Why Insomnia Doesn't Pay [Complete]

[fleeting_time]

Character(s): Miranda, Chris Lightfellow, Betelgeuse
Content: In which there is much waiting, worrying, introductions and... haunting.
Setting: Muspelheim Gate
Time: Mid-noonish
Warnings: BEWARE OF GHOST.

Comments

[truewaterknight]

When was the last time she had gone outside since collapsing?

Well, that wasn't important right now. She needed to find this "Miranda Lotte" as quickly as possible. After preparing herself for the trip, and leaving a written note for Yun, Chris exited the inn and made her way towards the gate.

It was a bit far, but nothing she couldn't already handle. Besides, after remaining in bed for so many days, the exercise would be a welcome change of pace. She just hoped that Miranda wouldn't wander away from their arranged meeting area. While Chris could certainly understand what the woman was going through, there was no doubt that she seemed to be a bit more... anxious, than others.

Well, at least she had the comfort of knowing that her friends where somewhere in the city. Speaking of which, she would have to attempt to make contact with Percival after taking Miranda back to the Morem of Lisboa with her.

[fleeting_time]

What was it about this place that frightened her so much? Of course, there wasn't much that didn't scare Miranda, but this should have been different. After all, this Paixao was a beautiful place with gorgeous architecture...

But everything felt so fake.

Perhaps, once upon a time, she would have been accustomed to that. It was hardly any different from going back to her lonely apartment with lifeless objects scattered in a corner, just begging to be fixed, to be given life again... where the only friend she had was her clock

[truewaterknight]

Chris continued to walk through the streets, her mind thinking about various things. Nothing that she hadn't already pondered about before, it just helped to keep her from thinking about how much more was left before she would reach the gate.

A black-haired woman, with signs of sleeping difficulties…That was the image she had seen of Miranda during their comment exchange. Given the nature of the people in this city, it wouldn’t take her that long to find someone with those traits.

She continued to walk, until finally arriving at the gate. The knight let out a sigh, recalling the first time she had passed through it. In any case, she looked around for Miranda, and sure enough, was able to spot her fairly quickly. Walking towards the newcomer, Chris greeted her.

“Greetings, Miranda. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”

[fleeting_time]

At the sound of an unfamiliar voice addressing her by name, Miranda's head shot up. Her first impulse, upon seeing the young woman standing in front of her, was to blurt out apologies for whatever she could have done to the poor stranger, but then she paused and took a closer look.

People who were about to scold her didn't often say "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long." Then this person had to be...

"... Chris?" She straightened her jacket and rose from the bench, nervously offering her hand as a greeting. "No, you didn't! I'm very sorry to have inconvenienced you like this... the walk must have been far."

[sayit3times]

Equip with the handy tool known as a journal, he strode through the gate with ease due to the lack of people. And man, what wimps they were! Why, they had run away faster than any of those children he had the pleasure of 'juicing' with the old 'Bloody Mary' trick. Kids would often attempt it, believing they'd see some woman by that name if they lock themselves in their bathroom, turned off all the lights, and repeat the name three to five times. But instead of some woman by the name of 'Mary', when they turned to the mirror they would sometimes find the Bio-Exorcist smiling back at them

[truewaterknight]

The surprise Chris felt at someone being as rude as pushing her head down like that was nothing compared to what come over her after laying eyes on the rather discourteous man. Deathly white skin, unruly blonde hair, and nonexistent cleanliness… What on earth was he?

Naturally, shepushed his filthy hands away from her and stepped back.

“H-How dare you!” A visibly angry Chris stated.

His grotesque appearance suggested that he was most definitely not a human, but an undead. At least, it did for Chris. Having already gone through unpleasant experiences with undead beings, she could not help but put herself on the defensive. She kept a hand near Ervich’s handle and stayed close to Miranda…

[fleeting_time]

"E-Eh?!?"

Poor Miranda had to use every ounce of her willpower to hold back a startled scream at the disheveled and dirty man practically leering at her-- and what had he called her? "Babes"? Who was he?

Fighting the urge to duck down behind Chris, the time-reversing exorcist tried to control her trembling long enough to squeak out a question.

"U-um...." Clearly that control wasn't working. "I... m-my name's not 'babes', it's Miranda... w-who are you?"

In retrospect, she really should have expected this. With the luck she had, of course things were never going to go easily for her! And now Chris was unfortunate enough to share her bad luck since she'd met her! Oh, it was all her fault!

[sayit3times]

Betelgeuse batted his eyelashes at the girl in a feminine manner while puckering his lips as if he were planning to kiss her. But thankfully for Miranda, he had to withdraw from his position in order to get a better view of Chris. Why, by the sounds of it, he sounded like... Oh. Oh wait a minute! He WAS a girl!

Preforming a double take, The Juicer lept off of the woman almost instantly and stepped down onto one knee, kneeling down before the knight. "Ma'am," he began, a hand over his heart before he quickly reached for her hand. "Please accept my deepest apologies