AD 2206, 6/21, 6th Hierarchical City of Yabiko – Unknown Area
Carl stares at this new Noel doppelgänger with trepidation. He's seen her face before, he thinks. Vaguely, perhaps in a dream… or a nightmare.
The woman narrows her eye at his staring.
Carl snaps out of his reverie with a shake of the head. He stares into the woman's eye. "Excuse me, Miss…?"
The woman huffs, "Juusan."
Carl hums, "Miss Juusan, would you happen to be related to Noel Vermillion?"
Juusan nods. "That's right, she's my sister." Her grip tightens. "That's why I need to talk to you."
He nods, understanding that Juusan is going to be more confrontational than Lambda was. Hopefully, she's not here for revenge.
He sighs, "I don't suppose you want to talk back at the Library?"
She scoffs, "Why would I go there? You're right here." She tugs his shoulder, nodding to an alley. "Follow me."
He rubs his shoulder when she lets go, wincing at the tenderness. She's strong, that's for certain. Nevertheless, he follows her into the alley, where he spots a motorcycle. He has a sinking feeling about this.
Juusan, as if sensing his worry, turns to him with a frown. "We're going to go somewhere private. Somewhere where you can't lie to me."
He reluctantly nods. "Very well. I take it you want me to disarm?"
She raises a brow, but holds out a hand. "I just need the hat. You need a helmet."
He sighs, but hands her his hat all the same. He's never been on a cycle before, so this will be… rough.
She takes the hat and shoves it into the satchel on the side of her bike.
He spots a vaguely familiar blade strapped to the other side, idly wondering how he'll avoid cutting himself on it.
She notices his gaze and rolls her eye. "Just watch your right leg. It's that simple." She shoves a helmet into his hands. "Put this on. I want to get you back before Mutsuki comes looking."
He sighs again and straps the helmet on, watching as Juusan does the same with her own helmet.
She tilts her head as she mounts her bike. "Get on, and hold onto me tight. It's going to be a bumpy ride."
He sighs once more, but obeys.
Juusan scoffs as Carl squeaks again once they weave past a cargo truck. He's not as quiet as she'd been led to believe when watching his little play date with Lambda.
He cries over the wind, "Are you sure you know where you're going?"
She shouts back, "Would you stop squirming? It's annoying."
She doesn't think she likes him very much. Even Noel could hold her own better with her riding. He's acting like a brat.
She swerves between two cars to get to the next shortcut.
He petulantly wails, "Can you not?!"
She looks skyward for a moment with a groan. Why did he have to be such a wimp?
She snaps back, "Stop whining, it's bothersome."
He glares at her, and she takes an ugly sort of pride in that.
She's sure he's comparing her to Noel, and she's all too happy to show him the difference between them. She is not like her sisters. She doesn't play nice with kids.
She smirks as he finally backs down, looking away with a frustrated pout.
She guns the engine, speeding up as they finally hit the outskirts. The way he clings ever tighter does little to dampen her mood. They'll get to the rendezvous soon enough.
Carl nearly cries in relief as Juusan slows to a stop in front of a lonely log cabin. Her mad weaving in between the trees and brush had nearly given him conniptions. He's never been so eager to just stand on solid ground again.
As soon as they properly stop, Carl leaps from the bike as if burnt, and wrenches the helmet off to dry heave and pant, trying to catch his breath.
Behind him, Juusan scoffs, "Quit being such a baby. You're fine."
Carl glares at her. Juusan isn't anything like her sisters. She's quiet like Lambda, but in a forceful way. She's not happy with him, and it shows. But she hasn't attacked him, at least not directly. He idly wonders if her driving like a madwoman was some kind of test that he's failed.
She rolls her eye, holding out her hand. "Give me my helmet."
He eagerly hands it over, prompting a huff as she reaches into the satchel and tosses him his hat.
She wordlessly seals the satchel and walks over to the door of the cabin, wrenching it open and looking back at him coolly. "Well?"
He shoves his hat back onto his head and makes his way into the cabin.
Juusan glares at Carl as he continues to stare at her. Why isn't he trying to start a conversation? Irritation creeps up her spine as she continues to watch his unreadable expression.
She huffs, "Aren't you going to say something?"
He raises a brow. "What do you want to talk about, Miss Juusan?"
She narrows her eye. "Don't call me that."
His brow creeps higher. "Then what would you like to be called?"
She frowns. "It's just Juusan. No Miss, no anything. Just. Juusan."
He nods slowly. "Alright… Juusan." He frowns in turn. "What do you want me to say?"
She rolls her eye. "You were talking to Lambda about something and she looked excited. So, talk about that."
He blinks, then nods again. "Okay… we were talking about my sister, Ada."
She raises an eyebrow of her own. "Why were you talking about her?''
He shrugs. "Miss Lambda wanted to hear about her." He narrows his eye. "I'm going to guess that you were watching us."
She nods. "Yes, I was." She looks down her nose. "Does that make you angry?"
He briefly hums, "A little."
She blinks, not expecting him to be so… forward.
He continues, "But I understand." He looks into her eye. "You were just making sure that your sister was safe, right? I'd do the same thing if Ada were talking to someone I didn't trust."
She nods. "Good." She huffs, "I don't want to talk about your sister, though."
He sighs, "I thought as much." He looks frustrated. "But then, what do you want to talk about?"
She hums, "Why don't we start with why I should let you near my sister again?"
He blinks. "W-What?"
She narrows her eye. "You want to see her again, right?" She leans forward, glaring. "Why should I let you?"
He winces. "I… I don't know…"
She scoffs, "You don't know? Fine." She leans back, tilting her head to look down on him. "Guess that means I'll just have to keep you away from her forever, then."
He glares at her, flushing with frustration. "That's not what I meant! I just want to—!"
He pauses, eye widening. Tsumi.
She raises her brows, mock scowling. "You just want to… what?"
He looks away, clearly shaken. He murmurs something.
She huffs, "I can't hear you. Say it again. Louder."
He turns back to her with a somber frown. He quietly huffs, "I just want to see her again. I want to see her smile, hear her laugh. I want to earn her forgiveness…" He lowers his head. "Please, let me see her again, Juusan."
She pauses, considering his reasons. They're pretty childish, if she's being honest, but endearing in their own way. He's still not lying to her, at any rate.
She sighs, "Fine. I guess I can let you see her again, even if it's for such a childish reason."
He glances up at her gratefully. "Thank you, Juusan." He hesitates. "You're not a bad person."
She huffs, "Duh." She frowns. "But don't think it's that easy. You still have to convince Ragna.
His eye widens almost comically. "You mean that Ragna the Bloodedge…?!"
She smirks smugly. "Yeah, he's our big brother."
The roar of an approaching motorcycle breaks the night,
Her smirk widens. "Oh look, here he comes now."