Match of the Millennium

Description: Upon assurance from knight captain Ky that the command Gear currently under the Sacred Order's protection is friendly and harmless, Sophia decides to follow his advice and introduce herself to Dizzy.

[DIZZY]
Dizzy felt so proud of herself.

It was in the courtyard, hidden away from the main SO grounds. Standing by her fountain, and at this point it has been established that it was her fountain, the blue haired gear was still clad in her long, conservative nightgown. Her wings were retracted, and there was a smile on her lips. Dizzy was pulling the petals off a flower, and tossing them on the surface of the water. One by one, to watch them dance under the bubbling stream. She was so proud. Just last night, there were those poor creatures under attack by Zach Glenn. And Dizzy made a difference, she made a difference by going out, and saving them. And Zach not only agreed to let Dizzy take them here, but even he came along too! And nobody got hurt! Dizzy even helped write the report on it.

And yet, she was concerned.

Normally, there would be more acolytes and adepts visiting her at this point in the day. But so far... nobody. Not even Biyu, who she wanted to talk to, or Pukai, who she wanted to ask more questions, or Haruna, who had so much to teach her on Geomancy. Even Ky wasn't around, with his soft lap. It was almost as if... as if they were avoiding her. But they wouldn't avoid her. She did a good thing. She did the right thing.

Right?

[SIREN]
As the young girl sits at her pond contemplating her most recent bold and daring actions, a second figure slips into the wide courtyard. Though she makes no overt efforts to hide her presence, neither slinking through the shadows nor concealing herself behind any of the various obstacles between her and the command gear, this new arrival does nothing to announce herself either. She stands in silence at the base of a large archway, its masterful stonework devoid of the elaborate carvings present throughout the rest of the basilica. This is supposed to be a place of rest and tranquility, its design simple and calm by comparison.

And yet, tranquility is something that Sophia is not experiencing right in this moment. As she watches the monster wearing the guise of a young girl play an innocent children's game, she cannot help but feel some trepidation. She had seen first-hand the aftermath of Gear attacks in Japan and by all accounts those had been the handiwork of little more than basic grunts or cannon-fodder. The only other command Gear that she knows anything about is Justice and she needed only to look out a window at what used to be Mt. Fuji to see the sort of destruction that nightmare was capable of.

So yeah, she's a little freaking nervous about walking right up to something that could probably incinerate her down to atomic dust if it gets pissed off.

Regardless of her feelings on the matter, she needs to do this. The moment that she had been made aware that a Gear was under the protection of this group of holy knights and would-be heroes, she had to see it for herself. She needs to understand why they think that this one in particular is different, why they are so willing to put themselves at risk to protect it.

Taking a deep breath, the medic digs her hands into the pockets of open jacket hanging loosely around her black pencil-dress. Her fingers close over the familiar surface of a large coin, clutching the old relic as she always did when she needed a bit of courage or luck. Its weathered pattern presses into the soft flesh of her palm for several long seconds and she feels her anxiety ease, if only a little. It is enough.

Moving at a steady but unhurried pace, Sophia makes her way across the wide center of the courtyard, winding around the gazebo and onto the long path that leads over to the artificial lake. The heels of her short boots click softly on the stones as she approaches, annoucing her arrival well in advance. She has no desire to surprise this creature nor find out if it has an itch trigger finger.

"Bonjour, madmoiselle," she calls out cheerfully, coming to a halt some dozen or so feet away from the young girl. Her voice is a pleasant alto that flows like the lyrics of a song, upbeat and warm in its tone. "I do not believe dat we have met, non? Are you perhaps ze one dat ze capitaine mentioned? Dizzy, oui?"

[DIZZY]
To be fair, Dizzy only killed everyone when she felt she was in danger, not whether she was in actual danger.

Dizzy seems to respond to the footsteps. Standing up, she holds the half-plucked flower, turning around eagerly. Her senses were... well, she always felt attuned to her surroundings. She especially knows that the footsteps meant friends were coming to meet her. Her red eyes wide, she transfixes her gaze upon her guest. And then, the light dims a bit.

A stranger.

There were acolytes and adepts, and this was clearly one of them. And yet... as speaks, Dizzy becomes confused. The words were unknown to her, alien. There was only one word she really felt confident on. "I am Dizzy..." She begins, looking at her. "Not Madmoiselle. Uh... Wee..." She seems uncertain about the woman. Her words were... And then it clicks. She covers her mouth, gasping lightly.

