Description: The ramifications of Vega's attack on Ingrid.
It's late. Almost midnight, and there's footsteps coming from the elevator. Perhaps this may be common, but the footsteps don't move off to some other apartment, but instead come right up to Megumi's door. There's knocking. First very quiet, and then maybe a little too loud.
Megumi takes a few seconds to get to it...she wasn't in the living room. So it's only when repeated, distant thumps /keep/ happening that she emerges from the hallway, staring at the door...and then dashing over to it as if suddenly realizing something. She doesn't even check who's there, sliding the lock back and nearly 'flinging' the door open.
The sudden movement of air is enough to catch Ingrid off guard, and part of her weight was against the door itself. This causes a collapse, and she falls forward into the apartment and lands on her chest, bouncing slightly and then coming to a halt on the floor. She doesn't do anything for a moment, but then starts to squirm a little and push herself up. This appears to take a concerted effort.
Megumi was...not ready. Expecting something urgent, yes. Expecting Ingrid came as soon as she got to the door...but expecting a can't-stand-up Ingrid, not quite. So Ingrid falls, but Megumi kneels after that, trying to offer a hand and a weight to stand on. Not even saying anything yet, strangely.
Ingrid accepts the help, and stands up. She is a mite wobbly, but probably not as much as falling flat on her face upon a door opening might have implied. She smiles weakly, "Thank you. I'm sorry if I've disturbed you, but what we talked about earlier... it's happened."
"Unbelievable," Megumi comments while trying to help Ingrid to a couch. "Someone or someones just beat the hell out of you and you're apologizing to me. But...more importantly, are they still following you?" Megumi's looking back to the door, ready for a possible fight.
Ingrid shakes her head, and walks to the couch, sitting down and leaning back. "No... or at least, I don't think so. There is always the chance..." She looks up to Megumi, "It wasn't just anyone. It was Him... again."
Megumi starts for the door, and begins to shut it until 'Him' comes up. "...Doesn't need to see you to find you, then." A pretty grave acknowledgment; she knows who 'Him' would be. "Okay." She shuts the door regardless and then returns to Ingrid. "I already know who and why, I can guess the 'what' of it..." Her hands begin to glow red, set a few inches short of touching Ingrid; working on tending to the worst of the roughing up and aiming for any obvious injuries/wounds. "So what about the when and where?"
Perhaps the oddest thing about Ingrid is that the only visible sign of the attack is a bruise on her cheek, which is mended fully by the healing. It wasn't so much her body that was attacked, but her soul. That's how Vega operates after all, psycho power. And for all the power of Megumi's healing, it seems to only help so much. And in fact, Ingrid laughs a little. "I'm sorry if I'm distressing you; I'm more tired than harmed. If he had wished me dead, I would be dead." She then looks at Megumi, "About six hours ago, in Hokkaido." She pauses for a moment, and then explains, "I've... been traveling around Japan to get to know the people better, not just those in Southtown. I suppose that that will have to stop now, unless people come with me. I wasn't able to sleep on the flight back; I was too busy thinking."
Megumi gives a very flat "I know" to the part about Ingrid being deceased if Vega wanted it, the only remark she makes until Ingrid's finished. Megumi continues working, though Ingrid's likely right that there's more damage of other kinds than the physical variety, and magical red sparkly stuff won't get rid of that. "Quit apologizing, would you? He's bad news, I'd rather you find someone than go off alone thinking you shouldn't drag people into this. But...thinking. Did you decide anything?"
"I'm not sure, Megumi. What I found out was very distressing... He came to test me... to see if my power had built back up to the point where it would be useful to him to take it from me again. And then again, and again... as if I am his sheep and my power is wool to be grown and sheered of for his use." She shakes her head a little. "So what should I do? I may do more good if I simply end my training so this can't be done, or even more if I simply ended my own existence so that I don't give him more power than he already has." She looks to Megumi and shakes her head, "But don't be alarmed, I don't think either of those are the answer. I do still need to become stronger, but what risk am I putting everyone else at by doing so? It's simply another thing I must live with, I suppose. I've found myself wishing I could become powerful enough fast enough to help destroy him... but the only way for that is down a dark road I'm not willing to take. If I fed off of negative feelings as I've now found out he does, I would likely become much more powerful... but that's not something I'm willing to do. So then what? What can I do?"
