Break Time (Ruo/Destiny)

The sparring was rather difficult to go in. But Ruo no doubt felt she got some experience and perhaps even more strength through the sparring. She felt like a break was in order. So outside of the estate that Naito Tsurinai held, Ruo would be there, pondering about the tactics being used, and what had been going on in the field. Processing all of her functions and movements was challenging enough. And doing that while fighting other Persona-Users is even harder. But now that she was acquainted with others, perhaps she could make new allies or friends to help them in the future if need be. She would be leaning on a tree just outside, and at the same time, she would be taking glances around the area and at the entrance. Even after the fight she was still paranoid. In fact, she was perhaps more paranoid as she was weaker than usual. If she was caught off guard by some foe, then she would have to be ready to deal with a tough challenge. Perhaps Hibiki and Kahn would do alright, but Ruo did not know about herself and what she would do. Nonetheless, she would remain in the area and remain silent unless something came up.

Her clothing had not changed; still her shorts and open jacket. Her hair; which was just synthetic, seemed still well and in decent condition, hanging from her head. Her hood would be down and her arms would be crossed loosely as she sported a passive face. She would not be waiting too long before she either went back or decided to return home. Whichever came first. Then again, this was most likely one of her big chances to get stronger. So that incentive alone made Ruo continue to stay here a bit longer until everyone decided to leave.

    Breathing deeply, Destiny smiled lightly at the fresh air. Seeing the sky and having such a large space available was nice after being inside for such a long period of time. It was peaceful, too; quite different from the fight she’d been watching not too long before. Summoning personas was in no way quiet, and their attacks and gestures tended to be a bit loud and grandiose. So for the time being, the blonde was going to savor the calm.

    Oh…it seemed she wasn’t the only one who had thoughts like that. Ruo was out here as well, her back against a tree and idly watching her surroundings. Destiny would normally have left the girl alone, but she was pretty sure she’d already been spotted by the dark-haired teen. To avoid her now would’ve seemed rude, wouldn’t it? And it wasn’t as if they were complete strangers to one another; after all, they’d introduced themselves to each other. That was a start. Walking over to the girl, Destiny gave her a light smile.

    …Oh dear. She hadn’t thought much farther than this. What was she supposed to do? Standing and staring at each other was an option, but that would’ve been awkward. And staring was rather impolite in this country—well, it was impolite in most places, but Japan especially. …Oh! Conversation! Such an easy solution to her dilemma. But…what to talk about? Somehow Destiny figured that personas and Limbo and the approaching Doomsday weren’t very good topics. …The sparring match? Now that she thought about it, Ruo had seemed a little odd during the fight. Not to mention that the match itself had been rather intense. “How are you feeling?” The girl furrowed her eyebrows slightly, concern flashing over her features as she gazed at the other teen.

It would not be too long in her break before the girl she knew as Destiny came walking outside, perhaps for the same reason as her. Personas did take a bit of a toll on your body, so getting a rest was always good. It did not matter to Ruo, but perhaps if she was human, she would take in the atmosphere around her. She had enough knowledge to know that psychology can play a huge number on the way humans think. A calm environment could “rub off on her” as it were, and quicken her recovery on the inside. Her body was not particularly weakened by the looks of it, but her soul and spirit probably was worn. Ruo could see her body’s condition due to her incredible amount of focus and eyesight, even from this distance away when she first walked from the door. She would dare not tell her that, lest she think she would be being spied on. It was for Ruo’s own security. She could not be too careful around them, except perhaps Hibiki. But Destiny seemed to fight just fine, more on the support side than anything. And if she was meant to be an ally, that could come very much in handy in future battles. RUo was becoming more of a fighter and a tactician. She had a particular sensing ability given by her Persona where she could detect various items and treasures in Limbo. For the time being, she has not been using it. She has no reason to go into Limbo just yet. Training with allies can be much more rewarding, and pose less risk of falling in combat, at least as far as death goes.

