Mino's Sample Clouds

[Minoshiya]

[Minoshiya]

The first feeling the knight had felt once awakening was an incredible soreness throughout his body. Groaning, the blond male found himself sprawled across a floor as he opened his eyes to the night sky above. Lyon did not recognize those stars, but then again he never claimed himself to be an astronomer apart from knowing the north star if he were to become lost. Slowly, and with surprising difficulty than he was used to, the blond raised himself from the ground with his arms and finally got a grasp of where he finally was: unknown territory. In what appeared to have been an alleyway, large structures of buildings had surrounded both of his sides while the plated pavement underneath him had been unlike he had ever seen before apart from the castle back home. Suddenly concerned, he forced his legs to ignore their tension and lifted himself off the ground, only to have his shoulder rest up against a doorway. “ What…happened? “ He tried to figure out, but his mind was still reeling from his awakening that it provided no answer and left only a pounding headache. Glancing casually at the door Lyon found himself against, a plate had been placed with etchings of two words that were luckily readable, but left him all the more confused. ” Dalmatians' House…” There was little to be thought of, but Lyon vaguely remembered that a Dalmatian was a spotted dog. Not wishing to get himself found or wanting to interact with a dog in that given moment, Lyon placed his gloved hand against the wall ahead for support and began to slowly make his way further through the alley. But once he got into the main plaza of the area, Lyon felt his heart sink and confusion truly settle in.

Where in the world was he?

Strange houses, blinking words, and moving signs had left quite the impression on the blond male. He had never before seen light being made without a candle or oil, but as he found himself captivated by what seemed to have been a circular glass bulb, Lyon was amazed. It wasn’t long before his cerulean eyes found themselves stinging from foolishly staring too long directly at the harsh light and made him look to the structure of the building he was resting upon. A sort of church, he guessed, painted over white and adorned with pristine glass that was remarkably as high as the other buildings around. Now, Lyon was confident that such a place did not exist in the first place and that this must have been all a bizarre dream made from his desperate mind. Light that came without fire? Blinking Signs? A house for dogs!? He could already hear the other knights mocking him if they knew what he was dreaming of. No, this wasn’t right. Soon enough, Lyon would wake up and realize that he was back in his room within the town hotel he stopped by amongst his travels. All he needed to do was wait. Wait. Wait. Oh, to hell with waiting. Lyon knew himself better than to be the type to merely stand by when there had been so many vast things of interest around him. Curiosity was mankind’s nature and, even if this was a dream, he still wanted to see more before this realm would perish into the oblivion of his mind.

But the pain was still there and it made it difficult to move. Lyon remembered this feeling all too well, but it was something he hadn’t experienced in years. It was when he first became a soldier and had to adorn a paladin’s armor for the day as part of his training. God, Lyon swore that he was never going to move ever again after that ordeal. How was it that he felt so much pain in a dream? Begrudgingly, the idea that he was trying to fool himself did come, but he pushed it aside as his memories hadn’t returned. Cautiously optimistic, Lyon decided to keep to the walls and alleyways as his form of travel to avoid any nasty chances that he would encounter someone else. Managing a few steps across to the other wall, Lyon looked to the other side and only saw a hotel sign amongst the brick houses. Rather peculiar architecture, he had to notice, as the buildings seemed to have no symmetry of how high one was going to be to its neighbor. Turning into another alleyway and turning the corner, Lyon encountered something he hadn’t expected to see: A body.

Down the alley had been a body. There had been no one else there, apart from a door further down, and from what he could see no blood. At first, his senses warned him that this type of scene in a narrow location was the prime space for an ambush of sorts. ” There’s likely someone on the rooftop waiting to jump down if I approach it. Or what if the person laying down is merely faking it and waiting to plunge a dagger- “ but all those precautions became mere leaves in the wind once Lyon took notice of the features from the body. The knight could not help but raise both brows in slight shock. Perhaps it was the ethereal light, or perhaps it was the meandering that he had done earlier to scatter his thoughts, but she looked absolutely stunning. The armor she had chosen was beautifully sewn with her dress, its pale taupe color complimenting her delicate white locks. “ Claire! “ he said without hesitation. Ignoring all pain receptors in his body, Lyon dashed from his spot and ran to the unconscious Paladin’s side. What had she been doing here, he wondered, of all places? No, this wasn’t a dream. Even in his nightmares, he would have never placed Claire within them in such a position like this. Her shirt had been torn, revealing her cleavage to the light alongside a scar that made him scowl with resentment. Descending onto his knee, he could not help but already imagine the worst scenarios that could have befallen her. Claire was, by all means, an attractive individual and despite her celibate oath, she did not sacrifice her beauty. In an alleyway like this and her shirt torn – Lyon felt his blood boil to think she would have such an end. Hesitation took control of his body as he reached out for her hand and slowly picked it up, but he was surprised to find it still warm. Resting his thumb along her wrist, it didn’t take long for him to feel a faint pulse. Relief washed over him and for some reason he felt more overjoyed than he knew he should have been for a fellow comrade. And with his mind finally relaxed, Lyon took notice that- despite her shirt being torn – that the rest of her was untouched. It was likely that something did attack her, but did not take away her purity. Another reason for relief as he could not imagine Claire living any longer without it; she was too sincere and honest a person to have that happen. But then, something else finally clicked into Lyon’s mind and it made his eyes widen.

Without intending to do so, Lyon’s earlier assumption that she had been attacked had made him glance at her slightly exposed cleavage.

The blood ran through his cheeks and turned instantly crimson by the time he turned his head to the side. It was easier to feel pity for someone who had perished, but now that she had been alive, Lyon seemingly took advantage of her frailty. Knowing that he would have to pay the price for it later, Lyon knew that he would have to make sure that she was not bleeding for now. Still red, the blond knight had glanced over his unconscious friend while exposing the bare minimum. Relieved, Claire appeared fine, apart from her chest. Feeling his honor – and more so hers – in jeopardy, he reached for his shoulders and unfastened the cape that he always had. Tearing a small piece off from it, Lyon raised Claire’s head slowly before placing the folded bit underneath for her and threw over the rest of his cloak along her body. Magic or herbs would have been helpful in this sort of situation, but they were nowhere near a forest and his skills for Cure spells were still miniscule. “ At least you’re safe… “ he whispered his thoughts out loud and then rested against the wall of the house. Judging from the lack of a knife in his back, this hadn’t been a trap at all and if Claire was a part of it, not a dream either. Lyon’s mind was still reeling in the memories that he wanted, but with Claire in danger and his confusion it would take some time before everything would come back to him.

His arms crossed as he slid one leg to a bent position and the other remained pointed outwards. This was how he usually started thinking, a position widely universally known by now. Bits and fragments of his memories did remain, but they were as confusing as walking through a fog. Lyon could recall the feeling of…urgency, concern, and fear of the unknown. Things that, together, meant nothing to him. But there was one feeling that he could not ignore and it made an uncomfortable chill run through his spine: acceptance. What a bitter sensation, he concluded. Glancing aside in a slightly ashamed manner once he realized that he was keeping an eye on Claire, he allowed his crossed arms to loosen as he shook off any subsequent thoughts. Attention to detail; attention to detail. What mattered now was to make sure she was safe and kept away from harm.

[Minoshiya]

When people are alive, they lie, hate and betray each other until they die.
But at a funeral, all the grudges are forgotten.
People remember all of the times they got along with that person.

The church bells had rung obnoxiously throughout the graveyard, signaling that another one had passed away that morning. The vulgar structure where all the nobles had scurried within to pay their respects, while partly rushing in to avoid the rain itself, had become a place of solace. Today was the day that Lady Celia Vigarde had passed away in her sleep, following the path of many other victims who had died the very same way in mysterious circumstances still plaguing Scotland Yard even now. Angus J. Radcliffe had also made an appearance on the day, taking his seat on the second row as lawyer of the family whose only child had been Celia. A large, round-shaped, and old man, he pushed up his round spectacles that seemed diminutive in comparison to his cheeks that took more than their fair share of his face. Beside him had been Nanny Witless, who had been hunched over due to her bad back, though in all fairness, the less one saw of her leather age worn face the better. "How lucky some are to awaken to simply find out they're dead. I hope that I pass away so easily." The old hag mentioned as she hanged her head down. Radcliffe merely remained composed to the statement before mentioning. "Celia was often alone; an interior and lonesome child, I suspect. It's no surprise that she'd die alone." He claimed to which the Nanny stifled a small dry chuckle so nobody would hear. "But what of the butler? He was there as well. Quite easy to snuff one out in an empty mansion, I say, and mysterious too! Arrived only a few months ago and the small child was already doting on him. Telling him all the secrets she'd tell me, the filthy sow." Angus glanced about the area in search of this butler, but it did not seem that he was inside to attend the funeral at all. "The scoundrel was fitted with grotesque headgear by Celia during one of my visits, likely the child's assumption of a joke. If I had ever owned an accessory that unseemly, I'd burn it. Destroy all evidence of it, and deny its existence. I value my reputation." The two said as the sermon had begun and they remained silent for the brief moment to listen.

Outside, where the rain had seemingly begun to pour even more so than before, had been a figure who stood by an empty and freshly dug out grave. With a black umbrella in his hand, he managed to hide himself away from the heavy downpour, but that wasn't the problem at the moment. Besides the fact that he was near a church - he despised those things with their constant bells and their beloved 'Lord' - and the rain that did not seem to let up, the fact of the matter remained: his meal was stolen. No, not stolen, rotted. Yes, that's the proper word, since the soul hadn't been taken from the body, but merely passed on through death. How annoying. "You must be sad.." The small games between them would be over and no longer could she place small trinkets of amusement upon his face or clothes for a cheap laugh - a child's enjoyment in her small Wonderland. Still, as he stood now, there was little stopping him from attending anyway to represent the late passing of his...

What would he have called her?

Master? No, that role fit someone who hadn't given away their dominance so easily. How Lucis despised when his food turned rotten at the last moment with such flavors as 'affection' and 'love'. Even without fulfilling her wish, the girl's mood changed drastically and he could sense her desires shifting completely. What's worse than emotions ruining a dish is when the food itself suddenly turned bland. The girl was happy with what she had with him near, and that alone made his mouth dry up more than anything else. Humans are needlessly complicated and often delude themselves too easily, Lucis had found. But what can one do...

A butler's duty was to be beside their master forever. To serve them eternally. But that wasn't the case for Lucis whom had been outside of her funeral. In essence, it likely appeared more insulting to his deceased master for him to do so. But as a demon, stepping into holy ground left him with a vulgar taste in his mouth. Then again, it would have been easy to withstand it considering the amount of sinful souls of the nobles that poured within the confined area, but Lucis found himself uncaring to listen to mortal's preaching on about the afterlife. What truly awaited them at the end was merely- Ah, wait, that'd be ruining a surprise, won't it? Never mind, then.

Lucis had taken off his glasses and began to wipe them amidst his thoughts, but the Church had given one last set of bells, which made the butler shudder in disgust at their sound. The doors had opened soon after they had stopped, the people pouring out as they approached the grave that Celia was set to take. Without having to look, Lucis could sense the eyes of the nobles staring at him already as they got closer. It was always a pleasant feeling, Lucis noted, as a mix of their disgust mingled together with shameful, brazen desire. And what's not to be desired? Lucis may have appeared young for a butler, but his talent made up for what many wanted in their own household.

"How did that child end up with that butler?"

"I wonder if he requires a job now that his Lady is gone."

"He's so young...And- Oh~ He's cleaning his glasses~"

It was always a delight to experience those that attempted to pass off their quick glances as mere observation rather than the desire they had. The shame of a noble actually wanting a butler would make them the laughing stock of England, so it was easier to just hide their shame through their stoic faces. Angus J. Radcliffe was no exception, but the lawyer seemed more distressed by the fact that Lucis was near. The Nanny had held onto her cane while raising his large nose up to look towards Lucis who remained at the side, alone, while the others seemed to allocate themselves on the other side or front of the grave. It seems that nobody wanted to be near a butler like him, at least not in public and in front of others, and by now the horror that Lucis was, in fact, a bit soaked from before. If he still had a master, Lucis may have cared, but as it stood she was in a wooden case that was being lowered down into the grave so there was little concern to his human 'pride'. Less so for his deceased meal whose name would be quickly forgotten in time.


As her casket was being lowered into the grave, the demon butler began to wonder what it was that made him even consider being by her side. Was it consolation? Is it Pity? Or perhaps Insistence? Once her mother died, Celia only had her little sister as she was taken to her uncle to be taken care of. Yet, the man was greedy and wanted the inheritance that was passed onto her children, so he tried to kill them both with a gun, but somehow Celia had managed to grab hold of the gun. Yet, as if fate wasn't more amusing enough, in her shock, she had missed and the bullet had hit her sister. Of course, the horror and blood was more than enough to attract any demon, but Lucis managed to find her first in that moment and became her butler to eliminate the uncle. Since then, he maintained the Vigarde family and made Celia quite happy for the past few months. It was his way of passing the time in a realm where it would never stop ticking away...

Still, he never made a contract with Celia.

"You always knew...That kind of thing...is nothing but a dream." Lucis stared as the grave was filled up with dirt and the funeral had come to a close. Those that were unable to stand the rain proceeding to leave with haste while some seemingly were curious as to where Lucis would go now that he was without his master, but even they left eventually until it was only Radcliffe who approached the butler. "I have a letter for you to deliver, Lucis Enneagram. These papers need to be handed over to the local Undertaker so that he can sign her down amongst the rest of the deceased." For once, it seemed that the lawyer was trying his hardest to keep the bitterness in his voice from being so obvious, but nothing could help that. As the large man pulled out a letter, Lucis took it into his gloved hands and did not even need to open it to know what it was likely about. Radcliffe frowned even further before stomping off, unable to withstand the shame.

An Undertaker, was it? Though the demon had no more responsibility in the matter, it would have been poor performance on his part not to finish his duties to the last. A sort of 'noblesse oblige', which made it difficult for him to deny for the sake of keeping his pride. If he did not finish his tasks to Celia, then it would be a stain upon his name for all eternity. Placing his glasses back upon the bridge of his nose, the butler left the area and wandered into the streets that had been in the middle of repairs ever since the fire swept across the lands. Lucis rarely cared for the matters of angels and what they wished for, he preferred to keep himself out of their way if possible, but he had to admit that this made finding prey that much more difficult when half the populace perished and it would take some time before the nobles returned.

Of course, now that he had no real master, the demon was reminded at just how empty his stomach was since his last feast. Perhaps....he'd have to look around a bit more to see if there were any souls worth tasting at least one.

