The Talk (Ruo/Hibiki)

Ruo had only been to Hayabusa once before and met a strange hyperactive man. So it seemed that even a small old town like Hayabusa had its surprises. Even more so than usual. It was a bit disquieting to see all these new things pop up that she really did not take note of until after she had awakened to her Persona. This time she had an engagement to get to. Recently she had given Hibiki her contact address; which was a rather odd little code that if someone sent an email, it would be sent to a little “box” so to speak in Ruo’s head. She could respond accordingly. This was made to make contact easier since Ruo could respond rather quickly, to the point where you could have instant speaking over this as she sends back messages. It was yesterday that Hibiki had messaged her for the first time, asking her to meet with him in Hayabusa; specifically in the market. Immediately after he sent it, since she was able to get a signal at the time, she was able to respond quickly with a yes. She did not have any plans, and it seemed that for Hibiki to come to her and ask her to go somewhere, it seemed important. She half-expected him to be afraid of her after she revealed what she was: an android made by some underground group of people. But he seemed to take it rather well, which was fine with her. Hibiki was probably the only one she genuinely trusted at the moment, so she would listen to him if he needed something. She would walk into the small market, and check around to see if the place he asked to meet at was there. And to her confirmation, the restaurant he had spoken of was indeed there.

The small area was family-owned, and even had a small place to buy sundries. She wondered if she should have told Hibiki that she had no money, as they were meeting in the eatery part of said market so she could not be of much use. She would instantly send that message, that she was rather strapped for money and could not pay if they chose to eat. She would remain there for him, and leave to walk the area if he so choose. She did not want to make him pay for a meal he could not or did not want to pay for. Hibiki was someone she was starting to at least pay mind to. She wanted to keep him as an ally, and he was the best person to help teach her about the ways of his world. And now that he knew what she was, perhaps teaching her would come easier for him. Regardless, she would make her way to the entrance of the eatery and remain there. She had worn her general shorts and jacket, open now, even revealing lightly the one scar covering her heart, and her hair was tied up as normal. She would take glances around her just to be safe, as she did not know whether she stuck out or not. For some reason she felt rather calm today. Her worries were not getting to her as much. Maybe it was the atmosphere of the town. Apparently it did that to people sometimes, who’s to say it did not do something for an android?

Walking off from the dorms after waving the other students away, Hibiki made his way towards Hayabusa, avoiding the random crowds on the path, thinking on how to go about with this. He wasn’t completely sure what he wanted to accomplish when he asked Ruo to meet him today. The general idea indeed was, to talk about the things happening, as she was one of the few people he knew that had a Persona, but he wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to achieve with this. Well, he’d first have to see what she’d have to say to this, then he could decide how to proceed. While it would be nice to have someone to help along, he wasn’t going to force her into anything if she didn’t choose so herself. The funny part was, he had no idea how the others would react if he brought her along. That would certainly cause a ruckus. Hmm, maybe if she got stronger and was of some use? That might convince Naito at least. Hibiki laughed to himself silently, amused at the silly direction his thoughts were taking. It was most likely that it would turn out totally different from anything that he’d make up in his mind beforehand, so he might as well just be wasting his brain cells on this. The irony.

Still sort of in the middle of funny scenarios, he stopped just short of the entrance to the mall. Glancing at his phone briefly, he shrugged to himself. He did not particularly mind where they ended up while talking, so the money issue Ruo was addressing shouldn’t be trouble. He would be willing to pay if she asked though. He had enough to do that once in a while, and she was nice enough for him to consider that option. Besides, he was the one asking her to come, so it would make sense in that regard. He’d see about that in meantime. ‘’Hello Ruo, long time no see. I hope you weren’t busy, I wouldn’t want to hog your time.’’, he would say once making his way towards the meeting place and noticing the female in question standing near the entrance. That was a bit of a stupid question in retrospect, as she wouldn’t have agreed had she been occupied by something of a different matter, but it was a habit to ask, in a way. Paying mind to whatever she gave as an answer, he would nod, before speaking again. ‘’Well, would you like to stay here, or walk while we talk? I don’t mind either, so it’s up to you.’’ He didn’t want her to feel concerned about the money, or anything like that. There would be a lot to concern over once they talked about the important stuff. He still had to figure out how to handle this topic. Perhaps something would come to mind, while he’d listen to her decision.

