[Lulu] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
heavenseclair) wrote2022-09-08 12:21 pm
heavenseclair) wrote2022-09-08 12:21 pm
[Story/Post]
[A Visit Home]
Lulu had to wait longer than she wanted to, to speak to her Supervisor-- of course, she knew it was going to take a while. She had busied her time with prioritizing monitoring Ren's movements, but thankfully or otherwise, he seemed to have been spooked after the Demise incident. But she felt like the more she had to wait, the more likely he was of bolting, taking Akira's body with him.
So when she finally got the message that the Head Medium would speak with her, she took the next immediate opportunity to leave her robotic body in safety on the Standard World, to return herself mentally to her own.
When she next opened her eyes after removing herself from the terminal, she had to take a few minutes to even stretch, feeling the wear from being so immobile for such an extended period of time. She would have to make sure she took a chance to do physical therapy at a point, thinking fondly of how much less taxing it was to even control the body she had found for use for this was...
Well, maybe better to not compare such things. There were a lot of aspects she couldn't enjoy in that body, and she always felt so emotionally muted in comparison, too. No, being human and alive is worth the shortcomings.
She asserted these thoughts to her as she made herself mildly presentable and stepped through the halls, passing by others who operated in the same facility. This was one of the buildings where multiple factions would come together neutrally for more wide-range work, and everyone always felt a bit isolated thanks to their differing beliefs. She herself wasn't very keen on speaking more than necessary to anyone who greeted her, or noted her long absence so far, but, well. The Heralds are an Angelic sect-- and her beliefs fall under the idea that one should treat others with a steady kindness. So she always found herself getting dragged into conversations, anyway.
By the time she reached the meeting room, she felt like she had already delayed the Head Medium more than enough and was prepared to be reprimanded given the situation, but was surprised to find that she was the first one there, snacks on the table, untouched and clearly meant for her satiation.
Not that she touched them. She had more self-control than that, and wanted to not do anything until all business was concluded. Which only made the next some minutes more troublesome than they were worth.
By the time the door at the front of the meeting room slid open, and a young woman with medium-length blue hair, purple tips edging at the ends, stepped in, Lulu had been just about to reach out for one of the sweets anyway, but she quickly recovered her focus and stood up at attention.
"Head Medium Mio! It is good to see you in perfect health."
The young woman-- Mio-- gave a wry smile. She was more than used to the formalities given by everyone, she wasn't a "Head Medium" for nothing, but it still wore on her after a long day of communing. So much so that once she motioned for Lulu to sit down, she immediately grabbed one of the pastries that've been set out, munching on it and swallowing, before speaking.
"You already know you don't need to be so formal with me about this, Lulu. Come on, eat something, you've been interfacing for such a long time, now!" She refused to continue speaking until Lulu gingerly grabbed a pastry as well, nibbling on it.
"I've been keeping up with the reports you've been sending, so I'm really, really sorry that I haven't been able to talk to you about what we should be doing next until now." She put her hands together in apology. "But everyone's been wanting to commune with me right now, and just me, they keep not wanting to have the others speak with them!" Mio's frustration slipped out a bit, as she collapsed back into the chair. "But I know that this is super important, too, Lulu. So I'm really sorry that it's taken this long. There's been no updates on Ren's movement, right?"
Lulu shook her head, allowing Mio the moment to vent. "He's been staying put since the Demise incident that I reported. Thankfully, there's been no signs of any ripple effect from the incident itself-- Ruin did not answer his call, perhaps due to the odd situation at hand with the transformation itself."
"Right, you reported that the person had actually heard the communication, before he transformed?"
"Yes. Which is why I found it odd that he had transformed at all, but it appeared to be due to interference inherent to him and his physiology. It's unlikely he'll ever be compatible." Mio let out a little sigh in response.
"Like, I get it, we put a hold on that whole project," Mio started to lament, "but hearing just how many things can 'interfere' with the communication crystals is starting to get really dire. Is there genuinely just no possible way to safely communicate directly, with that world? Without risking us getting eaten, too?"
