=152.)
(Night reaction roll! Night rolls against DC 152 with a +20… 47+20=67, fail.)
(Abyss Flower attempts Diplomacy! Abyss Flower rolls against DC of 80 with a +45…88+45=133)
(Night reaction roll! Night rolls against DC 152 with a +20… 47+20=67, fail.)
(Abyss Flower attempts Diplomacy! Abyss Flower rolls against DC of 80 with a +45…88+45=133)
Taylor, still inside and blinded by the Fog, quickly moved towards the light pouring in. She could feel how the Fog tried to take a hold of her and that told her all she needed. This little fight had already drained about a third of her energy, and the pain wasn't helping her mood. Neither did the claustrophobic feeling of the isolation born by the Fog for that matter.
She pushed through, far enough to catch a quick glimpse of Night´s human form.
{What is Bella doing here?!Good Girl!}
Ignoring just how cheerful Sirin suddenly sounded, Taylor lifted her hand, using it to focus her thoughts and energy. Before Night could even get a noise out, she got lifted from the ground, floating in the air as her body began to contort, her limbs slowly bending backward as her spine was pressed in.
For the first time in this encounter, at least, since the combat had commenced, Taylor chooses to address her opponents.
"Cease. I will break her if you do not surrender." It was unintentional on Taylor´s part, but her voice sent down shivers not only on Night´s back but Lisa´s and even Bella´s as well, although for different reasons. Perhaps it was the cadence, the undertone of irritation, or the soft, almost kind way it sounded if one took the simply the level of volume. Regardless, it made clear that it was not an empty threat or false bravado. Just simple truth. The Fog shuddered, and slowly receded among the sound of cracking joints and pained grunts of his partner in crime. Soon enough, he took form once more, eyeing Taylor.
It was a cold, apathetic stare, yet, not one filled with the cold detachment of logic or duty, but rather a yarning emptiness. He didn't have so much of an expression on his face, not even reacting to the sight of their defeated comrade and his floating partner in crime.
"Leave."
"No. Why would I ?"
Taylor gestured to his comrades in arms. "Two out of three are down, one in critical condition and the other will be in critical condition if I have to continue fighting you."
The man cocked his head to the side, observing her as if she was a particularly interesting object. Then, he spoke once more. "Ich kann sie sich immer noch selbst heilen lassen. Denkst du, du kannst den Nebel stoppen?"
{A bit arrogant. He is saying that he could still reach her and heal her.}
{Confident bastard. Though, I have the feeling he is fully serious about that.}
{Well, I don't think he could. He can pull off this fog explosion thing, but he ain´t gonna make it to her.}
{Right… Kiana, translate please!}
"Da liegst du nicht falsch, jedoch auch nicht richtig. Stoppen kann ich dich vielleicht nicht, sie aber erreichen, das kannst du dir aber auch abschminken. Vielleicht solltest du dir über Schadensbegrenzung Gedanken machen." A brief pause, then a smug grin. "Oder ist dir das zu viel? Sei mal realistisch. Gegen mich kannst du nicht allein gewinnen, wir beide wissen jedoch, dass das PRT selbst lachhaft ist."
Fog narrowed his eyes, before nodding. "I do believe that our message has been conveyed to those that concern it. I shall concern myself with their retrieval later. Es war mir eine Freude, Sie zu treffen." Before Taylor could respond, he vanished into the fog once more.
Combat finished! ADVANCEMENT!
Herrscher of the Void
[2[130/200]]->+46->[2[176/200]]
Grasp!
[2[20/100]] ->+20-> [2[40/100]]
AN
So, the first post of a new chapter, so to speak. I hope people enjoyed it, for one, but I would also enjoy feedback on the implementation of the vote result. The combat was short, but juicy in my opinion, but I did notice that I have a very limited amount of space to work with. I am not sure, but I do think the image per post limit is 10, so that is definitely a limiting factor in how long individual posts can be.
But yeah, feedback on the implementation of the images would be nice, as well as feedback if the slightly more focused approach used here is good for both sides of the isle regarding focus. The intention here was that the Intermissions weren´t just random scenes, but part of the build-up to the main bit.
"Ich kann sie sich immer noch selbst heilen lassen. Denkst du, du kannst den Nebel stoppen?"
"I can always let her heal herself. Do you think you can stop the Fog?"
---
"Da liegst du nicht falsch, jedoch auch nicht richtig. Stoppen kann ich dich vielleicht nicht, sie aber erreichen, das kannst du dir aber auch abschminken. Vielleicht solltest du dir über Schadensbegrenzung Gedanken machen." A brief pause, then a smug grin. "Oder ist dir das zu viel? Sei mal realistisch. Gegen mich kannst du nicht allein gewinnen, wir beide wissen jedoch, dass das PRT selbst lachhaft ist."
"You are not wrong, but not right either. Perhaps I can not stop you, but you can also forget about reaching her. Maybe consider cutting your losses."- "Or is that too much for you? Be realistic. You can not win against me alone, but we both know that the PRT is pathetic."
---
"Es war mir eine Freude, Sie zu treffen."
"It was a pleasure meeting you."
"I can always let her heal herself. Do you think you can stop the Fog?"
---
"Da liegst du nicht falsch, jedoch auch nicht richtig. Stoppen kann ich dich vielleicht nicht, sie aber erreichen, das kannst du dir aber auch abschminken. Vielleicht solltest du dir über Schadensbegrenzung Gedanken machen." A brief pause, then a smug grin. "Oder ist dir das zu viel? Sei mal realistisch. Gegen mich kannst du nicht allein gewinnen, wir beide wissen jedoch, dass das PRT selbst lachhaft ist."
"You are not wrong, but not right either. Perhaps I can not stop you, but you can also forget about reaching her. Maybe consider cutting your losses."- "Or is that too much for you? Be realistic. You can not win against me alone, but we both know that the PRT is pathetic."
---
"Es war mir eine Freude, Sie zu treffen."
"It was a pleasure meeting you."
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