Come to think of it, Ruo probably should not have asked about paying. She no doubt would not have eaten anyway, due to her system for one being incapable of digestion…as far as she knew. But she did not want to take any sort of risk trying to eat noodles that would get clogged in her machinery, or worse, get tangled or messed up over her heart. Perhaps she should have mentioned that. Moreover, Hibiki probably did not know if it was appropriate to eat or not despite knowing what she really was; so she would not hold it against him. She would continue to wait until Hibiki showed up, causing Ruo to smile lightly. She was smiling at least around that man. She wondered why that would happen. What was she learning from all this? “Hello Hibiki. No, you are rather alright. I do not do too many things as of late. Even after what you and I know,” she said nodding. The man was as plain as ever. Nothing out of the ordinary apart from his power, yet at the same time, still very capable. If only she had something to do herself or had any ways to get stronger. Maybe then she would matter.

When he asked about possibly picking another place, Ruo would take a glance around the eatery inside and would turn back to Hibiki and nod. “Actually, I don’t think I would be capable of eating as it were. Unless you are hungry, maybe we should move somewhere else,” she said. She would even let out a small laugh at the thought. Has she ever laughed before? If not then it may have come to a surprise to Hibiki. Ruo did not really notice it herself, and if Hibiki pointed it out, she would give a confused look. “I didn’t know I did that…” she would say. Whatever the reason, she would walk from the entrance and into the market itself, before walking outside to the side of the street, which held a bench where she would sit. Hibiki was always free to offer other areas if he so chose. She would sit very stiffly, not even leaning her back onto the back support on the bench, and instead sit normally, her legs on the ground not really moving. Assuming Hibiki came to sit, she would nod. “I suppose you had something rather important to talk about?” she would ask. For him to send her a message, he probably had something to say. Unless he was there to “mingle” if that was the word. It would be alright with her for the most part. She would just look around every so often to get a glimpse of the area around her.

Weakness:

Hibiki smiled lightly in return as Ruo denied being busy, saying that she still didn’t do much aside from probably checking things out as she was before. Well, finding something entertaining to do after going without such activity for a period of time wasn’t easy, so he wouldn’t blame her. And even though she did have a Persona, anything related to that was surely dangerous at least in some way, so caution was to be heeded there. No need to rush into it, unless it was necessary for a reason. ‘’Still haven’t found anything interesting enough, then? I guess it is pretty hard to do, after all.’’, he said with a slightly thoughtful tone. He himself didn’t bother with searching lately, as he got sort of dragged into the mess that was happening in Ueitawa currently. From a twisted angle, that might be considered as a sort of activity to pass free time too, although a bit brutal, so to say. Maybe not for those that liked being in danger every once in a while, who knew? It was tiring to keep up sometimes, though.

Well, he hadn’t really thought about the correlation between being a machine and eating food
before, and admittedly it made sense that she wouldn’t be able to eat like a normal human. Perhaps he should have paid more mind to that before, but since they were at the mall and could walk somewhere else it wasn’t that much of a fail. At least that was a good excuse for not thinking enough. Okay, maybe it wasn’t, as it should have been obvious. Perhaps he had too much on his mind lately to even consider such painfully simple affairs. Ruo, strangely seemed to be even sort of amused by the predicament, so maybe it was fine anyway. It was a little surprising, as she didn’t seem the type from what he gathered so far, but he chose not to call her out on it. It might just take her aback if he did. A bit of humour wasn’t a bad thing, with things leaning so much towards the serious side lately. ‘’Sure, we can go.’’, he’d say simply before following her out of the place.