The mention of considering suicide is enough to alarm Megumi, though Ingrid's dismissal of the idea settles her down somewhat. "I couldn't relate to the first part of your...'story' with him. I've had stuff like that happen, but not at that age. But this?" The red glow fades; she's done what she can for Ingrid's physical damage, and Megumi settles into sitting beside Ingrid. "But with you asking it here and now...that's something I do know about. There's some good and bad about it, though."
Ingrid nods her head, feeling better but still sounding tired. "Thank you, that feels much better." She looks over to Megumi after she sits down beside her, "I would like to hear it. I've had to make decisions in the past, but I've always felt rather set in the path I should take. Now... now I'm uncertain. I had always thought that I would have time to learn and to train, but it seems that at any moment, when I am deemed a powerful enough treat, I'll be taken and drained once more. I would think to find a way to resist that awful machine, but in my heart I know it wouldn't be possible, if only because time itself would wear me down."
"First time I've heard about some 'machine' is from you," Megumi comments while going for the door, opening it and peeking outside. "Nobody here yet...probably won't be coming. They're not this slow. Alright." She shuts the door and locks it, but also stays by it while talking. "First thing is...you're right. If you get back up there, he'll either do that again or...'recruit' you. Are you familiar with that?"
"Not quite, but I'm sure he may try something along those lines in the future." She pauses, "Actually, I believe he tried already. He told me that my power would cause people fear and pain, and I responded that's only due to his own evil." Ingrid looks at Megumi and shakes her head with closed eyes, "I may never be an excellent example of good and righteousness, but as long as I am myself I will never resort to bringing such terrible pain to others for my own personal enjoyment."
Megumi listens to all that, and answers with just one word at first: "Exactly." Then she returns to the couch, sitting next to Ingrid again. "So long as you're not like him. That's the main point. Now...that's also the bad part. He's out there, he's real, and he's here again. You're some sort of power bank or future mind-controlled assassin, in his mind. Possibly both. The crappy part is he'll keep after you. But that's just the bad part."
"Yes, and as bad as it is it does mean I do still have some time to prepare. His biggest threat to me is the time between when he will consider me strong enough to capture, and the time when I'm strong enough to escape him. I don't need to be able to defeat him, only to save myself. I suppose that should be my nearest goal, learning a method of escape." Ingrid then wonders for a few moments, "He was watching me, and yet... I wasn't able to feel his presence until he made himself known. I wonder if perhaps I could hide myself from him as well... or maybe force him to perceive my skill level as raising slower than it will... Do you know of any abilities like these?"
"Can't say I do. I know two tricks with this," Megumi illustrates with a flicked wrist, sending a small spray of sparks in front of herself. "Blasting people, and unblasting people. But you're looking at this wrong, sort of. Learning how to stay away from him works for now, but that's only going to work a few times. What if he gets serious about it, deploying a bunch of his...'troops' to bring you in? Or has them chase you around in helicopters? Escape only works for the very short term."
"Yes, that's why I was speaking of hiding as well... but if I am able to hide myself from him, I could possibly pick those troops of one by one. I imagine his elite are far more powerful than myself, but fighters of your caliber and above are few and far between, likely even less so of ones that would be willing to follow someone as power hungry as he." And while she's right, it doesn't take many more than one or two of those types, does it? Ingrid looks to Megumi, "What do you suggest?"
Megumi pauses for a few seconds, sitting in silence. But eventually she does say something: "You're wrong. You thought out everything before this discussion really well. But you're wrong on this one...it's okay, though. I was wrong on this one too, for the right reasons...and also you're wrong for the right reasons. Hiding, running, keeping your power down...because of him, right? I know the answer, but I'm going somewhere with this."
"Alright, I'm listening." Ingrid smiles at Megumi, her voice still tired, "I suppose I've had a few hours to think it through, but nothing has truly solidified in my mind, just yet." Many ideas, no real plans.
"Right. So..." Megumi rises again, this time hopping over the table and turning...she has it between her and Ingrid now. "Here's the thing. Let's say you do manage to run, hide, and conceal your power from him. That you never hear from him again. What's the end result to that?"
