Member
Creative Chaos
Izurich
Tortoise
Ryik
Gerlando
BGM: Ranch at Night (Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon)
Regil was resting on one of the auditorium's chairs, all alone. Regina and Willard weren't there with him, nowhere to be seen in the vicinity, and her squad was enjoying nonsensical banter with some other non-Master soldiers. In the meantime, he kept reading a book so he wouldn't bother anyone else. While reading, he thought about the war and what he would do now.
(We won... but we didn't avoid losses. That shieldbearer and that swordmaster are both dead... not to mention the soldiers. Having to face whatever that sun power was just craziness for them. Even for me. And still...) He thought.
He summoned Chess Imaginarium and stared at it. Despite being a Master, he wasn't satisfied. After all, there's one fact that Regil doesn't check out. At least, not in comparison with the rest.
(The ways that a Noble Arm can awaken vary between each Master, but they share a common ground: the soul, and a motivation for its awakening. And mine... no such thing happened. It was just constant training and a strain of exercises Mama put me through to do it. Whatever danger came afoot wasn't natural, but produced by her. In that case... my Noble Arm isn't fully awakened. And I know that well. It helps others... however, this isn't my true power, just a part of it. So I'm practically the weakest of everyone here because my Noble Arm is-)
His line of thought, however, was cut by the arrival of messages on his phone. Two, to be more exact. One from Noel, the commanding officer of the group, and one from a friend of his father.
"A friend... of Papa? But I don't have any contact close to my dad on my phone. Is this a scam?" He spoke.
He decided to check on the message's title. According to what it said, it had something to do with the first Noble Arm Master to ever exist, Alan Turing. And that's when Regil reached a conclusion.
"... This is definitely a scam. He may be the first Noble Arm Master, sure, but Alan Turing has been dead for more than 50 years. I visited his grave on a tour with Papa and Mama on my 14th birthday. I'll just delete this." He said.
He then proceeded to delete the message. He wasn't going to fall for it. Whether or not it was a scam, Regil wasn't willing to give the sender the benefit of the doubt. After that, he opened Noel's message.
Regil found the opportunity a great deal to sit down and talk with Noel about his sudden arrival in more detail. It was also good to know about his superiors, as well as a chance for him to have some company while resting. So, he sent an answer to Noel's text.
"I'd be glad to join you, Lieutenant. There are things that we need to discuss, such as my arrival and how can I help you all." The message said.
*BGM fades*
BGM: Troubled (Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3)
In the meantime, Willard was alone, on the rooftop of the auditorium. He was on a call with Edelweiss, discussing the message he received about Alan Turing's appearance.
"Are you positively sure that it's Alan Turing?" He asked.
"That's a hard stretch to call it "positively sure". I just got ahold of the information right now, after the superiors talked with me about the message." She answered.
"In other words, all of this is a hunch? There's no proof that we're talking about the real deal Alan Turing?" He asked once more.
"You do know that Alan Turing isn't exactly "dead", right?" She said.
"Obviously I do. His death was "produced" just to hide his Noble Arm from the public. Which, by the way, is said to be an unknown Rank that no one was able to measure." He answered.
"That's why they said to negotiate with him. Any false movement and you're dead." She said.
"Look, it's easy for you all to just ask me to negotiate with him. My question is, what should I even negotiate in the first place?!" He questioned.
"I-I don't know! I'm trying to get more out of it, but no one's telling me what exactly are we negotiating here!" She answered.
"So I'd have to discover it for myself, huh. Great, how wonderful. It's basically you all telling me to step into the warzone without any protection and win without my Noble Arm." He complained.
"I'd love to help out more, but what can I do?! I'm trying my best over here!" She snapped back.
"I know, I know, it's just... if I get into a battle with Alan Turing, you can literally start sending someone else to do my mission in my stead. The only result that I'll get out of this is becoming a corpse." He explained.
"Then what will you do?" She asked.
"... Can you at least track someone or something that could tell me more about it? I really need more information to complete this order. Because if not, I'm going to turn this out to the commanding officer and let him handle it." Willard asked.
"I'll try to see if I can find anything on my end, but I won't make any promises. Worst comes worst, you'll do what you have to do." Edelweiss answered.
"That's reassuring. Alright then, I'll talk to you later." Willard said.