He stood still for a little while when Ruo sat down a bench before following her. It wasn’t cold, so they might as well stay outside. Less people to listen to them talking too. As she asked what did he want to talk about, he sort of pondered over it a bit. Not an easy topic to start with. ‘’Well, yes, in a way.’’, he said, almost a bit sheepishly. Wow, it was almost funny that he didn’t know how to start with this. ‘’Let’s see. Remember that time we went to that Limbo place?’’, he’d ask, giving a small pause before speaking up again. ‘’Recently, I met some others that have a Persona as well, and let’s just say things are going bad. Those Shadows seem to be escaping into the real world too, and trouble is brewing up. I was sort of wondering if you noticed anything out of ordinary lately? It would be nice to know, as things are getting out of hand pretty quickly.’’, he’d say, giving Ruo some time to think on a response afterwards, waiting patiently to see what she’d have to say to that. He would decide how to proceed after he heard her input on this.

“I am still learning. Just recently I went to an arcade with an odd individual. I learned about “Frogger”. Rather interesting if I do say so myself,” she said, making a thoughtful nod towards the event. She no doubt thought that could help her in the future. “Although I would much rather focus on the mysteries behind what is going on. I fear that I have little contacts to help me look around. Maybe I will become more useful if I strengthen myself,” Ruo said. Sitting down on the bench, Hibiki would take a moment before following suit and sitting next to her. Was he nervous at all? He might be after seeing what she was, and did not want to admit it out loud. Either way, Hibiki still remained, so maybe he was able to overcome it. He was a rather strong individual, not only because of his Persona alone.

Either way, he would begin, recalling the day they both met and went to Limbo. She would nod. “Right. We fought two groups of Shadows before leaving because the plan was rather risky,” she said. In truth, they could probably continue on, but it never hurt to be too careful. Plus Ruo was heavily outweighed in strength by Hibiki. She would surely hold him down. Regardless, he would continue explaining in more detail on how he found others with a Persona as well, and that Shadows were leaking into this world? That thought was rather troublesome. She would have to be even more careful about herself and try not to risk getting found by the Shadows. Once more, if this event could be stopped, she would like to assist in any way possible and be of some use. Her role should be acted out on if at all possible. But unfortunately, she did not have much to offer Hibiki in the way of information. “I have not seen any Shadows in our world yet. But I have been going around lately to explore. I will keep watch and look around a bit longer to check on Shadows. Also, if I may be of any help, say so. I know not of what you did while I was not speaking to you,” she said. Maybe if Hibiki brought her up to speed on anything else, she would learn more about it. But for now, she would be patient and let him speak his peace.

Though, one thing did trouble her mind. “Have you figured out why the Shadows are coming into our world? If they come into Ueitawa, logically speaking they are coming from those doors that lead into Limbo. But has the reason behind that been discovered is what I ask,” she asked. Actually, there were other doors she had just noticed. A day or so ago, she had recently been starting to see velvet blue doors popping up around the cities. She had not gone into one yet, at least not without knowledge or with a comrade just yet. She would ask on that next and see if she could get any answers from that as well as whatever else Hibiki had to say.

‘’That..is a sort of a game, isn’t it?’’, he’d ask after Ruo mentioned her recent trip to the arcade. That name sounded a bit familiar, but he couldn’t recall it exactly at that moment. It’s been ages since he even stepped close to an arcade, so it sort of made sense he couldn’t pin it. By the looks of it, Ruo seemed to actually seek things out these days, as arcade wasn’t a place one would go to just like that. Truthfully, he was not into games very much, and he hoped she wouldn’t try to talk about that subject extensively. Not that he couldn’t make something up if it came to that. ‘’Maybe so. It depends on having the luck of meeting the right people, but yes, getting stronger might help in those regards. It does indeed make at least a few things easier, when it comes to this kind of stuff.’’, he’d say when she admitted being more interested in the mysterious happenings rather than the boring normality. Well, a mystery did tend to beckon people to try and solve it, didn’t it? And, in a way she was right. Without having someone to rely on, and not being strong to begin with, this kind of activity would be hard and dangerous.

