==Lude FTW!== * Niri walks down the street on her way back to the tower. As she passes through a central square, she spies Trune sitting on the edge of a fountain. She hurries to meet him. * Trune 's head is downcast, peering intently at a book of some sort. He's pressing his hand against his head as he reads. Hey, Trune. I found him. Uhh...? O--Oh! * Trune quickly shuts the book in his lap, but doesn't fully look up at Niri, "...And?" * Niri shrugs. "Well, I think he'll come back in a little while. Maybe we can leave in an hour or two. Time is running short, but I don't want to push him..." She sighs and sits down next to Trune. * Trune shakes his head, "No, we shouldn't push...he needs some time." * Trune still has not looked up from the book in his lap. He idly taps his fingers against it. I'm sorry. I know you probably thought I should wait a little longer, but...I'm worried about him. *Niri sighs.* No...it's okay. After a while, I was gonna check on him too. I just didn't want to go after him right away, you know? His emotions must be really...just out of whack right now. * Niri nods. "I'll say." She hesitates. "Kind of like mine, I guess. That's the other reason I wanted to talk to him. I...know how he feels, and I'm right there with him...because of Leah and all." * Trune nods slowly, his voice quiet, "Yeah..." * Niri gives Trune a sidelong glance for a moment. "This has come as a shock to us all. Zophar's hit us hard, and sudden." Yeah. That he has. He'll get what's coming to him soon enough. Promise you that. We've lost too much not to fight back with everything we've got. * Trune 's voice, however, seems to have a deep undercurrent of pure anger behind his words. * Niri looks up at the sky, voice strangely casual. "You sound like Tanan." * Trune stops for a moment, his hands gripping his book a little tighter, "...Like Tanan?" * Niri nods. "Yeah. So vehement about defeating Zophar. Angry, even." * Trune clutches the book tighter, and laughs thinly, "Heh...c'mon, I've always been like that. Right? You're imagining it." Right. We all have. * Niri doesn't sound entirely convinced of her own words, however, especially after noting the tone of Trune's laugh. Seriously...seriously, all right? We've...just been through a lot. That bastard is responsible for a lot of suffering! I think if I wasn't angry everyone would think I'm crazy. * Niri nods. "You're probably right. But you're going to rip that book if you're not careful." * Trune clutches the book tighter, "Heh, know I'm right..." * Niri frowns. Trune, is it just Emili? What's wrong? Is there something else going on? * Trune 's hands, however, are starting to turn white from how tightly he's holding the book. So tightly, in fact, that a thin strip of red begins to seep from between his fingers. He seems completely unware of it, "No. I'm fine." * Niri blinks, her eyes widening. She reaches out to gently pry Trune's fingers away from the book. * Trune 's hand is somewhat cold to the touch, and he lets out a startled shout as she grabs it, "What? What is it?!" * Niri edges back, looking a bit taken aback at his nervous reaction. "You're holding the book so tight you're bleeding." She frowns at the clear sky. "And it's fairly warm here. Why are you so cold? Are you coming down with something? If you're not feeling well, you should tell us, Trune." * Trune finally looks up at Niri. While he has looked tired the last couple of days, now he looks haggard. He's pale, and there's already dark circles under his eyes, "I...I just haven't slept well the last couple of days. It's nothing, really." I just have been researching too much and overdid it. * Niri frowns. "This is not about Emili, is it? C'mon Trune, I can tell when you're not being honest with me. There's something more going on here. Do you know what it is? Because if you don't, we'll find out. But if you do..." * Trune looks down at his still bleeding hand, "(w) Didn't even feel it..." * Trune then looks up towards Niri, sharply, "Look, is this seriously an interrogation here? I'm /FINE/. There's nothing to find out, okay? I know how you work. You're just as stubborn as me, so I'll tell you now, it's NOTHING." * Niri is clearly taken aback, and the hurt is plain on her face. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that - you know, never mind." She stands. * Trune wrings his hands, "Niri...I..." If you want to be left alone, I'll leave you alone. * Niri 's voice is a bit cold. She sounds like she wants to say more, but the hurt and anger war with each other and nothing else makes its way out of her mouth. * Trune presses his head into his still bleeding hand, "..." * Niri still looks worried, but she just shakes her head. "Fine. I'll go." She turns and starts to walk away, her usually cheery expression darkly shadowed. * Trune is silent, trembling as Niri walks away. For a moment, all that accompanies the two is the sound of the wind rushing through the trees. Finally, Trune's trembling grows worse -- and the dam breaks, "It's...It's better you didn't know! It's...there's nothing you can do! It's better if you didn't know! It's-" He stops, realizing what he has said. But it's too late now. * Niri stops, turning slowly. "So, there is something." She hesitates, looking uncertain. Okay, look. I want you to tell me. You never know, I might be able to help. We won't know until you tell me what's wrong. But if you don't trust me enough to tell me...well. I'll leave it alone. I'm worried about you, though, Trune. I'm worried to death about Mikel, and now I'm scared for you. I didn't want to tell you...because I don't think anyone can do anything...and you got your own shit to deal with. Dwelling on Leah's death won't bring her back, though. I have problems to deal with, yeah, but I'd rather deal with those problems that can be solved. * Trune reaches into his satchel and pulls out his overcoat, putting it on even though the weather outside is rather