Fight, Flight, or Freeze [SSB]

[Kaoru]

Short breaths- hushed, quiet. Yearning to escape, but held back. Much like their captor, they were trapped.

It was dark, the only light coming from the light-polluted night sky. The stars were hidden beyond the orange hue covering the night sky, but some glittered just brightly enough to be noticable; one fell away from the rest.

Her heart pounded with strain, her body aching. She truly needed to exercise more often. Even with her life in danger, the brunette couldn't run very far. The moved her goggles to her forehead with clammy hands. With much better clarity, although somewhat blurry, the young woman could see her surroundings.

Large, overly decorated machines; toys in abundance; a place usually loud enough to be deafening, now dead silent in the night.

The amusement park.

Kaoru had never seen the amusement park after hours, and needless to say it made her somewhat uneasy. It was absurdly dark for a place usually lit up with bright, flashing lights, and the silence of it all certainly didn't help. If a monster were to show up in a horror game, this would definitely be the place for it. However, she had no time to think about this (luckily, in her case), as she was already being pursued.

Shooting a quick glance over her shoulder, chills down her spine, Kaoru ran and hid behind one of the large pillars that made up one of the rides. Luckily for her, the majority of her outfit was dark tones, helping her blend into the surroundings as long as her skin was not visible. Then again, however, her pursuer also had dark clothing, and with her eyesight impaired....

The brunette swallowed hard and grabbed at her throat, trying to soothe the intense burn within it.

What are the chances of me getting chased by a star athlete, not to mention one that can fly?! Kaoru whined internally, tightening her quads in hopes of stopping their shaking. They should just use their ability to cheat at hurdles or something...

The young woman pressed herself against the pillar, its metal surface cold enough to pierce through her clothes. Her black, fur trimmed jacket did nothing to keep the cold away, and her red undershirt, worn in tatters, might as well have not existed. The brunette could feel herself begin to tremble as the slight breeze sapped the warmth away from her body. And perhaps, if she wanted to be honest with herself; Perhaps part of her trembling came from fear.


However, until she could find her opponent, Kaoru had no choice but to sit and wait.

[Running]

The night wind danced around her as the runner sped forth. The haze from a distant baseball stadium faded, although the ceaseless city light retained its mark on the sky. It was late indeed. 

Night vision goggles augmented her vision, bringing what was dimly highlighted into sharp relief.  She vaulted over turnstiles, dodged between stalls, and sped around pillars, easily gaining despite the swerving path and initial lead of her quarry.

As she drew closer, the target briefly slid out of view. A quick search as she ran toward where she had last seen the target revealed the target slumped against a pillar. Exhaustion, or a trap? She paused, ostensibly looking all around her, then ran in a slightly different direction from the pillar, ensuring that her footsteps were audible. Once she was out of view, she left the ground, running on the air until she reached the coaster supported by the beams. Smirking, Running perched on the track some meters above the target, watching the target crouch by the pillar. Were they shaking?

"Runner to Tatl, target spotted around the base of the-what coaster is this even-the one with a lot of loop de loops. They've stopped-not sure if it's a trap or exhaustion. I'm going in," she hissed into her subvocal. Her voice was less than a whisper, but the device would transmit the message clearly into Tatl's earpiece as if she had been speaking at regular volume. With her hood shadowing her face and the darkness of night, it was doubtful that anyone could read her lips. It had been Running's idea for the team to use such devices, although she had to admit that Tatl had improved them. The joy of genre-savvy nerds collaborating. 

Pushing off from the track, she fell, twisting midair as she did so to face the target. Her powers eased her descent, and she landed several steps in front of the target. Sure she could have taken out the suspect from above, but given the suspect hadn't done anything but flee, and they didn't know the full story, it was probably better to talk things out. 

"You can't run. The wind and the sky are mine," she said softly, gesturing with one hand as the other rested on her hip, close to where a dagger was concealed in her suit. 

Yep, it was too late at night if she was getting this theatrical. Darn consequence of traipsing around in costume with Tatl of all people. 