Seated down, he would not when Ruo summarized their meeting in Limbo, before he had continued with his speech. After listening to him, she recalled that she did not spot any Shadows in this world yet, which was a bit reassuring, as it most likely meant that the trouble wasn’t way too big yet, at least when it came to Shadows causing havoc around. But, it could still go downhill in a matter of time, that he was sure of. Ruo offered her assistance immediately afterwards, saying she was willing to help, in case there was something he had not mentioned yet. Well, it was a bit complicated to explain. And she was wondering why were the Shadows crossing over. That was still a bit of a mystery. They did not really have a clear answer to that as far as he knew. ‘’I suppose they are coming through the doors, as that seems logical, but I’m afraid we do not have a clear answer as to why. I guess it is suspected it’s because Limbo is growing stronger and thus being able to cross over to this world, trying to destroy it, but we haven’t found the case yet, I don’t think.’’, he’d say, pausing for a bit, to formulate his thoughts more clearly. ‘’We do know of some people who might know more about it, but getting to them isn’t easy. So far we’ve only been getting into fights when trying. And the last one was already pretty hard. But I guess there is no help to that, as this world may even get destroyed if we do not stop Limbo from expanding like that.’’, he’d say with a sigh. It really was a complicated issue, and he was not used to speaking his mind that much. This was almost a record. The only other person he conversed with in that way was Naito, and that was an offways talk, really. ‘’There is a lot more to it apparently too. There have been disappearances at school, and from what is known, someone is throwing them into Limbo to let Shadows kill them. Which is a thing we haven’t really gotten into yet. There’s too much going on right now, that it is hard to keep on check.’’, he’d add afterwards, before catching a break. That was a lot of talking there. He figured he’d give Ruo some time to sort it all, as it was quite the amount right there. He’d lean against the back of the bench, waiting for what she’d say, enjoying the moment when he could stay silent.

She would nod to Hibiki. “Indeed. I did not know humans used those games as entertainment. Rather interesting,” she said gaining her smile back for a brief moment. Either way, getting stronger seemed to be a must at this point. She would have to find an opportunity to spar, which in all seriousness, would not be that big of a deal to set up, as she has a lot of time already. She would mostly keep silent for the time being, since she is the one learning about all of this. So she would need to pay heed to every single detail he mentions.

Hibiki had mentioned that they did not know why Limbo was coming into their world. But he did mention certain people they knew might know something. “Do you know who these people are?” she asked. Did it have anything to do with that website that she had recently come across? It had strange characters confessing love, the silver-haired man as well. But most likely, they were imposters. It just seemed too off. She would wait for his response and let him continue on. He would talk about the disappearances at school, which Ruo knew very well about. Students had been going missing for short periods and coming back. And then all of a sudden, two victims were killed in the school itself. Ruo already did not like going to a place with that many people; that Killer would no doubt deter her from that place even more so. “Perhaps the two are unrelated? Depending on who these people you speak of are,” she said thinking to herself. She did not have much else to say but ask and listen.

‘’Yes, playing games seems to be getting rather popular these days.’’, he’d say, almost amusedly. Hibiki wasn’t that much familiar with them, really. He had no real reason to do so, nor did he feel inclined towards that. Perhaps he just didn’t feel the same way as most of the younger population did. Whatever the case, it was a moot point right now,