"I don't mean to escape him and live in hiding, Megumi. I simply mean to escape long enough to throw off pursuit. It is as you said before... the many of 'them' versus the many of 'us'. Perhaps the us is not so many now, but... I would make a most useful bait, would I not?" Ingrid raises her eyebrows.
Megumi doesn't look particularly thrilled with that idea. "...Wouldn't be dangling yourself in front of danger. Worry about that later. But here's the thing...escape only works short-term. He'll eventually catch you anyway, and you're not planning on hiding forever, you said. But even if not...there's two problems with it. First, he becomes someone else's problem. He'll find some other 'power source' or turn them into his little mind-controlled killer-slash-toy-slash-whatever. The second problem is..." She points right at Ingrid, "It's unfair to you. He doesn't have any right to control you like that. Forcing you to run away from him, forcing you to lower yourself and hold back...not his place to do that. So while it's fine to worry about escape for right now...can you promise me that you're more interested in a solution? Not a patchwork fix, but actually solving this."
Ingrid listens to the whole speech, nodding her head gently so that Megumi knows she's listening. "Yes... I understand. But Megumi, I have already come to terms with the fact that my life is not 'fair'. I shouldn't need to worry about any of this, but that is not the way of things, and so I live the best I can." She smiles, "But I am always willing to look for a permanent solution, I suppose I am just seeing things in an opposite way as you are. You're looking for a way to solve the problem, whereas I was trying to think of a way to survive until such a resolution can be found. I wouldn't intend to simply hide, my time would be spent training, much as it is now." She backtracks to Megumi's point, "But yes, I promise you here and now that my end goal is the removal of this problem once and for all."
"Good." Megumi gives a nod after that...just one; sharp, pointed. "Because I was in almost this exact situation once. I learned the hard way...running and hiding won't work. Nearly died for trying it. The solution..." She finally shows some humor about this, "Is the 'F word.' You used it a few days ago."
A wider smile breaks out onto Ingrid's face, "Yes, that was one of the things I was hoping. I feel somewhat guilty for dragging others into this ordeal... but there is such a great possibility that it would happen on its own that it doesn't give my conscience too much trouble."
Megumi loses some of that humor; Ingrid's hittng nerves with mentions of guilt. But Megumi's still in a pretty sympathetic mood. "Sounding a lot like I did. I was just looking at my own role in it. I knew they'd target someone else if I was gone, but I didn't /know/ it. Didn't think it through. That's one thing I want to really make sure you're clear on." She looks Ingrid over, up and down, and insists: "You don't deserve that. Haven't done anything to earn beatings and torment and being hunted by monsters like him. Between that, and that he'd go after someone else...you're doing the right thing. You're right about that; there's no problem with asking for help with this."
Ingrid nods her head and smiles sympathetically. "I understand... These feelings are something I've always had to deal with. You said you experienced it too; becoming powerful and having little enough control that you may accidentally harm another." She smiles again, "Thank you for trying to reassure me, but I know that I don't deserve such treatment. No one does, really."
"Not just that." Megumi points at Ingrid, then herself. "I've been targeted by people like that, for pretty similar reasons. You've been saying a lot of stuff I said, so I wanted to be absolutely sure you were seeing your situation right before you did something stupid. The good news is you're not stupid, you've actually got most of this figured out pretty well. The better news is I'm familiar with what's up. The best and worst news...is you're not alone in this situation. You're one of many that've been targeted by organized crime. So to get to the point..."
Megumi oddly flicks her wrist off to the side; a gesture that doesn't seem to have any special consequence. "I'm with ya all the way. You don't need to run or hide, even short term. And we're not alone either, because there's people who'll help."
"When I had just arrived her, I might have told you that I can take care of myself." Pause, "In fact, I do believe I did. I feel foolish for that now, but the past cannot be changed." Ingrid's only lucky that she wasn't good enough a meal for Vega yet, or she'd be regretting it far more than feeling foolish. "And I you. Thank you... so much for helping me. Hearing this from another person is a great relief. And as horrible as it is, it is good to know that there are others we can share such a burden with."
"Again...felt the same way you did when I got here. It's almost like..." Megumi thinks on it for a few seconds, "...talking to a past me, only more friendly. Yeah, all of this is horrible, sick, and just wrong. It shouldn't be happening, he shouldn't /exist./ In a happy shiny perfect world, that'd be the case."
