Noel Vermillion (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
unsureazure) wrote2011-08-28 11:24 am
unsureazure) wrote2011-08-28 11:24 am
DREAM μ 04
Warnings: BlazBlue spoilers, massive tl;dr, and required 3-minute YouTube viewing, I guess.
Effects: None, thankfully.
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[The nightmare may have ended in the Dreamberry, but for Noel, it was still going on, right inside her head. She laid on her back in the middle of a grass field in Espoir, her wide eyes staring towards the sky and her Dreamberry sitting next to her unnoticed. Slowly, she forced herself to sit up, slowly surveying the area. Though her eyes reflected a feeling of emptiness, the tears... they wouldn't stop as she cried soundlessly.
She... She wasn't a person. Only a puppet. A puppet built to kill everyone. So why... Why was she here in Somarium? In a dream world? She didn't understand.
... Dolls don't deserve to dream.]
Effects: None, thankfully.
The dream starts with Noel fighting against a red-haired female soldier in a white uniform. The battle ends when the blue uniformed Lieutenant fired a blast that managed to bring the other soldier down to her knees. After a few minutes of making sure that the red-haired soldier wouldn't retaliate, Bolverk ceased control of Noel's movements and dissolved into particles of gold light.
"Tsubaki... I'm sorry, I..." Noel felt guilty. Even though Tsubaki said she was going to kill her, Noel still felt bad for letting Bolverk go so far in making her fight off her best friend.
"I knew this would happen," even at the face of defeat, Tsubaki stayed calm. "... But there are some things no one can avoid..."
"Tsubaki... you were holding back, weren't you?" Noel couldn't believe that someone like her, who graduated the Academy without being good at anything, won against an Honor Student who was also part of the Duodecim, the most elite noble families aligned with the Novus Orbis Librarium.
"No, I've always been serious... Always," Tsubaki denied with a small shake of her head. "It hasn't done me much good, though. I still lost. It's... strange, though. I don't feel sad or disappointed. I guess I've always felt that way... I never could beat you, Noel..."
"Tsubaki?! Wh-Why would you think something like that?" In Noel's head, such a notion was unthinkable.
"... That's a secret."
"Tsubaki..."
"Go, Noel. I'll be fine."
"... Okay, Tsubaki... I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki gives her a reassuring smile. "... Noel, do you really believe in what you're doing?"
"Yes..." Jubei had told Noel that she was the only one who could save Jin, and she made a promise that she'd see her choice through to the end. She was doing this for Tsubaki, who cared so much for Jin... It was more than a mission now.
"So do I... I understand why you have to do this."
"Okay, Tsubaki... and thanks. I'm... going to go now..."
"... Wait!" Tsubaki suddenly reaches out for Noel as she was about to step past her. "Before you go... can I... Can I see your face, Noel? Just one more time..."
"Eh!? U-Uh... sure... Of course, but..." Even as she spoke, Noel knelt down closer to Tsubaki.
"Thank you..." With those words, Tsubaki reached out and gently touched Noel's face. Tsubaki's delicate and slightly cold fingers felt somehow comforting... and awakened within Noel feelings of nostalgia. And with that, a strange burning sensation made itself known within Noel's eyes.
This is like the one time with Carl... Noel was experiencing Tsubaki's memories?!
Heh, u-umm... All right then. A-hem! First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi. Your orders are as follows: Locate the whereabouts of Major Jin Kisaragi and Noel Vermillion... and terminate them.
The captain ordered her and Jin to be killed...? There's no way the Intelligence Department couldn't know that Tsubaki was close friends with both of them...
Oooooh! Right! Ah, there's one more little thing I forgot to mention. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please don't forget to bring back Major Kisaragi's Yukianesa and Lieutenant Vermillion's Bolverk, okay?
And yet they...
Ah! Silly me... Actually, two things. You don't need to bother bringing their bodies back. They're traitors, so there won't be any sort of ceremony. I mean, to be honest, having a couple of corpses around would just kind of get in the way.
They gave Tsubaki this order knowing she had to accept it. A feeling that Noel rarely had started boiling within her. The feeling of anger. Tsubaki blinks in confusion when she sees the other girl suddenly fall silent.
"Noel...?"
"Ah, s-sorry...! I was, um... spacing out..." There was no way Noel could tell her what she saw.