Though, in her thinking, it appeared that Destiny had decided to approach her. Ruo instinctively brought her right hand subtly to her left side to check on her Papillon Heart, then lightly squeeze her left arm…it was not malfunctioning at the moment. Her Paranoia was acting up. She would glance behind her as she came, and then back to Destiny when she was near her. She probably looked like a nervous wreck after what just occurred. But Ruo would keep a passive face to her, when she decided to speak, asking her condition. She seemed to care, though being paranoid at the moment, Ruo would never be sure of a person’s motives. Nonetheless, she would give her a light smile. She had been doing that a bit more often lately. Her Persona had given her a bit more “personality” it seems. Ironic, for an android who should never have had emotions in the first place to cloud their judgment. “I am alright Destiny. That fight was quite challenging, and Kahn and Hibiki are well above my level of power, so I left to take a break. I did not want to break down halfway in the fight due to pushing myself too hard,” she said. It was standard for her. If she felt like her body would break, she would have either risked shifting to her Orgia Mode, which removed her bodily restrictions and allowed her to fight perhaps on their level, or consider fleeing. She took the latter, as for the moment, her intention was not to fight at their highest levels. It was just meant to be a sparring match.

Looking back at Destiny, it was fair she at least gauged her condition as well, if only to be polite. They were going to be allies, so she might as well speak with her. “Do not worry about me. I shall be fine for the time being. But how are you fairing? You seemed a bit hesitant to fight; which is of course, understandable. I was just wondering if you were at all well,” she asked. Maybe this conversation would move forward or not with a simple talk, who knows. But Ruo initially had felt some sort of…feeling towards Destiny. Nothing beyond being an ally. But like a feeling, that she knew where Destiny had come from, being hesitant to fight to avoid risk. Ruo very much was like that. But what was that feeling? Would she ever figure it out?

Traits:

    Destiny’s features softened as Ruo assured her that she was alright. Just to be sure, the blonde glanced at both of the other teen’s eyes, relieved to find the flame from earlier gone and no burn mark in its place. Still, Ruo had the right idea; best to pace oneself rather than risk serious injury. Take things slow, in other words. It was definitely a concept Destiny supported.

    “Oh, I’m fine.” the girl assured Ruo, flashing her a small smile. Perhaps a little tired from the day, but she wasn’t injured or hurt. That was a miracle in itself after thinking about it; the gods or fairies or karma must’ve been on her side today, for her to walk away from two fights without even a scratch. Really, for her to still be alive after everything was a pretty nice stroke of luck. After all, she could’ve been electrocuted from that dark haired boy’s attack or tripped while she was in “Limbo” and broken an arm, or—  

    ...Actually, on second thought, she wasn’t feeling too great anymore. It hadn’t set in until now just how close to being hospitalized she’d come. Goodness, there were so many things that could’ve gone wrong today. A heavy pit of nausea settled in Destiny’s stomach at the thought, and she rested a shaky hand against the trunk of the tree Ruo was leaning against. // I’m okay I’m okay I’m not going to die I’m just fine… //

    Oh dear. Looking back at Ruo, the blonde’s cheeks flushed slightly. Destiny hadn’t meant to have a panic attack right in front of her. That must’ve been worrying to see. Smiling in order to hopefully convince to girl she was fine, Destiny decided to pursue the conversation. Maybe it would provide enough of a distraction for Ruo to completely forget the past few seconds. “You did very well, I thought. I-In the match I mean.” Pulling her hand away from the bark of the tree and brushing her palm lightly against the fabric of her skirt, she followed up with, “I hope that someday I’ll be able to do half as well as you did today.” It was meant to be a compliment, and Destiny punctuated her flattery with a friendly smile and a slight tilt of her head.

She would nod to Destiny and look at the ground for a brief moment. Looking back up to her, she would open her mouth to speak to her. “I take it you also had more or less been thrown into this type of reality? Suddenly awakening to your Persona and the like?” she would inquire. She wondered about the backgrounds of her allies and their powers. Not that they were any bit her business, but if anything, it could help her learn. If she refused to say something, she would just acknowledge it and continue to the next subject…or she would have if Destiny had not buckled over and reached for the tree for support. Ruo would hold her hands out to hold Destiny up, keeping her arms under hers and not letting go. “Are you sure you are well? Perhaps if you return, you should just observe and not participate. Taking mental notes is always worth something,” she said in a passive voice, still holding her.