Øφ€: So bloody long!. XoX Anyhow, TO DESTINY~

[Minoshiya]

J o n a t h a n XX"S c a r e c r o w " XXC r a n e

╔───────────────╗
XXXLocation: Arkham Asylum
XXXWith: N/A
XXXThoughts: He's gone...
╚───────────────╝

Johnathan Crane sat at the table, staring into the two way mirror. No one on the other side of the glass doubted that he was looking for them. The old Doctor and Nurse had always felt uncomfortable when it came to interviewing Crane. Not because he used to be one of them, no, but rather how his empty gaze somehow seemed to pierce right into your core, like he was viewing the inner child in you and had every intention of making it cry out. Dr. Derrick Polic was the first to speak up."When was the last time anyone's seen him?" The silence was unnerving, Crane's stare frighting. The nurse, Jessica Combs, spoke next. "He's been in isolation for about eight months. Cash was the only one who could've seen him." The intern was staring at her shoes as she spoke, already afraid. The door had opened behind them as Dr. Kevin Murphy adjusted his tie while entering. He had worked at Arkham for five months now. He had been welcomed with opened arms, but this was his first real test. Jonathan Crane would be his first major battlefield before he would come into contact with the others."I'll begin my session now, then. Make sure the guards are right outside, yes? I'd hate for you to have to clean me off the floor." Murphy mused, exiting the observation room. Dr. Polic and Nurse Combs watched as he left, exchanging nervous glances.

Jonathan Crane had been placed in isolation after "killing" three of his fellow inmates. These were lies, of course. Two of them were suicide. One was self defense. He couldn't be held responsible if they cracked under pressure. The doctors cutting him off from his test subjects was an unfortunate setback, but it gave him time to work on his image. Crane felt relying on costumes and theatrics could only go so far in the world and modifications needed to be made to the person, rather than rely on makeup like Joker or armor with the Batman.

He let his hair grow long. It was mangy, down past his shoulders. His fingers were long, sharp. His flesh pale from the lack of sun. He even starved himself to a skeletal frame. It was all very effective as Crane could already feel the fear from the observation room. It wasn't long before a young, daper man entered the room and entered Crane's line of judgment. He reeked of pride with a twinge of pedigree. "I'm Dr.Murphy, I am your new therapist. I hope you'll prove cooperative, Dr.Crane." Crane smiled, rather surprised and amused at the same time. "It's been awhile since someone called me a doctor. What a pleasant surprise." Murphy sat across from Crane, who was safely handcuffed to the table." Well despite your handicaps, your a more than capable psychiatrist. The notes the guards confiscated from your cell are very enlightening, if a little repetitive." Crane cocked his head, feeling insulted. "Repetitive?" he asked with Murphy responding automatically. "Your fixation on phobias." Ah, so that's what the problem was: Another clueless idiot who did not see greatness when it was staring them in the face. Crane wagged a finger to reprimand him. "Fear is everything. Fear is our most basic urge, no matter what those self styled normal people say. Fear of poverty motivates our employment. Fear of loneliness motivates our need for romance. Fear of disappointing others, of harm. It all comes back to fear." Murphy listened intently, but Crane knew that he was trying to figure out how to change this rather than assist him in it. "I can see where your coming from. So why the criminal turn?" he asked. Crane looked at Murphy, confused. "Crime? I just elevated my experiments." Murphy flipped through the folders on the table. He was sweating as he cleared his throat. "Seven counts of murder. twenty-four counts of assault. Fourteen counts of kidnapping. Six counts of drug distribution. And I'm not quite sure what you'd call forcibly drugging someone." Crane looked bored as the man man was listing his record. "The judge called it assault." Murphy looked Crane in the eyes. "You can see where I'm going, right? Why do all of this? I'm sure there were more practical ways of carrying out your tests." Crane leaned towards Murphy once more and leaned over the table, alarming the man at first but his next whisper calmed Murphy considerably. "Would you like to hear a secret, then?" Murphy raised an eyebrow. "Yes." Crane smiled once more as the recollection ran through his mind. "I enjoyed it too much. I needed to push it farther. With willing subjects. Unwilling subjects. Under these circumstances, under those circumstances. How much was too much, and what would happen at the breaking point." But the Doctor seemed to argue once more, "Then why not volunteer yourself?" Murphy asked, his voice breaking on the last word. "I did. I did it so much I'm immune now. That was quite disastrous, really. No longer having a first hand experience. And none of the other subjects really want to address me about the experience afterwards." Crane had to admit sadly that he did miss the thrill of being capable of feeling fear, but it made him study that much harder on the topic. "Being dressed like a scarecrow will do that to people." Murphy said, earning only Crane's vacant stare at the crude attempt at a joke.

Crane leaned back in his chair. "And what are you afraid of, Doctor?" Murphy shifted in his chair. "Honestly? Failure." Oh? Mildly interesting. "Failing what?" Crane wondered. "Failing you, Dr. Crane." He smiled nervously. Crane looked dissatisfied with this. Balling his hand into a fist, he cut his palm with his finger nail without anybody else noticing. It was time to test something that he wanted to see for a while and the rule with Crane was a simple 5 minute interview, rather than what the rest of the inmates got, but it was for the Doctor's safety. "I suppose we should conclude this session on a good note, right Dr.Crane?" Murphy said as he closed his folder and stood up. "But of course." Crane offered his free hand. Murphy smiled. This could be interpreted as progress. Crane smiled as Murphy grasped his hand. Latching on, Crane pulled Murphy to him, rubbing the young doctors face with his blood. Murphy jerked away, flailing across the room. He desperately rubbed his face, unsure of what happened. Crane rose from the table as Murphy panicked. "My research suggests that after prolonged exposure to my fear toxins, I've not only built up an immunity but can produce the toxin with my own body through my bodily functions. This is all theoretical, of course." Crane's handcuffs were gone as he let his arms hang to his sides. He loomed over Murphy, slowly approaching. "Let's see how true it is, shall we?" A small smirk formed.

By the time the cops have arrived, Murphy was slumped and laid lifeless in the corner. Crane was sitting in the same spot as always with his handcuffs still on and a bored look upon his face.

Within the morgue, chaos was erupting between the guards and cops. "Can someone explain how this happened?" The Warden looked over Murphy's body on the slab. One of the guards responded, "Crane jammed the lock somehow. We got in as quick as we could." Polic flipped through the medical report. "I knew it was too early to send him in with the super-max inmates. I should have insisted." The Warden said while rubbing his temple and looking over to the doctor. "Crane said his body can...secrete...this toxin?" Polic handed the Warden the report. "We ran a toxicology report on Crane and Murphy. Both came back clean." The guard looked concerned. "We checked him before we locked him in. Crane didn't have any substances on him. There was no way Crane could have administered the toxin." The Warden glanced at the coroner's report. "...Massive heart failure...So, what? Did Crane scare him to death all on his own?" The men gave each other dark stares as they examined the body, face contorted into a look of pain and terror.


In isolation, within the darkness Crane had been sitting in the middle of the room with a contemplating gaze around him. He had actually managed to squeeze a fair bit of information from that fool from a moment ago, even coming to hear the fact that Batman had been gone - vanished. Crane wondered how that must have affected the rest of the group the bat had to deal with. Were they afraid or concerned about his disappearance? What about the criminals? Did a chill run up their spine as they committed their next crime and wondered if the Batman was going to show up to stop them? Did they feel fear...? A soft chuckle escaped his lips as Crane realized that he could now continue his work without anybody stopping him. All that was needed now was a simple way to escape....which wouldn't be a problem.

[Minoshiya]

Link to full picture: FLOWING HAIR~ // Without Helmet // With Helmet
Name: Sir Lautrec Dumont
Age: 33
Good traits: Loyal / Devout
Bad trait: Dominating
Homeworld: Notre Dame

That most terrible church of the most glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, deservedly shines out, like the sun among stars. The Cathedral of Notre Dame had been empty for the day had come to an end, the priests and cardinals duties for the day having been complete. The city itself was rather quiet, almost peaceful as the moon shined overhead and the stars had accompanied it, but that very same light revealed a figure entering through the church doors. The knight knew other place he would rather be. Where indeed, he asked, would the people find two towers of such magnificence and perfection, so high, so large, so strong, clothed round about with such a multiple variety of ornaments? Where, he asked, would they find such light-filled amenities as the many surrounding chapels? Furthermore, let them tell him in what church he may see such a large cross, of which one arm separates the choir from the nave. He believed that this church offered the carefully discerning such cause for admiration that its inspection can scarcely sate the soul, such as his own. Sir Lautrec often visited the hollowed halls when there was no one present - except for Quasimodo, which Frollo had introduced - and would often pray. He prayed for the lives he had ruined, those that he lost, and for his forgiveness. Lautrec felt that he had soul his soul to the Devil, having joined a group of satanical demons with magic and sinful souls, in hopes of achieving his goals. He prayed that the ends justified the means that he would go through, but that all lied in His hands. The knight approached the statue of the Virgin Mary, who had been illuminated through the moonlight shining through the chapel windows and fell to his knees.

The man was dyed in his armour, a pure set of white metal with crosses hanging on both sides of his chest plate. A white cape spread across the stone floor and the man placed his sword in front of himself, much like when he took an oath all those years ago. An oath broken. Whispering, he prayed, "He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." A sudden change in the air occurred and Lautrec found himself frowning as he stared at the reflection of the sword in front of him. The air became heavy and thick, but moreso it carried with it the sense of murderous intent, and the knight knew that he was in the presence of the same demons that hounded him. Beyond his reflection, he saw two large yellow orbs rising overhead to that of the Cathedral roof, and then he watched as the statue of Mary was shrouded in a veil of darkness. "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff - they comfort me." Rising, Lautrec turned and saw only the large behemoth from hell before him. Its face shrouded in black tendrils, its chest displaying the emptiness of a heart, and its every intent to attack him as it struck the first blow.

The dark skinned monster lumbered up, five times Lautrec's height and more than ten times his weight. The creature came swinging its arm so large that an ordinary man might be felled by the wind of a near miss. The Heartless rushed forward, eager to slay or die in the attempt. Raising its arm high above its head in a double-handed grip, the Darkside slammed its fists straight down at the top of Lautrec's head, as though trying to drive the knight into the ground like a fence post. Lautrec intercepted the blow with his sword held horizontally overhead. The impact drove Lautrec to his knees. Briefly. For the man had sold his soul to the Devil and with it, he tapped into the darkness of his own soul which gave him immense power. As Lautrec felt the darkness within his heart beginning to grow, it began to fester and radiate out from underneath his armor until it stained the once white metal and scarred it black. Lautrec's armour had changed alongside with his heart. An instant later, he powered himself back to his feet and sliced the arm like a farmer cultivated his farm with his scythe. The bottom fingers Darkside possessed had been cut off and melted away in dark mist. The Heartless let out a roar of disbelief. Lautrec ran forward towards the wall, found purchase, and hurled himself at the monster. He drove hard, ducked beneath the Darkside's clumsy attempt to grapple, landed in the hollow heart shaped opening then stabbed upward with his blade, carving into its head.

The creature groaned into what he assumed was a scream. Horribly. While Lautrec only continued to pray.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil." Lautrec twisted his blade and sliced back within the wound. When he finally pulled them free, it drew out a black mist with it as he landed back onto the ground. The sword had been stained black. Not from the Heartless, but from Lautrec's very own rage corrupting whatever he held in his hands. Ducking another wild grab, Lautrec dived forward to roll between the monster's legs. Behind the Darkside, he spun and stared up at the broad, large back. He jumped, grabbing hold of the Heartless's tendril-like hair that hung around its upper back and dug his armored feet into the creature's flesh for traction. The Heartless screeched and thrashed about, trying to dislodge Lautrec from its vulnerable back. The Knight of Notre Dame kept climbing, even when the Heartless began spinning about. Reaching the monster's neck, Lautrec grabbed hold of more of its hair and reached about to repeatedly smash the hilt of his blade into the Darkside's face.

When he hit the two golden orbs, the Heartless went berserk.

Lautrec succeeded in placing his foot along one of the strands of hair which remained bound to the creature's face for support and freed his hand from its hair, having opted then to dig his sharp armored fingers into the bulging, damaged eye he bruised earlier. He seemingly plucked it out or extinguished it, he didn't know since he didn't care to look. The Darkside had been frantic before. Now it threw its arms high in the air, tipped its head to the cathedral ceiling, and roared in rage at God. This was Lautrec's only chance to make a clean kill. As the heartless tilted back, Lautrec struck. Feet on the creature's shoulders, he lifted the black sword high over his head and drove the black metal tip directly downward into the gaping eye socket. "My cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Little by little, the heartless powerful struggles weakened until it dropped its knees, darkness spurting from its sundered eye cavity. The Darkside fell facedown on the ground. Only when he was sure the monster was dead did Lautrec jump away from the broad back and watch it fade away in a black mist. Exhaustion took over his body then, his blade fell onto the floor and he fell to his knees. Tilting his armored head up, he only saw the Virgin Mary once more illuminated with her hands held out, accepting all of those who sought salvation. From the darkness beyond her, Lautrec remained unable to move from his weakness and knew that he was unable to approach that light. Still, he prayed. "My cup overflows.... Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." He whispered, his voice ragged as he gritted his teeth.

[Minoshiya]

♂xxxxxxRenaisxxxxxx♅

☽xxxxRoguexxxx☾

Location |Lothering
Equipment | Orlais Rogue Set
Items | N/A
Weapon Out | None
Gold | None

♫♪ωнαт dσєsи'т кιℓℓ yσu мαкєs yσu sтяσиgєя

sтαиd α ℓιттℓє тαℓℓєя

dσєsи'т мєαи ι'м ℓσиℓєy ωнєи ι'м αℓσиє

ωнαт dσєsи'т кιℓℓ yσu мαкєs α ƒιgнтєя

ƒσσтsтєρs єvєи ℓιgнтєя

dσєsи'т мєαи ι'м σvєя 'cαusє yσu'яє gσиє♪♫

Orlais is a nation as cruel as those who call it home.
Their brutal struggles scar the land even as it carves them in its image, a vicious circle spiraling out of control.

At the brink of the Frostback mountain cliffs overlooking the Dales he stands: a statue of travertine, pale as the clouds above. He can see no colors of life, not the scarlet sashes of his own clothes, not the putrefying shreds of his wrist where the gauntlet ripped into his flesh. His eyes are as black as the storm-churned depths below, set in a face whiter than the snow that clasped among the jagged rocks. Ashes, only ashes, despair, and the lash of the mountain wind: These are his wages for ten years' service to his father. Ashes and rot and decay, a cold and lonely death. His only dream now is oblivion. He has been called the Trader of Renais. He has been called the Slavedriver of Orlais and the Seller of Lives. He has been called a rogue. A murderer. A monster. He is all of these things. And none of them. His name is Renais, and he knows who the real monsters are. His arms hang, their vast cords of knotted muscle limp and useless now. His hands bear the hardened callus not only of sword and javelin but of Hurlock blades, the axes of genlocks, and even his precious gauntlet. These hands have taken more lives than Renais had taken breaths, but they have no weapons now to hold. All they can feel is the slow trickle of blood that drips from his torn wrists. His wrists and forearms are the true symbol of his service to his father. The ragged strips of flesh flutter in the cruel wind, blackening with rot; even the bone itself bears the scars of the chains that once were fused there: the chains he once had as a child. Those chains are gone now, ripped from him by the very father who inflicted them upon him; those chains were the bonds shackling him to the service of the man. But that service is done. The chains are gone and the life with them. Now he has nothing. Is nothing. Whatever has not abandoned him, he has thrown away.