[Kaoru]

Kaoru's shoulders tensed as she, amazingly, held her breath. Listening; waiting. If she had anything it was heightened senses, or at least she liked to assume. The soft pattering of the enemies footsteps, quick but well placed, grew closer and closer. The nearer they drew the harder her heart beat. She found herself biting her lip to keep her breaths from escaping aloud, lest her position be given away. Little did she know, however, that she was as clear as day to her enemy.

Kaoru clenched her hands into fists as she felt her fingers grow cold, her eyes darting around her surroundings. She couldn't see very well, but she was growing adjusted. It was almost creepier seeing her surroundings.

Suddenly, silence.

The only sounds the brunette could hear was the ever strong screams of tinnitus in her ears and the overbearing sound of her own heartbeat. The footsteps had ceased.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to listen harder, passing a glance over her shoulder. There was nothing, at least from what she could see. She narrowed her eyes and turned back around. She had to act fast lest she get captured, or worse, killed. She was afraid of disappointment, also.

Kaoru's breaths, now calming from her previous sprint, were now shallow but still rapid. She adjusted her coat as she thought, running her hands over the handle of her whip. Without being able to see her target, the thing was essentially useless. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she grew- she really didn't have many options here. Running blindly in the night wasn't a very good tactical plan, if she had to accuse herself of anything.

She gripped the handle of her whip as she thought, eyes wide as she stared into the dark. In front, to the sides, and above, even. There were only so many places one could hide, and certainly her enemy wouldn't rise from the ground. Eventually, Kaoru closed her eyes, letting out a long breath from her depths. A swift smack to the face followed suit.

Now was not the time to become overwhelmed. She had to think.

Except, she had no time left.

The young woman jolted, her eyes flying upward as she heard a faint, ominous creak. She could, very faintly, see the outline of her enemy descending. She found herself pressed against the cold metal pillar once more, watching helplessly as her enemy lowered to the ground in a manner that would normally only be in movies and cartoons.

"You can't run. The wind and the sky are mine."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, quickly grabbing her goggles and placing them over her eyes. So much for being able to see. However, her pursuer also had their eyes hidden, and if she was to guess, she was the only one foolish enough to wear shaded goggles in the dark. Meaning, of course, that her enemy probably had an advantage in the dark. If they saw her eyes, however, she'd have no chance.

I think it's obvious I can't run considering you were right behind me, she sneered within herself, her eyes narrowing as she watched her enemy's movement as much as her impaired vision could allow.

She swallowed hard, clenching her fist to keep herself from shaking. She had to compose herself, though it would do her no good lest she subdue her own subconscience.

"Who said anything about running?" Her voice was cool as she questioned her pursuer. "Just what do you want from me, anyway? Don't tell me you super humans are targetting the weak now."

Her mind reeled, pressing forth feelings of doubt. It was strong within her- she knew the emotion well, making it easy to manipulate. As of yet, Kaoru hadn't shown much hostile intent, so perhaps the hooded figure would get thrown off by their own motives. Sure, she'd been found at battle sites multiple times, but it's not as if people didn't live in the area. What right did they have chasing her down so ruthlessly anyway?

Kaoru's hands slid into her pockets as she eyed her enemy, concern painting her features. Something told her that this one would be a tough one to figure out.

[Running]

"If I had wanted to kill or capture you, a strike from the back would have been trivial," she said levelly. Her eyes were fixed on the target before her, while her other senses were trained on her surroundings in case of a trap.

"I simply want to talk. If this is a misunderstanding rest assured you will be let free and compensated for your trouble."

She took comfort in the script, for frankly she didn't know what to make of the target, or what would be the best step forward.

Ugh, if this proved to be another dead end and they had to provide recompensation or risk their good name...Tatl's intel was generally reliable, but perhaps it wasn't infallible. Running had certainly concealed some things from Tatl. What if the target was somehow brainwashed into believing she was the target? Or what if she had misunderstood the question and that led to her incriminating response? Tatl insisted that her powers had the ability to draw out the "truth" and not just what people believed was truth, but they really didn't have enough datapoints.