She would help her up and let go. Ruo remained a normal look, though a softer one to match Destiny’s. She seemed a bit nervous about it all. She shouldn’t be; it was only natural to be wobbly on your first battle. Looking at her after she regained her composure, she would nod at her compliment. “Appreciated, though I daresay I did not make much of a dent in them. Though I did appreciate the bit of healing you did in the battle. It made sparring with them much easier to handle. I think you seriously have potential to be an exceptional support,” she would say, this time giving her a grateful smile. Smiling had lately become easier for Ruo. Maybe she would be able to express other emotions in the future. Happiness was so easy to express, and it seemed that way for humans as far as general observation went.

Being given by another compliment by Destiny, she would maintain her smile, a bit less obvious this time. “I am not nearly as experienced as the other two. I had only awoken to my Persona earlier this month. Whether they awoke after me or not, they clearly have more potential than I. I would like to grow stronger myself,” she said looking to the side at the entrance to the Tsurinai estate, dropping her smile. It was still a slight struggle to be social, but Destiny was trying, so it was worth listening to her if she was to be a new addition along with herself. If she had not said anything, she would continue on, with a prepared question. “If I may Destiny. You met Naito Tsurinai? I was brought here by Hibiki, so I had not met him. So I know little about him or the other red-haired man Kahn. Do you know anything about them at all?” she would ask, looking at her and awaiting her response.

    “Thank you. I’m glad I could help, even if it was a little bit.” Destiny’s smile was brighter as Ruo complimented her performance in the match. Although she hadn’t been in the middle of everything, it was a relief to know her efforts did some good. Healing, hm? That suited her just fine. And now, thanks to Ruo, Destiny was aware of exactly what she’d done during the fight. Her persona was compliant enough, but didn’t exactly explain what it did; the glowing, for all she knew, could’ve done anything. Nice to know that her persona hadn’t just been playing and had actually been useful.      

    Widening her eyes in slight surprise, the blonde laughed slightly when Ruo mentioned she’d only had her persona for almost a month now. Such little time and she was already doing this well? Goodness. With any luck, perhaps Destiny would become familiar with her own abilities in the same amount of time. …Oh dear. She hoped Ruo didn’t think her amusement was directed at the other teen’s desire to grow. That wasn’t it at all. Smiling apologetically, the blonde tried to amend the possible misunderstanding. “My apologies. I think it’s wonderful you want to improve yourself. It’s rather commendable, actually.” She paused to reach up, taking hold of a lock of hair and rolling the strands across her fingers, “Actually, I only learned about all of this today. Everything is still…strange, I suppose. I hope I can learn to control my persona as well as you and the others can.”

    Hmm? The teen tilted her head slightly as Ruo continued on, mentioning names she hadn’t heard before. “Hibiki”…“Kahn”…oh. Were those the names of the people she’d watched spar? The redhead was Kahn…so the dark-haired one must be Hibiki. …That seemed right. But that wasn’t the question; Ruo wanted to know something about Kahn or Naito? Destiny nodded her head lightly. “I’ve spoken to Tsurinai-san on a few occasions, but I just met the other today.” She rested a finger over her lips in thought, trying to come up with something to say about the silverette. “Tsurinai-san…he’s a bit blunt, I suppose. But he’s honest.” …Was there anything else she could say? He had siblings. He wasn’t from Ueitawa. Uhm…oh. His father didn’t sound like a particularly pleasant person, from what she could recall from the one time Naito had spoken about him. But she wasn’t sure exactly how much of that he wanted to be common knowledge. After all, when they’d first met at school, he practically glared daggers at her when she asked where he was from. …Best not to say anything else. “There’s not much else I can say. I haven’t known him very long. My apologies.” Her apology was coupled with a small smile and a slight tilt of her head.

    “Ah. You said that the other person in the room with us was named…Hibiki?” Goodness she hoped she was pronouncing it right. “If you don’t mind, could you tell me a bit about him? I-If you don’t want to, I understand.” She added the last part on hastily. Some people weren’t comfortable with talking about others. Some, she knew, had quirks; it was best to respect that, she learned, rather than force others to do something they weren’t comfortable with. It made for a more pleasant experience all around, in her opinion. Regardless, she’d listen to Ruo’s response before deciding how to continue on. If her luck was holding out, maybe she wouldn’t single-handedly destroy this conversation.

