The Girls of Virtue

[05-2] A New Start, with New Resolve

Beginning leaves after that. She's tired all over again from dealing with Manipulation's nasty ways. It's fortunate that she's not bleeding this time, but even that kind of thing is a small victory under the circumstances.

So she tries to get as far away from the scene as possible. She walks through the town, making an attempt to memorize the layout all the while. If she's ever going to get around here successfully, she's going to have to at least know where she's going. Finding a few good hiding places doesn't sound like a bad idea either, what with the way she's been bullied.

Eventually, Beginning decides that she needs to get up and around again. She hops up onto the roofs easily, her body obeying her even better than before. It seems like she's figuring out just what this strange body of hers can do... whatever that may be. She's stronger than she was expecting, that much is for sure. It's easier to stand up for herself when she has some confidence in her abilities, Beginning thinks... even if she still is mildly terrified every time she opens her mouth to fight back with any of them.

Beginning hops along the roofs for a while, trying to memorize some of the nearby streets. It's easy to get lost in thought once again, at least, right up until she all but trips over someone laying against a chimney.

Squeaking, Beginning falls hard, dodging the person as best she can. The fall sends her toppling over the roof, landing on her back in a pile of stone and decaying wood. It doesn't hurt too terribly, thank goodness, and Beginning feels her skin knitting itself back together within moments.

The question of who exactly she tripped over is answered in the form of Inconsistency dropping down from the same roof not even a second later.

"Ah, Beginning!" she screeches. "It was you who tripped on me!? I thought you'd be better than that, you bitch!"

Her emotions surge from surprise to interest to fury all in once sentence, leaving Beginning's head spinning. How one person can contain so many emotions all fighting for space is beyond her. Inconsistency is a mystery and one that Beginning isn't at all eager to piece out.

"S-Sorry...?" Beginning starts, hating how her stutter comes back.

"You should be! I was looking for you everywhere and you didn't show up, so I was resting for a bit and then you show up! That's annoying. You should have been there when I wanted to find you!" With every word, Inconsistency steps closer, forcing her way into Beginning's space. She gets close enough that she could land a good hit, then stops.

"So what do you have to say for yourself? You royally pissed me off the last time we talked, and you should be sorry. All I did was try to be nice to you and you ignored me. So you should have a lot to be sorry for!"

Beginning's head is spinning. Talking to Inconsistency is like running in circles, then running head-first into a brick wall. Nothing makes sense right up until she hits you. Apologizing seems like the best way to get out of things, but it's also infuriating. Beginning hasn't done anything.

"I'm sorry I upset you," Beginning starts, trying to find a middle ground, "but I really don't see what I did that was so bad."

Inconsistency levels Beginning a vicious glare with all four eyes.

"You made me mad, that's what you did," she bites back, four points of red focused on Beginning like she wants to kill. One hand goes to Beginning's shoulder a second later, squeezing down in an obvious threat.

"And I said I'm sorry I upset you." Beginning knows she doesn't have to take this. She's not going to let herself get bullied. Even if she gets hurt, she heals. She's strong enough that she can fight back, now that she knows what she's doing. She'll be fine even if Inconsistency blows up.