Lulu kept to herself about Mio's wonderings. From what she could personally tell, the people of Standard didn't exactly seem hostile-- and she noted as much in her reports-- but the constant risk of whatever happened to the other worlds happening to them, kept them on their toes. They still didn't fully understand how and why the damage to the other worlds happened so rapidly...
"Ah, sorry, Lulu. I know this is a lot to be hearing when you're wanting answers, instead. You can only transfer so much information at once for when you're over there, right?"
"Correct, Head Medium. Even if I were to want to open up more formal communications, I'm incapable of fully conveying the information required to do so, even if I put all focus into that, simply." Lulu nibbled a bit more at the pastry. She loved the taste of it-- the vanilla scent mixed with the strawberry-- but she felt she needed to reserve herself in Mio's presence.
"Right, don't worry yourself over that. You've set yourself to a really safe transfer range, and there's no reason to mess with that." Mio finished off her own pastry, letting out a little sigh. "Ren, on the other hand... You really think he might be pushing that limit, doing these things?"
"Correct. I feel that given the Demise incident, and how it was clear he was planting the crystals as a feint so openly, he may already be fracturing himself and his intentions through repeated strain." Lulu looked down a bit, sadly. "I feel that at the rate we're going, it may be impossible for him to fully grasp his sanity, in the end. Even as a criminal now, I wouldn't want to wish that fate upon him."
"Well, that's what we're going to try to avoid! So long as he hasn't pushed past the halfway point, there's always a chance of recovery, right? It'll just take him longer than usual, that's all." Mio tried to sound assuring, but she knew as well how much the situation was weighing on them. A lot of people were concerned, after all-- Ren openly defying orders to put a hold on the project, directly interfacing with a human from Standard, and then running away and going into hiding-- it upset many, especially those connected to the Herald sect. Lulu had taken fully responsibility for his actions as the one who worked closest to him and took on the role of an enforcer, all to try to find him, even if it meant searching from the other end... But the long time spent interfacing would take a toll on her, even within the safe margins.
Lulu herself, however, disregarded most concerns about it. What was important was making sure to corner Ren. To stop him before he ended up drawing the attention of whatever caused the "eating" of the other worlds-- and before he put himself and his hostage into danger, as well.
"You said that you know who his interfacing target is, right? Have you tried to approach him at all?"
Lulu shook her head. "Negative. I was told by the enforcement officers from Standard that... Attempting to approach him might be unwise. It's a sensitive situation as a whole, and I'm not sure what to do when I need to get close to him to pinpoint Ren. Without even a hint as to his location here, any delay in tracking him down would give him more and more of a chance to run."
Mio thought for a moment, from there. "Well, what if you locked him down, then?"
"Locked, Head Medium?" Lulu tilted her head a little.
"Uh, basically, made it so he can't disengage from the interfacing, even just temporarily. Give us enough of an edge to target him here after you pinpoint the location. We'll be setting this to the highest priority given the situation, so we'll be able to move out really quickly, but--"
"-- but if I lock him in, there's a chance he may go for a desperate option and fracture his mind, and the mind of his hostage."
Mio's face fell a little, but she expected that. "Well... I guess that depends on how far gone Ren is, already. It's instinct to not do anything that might put oneself in harm's way like that, but if he's already cracking, we can't predict what he'll do." But she whopped a fist into her hand. "That's why we need to act quickly, so he doesn't have a chance to get that desperate! Locking him down might at least delay him from doing something that risky anyway, since he'll still need to go through the extra steps to increase the transfer to more dangerous levels. And we know he must still be in the main city if he's been doing these interfacings so regularly."
Of course, the "city" itself was so large and layered, it was no wonder they hadn't been able to find him so far. It was more like a metropolis than simply a city, compared to what Domino City was. Lulu understood the difference in scope, and as a result, she held some doubts as to the speed that they could move at.
"For now though, I want to see if you can figure out a way to approach the, uh, 'hostage', as you keep putting it. I feel like if Ren doesn't think you know where he is, he won't feel like he's at risk of being found out as long as he acts casually. Maybe you can even convince him to give up on this if you guys at least get close enough, right?" Lulu made a bit of a face at the suggestion. "I mean, I'm not asking you to be friends or anything like that! But... Sometimes communicating can be the best tool we've got, and getting closer will give you a better chance of locking him down."
