not_meatbuns | Rebel 23 [Action - Foward-dated to tomorrow evening]

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Rebel 23 [Action - Foward-dated to tomorrow evening]

[Today has not been an easy day.

It started last night: the steadily rising murmur of voices echoing off the Boundary, so many overlapping and talking at once that the sound has become almost like the buzz of a monstrous insect. She had gone to bed early, entire body aching, hoping that some rest would take care of it.

This morning, it still wasn't gone. The buzz was louder than ever, so loud she could barely hear anything else. And the feedback... the pain was nearly overwhelming. Her head throbbed, lungs burned. But she could do this. She could handle it. Just some tea mixed with the right herbs and the pain will go away.

It took far too long to remember what those herbs were. How many times had she mixed this up before? Why was this so hard now?

Several hours later, as she sat at the front desk of the clinic finishing up some paperwork, the blackouts started.

At first faint, ghostly images of home, familiar faces she knew weren't in Luceti, would flicker in and out around her. And then Luceti began to completely vanish from time to time, leaving glimpses of Orient Town, the lab in Sector Seven, the Kagutsuchi NOL branch, and Ronin-gai to take its place. Memories collided. And the bone-deep terror set in.

It isn't until she starts coughing that she decides to leave the clinic early for the day. Being around other doctors with a blood-flecked handkerchief is just asking for more trouble than she's willing to risk.

Time to go home. Time to just curl up in bed and call it a day and pray that it will be over in the morning.

It isn't until her hand is on the doorknob to her old apartment that Litchi remembers that she doesn't live there anymore. Shaking her head, trying to think clearly, she turns back to head in the right direction.

Disoriented and pained, she starts to make her way back to House 48. But the going is slow; not only is the way blurred from her memory from time to time, but her coughing is just growing worse the longer she walks.

This can't be it. Not here. Not now...!]

[[ooc: The thread with Noel will chronologically come last. ♥ Litchi will not be available after that thread. Beforehand, though, feel free to run into her anywhere along the path from Community Building 2 to House 48.

Also, I gotta leave for work pretty soon, but I will tag when I'm home. ;;]]

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[...?]

I-It's... about what happened back in our world. [A long pause. Noel's so nervous; for a moment, she wonders if she can get through this without backing out, but--] Why... Why were you at the gates with Te--...H-Hazama? [And everyone else. Tsubaki, that man, the... Imperator.]

[If Litchi looked confused before, it has nothing on the look on her face now.]

Hazama? He spoke to me at my clinic, but that was all I saw of him while I was back home.

[Although there's a memory resounding from somewhere that she heard from him again. A park... Lao Jiu peering up at her before bristling at the man approaching them... That sneering tone, the mocking words...

She presses a hand to her forehead as if trying to push back the steadily worsening migraine.]

...What gates do you mean?

W-What? You don't... remember?

[Or rather, it didn't even happen yet. Suddenly, there's a small ray of hope. If they hadn't (apparently) become allies yet, then there was a chance that Noel could stop this before it happens again.

But if he already spoke to her...] Miss Litchi, that man... n-no matter what, you mustn't listen to anything he says! He's dangerous!

[Litchi shakes her head, still looking a little bewildered.]

There's no need to worry; I know he isn't someone to be trusted. He knows--

["--far more about me than he should," is what she almost says, but a coughing fit interrupts her mid-sentence. The handkerchief is far too bloodied at this point to escape notice, so she just covers her mouth with a sleeve.

Careful not to lower her arm enough that Noel would be able to see any flecks of blood, she clears her throat.]

...I-I'm sorry, I... really should get going home...

[Noel fails to see the blood, but Litchi getting into a coughing fit like that... it definitely worries her.

Her eyes widen a bit when she tries to leave; she can't let Litchi go-- not yet--] No, please wait!

[The girl gets a little closer, desperation in her voice increasing gradually.] Miss Litchi... I know you're a good person. If... If anything were to ever happen, I... [She pauses for a second, wondering if she should say--no, it's fine--] Mr. Goroh told me a few weeks ago that "something was wrong with your magic." Does that have something to do with that man-- Hazama? Just... what is going on? Do you need any help?

[And as Noel steps closer again, once again Litchi backs away. The feedback has become something of a muted roar.]

N-no, it... doesn't have anything to do with Hazama. [And she does need help, she has to admit, but without Kokonoe here, her options are pretty limited.] Please... it's nothing to worry about. I'm sure I'll be able to get it under control again before much lon--ger--

[As she coughs again, keeping her sleeve over her mouth, her handkerchief flutters, unnoticed, to the ground.]

Under-- [--control.

...Is what she wanted to say before she saw the handkerchief slip past Litchi's fingertips and onto the earth.]

[That's... That can't be...]

Th... That's-- blood!?

[Oh, no. Litchi wants to keep backing away, just to make sure they keep a safe distance, but her legs are refusing to move. The pain is getting to be far too much. And this cough... she's trying to stop, but it's just not working.

Please, stay back...!]

[This whole time, and Noel didn't even realize just how bad this had become.]

We need to take you to the clinic. [She steps forward, taking hold of Litchi's arms so she wouldn't collapse.] I-If we hurry, maybe--

[--------!!

... ringing...!

data... memories... flowing...]

[Darkness. She can't see...anything.

It's so dark. A room shrouded in shadows. Dust hanging in the air...books piled high to the ceiling. Papers scattered across the room; illegible script scrawled on them.