"Tatl, where are you?" she hissed into her subvocal. She was not good at reading people, and unfortunately had grown to rely on more people-savvy members. What was true-the terrified body language or the cool tone of voice? Or were both an act and the truth lay somewhere in between? Did she really not know what was going on, or was she feigning obliviousness? While her eyes told her that the target was afraid and didn't appear to be much of a threat, she had been deceived before. What if she was exactly where her target wanted her and she should have struck first? Hopefully her silence could draw out clarifying information from the target, cause she had no clue what to do next.

[TatlTael]

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Tatl panted.

Why did they have to run every time? The super girl panted heavily, hopping along on one leg and trying to get a pebble that had managed to wedge its way down her boot. Finally dislodging the annoyance, she began to stumble along at a jog again, only to get her cape caught on something as she rounded a corner. Her voice echoed through the whole amusement park. "SERIOUSLY?" She paused to detangle herself quickly before trudging along at a walk. She knew she should have been jogging instead of playing Splatoon again. it was just so gosh dang addicting.

When she finally stumbled into view, her hair was frizzing its way out of her carefully made ponytail. She used a finger to push up her glasses, panting and waving a hand at Runner, in an 'I'm here, I'm here' manner, panting far to hard to actually say anything. She coughed and lowered into a hunched position, hands on her thighs. Andraste how she hated running. She could hardly run down a hall most days. Being in the creeping setting of this amusement park was not helping. Vaguely she wondered why she'd even be accepted as a super hero.

Taking a deep gulp, she straightened herself, wincing at the pain in her chest. "I'm fine," she wheezed weakly, her metal weapon stiffening into a staff for her to lean on. Her words were to convince herself just as much as the others. "Please, don't mind me." She shuffled around in one of her belt pouches, looking for her inhaler. Her chest rattled with each breath now, and she was feeling light-headed. A quick puff sent a soothing sensation down her throat. Then a second. She held her breath. She let go, and stored the inhaler away. "Please, feel free to continue," she panted, sinking into a sitting position on the dirty ground. It was uncomfortable but better than standing. She'd just have to shower when she got home.

[Kaoru]

Kaoru narrowed her eyes, a sort of crooked smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "Resorting to threats already?" She cooed with a slight chuckle. It was hard to discern, but it was laced with a hidden nervousness. Truly, if she turned her back on this person, she could easily get taken out. She had no idea what kind of toys these people had concealed on their person, and if they were anything like actual super heroes, they probably had plenty of gadgets.

The brunette squinted through her goggles. It was hard enough seeing in the dark, but these goggles really did no good for her vision either. Regardless, her foe was giving her the creeps. I can't see their face... This shady amusement park isn't helping set the mood either...

Just as Kaoru was about to respond, she paused. Did she hear her enemy whisper just now? Over the sound of her own ears ringing it was hard to tell. She felt a chill run down her spine. Something told her that there was more than one coming. Her body tensed as she took a tentative step backwards involuntarily. If she were really going up against two, she would be in real trouble. Perhaps she could talk her way out of one, but two? Two minds were harder to trick than one, with multiple ways of thinking and all...

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

Kaoru whirred around to look out from behind the metal pillar when she heard another figure, very faintly, running towards her. She nearly lept out of her skin before letting out a breath. Why are you flinching?! You were the one who looked!!

She could feel a searing chill on her back and turned herself around to face her first foe again, aware that she had foolishly turned her back to her opponent.

"Look, I don't know what you people are planning, but I'm not---"

"SERIOUSLY?"

Kaoru cut off mid-sentence as the word echoed throughout the entire park, bouncing off metal structures and walls of every kind. Perhaps this would be a bit easier than she thought it'd be. She could hear panting growing closer and closer, sending chills down her spine. Curse her fear of jumpscares. She cautiously closed the eye closest to the upcoming target to avoid freaking herself out when she suddenly appeared around the corner.

Thank God I'm not the only one who can't run, she thought to herself as she watched the new opponent wheeze and fight for breath. She studied the newcomer, her eyes widening slightly as she felt her hands grow cold. She'd seen her before... Kaoru clenched her jaw and swallowed. So that's what this was about.

