video — un: starburst.

[valeas]

( Hello, Eastbounders.

Once again, a dynamic and alarming duo greets you, with no better news than last time.

In fact, it doesn't seem to be an announcement at all.

The first thing the jostled communicator picks up is... a sound. Guttural, croaked, agonising. It belongs to Lady Arabella, throwing herself upon what becomes quite obviously Wrath's frame. Her mouth opens wider, and wider still, as though she might want to swallow him whole.

The sound becomes a scream, unending.

Wrath's golden gaze stares at Arabella like one might survey a mildly interesting change in the scenery — his own expression impassive as her grip tears the buttons from his shirt.

His companion, on the other hand, reacts a bit more angrily, Emilia's initial concern shifting into something more vicious. As Arabella attempts to latch on to Wrath however she can, Emilia strikes back at her, prepared for a fight. Except it never quite comes: no sooner Arabella is thrown off, she stops,

backpedaling into the communicator that turns the video black. )


NOTE: Again, the second link leads to Grudge-y things. The video is short and choppy and hectic, taking place not long after the assassination attempt on Arabella. Wrath and Emilia helped in the rescue efforts and were, uh, rewarded. For more details, feel free to read here.

Comments

[valeas]

No.

They may have been apologetic, but they didn't want us to linger any more than we wanted to stay. Should we need to return, though, Wrath can now transvenio. ( So long as he grows familiar with a location, he can always go back to it.

And this feels like only the beginning. )

[inferus]

I certainly intend to speak to her again to learn more.

( If they had left and burnt the lilies, they would not know that she had come to her senses but failed to remember what happened. They would not see the attendants react with equal amounts of confusion, concerned for Arabella. )

But we didn't want to overstay our welcome, and Arabella clearly wished for time to recover from the incident. She appears to have no memory of what happened. ( So what took over her then? )

[somebadnews]

[ Not that he was nervous, but it's good to hear that confirmed by both of them. It feels like they might have been set up, and whoever was possessing her very nearly got away with whatever they were trying to do.

He doesn't know how he feels about Wrath returning. Five has been on edge since he got here, and Arabella just demonstrated why. ]

If she doesn't have any memory of it, what are you hoping to learn? Are you going to try to trigger it again?

[inferus]

I would like to see if there are any changes in her when I visit her again and to find out what she may know about the attack or flowers. It would provide valuable knowledge if I spoke the phrase again and it worked as it did before or if it had no effect this time. ( He would imagine that it would no longer have the effect. What happened, it happened. There's no reason Emilia simply shoving her should have interrupted anything at all. ) Presumably, she read the note herself before.

( But that was not enough. It was someone speaking it out loud to her. )

[somebadnews]

[ Said like someone who has never had his soul pulled out of his body. Or maybe he has. There's still a lot about Hell Five doesn't know about. Is it unlikely she'd be able to succeed? Yes. But it's hard to get that image out of his mind. ]

And you're sure it was the phrase that set it off?

[inferus]

It happened the moment the phrase was spoken to her.

It's difficult to think of anything else that may have set it off. She was grateful for our aid in her escaping. When she realized I am a detective, she gave us the flowers and note, thinking they were related to the attack.

I don't know that they are, however.

[somebadnews]

[ Wrath is in a unique position, with his job, so he has an excuse to come back. He just doesn't think it'll stop with two failed attempts to get to her. There's another possibility, that she's the real enemy here and whatever possessed her is waiting for another opportunity to get him alone. ]

It wasn't a normal attack. Did you feel anything, when she got close to you?

[inferus]

Nothing at all. I agree it was... curious, strange. It's unclear what exactly the attack intended to do - kill, maim, injure? ( Would she have attempted to bite him if she had gotten that far?

The truth is if Emilia wasn't there he likely would have allowed her attempt if only to see what it is she intended on doing. )

[somebadnews]

Or something else entirely. [ He doesn't trust her, but of anyone, Wrath would be able to handle the situation. Even if he doesn't like it. ]

Let me know when you go back.

[inferus]

I will.

Are you worried she will attempt the same action again? ( Is Five worried about Wrath? Strange. Wrath is not entirely used to that. ) I don't believe I was ever in any danger if that helps.

( Likely not because Wrath has difficulty seeing that this world makes him more vulnerable than his own. )

[somebadnews]

[ Of course he's not worried, certainly not to the extent that he needs reassurance. It's just that as much as he'd like to assume Wrath is immune to any kind of magic soul-sucking attack, there's a non-zero chance that this could be one of the few times he isn't. ]

I'm interested in hearing what comes out of it, especially if it's related to the earlier attack. [ Not a lie. ] If she tries it again and you're forced to take care of her, you might end up helping the assassins.

