blah blah blah how'm i doing?

anon is on, ips are off. have your way with me, bbs~

I guess it's worth considerin' the bright side of all this: at least we're not dead, right? That's not such a bad thing.

I dunno about anyone else, but I got the impression it could've been a lot worse.

We could've failed and everybody'd be dead now, for example.

But hey! Nobody died! ... not even the dead people. [a brief, awkward laugh.] So relax, hey? It could've been worse!

( Private//Unhackable )

You'll pay for that.

( Private to 'Commodore' Smoker )

( ETA | voice; filtered to everyone except Two-Face. )

Huh.

It's almost ... nice.

[she pauses and thinks, silently, for a moment; all the communicator picks up is soft, careful breathing.]

Someone killed all these people, you know?

I wonder who.

[heavy breathing and the sound of thick-soled boots slapping against the ground. a faint static in the background, like hissing, or slithering. any chance it might only be a bad connection is quickly doused by anko's words:]

-- found me, guess he lost Sasuke --

-- going to try something --

[the rustle of thick fabric as anko spins, her coat flapping, and she sucks in a breath, before shouting--]

Sojasossss--

[--but she's suddenly interrupted by a CRASH, a roar, and a very, very loud BYAHOO BAWOOSH as the giant thing following close behind her tumbles right into an explosive trap.]

... gotcha. Too bad I won't see your face when you get out~~!

[the sounds of the explosion begin to fade into the distance, and anko chuckles softly under her breath -- only to be interrupted by the sound of something snaking quickly across the ground and latching, hard, onto the ankle of her boot. the impact jars her and sends her toppling to the ground with an audible THUNK and a squeal of static from the communicator.]

--huh?

[something hisses at her.]

... shit ...

[there's just the sound of anko breathing shallowly for a moment. and then her voice is joined by another's, at the same time that something very thick and heavy slithers into audible range. the slithering bulk calmly -- but swiftly -- wraps itself around anko's body, and then the voice, a soft, sibilant purring voice, is right in her face.]

... I'm very disappointed, Anko. All this time apart and this is the best effort you can do ... I suppose I was right to abandon you, after all.

But you'll have plenty of time to realize that yourself in a few moments.

[and then, signaled by the skritching together of scales as they slide into and across each other, orochimaru begins to squeeze. anko's teeth slam shut to block the pain, and she spits out her next words through the grinding of her teeth.]

... Sasuke's ... going to kill you again, you rotting bastard ... and I'm going to come back from the dead just to make sure he does it, too.

[a laugh.] Big words for a snake who's lost her bite. I should have realized sooner - total annihilation is the only useful way to end a failed experiment, otherwise ... they just end up useless.

[the communicator shrieks as orochimaru's body squeezes up against it, then, with a crack -- the transmission goes dead.]

--no, no, it can't, it can't --

Oh shit, he saw me --

[the transmission ends with a screech of static and a clatter, and as the signal fades the sound of what might be someone running ... and something slithering after.]

not summons, came from nowhere - floor caved in, something came out

what the fuck

stuff sticks to my hand - like slime? too pasty

set them on fire and all they do is scream

is naruto safe?

[the faint sounds of shinobi boots scuffling across a rooftop underneath a soft laugh. her voice is distorted, like she's talking with her mouth full.]

Well ... you can't say we didn't warn him.

Tch -- he should've taken me up on that invitation.

[pause.]







[there's the sound of slurping, munching, and then a discarded wrapper crinkles in her hand and she tosses it away.]

It's no dango, but it'll do in a pinch like this~~

So, what's next?

[a cheerful lilt in her voice belies the dangerous, steely hardness of its tone.]

Very impressive~~

But you're making it too obvious, Kadaj or whoever you are. Sooner or later they're going to catch you, and some of us are getting awfully close.

[a pause, and the joviality briefly disappears from her voice.]

Killing children who can't fight back is a coward's ploy. You're a worthless example of humanity if this is the best you can do and you deserve what's coming for you next.

I bet your blood tastes as good as anyone else's in a pinch, though~~~

Whaddaya say we find out?

[she laughs, darkly, and then the transmission cuts out.]

[the communicator makes rustling and thunking noises as it's pulled out of a pocket and poked at for several moments well after it's already been turned on. faint sounds of awkward, ragged breathing echo in the near background.]

I wonder what that's supposed to do? -- A comm set, huh?

[the sounds of more fiddling, then some prodding, like the sound of an earphone jack finally serving its purpose.] --so it takes Leaf equipment as good as anything else, good to know ...

I know someone's listening into this. You don't just give a new comm set to someone who had one that worked fine already for no fucking reason unless you want to talk, so -- who the hell are you? [a coarse laugh.]

I don't like to be kept waiting long.