"Are you speaking Italian?!"

[SIREN]
Sophia instinctively holds her breath even as she maintains her wide smile when the Gear turns to face her, half expecting some twisted monstrosity to be on the other side of that shapely silhouette. She'd seen a few Gears before, even helped fight a pack of them off. They'd been ugly dog-like things with massive oversized teeth and claws sharp enough to tear through the concrete of the street as they ran. One of them had nearly bitten a man clean in two before being put down.

Dizzy is...nothing like that. The medic blinks several times rapidly as the command Gear's delicate youthful features come into view, both relieved and somewhat concerned as the disappointment registers on the girl's all too human face upon discovering that her visitor is not who she had expected. Several moments of silent tension fill the air as Dizzy struggles to sort through the woman's thick accent, her uncertainty transmitting into Sophia creating a bit of awkardness.

Fortunately, the girl's lack of experience manages to break the moment before things get too strained. Sophia exhales sharply and rests a hand on her hip, chuckling as she shakes her head.

"Italien? Non, non! Le Francais! French, oui? Sorry if I confused you."

The medic tilts her head to the side, quirking an eyebrow at Dizzy's misunderstanding. Ky is French, has he not spoken to her in the native language before? Curious. She tries to shift gears mentally and cut out as much of the random French that she typically inserts into her sentences as possible but her heavy accent persists.

"I did not mean to bahzer you but ze capitaine, ah... Ky, dat is, he asked me to speak wiz you. He hopes dat you are well."

[DIZZY]
"French?"

Dizzy looks a bit... Dizzy for a moment. But enormously curious. She loved languages now. It was like different ways to talk to people. She was trying to translate the accent, parsing the words and tones like she would with the birds. Humans were a lot like birds sometimes, different singing, especially wit that one. Ky Kiske had not spoken much in French around her, only a few words here and there. The moment she realized that Ky Kiske had a whole new language for her...

"Oh, Ky Kiske hopes I am well?!"

Dizzy looks -especially- happy about that part. "Isn't he so nice? He saved me, you know, at Southtown. After my village was attacked... everyone was after me. I met this Noel girl, and this Colonel Hazama... and then I met Ky Kiske. He hugged me, and made it all better. I felt safe." She begins to frown, her black tail twitching. "When I feel like I am in danger, I can get so.... out of control. I was so afraid that if I was attacked again like how that awful man attacked me, I would... I would...." She trails off, a smile coming across her lips as she breaks from the solemn frown.

"Oh, but that's not important, is it?"

[SIREN]
Sophia nods in response and smiles a little brighter upon seeing the girl's reaction to the knight captain's well-wishes. The Gear seems more like a teenager than a weapon of war in her behavior and a particularly innocent one at that, as if the concept of multiple languages is entirely new. That actually makes the medic more nervous. Teenagers aren't exactly the most stable of individuals and most of them don't have access to nuclear weapons, just sarcasm and melodrama.

That is also assuming that this creature behaves like a normal person. Despite herself, Sophia's eyes are drawn briefly to that dark tail as it wiggles back and forth. It is a clear reminder that no matter what she might look like Dizzy is not a human being. Ky seemed to think that treating her like a normal person would be the best course of action and seeing as he hasn't been vaporized yet, she can't really fault his approach.

The medic remains quiet as Dizzy continues on, clearly eager to share her thoughts without even being prompted. She divulges the circumstances of her rescue without a moment's hesistation, clear affection for the white knight of the Sacred Order in her voice. So innocent and cheerful. This is proving far easier than she'd anticipated.

Sophia blinks a few more times as the happy gushing over Ky quickly changes directions to a darker place. She fights to keep from taking an instinctive step backwards at the almost ominous verbal musings, instead channeling that nervous energy into something productive.

"Well, you do not 'ave to worry about dat now, non? Ze Sacred Ordair 'as taken you undair our wing. You are safe 'ere, mon ami! So long as no one knows you are 'ere, dere is no danger."

Sophia smiles at the Gear, flashing her teeth in what she hopes is taken for a friendly manner and not seen as some kind of a threat like a dog might interpret it. So far, everything has gone smoothly but she literally cannot know what to expect here. Her gaze shifts to the pond and she wanders over to stand at it's edge, digging into another pocket on her jacket to produce a pair of local candy bars. She glances over at Dizzy and holds one out, quirking her eyebrows at her.