“You helped more than you think. You kept us going much longer than we should have, or at least I by all rights should have,” she said. Destiny surely looked like someone who could grow exponentially given the right words and the right preparation. The girl soon laughed when Ruo explained her dealing with her Persona. Was it humorous to her? Or did something about it mak her laugh? She didn’t really think much of it, especially when she complimented her want to grow. “Everyone wants to grow perhaps. I do not know anyone in particular who is fine with how they are now…or at least, is going to be fine forever. From what I understand, people tend to hate stagnation,” she said. She took care in saying people, not humans lest she imply she was not one. The last thing she needed was to confuse her further and have to explain herself to a woman she barely knew.

Destiny had went on to explain she had only just learned of her Persona this very day. Which was rather sudden, especially if she was brought here to spar. “It must have been rather hard on you to learn all of this and then suddenly get called to possibly spar. You didn’t even seem to know we were going to. I apologize,” she said. Maybe Ruo should help her and give her some advice. She had some knowledge on combat, and it seemed that Destiny was ill-suited for it. So she would need some decent help before she was fighting fit. As would Ruo.

Destiny would not give much information on Naito. Maybe he was secretive. Who knows? She would shake her head lightly at her apology. “It is no trouble really. I barely know him. And if I am to be working with him, I will need anything I can learn about him, so you did help. Thank you,” she said. What was he like? She hoped she would at least speak to him more than that one night in Nadashiki. She was rather uninformed, and had only been just recently put in this situation. She would need to speed up quick or be just as lost as anyone else. But, Destiny would continue on to inquire about what Hibiki was actually like. It would be worth telling her about him so she could perhaps in the future get along with him more.

“Hibiki seems to be a passive person. He is rather flexible and is okay with doing whatever is recommended for him. Beyond that, it is rather hard to tell. Not that I cannot read him, he is honest and straightforward. But there does not seem to be much beyond that, apart from that he is trustworthy. I have fought with him myself and he is very powerful as you saw. He is pretty easy to talk about, as you do not need to say much on him. He is friendly enough,” she said. Hibiki was not too deep. That is to say, you could most likely not tell what he was thinking, since he was not so expressive, but at the same time, he laid out everything as needed and did not need to say anymore. “Were you curious about anything else?”

    “No, it’s alright. You’re not responsible for any of this.” Destiny assured Ruo after the other girl offered an apology for her hectic day. If anyone was to blame, it was Naito for not telling her what was going on. Then again, Destiny was the one who decided to come to this place; she could’ve asked why or made an excuse to go home, if she really wanted to. “Besides, this was good for me. If I hadn’t come I probably would have never learned how to use my Persona in the first place. …In a way, I should be thanking you and the others.” The blonde punctuated her sentence with a soft, grateful smile. It was true; she probably would have been too nervous to fiddle with her newfound ability, and therefore would have never learned what she was capable of. Although, she knew, she had a lot to learn before she’d be able to use these “powers” well. …That sounded strange still. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Destiny wondered if, when she finally went to sleep, she’d wake up and find that everything that had happened was just a very long, intricate dream.

    Oh, good. Ruo wasn’t upset at the sparse information she’d given on Naito. Better yet, she was willing to speak about Hibiki, and actually went on to give what seemed to her a lengthy description on him. While Ruo spoke, Destiny nodded lightly every few seconds, showing that she was still listening to her words. // Friendly…honest…trustworthy…powerful. // She repeated the traits back to herself. Hibiki sounded like a good person, and she was inclined to believe Ruo after recalling the dark-haired boy’s brief words he’d spared the blonde at the beginning of the match. Besides, as far as she could tell, Ruo had no reason to lie. Perking slightly at the girl’s question, Destiny shook her head lightly. “No, nothing that I can think of. Sorry to bother you about this.” The blonde reached a hand up to her collarbone, running her fingertips across it lightly. It was a habit she’d picked up when she was younger, normally done when she felt awkward or embarrassed. And right now, she was definitely feeling a little awkward. What was she supposed to say now? A few seconds of silence passed before Destiny looked back at Ruo, smiling lightly. “I don’t remember seeing you at the Academy. Are you new here? In Ueitawa, I mean.” Phew. There. She kept the conversation going. And her question was simple enough, wasn’t it? After all, a simple “yes” or “no” would suffice as an answer.