"Over and out." Edelweiss said, turning off the call.
*BGM fades*
Just as Willard turned off the call, the door opened rather forcefully. As he stood there watching, Regina came to him.
"Specialist Meitner, to what I owe you the honor?" He said.
"Cut the friendly crap. I want you to explain to me what is this that I just received." She ordered him.
"Explain what now?" He asked.
BGM: Stupefaction (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)
Regina hurled her phone at Willard's. He grabbed it before it could hit him or the ground. When he looked at her phone, it was the message that he had also received about Alan Turing. Word by word, with the same file included on it.
"OK, let's see... "The First Arms Master ever to exist has been spotted in the environs of Lingayen. Do not try and apprehend; just attempt to negotiate." Oh wow." He said, nonchalantly.
"What do you mean, "oh wow"?! Where do you get off, acting so nonchalant about it?!" She questioned him.
"I mean, it's pretty obvious that this is a scam. Alan Turing's dead, everyone knows that." He answered.
"The file says that he's pretty much alive, thank you very much." She said.
"You do realize this could be a trap set by the Chinese Army, don't you?" He asked her.
"It could be. Which is exactly why I'm giving you the chance to come out clean." She answered.
"Well, someone's quick to point fingers at me." He laughed.
"I don't have any reasons to actually trust you. You could have forged that letter to make it seem like you were really sent here by the Royal Family, as well as faking that whole "help" from before." Regina accused him.
"And I'm the only one you can accuse, out of an entire army?" Willard asked.
"I don't trust anyone, not even that brat of a Lieutenant. I'd rather sleep with an eye open or suffer from insomnia than ever let you people stab or shoot me." She answered.
"Uh-huh... so in that list of people you don't trust, are you including your brother?" Willard asked.
That made Regina drop her attitude for a second. She spoke so boldly about her distrust that she didn't consider that her brother was now a part of the army, just like her. He was the exception, considering he was the only one she could trust. After all, Regil's innocence and lack of knowledge about everything that has transpired with her so far were two of the reasons she summoned him to help her.
"I see... well, good to know that you didn't decide to discard him... even though you are doing the poor boy dirty." He spoke.
"What are you getting at?" She questioned him.
"Well, it's simple. What sort of demented sister would call her brother and put him in the middle of warfare like you did?" He asked back.
"I called him because I need help. Help that can only come from him, and no one else!" Regina answered.
"That's your excuse now? Help? Help with what?" He kept questioning her.
"My private business, nothing that concerns you." She answered.
"... I see. So for whatever private business you're having right about now, you'd actually risk his life. What an example to set, Regina. Truly sister of the year material." Willard clapped back at her.
"... Who do you think you are to judge me?" She said, taking out a gun.
"Two can play that game." He said, also taking out a gun, and not his Noble Arm.
They stared at each other, holding their guns, aiming. Regina was ready to pull the trigger, while Willard had his finger away from it. Their faces were serious until Willard broke into laughter, putting his gun down.
"What's so funny?!" Regina questioned him.
"Oh, I'm just appalled that this is my first interaction outside of the battlefield, and yet it still feels like I'm in it. Geez, cut the tension with a knife." He answered.
"Are you done joking around? Answer my question." She ordered him.
"But I did answer it. All that I told you is that I don't agree with your idea of bringing your brother here. Not with these exact words, but the message came through, right?" He said.
"I don't care if you agree or not! What I do is NONE of your business!" She shouted.
"I know, I know. Oh well, to each their own. I'm going to head down now." He said.
Willard passed by Regina, who didn't look at him directly and stared at the night sky. However, as he opened the door and was ready to cross it...
"But really, though? What an absolutely unreasonable move. It's not something your father would've done in your stead, that's for sure. I sure hope that he understands whatever business you have by bringing Regil here. Because if I were him, I'd sure be disappointed." He commented.
Like an animal, Regina turned back and shot her gun. Willard closed the door and ducked to avoid getting shot, which he managed to do in time. After that, he went downstairs, back to the others, leaving her on the rooftop alone. Her mind started racing, and she immediately crouched while holding her head.
*BGM fades*
"If Father discovers about this... if he finds out... I... I...!" She mumbled, scared.
