|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:23 pm
A thick cuff, glowing with runes was fastened around Rep's wrist, "There you are. Consider it your ah...cone of shame." The feeling that washed over the trainee was one of distinct diminishment. Every since getting Tracey, there had been a subtle, but steady increase in his abilities. Harder, better, faster, stronger. A feeling of power that would have peaked during that regrettable promotion mission.
It was all gone.
The massive axe could still be felt in his mind, still be heard. But the passive enhancements and protections Tracey provided were stripped away, leaving Rep little better than the beligerant young man that stepped fresh out of his pod and proceeded to get the s**t beat out of him by every other hunter to cross his path.
"You won't be able to summon your weapon with this on, making you less than a trainee until we see fit to end either the lock down or your life." The doctor swung his legs a bit, obviously not too concerned up about either option. Simon's expression relaxed slightly at the reminder that Rep could still be removed altogether after this. Given his record, it was the more likely of the two resolutions. "Now, in such cases we do sometimes allow a hunter without an immediately usable weapon to check out an upgraded runic. However, since they are rather precious, they require a sponsor of sorts to assure the weapons lab of your good character."
The doctor's looked on the verge of laughter just considering Rep's good character, and then continued, "In this case you'll have to convince my other acting assistant to sponsor you, one Sasha Belrose."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:50 pm
Rep eyed the thing with barely concealed horror. Most runic devices outside of the norm that he'd run into were either wildly unpredictable or prone to malfunction in horrible ways. Any one of these things would have been somehow preferable to the feeling of weakness that seeped through his entire body as the cuff took effect. He almost feared he'd faint for a second, that the sensation of draining would continue until there was nothing left. But it stopped, leaving him what felt a fraction of himself.
In a panic he mentally sought out Tracey, only to feel him still present with a rush of relief.
He was there but at the same time was not.
He gave H the most horrified look. No weapon. Less than a trainee and with only two options available. And as a sun, chances were there was always the third wonderful option which was die ******** horribly in battle and save everyone the trouble.
"Sasha?" he asked, finding it hard to keep the incredulousness out of his voice before realising how stupid that sounded and quickly backtracking.
"I mean..erm. Sorry Sir. Yes Sir. I'll...I'll speak to Sasha." he rubbed the cuff with a hand absently, the men before him might be ruthless bastards both, at least as far as he was aware, but he owed them some small portion of gratitude. He nodded his head in respect to the Doctor "Thank you. I'll try to prove I'm to be trusted."
Only then did he dare to actually glance over at Simon, frowning slightly. "I'm sorry I let you and Allan down." He didn't expect a favourable reaction or even a reaction at all, but it had to be said, even if the man felt he was just another unresolved inefficient problem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:00 pm
The tension built back up with each portion of news. Weaponless. They wanted him weaponless.
And there was no mention of breaks from Missions in the meantime.
The smile faded rapidly, until Harrison fists were dug tight into his pant legs. It was only a stay of execution, really, until the first ******** mission they sent him on and then- they could all write it off in the books as died in the field.
They were giving him long enough to test lab equipment.
And Sasha, ********, it was like jangling a pair of jail keys just out of reach. Keys that didn't even go to your cell. No reason for that stipulation but meanness. The tension was rolling over to fury. Harrison locked his own eyes on a nice, neutral spot on the floor.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:13 pm
Weaponless and forced to apologize to Sasha. Jordan watched Dr. H thoughtfully. As a division lead, the man didn't have to justify cruelty. In some ways, though, the stipulations might be a blessing in disguise. Without Tracey's protection and the expanded capacity for aggression the weapon provided, Rep would need to learn to deal with situations from the standpoint of a position of weakness; making Sasha's approval the condition for runic clearance would force him to learn to repair damaged social connections. The line between humility and humiliation was a delicate one, and this punishment balanced precisely on that divide.
A lot depended on whether Rep could learn to make that distinction. He would need it to survive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:34 pm
At the apology, Simon simply placed a finished paper lotus on his desk and intoned, "You are dismissed."
The doctor gave them a little finger wave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:01 pm
Rep eyed the lotus for just a moment, finding derailed in the moment wondering why such a practical and straightforward murderer would be capable of such elaborate and beautiful things. He got to his feet. Maybe to him it wasn't, maybe when you got right down to it, it was just a sequence of practised folds. Just a thing. Just like trainees, fold them in all the usual places, and discard them if they didn't fit the blueprint.
Whatever, he'd show them all there was beauty in the imperfect, show them sometimes it was the unexpected defect that managed in the end. Sometimes you had to change the design.