I blurted the truth out to this persons face once before... Was it a mistake, or..?

"You- the one with the glasses- who are you?"

[TatlTael]

"You- the one with glasses- who are you?"

Chest still heaving painfully, Tatl tried to wave the question down for a moment. She stuck out her tongue at the ground a moment as she adjusted her cape trying to get it more comfortable around her neck. It felt like it was sticking thanks to the sweat from the exercise. Why was she being singled out anyway.

"Ju-uhst a fri-endly face," she panted before taking one deep breath, a few fingers tracing her temples lightly a moment before she looked up. Her blue eyes gazed at the other girl, both intent and cheerful despite her cheeks being all rosy with the heat of effort. To put it plainly, she rather looked like she was having quite a blast.

Yep. This was the girl.

Feeling rather pleased with herself about how things seemed to be panning out today, her chest puffed up slightly with pride, even though she was still tiredly sitting on the dirty floor.

She'd have to wash her cape.

"What does it matter who I am?" Tatl mused. "We're supposed to be interrogatingImeantalking to you about what information you can provide us. Not the other way around. My name's Tatl though." She grinned crookedly and laughed, before sticking out her tongue again. It almost seemed to be instinct. She did it every time she was thinking hard, trying to concentrate, or trying to catch her breath. Right now she was doing at least two of those things. "PS: Leotards are not the most comfortable thing to wear in a chase scene." She pulled out hers at the belly, making a snapping sound as she let go and it stuck back to her skin. Jeepers she felt out of shape. "Excellent for mobility though." She folded her arms across her knees and rested her chin there.

"Sorry, I'm getting off topic," she sighed. "Runner, please continue."

[Running]

A voice echoed throughout the park and Running resisted the urge to facepalm. There was a reason they used subvocals. She flinched as Tatl's voice rang even louder. Did they all need a remedial course in subtlety?

Running took a deep breath, bracing herself as she always did when Tatl arrived. Some secrets were best left hidden, after all, and they were often wont to slip out in the midst of attempting a lie.

Voice long preceding her, her colleague eventually came into view. Looking rather worse for the wear, she might add. Running couldn't entirely blame her-asthma stunk-although Tatl could stand to attend some more of the physical training sessions. True, her powers were suited for the non-combat realm, but any super was bound to end up in chase scenes and fights regardless. They couldn't always be protected.

She glanced quickly at Tatl out of the corner of her eye, ascertained that her condition was mere shortness of breath and nothing urgent, and returned her full attention to the suspect.

She heard Tatl plop to the ground, still panting. Well so much for seeming professional. Perhaps there was value in that, for there were some who would be more open to a more relatable crew than a well-polished group. She certainly knew that from experience. Still, the reverse could also be true-apparent disorganization could engender disrespect rather than empathy. Only time would tell which route would have been wiser in this case.

"Tatl, I am this close to taking your tech and flying it to the top of that mountain near HQ," Running said into her subvocal. That would certainly get her to run. Maybe she could steal it every other day, placing it further each time as Tatl built up her endurance...

Huh, did Tatl go her whole life never facing empty threats? She should ask her about that another time.

The suspect seemed to recognize Tatl. Hopefully she wouldn't put two and two together. Hiding Tatl's power lent a slight advantage after all.

Tatl managed to wave the question aside and change the subject to her leotard. Ugh. Running had more than a few choice words on her opinion of Tatl's costume choice.

Before Tatl could shy too off-topic, however, she deferred to Running to continue.

Right. She was the senior member on this mission. Oh storms, how was she the one in charge of the interrogation? Manipulating and talking to people was not her thing, she was pretty sure. Did the whole face hidden in the shadows aura she had been cultivating really make her seem more competent at that?

Fine. Tatl could just stand and look pretty and still be extremely helpful. Running was not worthy unless she was actively doing something. It was only fair.

"We have reason to believe you were...present at several incidents in the Ash Quarter around Dawn's Crossing. What were you doing there and what did you see?"

