[video] (replies will be voice)

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[At first glance, it's simply a ritzy hotel room. Top of the line, expensive wallpaper, gilded mirror... That sort of thing. The mirror's cracked, smeared with already drying blood. Grace is out of the picture.]

Tell them that Brera Sterne--he's. Not to get in. After me, he might go after you--I'm sorry, Sheryl...

I couldn't stop him--damn it... [Her sentence is cut off as she falls down, bringing the camera with her. It focuses on the other side of the room. The wallpaper is torn, slashed. The expensive furniture is overturn, what's not destroyed, that is.

And Grace...

Even though only Grace's back is seen, it's clear she's not in good shape. Just by the way she fell, the way she's trying to get herself back up and failing, by the several slashes across her back. How her hair is sticking to her back, to her head... So much blood...] He's went crazy.

Comments

[Video forever]

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[He just watches. He doesn't say anything, he doesn't make any real reaction, he just watches with a cold look on his face.]

[voice]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[There's just heavy breathing for a while, a low-muttered curse.] Ranka...Ranka would be so proud.

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[He tilts his head and smiles slightly.]

It was for her own protection.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Leave--[She inhales again, and there's shaky sounds as the microphone shakes as she tries to stand but by the thud soon later, she's unsuccessful.] Sheryl, Ranka. Leave them alone.

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[He looks surprised.]

I would never hurt them.

[Then he understands.]

You're trying to make me the villain here. It doesn't matter. I've done what was necessary.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

What have I done? How can I...make things right if I don't even know the crime?

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[His hand slams down on a table and he hisses at her.]

STOP PRETENDING. You make me sick with all your lies. You know what you've done.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[If it was video, Grace would be seen flinching. As it is, there's just a small, pathetic sound of pain.]

Refresh my memory; forgive me... It's hard to think.

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[He's still snarling. He hates her so much.]

You kidnapped me, brainwashed me, tortured me, stole my memories and turned me into your own little plaything.

Does that refresh your memory?

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[Grace starts doing something that should set off his alarm bells; she laughs. The same cold laughter she's done many times before. There's a hint of pain, maybe she hurt her ribs doing so, but she doesn't seem to care.]

Do you have any proof?

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

[He draws back at that laugh and narrows his eyes.]

There you are.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

I'm not dead, Brera-kun.

[She's amused, but not overly so.]

You have no proof, nothing concrete. Only words. I think, as an innocent, have the right to laugh. At least a bit.

[needsnograce.livejournal.com]

Nothing about you is innocent.

[He glares coldly.]

I don't care about proof. I did what I had to do.

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

Anon! Hey, anon! Aren't you going to get up? You said you were going to do a lot of fun things! You are anon, aren't you? Beloved anon of bees, raise yourself up! Come on! Don't be so boring!

He's after you for revenge! You, the one who is close enough to hide in the shadows! The puppeteer! Come on, tell me my guess is right!

Come on, I may not be the me we knew and loved, but I'm enough of him. Come on, olly olly oxen free...I like you so much, come on...and if you don't, then I'll watch anyway...

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

More loose ends, I see.

[Her voice is flat, not half-dead or defeated as her post or comments revealed. Merely annoyed.]

I'm not even close to staying down; I shouldn't be surprised someone put together what that idiotic child said, should I?

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

Loose ends? We're on the same team! Or close enough to it. Your secret is safe with us, the god of death and his mirror image.

[He is so cheerful as to be almost saccherine, gods help us all.]

I have to say, we love your work.

What are you doing to the boy for it? Is it allowed to be said?

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

I normally would prefer the time to make alliances myself. [Her voice drips with sarcasm.] However, this is quite an unusual situation.

Didn't realize that there was much of my work to love, yet. What do you want?

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's not every day that someone tries to kill you! Well, I assume. Or do you mean something else?

And what about the part where you terrorized everyone while showing up to try and keep people calm? Or that part where you're going to unite everyone? That's what the songs are for, right? Or did I read it wrong? Assuming makes an ass of you and me. That's not yet, but it's still a good goal.

I want to suggest a formal alliance, if I may be so bold.

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Brera's actions are quite... Unexpected.

Either I haven't been as careful as I'd like or you're extremely clever, either way... If you've found me? Yes, that was me. The terrorizing part was a warning, if anyone took it. As for the songs... It's [A wince, a real one.] part to create a communication system using cybernetics.

At this point, I would be a fool to reject one. [She's not exactly happy sounding, but resigned, calm enough.]

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

If you hadn't been throwing around 'uniting everyone,' I'd never have gotten it at all; it was only through a lot of searching that I found all the information that I needed, and it didn't come together until a few minutes ago. [And his tone grows scholarly.]

Once I found out it was on your world, I went through all the threads on your world I could find. You have those songs in the military that affect the enemy. I'm assuming that both sides have cybernetics? And these songs are sung by Sheryl and Ranka. You are their manager, aren't you? If I'm remembering rightly. Ranka posted that you changed her song, which means you have direct access to the songs that affect things. Also, I knew you were on at the same time as anonymous since you were posting to warn against anonymous.

But I didn't put that together until Brera started shouting you're untrustworthy. You were dying in here, so I figured I could ask and if I was wrong, you'd be dead. And if I was right, you'd have a back up plan to heal yourself.

...looking back, perhaps my thinking in the last part was faulty.

[And a shift to an excited patter-] Oh, am I forcing? I don't want it to be forced. We're both en route to godhood, so we can help out each other! Yours is different than mine, but it's still a similar road, is it not?

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

No. The enemy as you called them are the Vajra; a semi-intelligent insect. Extremely large and dangerous, they have the unique ability to travel through vast spaces quickly by...dimensional portals, for lack of a better word. They do this naturally, it's in-born; as the foods they eat creates a mineral called "fold quartz". Fold quartz is used in creating vehicles and other such things for long distance space travel.

The cybernetic network would connect humanity, forged out of the fold quartz by the Vajra, they will instantly send messages from one side of the galaxy to another. Ranka's song, well, any song she sings affects the Vajra. Sheryl can do this as well, but her ability needed...help. Amplifiers, things like that. When Ranka was found, Sheryl's fate was ended.

And yes, your thinking was faulty. It wouldn't have been that hard to call for help, in my state.

Either way, I would be tempting fate if I said no.

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

Quartz fold...I can't say I'm familiar with it. Given the nature of this world, I'm not surprised; we're supposed to not leave.

I understand your reasoning! That's a nicely-made plan. Much less risky than mine, probably!

You looked pretty bad in the video. Good acting, or did I just fail to see how unbadly you were hurt?

Alright! It's a pleasure to meet you again, Miss Grace of the bees! I hope this thing works out well for both of us. I'll be the best ally ever! Cross my heart, hope to die, may gods come and make me fry.

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Fold quartz--never mind. [Her tone is quick, maybe because of annoyance but probably because of the pain. Even though she's able to speak pretty well and she's not dying... She's not scotch free either.]

My implants make me more durable. Controlling blood flow, pain receptors, and the like. If I didn't have them? I would be as bad as I look; as it is, I can delay treatment...for a while.

locked, audio

[sandinmyboots.livejournal.com]

Not a good time?

I'd offer to send over healing potions, but I can't hop while the fog's out. Also, that is so cool and our cyborgs can't do that yet. Should I go so you can get medical treatment? Kefka wouldn't be happy you died.

locked, audio

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

No, you just got the name wrong.

Ranka--she already called an ambulance. If you want to continue this conversation. It will be no trouble. I will just have to switch over to text; the advantages of cybernetic implants, eh?