"That is... understandable, yes. Fine, I'll endeavor to make sure my priorities are set for this matter in particular, if you feel this is the best choice, Head Medium."
"Ah... Hey." Mio raised a hand. "If you think there's a better idea than this, then honestly, I'd say you should go for it. Use your own judgment sometimes, Lulu. Just because I suggest something, it doesn't make it infallible, you know?" She twirled a strand of hair, anxiously. "I know because I'm the 'head medium' and all, you're predispositioned to just... Listen to me, like I'm an authority, but not everything can be done just because I say it. It's because of stuff like that, that I keep ending up the one getting communed with, you know?"
Lulu frowned a bit. She knew Mio was venting a little, again, and knew that the words weren't incorrect... but so far, she had been stumped on what to do when it came to Ren. So why not take this route? Best to just appease her.
"I see, Head Medium. I'll try to determine if a better option is possible, but for the moment, your idea has the most potential merit." Her supervisor of sorts pouted a little at her, with the response.
"Well, as long as you're feeling cooperative, make sure you eat and get cleaned up before you go interfacing again. You don't know how long you're going to be out, this time." She gestured to the snacks left. "Help yourself, really. I gotta run and make it to my next meeting. Apparently the Envoys have been excited about something or another that's been coming up." Mio stood up from the meeting table, dusting herself off. "Until we can meet again, Lulu. I hope the next time we do, this incident'll be good and done with!"
Lulu bowed her head in response. "Of course, Head Medium Mio. I hope myself that we can put this behind us."
Mio waved as she left, before saying one last time, "and remember to eat!" Before vanishing from behind the door.
Lulu was left for the moment, thinking about how to do things. Even the thought of approaching Akira felt a bit... Harrowing. She didn't know how aware Ren was, or what consequences might occur...
... Well, Head Medium Mio told her to eat. So she'll take a minute to eat another pastry or two, as she thought about what to do next, in the quiet meeting room.
--
[Post]
I apologize for the extended silence.
I returned home for some time. It was very relaxing.
No incidents have occurred recently, correct...?
Lulu had to wait longer than she wanted to, to speak to her Supervisor-- of course, she knew it was going to take a while. She had busied her time with prioritizing monitoring Ren's movements, but thankfully or otherwise, he seemed to have been spooked after the Demise incident. But she felt like the more she had to wait, the more likely he was of bolting, taking Akira's body with him.
So when she finally got the message that the Head Medium would speak with her, she took the next immediate opportunity to leave her robotic body in safety on the Standard World, to return herself mentally to her own.
When she next opened her eyes after removing herself from the terminal, she had to take a few minutes to even stretch, feeling the wear from being so immobile for such an extended period of time. She would have to make sure she took a chance to do physical therapy at a point, thinking fondly of how much less taxing it was to even control the body she had found for use for this was...
Well, maybe better to not compare such things. There were a lot of aspects she couldn't enjoy in that body, and she always felt so emotionally muted in comparison, too. No, being human and alive is worth the shortcomings.
She asserted these thoughts to her as she made herself mildly presentable and stepped through the halls, passing by others who operated in the same facility. This was one of the buildings where multiple factions would come together neutrally for more wide-range work, and everyone always felt a bit isolated thanks to their differing beliefs. She herself wasn't very keen on speaking more than necessary to anyone who greeted her, or noted her long absence so far, but, well. The Heralds are an Angelic sect-- and her beliefs fall under the idea that one should treat others with a steady kindness. So she always found herself getting dragged into conversations, anyway.
By the time she reached the meeting room, she felt like she had already delayed the Head Medium more than enough and was prepared to be reprimanded given the situation, but was surprised to find that she was the first one there, snacks on the table, untouched and clearly meant for her satiation.
Not that she touched them. She had more self-control than that, and wanted to not do anything until all business was concluded. Which only made the next some minutes more troublesome than they were worth.
By the time the door at the front of the meeting room slid open, and a young woman with medium-length blue hair, purple tips edging at the ends, stepped in, Lulu had been just about to reach out for one of the sweets anyway, but she quickly recovered her focus and stood up at attention.