"And to think that we were fighting just a few minutes ago... How strange," despite the situation, Tsubaki manages to give Noel a warm smile. It was... comforting for her. "I suppose there are some things about you that never change, Noel. Hehe."
"You think... so?" Noel couldn't help but return that smile with a sheepish on of her own, but it quickly fades into a frown of concern. "Anyway, what's gotten into you... wanting to see my face all of a sudden...?"
Noel didn't really need to ask, because she already knows. She's already seen it... The light in Tsubaki's eyes are nearly gone. The weapon Tsubaki had been using in attempt to kill Noel and Jin was causing her to go blind. Still, Noel wanted to hear it from her best friend herself.
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine," of course Tsubaki would deny anything was wrong with her. She's been like that since they were Academy students. "Thank you, Noel."
"Yeah... I'm sorry, Tsubaki... I'm leaving now."
"Good-bye..."
And with that, they parted ways as Noel ran past Tsubaki, and towards the path leading to the ominous building sitting at the top of the Hierachical City. Noel would report to the NOL branch, not in response to her orders, but for reasons that are entirely her own.
She needs to stop him before Major Kisaragi or Tsubaki get hurt even more. She needs to stop... Captain Hazama. He's probably waiting on the top floor. It's just a hunch Noel has---No, it's more than that. Noel almost feels like she knows he's there. A brief image appears before her eyes, a taunting, laughing, psychotic face of the man she would never forgive:
AHAHAHAHAHAAAA! You saw me... No, let's say you OBSERVED me!
Suddenly, static engulfs the Dreamberry's screen for a split second, but then quickly snaps to a scene of Noel making a fast ascent up a long flight up stairs, to the top of the building. Not wasting time, she flings the double doors open with all the strength she has.
"Captain Hazama!" she calls out to the man in the black trenchcoat that had been waiting for her.
"Oh? Ah, Lieutenant Vermillion," Hazama greeted her, as if paying no heed to her anger. "You're the first person to show up! Congratulations."
"I will never forgive you! Not ever!"
"My goodness, what's this? You certainly look awfully scary. Like you're ready to kill someone."
"What did you do to Tsubaki!?" Noel's voice carried more fury than she ever had before.
"Ah, so you observed that, huh? Yes... Yes, you have!" the grin on his face stayed intact. "Has anyone ever told you have the most stunning eyes?"
"I asked you what you did to Tsubaki!" Noel raised her voice even louder.
"Ahhh, right... Uh, what did you say her name was again? Tsubaki, right? I think I vaguely remember her... You'll have to forgive me. I mean, would you expect a carpenter to remember every tool he's ever used?"
"Captain Hazama... no... Yuuki Terumi!" What reflected against Noel's eyes wasn't the man in the black trenchcoat before her. What Noel saw... was a black figure that could only be described as a 'ghost'. "I will never forgive you! I will make you pay for what you've done!"
"Hahahahahahahaha! So, you can see me, can you?" It didn't take much time for Terumi to drop his condescendingly friendly facade of 'Hazama' and slip into his true, psychotic personality. "Oh my! Wonderful! Oh, this is simply delightful! And all this hate you've got for me... delicious! I like it---No, I LOVE IT! I guess that First Lieutenant Garbage turned out to be useful after all! Remind me to recommend her for a posthumous promotion."
"SHUT UP!" The expression on Noel's face is completely livid. She was ready to kill him.
"Yes, yes... You've got it! Strike me down with all of your hatred! You've got it! Let's see some more! I believe in you!"
"Hate...! Hatredmalicedespise!" Noel wasted no time in summoning her twin guns into her hands. "BOLVERK!"
"Yikes! Well, aren't you a scary little girl! Eh heh... Perfect... How about we take you out for a little test run?"
Again, static appears on the Dreamberry. Despite the lack of visuals, voices can be heard through the white noise if one listens hard enough.
"... Why?"
"Here, why don't you try and remember... Remember all the bad things those mean humans did to you."
"... Why?"
"Well, that one's easy! Because you're all creatures that are made to be loathed! Hated! Despised!"
"...Ah..."
"You did see it, right? The real world---the real story?! Can't you hear it? All those hideous little filth-covered monsters, crying! You've gotta feel it... Every single soul on this planet wants. You. Dead."
"But... why...?"