“Then perhaps one day we shall converse about this, or perhaps talk of anything you may want to know. It is worth knowing what you get into, if Naito has told you little. You should always try to learn everything about the given situation before making a choice,” she said. If there was anything she has always thought as optimal, it was the ability to be decisive and to simply know the happenings. Not knowing everything you can learn about something will only lead to you making a faulty decision and perhaps getting you in a bad position. No matter what, one of the most powerful weapons was knowledge.

Taking the compliment, Ruo would give her a nod. “Better to hit the ground running with allies rather than have the chance to die. That would be troublesome,” she said, nodding once more as if agreeing with herself. What better way to begin learning these strange new powers than with someone who was actually willing to teach you? Not needing to be taught at all perhaps, but when did that ever come up? No one in her mind was perfect, and there was always room for improvement. The goal was to strive for perfection. Ruo was not happy with herself, so she had to improve.

“It is no trouble Destiny. It is always helpful to inform,” she said when she apologized, giving a smile and leaning back against the tree, taking a look to her left and right. No one was there, so it was alright for now. But what interested her more was that Destiny had moved to feel at her collarbone. Ruo had felt something at that moment. It was some off emotion within her. What was it? It was as if she knew how she felt. And Ruo did find her actions similar to her own. She would have to think on that later if she decided to return home or sometime after the fight. Either way, Destiny would continue, asking if she went to the Academy; most likely Kizuna Academy. The confusion of what she did earlier disrupted her thinking, so for the moment, all she could do was be honest. “No, I am a bit new to the area,” she said shaking her head. “I actually do not go to school at the moment. Actually, considering what happened, I think that may prove a distraction for me.” It was not like Ruo needed to go to school anyway with her access to the internet and her innate knowledge programmed into her. “You go to the Kizuna Academy I take it?” she would ask. Did her other allies go there as well? Maybe she would learn their experiences from them as well.

    Ah, she suspected as much. Most children in the area went to Kizuna, excluding those who were either visiting or brand new to Ueitawa. Destiny wasn’t ruffled by Ruo’s comment on school being a “distraction”; with what was going on around town, mundane things like school seemed a little less important. Besides, she’d met people before who had rather interesting views on education. To each his own. “I can understand that.” The blonde nodded lightly. Giving the girl a bright smile, she added, “I’ve lived in Ueitawa for a few years. If you ever need to find anything, I don’t mind showing you around, if you’d like.” While Destiny hadn’t been overly enthusiastic when her parents took a very long and detailed family tour around the town upon their arrival, the knowledge that came with it was helpful in situations like this.

    “Hm? Yes, I do.” Good, the conversation kept going on. She hadn’t messed this up! Folding her hands in front of her, Destiny continued on this tangent, pleased that the topic was an easy one for her. “It’s very nice, I think. …Well,” she frowned lightly, recalling some less than pleasant recent events, “it used to be. Everyone has been a bit on edge lately. All the…incidents.” Destiny bit her lip lightly, internally shivering as she recalled the murders that had had occurred on the school grounds. First the principal, then that athletics club girl. It seemed so unreal that something so awful could happen in such a quiet place. The lack of information was alarming, too; every day at school, the blonde heard the same things about the crimes whispered in the halls and in the classrooms day in and day out. Nothing new in the news or online, either. Everything was shrouded in so much mystery. Almost like the disappearan—

    Suddenly it clicked. Oh goodness…the disappearances, the murders…were they related? Was it done in the same way? …No, that couldn’t be possible. After all, whoever threw Destiny herself into Limbo was the culprit, right? If she’d died in Limbo, her body would stay there, not suddenly appear back in the normal world. …Wouldn’t it? Heavens, this was horribly confusing.

    Destiny had retreated into her thoughts for a few seconds, falling silent as she gazed intensely at the ground. Unconsciously she’d risen a hand to her lips, her other arm wrapped loosely around her waist. All at once, she snapped back to reality, raising her head and blinking once or twice at the dark haired girl in front of her. The blonde blushed lightly, offering an apologetic smile. “Ah, sorry. What was I saying?” She placed a few fingers over her mouth as she pondered. How could she have gotten so sidetracked? ...Oh! That's right. Raising her head and smiling sheepishly, Destiny continued. "Ah, yes, Kizuna. Really, it's a good school. It's just...going through a bit of a rough time, I suppose you could say."

