expiationnet | voice;

[ Well, thank god there's at least one person who isn't asking why she'd even think it's a witch in the first place, even after she tries to explain. Maybe it's the experience with them. Ange knows from her own experience that you need to spend so little time around even a single witch to know what they're all like.

So rather than commenting on that - or even showing she's glad about the agreement, considering she's still putting up her best pokerface attitude here - she focuses on the latter half of what he says. ]

An Observer?

[ Just by the way he says it, it almost sounds more like a title. Hence-- ]

What's that?

[ Her question... doesn't come as that big of a shock, really. There aren't many people who would be aware of all that back home, either. The problem is, Ragna is... not that great at explaining things? In fact, he's not entirely sure he even knows how it all works, but to hell with it. ]

It's, uh... crap, how do I put it? Basically, it's someone who's capable of enforcing their version of reality onto the world. And by observing people, you can fix them into reality in case their existence is uncertain or some shit.

[ And, once again, he says it in a matter-of-fact way, like it's all completely normal. Yup. Nothing out of the ordinary with those statements. ]

Most Observers are probably only strong enough to observe themselves and another person, maybe two. But if whoever's pulling the strings here can maintain the existence of dozens of people from different universes, then they'd probably have no trouble affecting this whole world.

.. I guess the concept of that and witches isn't so different where I come from.

[ Maybe that's the reason why Ange is replying so calmly to what he's saying here. As if Ragna just explained something that's clearly totally normal and fully makes sense. Like he's explaining the job of a baker or a tailor, rather than something that seems to almost deal with metaphysical concepts.

She pauses for a moment after she says it, seeming to think. ]

I wonder if it's a coincidence or not that we're both here, while also both being familiar with these sorts of concepts. Clearly not everyone in this place is. [ Judging by the sheer amount of people who asked her what she even meant by witches, even though it's so clear to Ange herself.. ]

Guess it doesn't need to be either-or, huh. Semantics.

[ He can think of a person or two who could fall into both categories, as well as a few who only fit into one of them, and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter what they're calling them. Still a perfectly normal, everyday concept to bring up. Yup.

Ragna listens to her suggestion, pausing to consider it. Although she can't see it, he scowls as he tries to piece together what this could mean and fails miserably. ]

... There might be something to it. Question is, did they mean to bring a couple of people who know this stuff here, or was that just a fluke?

[ Obviously, keeping people in the dark about the person behind it would be more beneficial than bringing in people already familiar with this sort of thing. ]

[ Hm.

Good point, that last part. ]

If it's a mistake, then maybe that means people like us can figure out how to get out of here. [ Not.. that Ange has any leads on that, mind you. She may be desperately trying to gather information, sure, but there's nothing so far that has indicated anything like a way out to her. ]

I mean, I don't know about you, but I have better things to do with my life than sit around here and entertain whatever dragged us in here. If they want to throw us into jail for some crime, they better hold a trial first.

[ Ah yes, the whole "how do we get outta here" thing. There is... a lot to unpack regarding the circumstances under which Ragna got spirited away from his world, and what it means for him to "return" there, but that's not something he's willing to share with anyone. The point is, it needs to be done, so the best course of action is to just go with the flow and say he intends to "go back" just like everyone else. ]

We sure as hell can try. You bet I don't feel like sitting with a thumb up my ass waiting for something to happen.

[ In fact, he's already getting restless, knowing that he hasn't been able to do anything about his situation yet. But of course, that requires knowing how to proceed. If, and that's a big if, things work anything like he's used to, then he might at least some idea where to start, so he might as well try that.

Time to resume the Normal Talk™. ]

... Ever heard of Cauldrons? Or Gates of Sheol, or... whatever it might be called over there. Y'know, the doors leading to the Boundary between worlds?

[ Technically, he has one of those hanging from his shoulder pretending to be his right arm, but... he doesn't think that one can work as means of interdimensional travel. ]

[ She slowly shakes her head - though honestly, Ange seems to be listening to Ragna pretty attentively here. The girl is prone to looking a little bored while talking to people, especially with her ever-present pokerface and all, but there's a little something more to it right now.