No friends - he is hated and loathed throughout the city, and no living creature looks upon him with love or even a hint of affection. No enemies - he has none left to kill. No family or love - And that, even now, is a place in his heart where he dare not look. And, finally, the last refuge of the lost and alone, the Maker... The Maker has made a mockery of his life. They took him, molded him, transformed him into a man he can no longer bear to be. Now, at the end, he can no longer even rage. Andraste herself would have turned her gaze away from him if she saw him now. "The world has abandoned me..." He steps to the final inches of the cliff, his sandals scraping gravel over the crumbling brink. A thousand feet below, dirty rags of cloud twist and braid a net of mist between him and the jagged rocks where the mountains start. A net? He shakes his head. Rather, a shroud. He has done more than any mortal could. He has accomplished feats his father could not match. But nothing has erased his pain. The past he cannot flee brings his agony and madness that are his only companions. "There is no hope....." Not in this world. But in the next, within the bounds of the mighty fade. A place, it is said, that erases the memory of the existence a shade has left behind, leaving the spirit to wander forever, without name, without home....Without Past. This dream drives him forward in one final, fatal step, which tipples him into the clouds that shred around him as he falls. The snow-chewed rocks below materialize, gaining solidity along with size, racing upward to crush his life.

And then came the impact, the next was just darkness.

---Two Weeks Later---

The Reverend Mother paced back and forth in thought, attempting to make a proper line of thought in order to calm the villagers of Lothering of the impending Darkspawn threat. The rumor that the King had died at Ostagar had spread quickly and refugees from the battle had come swarming into the small area. Though Lothering is a tiny farming town, there was nothing else to do but take in the mass of survivors from the battle, despite the fact the village had no ways of helping them. The aged woman stopped after she saw the guards at her doorstep looking at her, probably feeling equally as nervous if not more, and so she simply sat down at her desk in an attempt to calm them. If panic began to show within the Chantry, then all was lost, she told herself. Pulling out a parchment from her desk and a quill, she decided it'd be best to get some work done, as it would help her at least distract herself for the moment. Putting ink into paper, she began to write of her report that she would send to the Chantry in Denerim on her capture of a set of prisoners- "Reverend Mother." The quill had stopped writing on the paper as Ser Bryant had entered the room. A devoted and hardworking Templar, the Reverend had expected good news to come from him. "Pardon my intrusion. But I bring word of the validity of the claim that the King is dead from some refugees that have arrived from the battle." Turning her head to look at the man in an attempt to read out what sort of news he would give, she held her breath. Bryant always was a kind man, but he was often stoic when it came to business. "It is...true. The King is dead. What's more is that Teyrn Loghain seems to have taken control as regent. Civil war is looming over the country." If she had any color left in her hair, this was when she would have lost it all to the grey strands. She exhaled deeply, placing a hand on her forehead to hold her head up as she found her strength disappearing. "May the Maker watch over us. First the Darkspawn, and now this?" She murmured, feeling her heart sink with the news. "And here I had hoped to receive assistance with the refugees...What do you think we should do, Ser Bryant?" She had asked only of an opinion and in privacy, she was free to let out her concerns with the Templar. His armored hands had gone behind his back in thought, but it only took him a few seconds to give her a proper answer. "If more refugees come and the battle in Ostagar was truly lost, then the Darkspawn would follow those that escaped here. I would...advise in abandoning the village as we have no means to fortify ourselves." A reasonable, yet sad, thought that had once crossed her mind as well. But with so many people in the village all would have to band together in order to accomplish such a feat, but if some were too stubborn..."I'd..discuss it with Elder Miriam if you could. The village would take her word more than a group of armored men..." The man nodded to the suggestion, but then seemed to have been interested in something completely else. "And what of the prisoners?" She had nearly forgotten...

Waking up was more sudden than the male expected. His eyes instantly shot open and with it his breathing kicked into sudden heaves almost as if his lungs forgot how to function for a second. His whole body ached and sunlight stung his eyes so much that he had to raise his hand to cast a shadow over his head. "Ugh..." Once his eyes actually focused, he began to notice that bars were all around him, along with a small cell roof. Trying to sit up hurt a lot more than he expected as well, which made him hiss and take notice of his palm. The tried dark red stain that remained there made him groan, "That's blood...Oh that's a lot of blood..." And as he opened up his vest a bit, he saw the same stain across his stomach. Of course, he was healed up somehow, but still the realization that he survived that drop from the mountains did not comfort him at all. "That's my blood...That's my blood...haha..ohh, that's a lot of my blood." Laughing hurt, but the pain made him feel alive to the point he used the adrenaline to grab hold of the cell bars with his gauntlet and pulled himself back on his feet. All he saw beyond him seemed to have been farmland but the fact that there were so many soldiers and people behind him in the village made him think something was wrong. "Oh, look. The Orlesian is awake!" A loud and obnoxious voice echoed as he looked over and saw one barely armored thug, but he assumed they must have belonged to some clan or otherwise they wouldn't be near the village. "Where...am I?" He requested to know, which only resulted in the thug kicking his cell in a sorry attempt to scare him. It didn't work. "You're in Ferelden, scum! And you're going to be bait for when the Darkspawn come here. Just like your cell mate there!" Cellmate? Turning his head to the side of the cell, he did see another similar looking prison, but all that was left there was a dead body of a male. "I think your bait is dead." Renais commented, to which he received another annoying kick. "We can't be bothered to feed and give water to both a Qunari and Orlesian. So consider yourself lucky that you didn't kill a family in their own home or we would have preferred the other one." Oh, great. He was the favorite. Renais didn't know whether to cheer or feel guilty that the Qunari died because these thugs didn't know his past. What's more was that he was in Ferelden and they just recently branched off of Orlais, which made him in the best place to be right now. "How do I get myself into these messes? Renais thought, but then decided it'd be best to get out somehow. Any way he could.

ωнαт dσєsи'т кιℓℓ yσu мαкєs yσu sтяσиgєя, sтяσиgєя.

[Minoshiya]

G a b r i e l ;;
...
•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•
...
T h exxC h i ℓ ℓ yxxS e r p e n t

letxxthexxcoldxxvenomxxflowxxthroughxxyou,xxchillxxyou,xxthenxxkillxxyou.

My Eyes Have Seen The Glory

After the incident, looking at the boy is like looking at an open wound. He draws the eye, fascinates and repulses her all at once.

She tries to see him like he used to. She tries to unsee the lines pain has drawn on his face, the shadows under his eyes that make them huge and accusing and old, like the holes in the skull that they are.

She does not succeed.

To look at him is to remember that dry hand in his, soft and cracked like autumn leaves, and cold, cold in a way that had nothing to do with the snow and the windchill around them. To remember the crimson highlights the blood painted in the silver of his hair.

To remember his voice, dead and cold as stone, telling him how she failed.

The mountain winter had the cruelty of chilling one to the bone as well as offer the purity of the virgin snow around. That boy was once like that, she realized, but as she held the weapon that was meant to eliminate his kind in the palm of her cold hand, all she was guilty. His small form was so fragile, she thought, as he knelt in the snow that seemed to hit them both without mercy. The clothes of the assassins that attempted to take his life having been swept up in the frozen breeze and disappearing further into the forest, taking all it could. And yet he did not seemed phased.

My eyes have seen the Glory

When he turns to her, she’s worried he can smell that failure on her clothes.

Hunter, he says, in a voice that is not his beast-like self nor that bright, hopeful boy in the castle but something else, the sword within the stone, the seed of blood, the child of a Vampire.

Hunter, do you think you can stop me?

She can’t. She can’t stop anything. He is, she realizes, too late, a tide, a storm, and she is swept along with him to the end.

The hunter knelt down and embraced the boy in that snow. Embracing him for his lost innocence, for the future he'd face, and the fear she had for him.

----

Hannah had to admit that she must have been the most unluckiest girl in all of the Academy. Marching down the hallway, the blond girl had a permanent frown locked on her face, the girl raised her right hand and looked down. A small bandage had been wrapped around her ring finger where she, almost in an impressive manner, had managed to get a papercut in the morning. Was this God's way of telling the girl she was studying too much? She needed good test scores! And so what if it was out of the ordinary to pick up your notebook and read a few pages while brushing your teeth, it wasn't like it was going to be read on its own. "Maybe I'm a hemophiliac..." It was such a small little wound, but the girl hated the sight of blood and the cut stung on her fingertip even now. Closing his eyes as she went down the staircase, she tried to push the thoughts away into the back of her mind. Why was she so klutzy...? She even missed the invitation of the other girls of sneaking out to peek out at the Night Class because she wanted to study. In a way, it frustrated her how she was missing the best days of her youth with her face in a book rather than in the arms of a cute guy. Well, good luck in that happening, with those blasted Guardians overlooking the Night class like a group of hawks. They were just monopolizing all the good guys to themselves! Sighing, she turned the corner into the outside and then heard a small chirp which made her glance to the side.

The girl's legs had stopped in mid flow, abruptly and without warning as she locked them into place. At first, she thought that she was half asleep, because the sight before her seemed almost ethereal. A small ocean of white wings, belonging to a group of doves, had been feeding inside the Academy which was a rare sight of itself, but that wasn't what her eyes were fixated upon. As the doves had been cooing while they moved amidst the sun, there had been a male just outside of the beams of the sunlight, sitting in the shade on a bench looking down upon them. His slender legs were outstretched and the tips of his shoes were just outside the border of the sunlight, which was blocked out from the floor above, but in that sunlight it seemed that the doves were feeding. It was...almost like a painting, Hannah thought, or a dream. His clothing wasn't anything like that of the Day Class or Night Class, but that of a Prince from a fairy tale. Everything about him having appeared perfect and almost appearing natural, down from the wrinkles of his clothes as he was sitting, to the way his short white hair would flutter in the wind that almost seemed to coddle him. Hannah had to confess that she hadn't felt this way since the time she first saw one of the Night Class, but this was on a whole different level. Everything about the male screamed out to her to keep watching, to keep admiring, and daring her to step closer. But the girl was afraid that if she did come close that the vision before her would fade away, like a mirage, for who could say that this was real? There was no way it could be. The aura he was radiating felt so warm and inviting that she felt it running up her body in a creeping manner that made her cheeks flush. She knew she was gawking, but she couldn't pull her eyes away. So why...?

And then, she managed to confirm that he wasn't just a vision from her over studied mind. He inhaled, from what she could tell, a long breath and then exhaled, even speaking. "This...place smells nice..." And suddenly that warmth that was filling her was sent with a refreshing chill that made goosebumps run up her body. Her heart pounded into her chest like it was ready to pop out at any given moment. His voice felt so...refreshing and soft, yet she knew that he could have been stronger if he desired and that alone made her embarrassed that he was speaking to her in such a personal way. Wait, was he speaking to her? She blinked once, cupping her mouth with her hands to not let out a small squeak, but it was too late as she looked back at him.

He was staring directly at her.

A pair of honey colored eyes were staring solely towards her - only towards her. Her mind went blank and her worries disappeared. Everything disappeared, except for this moment. She found herself lost in the eyes of the male, who seemed far too good to be true, but desperately wanted him to be real. "You...smell nice." She felt the heat in her cheeks, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for the fact that she wanted him to keep talking to her in that tone, to keep looking at her with those eyes, and for him to make her feel more.

He held out his gloved hand to her from where he sat and without realizing it, her legs remembered that they could walk. She was drawn towards him, towards the ideal and image that he represented to her, of someone who was beyond this world. This male was unbelievable and yet so perfect. And the way he was treating her, the way he spoke.... How was she not to come closer. As she put her hand atop of his, the silk glove that he wore felt almost ticklish as she found herself holding her other hand to her mouth still. This was like something out of a children's book where the Princess would now put the glass slipper on the Princess, Hannah thought. But as she made contact with his eyes, she melted once more and all nervousness faded away in that golden sea that were his eyes. And then he began to slowly unravel her bandage on her finger, which made her feel like he was undressing her, but there was nothing she wouldn't give him at this point. The light of an angel's glance is warm, but his fixed stare blinds and burned her with a heat that was almost foreign to her that she had to look away. Her eyes retreated to the birds, the doves that were all looking at her, and the one black spot amidst them. Blinking again, she realized that there was a black bird amidst the doves: a crow.

Too easy...were all humans this easy..? Gabriel's eyes contracted to slit as he unraveled the bandage of the girl and came to see the origin of that delicious smell. A small cut on her finger, barely visible since her fingertip was so small and delicate, but his predatory gaze could see it. He had arrived late. Considerably late, since it seemed that the night classes were over and dawn had come, but that didn't matter to him. The Vampire had planned to visit the headmaster, but the sunlight had weakened and annoyed him a bit, which was why he assumed to try resting in the shade for a bit. But this was a treat of its own that had wandered into his little alluring trap. His first involvement with a human in years and now he was going to take everything. "Just a taste..." He tenderly put the student's finger slowly into his mouth. His tongue, touching the bottom of his mouth as to not scare her with the feeling as of yet, aching for a taste of the lifeblood that she had. His eyes were half open but he could hear the girl's muffled squeak as her knuckle brushed up against the top of his teeth and her fingertip touched the back of his tongue. "A-ah..." The girl was indulging herself in the feeling, but the true joy came for the youth who was deprived. To taste the red blood cells that called out to him in every forbidden manner. Her heart called out to him like a siren, daring him to take it from her body, and he was almost ready to do so. His eyes were glowing as he licked the length of her finger, but then that must have been too much. What appeared to have been steam suddenly shot out from the girl's ears as her eyes began to roll in a daze, and suddenly her legs gave out.

Suddenly the intimate space was stopped as he had to catch her from falling on the ground. The doves and crows suddenly having flown away all at once in a chorus of flapping wings as they went for the sky. "....Now who's going to help me find the Headmaster..." The noble youth murmured as he had rested the unconscious Hannah to the bench and scratched his cheek.

•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸¸.•

T oxxa l lxxt h exxf r o s t yxxs h a r d sxxo fxxt h exxs o u lxxy o uxxw o u l dxxs e l l ,
Ixxw e l c o m exxy o uxxw a r m l yxxt oxxa nxxi c exxc o l dxxh e l l .