Ruo was  apparently interested in the individuals that most likely know the information on Limbo, which was a valid question, really. ‘’Well, sort of. There is a strange man in a mask that seems to know quite a lot, but he’s quite elusive, and so far we didn’t manage to get anything from there. We have found out where he is, but it is probable that we’ll have to fight him first, so we have to plan and it would help to get stronger before trying for it.’’, he’d say, with a slight shrug. That man was indeed a bit weird, seemingly wanting to meet and all, yet giving them clues and dragging them around first. It would be nice to know what his real objective was. ‘’In a way, those two cases are unrelated, but since the Killer is most likely using Limbo in some shape or form to commit those murders and kidnappings, there probably is a connection somewhere. Not that we have found it yet. We don’t even have a guess as to who could be doing this, aside from the fact that it should be someone from the school itself.’’, he’d say, when Ruo mentioned that the two cases might not be related. While the culprit was likely not the same person, there seemed to be some sort of correlation there, whatever it was. ‘’All in all, it is a mess.’’, he’d add after that, before letting Ruo say something again, if she had any more questions, which he guessed she would, with such a topic on board.

Were they now? A wonder Ruo had not heard of that since coming here. Then again, she had been living in Iwaigodai for most of her time since waking up, and getting her Persona. She had not been staying in other parts of town for longer than some hours in the day just to check them out or do something. But she did not need to be distracted at the moment. Right now, that subject was really long past talking about, and did not really matter at the moment. What mattered was continuing to obediently listen to anything Hibiki had to offer.

That in mind, she would listen to his talk of a Masked Man, which did give her a noticeable look of realization. “Are you referring to that man on that website? What is it called? Deepnight Deadline? He appeared telling those who wanted to see him to go “where the clowns meet”. Would he really try to draw attention to himself?...” she asked mostly to herself near the end. “Probably, considering you and your allies were able to go there and find someone. Are there any other accomplices to that man?” she asked. If there were other people, it would be well worth knowing, so perhaps they could be captured and questioned. Actually, on the subject of suspicious occurrences, it was time she asked a question herself perhaps not really connected to it all. “Hibiki, if I may. This is probably unrelated to the matter at hand, but you seem to know what is going on more than I, so I thought you might know,” she said. If he agreed to answer, she would ask her question. “Recently along with the doors to Limbo I have been coming across similar doors, but they are very blue in color. I have not been inside one due to lack of knowledge on what they were. I have never seen them before, they suddenly started to appear, as the door near where I live suddenly now has a blue door a few steps away. Do you know anything about it?” she would ask. If she could grasp any knowledge about it, she would gladly take it. And Hibiki up to this point has been a very helpful ally in both battle and information.

Getting back on topic, Hibiki would more or less agree that the Killer incident at the school is unrelated to the Masked Man. Given what he just said, Ruo became rather certain of some things. “Most likely the two are unrelated. For one, the Killer has most likely gone undiscovered until now, while this Masked Man seems to want to be found. Most likely they are two different culprits. As for the actual culprit, if the victims are only done at the school, and the  Killer is doing this without arousing suspicion, save for those two specific murders; namely the Principal and that student…” she said. She knew the basics on what had been going on at the school. She thought it may have been related to Limbo or what she knew off hand. “Most likely you’re right. They have to be at the school. Most likely a teacher or student. The issue would be to prove it…” she would say, folding her arms, and giving a look as though she were lost in thought, still focused on Hibiki. She would take a light pause letting him finish his peace. “It is a bit of a conundrum. I hope I can be of some use now that I know some things. If you are chasing after this Masked Man, I shall gladly help. I owe you a lot after all,” she said giving a light smile. They were apparently having a lot of trouble with this issue. She had to find something she could do. It’s weird that she was starting to consider other people’s progress, but maybe she was changing. It was rather scary for Ruo, looking into the unknown and looking to others. But she was not made to be a leader for nothing. She had to be decisive and know what she wanted to do and why.