Something in her eyes that very much shows she's paying attention to his every word. He's got the right attitude, after all. It's the exact same way Ange feels about being here - they can't just sit around and do nothing. ]

I haven't. [ She says, following up on that shake of her head. ] Though I've traveled between different worlds before, I was never the one initiating the traveling, so I'm not too sure of how its mechanisms actually work. But you know how it works where you come from?

[ His words seem to indicate as much, after all. ]

[ Ragna isn't bothered by her lack of enthusiasm ─ it's not as though he's the most expressive person around, and all of that hardly matters when she's already proven herself reasonable enough to talk with and ready to get shit done if needed, and that's far more important in his book. ]

... Not exactly.

[ He admits slowly, seeing no reason to claim he can do something he's not an expert at. Sure, he's aware of the inner workings of his world to an extent very few people are, but at the end of the day, he's definitely still flying by the seat of his pants when it comes to dealing with all that. Usually he at least has others popping in with vague, cryptic and otherwise unhelpful hints and comments, and frustrating as he's always found those, he kind of finds himself missing them now. ]

All I know is that you can use Cauldrons to go to other possible worlds, but you need someone observing you unless you wanna end up as a semi-sentient pile of goo.

[ That... is a thing that happened, by the way. ]

Ah, gross.

[ ...

There's a slight pause after Ange says that, so quickly after Ragna is done talking that it definitely seems instinctive on her end more than anything else, but.. apparently that's all she has to say to the idea of being turned into a pile of goo.

Valid, honestly. ]

In other words, that method would be completely useless to us unless one of the Observers you know would also end up here. .. or if our "local overlords" were to serve as the Observers, but I somehow doubt they'd be very happy to assist in our escape. [ Given that whoever they are, they're the ones who brought all of them here to be punished. Like they're in some world-sized jail. ]

[ Yeah, he's happy to leave that one at this; the less said about it, the better. ]

... Yeah, guess that's out. [ He clicks his tongue in frustration. What other options are there? ] Still, I'll take a look around the town and whatever the hell's beyond it. If I can find a Cauldron, it'd at least be a start.

[ Ragna makes a small pause, wondering if he truly even believes he can find one of those just lying around; it's pretty unlikely the "overlords", as she called them, would leave such a big loophole in their jail-slash-purgatory creation. But what else can he do, other than try? ]

If not... maybe I can find something else.

[ It would be much easier if he knew what to look for in the first place, but beggars can't be choosers. ]

[ There's a tiny pause this time on Ange's end. She takes in what he says, sure, but then there seems to be a moment of just her staring at Ragna - almost as if she's observing him.

Then she speaks up, her voice a little slower this time. ]

You're surprisingly helpful.

[ P-Please, Ange, you could've let out the 'surprisingly'..!! Though the girl's tone doesn't even seem to be malicious as she's saying it. It's more like she's just making a genuine, objective observation.. ]

Are you the heroic type or something like that?

... Huh?

[ His eyes grow wide at that comment ─ no, not the "surprisingly" part, he honestly couldn't care less about that wording. But, "heroic type"? Him? No matter how you slice it, those two things just don't go together.

Once the initial shock of being called that wears off, Ragna scoffs, almost as if he's offended by the mere suggestion. ]

Me, a hero? As if! What the hell even gave you that idea?!

[ I-It's not like he wanted to be helpful, you baka!! ]

[ Is he--

Is he basically tsunning about being called a hero? It's definitely a question that's passing through Ange's thoughts right now, and she's kind of glad that she's got a pretty good ability to hide just how taken aback she actually gets by certain things.

It means she manages to keep up the even tone and pokerface, despite definitely getting caught off guard by that reaction. ]

You know, most people would consider being a hero to be a good thing.

[ See? Her tone is so calm and even, like she's just reading something from a dictionary when she's pointing this out.

Who hurt you, Ragna!! ]

[ She does have a point, of course; but the thing is, that logic doesn't really apply to Ragna. He could never be a "hero", not just because fate dictated so, or because it's his destiny as the Destroyer or whatever. He himself made the conscious choice to become the enemy of the whole world, and he doesn't regret that decision in the slightest.

To call him a "hero" after all that would be fundamentally wrong on so many levels. ]

Yeah? Guess I'm not "most people", then.