"... You really wanna know? Fine."
The white noise became louder and voices could no longer be heard. After a few seconds of that, the screen and sound finally cleared up. The location is the same, but it's clear that it takes place some time later... Noel stands there, defeated and seemingly almost traumatized to the point that it was like she was empty inside. And Terumi... Terumi just stood there unharmed, laughing and gloating.
"Tsubaki... I'm sorry, I..." Noel felt guilty. Even though Tsubaki said she was going to kill her, Noel still felt bad for letting Bolverk go so far in making her fight off her best friend.
"I knew this would happen," even at the face of defeat, Tsubaki stayed calm. "... But there are some things no one can avoid..."
"Tsubaki... you were holding back, weren't you?" Noel couldn't believe that someone like her, who graduated the Academy without being good at anything, won against an Honor Student who was also part of the Duodecim, the most elite noble families aligned with the Novus Orbis Librarium.
"No, I've always been serious... Always," Tsubaki denied with a small shake of her head. "It hasn't done me much good, though. I still lost. It's... strange, though. I don't feel sad or disappointed. I guess I've always felt that way... I never could beat you, Noel..."
"Tsubaki?! Wh-Why would you think something like that?" In Noel's head, such a notion was unthinkable.
"... That's a secret."
"Tsubaki..."
"Go, Noel. I'll be fine."
"... Okay, Tsubaki... I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki gives her a reassuring smile. "... Noel, do you really believe in what you're doing?"
"Yes..." Jubei had told Noel that she was the only one who could save Jin, and she made a promise that she'd see her choice through to the end. She was doing this for Tsubaki, who cared so much for Jin... It was more than a mission now.
"So do I... I understand why you have to do this."
"Okay, Tsubaki... and thanks. I'm... going to go now..."
"... Wait!" Tsubaki suddenly reaches out for Noel as she was about to step past her. "Before you go... can I... Can I see your face, Noel? Just one more time..."
"Eh!? U-Uh... sure... Of course, but..." Even as she spoke, Noel knelt down closer to Tsubaki.
"Thank you..." With those words, Tsubaki reached out and gently touched Noel's face. Tsubaki's delicate and slightly cold fingers felt somehow comforting... and awakened within Noel feelings of nostalgia. And with that, a strange burning sensation made itself known within Noel's eyes.
This is like the one time with Carl... Noel was experiencing Tsubaki's memories?!
Heh, u-umm... All right then. A-hem! First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi. Your orders are as follows: Locate the whereabouts of Major Jin Kisaragi and Noel Vermillion... and terminate them.
The captain ordered her and Jin to be killed...? There's no way the Intelligence Department couldn't know that Tsubaki was close friends with both of them...
Oooooh! Right! Ah, there's one more little thing I forgot to mention. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, please don't forget to bring back Major Kisaragi's Yukianesa and Lieutenant Vermillion's Bolverk, okay?
And yet they...
Ah! Silly me... Actually, two things. You don't need to bother bringing their bodies back. They're traitors, so there won't be any sort of ceremony. I mean, to be honest, having a couple of corpses around would just kind of get in the way.
They gave Tsubaki this order knowing she had to accept it. A feeling that Noel rarely had started boiling within her. The feeling of anger. Tsubaki blinks in confusion when she sees the other girl suddenly fall silent.
"Noel...?"
"Ah, s-sorry...! I was, um... spacing out..." There was no way Noel could tell her what she saw.
"And to think that we were fighting just a few minutes ago... How strange," despite the situation, Tsubaki manages to give Noel a warm smile. It was... comforting for her. "I suppose there are some things about you that never change, Noel. Hehe."
"You think... so?" Noel couldn't help but return that smile with a sheepish on of her own, but it quickly fades into a frown of concern. "Anyway, what's gotten into you... wanting to see my face all of a sudden...?"
Noel didn't really need to ask, because she already knows. She's already seen it... The light in Tsubaki's eyes are nearly gone. The weapon Tsubaki had been using in attempt to kill Noel and Jin was causing her to go blind. Still, Noel wanted to hear it from her best friend herself.
"No, it's nothing. I'm fine," of course Tsubaki would deny anything was wrong with her. She's been like that since they were Academy students. "Thank you, Noel."
"Yeah... I'm sorry, Tsubaki... I'm leaving now."
"Good-bye..."