[Minoshiya]

▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌　 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌　 ▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌▌
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

xxx ☇ 「 THIS HOLE YOU PUT ME IN × ◞ WASN'T DEEP ENOUGH 」
xx ██ x AND I'M CLIMBING OUT RIGHT NOW xxxxxxxx ▇▇ ▸ x Soren )

xxxxxx for what you did to me, and what I'll do to you. you get what everyone else gets, you get a lifetime

████████████████████████████████████████████████████████




♡ 『 mood； Terrible x where； Palacex body； What is walking?』


~~~Sometime, Somewhere~~~


Soren worried about his new ally all day, causing his work to suffer. What little fruit he could collect was tossed carelessly into the bag hanging off his arm, and he only found a couple of stones before losing interest in the project. finally, as dusk approached, he decided to call it a day. Cursing himself for the lack of focus, Soren carried the nearly-empty bag back down the path.
As he crested the final hill, he suddenly froze in place. The bag fell from his fingers and collapsed on its side, sending a few pieces of wrinkled brown fruit rolling back down the hill. His gaze was transfixed by a thick black cloud that hovered just ahead. Tracing its path with a finger, Soren suddenly felt his stomach knot in on itself.
No! Oh, gods, no!

The camp they set up was ablaze; the flames licking up as if trying to touch the sky itself.
"Lynnete? ANYBODY!"
Soren ran then, faster than he had ever moved in his life. Once he tripped on a stone and went sprawling into the rocky ground, but he leapt to his feet and continued running, unmindful of the blood that spilled from his wounded hands and knees. As he got closer and closer, Soren's mind began to race in time with his footfalls.
It's too dark. It's too dark. Not just fire. Can't be fire. Too much smoke. Gotta save her. Gotta save her.

He burst into the scene and came to a sudden halt, his worst suspicions confirmed. The smoke from the fire was mingling with the thick inky blackness of a Primal. The creature supported itself on an armored horse, and held in each hand two blades, one longer than the other. Plates, horns, and claws sprouted from its body in a random, chaotic pattern, giving it the appearance of a knight designed by some insane god.
Seeing Soren, the horse let out a roar and stomped its hooves, sending small whirlwinds spinning around the area. For a moment the creature retreated into a shimmering inky blackness, as if his mind was unable to comprehend that such a thing could actually exist. But then the smell hit him-a blend of rotted meat and excrement-and the horror became real once more.
The creature bellowed again, and this time Soren responded with a scream of his own. All right, you b*****d, he thought as his scream echoed off the high cliffs around them. It's you or me. Let's go.
The Primal eyed Soren with bemused interest. Then it began looking from him to the camp and back again, as if urging him to look at the destruction it had so gleefully wrought. With dread building in his heart, Soren glanced toward the camp. Through the smoke and flames, he spotted a small figure struggling to escape.
"Lynette!" The Elezen girl had made it!

At the sound of his voice, the small girl began waving frantically. She's alive! thought Soren. She's alive!
Soren's legs sprang to life as he raced across the camp toward the flaming wreckage of the camp. Before he could advance more than a few steps, the horse opened its mouth and let out a roar powerful enough to uproot trees and send them flying. The blast sent Soren tumbling through the air before smashing him against the rocky earth. Stars danced in front of his eyes as he tried to remember how his legs worked.

Get up. Get up! Get up get up get up get up NOW!

As Soren struggled to his feet, the Primal stomped toward the house and pinned Lynette to the ground with the one hoof of the horse. The small elf struggled to move the hoof from her stomach, but she might well have been pushing a mountain. She coughed briefly, sending a small spray of blood into the air, then collapsed to the ground, her energy spent.

Soren lurched to his feet only to fall back to earth with a gasp. His ankles where on fire; one or both of them were surely broken. Ignoring the pain that screamed through his body, he began dragging himself across the ground, leaving a drunken trail of dust and blood in his wake.
L-Lynette... Hold on... Just a...little longer...
Lynette's face was turning blue, her eyes rolling back until only the whites were exposed. Soren pulled himself across the ground with maddening slowness, the distance seeming to increase with every second that passed. The Primal glanced between the two people and flicked out its tongue, its giant mouth turning up at the corners. Short, panted breaths belched from somewhere deep inside its core.
b*****d horse... Laughing at us...
He had no idea how such a mindless creature could experience emotion, but there could be no doubt that the Shade was taking joy in their suffering.
Yeah... I see your plan...
The Horse moved its hoof slightly, allowing Lynette to breathe again. It was clearly keeping her alive only to snuff out her life when Soren was close enough to touch her.
I'm gonna kill this b*****d...

Summoning all his strength, Soren rose to his feet. There was a sickening snap from his right ankle as the foot twisted backward, but he forced it from her mind and began to hobble toward the monster. Pulling a small knife from her pouch at his waist, he leapt on the foot that pinned the Elezen and plunged the weapon deep.
"Give her back!" she screamed. "Give her back to me!"
It was like stabbing a rock. After a few swipes, the knife broke at the hilt with a dull snap. The Horse panted laughter again, then buckled itself back to send Soren flying before the knight himself swung one of his blades.

Soren never had a chance; the blade struck him square in the chest and sent him crashing into the burning wreckage of the camp. As he lay on the ground with blood pouring from multiple wounds, a small, weak voice spoke up.

"S-Soren...?"
Soren's vision blurred, but he forced himself to focus on the sound. Finally, his eyes cleared enough for her to make out Lynette's hands reaching out to him through the smoke.
"L-Lyn...?"
"Soren... You've gotta...run... You can't...defeat him..."
Soren grabbed the hands and held on with all his strength.
"Lyn... Come on... We have to go..."
The small elzen coughed loudly. One of her hands, slick with blood, slipped from Soren's grasp and thumped to the ground below.
"Lynette, no... No!"
"I said run, goddammit. You have to...have to live... You have to get through-"

The thought would stay forever unfinished. before she could say another word, the Primal's four hooves descended as it jumped up into the air, smashing through the the smoke and down upon the shattered figure of the small girl. Blood oozed thickly from gaps in the creature's feet as the terrible, putrid smell assaulted Soren's nose once again. He stared at the feet, dumbfounded, convinced that what he was seeing could not possibly be real. When the creature finally lifted its appendages, all that remained underneath was a twisted, unrecognizable mass of rubble and red. ...The elf was gone.
Soren blinked, trying to feel the hands which had been in his just a moment before. For a fleeting instant, he could remember the warmth of that embrace, the trembling of the fingers, but then the sensation drifted away on the breeze and was gone. Memories flashed through Soren's mind, one after the other, faster and faster, until they became a meaningless jangle of noise.

Soren screamed then, a thunderous sound that echoed off the trees and seemed to roll away forever. The Primal eased forward, black ichor pouring from its mouth and dissolving into smoke on the ground below. The earth shook with every step as it crept toward its prey. Soren's body slowly rose as if controlled by a mad puppetmaster. His arms and legs were bent at impossible angles; his head lolled dangerously to the side. Yet somehow, he managed to stand. Staring at the Primal, his eyes glazed over with just a deep hatred. The creature, so confident just moments before, took a slow, hesitant step backward, trying to discern if this broken human could possibly pose a threat. Soren seized the moment. Laughing like a madman, he leapt into the air and plunged the shattered hilt of his knife deep into the leg of the horse.

The Primal shook Soren off like a fly, sending him crashing to the earth once again. His chest rose and fell slowly, as if a great weight were resting on it. Moist sounds of pain echoed through his mind. Something warm and thick oozed from his ears.
Is that blood?
...I think it is. Think I'm bleeding to death.
...No. Can't...can't die. Lynette told me to live...
Deep inside Soren's mind, something finally broke. The sound, the pain, the smoke, and flames...all of it faded away until all that remained was a single incantation repeated over and over again.

Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it now!

As the spark that was Soren slowly began to flicker and die, he felt his desire to kill and his desire to live blend into one. The distance between heartbeats grew longer.





And longer.



















And longer.

"We're here, Dad!" The voice of a young boy said out in a innocently, chipper tone.

As for the cloaked individual that strangely decided that the back of a cart filled with hay was the best place to have a nap had been stirred awake by the sound of the boy, there was little to be said in regards to how pathetic he looked. He groaned at first, raising his arm to his face which was hidden underneath the hood he wore, murmuring to himself. Most assumed that he was just a drunken traveler, unable to make it to Ul'Dah on his own, and that the sound was just the hangover making its appearance. Partly true, he did suffer a hangover, but he wasn't just a traveler who was part of this small caravan for the fun of it. Actually, as he rose up to sit and ran his hand along the straw to feel out his giant sword, the truth that he was a mercenary was actually quite obvious now even if he did not look the part. Normally, the male would never bother with such little jobs like protecting trade routes, but since he received a letter from a Miqo'te at the last city he was in, there was little much of a choice for the mercenary. "About time...I was starting to run out of drinks." He said and laid back down only to see the gates they were passing through above him. The sound of a busy market having been a welcoming sound for him, but as he felt the carriage stop and the small furry creature suddenly leaning over him from the driver's seat. "As grateful as we are to have a protector on this trip, your drinking cost us. As such, there will be no payment." Well, wasn't that just peachy?

Unable to even argue with the Miqo'te, he merely groaned and slid down and onto his feet. Which, by the way, only managed to hold him up for a few seconds before he fell onto the market ground. "Yeah, yeah...Consider it charity work. I'm building up Karma here with the Gods." He said, mumbling back as he was still trying to figure out how his legs worked. Goddamn, why was standing so difficult? "Soren, why anybody would want you is beyond me." The small creature said as it wandered over to his side and pushed the hood back to reveal the male's face. Soren's long white hair had been darkened slightly from the battles along the way between rogues and monsters, so the Miqo'te didn't feel as mad for having him around, but this state was unacceptable. Forcing him to drink an ether and hearing him complain about the taste, the caravan boss sighed as he watched the mercenary come back to life somewhat.

Navigating the city was easy for him, at least it was now that he was sober, but it came with its own difficulties once he managed to reach the Headquarters of the Immortal Flames. It seemed that they didn't expect one of the arrivals to look in such a bad state like he did. The tattered cloak he wore and dirty hair just made him look less than credible, which was why they were suspicious, but once Soren decided to take off his cloak they changed their tune. The set of armor he wore was rather expensive, even for Warriors, and that alone made them accept him. Of course, after he walked into the base and overheard the guards whispering behind his back, he could hear them talking about the mark on his back and figured it would be a topic between them and their superior.

Not surprising, who in their right mind would hire a killer?

When Soren did enter the room, he didn't care who was in it. He saw the outlines of a few people standing around, some even wearing armor, but his destination was clear: the chair. He may have been sober but that didn't mean his body was agreeing to all this walking around. To be honest, Soren was doing his best to make sure his legs were obeying him with all his effort. Of course, once he did fall onto the chair with a thud, he grabbed the cup of water that was there and took a long drink. "It's way too hot..." He announced, expressing his annoyance for wearing metal armor combined with the desert heat. He really should have bought new gear before coming here, he realized.

[Minoshiya]

███████ ♔▐▐ Y O U an M A K E an M E
ange angelsat &;; YOU 『ＢＲＥＡＫ』 ME

xx( ⓵ ) YOUBUILDMEUP ✦ TOTEARMEDOWN
ang████████████ LETTING GO OF▪ ALL THAT IS ME ████████ allistairangels████████ WHY AM I YOURS ▪ BUT YOU`RE NOT MINE? ████████████

angelsat★w h y｡『AM I?』

YOU MAKE ME JUST｡ LET｡ ME｡ GO

looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me
looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me
looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me
looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me
looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me
looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me looking inside digging in deep holding on tight to all that is me

♔ ` He hated the smell of cigarettes. The connotations to the smell of smoke always reminded him of the rich upper class who felt the need to spend their money by buying cigars and wasting their lives away. How amusing that individuals with so much money felt the necessity to spend it, while those who had little cherished every penny and dared not waste it. There was never a balance between the two, Gabriel realized, but complaining about it would have made him a hypocrite and so he just kept it to himself. The real problem was that the man that was sitting beside him in the car. The student had been staring outside through the tinted glass window, at the passing streets and individuals that were going past as the car drove, with his elbow on the car door and his chin rested in his palm. Dressed in a black school uniform and with his shoulderbag placed between him and the man, Gabriel Dumont was ready for a normal day of just his university classes when instead he was now in a jet-black car, being driven to God knows where. It was a wonder as to how he got into the situation he's in now, but recalling that memory made him want to laugh at how bad his luck was. How did it go, again? Ah, right, like this:

"There's a blood drive going around the university, Gabriel-kun~" Luke, one of his classmates had said while turned around on his chair to face Gabriel whom was writing down his class notes during the break. “Oh? Is that what's going on. I was wondering why the front of the campus is so busy.” Luke knew that Gabriel hadn't donated at all. The honor student was so infatuated with his schoolwork that he wouldn't go unless someone told him he'd get something out of it. Or if someone took him there himself. "Hmmm... what blood type are you, by the way?" Luke asked with a thoughtful hum escaping his lips while his friend responded in an automated answer. "Type O and-" Before Gabriel even had a chance, Luke grabbed his wrist and pulled, which caused his pen to go across his entire page in one long black streak. "The universal donor! Alright, let's go save lives, buddy!" There was no way Gabriel could fight back. Even if his notes were ruined...

A month later, the MBI showed up. Being called to the Principal's office to meet a few men in suits was strange for anyone. But once they explained that they found him after someone took his donated blood and died, Gabriel was easy to track down. Someone...'died' because of his blood. It made no sense. The doctors told him that he was Type O and the MBI confirmed that he was in their clinics as well. Medically speaking, nothing should have gone wrong, but something did and the doctors couldn't explain what it was. The MBI knew, though, what the problem was and they found him only because they wished to confirm it.

That was the first time that Gabriel ever heard the term Ashikabi..

The male did his best to resist the temptation, but shifting his face a little, Gabriel tried to glance at the other man in the car with him. Logan Wake, was what he introduced himself as and it was a peculiar name given that it was Tokyo. Perhaps the Caucasian man was brought here for a job, since he seemed to have been the Head of Security for the MBI. Well, considering his black suit and cold appearance, he did seem to fit the part, but Gabriel still felt bothered to be around the individual. Something about the way he spoke and looked at you would give you the impression that he wasn't even really looking at you, but past you. Like his eyes knew every crime and act you've ever done in your life. As far as Gabriel was concerned, the less eye contact they made the better. Logan was the man who showed up in the his university and took him from the middle of his classes. And now he was smoking in the car with only his passenger window having been slightly open to take out the smoke. "I must say that I'm quite impressed with your decision. It is quite difficult to find such an understanding individual as yourself.. You made a wise choice by joining us." There was something about seeing the man speak that Gabriel could not help but find empty. The way he spoke while exhaling, which caused the white cloud of smoke to slip out with his words made it all appear almost toxic and empty. He even used the word that meant the boy came along willingly with him, when there wasn't much of a choice. Gabriel needed to join, he told himself, and whatever came from that decision did not matter. Turning his head back towards the window, Gabriel said, "Just remember your end of the bargain." and inhaled the cancer that was flowing in the air into himself. It was something he was going to have to get used to.

