ANNOUNCEMENT 007

[intercom_voice]

[There's a soft, amused chuckle over the intercom before the familiar husky voice speaks.]

Well, now that everyone is decent once again, I trust you'll all get back to your scheduled activities. [Like studying. And homework, whatever that may entail. Who knows?] Now I trusted you all to be smart enough to follow simple directions such as, 'please refrain from causing property damage', and now I'm trusting you all from here on out to refrain from trying to cause property damage.

Honestly, I work so hard to keep that barrier up and running for you all. [Even if it's a failed attempt, it shouldn't be an attempt at all! So rude, people.]

If you all are so intent on working out some aggression, might I suggest using the gym?

[The feed ends.]

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[ozren]

Wren's wandering around, munching on a cookie (a real one this time) and following behind another of her drawings. It's a foot tall squirrel drawn from pink chalk, possibly as hyper as a real one as it chitters and scampers down the hall. Every time it gets far enough away, it reverts back to a drawing, only to reanimate as Wren closes the distance. She's been trying to figure out her range with these things, and it seems to vary with size. The bigger it is, the closer she needs to be.

"Maybe we oughta try Godzilla again, really give her something to complain about." The only thing that announcement had done was annoy her. The squirrel turns back for a second before disappearing around a corner. Wren finishes off her cookie and darts after it, stopping dead at the sight of the creature in her path. Was that a giant bug? With teeth like that, she isn't sure. The chalk squirrel chitters nervously and scurries back to the teenager, hiding behind her legs.

[obeytherod]

[Man-Eater Bug turns its head at the sound of the girl and her pet, lumbering somewhat heavily towards her. It makes a short, repetitious clicking noise from within its throat and tilts its head curiously at them.

It knew it was looking for a woman, but this was a very tiny woman.]

[ozren]

Wren's rooted to the spot as it comes toward her, simply staring with wide eyes. Oh. Oh boy. What's she supposed to- Maybe a monster of her own? Or a shield, or-

The squirrel, being an extension of her, is doing what the girl should be doing - running. It gets about twelve feet away before reverting to a drawing on the floor and scattering into chalk dust. Wren's only barely aware of it, mostly focused on the weird clicking noise the bug's making. Yikes.

"...Um, hi? I'm not a threat." She holds up her hands, empty except for the chalk stick in her left.

[obeytherod]

[After a few minutes of head-canted deliberation, Man-Eater Bug decides that it should take this woman back to Master, because it might be the one he's looking for!!

So, like a clumsy bug-shaped bear with all the intelligence of a puppy, it walks over to Wren and attempts to pick her up in its arms.]

[ozren]

She should be fighting being picked up, because oh my god giant bug with teeth, but nope, just a bit scared here. That and she's afraid it might try and eat her if she hurts it. So instead she lets it pick her up, however clumsily, clutching onto her chalk for dear life. The box is in her pocket, she can afford to lose a piece, but she can't easily reach it.

Oh wow, she wishes Yugi was here. Really, really wishes.

"Where're we going?" It comes out as a squeak, and Wren's surprised it came out at all.

[obeytherod]

[The monster clicks and gurgles out some sort of noise that vaguely sounds like the word "master". That's the only response Wren gets as it makes its way back down the hall towards Malik.

Lucky for her, it's not too far of a walk before Malik's back can be seen. He's poking his head into a room himself.]

[ozren]

"...Master?" This thing has a master? She's not sure if that makes her feel better or not. What kind of person could control something like this? She sees someone ahead of them and almost calls out for help, then realizes this might be the bug's master.

Eep.

Instead she tightens her grip on the creature, taking a deep breath. Okay. She's okay. Or she will be once it puts her down.

[obeytherod]

[Man-Eater Bug lets out a noise to alert his "Master", and Malik turns around. Spotting the girl he...well, she looks kind of young for that mature voice over the speakers, to be totally honest.

Still, he hurries over and narrows his eyes at her, tipping the Rod up against her chin. He chuckles, speaking all teasing and menacingly.]

Well, well, who are yo-- [Suddenly, Man-Eater Bug drops her like a sack of bricks, since he's done now so he can drop her right???]

Oy, what are you doing?! You're supposed to hold on to her!

[The monster looks down at Wren, confused, and then looks back at Malik with an apologetic clicky-whimper.]

[ozren]

Not liking that rod he just shoved against her chin at all. What's wrong with this guy? She blinks as he starts to ask her name, and that voice is making her nervous. She opens her mouth to answer-

-and gets dumped on the floor, hard. What, seriously?

"Ow!" Wren just stays on the floor, rubbing her back. Thanks for that, weird clicky bug. A glance over at the boy yelling at it - and he was just a boy, wasn't he, maybe a couple years older than her - and Wren glares, getting to her feet as she dusts herself off.

"Oz." Sorry kid, you're getting the alias she uses for people she doesn't like.

[obeytherod]

[Hearing that one word was really all he needed. Malik dismisses Man-Eater Bug back to his card--no use sending the monster back out--and addresses Wren with obvious disinterest.]

Feh. You're not who I'm looking for.

[He flicks his Rod holding hand out at her, utterly dismissive.] You're free to go.

[Malik turns away, narrowing his eyes. His blood was boiling right now.]

[ozren]

And there goes the monster. Okay then.

"You're looking for that lady that was on the intercom, right? What makes you think she's in the building?" Because the way Wren saw it, it'd be pretty dumb to stick around when your prisoners were upset enough to send out search parties and knock down walls.