Within the darkness, something much, much darker is moving...

it's notthat'snot---

"L-Lotte!? W-What--"

a pained scream interrupts the voice; it speaks-- something she can't understand

--not human

the woman's voice screams in terror. these feelings... fear, agony, despair, sadness... noel can feel everything. all the memories are being transferred into her. to much happier days; a time when things were simple.

just like when... she...

smiling faces-- a man--

a man noel has never seen in her life... within the cold, cramped corridors of the organization; laughing with miss litchi.

the same man sitting by his desk, books piling on his desk. sanity slowly fading.

--"What the hell did you touch!? Litchi!"

No... No more, please... Stop!

"Professor... I have to save to him!"

She... She-- No! No more!

"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

The Boundary. Litchi interfered with the Boundary.

"...yes..."

Noel understands now.]

[Miss Litchi is dying.]

--NO!

[Noel manages to finally rip herself away from Litchi; a mere ten seconds later. She staggers away, her legs shaking and causing her to collapse onto the ground. She gasps for breath, unable to keep herself calm from what just happened.

The Power she possessed caused her to see...]

No, no... I...!

[And Litchi, for her part, has gone completely slack. Arms hanging limply at her sides, her eyes are blank, no spark of recognition within them. She wobbles slightly, the pain still wracking her body. And yet, her expression is completely emotionless, eyes locked on some invisible horizon, seeming as if she is staring past Noel into a world only she can see.

Which isn't far from the truth. All Litchi can see is an endless expanse of darkness, within which is a single, terribly alluring azure light... so warm, so welcoming...

It's calling to her.

Who is she to ignore it?

Her voice barely more than a hoarse whisper, she breathes out the only word repeating in her mind over and over...]

Azure...

[Squeaking frantically, Lao Jiu tries to sign to Noel to get up and run. This is out of his control. There's nothing left for him to rein in.

Litchi Faye-Ling is gone. All that remains now is the Boundary.]

[Her breathing still hitched, she barely looks up. Lao Jiu is trying to get her attention, but for once... Noel isn't very focused on the panda, instead looking right back at Litchi's emotionless, blank eyes.

She...can't move...]

...Miss Litchi?

[Noel's only answer is a mirthless laugh, almost a hiccup. Her eyes gleam despite absolutely no trace of a smile on her lips.]

Azure... Azure...!

[She staggers a step forward, another, more shrill laugh breaking free of her.

Knowing full well that there isn't much time to waste, Lao Jiu abandons his post on Litchi's head. He leaps down, scurries as fast as he can over to Noel and up her arm, gets a pawful of blond hair and yanks. The time to run is now. Get moving, lieutenant!]

[That laugh causes Noel to whimper. She tries to find the strength to move away, but she can't.

Why... Why is it always like this? What did Noel do to make this happen?

Thank god Lao Jiu was there; the painful tug of her hair causes her to snap out of her state of despair.] Ow--!

[Realizing what the panda is trying to tell her, Noel haphazardly gets to her feet, backing away from Litchi as Lao Jiu remains on her head.]

Edited 2010-09-05 00:08 (UTC)

[I... I need to get out of here!

Not bearing to be able to stay in the same place with Litchi anymore, Noel turns her heel and attempts to run away from the woman.

She doesn't have Bolverk.]

Edited 2010-09-05 00:10 (UTC)

[She stays absolutely still for nearly a full minute, a brief glimmer of confusion crossing her face as the azure light draws further away. It... it's going too far. She has to stop it. She has to catch it. That is where she belongs.

One leg twitches before she takes a lurching step forward. And another, smoother than the last.

A golden aura causes a brief sheen around her. Her eyes flicker with a light that is bordering on ruby red.

And then she's off like a shot, feet flying faster than they ever have before.

The Azure will not get away from her.]

[She's going to keep running and running; unlike yesterday with Tsubaki, Noel doesn't have a destination in mind. She just wants to get out of there--as far away as possible from Litchi.

Not wanting to risk losing Lao Jiu, she takes the small panda off her head and cups him into her hands, holding him close as she maneuvers around the trees and shrubbery.

It's only two minutes in that Noel realizes she's lost and there's a strange noise coming from behind her; likely Litchi. Fear overwhelming her, and without a proper weapon to defend herself, all Noel can do is to run faster. ~~WHY DIDN'T YOU LISTEN TO KOKONOE >8C~~]

[All this brush is slowing her down. The Azure is getting too far away. The golden aura throws off a harsh glow around her as she spins and casts a much stronger version of her usual All Green -- three glaring jets of flame bursting out of the ground right on Noel's heels.]

[Noel was too terrified to look behind her, hoping that somehow she'd manage to lose Litchi. She noticed her surroundings had begun to lighten up, followed by hearing the incoming explosions headed her way. She screams in fear, and the moment she feels her back begin to burn jumps and rolls away for dear life.

When she turns around to see just what Litchi had done, her breath stops short; the grass and shrubbery caught in the crossfire had burned, leaving nothing. Making sure Lao Jiu was still in her grasp, she quickly pulled herself to her feet again, moving to run again, but not before screaming:]

Miss Litchi, please stop!

[The words fall on deaf ears. Satisfied that her path is cleared, Litchi just starts forward again, picking up speed when Noel starts to run again.

The Azure... it's so close...!]

[Oh god, oh god. You know what? Running in a straight path may not be a good idea. Quickly glancing to her side, Noel will make a sharp turn and force her way through more shrubbery and any other similar obstacles onto hopefully eventually another path out of here. Maybe that'll slow Litchi down?]

Edited 2010-09-05 04:02 (UTC)

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