Just as the streets were all blending into one, he began to notice the office buildings around and knew they were in the northern sector of the city where all the businesses were. This included the MBI headquarters in Tokyo which they stopped in front of. As the driver stepped out and opened the door for Logan, Gabriel opened up his own side without help since he knew he'd get none. Grabbing his school bag with him and exposed to the sunlight once more, the large towering building that stood in front of him looked rather intimidating compared to the smaller ones surrounding it. It was like a behemoth amongst the surrounding structures that could only hope to reach it. There was little time to gaze at it as Logan began his rise up the stairs already and Gabriel followed behind him as they entered through the main entrance. People in suits were everywhere and the place seemed beautifully designed, like something out of the future, but given how powerful the company was this was no surprise. Screens were hanging off the walls promoting the company values and other images of smiling people which Gabriel was too familiar in seeing that he did not bother looking at. Logan did little to bypass security, merely swiping his ID card and not dealing with the white arched gate that the student needed to pass through. Of course, the secretary and guard mentioned that he couldn't bring his cell phone or school bag with him, so Gabriel had to leave it all behind and instead put on some small white bracelet that apparently identified him as a visitor. A mere button press and a screen would show you just where you were and the options to ask for help or any other necessities were shown. There was even a holographic map, which surprised Gabriel. But he had little time to be impressed as Logan moved onwards with the cigarette still in his mouth since nobody was going to stop him. When they came up to the elevator, there had been a group of people waiting for it all in suits and discussing matters of the company's wealth, which he found a bit interesting but they stopped once the unfamiliar face came close. Perhaps there was a speaking clause that prevented them from talking about it. That was what he thought initially, but when Gabriel looked up at the people's faces, their eyes were mostly glancing at Logan who had a empty, albeit cold demeanor. It was Logan that they were concerned about and that made Gabriel wonder just how stiff the punishments were in this corporation if a single man's presence made so many people straighten their postures.

When the elevator did come, Logan was the first to enter it and turned around while Gabriel followed. Strangely, nobody else came inside and that made the male raise his brow as he stared awkwardly at the people outside like they weren't aware the door opened. After a few moments, the elevator closed with just the two of them inside and Logan put his hand on the screen to type a few numbers in before a small slot had opened up. The man put his finger inside and a bright beep was heard before he stepped back and the elevator started to go again, downwards. By the time they got to B10, Gabriel wondered just how many parked cars there were in this building, but the screen that identified the floor had gone black while they still descended. "As it stands now, there are 108 identified Sekirei's that the MBI have allowed access to the city. They have clear understanding of the laws and what we expect of them, as well as their purpose to the Plan they are part of. The Ashikabi's are an unknown factor...it is quite difficult to track down every citizen in Tokyo in order to get a blood sample, and even then that takes time that the MBI cannot invest in. The true issue in this lies with the Ashikabi's..." Gabriel did not know the purpose of Logan's words just yet as he listened. Frankly, he already knew all of this. A month ago the MBI already came to him and Logan was one the one that interviewed him and gave him repeated visits since then. It was this man that asked him to assist the MBI and Gabriel agreed under certain terms. Despite this, knowing what he had to do was still something he was thoughtful of.

The white elevator doors slid open and the sterilized smell that hit Gabriel made him first think that he entered a hospital of some sorts. The white floors and walls made the place just seem unnatural in every sense of the word. Stepping out, it was almost like stepping into a labyrinth of three hallways that seemed almost completely the same, Gabriel already knew that they were someplace that no mere visitor was supposed to be. Was this the real face of the MBI? As Logan took the middle path, Gabriel looked down at his wrist at the device and tried to see if he could get some form of a map, but it showed "NO DATA" on the small holographic screen and it made him frown. Yeah, this place was definitely not something normal. Still, he followed behind and looked around at the few things that stuck out. There were a few people, Scientists he'd call them from the way they dressed in labcoats, and more startling was the fact there there were actual armed men patrolling with full combative gear - like soldiers. "Number 53 is still being uncooperative. He follows the rules if he knows that we're there to control him, but otherwise he shows no intention of following commands." The voice of one of the men within earshot gave reason for Logan to slow his pace, enough to hear what was being said."The Head Office asked us to put him in the Disciplinary Squad, but it's impossible. What if we made Number 2 keep an eye on him?" The other man asked. "You expect her to keep an eye on him at all times? He's more prone to stab her in the back along with the others in the squad given his mental status. We should just terminate him ourselves..." The topic in question was disturbing and Gabriel didn't really understand what they were talking about. People...maybe? Animals? Probably test subjects from the way they called them by their numbers. Logan interrupted with a stern voice as he approached them finally, "Keep him drugged and restrained. I want more tests done. His use is only good for us to get a clearer understanding of what can harm them in case some go rogue." and with that there was something clearly wrong that Gabriel realized he should not have been eavesdropping. Was this what the MBI was like behind closed doors? Gabriel tried not to think about it too much.

The minor altercation between the men and Logan's commands made nothing happen, other than them agreeing with his orders and stopping at that. From there, Logan walked ahead once more and stepped into an office in which the door slid open for him without the need for anyone. Gabriel followed and saw that there was some small attempt at making the area seem kind of personal, involving a bookcase and desk, along with the lighting. Who knew that a bit of dimmed lighting could change a room so much? It added a layer of gold to the white and sterile surroundings and gave it more color than he had expected. The windows to the side showed something of a city in the night sky, but Gabriel imagined that it was just another giant monitor to make the underground room less claustrophobic than it already felt like. Logan took his seat behind the desk and Gabriel took the other in front of it, like the obedient student that he was. "Back to what I was saying..." Gabriel shook his head, not wanting this to drag on longer than it already had. The more he stayed here the more bothered by it he felt. "You're worried some Ashikabi's are not going to want to fight, am I right?" Logan seemed to stare at him with a mix of emotions. Anger that he was being cut off by someone so young, and a small sense of unsaid praise that Gabriel could see that far ahead into his words. "Yes. Despite us telling the Sekirei's what they must do, they are, in the end, just slaves to their Ashikabi's wills. No matter what immense power they hold and instructions we give them, it is up to the unknown factor - the Ashikabi - to decide what will happen. And that is quite a nuisance in our plan..." Logan leaned back into his leather seat with his arms rested on the armrest of his chair, tapping his fingers idly. For Gabriel, it was a rather interesting situation the Sekirei's and MBI were in. The fact that such a large flaw in their plan was visible made it almost silly for a company to make such a mistake. Maybe they were just desperate? Very likely. It seemed Logan did not trust the Sekirei's enough to actually make this plan work, but Gabriel felt it was much more deeper than that as well. Maybe a longing hatred or disdain for them, he'd call it, since the way he spoke about that test subject made it seem that he had no qualms experimenting with them. "I cannot afford to be in Phase One of the plan for years all because of a individual and their Sekirei hides and avoids battles. But the worst possibility of this is not if they refuse to fight, but if they fight for the wrong intention." Logan added. The opposite end of the pendulum was just as bad for the MBI, Gabriel realized, as they were still handing over a group of powerful creatures over to human beings. Most people would avoid it, but who wouldn't want to get back at the world if they were ever given such power? If they were poor, then using a Sekirei to rob a bank or if they hated someone so passionately that they would use them to kill for their sake did not seem so out of the norm. "It was a famous president that said,'Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.' And, now I ask you, Gabriel Dumont, what sort of man are you?" Gabriel's eyes shot directly back to the man's face with the attack of his character. Gabriel saw the malicious smirk on his face that told the boy that the man was proud of the situation they were in. No matter how much he hated the situation he was in, not knowing was a bigger annoyance to him. Ignorance was not bliss to Gabriel in the slightest. "I already told you in person that I have no problem with it... If you want me to kill other Ashikabi's, then I can do it." There was no hesitation in his voice as he repeated the agreement again. The idea of killing another human being did not frighten him as it did in the beginning. Gabriel had already made peace with the fact that his life was turned upside down with the fact that he was a Ashikabi and that eventually fights around him would start. All he could do now was adapt to the situation.

Logan's small smirk grew into a smile as he heard that response. To the man, Ashikabi's were just as alien as the filthy Sekirei that invaded the planet. Humanity was forged long ago, in the age of gods, infected with sins for which they cannot yet atone. The culmination of these crimes and the battles that were to be fought all for the sake of control would put someone in such a state that can truly be compared to that of a God. The Sekirei's were nothing more but weapons, pretending to be humans all for the sake of being accepted by some human, and in exchange the power that they would receive would be too much. Was Logan going to trust anyone in times like these? Not in the slightest. The man did not even trust the individual in front of him, but as long that he held something crucial there was no need of threat. "A good answer for a Ashikabi. As long as you abide by that... You have our support." Logan whispered back, knowing he had the boy just where he wanted him. Raising his arm out to his table, the man pressed a small button and then put his arm back.

Gabriel blinked, unsure of what was going to happen next.

[Minoshiya]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ⊱⊱ █▐ ◇ I'LL TAKE YOU DOWN THE ONLY ROAD I'VE EVER BEEN DOWN --

❝ a n d xx i ' m xxxx a xx m i l l i o n xx d i f f e r e n t xx p e o p l e xx f r o m xx o n e xx d a y xx t o xx t h e xx n e x t ❞ xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀

The large had been running, keeping a keen eye on the stick that was just out of its reach, as it was getting exercise by chasing the boy around. The park had been quite busy that day, full of the morning visitors and more from the festival that was happening nearby, but none of that mattered to the boy. All that mattered to him was that he was going to throw that stick as hard as he can for the Leonberger breed to catch. "Here it goes!" He announced between breaths as he swung his slim, but strong arm and chucked the tree branch that he had found ahead of him. The dog ran ahead as the brunette boy stayed in place in the middle of the grassy area while watching the pet. The reason for him playing with the dog was simple: it was fun, but the way he met it was by accident. The boy himself, dressed in clothes that seemed to belong moreso to a doll rather than what any normal 16-year old would wear, had been quite happy as he was spending his time playing with the dog. The owners of the dog were not too far away, standing by the sidewalk as they watched from afar, while talking about some other matters in the mean time. When the Sekirei had seen that the dog was running back with the stick in his mouth, he smiled widely and waved his arm over his head to draw its attention. "Way to go! You did it, boy!" He got down on his knees, feeling the grass against his bare knees since he was wearing shorts and boots at the time that did little to conceal his slim legs, and let the dog collide with him. The boy fell onto his back, laughing cheerfully, as he ran his gloved fingers through the dog's large mane while patting its neck. The beast was licking the male's cheek with its wet tongue, which tickled to the youth. When a whistle had been heard and the dog had suddenly raised its head and then ran to his masters, he had been left on the grass with his head turning to look as the owners had come closer and put their leash back on the dog. "Ehhhh! He's already going...awwww..." He could tell what they were doing from the way they were preparing to finish their morning walk. The couple offered their apologies, which made the boy pout slightly, but he said that it was okay with a small nod. They had also said that they would be around the park more often and that they walked the dog often as well, so they could play as much as they want if they ever see each other again. It was a promise that made the Sekirei smile and wave them off as they went on their way.

When the group was out of sight from the park, the Sekirei had dropped his arms behind his head and then sighed heavily. He didn't think that the chance of having a dog run up to him like that was so high, but he assumed that the beast must have sensed him being out of place and likely had to investigate, which was why the 'act' needed to be put up. Well, playing with the dog was pretty entertaining for a few good minutes, but it did tire him out somewhat since he was just wasting energy. Turning around and walking back to the person who was ever so patiently waiting back for him, the Sekirei had smirked maliciously. "I trust you enjoyed yourself, Caim?" The MBI Agent said in a serious tone that made his words as empty of any true interest in knowing. The morning was another routine for the boy, Caim, whom had now been tapping the tip of his boot on the pavement idly while keeping both his arms behind his head. "Barrels of fun. Didn't you see? I chased it around and made it fetch for me." Caim said, playing along with the Agent who was his escort for the day, though by now he's had so many that he really didn't care to recognize them anymore. Whoever this MBI Agent was, he didn't care for what the Sekirei had to say and was likely thoroughly trained to deal with his personality. Beyond his sunglasses, Caim could sense that he was being stared at, but the fact that the next question had come up, as they so often do, made Caim want to roll his eyes: "Have you sensed your Ashikabi, yet?" Ugh, were they all going to ask him that after a certain amount of time? They were all broken records. The Sekirei had thrown his arms up and then sighed. Suddenly, he put one hand over his forehead to appear like he was looking someplace far away as he spoke, "Lessee...nope. Not down that way. And-" he turned the other end of the park and turned his head to look along the entirety of the place before finishing: "Nothing there either. Can't see a Ashikabi." Smirking as he looked back at the Agent, Caim rested one hand on his hip and the other out to start explaining things, "Are you kidding? Do you know what's happening just a distance away?" Caim pointed into the city where he knew the festival was and continued, "Do you know just how many Sekirei are in there and you think I have the nose to sniff out a Ashikabi just like that? Wake up. " The fact that the corner of the man's mouth twitched in annoyance made Caim want to laugh. The MBI were all so stuck-up that this was priceless. But the Sekirei knew that he was pushing his luck, considering that he was doing these daily trips to the city while being escorted in hopes of finding a Ashikabi, but instead all he did was make them take him to places he wanted to visit and see under the pretense that he was sensing his chosen one nearby. Considering that he was the MBI's precious little lap dog that they kept on a thorough leash, Caim knew that they must have been pushing the Sekirei plan along since they were letting him out of his room. Room? Scratch that, let's call it more of a cell room. That's much more proper.

"If your Ashikabi isn't here, then why are we wasting our time?"

Caim had to let out a small childish laugh at the Agent's expense now since he was too much. "Maybe you should blame my lack of a Ashikabi on your own presence." The boy muttered with a shrug as the Agent furrowed his brows. Caim hoped that he made it clear enough. "Are you insinuating that you're not getting winged because of me?" Oh, good, Caim thought, he did get it. The Sekirei looked back once more at the Agent and stared at him. "Well, tell me, if you're a cute girl with a desire to ruffle your hand through my perfectly boyish head and make me laugh, are you going to approach me when you see someone as ugly as you around?" Caim raised his hand as he began to point out each fact and brought up a finger for each statement he began to list."First, you're dressed in a black suit. Two, you're wearing sunglasses. Three, you have a military haircut. Four, your presence just screams 'I'm all Business. Don't approach me'. And finally, five, you're suspicious! Everything about you is suspicious! Who's going to approach me with you hovering over me like some overbearing guardian?!" Despite his calm appearance and malicious smile, Caim was angry. He had the worst end of the stick, which was impressive considering there was 108 candidates, but he knew that none of them faced the problem he did.

"This is infuriating! I should be in my mid-twenties by now! I should be oozing pheromones like 102! I should look sweeter than anything 68 can make! I should be hotter than the fires 4 makes! But, no. Forget that, who needs an adult body? Clearly not the guy who hasn't gotten winged! Ugh...sometimes, I wish I was born a girl. At least some guys like girls with flat chests and are likely into the whole 'kid' thing but...."