"Do you like chocolate? I was going to save zem for launch but I am feeling a bit 'ungry. Come! Talk wiz me some more, I am curious about you. We will considair eet an even trade, non?"

[DIZZY]
Who could control a teenager here?

Unlike most teenagers, Dizzy could go off and level Rome. And unlike most teenagers, Dizzy didn't even think about sarcasm much. She was even more immature than that, in her innocence. Her humanity is.. questionable. And yet, her joy is sincere. She was so scared in the world, and her white knight saved her. And she wanted to tell everyone about how wonderful her knight was. Oblivious of how that knowledge could hurt herself.

Or hurt others.

"Oh, if no one knows I am here?" Dizzy says, taking the smile as perfectly friendly. "But a lot of people know I am here, at least, in the Sacred Order. And Zach Glenn does, and he's a friend of the Sacred Order. I would told to stay put, but I left to help others. I find it very important to help people like me, who humans hate..." And then, she brings out the bars. She looks with wide eyes, transfixed on it.

"Chocolate?"

She drops the flower to the ground. "I had chocolate once! It was snuck into the village! A whole box of them! It was very sweet, and a little bitter. I liked chocolate very much. I would be very happy for some chocolate!" She considers. "It doesn't sound very fair to you though... isn't there anything else I could trade with you, than just talking to you? Maybe a song I was working on, or maybe showing you a drawing I was making, about how I feel about my friends here..." Dizzy nods her head, an idea coming in her head.

"Or maybe you want to know something about me?"

[SIREN]
"Haha, ofcourse ze Sacred Ordair knows about you," Sophia says, amused at how little context this creature seems to be able to grasp. "But ze fewair, ze bettair, non?"

She really is like a child. A terribly dangerous child. It's actually sort of staggering that she's allowed to wander around freely. There aren't even any guards or people around to keep an eye on her, atleast not that she'd spotted, though the possibility of more modern security isn't entirely out of the question. Then again, there might not be a whole lot that an average person could do if the Gear did get out of hand. She certainly wouldn't want to try and stand in the way of something with the power to level a mountain if it was mad.

"'elping people iz a nobel goal but dere are times when not getting involved is actually ze smartair ting to do. Ze Sacred Ordair 'as risked much to keep you safe. If someone were to find out dat you are 'ere, eet could cause a lot of troubel for ze capitaine and ze rest of us."

Turning back to Dizzy, Sophia walks over to her and holds the candy bar out for her to take, unwrapping her own with a quick tear from her teeth. She takes a small bite and savors the rich flavor of chocolate and caramel, both slightly warm from being in her pocket for the past few hours. It's pretty good for something she picked up at a convenience store, but then chocolate is one of those things that's really hard to screw up.

"'ere, take it. Eet's not 'ard to get more of dem. I would luv to 'ear more about you, though. Voyons... ah! Why not tell me about where you came from?"

[DIZZY]
There was a discomfort on keeping Dizzy under lock and key.

Certainly, they could put her in chains and arrest her. But there was a fear; Dizzy, under duress, would simply convert the local environment into one of safety and stability. Necro, the black wing, was especially efficient at that; any threat or danger to Dizzy would be eliminated. And Necro was very, very liberal in determining threats. Ky Kiske and Leo Whitefang both saw this, and erred that it would be wiser to give her a sense of freedom.

A freedom that she's already arguably abused.

And yet, she is ultimately a child. As Sophia questions her helping... That actually draws a flicker of uncertainty from Dizzy. Her voice comes with an innocent, if grave resolution. "I don't want to get my friends in trouble..." She says warily. "... But I must always do the right thing. That's always a good thing, when I do the right thing." Dizzy nods her head, as the chocolate comes, taking it. The smile comes back.

And she begins to uphold her part of the bargain.

"I came from the village!" Dizzy helpfully explains. "It was near the city of Southtown, where I was found. We worshipped the Kamui Kanna there; it was filled with non-humans like me. My adopted mother and father said I hatched out of an egg. I think it was a very small egg; like a bird." Dizzy explains along... as a great sadness takes over her. She nibbles on the chocolate, looking away from Sophia.

"They were killed by those awful humans."

[SIREN]
The right thing. Such a simple idea and yet the path towards it is littered with more pitfalls and land-mines than any physical battlefield; except maybe Russia's front during the second World War, those people didn't fool around. So often what appears to be the 'right' thing to do is merely an illusion, a convenient choice at the time that eventually causes just as much trouble as the problem it solved. There is also the argument that what is right and good is subjective to each individual, a amalgamation of countless beliefs formed over the course of a life time by culture, religion, and personal experiences. The very idea that there is a 'right' thing to do might very well be flawed, a product of naive black and white idealism.