Hibiki looked at Ruo for a moment, as if a bit surprised. To be honest, he had sort of totally forgotten about that weird TV show, web thingy or whatever it was supposed to be. True, he had seen those shots, and they were definitely creepy. Especially some of them, but he haven’t thought about the meaning behind them yet. At least not in connection to the case. ‘’Well, yes, he did appear there too. Although, that was probably not his real self. From what I know, he seems to think he can help others find happiness and all, and he apparently knows more about what’s happening in Ueitawa right now. So it does seem that he wants people to pay attention to him. Why did he use such an unusual clue then, that I don’t know. Took us quite a while to figure it out.’’, he’d say, before pausing to take a breath. There was no way to spill so much without a stop here and there. ‘’He does have some accomplices, or so it appears as we have met one person so far. Scarlet Red was her name, I think? She was quite weird, dressed in a pink ninja suit, wielding blades and speaking of herself as if she was some sort of heroine. Although, she was controlled by Shadows, so that was most likely not her real personality, at least I would assume so. Whatever was done to her, it did make her strong. She did give us quite the run for money.’’, he’d add after. That was just about how much he knew of that subject. And in all honesty, he hoped that the Masked man did not have more subjects such as Scarlet at hand, as she was troublesome enough herself. More would just complicate the situation even more than it already was.

‘’Sure, as long as I know, I can try to answer.’’, he’d say with a nod, when Ruo mentioned she wanted to know something probably not directly related to their current talk. ‘’Hmm, how to explain that.’’, he’d muse aloud for a moment, before attempting an actual answer. ‘’Those blue doors lead to another kind of reality, I guess. Sort of like Limbo, but this has nothing to do with Shadows and the like. The place is called the Velvet Room, if I remember that right, and only those with a Persona have access there. The people that reside inside are called Attendants, and as far as I know, they are there to help Persona users and give information if needed. Not truly sure on that one. I only met two of them so far, and I have no idea what else they are capable of.’’, he’d say, trying to summarize as simply as he could, although nothing was simple at that moment, if he thought about it.

Hibiki would listen as Ruo gave her own thoughts about the murder cases, before conducting that she most likely had a point there. ‘’True, it is obvious that the people behind this seem to have different motives. Yet, it is strange that it is happening at the same time. It may be just a coincidence, although I doubt that. Maybe if we could get a hold of at least one of the culprits, it would be easier then. If the Killer really is at school, it shouldn’t be that hard to figure out, yet we’re obviously getting outsmarted here. Someone capable must be in charge of that.’’

To put it in a box, the only thing they could to now, was to keep trying, and hope they’d manage to get to the root of this before it’d be too late. ‘’I appreciate that. You should be careful though. The Masked Man is most likely quite formidable. It wouldn’t be wise if you got hurt because you wanted to help. I am not going to stop you from helping out, if you want to, just make sure to stay on guard, okay?’’, he’d say, returning the light smile. She was quite brave to suggest that. A machine or not, this was still a dangerous path to walk, and he genuinely hoped that she wouldn’t cause too much trouble for herself if she did come along. That was not what he was aiming for.

Not his real self? The possibility did seem logical perhaps. She did not know the man Naito, so she could never be decisive until she could decide if that Naito on the website was an imposter or not. But if the Masked Man on there was an imposter, then who was behind the website? Was it one of the others, or were they all imposters? She did recall a blurred out image at the end of some person claiming all of this to be a game, and talking about the murder of the Principal. That could have very well been the Killer. Were they responsible…?

“Perhaps they used this clue in order to eliminate certain people from figuring it out. When you think about it, he seems to be acting like a god would if they believed they would be saving people. A god would also call those other gods that others worshipped “fools” or alternatively, “clowns”. So would the location be the Nokawia Shrine?” she suggested. She had never been herself, but she had street knowledge and knew what was there beforehand. “Then again, that could be taken literally, where “clowns” meant actual clowns. In which case, one might assume the carnival in Yoro. It all depends on what you would do. But regardless, perhaps they expected the smarter people able to discern this to come by and meet this man. He may have high standards,” she said. What was the Masked Man after beyond what the website said? Moving on, Hibiki had mentioned a pink ninja that went by the name “Scarlet Red”. What an odd character, to be wearing clothes that if Hibiki was describing correctly, made you stand out completely. Did this person have no regards to self-preservation, or did she want to be found? Most likely the latter if she was allied with the Masked Man. And she was controlled by Shadows as well? Could those on the website be in that situation as well? No, unless the Naito they knew was being controlled. Unless people had Shadows themselves, which was also a possibility supported with evidence from the reading she had done when she awakened. But they had fought her and apparently won; was that the woman she saw at Naito’s estate when they sparred? That would make a lot of sense.