[valeas]

( Emilia knows of Grace, and she also knows that Five and his family come from a more modern time. Modern enough that men have walked on the moon, she still can't get enough of that story from Allison. So with Wrath answering Five's questions, Emilia decides to ask one of her own: )

Have you ever seen anything remotely like this? And not just this specific example, but the behavior of some of the delegates when the great clock struck?

( Are wires getting crossed? Are these droids? She doesn't know! )

[somebadnews]

[ Five has to be careful, talking about Grace where Diego could overhear. At least, he assumes Emilia is asking because she knows about their mother.

He also thinks of Winnie, and what happens to a body when she removes a soul, but chasing that thread led him nowhere when they'd tested it on the pirates. He's not going to ask her to try it again on a hunch. ]

I've seen what happens to a robot when it starts to degrade. It was similar to how they acted in the square, but nothing close to what you just witnessed. [ That wasn't just a malfunction in her programing. ] The most I can say is the timing is suspect enough to be related.

[valeas]

( A contemplative sound, agreement while she thinks. )

Even the fact she received them a week ago is questionable, timing-wise. Wrath noticed some of the windows were altered, carefully so, and over some time. The fissures only eased way for the attack that much more.

( Something was already in place a week ago, before they arrived. Some steps they'll need to retrace. )

[somebadnews]

[ That makes sense that there would be a fair amount of planning beforehand. Five wouldn't mind finding who was behind it himself. If he hadn't been shot, he would have already gone after them, but he saw frustratingly little. ]

In that case, they might try a third time. There are less complicated ways to assassinate someone if that's what they were after, so it's probably more complicated than that.

[valeas]

Yes. It is more likely, then, that death was not the objective. She would be more useful alive as it is.

( with the understanding that alive ... is not so clear-cut a thing as it should be.

she considers this. does her best to shake off her lingering unease, the sounds arabella made that still ring in her ears. and after a moment of pause, fiddles with her device until the conversation is marked PRIVATE: ) Are you all right?

Private

[somebadnews]

[ He would have kept listening to her theories, but that question comes out of nowhere. Doesn't he sound fine? ]

Why wouldn't I be? [ Before she can answer — ] I'm not the one who just fought off a possessed woman.

Nice work, by the way. I don't think everyone could have handled that as well. Who knew you could beat possession out of someone.

Private

[valeas]

( And she was not the one shot with a fear bullet, but she sees him give no opening, and does not press the issue further. Allison and Wrath are with him in Minaras. They'll take care of each other as Diego and Emilia will in Eidris. Doesn't mean she hates any of this any less, in truth. )

One of the more satisfying methods, I'll admit. But it doesn't speak to an effective sleeper agent.

( Just learned that phrase from Allison, yes. )

Private

[somebadnews]

[ Well done, Allison. Leave it to a movie star to think that's how all sleeper agents work. ...Although what does he know, once magic is involved. ]

No, it doesn't. [ But since she switched it to private, he's free to check on his other sibling. ] Remind me to thank whoever decided not to make Diego the detective. You have to keep an eye on him around stuff like this, especially after he killed that warlord.

[ It was bad enough he was there when Five was shot. He halfway suspects he told Emilia about that, if she's asking about him at a time like this. ]

Private

[valeas]

( A slight pause, in which she's reminded Wrath was made detective. Man already had a way of blaming the devil for things he didn't like. The world as a whole would call him evil, call her evil, when humans were the ones who enjoyed watching as witches burned. )

I would have no harm come to him.

( She cares for his siblings in earnest, and feels protective of them, as she strangely feels protective of the mortal realm overall. Allison and Diego are adults and capable of making their own decisions, but where she can make a difference, she would. She will. )

We've yet to see the ramifications of this. ( Not just where that warlord's beasts are concerned, but his brethren. There will always be opportunities for uprisings and betrayals amongst them, but Emilia also has no doubt they'll support each other against outsiders. )

Private

[somebadnews]

[ It's still hard to believe Diego managed it, but he's certain at no point did his brother ever think about ramifications. This is the guy who thought stopping JFK's assassination wouldn't have any major consequences.

So it's refreshing that Emilia thinks of them. He's even glad that she's the one closest to him when Five isn't around. ]

I'm sure it'll come up. [ It's yet to be seen if it'll lead right into an apocalypse, but considering a Hargreeves was involved... Emilia might not yet realize what she's getting into. ] Thanks for looking out for him. I'm not optimistic that it's going to get better.