Caim's body wasn't growing despite his years on the planet having long passed what most would consider the norm. Being stuck in a body like this left him in a disadvantage from the start and it made him avoid the other Sekirei's at all cost. "Are you telling me that if I were to leave you alone, you would get winged?" The agent's words pulled Caim from his inner tantrum, making him stare abck at the man who was pulling down his shades to look at the boy with direct eye contact. The bleakness of his black eyes to meet with Caim's gold ones made the boy surprised, if only at the suggestion. Was the Agent actually going to leave him alone? "It would help my odds." He answered honestly, knowing he could just as easily force some Ashikabi to wing him if that were the case. Though, he hoped it wouldn't come to that. The agent pulled his sunglasses back up and then seemed to consider the idea for, what seemed to Caim, like an incredibly long time before standing up. "Let's see if you are right. I'll be here when your curfew is over to take you back to your room. Remember, don't take off those gloves-" The Sekirei cut him off. "Yes, yes. Don't take off my gloves. Don't make contact with anything that has a sharp edge. Don't harm civilians. Get home on time. Otherwise...." Reaching for his black cravat, Caim rearranged it in annoyance to fix it slightly as it tended to bother him slightly. The Agent smiled, seeing that especially, and got off the bench that he was sitting on only to nod before taking his exit from the park.

Amusing. This was his first time without an escort and now he had no real clue on what to do. He looked beyond the park and towards the direction of the festival, knowing he could likely see the other numbers there. The other Sekirei.... "How long was it...10 years...maybe longer? If anybody were to see me now, they'd die of laughter." He couldn't begin to picture their faces in seeing one of their brothers having not changed at all since he was a kid. But he had doubts that some even remembered him, which was for the best, as he barely recalled much about them. Deciding it was not for his best interest, Caim turned around and went down the other way, distancing himself from the event.

~

Did he have any clue where he was going? The answer was that he didn't. This unnatural state of freedom that he suddenly received left the boy with little to admire as he walked down the city streets. There was no one of any real interest to him that he wanted to see. There was nothing he really wanted to see. The dull emptiness of the city matched the emptiness of the island that they were all born with, and for Caim that was the ultimate fact to him that he didn't belong. As a Sekirei, he wasn't entirely human, and that just made him feel more out of place than his age did. But perhaps that was just the natural state that he was always in? After all, being what he was, all that should matter is the fight that was to come in the future. The Sekirei Plan was absolute, even to him.

A flower shop.

The color had stood out, amidst the greyness of the city around, which drew Caim likely there by accident without him realizing it. He stopped on his own accord, staring at some flowers that were displayed outside to draw in customers to see what possible arrangements they had more within, but the Sekirei who had been just a boy remained outside. He stared....examined...even smelled some of the flowers. Some were sweet, others were not as fragrant, but it made him smile nonetheless. Flowers always had such interesting appearances to him. They stood out, much like his sisters did, with each one having their own specific power and each being their own unique scent. Caim began to wonder just how much they had changed since he last saw them - had 35 and 36 still been as close? Was 106 still as competitive? Is 10 still as obsessed with guns as she was? Had 64 stopped been as sweet? His thoughts lingered on them again. The more he let it linger, the more fragrant and stronger the memories became. And the more his anger boiled to the surface. He reached his gloved hand up and grabbed one of the petals that belonged to the Iris flower before he heard a more disgusting voice.

"The Iris means that you have a message for someone... The Primrose-"

Hearing the voice of the Tuner that made him who he was caused Caim to tug at the petal. And then he grabbed another petal and tugged it. And then another. Another. Outside of Hana's Garden, this boy was deflowering the Iris without a care or pause to what he was doing.

[Minoshiya]

➥ ｌｉｔｔｌｅ.PAWN :↓Ｃ - Ｃ Ｈ Ｅ Ｃ:♔ Ｋ Ｍ Ａ Ｔ Ｅ ◟ the ｋ.ｉｎｇ 「 - - re｡MADE! ◞:ｄｒｅａｍ❛



___████████████████████████████ ██████ ♟♕ ██████ ████████████████████████████

_____________________________________☐ WOﾟRKING ---☐ MEETﾟING ---☐ BﾟUSY ---☐ WONﾟDERING



░░ ███⋮ *↺ T.↷ TO SMI.LE HAPPILY⇣ I'VE FORGOTTEN _—
__________________________________— █┇ sorry i ' m not there ↘｡


████ _⋮ ↺ ___G a b r i e l__ &&__ M u y ō + A l e x a n d r i a
████ _⋮ ↺ ___Mood;; Angry__ &&__ Thoughts;; '...'


______• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
❝ NOTHINGxxCANxxBExxRETURNEDXXONCEXXITxxISxxL O S T .xx▬▬ ♭
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxt -that's not wrong, you did everything you could, but I just stole y o u r - f u t u r e , that's all.



▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃▃



█ █ ♚ - - 「 Check｡Mate ➥
____▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂▂

How could one expect him to react when his female companion informed him that she was going to use those bits of wire to make a robotic cat? Gabriel's eyes went a bit wide, stunned and curious at the same time, as he managed to let slip out a single phrase of, "Wow...really?" like an inquisitive child who had the world opened up to him. If she was being fully honest with him and this wasn't some attempt at breaking the ice, then Gabriel was colored impressed by the idea that one girl was going to take on such a challenge. The most he had ever fixed in terms of technology had been the machinery around the household that would act up, but even that involved picking up a handyman's book and spending some time studying all the parts. Just how was she going to start building a cat? Where would she begin? Would it have some intelligence? Several questions began to appear in his mind and he didn't know which one he was about to shoot towards Muyō first, as the shy girl may have had her own questions she wanted to ask as well after that daring proclamation. But as his eyes glanced ahead and towards Alexandria's back, the female showed no real sign of wanting to say anything, let alone speaking. In the matter of moments that he was getting to know these two girls, Alexandria was the easiest to read and it was only because he recognized the symptoms of an introvert all too well. Had they put her in an uncomfortable position, he wondered, as she was being forced into spending time with two strangers she barely knew? Judging from how she failed to even make eye contact him from earlier, Gabriel felt somewhat responsible for her. The male did so without permission as his mind told him that he had to be careful around the brunette or else risk hurting the fragile soul inside. It was just his character that wouldn't allow him to let her be like he was, defenseless from the surroundings around her, and the core of his personality told him that he couldn't allow Alex to be put in harms way. It was the same way he acted with Elaine when they were kids and the same treatment he gave his sister, so now it was just instilled in him.

Apart from that, the walk had been relatively short. So short that Gabriel never had a chance to even ask the questions he wanted towards the Creator beside him. The smell had emanated from inside to the streets in front, leaving behind a fresh aroma of fish, spices, and other scents that mixed together. Looking up at the name of the store itself to see if he had ever been here before, Gabriel saw that he hadn't, but that didn't mean that he was about to cast judgements on Muyō's selection. Lead inside by the girl, Alex and him were curious and took the chance to look around, having not said anything while the waitress was checking the reservations. Nothing was said between the three of them and everyone seemed to have been looking at a different direction at that point, Muyō's back having faced them, Alex's head taking shy glances in the new surrounding, while Gabriel had taken his time as he looked past the Waitress and to the individuals already sitting down. There were no university students here either, he noticed, which was a relief to him. Gabriel couldn't begin to remember how often he was asked to go to an Udon restaurant after class only to reject the offer as he was too busy. It wasn't a lie. Gabriel's days were planned out by the hour by either his father or himself, so spending time with others like this was a rare occasion. If someone from his school saw him like this, with two girls even, he couldn't begin to imagine the harm it would do. Worse would be how Alexandria would take it, since the people in his classroom were unafraid of asking questions. Muyō, on the other hand, well....Gabriel had confidence that she would take it with ease. She seemed fully capable of shooting others down with a simple quick remark or taking in a new situation when one rose up. At least, that's what Gabriel thought of her.

When the waitress did take them to the table, it was Muyō and Gabriel that had taken the first initiative. In his foolishness, he had almost forgotten that, now that there only lied two options on the table, Alex was put into the uncomfortable position to choose whom she would sit by. Gabriel had mentally whispered curses in his mind for having let slip such an obvious problem, but to address it now would mean that Muyō would realize how uncomfortable Alex was and it was clear that the girl was trying to at least hide it. When Alexandria did take a seat, Gabriel was surprised that it was beside him, but his surprise was explained to him when his mind tried to rationalize it by stating it was only because she was carrying his bag that she was this close to him. In hopes of giving her more than enough space, Gabriel shifted a bit closer to the corner, hoping that she had more than enough of a personal bubble to form in order to feel comfortable.

Muyō had spoken up again, completely unaware of the issues that plagued Alex and Gabriel, but that may have been what eased up the tension. The girl's topic was light and easy to be drawn into as she discussed her work. Honestly, Gabriel wanted to know more about it since he found it fascinating. And when she explained that she worked as a mechanic, Gabriel felt a revelation coming to him in regards to her abilities. So, that's why she carried around things like that, he thought, and all this time he assumed that she was- Alex took the words from his mouth. As a guy, he couldn't help it if he was somewhat drawn into Muyō's physical qualities, since she was so brazen about it. But his nature as a gentleman and timid nature helped him remain composed for the most part. As embarrassing as it sounded, his shameful eyes had wanted to glance over towards Muyō once more, but that alone gave reason for alarm. Was he really about to do something like that? Grabbing the menu, he forced his eyes down upon the selections of food and mentally reeled himself back into some sense of control. He didn't know why his hormones were making him so uncomfortable now of all times. Was he truly lacking that much self-control? How disgusting. The male didn't even realize the Sekirei's careful glance that she was giving him from across the table. While reading the menu, the two girls did continue the talk, and when the topic of Alex's origins came up, it wasn't a surprise to him when she said where she came from. As she added that she also had a sibling, it gave Gabriel a sense of relief, since they had something else in common.

However, the topic of his sister would never be brought up or be uttered by his lips.

As Muyō left the table to freshen up, Gabriel's attempt to not stare at the girl had lead him to be drawn in by the food that was being offered to him. The materials they used to make some food made him wonder about his own food at home, actually. He remembered that the fridge itself was full as he was the one who often went shopping for meals and had to cook for himself back in the mansion that he lived in. His father often worked long hours, sometimes even sleeping at a hotel when the times prevented him from making it home, so there wasn't that much in terms of company at home. Gabriel did eventually succumb to having some maids and butlers clean up the house because the large size of the place made it impossible to possibly dust every place by one's self. But, by the time he would return home, they would be gone. Cooking had also been something he taught himself, since he didn't want to pester someone to cook for him when he was fully capable, and it was all he could do to take care of his sister at the time when their mother left. "Hm, maybe I should go check the store to see if I can get some fresh carrots and chicken. I could make soup that would last for a few days....Aika always loved that and I'm sure the doctors wouldn't mind. If the weather looks good, I could prepare some burgers for Dad, too, since they're his favourites. I'll have to ask him when he'll be home next to prepare some the day prior." While the recipe's of the various udons and other dishes were on the menu, Gabriel was lost in his grocery list and it only left an awkward silence.

When Alex had asked him, Gabriel responded in the most automated answer from the top of his head. "Burgers, why?" And that's when his mind actually clicked. His eyes widened and his hands put down the menu, his cheeks flushed red as a tomato when he looked towards Alex's direction. "T-that's not what I meant. I-I mean, I like burgers fine, but they're not my hobby- I-" He waved his hands dismissively in front of himself, frantic and embarrassed, hoping that he just didn't lose any chance he had with Alex to leave a good impression. "I..uhm..I like soccer. I used to be the captain in my high school team, and...my class is trying to convince me to go for student council at my university. But I'm just too busy for that." He was a perfectionist in every sense of the word and it showed. He revealed that his aspirations had been set high, which was likely cruel for the girl whom had disappointed her parents at one point, but the middle ground they shared for their love in soccer was there. After the fiasco of him having burgers as a hobby, Gabriel managed to actually get a few more laughs from the girl's shell, the two were quickly becoming friends.

While they were talking, Gabriel saw that Alex had been preparing herself for the meal they all ordered prior, but something was out of place. It showed that she was foreigner, especially to anyone who was Japanese or lived long enough in the city to have learned how to do it properly. She was holding her chopsticks wrong. Gabriel, feeling somewhat daring, had motioned his hand a bit. "Still not used to them? I used to be the same way. Here, let me try to help." The act had been perhaps forward for the introverted girl, but considering the two of them had a smile upon their faces a moment prior, Gabriel wanted to try to bring her out of her shell. He carefully reached over and gently put his hand atop of hers. It was funny, he had to think, how used he was to this, but he had his sister to thank for that. Gabriel's hands were gentle, almost to the point of being loving, as he carefully shifted Alex's fingers along the wooden sticks and explained in a way that was reminiscent to an older brother explaining things to his younger sibling. "If you hold it like this, then you only need to apply strength on this one finger in order to hold things. It'll be more comfortable, too." He uttered out in a kind tone before letting go and seeing her try to hold the sticks again. Smiling at her, the two had shared a small moment before they noticed Muyō's brazen walk back to the table.

Gabriel's hormones were going wild and his face turned completely red that it was amazing to him that steam wasn't coming from his face. The girl showed no issue in showing off her body and the fact that she was wearing such clothes once more made Gabriel notice them. Up till now, neither Alex or Gabriel had addressed her clothes, but now that they came back into play, neither one knew how to react in the proper manner. Gabriel had rested his elbow on the table and leaned his mouth into his palm, looking away and out of the window. Alex, well, she had a more louder reaction as her head collided with the table itself. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, Gabriel offered the girl an understanding pat on the back, sharing in her pain. Just like that, neither one of them knew how to react to the other. Luckily, the food had seemingly come at the same time to save them all from further embarrassment.

Unfortunately, they would never get a chance to eat. As if some sick twist of fate, written by some sadistic God that enjoyed the misery of others, armed men had come into the small restaurant and took the place hostage. Gabriel whispered another series of mental curses that echoed in his head as to how to react to this type of situation. His phone had also been in the same bag that Alex had been hanging off her chair, so there was no hope in him grabbing it in that moment and making a quick dial for the police. But, it made no sense to him as to why they would choose this location. There were six of them and this was just some common restaurant that likely held nothing of value in it. Nobody around seemed to come from rich backgrounds, as some people dressed in common clothes, and nothing on the menu was priced to the point of being high class. So what was the point in a daylight robbery? What was the point in risking one's future for that?

Amidst his thoughts, Gabriel had been glancing past Alex towards the group, and then noticed that the girl was shaking in place. Frowning again, he leaned in slightly and whispered behind her head. "It'll be okay. Just relax. Muyō and I are here, too." He was offering her some encouragement to face what was to become, hoping that this would pass without any trouble. But things continued to get worse as time went on. As all three of them were about to be put into the kneeling position and restrained, it was Alexandria that they began to take notice of. In that short amount of time, it seemed as though all their attention was towards her now, and when the topic of letting everyone go in exchange for her came up, Gabriel felt his stomach tightening into knots. Nobody here wanted to die.

Gabriel felt disgusted, moreso at the crowd than himself. They were all being quiet and whimpering. Some were even looking away from the scene like it wasn't even happening in front of them. Were they just going to ignore it? Alex was about to get taken and nobody was going to do anything. Oh? Are you going to do something? Gabriel flinched at that thought. He knew what everybody was feeling because he held that same fear inside of him. He wanted to live, no matter what, and that meant that Alex was going to be abandoned for the sake of the many. When Alex even looked back at them and gave them an acknowledgement that everything was okay, Gabriel felt something horrible: the sense of relief. It..was better this way. His eyes found themselves back on the floor, unable to look at her face anymore after what emotion just appeared.