When Hibiki explained of the Velvet Room, Ruo was rather interested to learn that. She heard the possibility of other worlds existing beyond Limbo described in the reports, but to have it confirmed, and in this form no less is nonetheless surprising. She would have to go there one day and see if she could take a look.

Hibiki had moved on to agree that the Killer and Masked Man are most likely two different people. It made enough sense, and clearly the Killer had to be devious if they were escaping with murder every single time. This person indeed was a force to be reckoned with. But for now, it appeared their focus was on the Masked Man, and when Hibiki had warned her about him Ruo had nodded. A sudden sense of conviction more so than usual took over. And for once, it was not her personality malfunctioning. “I am prepared. Even if I have to be someone in the vanguard taking the first hit. I want to solve the mysteries, and ensure survival for myself along with humanity. I owe you a lot for assisting me, and only touching on what can exist in the world outside my old prison. I wish to help in any way,” she would say. For once, she would not turn to look if someone was there; and instead, look straight at Hibiki, making an obvious face of calm seriousness. She was sure, and nothing she knew would change that any time soon. Decisiveness truly was one of her greatest weapons.

Ruo suggesting that the idea of the clue might have something to do with gods and all almost made Hibiki do a double take. It indeed made a lot of sense when considered from that point of view. And he did remember that the Masked Man did introduce himself as a sort of a god when they met before. So, yes, the shrine was quite obvious in that sense, although with them hurrying so much, it took them a while to figure it out, as good ideas tend to get lost in a rush. ‘’Perhaps he does have some standards. That would make sense. But, yes, you were right with that first guess. It was the Shrine, and admittedly it does make sense now that I think about it. I have met that man once before, and he did introduce himself as a god even. Whether that is true, I don’t know. He does look quite human.’’, he’d say with a shrug. He wasn’t sure whether he should find it funny that Ruo guessed the answer that quickly, while they struggled with it for a while. Maybe machines like her were smarter? Or she just had more common sense. Either way, she was apparently good at this.

He would nod when Ruo insisted that she was sure about helping. If that was her choice, he wasn’t going to try to turn her away. ‘’Very well. Just make sure not to dig in too deep..’’ he’d say, thinking for a bit, before adding. ‘’You don’t really have to feel like you owe me though. We’re friends, no? There’s no need for that.’’

So it was the Shrine in Nokawia after all. Interesting. Does that mean if they captured Scarlet, was the Masked Man still there? “He is still probably there. If Scarlet Red intended to take you to him being his subordinate, unless he was hiding somewhere else, which might be odd; he could be in the very shrine itself. That area now has to be under watch, and we should be wary every time we go there until he is captured,” she said. Ruo was getting rather determined to help. She had to do something in order to offer some kind of assistance to the team. Hibiki had helped her a lot, and it was only right to return the favor.