“Considering the recent kidnappings and murders, I fear I will not be starting school anytime soon,” she added at the end to at least soften anything she may have let out in a bad light to her. On a more interesting subject, Destiny would offer to show her around Ueitawa. The offer alone made Ruo look to the side. Was Destiny that willing to speak to someone she barely knew? Ruo in a way admired her willingness to be friendly, as Ruo would never have done it herself for others. She felt it preferable to go herself. But on the other hand, she hasn’t seen Nokawia much, not all of Shibakuzoi, nor Hayabusa. She really hasn’t seen much of Ueitawa at all now that she thinks about it. For Destiny to offer to help her learn about the area in more detail; especially an ally no less, was nothing short of very helpful. She would turn back to her and give her a grateful smile. It was not often Ruo was feeling this sensation of gratitude. Like she owed her. “I would very much appreciate that. I have an email if you so wish to contact me. I do not have a phone, but I can respond quickly. I do not do so much outside of helping you all out,” she said. If Destiny had a phone that could record notes, Ruo would give Destiny her email, which was just her name with a six, and some numbers. It was an odd email to say the least. Perhaps Ruo would have to explain it later. If Destiny seemed at all confused, Ruo would shake her head. “Don’t worry. That is indeed my address,” she would confirm.

They moved onto the subject of the school, which seemed to hold some weight on Destiny the way she seemed to be distressed about the recent events. “The murders and kidnappings, right,” she said putting a finger to her chin and took a moment to think. The killings were obviously related and most likely by the same person. Was there a way to prove who it was, and moreover, how they were killing? The kidnappings were a different story. Were they being sent to Limbo? Were there even doors to Limbo in the school?

Thoughts wouldn’t get her much further unless she explored herself. That would be a challenge. It seemed Destiny was lost in thought as well, as she suddenly started to speak once more about the school and its rough times. “Hopefully we will be able to handle it once the Smiling Mask is taken care of, since they surely are not related,” she said. There is no way they could be related. Too many inconsistencies between the two culprits and their motives. Maybe the Smiling Masked Man knew something? She would only hope he could offer something if they ever found him.

    “Ah, give me a moment.” Destiny raised a finger as her other hand delved into her jacket pocket. Fishing out her cell phone, the blonde flipped it open and went to her contacts. “What’s your e-mail?” As she typed it into her phone, Destiny tilted her head lightly, making sure she recorded each number correctly. Suddenly Ruo stopped. Wait a moment, what about the  “at so-and-so dot com”? Glancing up from her phone questioningly, the girl began to ask what the last piece of the address was, but was assured by Ruo that what she had was indeed the whole address. Slightly confused, Destiny nodded and put her phone away, deciding to drop the topic for the time being.

    Smiling Mask. That name sounded familiar. Where had she heard that before…? …Oh! That website, the one people at school were talking about…! What was it called? Deep…Deep…Deepnight! Deepnight Deadline! There was a masked man on there before, wasn’t there? Calling himself a savior, promising salvation if people joined him? When Destiny had first seen it, she thought it was just someone pulling a prank or trying to freak out the other students (either one wasn’t very funny; there was enough tension at Kizuna already without someone doing that and just makig the situation worse). But now…this man was actually a threat? And…not exactly the culprit they were looking for, if Destiny understood Ruo right. So there were two people behind the kidnappings and murders? That meant that even if they took care of Smiling Mask, there was still another criminal out on the loose. …Lovely. “So we’re going to go after him? Smiling Man, I mean.” The blonde cast her blue-green eyes at the ground and folded her arms underneath her chest. The thought didn’t please her one bit, and, truth be told, she felt a bit ill at the idea. But she’d promised to help, and, more importantly, she swore she’d stop running from her problems. After her near-death experience, Limbo had become her problem; so now, she supposed, there was no turning back.