[Kaoru]

The brunette watched the newcomer struggle to catch their breath. It made her realize just how good she herself had become at internalizing her agony- she probably would've keeled over herself otherwise. She almost felt a sense of pride in herself over it, but returned to the matter at hand.

'A friendly face' my a-- Kaoru cut herself off as the woman looked up at her. Despite her obvious struggle to breathe, cheeks red with strain, the woman seemed... Entertained, in the thick of it all. Beneath shaded goggles and brown bangs, Kaoru quirked an eyebrow, then furrowed it slightly. They were enjoying this- the thrill of chasing down an enemy, much like a pack of hunters chasing the rabbit. She couldn't help but chuckle silently to herself.

I'm like the pitiful rabbit in a hunting game... But I wonder... which rabbit is being hunted?

Her attention was once again brought to the newcomer. Her expression went blank with slight disbelief as the word "interrogating" hit her ears. This newcomer wasn't as subtle as her mysteriously hidden counterpart. Kaoru's eyes narrowed in thought, however, when the woman stated her name. Tatl..? Like.. tattle tale? If that's the case, then her power-- No, I don't have any proof that that wasn't a fluke yet. She swallowed, her hands sliding back into her coat pockets.

The womans laugh set her off a little. She really was enjoying herself with all of this... These supers truly were cruel beings. Thinking they were better, holding themselves higher than others... Kaoru grit her teeth slightly.

Her train of thought was broken once again as Tatl began talking about her choice of outfit. Are you sure it's the chase... Leotards really don't-- Cut off once again as the woman snapped her suit and continued speaking. Kaoru eyed Tatl closely. With a suit so skin tight, it was basically impossible to hide any weaponry within her clothes. There was the chance of weapons being hidden behind her, however.... She hadn't gotten a good look at her back. She couldn't rule her out as a threat yet.

The hooded figure began to speak as Tatl turned to her to continue. Kaoru rolled her shoulders as the figure spoke. As time wore on, she became much less anxious- that is, as long as she focused on the people in front of her rather than the possibility of something scary popping out or the idea of anything paranormal walking (or floating) around.

Her body language changed quite dramatically since the beginning of their confrontation- from seeming fearful, Kaoru looked quite lax, spite the shivers of cold that sometimes ran through her body. If this weren't a battle, she could find a way out of it. Lies and schemes were her strong suit, and deceit was a strong tool when used correctly. She passed a quick glance at Tatl, however, reminding herself of the woman's possible power. She had to be careful.... Perhaps, she figured, this would be the best time to test her abilities.

No... I wasn't there- No, I wasn't there, I've never seen either of you before- No, that might give too much away... Fine, I'll keep this short.

Kaoru flapped the edges of her coat with her pocketed hands. No, I wasn't there. No, I wasn't there. She repeated the phrase several times to herself mentally before opening her mouth. "Yeah, I was there."

She froze. The words came so smoothly from her mouth, without any doubt or remorse. Honest to God truth, rolling off her very tongue with ease. She glared at Tatl once again, though stayed facing the runner. You really are a tattle tale!! she hissed mentally, before adding on, "I saw some dangerous stuff... I dunno how people stand to live over there." It wasn't necessarily a lie... Living near stuff like that would make her want to move.

The brunette turned her eyes back to the hooded figure. She didn't know how far this Tatl's powers reached. Were all lies suppressed, or did she get to decide which ones? In reality she had uncovered very little about her adversaries. And, with this mysteriously hooded person, she knew only that she could fly. There was usually more to a power than that.

She had to be careful how she worded things. If she could speak as simply as possible, she would give away less information. And, if she spoke in truths, surely that would pass this Tatl's radar? Or did truths turn into lies? After a moment of thought, Kaoru spoke once more.

"My memory isn't the greatest," she began, noting that it came out smoothly, "so I'd appreciate it if you gave me a bit more info? I mean, you didn't even say what day this supposedly happened on!" Yeah, what gives with that! How am I supposed to know what I was doing if I don't know what day it was? I really could have been elsewhere-- ooooh, I swear to God...