balmy, "You sure about this?" * Niri returns to sit at the edge of the fountain. "Would I have asked, and pushed so hard, if I weren't? Yes." Okay...just promise...No matter what I tell you, you will keep this between us, okay? It's extremely important. * Niri nods after a moment's hesitation. "I promise." You know how we fought Leah...how she changed? * Niri goes stiff. "...Yes." You do know what she changed into, right? I...have a suspicion, yeah... * Niri shakes her head She...she was the 9th, Niri. The ninth Elementalor? * Trune nods, "Yeah...I felt it, there was no mistake about it...but, something felt...off. It was like something...alien took her over. She felt like an elementalor, but it was everything was twisted and wrong. I didn't know quite what it was, you know?" * Niri nods. "I guess I felt something similar, maybe. I admit everything was pretty confused. I came around after she...after I got stabbed, and everything was kind of a haze." Anyway, after she...after we stopped her I felt this weird buzzing sensation come from the ECC. I didn't really think anything of it...but now...maybe that's when it happened. * Niri narrows her eyes. "...When what happened?" * Trune looks down at the ground, and is silent for a moment. When he speaks again, his voice is soft, "...How much have I told you about the Thought Virus?" * Niri gets a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Not...a lot. I mostly just know what you said about the dream you had before Emiria attacked, and what we saw in that vision in Eden." I think...no, I KNOW, Leah had it, Niri. I'm not sure if it was active or just triggered or WHAT, but she was infected with it. That...thing we fought, it was the result of it. The thought virus they used to control the Elementalors' thinking? So that's why Leah went...why she acted the way she did? Yeah, it's what I thought too...but there's more to this. Stuff I didn't know. Maybe there's different strains of it, I don't know...but this one, it's like some sort of entity. It has a conciousness of its own. I'm not sure what its true purpose is but what we saw Leah turn into...I'm sure that was it. I dreamt...well...I dreamt that long ago someone who looked like Leah...maybe it was Ghaleon, I dunno, was the original subject of the thought virus. I think they were trying to make him the 9th elementalor or something. * Trune shakes his head, "I don't know all the details." * Niri blinks, just staring. "So...what does this mean, Trune?" Are you saying that this...thought virus... * Niri doesn't finish the thought * Trune is quiet for a while, then looks down at the ground, speaking words that have probably needed to be spoken since they left China, "After ECC shocked me I felt faint, really faint. Ever since then I've had this splitting headache...It's taking all my willpower not to scream in front of you...and...and..." In that dream I had...I saw Venus...She said...She said... She wondered if I could take it...it's a nasty infection... * Niri just shakes her head. "Oh, Trune." * Niri doesn't seem to know what to say, but after a moment she eyes Trune, for the first time seeing the expression on his face that hints at the pain in his head. She leans forward and presses cool hands on his temples, singing something softly under her breath. * Trune leans his head into her hands, a small bit of color returning to his cheeks, "...Little better, t-thanks." * Niri nods and releases him. "I'm afraid my healing magic has never been very good at diagnosis, so I can't try to get a better look at what's going on inside your head...but..." Her mind races. "Maybe Johnathan might have some ideas." Or... *she bites her tongue* No, never mind, bad idea. What? What idea? Oh, was going to suggest asking your father. I don't like him, but he knows a lot about healing. Still, there HAVE to be more options before we go that far. N...No! I can't tell him, are you kidding? That I might be turning into...we just can't tell him, I don't think this is quite the same. * Niri nods. "I'm sorry, it was just an idea. But we have to do whatever we can to stop this. Have you talked to the Elementalors or Dr. Webbly about this?" No...I'm a little scared to, actually. Would it help if I called them with you? Maybe... I know it's frightening, but I do think we need to know the truth. So...when you're ready, let's call them. If we can do it before we go to Meribia, so much the better. If we can't...well. We'll see. * Niri reaches out and squeezes Trune's hand in what she hopes is a reassuring manner. * Trune manages a half-smile at the squeeze, but goes silent, thoughtful for a moment, "...Hey." Hmm? Can I ask you...if...no matter what happens, we'll be friends, right? * Trune can't help but laugh, "I know that sounds really, really dumb right now and cowardly, but...I need to know." * Niri smiles a little. "Trune, of course we'll be friends. You guys are my new family, you know, if you haven't figured that out. I'll stand by all of you, no matter what." * Trune looks grateful, "Thank you." * Niri gives his hand another squeeze. "We'd better go back to the others and make plans. If we have time, we'll see if we can find someplace private to use the ECC to contact Webbly." Yeah...the world ticks on, doesn't it? You can see why...I don't want you to tell the others, right? * Niri nods. "I understand. I won't tell them...yet. We might have to, but...later. We have other things to try first." * Niri stands * Trune stands as well, picking up the book he was reading earlier and stuffing it into his bag, "Long as we have other things to try...I'll keep going. No...even if we don't, I'll keep going. I meant it when I said I'd stick with you till the end." This...it doesn't change that. * Niri gives Trune a sad smile, nodding, and starts back to the tower, waiting for him to follow. * Trune straightens, looking haggard still but a little more at ease, and follows closely behind. ==LUDE END HAHAHA==