Thinking about it, maybe it would be best if they had contact. Once more, she should probably give contact information to her other allies. Looking at her, she would nod at her when she asked about going after him. “It may very well be our only option. It will at least get rid of some of the problems we are facing, or so I hope,” she said. Though that did not seem to convince her, as she looked down towards the ground with a nervous look. Was Ruo always this suspicious of it all and looked this way? She would nod and continue to speak. “If it is worth any condolence, I will protect you. We both seem to have the least experience out of the entire group. What is it you say? Birds of a feather, stick together? Or was that a poor analogy?” she said looking to the side in thought. She did find it difficult to talk like this, so maybe she was reasonably off. She would wait to see if she was off from Destiny. If she reacted positively, Ruo would give a light smile. “One expression I got right for once,” she would say, with a pleased look. This woman seemed to be a bit similar to her. Like Ruo understood the similarities. Ruo did not know what this odd feeling was. Up until now she felt there was no one similar to her, considering her ways and defections. Perhaps this new woman would prove her wrong.

    She was afraid of that answer. So no matter what, there was no way around it; eventually they’d be going up against that man. Destiny lifted her head as Ruo continued, her eyes widening at the girl’s suggestion. She couldn’t have meant that, could she? Judging by her expression, no, Ruo was serious. The blonde smiled slightly at Ruo’s comparison, nodding lightly. “No, no, you used it right.” she assured the other teen gently.

    Turning her gaze away, Destiny continued, her smile fading slightly. “Thank you. It’s a beautiful sentiment, but…I couldn’t let you do that.” She shook her head lightly for emphasis before she continued, “We’re working together now, aren’t we? To put a stop to this? It’s not fair for you to sacrifice yourself for my sake.” Casting her gaze back at Ruo, Destiny smiled softly. “Instead…let’s support each other. If we’re really the ones with the least experience, then we’ll help each other improve.” The blonde didn’t add that she’d blame herself if Ruo was severely injured in battle because of her. If they were really “comrades” now, it would be selfish of her to willingly use someone else as a shield while she stayed perfectly safe in the background. It was a terrible thought, and the idea didn’t sit right with her. No, she’d prefer it if it never came to that. Besides, from what she saw of Ruo so far, Destiny was growing fond of her. Perhaps she was a bit strange looking, but everyone was different; besides, the blonde barely noticed Ruo’s odd traits now. For the time being, she was focused on the personality she saw, not the few quirks that might’ve seemed strange to some people. And, really, she liked it.

At least Destiny seemed for the most part calm, on the other hand, her smile did drop lightly. Did she not like the suggestion? Odd. She didn’t expect to get that possibility from Destiny, that her life was not going to be taken without resistance. She would not ask why, not expecting her to explain herself. But it turns out she did justify why she wanted it so, which gave Ruo a face of confusion. “I am merely here to help you all. If my help causes me to fall in the process, do not think much of it. It fascinates me that you don’t seem to want to be preserved for my sake,” she said, the last part mostly talking to herself, but still audible. Why were people like that? Ruo only cared for her life in particular, at least up to this point. She felt she owed Hibiki protection for what he has done, so it was not out of simple care. Did Destiny feel the same? Or was it something else? Was Ruo feeling this way because she was an android? She looked to the side, with more of a contemplative look rather than any form of distress. Thinking on her words, she would nod nonetheless and look back to her.

“Right. Support is best. But do not fear too much if your life is on the line. If you must, think of it as having a bodyguard. I will happily come to your aid if need be,” she said her light nervous smile returned. This is one girl that Ruo found herself rather easy to converse with. She was not like Hibiki where he was just friendly. This woman was both friendly and she felt as though she was similar to her. Is that a smart comparison? Humans and android were no doubt different on fundamental levels. But even average androids could most likely exist with humans. Could Ruo do the same?

She had realized her eyes were looking to the left and right every so often when she thought, and nodded. “I appreciate this talk Destiny. In fact, I appreciate this more than you know,” she said. She would offer a handshake to her, and her hand would be a bit shaky as though she were nervous if Destiny took it. Putting her hand back after she took it or not, she would look to the estate. “I am probably going to head back inside for a bit longer, and then return home. If you and I do not speak before I leave, please take care. Feel free to contact me at any time. And…” she paused. “It was rather a significant pleasure to meet you Destiny,” she would say, before turning to the estate and calmly walking back in, only looking behind her once she was inside.

((Exit))