[TatlTael]

For a moment, Tatl's rather cheery smile faded into a deadpan, almost dangerous glare as her eyes darted to Runner. To be honest, it was somewhat frightening. Tatl very very rarely showed any sort of negative emotion. But her tech? That was no joke. No joke at at. She made a quick mental note to hide her macbook tonight and look into better security for her room the next day.

The moment passed within a split second, however, and she was smiling and friendly again as she pushed herself back to her feet, examining their target as she brushed herself off. She hated the feeling of the little stones and pieces of dirt that stuck to her skin.

"Well first off, let me just say, I don't really appreciate evasiveness," she commented. Her voice was light and happy, but the smile didn't quite seem to reach her eyes. The target was employing a tactic around her powers that she very much did not appreciate. In fact, she hated when people spoke like that. "Only liars are evasive. And if you're a liar, you're either scum or you have something to hide. Either way, I don't trust you."

Slowly, she stepped forward, her expression not changing in the slightest. "And to make myself clear, I'm not the type of person you want to upset. Neither is she." She gestured to Runner. "But I have much less restraint. We don't want to be your enemy."

Tatl took a deep breath, eyes glancing up and down the stranger, narrowing in an examining, thoughtful gaze. She was obviously still tired and heated, but she straightened her stance, shoulders pushing back and down to stand taller. "I believe you know exactly what we're talking about. The more straight forward you are with us, the quicker and less painful this encounter will be on both our parts."

[Kaoru]

Kaoru's eyes turned towards Tatl as she began to speak. The brunette could feel her heart leap in her chest at the change in tone, though her heart and her mind were at odds with one another. She was no fool- that was no cheery attitude, and that smile was anything but genuine. As the woman continued to speak, Kaoru's eyes narrowed coldly in thought.

She found her hands in fists as the woman before her stepped forward. Tatl's eyes studied her, looking for clues, looking for weapons no doubt.

As the woman finished speaking, Kaoru adjusted her standing, turning herself to face Tatl face to face. However, unknown to her adversaries, she looked elsewhere. To her cape, her hands, or even the glasses upon her face. Looking one in the eye was difficult.

"And what of you?" she started, tone flat, though somewhat harsh. "As it stands, you are the only one who has told any lies. Miss "Interrogation"-- Or should I say, Miss "Talking", was it?" Kaoru felt her fists ball up tighter as she took a tentative step forward, chuckling somewhat. "Or, no- it was Tatl, right? Another lie, I'm sure. Superheros are reknowned for using aliases, after all." A smirk pulled at the corners of her mouth as she stood her ground. "Don't be so quick to judge, as so far the only lies here are yours."

The brunette gave a long look in Tatl's direction before bunching her shoulders up, flaring her arms out in an almost sarcastic shrug, taking steps back to her original position. Behind tinted goggles, the young womans eyes began to swirl as feelings of doubt radiated from her body to the ones standing before her. "You chased me without any solid explanation, and you want me to play this charade of yours without maybe questioning the reason why?"

She paused, feeling her heart race. She wasn't one for confrontations, though she had to grow used to them if she wanted to keep her company. The thought made her chest tighten, but she pushed the thought away. She let out a fakely defeated sigh, letting her shoulders slump. "I told you already, I saw some dangerous stuff. That's not a lie." She looked between the two women before her.

This sucks, she grumbled in thought. So far, Tatl seemed to be the vocal one, though she lacked physical prowess-- or, perhaps, lacked stamina alone. There was no way to rule that out yet. She certainly seemed to be one to put on faces to get what she wanted, but Kaoru was no stranger to that herself. She knew that game well. This other figure, however, was quiet. It was almost like she wasn't there at all... And silence bothered the brunette more than anything. Hazel eyes, still swirling ever slowly, narrowed as she eyed the hooded figure.

"If you two want a solid answer from me, then give me a solid question. Vagueness will only get you vagueness in return." It's not that hard~ she wanted to say, but held her tongue. These two weren't the type to put on a cocky attitude with. If Tatl was as short wired as she seemed, that would only make matters worse.

