~forty-six~ [Brokefield]

[glowing_skye]

[Phone]

To whomever destroyed the machine in the Dairy, I'd like to say this:

Investigate before blowing things up like an idiot. You'd have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

[Yeah, she mad. The creeping headache that she's had since coming out of her droning isn't helping her mood.]


[Action A: around town]

[As the day goes on, her headache is accompanied by an ache in her chest that almost resembles a heart attack. Erring on the side of caution--there's no respawn, after all--she decides to go to the hospital and get it checked out.

All tests come back negative, and the doctors laugh her out the door. "Silly, hysterical woman!" they say. "Maybe you've been working with patients for too long, you're beginning to think you're catching things from them!" Never mind that she knows cardiovascular disease isn't contagious.

So, angrier than she was in the morning, she's talking a walk to let off some steam. And munching. So much munching.

If you get too close, even by accident, she's throwing one of her snacks at you.]


[Action B: 726 Anderson Lane, closed to questionauthority]

[Ema's head and chest pains aren't getting any better, so she's decided to hide out with her boyfriend for awhile. Maybe if she gets some rest, she'll be able to kick the pain and feel like a human being.

Although a big part of her doubts it. Really, what she wants right now is to not be alone--needing peace and quiet is just an excuse.

Knock knock.]

Comments

Phone

[slave_of_suzumiya]

Right, a shoot first ask questions later mentality always turns out badly.

[glowing_skye]

Exactly. You'd think we'd have learned that by now, after all this time.

Apparently not.

[slave_of_suzumiya]

Just because Mayfield is a terrible place, it's not a good idea to break things without knowing their function first. I mean, for all they knew it could've been... well, actually, I can't think of anything that might be worse than what it actually was unless it turned out to be our source of oxygen or something.

B

[questionauthority]

[The door opens, and Edward Nigma pops into view. His eyes are somewhat bleary, and for a second? It almost looks as if he doesn't see her at all. But very quickly, he snaps to attention.]

Ema. Is everything all right?

[Whether he realizes it or not, his hand's fallen to the back of his head, cautiously rubbing as if to ward off some hidden pain.]

[glowing_skye]

Even if had been the vat of souls--which I suspect that's what they thought--you don't go exploding things until you've figured them out.

People are such idiots!

[glowing_skye]

No.

[Ema reaches up and rubs at one of her temples in a futile attempt to get the pain to stop.]

People are idiots and my head hurts and my chest hurts and the doctors in the hospital just laughed at me when I went to have them look me over.

[slave_of_suzumiya]

And if it were a soul vat, what would become of the contents when exploded? I mean, you really need to be careful so as to not cock things up completely.

[glowing_skye]

Yes!

What's your name? I think we need to talk more often.

[He makes such sense!]

[questionauthority]

Slow down. [He seethes, tending to his headache once again.] And come inside. I'll see if I can find you some aspirin.

[slave_of_suzumiya]

Well, everyone calls me Kyon.

[Because, seriously Tanigawa? It's been 10 books and we still don't know his name.]

[glowing_skye]

I've tried aspirin. It doesn't help.

[But she lets him lead her inside, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. It doesn't help, but it makes her feel a bit better regardless.]

I was hoping going somewhere quiet might help.

[glowing_skye]

Kyon works.

I'm Ema.

[questionauthority]

I know just the place.

[Draping an arm around her shoulders for support, he guides her further along and down to the basement. When it comes to getting into the Hall of Doom, though, he stumbles a bit. The way he twists the jar to open the main entrance is a bit jerky, and when it comes to unlocking his private quarters, it takes him several tries to actually navigate the crook of his cane into the right slot. This headache, or whatever it is, is definitely beginning to impair his fine motor skills.

But soon enough, they're in his private room at the very back of his bunker. The quietest place he can think of.]

[slave_of_suzumiya]

Ema... Always nice to meet someone who has at least some common sense.

A

[have_your_lives]

[It's not often Schuldig has the chance to talk to Ema when she's angry and he wasn't actually the cause of it. Even if he hadn't been meaning to catch up with her, now that he finally feels like he's settling back into being in Mayfield, he might have sought her out in this mood for the pure novelty of it.

That, and...he knows there's something wrong. Hell, he even has his guesses what it might be - and the only reason they're guesses is because of his refusal to accept the logic behind what he knows, and what it means for Ema, for Edward...and for himself. Because forget localized pain; Schuldig's whole body hurts, and it's only growing worse. If old injuries are coming back home to roost, then getting blown up by a bomb in the stomach has to be one of the least pleasant possibilities.]

This town is making it increasingly hard for me to preserve my title as the greatest annoyance you have to deal with.

[glowing_skye]

Likewise.

I guess we just have to suffer through, though.

[slave_of_suzumiya]

The town or the idiots?

[glowing_skye]

[Ema watches. And frowns. Something's wrong.]

Are you okay?

Maybe we should lie down together. It looks like you can use some rest, too.

[Not to mention that she's starting to get a bit scared.]

Re: A

[glowing_skye]

[Ema scoffs and chucks a piece of food at him.]

Don't flatter yourself. This town is always a greater annoyance than you.

[glowing_skye]

Both.

[slave_of_suzumiya]

Of course.

[questionauthority]

Of course I'm okay. [The response is more snappish than he intends.] It's just a headache, I'll be---I'll be...

[Lie down together? ...suddenly, rest sounds like an excellent idea. He drops the ire from his voice and his cane to the ground with an undignified clang. It makes him wince. A little.]

Fine.

[have_your_lives]

[Schuldig catches it easily, popping it into his mouth immediately. He needs frequent snacking rather more urgently than Ema does, so he's perfectly content to take the opportunity.] Nice to see you, too.

[glowing_skye]

Where do you work, by the way?

[slave_of_suzumiya]

I'm a student at the high school.