"Head Medium Mio! It is good to see you in perfect health."
The young woman-- Mio-- gave a wry smile. She was more than used to the formalities given by everyone, she wasn't a "Head Medium" for nothing, but it still wore on her after a long day of communing. So much so that once she motioned for Lulu to sit down, she immediately grabbed one of the pastries that've been set out, munching on it and swallowing, before speaking.
"You already know you don't need to be so formal with me about this, Lulu. Come on, eat something, you've been interfacing for such a long time, now!" She refused to continue speaking until Lulu gingerly grabbed a pastry as well, nibbling on it.
"I've been keeping up with the reports you've been sending, so I'm really, really sorry that I haven't been able to talk to you about what we should be doing next until now." She put her hands together in apology. "But everyone's been wanting to commune with me right now, and just me, they keep not wanting to have the others speak with them!" Mio's frustration slipped out a bit, as she collapsed back into the chair. "But I know that this is super important, too, Lulu. So I'm really sorry that it's taken this long. There's been no updates on Ren's movement, right?"
Lulu shook her head, allowing Mio the moment to vent. "He's been staying put since the Demise incident that I reported. Thankfully, there's been no signs of any ripple effect from the incident itself-- Ruin did not answer his call, perhaps due to the odd situation at hand with the transformation itself."
"Right, you reported that the person had actually heard the communication, before he transformed?"
"Yes. Which is why I found it odd that he had transformed at all, but it appeared to be due to interference inherent to him and his physiology. It's unlikely he'll ever be compatible." Mio let out a little sigh in response.
"Like, I get it, we put a hold on that whole project," Mio started to lament, "but hearing just how many things can 'interfere' with the communication crystals is starting to get really dire. Is there genuinely just no possible way to safely communicate directly, with that world? Without risking us getting eaten, too?"
Lulu kept to herself about Mio's wonderings. From what she could personally tell, the people of Standard didn't exactly seem hostile-- and she noted as much in her reports-- but the constant risk of whatever happened to the other worlds happening to them, kept them on their toes. They still didn't fully understand how and why the damage to the other worlds happened so rapidly...
"Ah, sorry, Lulu. I know this is a lot to be hearing when you're wanting answers, instead. You can only transfer so much information at once for when you're over there, right?"
"Correct, Head Medium. Even if I were to want to open up more formal communications, I'm incapable of fully conveying the information required to do so, even if I put all focus into that, simply." Lulu nibbled a bit more at the pastry. She loved the taste of it-- the vanilla scent mixed with the strawberry-- but she felt she needed to reserve herself in Mio's presence.
"Right, don't worry yourself over that. You've set yourself to a really safe transfer range, and there's no reason to mess with that." Mio finished off her own pastry, letting out a little sigh. "Ren, on the other hand... You really think he might be pushing that limit, doing these things?"
"Correct. I feel that given the Demise incident, and how it was clear he was planting the crystals as a feint so openly, he may already be fracturing himself and his intentions through repeated strain." Lulu looked down a bit, sadly. "I feel that at the rate we're going, it may be impossible for him to fully grasp his sanity, in the end. Even as a criminal now, I wouldn't want to wish that fate upon him."
"Well, that's what we're going to try to avoid! So long as he hasn't pushed past the halfway point, there's always a chance of recovery, right? It'll just take him longer than usual, that's all." Mio tried to sound assuring, but she knew as well how much the situation was weighing on them. A lot of people were concerned, after all-- Ren openly defying orders to put a hold on the project, directly interfacing with a human from Standard, and then running away and going into hiding-- it upset many, especially those connected to the Herald sect. Lulu had taken fully responsibility for his actions as the one who worked closest to him and took on the role of an enforcer, all to try to find him, even if it meant searching from the other end... But the long time spent interfacing would take a toll on her, even within the safe margins.
Lulu herself, however, disregarded most concerns about it. What was important was making sure to corner Ren. To stop him before he ended up drawing the attention of whatever caused the "eating" of the other worlds-- and before he put himself and his hostage into danger, as well.