Sophia shakes her head as this thought runs through her mind, muttering to herself about cutting back on the pretentious television shows and their morality soapboxes. At the end of the day, she's going to do what makes her happy and would expect nothing different from anyone else. In her case, that means helping those who have become victims of violence and war with the skills that she possesses and her basic human compassion. Dizzy, however, isn't a human and she seems to have already learned the distinction between her own kind and the rest of the world. That's a rather dangerous bit of knowledge for a walking super-weapon to possess without the proper context and maturity to act on it wisely.

"A village, eh?"

That didn't really narrow it down. Japan, like many nations, is still home to dozens of smaller settlments. The fact that she didn't offer a name means she either doesn't know it or it wasn't meant to be found, which would make more sense considering the tidbit about it being a sort of refuge for non-humans.

Sophia grins at the mention of being hatched, finding that mental imagery rather funny. In her mind a tiny little Dizzy pokes at the surface of the white shell, slowly heaving it open like the lid on a chest and making big puppy eyes while she cheeps. As before, Dizzy seems almost bi-polar in her ability to shift from something cute or innocent to something dark as she casually lets it drop that her village was wiped out by someone. As before, Sophia tries to steer the ship back onto course, this time focusing on that bit of humor.

"'atched from an egg? Dat's certainly not someting you see everyday. I bet you were an adorabul littel chicken. Ah, but where are your wings, poussin?"

[DIZZY]
Dizzy's darkness was unavoidable.

Not to say she didn't want to avoid it. She... hurt. She hurt so much thinking about it. Thinking about it made dark, awful thoughts. Revenge. Hate. Anger. Shame, the worst kind of shame. Ky Kiske explained shame to her, and she had it. Her first encounter with humans was the murder of her friends, her family, and the extinguished the innocence she clung to. She wanted them all gone, all the badness, all the wrongness. She wanted the righteous. But it was so much safer to just... pretend it away.

"Oh! Like a little baby chicken!"

She repeats back, trying to focus on this. "I think... my wings are here!" Dizzy adjusts her nightgown. There is a small tearing sound, as she stretches out her wings. Coming to full length, they could likely wrap around Sophia. One black, and one white, each unleashing a trail of feathers. "These are also my friends, Sophia." She tugs on the black wing. "This one is Necro. He can have a very strong temper, but he cares very much about me. And this one," She tugs on the white wing. "This is Undine. She is like a mother to me now, and she protects me much more carefully. She is less scary than Necro sometimes." She lowers her voice to Sophia.

"She thinks Ky Kiske is a bad man."

[SIREN]
Oh. She...actually has wings. Did not see that one coming.

Sophia stares openly this time, not even trying to hide her surprise as the massive feathery appendages seem to simply manifest out of the girl's back. She do not recoil, despite an intense desire to do so, fearful that showing any sign of being concerned by Dizzy's appearance might injure the Gear's feelings. Besides, it's just wings, right? That's...actually kind of cool, in a weird comic-book sort of way.

Taking a moment to inspect the wings, she finds the duality of their hues to be rather interesting. It's like having an angel and a demon sitting on your shoulders. Which one does this creature listen to more, she wonders. On the surface, Dizzy seems like a fairly normal individual. She appears to regard life as something precious and important and seems to have some idea about the concept of justice and righteousness. Perhaps that is Ky's doing. A brave man to risk extending a hand of friendship to something this dangerous and volatile. Far braver than she would have been in his shoes.

The medic leans forward to listen to Dizzy's conspiratorial whisper, nodding slowly a couple of times as it dawns on her that the low-tone of voice is meant to keep the wings from overhearing whas said. Because she's given them names and thinks they have opinions on things. That's...not distressing in the least.

"W-well... I am sure dat ze capitaine iz doing his best. 'E seems like a pretty naice guy. Besides, 'e saved you and brought you 'ere, non? Why would 'e do dat if 'e was up to no good?"

She can think of several reasons why, actually, but hopefully this somewhat naive creature isn't quite aware of that sort of subterfuge yet. Dizzy's power would be a potent weapon in the wrong hands if one could convince her to wield it as they saw fit. A frightening thought but she had not seen that sort of conniving cunning in Ky during their first meeting and she's always prided herself on being able to read people. So either he is a frighteningly good liar or his desire to help this girl is genuine.

