"Lady Kurisho, they train us for this. When something starts talking to you in your mind, and nobody else can hear it, it's either a parasitic or a demon of sometihng. Either way, It's going bye bye." He replied, attempting to man-handle the heavy metal box out toward the hangar.
He then looked at Miharu.
"Oh, Konnichiwa *grunts as tries to move box* Sorry, I'll be with you in a moment. Would you like some tea? Or some Plum Sake, that would be nice! *he heaves again at the box*." Sitting on top of it, he tried to think over the situation. He figured he wasn't crazy, given the horrific techno-organic computers linking him to a military mind-control network.
"Hey, Miharu? Somebody? Can you help me get this out into the Hangar?"
"Hey, Miharu? Somebody? Can you help me get this out into the Hangar?"
"Oh, yeah, I can help," Miharu replied. "If you'll get me some tea afterwards."
Glancing at the large box with the strange man on top, Miharu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe we should get one of those wheeled carts they use to move some of the supplies for this instead of trying to drag it?" she asked.
"Hai! Why didn't I think of that! I'll go get one..." Steve said, heading off to find a hand cart...
...leaving Miharu alone with the box...
***...he wants you, little Miharu...***
***...he wants to abuse your body...make you -his-...***
The box said, apparently audible to nobody else...
***...why do you allow 'them' here?...***
***...cruel -machines-, slave drivers, abominations...***
Miharu looked around, trying to find the source of what she thought she heard.
Oh, he feels that way about everyone. But that is a good point - why do we let Steve stay here? she thought to herself.
"Wait, did that box just ask me a question?" she said aloud. She was very confused.
***...save yourself...save your sisters...***
The box replied, seeming strangely concerned for the sisterhood's well-being.
***...kill the machine-man, kill -Steve-. KILL...***
At about that point, Steve returned, and proceeded to try and get the box onto the cart. "Alright, help me get it onto this. Let's take it out into the middle of the hangar. It's empty."
"Steve," Miharu began. "Have you ever, uh, well, uh... heard an inanimate object like, say, uh, maybe a box - have you ever had one talk to you?"
She paused for a moment before adding, "Not that any boxes are talking to me or anything. It's, uh, theoretical! Yeah!"
Steve shrugged. "I know, the box is talking to me too. It's possessed by something. That's why we're going to destroy it. Now help..."
He proceeded to haul the box out of the tea house and into the hangar, roughly in the center of the Hangar, pushing it off the cart and stepping back.
"Alright..." he pondered, looking at the box. "...I say we blow it up. I'm going to go get some weapons, you keep an eye on it. Hai?"
' Wrote:"Oh..." Naomi blushed, remembering the incident in question. "Well... I... I guess it's alright..."
The look on Shikyo's face and her ragged state told the tale that she was under stress. Naomi couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Despite Shikyo's contempt for Kiretsu, she was still a Chrysanthemum. Still Naomi's sister in arms.
At this statement, Naomi blushed. Scratching the back of her head, she thought over her options.
"H... Hai. Sister Shikyo. I don't see why not. I'm just curious about... erm..."
Realizing it was probably as much her own Drunken fault for whatever happened, and Shikyo was unlikely to remember either, she dropped the question.
"Nevermind. It's not important. Sure, you can stay with me tonight... I guess..."
She smiled brightly, perhapes for the first time in many days even. Even her body psture seems to relax and become a little less fearful as Aki steps up beside Naomi, but not too close in case she smelled to badly and offended her hostess. She looked down and then held up the bottle she had taken with her from the tea House.
"This one has a bottle of some infused Vodka we could share if you wish Sister, after a shower if you do not mind....errr...She means...not together...unless..." She stutters a bit and blushes profusely, not exactly what she ment but still, thoughts of what happened that night and why she felt much more at ease near Naomi. She shakes her head slightly to get her mind away from other more potentially improper thoughts.
She glanced to Naomi again and smiles as best as she can even though she is still a bit flushed with what had just gone through her head and how what she said might seem to Naomi. She tries her best to brighten up, after all, a chance of a shower, some real food, even a sleeping mat or couch to sleep on rather than in the cockpit of her fighter is much better than what she's been living with these last few weeks.
"Oh... ummm... well..." Naomi stuttered slightly, blushing at Shikyo's comment.
She looked down at her own feet, and then back to Shikyo, considering the potential possibilities and consequences. Finding few of the latter, given that few other people would have actually cared (save poor, womanizing Steve), she came to a conclusion.
"Well, Hai! I guess we've both been going through a lot lately. Some company would be nice... I guess..."
"...don't get any weird ideas though! It's not that kind of thing!" She added, blushing slightly.
***
Elsewhere
***...you do this not to -us- but to yourself, human...***
"Screw off, box. Nobody's killing anyone around here." Steve commented, as he happily wired up explosives to the box.
Despite it's protest, there was little the box could do.
"Kurisho?" he yelled back into the tea house "Do you have any detonating cord? Or charge fuses?"
"Screw off, box. Nobody's killing anyone around here." Steve commented, as he happily wired up explosives to the box.
"Uh, Steve?" Miharu asked. "Do you really think it's best to explode it, particularly in here? Perhaps we should fly it out into space somewhere?"