Regil was resting on one of the auditorium's chairs, all alone. Regina and Willard weren't there with him, nowhere to be seen in the vicinity, and her squad was enjoying nonsensical banter with some other non-Master soldiers. In the meantime, he kept reading a book so he wouldn't bother anyone else. While reading, he thought about the war and what he would do now.
(We won... but we didn't avoid losses. That shieldbearer and that swordmaster are both dead... not to mention the soldiers. Having to face whatever that sun power was just craziness for them. Even for me. And still...) He thought.
He summoned Chess Imaginarium and stared at it. Despite being a Master, he wasn't satisfied. After all, there's one fact that Regil doesn't check out. At least, not in comparison with the rest.
(The ways that a Noble Arm can awaken vary between each Master, but they share a common ground: the soul, and a motivation for its awakening. And mine... no such thing happened. It was just constant training and a strain of exercises Mama put me through to do it. Whatever danger came afoot wasn't natural, but produced by her. In that case... my Noble Arm isn't fully awakened. And I know that well. It helps others... however, this isn't my true power, just a part of it. So I'm practically the weakest of everyone here because my Noble Arm is-)
His line of thought, however, was cut by the arrival of messages on his phone. Two, to be more exact. One from Noel, the commanding officer of the group, and one from a friend of his father.
"A friend... of Papa? But I don't have any contact close to my dad on my phone. Is this a scam?" He spoke.
He decided to check on the message's title. According to what it said, it had something to do with the first Noble Arm Master to ever exist, Alan Turing. And that's when Regil reached a conclusion.
"... This is definitely a scam. He may be the first Noble Arm Master, sure, but Alan Turing has been dead for more than 50 years. I visited his grave on a tour with Papa and Mama on my 14th birthday. I'll just delete this." He said.
He then proceeded to delete the message. He wasn't going to fall for it. Whether or not it was a scam, Regil wasn't willing to give the sender the benefit of the doubt. After that, he opened Noel's message.
If you have free time right now, why don't we have a bite to eat somewhere? I can't promise five-star accommodation, but, well, I do want to know more about who I'm working with.
Regil found the opportunity a great deal to sit down and talk with Noel about his sudden arrival in more detail. It was also good to know about his superiors, as well as a chance for him to have some company while resting. So, he sent an answer to Noel's text.
"I'd be glad to join you, Lieutenant. There are things that we need to discuss, such as my arrival and how can I help you all." The message said.
*BGM fades*
BGM: Troubled (Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3)
In the meantime, Willard was alone, on the rooftop of the auditorium. He was on a call with Edelweiss, discussing the message he received about Alan Turing's appearance.
"Are you positively sure that it's Alan Turing?" He asked.
"That's a hard stretch to call it "positively sure". I just got ahold of the information right now, after the superiors talked with me about the message." She answered.
"In other words, all of this is a hunch? There's no proof that we're talking about the real deal Alan Turing?" He asked once more.
"You do know that Alan Turing isn't exactly "dead", right?" She said.
"Obviously I do. His death was "produced" just to hide his Noble Arm from the public. Which, by the way, is said to be an unknown Rank that no one was able to measure." He answered.
"That's why they said to negotiate with him. Any false movement and you're dead." She said.
"Look, it's easy for you all to just ask me to negotiate with him. My question is, what should I even negotiate in the first place?!" He questioned.
"I-I don't know! I'm trying to get more out of it, but no one's telling me what exactly are we negotiating here!" She answered.
"So I'd have to discover it for myself, huh. Great, how wonderful. It's basically you all telling me to step into the warzone without any protection and win without my Noble Arm." He complained.
"I'd love to help out more, but what can I do?! I'm trying my best over here!" She snapped back.
"I know, I know, it's just... if I get into a battle with Alan Turing, you can literally start sending someone else to do my mission in my stead. The only result that I'll get out of this is becoming a corpse." He explained.
"Then what will you do?" She asked.
"... Can you at least track someone or something that could tell me more about it? I really need more information to complete this order. Because if not, I'm going to turn this out to the commanding officer and let him handle it." Willard asked.
"I'll try to see if I can find anything on my end, but I won't make any promises. Worst comes worst, you'll do what you have to do." Edelweiss answered.
"That's reassuring. Alright then, I'll talk to you later." Willard said.