[DIZZY]
Dizzy hardly even noticed how much this could be.

She could only see Sophia for the mask she was presenting. And it was a beautiful mask. As she lets Sophia inspect the wings to her full interest, she even holds them herself, allowing Sophia to see how pretty they are. But, as Sophia begins to talk about how nice Ky is... Dizzy suddenly jolts.

"Oh? Ssh!"

Dizzy shushes Sophia, and looks to the white wing. It twitches, as she waits in silence. "Undine says there is a lot of reasons not to trust him. Because he's only looking for one thing from me! And how he always thinks dirty thoughts about me. LIke when he told me how babies are made!" Dizzy shakes her head. "Undine is just being too protective of me." She explains to Sophia. "Necro actually likes him! He is still angry how he tricked him into losing a fight, but it's the good kind of anger, I think." The black wing twitches as well. And then the white. And then the black. Dizzy sighs. "Oh no." She says, looking Sophia straight in the eyes.

"They are fighting again!"

Dizzy takes a bite out of the chocolate, as the wings flap hard. "They fight a lot, even in front of strangers. Sometimes, Necro gets so angry, that he takes it out on other things. Trees, rocks, mountainsides... he just gets so angry. But Undine is scarier when she gets angry. Necro gets angry at threats. But Undine can get angry at people." The wings start flapping harder, as small whirlwinds of feathers are blown up. Dizzy smiles.

"Now they are talking about you!"

[SIREN]
Wonderful. The wings that blow up mountains are talking about her.

Sophia's eyes, still slightly wider than normal after the miniature heart attack that she had when the Gear suddenly shushed her, dart back and forth between the two feathery fiends as if trying to decide with one of a pair of hungry tigers is going to pounce on her first. She quickly shoves the candy bar into her mouth and starts chewing, both to give herself a moment to think of what to say and to keep from letting some of those weird squeaky noises that have been building up in the back of her throat from escaping. She is mostly successful in this endeavor though the sigh she lets slip a few moments later is somewhat higher pitched and warbly than usual.

"So, um... eet iz noting bad, oui? I would hate to sink I have made your friends upset."

[DIZZY]
Dizzy, at least, didn't think it was bad.

"Undine thinks you are asking too many personal questions," Dizzy says, as if she is repeating back what the white wing is saying. "And is concerned that I am acting too recklessly, especially around people." She looks to the black wing. "But Necro... he doesn't see any harm in it, and he thinks it's a waste of time and energy to get worked up over harmless humans." Dizzy shakes her head. "But I think you are very nice to talk to me, and give me chocolate! Undine just worries too much I think."

And the white wing changes at this.

Transforming into the shape of a pale-blue skinned maiden, with elf-like ears and flowing robes, the angelic figure manifests. Her lower torso was still connected to Dizzy, merging into her back. And she was -glowering- horribly at Dizzy. She begins to... mime speech, shouting silently at Dizzy, who suddenly looks -very- embarrassed. "Oh... oh now I've done it." Undine taps her arms, scolding in silence at Dizzy. "She thinks I am mistreating her, by telling you these things." The command gear explains. And now, the glower was fixed on -Sophia-. Dizzy gasps. "No, please, don't be angry at her! She was just curious about me! I want to be able to share who I am!" Undine ignores Dizzy, and looks at Sophia.

And gives a grave headshake, as if she knows -exactly- what she's up to.

[SIREN]
"Merde!"

Sophia's face turns almost as pale as the manifestation itself when what she had assumed to be little more than a figment of the Gear's obviously damaged psyche takes shape right before her eyes. And glares at her. She does not want to be glared at, not by this walking disaster and most certainly not by it's /wing/. This is getting way above her paygrade. Why exactly did Ky want her to talk to this monstrosity? To give it hugs or something? Right now she could really use a hug herself, a nice bottle of wine to drown in.

The medic says nothing as Dizzy and her over-protective guardian verbally joust, though half of the conversation is lost to her as apparently only the Gear can hear what Undine is saying. Whatever it is, it probably isn't pleasant. Dizzy's sudden leap to her defense makes the woman's stomach do about ten backflips in a row and she starts to feel slightly queasy.

-Oh my god. I'm going to die now, aren't I? To a glowing wing woman. This was not in my damn horoscope!-

Swallowing the rising bile in her throat, Sophia smiles nervously back at the scowling angel and offers her a little wave, unable to keep from being a smartass even as her life is no doubt about to come to an end.