When Hibiki had still pretty much reluctantly accepted her help, he mentioned that they were friends. What an odd thing to say at a time like this. She knew what friends were, but up until now, she never had one nor saw the use for one. Was this what friends were? Comrades in arms? Or was it those who trusted one another? Did she trust Hibiki? She did not know. She was never the risk taker. But through experience with this man, she felt she could at least be able to hear him out, take his advice, and believe in his ability to fight. Maybe he was indeed someone worth trust. Looking ahead away from him, she paused to think. Before any real thoughts could enter her head, her personality suddenly shifted, suddenly overwhelming her with a feeling of hope. Perhaps it was appropriate this time around. She did not know if this was her personality’s fault, or her own, but she quickly threw her arms around Hibiki giving him a firm hug; albeit a shaky one. While hugging him, she would speak. “This is what friends do yes? Seems rather odd if you ask me,” she said, lightly chuckling. She could not even tell anymore if her personality was back to normal or not. But she would give it a few more moments whether he joined the hug or not, and let go. That truly was an odd experience. This is what humans experienced in normal life? Could she even get used to that? Questions flooded her mind after the ended hug as she remained silent for Hibiki’s response, if any.

Well, Ruo was most likely right in assuming that the Masked Man is still at the Shrine. That was mostly why they didn’t stick around after beating Scarlet. Neither of them would have wanted another fight after getting tossed around by the woman. True, they couldn’t know whether he stayed there afterwards, but if he really did want to meet them, he had no reason to move. And he did capture Marah before, so it probably would be a hassle to change bases, and having to drag a hostage along. ‘‘We do suspect that he is there, but we chose not to check after getting done with Scarlet, as we would have been at a disadvantage in case we were forced to fight again at that moment. I doubt he would have moved somewhere else, so he’s most likely waiting till we come back on our own. The best bet would probably be to not go there at all, unless we are planning to meet him. That may be the safest route for now, I suppose'', he said. There wasn’t much of a choice. Risking it to go look when not prepared would no doubt be a bad idea.

At a first glance, Ruo seemed to be trying to think about something after he told her that she had no reason to think she owes him. Wrong assumption this time. Although, who would have expected her to turn and give a hug out of nowhere? For one, Hibiki did not, so she kind of startled him with that. It was a bit too sudden for his liking, but he would not pull away. ‘’Uhm, yes, sometimes?’’, he’d say with a slightly surprised tone when Ruo commented on it in the middle. But he would return the hug afterwards, his initial shock having subsided a bit. It was still a little awkward though. Then again, he figured that with being a machine, she had probably not had this sort of interaction before. Even with that, he still wasn’t sure how to feel about it. She let go soon, remaining quiet, apparently waiting for him to say something. Well, what was he to say to that? ‘’That was …… unexpected. But I suppose it’s okay. Maybe you should consider giving a warning next time though.’’, he’d say, smiling lightly. Yeah, it was a bit awkward, but he did not mind as much. Maybe it was just that he wasn’t used to it. In his usual interactions with others, it was practically always just the talking. He had never really attempted to be closer with anyone before.

So even they thought so as well. Seemed like the best choice. But mostly, she was distracted by the hug, which apparently made Hibiki very nervous, presumably so. Though despite all of that, he would return the hug before she pulled away. “Forgive me. It was rather impulsive on my part. If you hadn’t noticed, since you know of my defections, sometimes my own mannerisms will suddenly shift. That may influence my actions. Nonetheless, it may have been an act I willingly did on my own. Am I correct in saying you are not used to those kinds of things?” she asked. She did not know which human liked this kind of thing and who did not. But to her, this seemed like a fairly common thing to do. So maybe she was wrong in that regard. Either way, she at least knew for sure that she was back in control.

Nodding and standing up, and give a smile to Hibiki. “Rather enjoyable. I must say I am starting to like what humans do. Apart from that, if you need help, do not hesitate to tell me. Once more, I am always up to get stronger by sparring like we did at Tsurinai’s estate if you so wish. I could always use more learning. Also, I appreciate what you told me. I will be happy to help. Be safe if you would,” she would say. She still needs to learn better speaking and social skills. She was practically listing bullet points of her inevitable taking of her leave. She would hold out her hand to him and offer him a handshake with a smile, a bit bigger than usual. If taken, it would not be as shaky as normal, but still a bit stiff. She would nod and turn to leave, looking to her left and right every so often on the way home.

((Exit))