quatre mains
■■ pins ;& needles! ⚲ ( イルミ ) :eldestbrother ▇▇ manipulator ●↓
my whole◟ existence; ) ██ ██ ██
I S F L A W E D. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I ` V E G O T N O S O U L T O S E L L
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layout and images edits by quatre mains
✦ █「 ₀₁ illumi zoldyck .. ❖: ₀₂ unconfirmed .. ❖:
❖: ₀₃ that is unnecessary .. ❖: ₀₄ ?? ?? ..
FLASHBACK
█ this is a problem. 」▄ HE RAISES A FINGER TO GRAZE HIS BOTTOM LIP, THE OTHER HAND RESTING AT THE HIP. ah, that won't do. 」 ▄ HIS SHOULDERS SLUMP SLIGHTLY AND HE HOLDS BOTH HANDS OUT AT HIS SIDES, PALMS UP. how disappointing. blackmail, is it? 」▄THE CORNERS OF HIS LIPS DON'T EVEN SO MUCH AS TWITCH, REMAINING A THIN LINE ON AN UNMOVING AND EXPRESSIONLESS FACE, EYES COMPLETELY VACANT. hm. 」▄HE BRINGS HIS OPEN HANDS IN FRONT OF HIM AND CURLS HIS FINGERS INWARD, THIN BROWS RAISING SLIGHTLY AS HE MUSES OUT LOUD, CALM AND COLLECTED AS IF HE WERE COMMENTING ON SOMETHING TRIVIAL. so, it's an exchange you want. 」▄DROPPING HIS ARMS AT HIS SIDES, HE LOOKS BACK UP WITH HIS USUAL BLANK FACE AND STAYS SILENT, A FEW QUIET MINUTES PASSING BEFORE HE DECIDES TO SPEAK UP AGAIN. very well! 」 ▄HE SAYS THIS WHILE POINTING A FINGER TO THE CEILING, VOICE LIGHT, EVEN AND CALM AS EVER. HIS TONE ABSENTMINDED. if this is all … 」 ▄HE HOLDS A LARGE GOLDEN PIN BETWEEN TWO FINGERS IN FRONT OF HIS FACE, THE NEEDLE POINT SHINING FROM THE DIM LIGHTING AROUND HIM. BEING STRIPPED OF HIS ABILITIES, THEY WERE REGULAR HEAD PINS NOW AND IMBEDDING THEM WOULD ONLY WOUND INSTEAD OF ALTER WITHOUT THE USE OF NEN. it is very impressive; sealing my aura, and managing to detain me at an unknown location. the work of a specialist, I presume? 」 ▄HE HOLDS THE NEEDLE UP HIGHER, TILTING IT SO THE SHARP END POINTS DIRECTLY AT HIS RIGHT UNBLINKING EYE. ah, anyway. here it goes. 」 ▄AND IN ONE SWIFT MOVEMENT HE CLOSES THE DISTANCE AND STABS -- !
-- ▄HE LAUGHS, A HOLLOW SOUND. HIS MOVEMENTS FROZEN BARELY HAIR WIDTH FROM PIERCING HIS EYE AND HE LIMPLY DROPS HIS ARM BACK DOWN AT HIS SIDE. but how can I know with certainty that I'll get what is mine returned if I submit to this exchange? I don't, do I? doing this could be all for nothing. 」 ▄HE RESTS ONE HAND CASUALLY ON HIS HIP AND SOON THE PIN IS REPLACED WITH A CARD HELD BETWEEN TWO FINGERS - A HUNTER LICENSE. it's unfortunate, but I'll be gambling with this instead. 」 ▄HE TILTS HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE, EYES VOID. this will do, yes? something invaluable, irreplaceable. ... ah, but there is no guarantee that I will get this back in the future, either. 」 ▄HE TURNS THE CARD OVER ABSENTLY IN HIS HAND AND CLOSES HIS EYES SLOWLY. but then, if that's the case, if necessary -- 」 ▄AND THEN HIS EYES ARE OPEN AGAIN, INCREDIBLY WIDE AND SWIRLING IN DARKNESS. I will have to retrieve it myself. 」
PRESENT
▄ LONG, BLACK STRANDS OF HAIR BLEW FREELY IN THE WIND. A LONE, TALL AND THIN FIGURE STANDING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO THE EDGE ON A ROOFTOP. THE MAN WAS STILL CONFIDENT IN HIS OWN SKILLS EVEN WITH HIS AURA NODES SEALED, LIKE AN INVISIBLE LOCK LIMITING HIM FROM USING HIS ABILITIES. BUT IT WAS UNSETTLING TO SAY THE LEAST WHEN FACING A SITUATION WITH VERY FEW ANSWERS TO WORK FROM. ah, I've acquired a few leads. however -- 」 ▄ HE HAD TAKEN THE SAFEST ROUTE, ONE THAT WOULD MEAN PATIENCE AND CONTROLLED CAUTION UNTIL HIS ABILITIES WERE RETURNED. waiting is our most crucial job, after all. 」 ▄ HE WOULD GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION HE COULD FOR NOW, AND HIS TRAINING HELPED HIM IN FINDING SOME INFORMATION QUICKER, THAT GAVE HIM SOME IDEA OF THIS CITY AND THE PART HE HAD TO PLAY IN THIS GRAND SCHEME. how troubling, and quite ironic. 」 ▄ HIS LIPS REMAIN PARTED, UNSAID WORDS SITTING ON HIS TONGUE. CROSSING HIS ARMS LOOSELY OVER HIS CHEST, HE MAKES A DRAWN OUT "HMMM" SOUND AS HE LOOKS DOWN AT HIS NEW CHANGE OF CLOTHES OF A WELL-FITTED BLACK SUIT. USUALLY ONLY WORN UNDER A GUISE AT A FORMAL EVENT FOR A CLIENT, IN HIS CASE. HE TILTS HIS HEAD SLIGHTLY TO THE SIDE, EYES SCANNING THE STREETS OF ESPER BELOW. HE HOLDS THE DEVICE THAT REPLACED HIS TRANSMITTER AND TURNS IT ON, THIN BROWS RAISING SLIGHTLY. hm! I better get to work. 」
█████████ ■ fragile kiss. ██████