"Let her go!" He was a huge idiot and everyone around him knew it. Even Alex likely had a look of shock upon her face when it was Gabriel that had stopped kneeling and stood up, while the man had the only different expression around. The guy was pissed off beyond belief. "Who the [********] said that! Huh!" The tallest one roared out as he looked back from his crew and towards the only person who was standing. Feeling his life tick away even faster, the man walked over and grabbed him by the collar before throwing Gabriel aside, delivering a kick to his stomach to cause the wind to leave his lungs. Gabriel was coughing hard now, but the man wasn't done. "You got some pretty big ones to pick a fight with me, you little kid! Maybe I should blow them off with this gun!" Forced to the side and getting kicked again, Gabriel's eyes connected with Muyo for a brief moment as if to show her that he had no problems with that was happening right there and then. He even shook his head a bit, telling her that she should have done nothing, even if the idea was to appear in her head. "We were gonna be nice. Even.." The man had said as he grabbed Gabriel by his hair, pulling him off the floor by his head alone until the male got to his knees. "so why are you ruining it?" The tall man had asked, glaring down at Gabriel's face as his colleagues waited for the guy to finish off whatever he was doing to the student.

For Gabriel, their promises were as empty as their heads. Alex's attempt as trying to save them all was genuine, for sure, but foolish. "None...of you are going to let us go. You're..not even wearing masks...E-everybody has seen your faces. I..if you wanted just her, you wouldn't have done it..like this." The tall man had actually been silent, along with his crew. Amongst them, the one that was closest to Alex, had even broken into a small laugh. "Well, s**t.." Another joined in and sighed. "He figured us out." But for the tallest man who was holding Gabriel's hair, it was infuriating. "You little piece of s**t.." Gabriel felt himself thrown back down onto the floor like a doll who just had its strings cut. And before he could even react, the tall man had hopped on one leg before swinging his foot forward and kicking Gabriel's head with all the strength he could manage, twisting the male's neck around until his entire body spun over and send him reeling back into the past. The sound of a woman screaming having been deafened by his mind going blank for a moment from the impact.


"Are you...okay?"

"Aw, 'cmon. This's nothing."

"Really...?"

"Yeah."

"You don't look okay..."

It was just before the end of elementary school. Elaine and I were sitting next to each other on a small hill, looking down at the town as the sun slowly set. "How does it look, then?" I was half-serious and half-joking. I could tell she was thinking about it for a minute at first.

"Um..well...let's see. It looks like you kissed a toad and got warts but then they just kept growing and growing and growing..."

"Heh...what does that even mean?" I grinned and- "Ow! Oowowowowowowow!"

"See? I told you you're not okay. You're too reckless. You can't beat five 8th-graders, Gabriel. That's crazy!"

"Yeah, but I couldn't just stand there! I mean...don't you think so? I had to do something!"

It was a couple hours after we'd run into the junior high students. They'd been hiding in the bushes on the back of one of the hills, picking on a cat that they found. The moment we saw what they were doing, I ran up to them, furious. "Hey! What the hell are you doing?" Then I jumped on them. I quickly scooped up the kitten and tossed it over to Elaine. She caught it, and ran for the police station as fast as she could...

By the time the police officer and Elaine came back. All they found was me, sprawled on the ground with a face covered in big, swelling lumps. "You couldn't run away after you threw the kitty to me?" She asked me. I stuck my tongue out through the hole in my mouth where a tooth had fallen out.

"Yeah, I guess I could'a..."

"Then..why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to. I wanted to beat 'em up. Beat 'em up real good. "

"Because of what they were doing to the kitty?"

"Yeah..."

I plucked some grass from the ground and tossed it into the wind.

"Here...This is for you..."

"What is this..?"

"This is a...For-you doll. His name is G-gabby."

I pulled something out of my pocket and shoved out my arm towards her. In my hand was a doll made of yarn small enough to fit in my palm.

"Gabriel...Are you sure it's a..uh..'For-You' doll...?"

"H-Huh? Yeah, the lady at the shop said so. Th-That means it's for you...right?"

"I...um...Are you sure it's not a 'voodoo doll'?"

"..."

"..."

"Wh-What?! That's..oh man...Oh man!"

"Hehe...Well, it sure looks like a voodoo doll. I mean...You do know what a voodoo doll is used for...right?"

"Y-yeah...I guess calling it 'Gabby' isn't a very good idea, then..."

"Why are you giving me this, anyway? It just seems really sudden..."

"U-uh, well...um...Y-you know how after June, we aren't gonna get to see each other too much? I mean, we're gonna be in different schools...and...I just thought I'd...uh..you know...Um..."

Funny enough, we did end up going to the same school, so I really didn't know what I was thinking when I did this all so prematurely. We'd separate much later after my parent's divorce...but...I still remember this often.

"O-okay. S-So I wanted to..give this...you.."

"Hehe...You sound like some sort of tribal chief in a bad movie..."

I took the opportunity and began to act out the role the best I could.

"Yes...I..head of tribe. This doll, traditional charm of tribe..."

"Ahahahahha!"

"So I...give this...It me...So we always...together..."

"Oh, Gabriel..."

"If something bad happens...Then hold and pray. I go...wherever you are. So here, take..."

My voice softened then, unable to even begin holding back the embarrassment I felt

She reached her hand out and picked up the doll gently. "Thank you....Thank you so much. Gabriel..." Before I knew it, she was crying. Tears streamed down her face, and fell onto Gabby's tiny yarn body. "Oh Gabriel, I'll never forget you...I promise..." I looked straight into her eyes, and said just five words...

"I'll never forget you either."


The man had been panting as he was kicking Gabriel's body still. His chest was heaving up and down as sweat was forming across his face, tired from the amount of effort he put into beating up just one kid in the middle of the restaurant. A few people couldn't even look anymore, afraid that they were just now witnessing what was a man kicking a dead body that wasn't moving anymore. Nobody could confirm whether he was alive and that brought out the worst fears for some individuals. "Oi, that's enough. Let's go..." The bleached male had said back to his friend, bored of watching this continue on since they were now wasting time. The tall guy nodded, wiping his mouth with his hand, still panting and proud of the work he had done. Turning back around, he began to walk and that's when he felt something grabbing hold of the bottom of leg. "...what the hell..." By now, even the crooks were surprised as they looked once more to see Gabriel willing to stop them again. The boy, beaten and bruised, wasn't sure what drove him further. Perhaps it was that stupid hero complex he had or maybe it was the fact that Alex had such a scared look on her face when she gave both Muyo and him that look, but it drove him on.

He wasn't a hero. He knew that he had no chance and that was just putting his life in danger the more he struggled. But he couldn't stop himself. Any sense of logic as to why he was trying so hard was lost upon the crowd and crooks, perhaps even to Muyo and Alex, as to why he kept forcing himself. But for Gabriel, it was just a single hope that drove him on: the idea that somehow, someone would come save them - save her. As long as he kept all their attention focused on him, the longer the chance that Alex would stay there in that shop, and perhaps eventually someone would call the police and come save them. Gabriel didn't see himself as a hero, that was someone else's job, but he wasn't about to let himself allow someone to take away a defenseless girl in front of him. "We're..." his voice was barely audible, but it was enough, "not done..." The grunt growled as he tried to make Gabriel let go of his leg. The other criminals now ticked off themselves at how much time they were wasting because of their colleague's temper.

Eventually, one of them shouted out, "Just shoot him already!"

[Minoshiya]

xxxxxxxxx


Morals? Morals make me puke. Trotting out truth and justice? Love for your fellow man? Pffft. What a crock of s**t. How can people live in a disgusting place like this?

Life is ugly, and people are nothing but fools. Why did the world have to end up this way?

The observation deck was filled with many people on this day, all holding clipboards and electronic pads to make any comments they may have for today's experiment. The MBI Headquarters kept such rooms hidden deep underneath the city, far underground from the eyes of those that knew what they were planning. An alien race such as the Sekirei was astounding to them, as such the need to study them was necessary, but the Plan that was carried on by the Leaders of the Organization had let them all go free to find their destined individuals. Well, all except the Disciplinary Squad, which were meant to watch over the others and make sure they carried out the wills of the MBI. And one other, the fifty-third member, Cailum. Or as he preferred to call himself, Caim. Today was going to be another day where they would test his abilities and see what they could find out in order to understand a Sekirei's talents much more, as such he was put in the test room below the observation deck.

He stood there, surprising some of the observers still to this day because of his youth, with a bored expression on his face. The messy brown hair that curled on its own but was too short to achieve nothing but come across the sides of his face and the forehead of his small head almost begged someone to run their hand through it. His small eyes that were honey gold scanned around, an innocent gleam to them to that of a child. In fact, Caim was a child. The Sekirei was nothing but a young body of perhaps 15 or 16 dressed in the strangest uniform that matched a small little cavalier knight. But that appearance hid his true nature, as his personal information within the MBI database listed his true age as somewhere far beyond that of a young teenager. How he got such a form was a mystery and caused much speculation on the MBI's part, but little explanation was given. For whatever reason, the Sekirei was stuck at this age and did not seem to grow at all. It was for this reason that they kept him within the Headquarters while releasing the others, for they believed him to be faulty or possibly flawed in some manner. And now, Caim was nothing more but a test subject for them to understand the Sekirei's.

As it was nearly time for the test to begin, the doors to the observatory had opened and a woman stepped in. Dr. Elizabeth Mengele was a studious scientist and the authority on Subject #53, tending to what experiments he would go through and what the next plan with him was going to be. Eliza was a very beautiful woman despite her career choice and she seemed to take close care of herself, using often perfumes and putting on makeup despite working underground. This has lead to her to be often the crush of many of the new employees, but those that knew her tended to stay away from pursuing any romantic goals with her. The woman was heavily married to her work. "Is everything ready?" She asked as she came up to the main console and looked past the glass to see Caim. A smile formed on her face as she put her hands in her white labcoat for a moment. "Yes. We're ready to begin, though I fail to see what this experiment is about." One of the scientist mentioned as Eliza looked down from beyond her glasses and gave a stubborn glance. "Release the dogs." her voice was laced with a bit of anger, which was why the scientist did as she said. The observation room below had small gates opening up from the side as wild wolves began to pour out one by one and began to circle the small boy in the middle. With eight in total circling the boy, one silver wolf attempted to jump at him, but as he was in mid-lunge, Caim swung his arm and the next thing everybody witnessed was the creature cut horizontally across with its legs and large body falling in different spots all across the ground. The wolf began to whimper as the arms and legs that its lost were no longer there and it was moving its ligaments wildly only to cause more blood to gush out across the white porcelain floor. And as Caim resumed his normal stance, one of the screens in the observation room zoomed up to his hand were it showed that he was holding a small scalpel as his only form of defense. Cutting Elongation was what they called the ability, but it astounded them that such an extraterrestrial ability existed in the first place. Other Sekirei also had the ability to turn the very cells in the air to a deadly poison, or bring machinery to life, or create weaponry where there was none to be had, and so this ability to control the very fabric of existence was making all of them wonder what the Sekirei's true powers were.

Eliza smiled as she turned around and spoke up, "My current research has found the answer about the mystery of the Sekirei's abilities." She said proudly to which caused many of the scientist to bring their attention to her. "A Sekirei's strength is governed by emotion." She said, only to get interrupted. "Your..research?" One man asked. None of them were aware that she was even doing research since it wasn't in the schedules listed anywhere in the company. All she had was Subject #53 and all they heard about him was that there was a proposal for him to join the Disciplinary Squad, but was ultimately rejected due to his psychological state. "Yes. My research. Research to create the perfect Sekirei." She cleared her throat as she began her explanation. Her voice calm and fluid, almost like a knife itself as it called all to listen. "I decided I had to cross between assorted emotion sets." One scientist's brows furrowed at hearing such a statement, especially since it was clear that she was doing this behind all their backs. "Cross? You don't mean--" Eliza smiled as she turned her back and looked back down at Caim who had killed another two dogs with ease. "Of course I do! Why wait for the right emotions to come along with Ashikabi's when it's quicker to make them yourself?" As she looked down at Caim, she was watching him pant and knew that the drugs were starting to kick in. She wasn't even sure what she gave him this time, maybe it was a mix of morphine and steroids? Estrogen and endorphins? The fact that he could take so many different drugs and chemicals into his little body and not break down entirely fascinated her! "Do you all want to know which humans have the highest durability levels? The ones who are filled with hate!" Eliza explained while wrapping clutching her own arms together, smiling as she did so. "So, I gathered up a few criminals from the nearby jail that were going to go through death row and Caim..." She was giggling. "Caim killed a guy right in front of them! They didn't even see it coming. Just hacked him into little bits!" One of the scientists was amazed by what he was hearing Eliza say. Was the woman sane? "How many died for this?" He asked her, stunned and mortified. "Fifty-six." Eliza answered in an uninterested and dull tone, but it was the fact that she could answer so fast that they were taken back by it. "She counted.." "And then, while everyone was standing around all shocked and horrified... Caim didn't stop! He kept going! Right there on the spot! It was a TOTAL SUCCESS! Isn't that great!?" She was shaking in some twisted form of pleasure as her fingers dug into her own arms. None of them understood what perfection was! Caim was the best! How could they not see that from the way she even dressed him to be her precious knight!? He was her loyal toy soldier! Her Sekirei! Her pet bird! Putting a hand on the monitor and running her finger across the screen that showed Caim's adorable little face as he fought those wild dogs that were bigger than him almost made her want to squeal in happiness. "Yes! Yes! Higher! You must go higher!" But she chuckled before pressing a button on the terminal.

"Ahhh! Caim suddenly a jolt of electricity running through him and suddenly his entire body failed him. Instantly he fell over, his entire body convulsing as the boy reached for his cravat and instantly pulled it off to reveal a strange device along his neck. Like a true test subject, Caim was forced to wear a shock collar at all times in case he became too uncontrollable, but now it was clear that Eliza was doing this to give the wolves a fighting chance. One of the wolves attempted it, suddenly sinking its fangs at his bare leg that was revealed from his shorts and boots. Caim screamed again while all Eliza could do was watch in amusement. "Thinking of the right situation to amplify human hatred was so much fun. A Sekirei gets angry at the littlest things. You'd be surprised how easy it is to set them off. Oh, and blood sprays REALLY boost the hate! Isn't this all just the BEEEEST!?" She giggled as she spun in place when there was a sudden scream from Caim, likely from the wolf sinking its teeth that much deeper into his little prepubescent leg. "Hrrraaaaaagh!!" He had tears forming in the corners of his eyes from the pain he felt. Somewhere in his mind the thought that someone was coming to save him appeared, but he knew better. No one was coming. "You piece-of-s**t!" Caim shouted out to the people who were watching before glaring down at the wolf who was chewing away at his leg like he was some barbecue skewer to nibble on. "You piece-of-s**t dog!" Raising his free leg, he started to stomp the wolf's head. Caim felt his blood boiling to a point where nothing else mattered anymore. This was survival of the fittest! The rules of nature only applied here and only the strong survived. The pain began to go numb with the anger numbing out everything else and as he felt the scalpel once more in his hand, Caim instantly slashed down and hacked the wolf's head clean off from its neck before slashing again at the others so he could get back on his feet and cause them to back off.

