expiationnet | 002=VIDEO [ forward dated to March 10th ]

[ It's an evening like any other since the beginning of the blackout ─ since the last rays of sunshine have disappeared behind the horizon already, there are few people left on the streets, whatever little light there is still around coming mostly from candles in the nearby windows and an occasional brazier a person or two may stop by to warm up on their way home.

Even so, it shouldn't be difficult for anyone familiar with Aldrip to recognize the area shown in the video feed despite the surrounding darkness ─ and that's doubly true for those who have been through their "sentencing". The building displayed is, without any doubt, the City Hall, the very same where the Council (supposedly) dwells and casts their judgement upon the Chosen. The person filming this, whoever they are, approaches the main entry to the building before stopping right before its doors. They reach out to it, but instead of placing their hand on the knob as some might have assumed, they press their palm against the surface of the door instead. It's at this point that the mysterious figure speaks up, and those who know him will surely have no trouble realizing who it is. ]

... Restriction 666 released, dimensional interference field deployed.

[ Multiple elaborate magic circles start appearing from beneath his hand, their blue light illuminating the area and making it easier to see for those who haven't recognized the place yet. Paying them no mind, the voice continues: ]

IDEA Engine, linked. BlazBlue... activate.

[ An ornate crest flashes in front of him, and then the screen is filled with blinding light. What follows is a loud sound of an explosion, but it doesn't come just from the recording ─ no, anyone in Aldrip will probably be able to hear the almost deafening, sharp noise. The whole thing only lasts seconds, probably, but it might feel like it takes longer than that for the light to finally fade ─ and once it does, the area is completely unrecognizable. Where the City Hall stood just moments ago, there is nothing but a sea of fire and rubble. Surely, there are screams, too, and people rushing in to see what was the cause of the explosion ─ but their voices are drowned out by the sound of falling rocks and crackling fire.

Finally, Ragna turns the charm to face him, appearing completely unfazed like he didn't just raze a building to the ground. ]

The sentencing's been called off. I'm done playing their games.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Ah... See, that's one message that manages to make him feel bad, if only a little. He still thinks it's... weird that Ange cares for him, but whatever reason she might have for that, he'd prefer not to worry her if he can avoid it.

That ship has obviously sailed already, so the least he can do is reassure her that he's fine. ]

Nah, I'm good. [ A beat. ] ... In fact, it's kinda weird that nothing's happened yet. Maybe they really didn't like that building.

[ He keeps his tone fairly light-hearted, but there is some confusion in his voice, too. When Jinx had her little... incident in Ketsora, Jerry reacted almost immediately. So what's stopping them now...? ]

Maybe you broke them.

[ There's some relief in her voice that she can't quite hide as she says those words. It's a relief that has nothing to do with what she's saying - though it'd be nice if they didn't have to deal with that dumb Council anymore, really - and so much more with getting a reply from him. For how calm Ange seems most of the time, her mind was already making up worse case scenarios for what could have happened to Ragna after that display.

.. it means she's quickly speaking up with something else, namely: ]

Are you still there? I'm coming over.

[ She's not going to leave you alone right now, mister!! She refuses!!

Don't think too hard about it!!!!! ]

Wouldn't that be nice.

[ Assuming his suspicions are correct and they're the System keeping them in this place, then this world would soon start falling apart and the Chosen would go back to their respective worlds... as for him, who can tell. He'd probably just blink out of existence and that'd be it. But he somehow doubts things can be that easy.

Ragna frowns at her statement. Sure, there's a bunch of gawking onlookers around, but most of them dare not approach the wreckage (and by extension, Ragna himself) too closely. And he'd prefer it stays that way, just in case Jerry does eventually decide to show up. ]

I sure am, but... there's not much to see here. Although...

[ He trails off, looking in the direction of the rubble. That... thing there, no nothingness more like, does bother him a bit. Who knows, maybe Ange would have some ideas about what it is, too... but at the same time, he wouldn't potentially gamble her safety for her insight, so he shakes his head, returning his gaze to the charm in his hand. ]

... It's probably not safe. Stay away.