[ Having managed to reign in his initial outburst, he now makes it sound like he's disinterested in the subject and just above all that. Or at least, he hopes that's how it comes across. ]

[ ...

There's actually not really that long of a pause, considering that Ange thinks so much that she's rather good at thinking quickly at this point. And she is thinking about all of this for a moment. Maybe not too deeply, since she hardly even knows this guy, let alone being fully sure whether or not she can trust him. But still-- this weird hero complex (or not-hero complex?) does stand out.

Just enough to mentally note down, even if she doesn't think about it more for now. ]

Ah, I see.

[ Hence why she seems so willing to otherwise drop it for now. No need to go into other people's potential complexes. ]

Well, I guess it doesn't really matter. As long as we both want to figure out more about this place, then that means we've got a shared interest, right?

[ An anti-hero complex, if you will.

But he appreciates that she drops the subject and moves to the really important part. ]

Right.

[ The unspoken implication, he assumes, is that now that they've established they have a common goal, they might as well work towards it... together. Ugh. That's not... something Ragna is used to or particularly good at, but it's not like he has much of a choice, does he? ]

So...

[ He makes a pause, not sure how to put his thoughts into words. This, too, is something he's not great at. ]

I guess... I wouldn't hurt...

[ He's already begrudgingly accepted the idea that he might need to cooperate with other people here, and even agreed to become "allies" with some people, but actually being the one to suggest teamwork is actually killing him. Please bear with him, this is the most difficult thing he's done in a long time. ]

... to like... exchange info every now and then or some shit?

[ Nailed it. ]

[ There's truly something to be said about Ange's ability to keep a pokerface. Because even in the face of this - of Ragna trying to force out those words so awkwardly that it almost leads right into something comical she manages to keep a completely straight face. Just staring. Slowly blinking. Not even a hint of a smile.

(Maybe it also helps that Ange, not exactly the most social person in the world, actually gets why this is a struggle for him. Kind of relatable, honestly.) ]

Sure.

[ There was the slight temptation to make a dry joke here, something like 'it sounds like you're asking me out,' but Ange is being tactful for once.

Even if a very direct, blunt agreement is tactful by Ange standards. ]

Don't worry, I won't harass you into slapping the 'f-word' onto it right after a first conversation unlike some outgoing types. [ Friend.

The f-word she means is friend.

They're both awful at this. ]

This is just about survival in a place like this.

[ That reply gets an amused snort out of him. He even cracks a smile! It's not often that he comes across people who are willing to cooperate without trying to force their Power of Friendship bullshit down his throat; sure, he'd rather do everything by himself, but given the circumstances, this is the next best thing. ]

Much appreciated.

[ Ironically, that makes him act a whole lot more friendly than he usually does. Funny how that works, huh? ]

So far, the survival part ain't too hard... though I'm willing to bet that's subject to change somewhere down the line.

[ He doesn't sound particularly concerned about it, though? Mildly irritated is more like it. He figures it's probably safe to assume shit's gonna hit the fan eventually, and it'll be a pain in his ass, but that's for the future him to worry about. ]

It usually does in these situations.

[ Though, in Ange's experience, fighting back often isn't really an option. Not when your opponent outmatches you greatly - but then again, if whoever is in charge here is going to such lengths to continue to hide themselves, maybe they'll send them lesser threats to deal with eventually.

.. she maybe be overthinking things a little, but Ange likes to call it being careful, alright.

Besides, it also makes another thought enter her brain, especially with the tone Ragna is using. ]

It sounds like you can fight.

[ Either that, or he's really good at running away to sound that confident here. ]

Sure can. Hell, you could probably say it's my specialty.

[ This, too, is a simple statement of a fact rather than bragging. If he's got one thing going for him, it's exactly his ability to fight, no matter how dire the situation or how bleak the circumstances may be. In fact, some would argue that this stubbornness and instance to keep fighting even when faced with impossible odds are more of a weakness than anything, but who cares what other people say? That's how he wants to live his life, and it's no one's business if it's reckless or stupid. ]

If whoever's keeping us here decides to finally show their face, I'm gonna beat the crap outta them. The only problem's actually finding them, since it doesn't look like they'll be coming forward willingly.