"Over and out." Edelweiss said, turning off the call.
*BGM fades*
Just as Willard turned off the call, the door opened rather forcefully. As he stood there watching, Regina came to him.
"Specialist Meitner, to what I owe you the honor?" He said.
"Cut the friendly crap. I want you to explain to me what is this that I just received." She ordered him.
"Explain what now?" He asked.
BGM: Stupefaction (Umineko no Naku Koro ni)
Regina hurled her phone at Willard's. He grabbed it before it could hit him or the ground. When he looked at her phone, it was the message that he had also received about Alan Turing. Word by word, with the same file included on it.
"OK, let's see... "The First Arms Master ever to exist has been spotted in the environs of Lingayen. Do not try and apprehend; just attempt to negotiate." Oh wow." He said, nonchalantly.
"What do you mean, "oh wow"?! Where do you get off, acting so nonchalant about it?!" She questioned him.
"I mean, it's pretty obvious that this is a scam. Alan Turing's dead, everyone knows that." He answered.
"The file says that he's pretty much alive, thank you very much." She said.
"You do realize this could be a trap set by the Chinese Army, don't you?" He asked her.
"It could be. Which is exactly why I'm giving you the chance to come out clean." She answered.
"Well, someone's quick to point fingers at me." He laughed.
"I don't have any reasons to actually trust you. You could have forged that letter to make it seem like you were really sent here by the Royal Family, as well as faking that whole "help" from before." Regina accused him.
"And I'm the only one you can accuse, out of an entire army?" Willard asked.
"I don't trust anyone, not even that brat of a Lieutenant. I'd rather sleep with an eye open or suffer from insomnia than ever let you people stab or shoot me." She answered.
"Uh-huh... so in that list of people you don't trust, are you including your brother?" Willard asked.
That made Regina drop her attitude for a second. She spoke so boldly about her distrust that she didn't consider that her brother was now a part of the army, just like her. He was the exception, considering he was the only one she could trust. After all, Regil's innocence and lack of knowledge about everything that has transpired with her so far were two of the reasons she summoned him to help her.
"I see... well, good to know that you didn't decide to discard him... even though you are doing the poor boy dirty." He spoke.
"What are you getting at?" She questioned him.
"Well, it's simple. What sort of demented sister would call her brother and put him in the middle of warfare like you did?" He asked back.
"I called him because I need help. Help that can only come from him, and no one else!" Regina answered.
"That's your excuse now? Help? Help with what?" He kept questioning her.
"My private business, nothing that concerns you." She answered.
"... I see. So for whatever private business you're having right about now, you'd actually risk his life. What an example to set, Regina. Truly sister of the year material." Willard clapped back at her.
"... Who do you think you are to judge me?" She said, taking out a gun.
"Two can play that game." He said, also taking out a gun, and not his Noble Arm.
They stared at each other, holding their guns, aiming. Regina was ready to pull the trigger, while Willard had his finger away from it. Their faces were serious until Willard broke into laughter, putting his gun down.
"What's so funny?!" Regina questioned him.
"Oh, I'm just appalled that this is my first interaction outside of the battlefield, and yet it still feels like I'm in it. Geez, cut the tension with a knife." He answered.
"Are you done joking around? Answer my question." She ordered him.
"But I did answer it. All that I told you is that I don't agree with your idea of bringing your brother here. Not with these exact words, but the message came through, right?" He said.
"I don't care if you agree or not! What I do is NONE of your business!" She shouted.
"I know, I know. Oh well, to each their own. I'm going to head down now." He said.
Willard passed by Regina, who didn't look at him directly and stared at the night sky. However, as he opened the door and was ready to cross it...
"But really, though? What an absolutely unreasonable move. It's not something your father would've done in your stead, that's for sure. I sure hope that he understands whatever business you have by bringing Regil here. Because if I were him, I'd sure be disappointed." He commented.
Like an animal, Regina turned back and shot her gun. Willard closed the door and ducked to avoid getting shot, which he managed to do in time. After that, he went downstairs, back to the others, leaving her on the rooftop alone. Her mind started racing, and she immediately crouched while holding her head.
*BGM fades*
"If Father discovers about this... if he finds out... I... I...!" She mumbled, scared.