And with that, they parted ways as Noel ran past Tsubaki, and towards the path leading to the ominous building sitting at the top of the Hierachical City. Noel would report to the NOL branch, not in response to her orders, but for reasons that are entirely her own.
She needs to stop him before Major Kisaragi or Tsubaki get hurt even more. She needs to stop... Captain Hazama. He's probably waiting on the top floor. It's just a hunch Noel has---No, it's more than that. Noel almost feels like she knows he's there. A brief image appears before her eyes, a taunting, laughing, psychotic face of the man she would never forgive:
AHAHAHAHAHAAAA! You saw me... No, let's say you OBSERVED me!
Suddenly, static engulfs the Dreamberry's screen for a split second, but then quickly snaps to a scene of Noel making a fast ascent up a long flight up stairs, to the top of the building. Not wasting time, she flings the double doors open with all the strength she has.
"Captain Hazama!" she calls out to the man in the black trenchcoat that had been waiting for her.
"Oh? Ah, Lieutenant Vermillion," Hazama greeted her, as if paying no heed to her anger. "You're the first person to show up! Congratulations."
"I will never forgive you! Not ever!"
"My goodness, what's this? You certainly look awfully scary. Like you're ready to kill someone."
"What did you do to Tsubaki!?" Noel's voice carried more fury than she ever had before.
"Ah, so you observed that, huh? Yes... Yes, you have!" the grin on his face stayed intact. "Has anyone ever told you have the most stunning eyes?"
"I asked you what you did to Tsubaki!" Noel raised her voice even louder.
"Ahhh, right... Uh, what did you say her name was again? Tsubaki, right? I think I vaguely remember her... You'll have to forgive me. I mean, would you expect a carpenter to remember every tool he's ever used?"
"Captain Hazama... no... Yuuki Terumi!" What reflected against Noel's eyes wasn't the man in the black trenchcoat before her. What Noel saw... was a black figure that could only be described as a 'ghost'. "I will never forgive you! I will make you pay for what you've done!"
"Hahahahahahahaha! So, you can see me, can you?" It didn't take much time for Terumi to drop his condescendingly friendly facade of 'Hazama' and slip into his true, psychotic personality. "Oh my! Wonderful! Oh, this is simply delightful! And all this hate you've got for me... delicious! I like it---No, I LOVE IT! I guess that First Lieutenant Garbage turned out to be useful after all! Remind me to recommend her for a posthumous promotion."
"SHUT UP!" The expression on Noel's face is completely livid. She was ready to kill him.
"Yes, yes... You've got it! Strike me down with all of your hatred! You've got it! Let's see some more! I believe in you!"
"Hate...! Hatredmalicedespise!" Noel wasted no time in summoning her twin guns into her hands. "BOLVERK!"
"Yikes! Well, aren't you a scary little girl! Eh heh... Perfect... How about we take you out for a little test run?"
Again, static appears on the Dreamberry. Despite the lack of visuals, voices can be heard through the white noise if one listens hard enough.
"... Why?"
"Here, why don't you try and remember... Remember all the bad things those mean humans did to you."
"... Why?"
"Well, that one's easy! Because you're all creatures that are made to be loathed! Hated! Despised!"
"...Ah..."
"You did see it, right? The real world---the real story?! Can't you hear it? All those hideous little filth-covered monsters, crying! You've gotta feel it... Every single soul on this planet wants. You. Dead."
"But... why...?"
"... You really wanna know? Fine."
The white noise became louder and voices could no longer be heard. After a few seconds of that, the screen and sound finally cleared up. The location is the same, but it's clear that it takes place some time later... Noel stands there, defeated and seemingly almost traumatized to the point that it was like she was empty inside. And Terumi... Terumi just stood there unharmed, laughing and gloating.
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[The nightmare may have ended in the Dreamberry, but for Noel, it was still going on, right inside her head. She laid on her back in the middle of a grass field in Espoir, her wide eyes staring towards the sky and her Dreamberry sitting next to her unnoticed. Slowly, she forced herself to sit up, slowly surveying the area. Though her eyes reflected a feeling of emptiness, the tears... they wouldn't stop as she cried soundlessly.
She... She wasn't a person. Only a puppet. A puppet built to kill everyone. So why... Why was she here in Somarium? In a dream world? She didn't understand.