"Um... I could... change ze subject... if dat 'elps? Maybe you can show me zose drawings or we could play a game of cards?"

[DIZZY]
Dizzy's reaction was slightly different.

Tears were building in her eyes, as Undine was... trying to scare Sophia? Dizzy did not like this. She didn't like it when she was trying to bully Ky, and she didn't like it now. It wasn't like Necro, where it was a clear and pleasant danger. Undine was more... meddling in her social life. So when Sophia offers to change the subject? Dizzy inhales, and gives -her- answer.

"No."

Dizzy says with a quivering lip, looking hard at Undine. That gets its attention, who looks at Dizzy sternly, but far more softly than against Sophia."No, I don't think that's very nice of Undine. I want to keep talking about me, because you are interested. And that's what will be." Undine glares at Sophia one last time. And that glare, that curl of the lips makes it clear. Make a mistake? Use my Dizzy?

And you would be paying for it.

For now, she returns into the shape of the white wing. If that was the angelic wing.... what was the black one like? Dizzy, for her purpose, bows her head at Sophie. "I'm so Sorry..." Dizzy trails off. "... Sorry... Oh! I don't know your name!" Dizzy pipes up. "What is your name? Mine has always been Dizzy. Some people call me a Command Gear, but I don't know what a Gear is. I mean, I think it means non-Human, because there are no human gears." Dizzy smiles nervously.

Hoping that she didn't just scare her off.

[SIREN]
Sophia would like very much to run away now. She's never been much of a fighter by choice, mostly out of necessity and realism. You can still get beaten up if you're a pacifist so it's just the smartest move to not be helpless when someone takes a swing at you. But this? This wouldn't even be a fight if she somehow managed to evoke the ire of whatever the hell this creature infront of her actually is. It would be the equivalent of stepping on an insect and she doesn't like being the cockroach in this metaphor.

Dizzy's firm stand against this terrible fate saves her the embarrassment of turning tail and fleeing, however. Not that running would have saved her but it's a pleasant fiction to entertain. Being caught between a child and it's guardian sorting out boundaries is never particularly fun, even less so when either one of them could turn the entire building into a slowly expanding mushroom cloud on a whim.

Fortunately, it would seem that Dizzy is the one putting her foot down this time. That might be an unfair contest since the angel doesn't seem to have feet, but if it means she isn't going to get vaporised then she's not going to complain. Sophia holds her breath at that terrible glare, meeting the gaze of the guardian angel for a few moments before it returns to its wing form. Her breath slowly leaks out in a draw-out whoosh between her lips, staring blankly across the pond at nothing in particular. Well, that was...interesting.

"Sophia," she answers, turning her face back to Dizzy after a few long moments of silence. The medic smiles again, trying to act like everything is perfectly normal, though her hands are firmly tucked into the pockets of her jacket to hide the shaking. Be strong. Show no fear in the face of the predator. They can /smell/ it. "Sophia Smith."

[DIZZY]
They could smell it.

Even Dizzy could sense it, the fear. And yet, she didn't want to be too alone now. She liked her friends at the Sacred Order. She liked Sophia. And she liked talking to them, and sharing stories, and learning so much. Undine was still muttering, and Dizzy gives another shush. She didn't want to hurt Sophia. Well, she didn't want to hurt anyone, really.

Unless she had to.

"It's very nice to meet you Sophia Smith!" Dizzy says, smiling. Her white wing furls back, retracting. Her black wing remains, ominus by the silence it shared now. The Gear seems to be calming down from the incident. She was in control, for at least the moment. "I am so happy to get to meet you. Now it's my turn to learn about you! I like learning about all the people who work at the Sacred Order. They are very nice and open." Dizzy smirks, and moves in closer, too close in fact; it seems that her sense of personal space... wasn't.

"What do you do, Sophia Smith?"

[SIREN]
Under normal circumstances, Sophia would have been the one to get up close and personal to break the ice. She'd practically dragged Ky into a dinner date five minutes after meeting the man and this wasn't an unusual turn of events. Some people liked women who were more timid and reserved but she'd always been a go-getter, unafraid to speak her mind or make the first move. Almost all of her relationships had been initiated by her, though she didn't have a great track record for keeping them around.

In this case, however, she's rather hesistant about just throwing an arm around Dizzy's shoulders and treating her like they've known each other forever. Mainly because she's pretty certain that crazy wing-lady would rip it right off. Plus there's the other one, still there just... looming ominously. It's mildly off-putting to her whole nonchalance routine because at the moment she is anything but relaxed and calm.