He rested a hand on Harrison's shoulder and gave Jordan a weak, shaky little smile as he headed to the door and out.
Even walking felt weak, everything felt drained and heavy. But he'd put a brave face on it. Because he was alive. Because he would continue to survive. Clarice had said one of his virtues was survival. He might have been the lowest sort of vermin, but those were always the ones who surprised you with their resilience.
He was alive.
And he had to deal with Sasha.
He wondered how long he was going to be alive for.
As soon as they were out of the way of the room he stated simply. "That could have been... a lot worse."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:30 pm
Harrison grumbled something unintelligible and profane under his breath.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 7:44 pm
Jordan paused for just a moment, eyes flicking between H and Simon, face carefully blank; then he followed the other trainees.
"Yeah, it could've," he agreed, and eyed Rep thoughtfully. He prodded at his restrained anger, rather like poking at a sore tooth, and found that having kept the emotion tightly under control since the previous day had rendered it more manageable, less explosive; something that could be used, rather than something that had to be locked down.
He'd never been deeply angry at someone he loved before, not like this. That the emotions could exist side by side without either negating the other was a new discovery. He hadn't had cause to harness and use the emotion as directed towards a person. Behind the discomfort of it was a vague fascination. He was feeling out an aspect of himself that he hadn't previously studied nor brought under control. Maybe figuring it out and making it usable would help him figure out how to explain it, how to share and teach that control.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:25 pm
The relief overrode all else as he gave them a careful but honest smile. He held up his hand to eye the bracer and the smile faded away to concentration.
"I can still hear him at least."
Even the idea of sharing in that hollow loneliness that Clerise had been forced to endure was harrowing. He had to think of the good things and focus on them instead of what all of this could mean. There would still be missions and he would have nothing at all to defend himself with.
he let his hand drop back to his side "It feels...really ******** weird." He was still dancing on the edge of panic and trying so hard to ignore it, anxiety levels at a high point. The weakness made him feel like he was under attack and shields were down. "I feel normal."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:33 pm
Harrison got an immediate image of Rep splattered everywhere, like the normal lady in the jungle, and the grumbling turned into a sort of strangled noise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:43 pm
Normal, like an unbonded human. Like the woman Rep had killed. The comparison was an uncomfortable one. Too weak, not well enough protected, and maybe it will help with a sense of empathy, and I can't remember what it was like to be normal. Jordan suppressed a shiver.
I am not going away from you, Ferros said, responding immediately to the tangle of emotion.
I know. Jordan tried to quiet his feelings.
I will always protect you. Ferros paused. Tracey does not worry enough. Tell him he must speak up when he must.
What?
I don't know, Ferros said, and lapsed into silence.
"We'll help," Jordan said aloud.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 8:59 pm
"You can't always afford to be covering me though. That puts you guys in danger too." He hated the feeling of being a burden, of being dead weight. "I need to talk to Sasha I guess, up my chances a bit of being able to look after myself."
It would be hard to go back into fights again with the same gusto he'd had, aware now that there was less of a shield to protect him, that the mortality risk was that much higher.
His anger spiked again.
<>
<>
He eyed Harrison with a frown. "You alright man? You've not..said anything." Nothing coherent anyway. A quiet Harrison had him worried.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 10:39 pm
No. Harrison seized the hand with the cuff. He examined it painfully for a moment, then held Rep's palm open in his own.
He looked up into Rep's eyes.
"Tracey. Don't let me cut him, you understand?"
With slow and purposeful deliberation, and without waiting for an answer, Harrison drew B0nez and pulled the sharp end across Rep's palm, watching the result with tense concentration.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:13 pm
Rep didn't resist at all as Harrison took his hand, not that he felt he could resist anything much right about now. He felt feeble compared to usual and it still unnerved him.
Tracey replied but before Rep could relay the message, the cut sliced across his hand, making him flinch instinctually and try to pull his hand back, eyeing the cut as it bled just a little, raising a brow curiously at Harrison as he held it up for inspection.
"He says he can't block that."
He repeated this for Harrison's benefit.
He lazily licked the cut out of habit. "Apparently you'd have to do more than that to see if the shield works." He hurriedly added. "Dunno how good an idea that is."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2012 11:32 pm
Harrison looked completely wrecked at the blood, misery written over every feature as he dug in his pocket for the roll of regular, non-runic bandages tucked beside his bandaid tin.
Some of the tightness eased at the explanation for why.
"Don't lick it," Harrison grumbled, taking back the hand and wrapping it gently. "******** if I'm gonna be the one to test that."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