[Running]

Running took comfort in the fact that Tatl could not see her reaction to the rather terrifying glare. Fair enough, Running was probably almost as protective over her tech.

The temporarily thrill of the chase faded, the last echoes reverberating in her chest and fading. Running kept glancing around, on alert for an ambush.

Running was tired. Not physically, her body was actually in relatively peak shape. Organizing small scale missions, feeling as if the organization she had helped revive rested on a knife’s edge. Who knew being a superhero was so...dull? Anxiety inducing? Draining? None of the words felt right. Ugh. Clearly she was letting the last few failed missions and the pile of paperwork get to her head. Stay in the present.

Again that scar on her wrist ached, although she was certain it was more in her mind than anything else.

The suspect confirmed that she was at the scene of the crime, immediately followed by a shocked expression and a glare at Tatl.

Running winced. Yes, it seemed as if the suspect put two and two together far too quickly for her liking. One advantage lost.

Tatl and Kao continued to exchange verbal jabs.

Another wince. And another.

In retrospect letting Tatl take control of the situation was a terrible idea. Running might not be good at words or seeing through lies, but a sharp temper could be more dangerous. Tatl was not nearly as explosive as Blaze, but at least with Blaze you always were prepared to keep him in check. Tatl was reasonable when people weren’t pushing her buttons, which let one fall into a false sense of security.

This was all her fault. She was such a coward. She’d rather focus on watching for traps than engaging in wordplay, but as a senior member she had to take responsibility for teammates.

Ugh, why do I have to play good cop? I’m the mysterious one whose face is in the shadows and all.

“Forgive my colleague,” she said, stepping forward and cutting Tatl off before she could say anything more to escalate the scenario. Escalations were always a terrible idea. “She does not handle evasive answers well.”

“You wish for a more direct question? Describe this ‘dangerous stuff’ you saw.”

((ooc: My guess is that PsyKao was watching them engaging on a mission and started messing with their emotions, which allowed the enemies to get away with something. Now they’re trying to find leads to track down whatever it is, and unfortunately are on the wrong track in one way and on the right track in another. Also, I really want more emotion manipulation shenanigans, cause I feel like tensions between Tatl and Running could be fun.))

[TatlTael]

The stranger managed to achieve something few often did with Tatl. She was briefly shaken. For someone whose power was to get the truth out of others regardless of whether they wanted it or not, Tatl herself was particularly evasive of the truth. On the other hand, at least she didn't lie much, nor did she share the secrets of others. Of course, that doesn't mean anyone particularly appreciated her abilities more. Her face turned a bit deeper red with a blush and a sort of huffing noise escaped her. Did secret identities count as lies? No! Of course not! Tatl was just a nickname, and nicknames most certainly weren't lies!...right?

"I didn't say you lied," Tatl snapped back, not one to give up so easily. "I said you were evading the truth and it's just as bad as lying! We chased you because you ran! That makes you look awfully suspicious so excuse me for not trusting anything you say!" Before she could continue, though, Runner inserted herself. It was probably better she did, as Tatl could argue a point all day, even when she was wrong. Besides, Runner was much more professional than she was. Regardless, Tatl's hands clenched into fists in frustration before she turned her back on the other two, arms crossed and gritting her teeth.

Self-doubt was something Tatl was shockingly accustomed to. And no matter what feelings were beginning to ball up in her gut, her facade of confidence did not fade and her bullheadedness only began to grow. In truth, Tatl spent much of her time putting her emotions behind bars, trying to stop feeling all together. She'd never seemed to feel quite the way others did anyway, and she'd become quite good at pretending she felt things she didn't. Her temper, however, was one thing she hadn't quite mastered yet.

Slowly she turned back to the other two, forcing her arms down, though her eyes remained cold, focusing on the stranger once more.

"Sorry..." she forced out after Runner's apology for her, blinking slowly and continuing to stare intently. She let Runner continue with the questions. Or, rather, question seeing as they hadn't gotten past the first one yet.