But, things seem to have been wrangled back under control despite a brief brush with disaster. Sophia tries to make the most of it while she has the opportunity, smiling as best she can while in proximity to the equivalent of a tamed tiger. Sure, it's been taught not to chew people like squeak toys but you never know when that wild instinct will act out.

"I am a field medic," she says, happy to shift to a different topic. Maybe talking about herself will provoke less suspicioun from Dizzy's silent watchers. "Eet's not quite a doctair but a bit more involved zan a nurse. I specialize in battelfield medicine, tending to ze wounded 'ou are too far from proper 'ospital care as best I can. When I worked wiz ze Red Cross, I would often get sent into third world countries that still suffair from constant fighting. Warlords and drug cartels are always mixing eet up over territory and resources and dere's always someone 'ou gets caught in ze middle. Eet tends to get a bit messy and dere are nevair enough supplies to go around but I 'ave nevair been afraid to get my 'ands dirty."

Sophia smirks at this, remembering how she'd looked when the Sacred Order had approached her in Japan, half soaked in blood and sweat with the other half drenched in some slimey ichor that the Gears she'd killed used for blood or oil or something. Probably could have starred in her own horror movie. Alas, an opportunity missed.

"Ze Sacred Ordair said dat zey could use my skills in dere crusade against evil and, well, 'ere I am. So far eet 'as been nice and quiet, and eet 'as been nice to relax a bit after ze chaos of Southtown, but I 'ave a feeling things will get interesting very soon."

[DIZZY]
It was a curious subject to Dizzy.

As the Command Gear keeps her ground, her expression shifts as Sophia explains. She becomes... not angry, but more focused. Was it the accent? Or was it her job. It was a lot of both. Sophia's accent was so different, that she was trying to pierce the words. But the words... Sophia might have thought she had an opportunity. Dizzy finds her own, as she rests on how things would be interesting soon. Her expression was neutral, as she grabs her own tail.

"Do you save lives, Sophia Smith?"

Dizzy asks, somewhat softly, but wholly serious. She steps away from Sophia, looking at the grass of the garden. "How do you help someone who has fallen asleep from losing blood? It has- it has happened enough times, with Ky Kiske, with Noel, with little animals... I find them falling asleep, and they are going to die. I want to be able to help people when they fall asleep from losing blood. They sleep to death when they do, and... and I want to help them." She turns to back to the field medic.

"Can you teach me some field medic techniques right now?"

[SIREN]
"Mmm, fifty-fifty?"

Sophia holds a hand up in the air and wobbles it back adn forth as she grins, despite the seriousness of the subject. It's pretty hard to be in the medical profession without either a good sense of humor or the ability to detach from one's emotions. As a French native, the latter was pretty much impossible for her so she's learned to be pretty jovial about things even when it might be in poor taste.

"Well, if zey 'ave lost dere blood, you just 'ave to put it back in, silly! Non, non, I kid. Well, a little. Transfusions are generally 'ow we 'elp people 'ou 'ave lost a great deal of blood but quite often dere iz not enough or ze wrong type. Sometimes dere iz noting you can do but bandage zem up and 'ope zey pull through."

She shakes her head at Dizzy and shrugs, having long ago come to terms with the fact that not everyone can be saved. It sucks but it's also reality. But just because the chances might be slim that doesn't mean it's not worth trying. The medic looks thoughtful for a moment as she considers the Gear's request. There isn't a real good way to quickly show someone how to do field surgery, especially without something to practice on and she sure as hell isn't about to volunteer. There might be one or two things she could show the girl, however.

"Well... eet iz not as simpel as dat, unfortunately. You would need to go to school for many years to learn 'ow to do eet properly. But dere are a few simple tings dat I could teach you. Firstly, when dealing wiz a bleeding wound ze best ting to do is to stop ze bleeding as quickly as possible. Wrapping eet tightly in bandages or applying preshaire to ze injairy until it clots are ze common methods. Eet will probably not save someone 'ou is already badly wounded but eet might buy time for zem to receive proper medical care."

[DIZZY]
"Bandages..."

Dizzy thinks about it. She learned about those in the village. They were useful when accidents happened. "If I wrap them up, and stop the blood going out..." Dizzy sighs sadly. "... I still have to find help. Unless I learn. I- I sometimes find it hard to find people who help." She was actually thinking of a volunteer. Maybe someone to practice on. Maybe she could ask one of her friends. But... what if something went wrong. Dizzy lets the sadness wash over her.