[ There's a pause.

Which is saying a lot, really. Usually Ange wouldn't pause in the face of this. She's truly too stubborn, too headstrong to really consider listening to someone else when it comes to her own safety. People back home never gave a shit, so why should she start to care about said safety right now?

But the problem is that Ragna is the one saying it. It's what makes her stop for a moment, rather than just rush right over. He had seemed so genuinely concerned about her before - even if it was in his own special Ragna way - not to mention that he did say he'd keep her safe. Him being so nice to her is something Ange is so unused to that she doesn't want to just totally disregard his feelings. ]

But what if they do come for you? [ Maybe that's why she's exchanging a genuine sentiment here too. Even if Ange is careful to not let all her emotion trinkle through into her tone, there's still a little bit of that real concern in there. ] I don't want you to face that by yourself. I don't-- We have no idea what they might do. No one's ever done anything this extreme here.

[ Ragna would hardly call himself "nice"... if anything, most people think it's rude of him to constantly pushes others away, telling them to stay out of his business. But it's only natural for him not to want others to get hurt by getting involved with him... or his bullshit. The consequences of his actions should be his and his alone. That way, he wouldn't need to have any regrets.

... Which is exactly why he needed to stay away from the people here, making sure he doesn't get attached to any of them ─ and vice versa, of course. So far, that plan's been a total failure, but hey, who knows? That little spectacle might have just increased the chances of the other Chosen not thinking too fondly of him. ]

What, you think I can't handle that? [ He lets out a half-snort, grinning at the charm with confidence bordering on smugness. ] Whatever they decide to throw at me, I've got this.

Well, that's great then, isn't it? If you can deal with it so easily, then you can just protect me if I'm around there as well.

[ Yes, she is using Ragna's own bullshit logic against him.

And she's not sorry at all.

Which means Ange is definitely starting to move now. It's audible on her side of the feed, enough so that it's obvious what she's doing. Ragna's likely close enough to city hall still that she could find him just by heading there, she figures. ]

Sounds like we don't have a problem at all then, even with me coming over.

Huh?

[ Give him a moment as he's trying to keep up with what she's saying. When he finally connects the dots and realizes he pretty much set himself up for this, he raises his voice in protest. ]

Wait, that's not─ I mean, you're not wrong, but─ that's cheating!!

[ Yeah, that's the best he can do right now. ]

[ :)

Ange is actually feeling so good about herself right now. Thanks, Ragna. ]

Reasoning is a bad battleground to pick a fight with me on, Ragna. [ She even SOUNDS amused.. Which is so rare for Ange.. Ironically enough it's only in the wake of this likely bad thing that she can find some amusement for once, huh. ] That's the one place I'll always win.

[ How come this is what it took for her to express, well, anything? And did it really have to involve her being all smug with him?! ]

I wasn't even trying! I just told you how things are, and you decided to flip it upside down without being prompted to!!

[ He's still not entirely sure how she's arrived at that conclusion, or why she's so happy with herself... that last part isn't necessarily a bad thing, mind you, but it is throwing him for a loop here. That's the most unexpected thing to happen tonight, and he's just blown up a government building! ]

I still won. I wanted to see you. Now I'm getting that.

[ .. apparently Ange is also a little bit more open to admitting certain things when she's in a good mood, huh. Granted, she wasn't really fully hiding her worry about Ragna in the first place, given how serious this entire situation was, but this definitely is way more direct about it than she's ever been.

--speaking of seeing him, it seems like Ange has arrived, since she turns off the feed over the charms when she spots the actual guy standing there in the distance. Instead she jogs the final distance up to him, also seeing the spot he blew up in the process - though not quite close up enough yet to see what has been left behind in its wake. ]

You really were right. There's absolutely no one around to even attempt to punish you, apparently.

002=VIDEO [ forward dated to March 10th ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject