How To Screw Yourself Over

Chapter 1.14: Ms. Wright

The distortion stills and the Vermillion Birds freeze, unable to move, barely even able to breathe under the imposing aura Ash emits. Yu Yan is still asleep, being the crazy dense little lady she is.

If Ash were to speak plainly, she would say that her little threat is just a bluff. Much less find a reliable way to harm the distortion, she still has no clue how it exists in the first place. A distortion in space itself has intelligence and something resembling emotions. This is extremely abnormal.

To be blunt, Ash has no clue how the fuck she's supposed to analyze and study the distortion without alerting it of her crudely hidden intentions because merely observing the strange being has clearly not been doing her any favors, despite the amount of verbal ammunition she's obtained from its near-transparent behavior.

She's also learned far too much about 078's preferences in the process, but she'll take what she can get.

At any rate, despite her lack of results in that category, Ash still managed to whip up a little something that could implode space itself. At first, her new trick was just as dangerous to herself as to her opponents, but once she managed to control the range of said implosion, it could be effectively utilized.

In all honesty, Ash devised that attack out of pure frustration more than anything else, so she was fairly surprised when the little attack she developed to vent became one of the most devastating in her—admittedly limited—arsenal.

As long as the distortion is tangible, Ash is almost certain she can use this method to take it out, but since the distortion is almost entirely a mystery, she's not sure what would happen if she truly attacked it. Unless Ash's conjecture is completely off the mark, her little imploding trick should be capable of inflicting some harm upon the distortion.

Her only real issue is that she is not certain how much that harm is. The damage her new attack would inflict upon the distortion could be anything from a minor inconvenience to absolute obliteration.

So, yes. Ash is bluffing. This doesn't mean she isn't pissed off—because she's just about ready to skin every living creature within a 10-mile radius—but she can still think clearly.

No matter how unlikely the possibility is, Ash isn't going to risk eliminating her only semi-reliable source of answers, so she's been playing this game a bit more carefully than she normally would. (If the ignorant distortion's brazen behavior persists even after all this, Ash is just going to have to thicken her skin and put on a show. But if she attacks and nothing significant comes from her attempts, she's going to immediately silence all witnesses. Preferably permanently.) Moreover, Ash believes she's proven herself to be a rather aggressive and capricious individual, so the distortion shouldn't doubt the credibility of her willingness to harm.

It's never hurt her to be seen as off her rocker, never mind the fact that it's essentially the truth. Besides, if you play your cards right, you can turn almost anything into an effective weapon.

Ash has gotten a bit distracted, but it doesn't matter; the distortion has yet to move or release a single peep and, for some reason, Ash is getting the impression that 078 is mulling over its options.

Deciding to push the distortion a little further, Ash twists her expression into one of barely hidden disdain. "What? You don't believe me? In that case," she pauses to smooth her expression, "I'll show it to you."

Ash throws out an arm and gathers spiritual qi in her hand, preparing to utilize her new technique.

For a second or two, the distortion sways back and forth, clearly unsure of the proper course of action to take in this situation. Ash ignores the indecisive and vaguely panicked distortion and moves to hurl the conglomeration of spiritual qi at the alarmed distortion when—

[Wait!]

Finally. This damned, dithering distortion finally made a fucking move. Had the distortion spoken a second later, Ash might've gotten pissed off enough to actually hurl her creation at 078. Well, no, she wouldn't have, because that would ruin everything, but she was still pissed off.

Teasing the distortion had occasionally provided some amusement, but, somehow, Ash always ended up pressing a mysterious switch that prevented it from just shutting up.

Its garrulous nature coupled with its increasingly bold behavior has brought her irritation to its peak. It wouldn't be good for her if the distortion's head grows too large, so she's taking this opportunity to burst its budding ego and release some of her anger in the process. As long as she did this correctly, it'd be a win-win. For her, that is.

Speaking as if it can't get its words out fast enough, the distortion stammers out, [The people here act strangely because Ms. Wright tampered with this world!]

As soon as "Wright" fell from the distortion's, well, distortion, Ash's impassive mask shatters into itsy-bitsy pieces as her eyes widen in horror and her jaw drops. Absolutely dumbfounded, Ash can't help the immediate, "Oh, fuck."