Megumi almost, almost turns pessimistic as she explains, "The real world's not quite that good. But it doesn't suck. So...we'll find some way to keep him off ya, and let you enjoy the stuff you like doing. You can stay here if ya want."
It's now Ingrid's turn to play with absolutes. "You're wrong. Even in a grimy, dirty, real world he shouldn't exist. He's an aberration. People can become evil, and they can be narcissistic, but he's on a level so high and above those my mind can hardly fathom the depths of his evil." She lets out a small sigh, "Do you know what he told me? He said that I owed him my life. That if he hadn't done what he did my own power would have consumed and killed me." She looks to Megumi, and perhaps for the first time a look of anger and outrage shows in her features, "That I should be grateful to him. No, even in a world far worse than this, a man like he should not exist. And if I can do anything about it, I will make sure that a man like him will exist no longer." Whee...
"Dunno..." Megumi's pretty puzzled by that revelation. "He might be right. I don't even really know how this stuff we do works, I just force it to stay in control and do what I want. So maybe he did save you. He did it in a sick way that showed he's just eager to take advantage, though...so you're still right to be pissed about it. Do worry about this," She actually said 'do worry', "But don't let it be an all-consuming fear. You'll live, and you'll /live/, too. We can team up on this."
"It isn't fear." Ingrid makes that clear, "I am certain that had he not intervened I'd be far better off than I am now. I may have needed to take extraordinary measures to keep from harming myself and others, but I will never be convinced that he saved my life." She looks at Megumi and restates, "It isn't fear, it's outrage." Her's appears to be a cool anger, kept in check by willpower.
Megumi hardly even tries to talk Ingrid out of that. "Even better. You should be pissed about all this. I obviously don't have to warn ya about going off and doing something dumb because you're angry...pretty sure you're not like that. But you keep that. It'll help, if you remember you have every good reason to hate him and want to see him crushed. Just, um..." She points out more carefully, "Don't let the anger become all-consuming, either. But I bet that won't be a problem for you, huh?"
Ingrid nods her head and calms herself, "Yes. I can't afford to be hot headed, and never have been. Previously," Meaning Before Vega, "an outburst would have resulted in great harm to anyone around me, including myself. Now?" She shrugs lightly, "I'd simply drain myself and faint. If I got angry and decided to attack, I'd have that single one to use, and then faint from exertion." And it'd be so unfocused it wouldn't be anymore powerful. "Luckily," A smile, "I'm not inclined toward that way of thinking anyway."
"There ya go then." Megumi seems to be pretty content. "Looks like you've got a plan, a motive, and some of the F-word. The only thing I can suggest from here...is some sleep. You'll feel better in the morning, I bet. Back in a sec. Won't be far, so just keep talking..." Megumi goes toward the hallway, disappearing into a room...but keeping the door open.
"Thank you... I don't think I'd be able to stay awake on the bus-ride to my apartment." Ingrid watches Megumi as she moves off and tries to keep talking as directed. First is a laugh, however. "I'm not quite sure if I feel treated as a child, or as a younger sister, but thank you for your concern." She doesn't seem to have meant that in a negative fashion, luckily.
Megumi emerges a few seconds later with a pillow and blanket, setting them down on the couch. "Dunno if it's either of those, but in any event you can stay here as long as ya need. With both of us here, this place is pretty safe."
Ingrid smiles, "I appreciate it. But I can't help feel there's something being overlooked." She's half teasing, she knows darn well what's being overlooked. She says with a hint of mirth, "Edvard." Pause, "And I'm sure you don't want a Sixty-three year old Norwegian pedagogue living with you, trust me. That's why it's a split apartment and not simply a two bedroom one." A small laugh.
"Nnn... ...you've got a point. Before you go to sleep, you might want to tell him to get on the move...just in case." Megumi steps back, "After that, we'll just handle things tomorrow."
A small shake of her head, "I don't think he's in any danger. He'd have nothing that man could want, because he can apparently track me down without needing help. Edvard didn't know I was in Hokkaido. He may just go and do something stupid if he learns I was attacked, and he isn't expecting me back."
"Even better," Megumi agrees. "Okay. We'll keep him in the dark on this one...so that takes care of everything. You need anything else before I let ya sleep?"
Log created by Ingrid, and last modified on 17:00:57 02/09/2007.