[ Things would be so much easier if they could just solve everything with violence, gosh! ]

.. oh. Really?

[ That's not even at his claim about it being his speciality. Ange knows there's people who train to fight, after all, whether it's for personal reasons or just to make a living as a bodyguard or something along those lines.. It sure doesn't seem impossible, even if he seems strangely confident about it when he's saying it like this.

No, she can believe that part. What she's 'surprised' about - if you can call it that, considering Ange still sounds like her generally unflappable self - is-- ]

In that case.. it makes everything way easier. So you're saying all I have to do is draw out whoever is behind it, and then you'll take care of the rest? [ ANGE, DON'T DUMP IT ALL ON RAGNA'S PLATE...

On the other hand, it's also just some self-awareness, okay. Ange knows she can't win from a witch, after all. So she might as well try to find someone who thinks they can for that part. ]

[ When she says that, all casual like it's not a big deal at all, Ragna's brain comes to a screeching halt. That... is a lot to just dump on someone she's just met over the internet?? Yeah, he's pretty nonchalant about the whole thing too, but even he has his limits of things that shouldn't be handled so flippantly! ]

You're gonna drop that responsibility on me just like that?!

[ He raises his voice, almost comically so, to yell at her for that suggestion. Buuut, he's literally just stated it's something he is capable of doing... and he's not the kind of person to go back on their word. He lets out a sigh, and once he speaks again it's back to his usual tone, his previous outburst of outrage nowhere to be found. ]

... I guess I did say that, huh? And it works for me, anyway, so... What the hell. Sure, I can agree to that.

[ He doesn't love the idea of being used as someone else's muscle, but in this particular case they've already established their goals are aligned, so he wouldn't be working just for her sake, but his own as well... and everyone else who got dragged in here too, he supposes.

So much for not being a hero, huh... ]

Thanks.

[ Sorry, Ragna.. And double sorry for the way she just seems to glance over his outburst. Hey, if Ragna himself is already coming down from it, then there's clearly no need to address it. He's okay with it, so it's fine!

Hence Ange's rather simple answer. Like the guy didn't promise to fight an actual huge threat, but instead just.. grab some groceries for her or something.. ]

I mean, we're going to have to get rid of them one way or another. And if you're capable of fighting something like that, it might as well be you, right? [ NOT... that she'd say this if she thought he'd lose for sure.. But if he's got confidence in it, then who would Ange be to say anything else? ] I'd probably just get my ass kicked. It would be very embarrassing for everyone involved.

[ Story of his life... somehow, he always ends up fighting for other people?? But again, it's something all of them here might need, himself included, so he's not gonna complain too much. Being given a free rein to do his thing isn't the worst thing in the world, especially with how often people would try to tell him his way of doing things is wrong back in his world. ]

You can thank me once I've kicked their ass.

[ Whenever that might be. Ragna doesn't particularly care for gratitude, and it's not like he's done anything to earn it yet.

Honestly? He can kind of respect her being realistic about her own capabilities. It'd be a pain in the ass if some hot-headed self-proclaimed fighter tried facing an opponent they couldn't possibly beat and caused everyone else even more trouble. ~~That's his shtick.~~ ]

... I take it your experiences with witches aren't of the fighting kind, then?

[ She shakes her head. ]

Not usually.

[ After all, Ange has dealt with plenty of witches she knows she wouldn't be able to match, even if she'd try. Featherine, Lambdadelta, Bernkastel-- even Beatrice is out of her league, despite Ange technically being her successor. ]

It happened one time, but I feel like I got lucky there. The circumstances were just right. [ Another shake of her head, and she looks away from the pendant as she adds: ] I'm not that impressive.

[ It doesn't sound like she's putting herself down - not in tone, anyway. It sounds just as calm as anything else, like Ange is just stating a fact. ]

I'm pretty good at thinking things through, but I only have so much magic. I guess I'd be able to help more with actually dealing with whatever is in charge here if I could find a way to make my magic stronger in this place.

[ Sure, this is her being more forthcoming about a whole lot of things than she'd usually be.. but on the other hand, she doesn't feel like this is very important or delicate information. And since it's relevant enough to their discussion, she figures it can't hurt sharing it. ]

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