... Dolls don't deserve to dream.]
Video
He never expected how drastically his excitement would swing right into complete horror. As he watched, the less he understood and the less he wanted to understand, the more he wanted to shut the Dreamberry off and throw it across the room. Rage bubbled up inside of him, as he watched. It wasn't at Noel, and not at himself for totally missing the signs about what Noel really was.
That SNAKE!
Whoever that man, Hazama, Terumi... Whoever the hell he was, Elliot had never wanted to kill someone as much as he did in that moment. What he was doing would have been bad no matter who he was doing it to, but even worse, he did it to Noel!]
Noel! Don't listen to that bastard!
Video
E-Elliot...
[Seeing his face, she should have been relieved. However, she instead couldn't help but wonder... If she wasn't a person, then did that mean her feelings for him were fake too? No... He didn't deserve something like that. Her blank expression turns into a more pained one as she averts her gaze.]
But... It's all true. I'm... not human...
no subject
[Later, he wouldn't believe what he was saying, but in the moment, he couldn't question it. His gut was saying run with what he wanted to say, so he ran with it.]
I've known you for more then a year, and not once have I ever even noticed. Who cares if you're made, or whatever! You're you! No matter what, you're still the same Noel Vermillion that I know, and don't you DARE let anyone ever tell you you're not!
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Even if you say that, you saw everything, didn't you? What I turned into? I... I'm going to kill everyone in my world... How can you say that if I'm something so horrible?
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Because you wont. I know you wont.
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How... How would you know that?!
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You don't want to. You said that yourself. Who cares what you were made for. It can't force you to do anything.
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I... I want to believe you. I really do, but...
[She couldn't just stop feeling this way and act as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening that quickly. The last few seconds before she was whisked to Somarium, there was no mistaking what she had felt: The most immense hate for the world and the desire for it's destruction. Was the rage of the God-slaying Sword really her true feelings? Or was "Noel's" feeling of fear her real emotions? She didn't know... And it scares her.
Noel still had her doubts, no matter how much he would assure her that she was a person. She buries her face into her hands, choking on sobs.]
I'm sorry, I can't...
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... Where are you?
[She was alone. He couldn't leave her like that, especially not now.]
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But...
Even then...
Even if she though it wasn't a good idea, deep down Noel still wanted to see him. One of her hands reach down, and with a few pushes of some buttons, her location was marked on his phone's map.]
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[He wasn't kidding. Thankfully, he wasn't in the city. Within minutes, she would see that he had run the whole way from the village to come and find her. He tried to get a good look at her as he jogged up to her, and came to a halt a few feet away. There was no greeting or formality as he he stared in silence for a few moments before locking a convinced stare on her, trying to meet her eyes.]
Before you say anything, I don't care what you were told. You don't believe me, but you're still the same person. You're just as human as anyone.
no subject
Before she could open her mouth to speak, he interrupted her. He still believed that she's a person regardless of the truth... It's just like him to do that.]
But---
[She tried to argue, but she couldn't think of anything to say in protest. Noel really wanted to accept what he's saying, but still... She couldn't shrug away this crippling sense of despair.]
What should I do...? I can't just forget everything again...!
no subject
[It would be naive to tell her she could. Elliot had his own memories he wanted to forget. But, if he did, even for a second, it would be a complete insult to what he had done. It might not be the same situation, but it was enough to feel confident in his advice.]
But that doesn't mean you have to accept it. Fight to stay who you are.
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[Noel repeated those words, as if trying to analyze it. Could she really do that? From the brief seconds she could remember being Kusanagi, it felt like she had become a completely different person. It wasn't like before, when her body and her mind acted separately. Noel was actually feeling enraged and destructive that time. It scared her to think that she could have those kind of feelings.
Noel looks away.]
But... How can I do that if I don't know which side is the real me? I don't know if the real me is 'Noel' or 'Kusanagi'... Just who am I, Elliot?
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Who do you want to be?
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[Upon releasing that outburst, realization dawned on her. Was it really that simple?]
Oh...
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[Elliot had relaxed at the outburst, smiling as he realized that his point was that easy to make.]
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[Noel lets out a tired sigh. She still feels horrible. It's not easy to stop feeling that way, especially with all she's been through. Getting over it wasn't going to be an easy task...]
Maybe I just need time to think things over...