"You said that you know who his interfacing target is, right? Have you tried to approach him at all?"
Lulu shook her head. "Negative. I was told by the enforcement officers from Standard that... Attempting to approach him might be unwise. It's a sensitive situation as a whole, and I'm not sure what to do when I need to get close to him to pinpoint Ren. Without even a hint as to his location here, any delay in tracking him down would give him more and more of a chance to run."
Mio thought for a moment, from there. "Well, what if you locked him down, then?"
"Locked, Head Medium?" Lulu tilted her head a little.
"Uh, basically, made it so he can't disengage from the interfacing, even just temporarily. Give us enough of an edge to target him here after you pinpoint the location. We'll be setting this to the highest priority given the situation, so we'll be able to move out really quickly, but--"
"-- but if I lock him in, there's a chance he may go for a desperate option and fracture his mind, and the mind of his hostage."
Mio's face fell a little, but she expected that. "Well... I guess that depends on how far gone Ren is, already. It's instinct to not do anything that might put oneself in harm's way like that, but if he's already cracking, we can't predict what he'll do." But she whopped a fist into her hand. "That's why we need to act quickly, so he doesn't have a chance to get that desperate! Locking him down might at least delay him from doing something that risky anyway, since he'll still need to go through the extra steps to increase the transfer to more dangerous levels. And we know he must still be in the main city if he's been doing these interfacings so regularly."
Of course, the "city" itself was so large and layered, it was no wonder they hadn't been able to find him so far. It was more like a metropolis than simply a city, compared to what Domino City was. Lulu understood the difference in scope, and as a result, she held some doubts as to the speed that they could move at.
"For now though, I want to see if you can figure out a way to approach the, uh, 'hostage', as you keep putting it. I feel like if Ren doesn't think you know where he is, he won't feel like he's at risk of being found out as long as he acts casually. Maybe you can even convince him to give up on this if you guys at least get close enough, right?" Lulu made a bit of a face at the suggestion. "I mean, I'm not asking you to be friends or anything like that! But... Sometimes communicating can be the best tool we've got, and getting closer will give you a better chance of locking him down."
"That is... understandable, yes. Fine, I'll endeavor to make sure my priorities are set for this matter in particular, if you feel this is the best choice, Head Medium."
"Ah... Hey." Mio raised a hand. "If you think there's a better idea than this, then honestly, I'd say you should go for it. Use your own judgment sometimes, Lulu. Just because I suggest something, it doesn't make it infallible, you know?" She twirled a strand of hair, anxiously. "I know because I'm the 'head medium' and all, you're predispositioned to just... Listen to me, like I'm an authority, but not everything can be done just because I say it. It's because of stuff like that, that I keep ending up the one getting communed with, you know?"
Lulu frowned a bit. She knew Mio was venting a little, again, and knew that the words weren't incorrect... but so far, she had been stumped on what to do when it came to Ren. So why not take this route? Best to just appease her.
"I see, Head Medium. I'll try to determine if a better option is possible, but for the moment, your idea has the most potential merit." Her supervisor of sorts pouted a little at her, with the response.
"Well, as long as you're feeling cooperative, make sure you eat and get cleaned up before you go interfacing again. You don't know how long you're going to be out, this time." She gestured to the snacks left. "Help yourself, really. I gotta run and make it to my next meeting. Apparently the Envoys have been excited about something or another that's been coming up." Mio stood up from the meeting table, dusting herself off. "Until we can meet again, Lulu. I hope the next time we do, this incident'll be good and done with!"
Lulu bowed her head in response. "Of course, Head Medium Mio. I hope myself that we can put this behind us."
Mio waved as she left, before saying one last time, "and remember to eat!" Before vanishing from behind the door.
Lulu was left for the moment, thinking about how to do things. Even the thought of approaching Akira felt a bit... Harrowing. She didn't know how aware Ren was, or what consequences might occur...
... Well, Head Medium Mio told her to eat. So she'll take a minute to eat another pastry or two, as she thought about what to do next, in the quiet meeting room.
--
[Post]
I apologize for the extended silence.
I returned home for some time. It was very relaxing.
No incidents have occurred recently, correct...?