dualshadow | (no subject)

(From here)

I doubt the elevators would be working, and it would be foolish to take them even if they were. Let us head up. If it is the director we ought to be taking down, then it would not be logical for them to be located in the basement.

[Smart she may be, but Miyako has no knowledge of video games or video game logic. She's applying real world logic to a ViViD simulation, which...may not end well for her.]

Are you prepared? You should be ready for combat as well as optimized for mobility. Actually, if that coat is hindering you, might I have it instead? I am afraid that this hospital gown is not...appropriate.

[her back is almost totally exposed if she isn't careful is what she's saying]

Here-- [ Well, maybe this will fit Miyako a little better. If nothing else, it will keep her derriere nice and cozy. So Mary wriggles out of it, holding it out to her. ]

I'm not sure if I'm ready, but I'm going to say I am.

[ AT LEAST SHE'S HONEST. ]

[Both the honesty and the coat are appreciated. Once Miyako gets that coat on her and buttoned up, she'll give Mary a determined look and a nod before heading to the door.]

Then let us head out. Once again, please stay behind me. I shall take the lead.

[And as soon as she opens the door... There's an alien waiting for them, sticking it's long, webbed appendages through the door gap.

LOOKS LIKE IT'S TIME TO SLAM THE DOOR AGAIN. Except shut this time, but the alien arm makes it hard to close the door all the way. Miyako struggles with it, demonstrating more strength than she probably looks like she has. The alien is certainly unhappy with her trying to snap its arm off, and the webbed foot is trying to make a grab for Miyako.]

Ha! Have they been waiting outside all this time? They're far more [A grunt of effort.] intelligent than I had thought!

Miyako-san, hold on--

[ As much as Mary enjoys (except not really) dealing with angry alien life forms, there's the clear fact that they're not going to get very far like this. It needs to stop being an obstacle.

So she moves forward, to latch onto the foot, and as the alien fights to get in, Mary waits for the door to open juuust enough in its favor, for it to try and poke its blobby head in.

Her irises then flash from pink to red, and all resistance immediately stops. ]

Hurry! It won't last long!

[That is certainly surprising, but this is not the time to be surprised or distracted. Miyako will take advantage of this opening to grab the slack-jawed monster by the throat and throw it an impressive distance away. She may be glowing gold a little. No biggie.

Even as she's doing that, though, she's keeping one eye out for the stairs. Thankfully, they aren't too far away from the room, and the doors are visible from her position. Immediately after tossing the creature aside, she begins barking out orders.]

There are stairs to the right of us! The path appears to be clear; let's go!

All right! [ SHE'S MAKING A BREAK FOR IT.

And, for once, not tripping over anything. Her friends would be so proud of her for the little things. ]

[Really, it's the little things that everyone should be proud of. But especially now, in Mary's case, since there are more patients running towards them from the left side of the hall.

Miyako will slow down if she has to if that means staying between Mary and the patients, but the door is thankfully close enough for them to slip through before the patients catch up. Once they're in the stairwell, Miyako will close them. She glows gold for a split second, power coursing through her body—and then it suddenly vanishes, and there's a look of shock and dismay on her face.

That look doesn't stay long, though, and she grits her teeth before turning to Mary. Even if Mary has already made progress going up, Miyako will still shout out to her.]

We must move quickly. I cannot keep the door closed; all we can do is outpace them.

That's fine-- maybe there's another door up there that we can lock?

[ Hopefully. There sure are a lot of stairs, though, and Mary's going to be wheezing by the time they hit the second flight. ]

We can only hope. Until then, we must keep going.

[Yeeeep, running up stairs isn't easy. Miyako's at her physical peak, though, so while it isn't fun, she won't get winded. She does notice that Mary isn't taking to this as well as she is, though.]

Will you be all right? We can stop at each floor if need be, and if those creatures give us the space to do so. [She absolutely doesn't think they'll give them the space to do so.]

I'm... okay... we should try to get as far a-as we can, anyway!

[ YES LET'S NOT STOP. ]

All right. Let me know if you need any assistance.

[Which is Miyako's way of saying that she will absolutely pick Mary up and carry her if she has to. She's stronger than she looks, after all, and while it won't be easy or fun, she has no intention of leaving Mary behind either.

Thankfully, the door to the next floor's hallway is only a little bit further. RUN LIKE THE WIND!]

[ Please don't majestically carry her, Miyako-- she's intent on... well, not keeping up entirely, but still running and even though her legs are burning and her chest aches, she'll make it to the door without tripping and tumbling back down the stairs. ]

[Hey, she made it, and that is what's important! ~~Miyako didn't even have to carry her~~

Miyako barely gives Mary a second to catch her breath before tentatively opening the door to the hallway and looking out. She sees nothing, which is good for them, and there's a whole bunch of doors.]

There is nothing in the hallway. We must continue moving. We can attempt to remain in one of the rooms and hope that the creature passes us by.

[Not her first preference, but Mary is clearly winded and needs time to recuperate.]

C-can we? Just for a minute.

[ You had to meet the small one with the pitiful amounts of stamina. ]

Of course. This way.

[Miyako opens a door slowly, and when nothing jumps out, she quickly scans it and, once she finds it devoid of hostile entities, ushers Mary into the room. She quickly locks and bars the door with a chair afterwards.

The room is just another examination room, with some medical supplies, a bed, and a stool for the doctor to sit on. Miyako remains standing and on guard, just in case.]

[ Gratefully, Mary's going for the bed, breathing out a quiet sigh. ]

T-thanks... I know I'm not very fast.

[ Or steady. ]

[Miyako's watching the door, and while she doesn't turn away from it to face Mary, her voice is encouraging.]

It's all right. Most civilians are unprepared for events such as this. There is no shame or guilt to be felt in having to rely on others who have trained for the unexpected.

I've lived here for awhile, though... I'm used to running.

[ Well, she needs to be better at it, but she's seen some shit. ]

[That statement is loaded with so many things, and most of them are negative.]

Not from having to flee from enemies such as those, I should hope?

Usually... sometimes the enemies are outside, too.

[That...isn't entirely unsurprising to hear, but it's still an unpleasant thing to have verified. Miyako frowns, and finally faces Mary to speak to her.]

Are the enemies outside the Flamines? Or are there other threats that we must watch for?

[ Slowly, she shakes her head. ] I don't think I've ever seen one of them... but one time, there were ghosts, and another time, there was a man in a sled that tried to run people over...

[ She has Stories. ]

A man in a sled...

[Ghosts she'll accept without batting an eyelash—demons, perhaps?—but a man in a sled that tried to run people over...]

Was he another civilian?! Or an employee of CERES?

I don't know. I'd never seen him before, and I haven't seen him since.

[All the sighs in the world can't properly communicate what Miyako thinks of Cerealia thus far, but that won't stop her from sighing.]

It sounds like you have experienced much during your stay here, Miss—

—Ah. I don't believe I have ever learned of your name.