"... Thank you, Sophia Smith."

Dizzy turns back to her, as she forces a smile at her lips. She felt the pulses from her hidden white wing. "You've done so much kindness to me. Chocolate, friendship... and teaching me. Maybe we can find volunteers later to practice on." She clasps her hands together, her red eyes shimmering.

"Is there anything I can do for you, Sophia Smith?"

[SIREN]
Wuh oh, this is going in a strange direction. The thought of Dizzy scouring the Vatican for 'volunteers' to help her learn first-aid procedures would be kind of funny if she wasn't still drenched in sweat from nearly being terminated for talking to the Gear. Unleashing this naive creature on some learning expedition unsupervised is pretty much guaranteed to end in tears.

"Maybe I can show you 'ow eet iz done sometime, oui? I will need to get some supplies first but I can show you some of ze basics."

Her hand waves in the air dismissively at the Gear's offer and she shakes her head, trying not to do it too quickly or vehemently. The last thing she wants is to ask for some favor that might be misinterpreted. While she's pretty sure Dizzy's heart, or whatever it is that keeps her ticking, is in the right place, Sophia's not keen on the idea of being arbiter of some trajedy based on a misunderstanding. Kid's gloves with this one until she knows for damn sure she can be trusted.

"Non, dat will not be necessairy. I am just glad dat I 'ad a chance to meet you. Eet 'as been a very interesting experience. I learned quite a bit myself, so let us call eet even, okay?"

An electronic beeping sound begins to chirp at Sophia noisly from her pocket and she withdraws her hand to peer at the slender silver watch tucked just beneath the fuzzy hem of her jacket sleeve. She clucks her tongue upon seeing the time.

"Ah, I 'ad nearly forgotten. I 'ave a prior engagement today, so I must go and prepair myself. Eet was nice to meet you, Dizzy. I will see you some other time, oui? Adieu, little birdie!"

Giving her a final wave, Sophia turns away and stalks back down the winding path towards the courtyard, controlling her speed until she's well out of sight of the small pond. Once she's sure the Gear can't see her any more, she picks up her pace considerably, power walking past the gazebo and through the tall archway into the winding hallways of the basilica proper, pushing her way through the throngs of tourists and clergy without regard for the sideways glances she gets.

Today has been very interesting. She had confirmed that the rogue Command Gear was indeed right where Ky had claimed, squating in the middle of the Vatican as casual as you please. She still doesn't know how to feel about that and her brief encounter with the creature has only made things more uncertain. It's commendable that the knight commander would want to extend his hand in friendship to as many people as possible but the sheer risk that Dizzy poses is... well, it's not something that can be weighed on the same scale as a normal situation. It's almost like keeping an active nuclear warhead as a pet, assuming no one will ever drop the thing or do something to cause it to go off.

She glances at her wrist again, scanning the numbers on the digital readout to be sure they aren't mistaken. This meeting has been a long time coming and she doesn't want to be late. Some of her old friends could get rather cranky when they were made to wait. Now, safely away from the danger posed by the command Gear, she feels herself start to loosen up a bit. She smiles, her slender lips quirking up at the corners in her usual cocky fashion, certain that life is about to get far more interesting around here.

[DIZZY]
"I would very much appreciate that!"

Dizzy imagines herself as a nurse, helping the little animals, the hurt humans, and non-humans. It was a beautiful dream. She was ignorant of Sophia's, or Siren's, true feelings on her, the fear, the terror. But it was a beautiful ignorance, just like the dream. "But yes... I hope others come by too." She says, warily. "It's been so lonely today. I sometimes like being alone, but... I wanted to talk to people about the good thing I did..." She trails off, as she snaps out of it. "Oh! Yes Sophia! Goodbye! And I hope to see you soon!" As Sophia leaves, Dizzy looks after her....

And then, she takes a seat

Pinching her legs together, she thinks carefully. Her white wing extends out again, wrapping around Dizzy almost apologetically. Dizzy hugs it back. "I like Sophia Smith. What do you think, Necro?"

A pause.

"I wasn't asking your opinion, Undine, I was asking Necro's."

Another pause.

"Well yes, you have to have an opinion!"

Log created on 13:37:17 01/31/2018 by Siren, and last modified on 14:11:49 02/01/2018.