Eliza was smiling, even moreso now at the fact he overcame the situation. "Sekirei made from hate are strong! They fight like no one else. Although they are juuuuuust a little hard to control." Maybe that's why the Headquarters never accepted Caim to the Disciplinary Squad. They never accepted the Sekirei, just like they never accepted my research. Why? Why, Caim? Isn't that cruel of them? Don't you think!? Hmmm!? How could they dismiss such a beautiful, gifted child!? You're the best Sekirei ever! "...It's over." One man said, bringing Elizabeth back from her fantasies only to notice that Caim was done with the experiment. He was sitting on the ground with a few scientists checking his wounded leg, surrounded in a room full of dead wolves. Exhaling a soft shudder, the woman pouted that the show couldn't have last longer, but instead she turned on her heels and marched from the room to leave.

.......

Talk about a hard day. Caim wondered what God he must have pissed off to deserve this injury on his leg now that he was staring down at it while sitting atop of his bed. The medical staff bandaged it up and said that there wasn't going to be much damage since he was a Sekirei, but that didn't mean it didn't sting like hell. Man, what he'd give to put those scientists in a cage with a group of dogs and see how they'd survive. "Haha..that'd be rich." Caim found himself chuckling at the thought. With his job done and being returned back to his cell, the Sekirei only had to wait for the next time that he was called out before he'd see anything worthwhile. Caim's room was bare, nothing inside of it except a bed with white sheets, white pillows, and an even more annoying white metal frame to hold it all together. The walls were white just like the floor and ceiling and even his bathroom and closet was entirely white. White, white, white, white! All white! The only thing of color in the room was him and that was because he was the only living creature inside. Oh, and even the security camera in the corner that was watching him was white as well. So, other than his own little daydreams and fantasies of what he'd do once he left this place, there wasn't much else to do. Well, there was the idea of losing his sanity, but the jury was still out on that one.

Just as Caim was expecting the day to end without anything else happening, the doors opened up and in came the royal pain-in-the-a** herself: Elizabeth. Ugh, even thinking her name made his blood run cold and gave him the need to shower. It was amazing just how her presence alone made you want to take a bath. She was a walking dump and you could tell how desperately she tried to cover it up by using her perfumes and designer clothes. It's too bad money can't buy class, it's really too bad. "You performed perfectly~" Eliza gave a warm and beautiful smile towards him that he wished she didn't. He wished that she aimed that smile towards anybody else but him. She moved over and cupped his face, crushing his cheeks together under his palm, and then began to kiss his face all over with Caim closing his eyes and thinking of something else to escape. God, she was so disgusting! Her kisses were so wet and loud and her lipstick just stayed on your face to remind you of what part of you she's touched like a mark on your skin that'd never fade. No amount of scrubbing your face with soap will get rid of the feeling of her large lips on you. "H-hey, man, hold on a moment. Stop it..!" Caim tried to protest, but the scientist merely giggled before hugging him, which mainly involved forcing his face into her chest where there were just two large things now. Ugh, how the Sekirei wished he could just chop her breasts off. They were so goddamn large and ugly that whenever she forced his face into her sweater he couldn't breathe. What was so attractive about a woman like this? She was so overbearing and disgusting. Like a pig dressed up. Yeah, that's what she was: A pig with a lot of ribbons thrown on.

Elizabeth pulled back and then reached into her labcoat for a moment, "I brought a present for you~" Caim frowned when he heard that. He knew what it was because she never really changed the present itself. "You shouldn't have.." You really shouldn't have. When her hand came back out, the syringe in her fingers made him wonder why he even bothered to look, like he expected something different. "Now disrobe, Caim." She was strict whenever she gave orders, which was a complete 180 compared to the affectionate persona she revealed a moment ago. Still, he tried his best to prolong this as long as he could, but no matter what he tried it always wound up being the same thing, so he just took off his clothes except for his shorts and stared down at his lap. Caim didn't need to make eye contact with her to know that Eliza was already looking him over like some dish placed out before her. Instead of thinking of where her eyes were looking at which part of him, Caim was curious where the syringe would go today. Sometimes she was normal, going either in his arm or the large vein in the middle, but there were other times where that needle sometimes was forced into his neck. "....If I've been a good boy, then you'd let me go outside." It was a good time as any to try it. Elizabeth was the top researcher that adopted him after his last caretaker and so it made her the one with the power to authorize him going out. Unfortunately, she seemed much more fascinated by everything else that she may as well have not even heard him. "Oh, but you know I prefer a naughty boy." Caim felt his skin crawl at that type of comment. Then suddenly he gasped, looking down at his wrist where the needle was going into his hand with expert precision. Today, the needle went to his wrist it seemed. When she pulled the thin metal needle out and smiled with herself, Elizabeth slid off her labcoat and put it on his bed before giggling. "Well, maybe I'll consider it.." Caim would have been excited at the notion, but his head was already starting to feel fuzzy from the chemicals taking effect. The drugs were making his body feel like they were on fire and numb, so it was easy for the woman to push him on onto his back on the bed as she crawled on top. Ugh, he hated this. He wished he was dead.


I wish she would at least stop licking me all over like that. It makes me feel all gross and sticky. It’s the worst. She’s got no technique, either. The smell of her saliva, her body fluids... I want to throw up. I wish I could... I’d feel better for it. But that would anger her, for sure. Her voice is what I really can’t stand. Sounds like someone strangling a chicken. This is the pits. My body is all sticky, my ears full of that awful sound, and those two sacks grinding against my stomach as she writhes on me... I can’t think of a worse torture than this. I wonder if one of my brothers would switch places with me. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind being this woman’s partner... seems like they'd do anything with a hole. Goddamn idiots that they are...

God, when are you going to be done?! You’re so heavy. Get off already, you hag! I wish I could kill you!

I’d wish she'd finish already. I’ve already counted all the tiles in the ceiling. I really don’t want to have to get started on the walls...

“No... not yet...!” Not yet what? It’s all the same in the end, no matter how many hours you’re at it, like the rest of the men that touch me when you're not around. It’s not like you feel anything. She reminds me of #2, to be so lustful yet unable to feel a thing... on that count alone, I pity you. Poor thing... nah, you both deserve it!


While Elizabeth was putting her clothes back on and getting dressed, Caim was left on the bed without a word being said between them. There was nothing to say. They weren't lovers that exchanged phrases of adoration and nor was this the the type of relationship where money was handed out for the job well done - Caim would have appreciated the latter, since he was technically doing this for free when he didn't even want to do it. No, all Caim did was wonder how long it would take for her to leave so he could force his aching body to the shower and clean up. The Sekirei did not dare move because that just made him feel more of the disgusting sweat and wet spots on his body even more, so he prepared to just lay there. "You can go out for the day." His eyes shot over at the woman's back as she just put on her labcoat, pulling out her hair from underneath it with one smooth motion. Elizabeth didn't say anything else as she turned around and kissed him on the cheek with a sweet little parting. Caim just closed his eyes and pretended that it was something else touching his face. He kept them shut as he heard the bed shift from her having stood up and counted the steps across the room, hearing the door close. Opening them finally, Caim sat up and looked down at himself, the MBI's precious toy, and smirked.

Caim's smirk grew into a loathing smile as he began to laugh, throwing his hands into his face in an attempt to stop something that would not relent now.

I detest ugly things. I hate the putrid breath of animals, and I hate people corrupted by desire. How can they even stand to live like that?

Again, why did the world have to end up this way?

[Minoshiya]

tab xxLOCATION: Rooftops to Market Placexx MOOD: Concerned xx COMPANY: Civilian Girl [image] xx

The once lively city streets had been abandoned with garbage such as purses and bags of bought material laying on the sidewalks with no one around to pick them up. In the core of the city of Vesper, small announcements had been made from the speakerphones hanging off building corners telling the citizens to return back to their homes and lock their doors. As if such frames would matter to the monsters that infested the city. It was all an illusion of supposed control of the matter at hand, but in truth there was none to be had. The fact remained that there was a lack of information on the current dilemma on just how many locations were breached, where the breach itself was, and if there was a higher level entity controlling the matter. If a demon was involved, then Para Bellum had a bigger problem to deal with. Sion hated the poor district of the city because of how unprotected it was. Yet, it seemed it hated him as much since he now wandered into it just to cut through to the marketplace.

Sion felt the gun in his hand bark and throttle in his hand with every shot he took. Despite the streets being empty of people, it did not mean that monsters weren't feasting on the bags of food that was left behind as a free meal. His shots scared them off into different directions like the scared animals that they were, but the shots that did connect were always for the jaw. A monster with a broken jaw could not bite or kill another human being, and it wouldn't take long before the injury would lead to death to begin with. As for the monsters that believed in their primal minds that a pack of them could take him down, they quickly realized the difference between a normal human with a gun and a wielder with a weapon. "Too slow..." Sion thought while he was being chased by a pack of three two-headed dogs. The problem with guns were that they were useful in close and long distance, but the reload time was too much a weakness for him to ever consider getting a Arma based on one. Turning into a narrow alleyway, Sion pushed the clip back into his gun and turned around while running and shot down the path. With the fact that the dogs were unable to jump or dodge in the small corridor to avoid his shots, it was easy to get a few good hits on a few of them. He could even confirm that he shot the head of one of the dogs, but the other one merely took over the rest of the functions and continued running. Sion growled under his breath, frustration coming over him as he didn't bother to pull the trigger again since there was no point, he ran out of bullets anyway. Not that he needed it, since he knew that old apartment buildings like this always had an emergency exit installed to the side of the buildings and its when he was running that he saw the ladder that hadn't been extended yet. With one jump, Sion got atop of an abandoned chair and then with his other leg began to run atop of a dumpster before lunging for the ladder with his hands. Luckily, he grabbed hold of it with a sigh of relief, having felt his heart pounding in his head as he looked down and saw the two dogs barking up at him with small jumps in hopes of biting the tips of his black shoes. Pulling himself up, he figured that he'd have to travel by rooftops for the time being until he'd arrive to the central markets. Taking one last look down, Sion reloaded his gun and pulled the trigger again to finish off the two beasts from becoming a problem for someone else.

Of course, on the rooftop, things weren't any better to see from a better height. Small stacks of black smoke were coming out of points in the city that had no right making such fumes. Was the city in a larger problem than he initially thought? Or was it just some wielders getting too arrogant and losing themselves in the battle that they were causing problems, though he found himself hoping for the latter. Though Sion may have disliked the poor district, the one good thing about it was that there were plenty of planks put between rooftops, meant mostly for kids who were messing around by playing up in safety than risk the trouble they would face in the lower streets. Stopping that line of thought from going further, Sion crossed three rooftops before he heard something like a metallic creaking from a nearby ventilation shaft and frowned, knowing he was being watched. Gripping tightly on the gun, he prepared himself for the worst and then it came: a loud cry. It sounded like a child's cry, which Sion did not believe for a second and prepared to shoot anything that dared come out, up until a small girl jumped out from behind the ventilation shaft and was running straight towards him bawling her eyes out in fear. "What's a kid doing up here?!" Sion thought and pointed his gun to the sky instead of her. And just in time too, since when he did, she had collided her small body into his and wrapped her small arms around his waist, burying her face into his black shirt and muffling her cries.

Now, for all of Sion's natural talent with weaponry, he had none for social interactions with kids. It was often Liz who was more outgoing and welcoming to people than him. She would have likely known instantly what to do with this girl crying her mind out, but she was nowhere to be found and Sion just felt confused on what to do next. "Are..you okay?..." He asked, unsure if it was the proper question at the time. She looked okay from what he saw as there was no blood on her or any visible injuries. "I'm scared! Monsters came and attacked people!" She was being too loud for Sion's liking. Any creature around them would hear and undoubtedly attack, which he couldn't afford. "Stop crying...You'll bring them back if you stay this loud." He hissed out, ordering the kid. But, of course, telling a child that monsters would be coming back soon only made her cry out more loudly to the point that Sion felt his temper starting to surface. "L-look, I'll protect you, so just shhh!" Hearing that made the girl bite her lip in hopes of stifling a flooding river. Pulling away from her, Sion ran a hand through the back of his hair and sighed at the fact that he now promised something he shouldn't have. He didn't have the time to babysit a child. "W-will you really..?" Looking back at her, the girl had begun wiping her eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. Unable to bring himself to lie again, Sion nodded and just gave up to his fate for now. "Yeah. But first, a rule. One rule: No crying. If there's two things I hate in this world, it's demons and crying babies." Well, a crying baby demon would truly be terrible. "So, don't you dare cry." Watching her trembling lip and the sound of her clearing her nose with every intake of breath was heart wrenching, even for Sion, but he did manage to get her to become quiet. "Y-yes..." She whimpered out that word with a stutter, making it hardly believable, but enough for Sion to accept as he put his hands on his hips and turned around. "Ugh, what the Hell am I doing..." He took a step only to feel something tugging on the end of his coat, only to look back at the girl clinging on it with her small hand, not wanting him to get too far from her. "Look, I can't drag you along everywhere I go. So, you better not be getting attached to me. I'll help you out of here, but that's all." Watching her nod in agreement, the two set off for the next plank, which Sion put his foot on first before realizing something before they set out. Turning around once more, he held his gloved finger out to make a point, "And you have to promise me there will be no crying. A single tear and you'll be crying alone. Got it?" Her face was red from the tears she shed earlier, but now it seemed like the girl had gotten her breathing and emotions in control. "Okay, daddy." What?! Sion's face faltered at the fact she had given him such a title, turning into one of complete bewilderment. Did she think he was adopting her? He had it in his mind to start a new lecture on how this was just temporary, but given how sensitive this kid was, Sion merely groaned and turned the other direction to resume walking across the platform.

For all her crying previously, the child had done a good enough job at keeping to her promise of being silent. At times she would ask him where they were going or ask if everyone in the city was dead, but Sion answered all her questions with a disenchanting 'Yes' or 'I have no clue. Ask me later' to which seemed to satisfy her. Once they came to the end of the rooftops that they needed to take, Sion was careful to descend with the child and landed on the streets below with his arms out to catch her when she jumped down. After that, it was just a matter of walking down the street and coming to the central marketplace where Sion saw what looked like someone standing amidst the abandoned area. The sight of blood made him cautious, as it could have been a monster or a demon, but once he saw the outline and color of hair that the person had, he sighed in relief. Sion knew that he shouldn't have been so concerned about Elizabeth as much as he was. She was a Magnum Opus, capable of doing feats and abilities far beyond human understanding, but when they were apart there was still a nagging emotion inside of him that warned him constantly that she was out of reach. "Is she okay?" The girl beside him asked as they stepped forward, to which Sion gave a reply, "Yeah..." Sion ignored the pool of blood and dead bodies around her for the time being, walking forward until Liz had taken notice of him and then gave a small smirk. When he was standing in front of her, Sion put his hand on her face and stroked the girl's cheek in a soothing manner, almost like he was trying to relax her. "Looks like I need to buy you new clothes..." She was hardly presentable by any means and since she was a Opus, it wasn't a sight that should exist in the first place since she was more than some knock-off to get dirty or a Arma to have trouble with low class beasts such as monsters. "I'm here. We'll fight together from now on." Sionis told her, inadvertently giving her the message that she should have abandoned her human form for the time being while he handled the rest.

All the while, a small girl had been staring up at Liz with a curious gaze.