She gives that gold stick of his a look, wrinkling her nose at his dismissal. He has a giant bug kidnap her and-

Wait a second...

"That eye-thing looks kinda like the one on Yugi's treasure."

[obeytherod]

[He knows it's a foolish idea, he doesn't need some little girl to point it out to him! The way Malik sees it, it would be a far graver mistake not to try at all.

He had no intent on answering her, but then she brings up a familiar name.]

It's called a Wedjat, or the Eye of Horus. It's a common symbol in Egyptian culture and mythology.

[So get your nose out of business that's not yours'.]

I've never heard of this "Yugi" before.

[ozren]

She kind of wasn't expecting an answer, but that's interesting to know. They hadn't covered that in school. "I'll have to remember that."

She nods at his denial of knowing Yugi - there were a lot of people here, maybe he didn't. Just because they had the same symbol didn't mean anything.

Wren still doesn't like this guy much - doesn't even know who he is, but... "Hey, if you find her, lemme know. I'll draw a monster of my own. Not like I really want to stay here either."

[obeytherod]

[Malik doesn't even turn to face her, but he does laugh a little darkly under his breath. There's no humour in that laugh.]

Kah hah... Like I'm going to go out of my way to inform you so you can draw something.

I have better plans for when I capture that woman, and they don't involve you.

Even Kai is warning her off. /facepalm

[ozren]

Wren glares daggers at his back, hands tightening into fists. She doesn't like being dismissed like this, and written off. Okay, so maybe chalk drawings aren't all that imposing, but she has time to improve.

She could be a threat if she wanted to.

She catches sight of her pink stick on the floor, broken in two from when she'd fallen. That...doesn't help. She looks around quickly, realizing suddenly...she remembers this spot. Earlier, before she'd drawn her squirrel, there'd been a wolf. She hadn't bothered to erase him.

Wren sucks in a breath and concentrates on calling her drawing to her. It's farther away than the squirrel was when it fell apart, but she's upset, so it's easier. A large black wolf drops off the wall in the distance, growling faintly as it approaches the boy.

"I could help."

[obeytherod]

... [Malik tenses at the sight of the wolf, wondering if this is some sort of illusion. It's impressive, but he's in a bad enough mood to disregard it. It's not like some petty child's drawing is going to break down the barrier, or do anything else he can't.]

I don't need your help.

[Beckoning Man-Eater Bug out again he has the monster walk in front of him and keep a wall between him and the wolf.]

[ozren]

"Oh fine." Be an idiot then. The wolf makes no move to attack either him or the monster, simply growling louder at the boy and baring it's teeth as it passes. Once it reaches Wren, it settles down on it's haunches like a chalky bodyguard.

"When I can make a door out of this place, I'll be sure not to bother you with it." She totally means that. Right now, anyway. Wren's not the kind of person to just leave other people trapped. She scoops her broken chalk off the floor and gives the wolf a pat on the head before turning to head back the way she was brought, her drawing trotting after.

[obeytherod]

[Wait a second. Malik swiftly turns back around, barely hiding the look of shock and interest on his face.]

What do you mean make a door? [He calls out to her, more than ready to send out a monster to fetch her if need be.]

[ozren]

[Wren lets out a sigh, swinging back around. The wolf stops too, moving in front of her.] Like I said. You didn't think animals were all I could do, did you?

[She's not usually a smart mouth, but she's not all that happy with him.] I still need some practice, though. It takes energy to keep the drawings real.

[obeytherod]

...So you can make objects too? [That's more useful than her pathetic dog.]

[He folds his arms, still unconvinced.] What makes you think just because you can draw a door, that it will lead anywhere except to the other side of the wall!

[ozren]

[The wolf's hackles rise as it growls, almost as if it had heard the pathetic dog comment. In reality, it was just Wren trying not to snap at the boy.] I made a tent when the building was gone. [It'd worked out very well until she'd fallen asleep and the drawing had reverted, but she's not telling him that.]

My drawings act like what I want them to be, so why can't I get it to lead out of this place? If I focus hard enough... [Although she's heard about that barrier, and how's she supposed to draw on that? Wren's nothing if not stubborn, though.]

[obeytherod]

[Malik's quick to change his mind and lose his temper. Her determination...it annoys him. He wants to crush it, just like his own had been crushed when he failed to break through the barrier!

He speaks mockingly.]

Because there's more than just water keeping us locked here, you fool. I summoned God and he couldn't break through, what makes you think your stupid children's drawing will be of any use?

[ozren]

[Good luck with that. She's been crushed before, by worse things than an irritating, rude teenager, and she's gotten back up.]

Of course he couldn't, God doesn't do anyone any favors. Why should he? [Wren's actually not caring all that much that he called her a fool, although she's tempted to throw her chalk at his head for the drawing comment, for all the good it'd do the situation.]

Believe what you want then, it's not my problem.

[obeytherod]

I wouldn't expect someone like you to know anything.

[He glowers with a hateful smile, but thinks better of actually summoning Ra to show her up. If he summoned the great God-beast in here, the heat would probably kill her. Not that he cared, but still. It was a waste of energy.

Turning on heel, he makes to walk away.]

[ozren]

Oh, whatever. [Wren manages to not roll her eyes at that awful smile, instead reaching over to scratch her wolf behind the ears. It occurs to her that she still doesn't know this boy's name, but she doesn't care to ask anymore. She'll probably have the misfortune of running into him again anyway. As tempted as she is to blow a raspberry at him as he turns to go, she doesn't, instead shooing the wolf on the opposite way before she follows. She's got some practice to get in.]