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Post by Shark a' Pult on Jul 6, 2013 2:18:40 GMT -5
"New memories?"
The former prisoner was startled at first, both by Henri slamming the bowl down, as well as his sudden change in demeanor. He seemed like a cheery fellow on any given day, but this was more than she was used to, and his smile fooled her completely. It would be hard for her to trust him any more than she did right now.
"A new life? That sounds... nice, like what Fen wanted for me. I think I would like that, but..."
The prisoner drew her hands from the table and lowered her gaze to them. Henri was so kind and caring, and though she had trouble remembering anyone in her life at the moment, she felt certain that she would never come across a greater or more noble and compassionate person than he. Surely for as good a person as he was, and his trustworthy helpfulness, the little job of wanting someone dead was just a misunderstanding.
"I want a way to thank you for what you did. I'd still be in that place without your help, and a new life sounds nice, but I don't want a life without you in it. I know, what I did to the warden was... but there must be something I can do in return?"
Surely, they could just talk with this person he wanted dead? She felt certain that all the problems could be settled with a nice, easy conversation. In the short time she had known him Henri had, if nothing else, caused her to believe that the outside world worked this way and was a place of peace and harmony.
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Post by CJ on Jul 6, 2013 23:00:19 GMT -5
Henri's smile twitched as the prisoner made up her mind. He kept up the act until she said she didn't want to live life without him, without doing a favor for him.
His eyes went wide and his mouth fell into a frown.
His desires flooded in as he sat down and placed his hands on his head and elbows on the table. He was about to throw away his plans to make Solaine the next Asuza. He was going to see her kill all sorts of people in so many different ways. How could he ever bring himself to abandon that dream?
Biting his lip to fight his emotions, he tried desperately to remember Solaine was a different person now. She wanted more than to be a simple killing machine.
But something like Solaine killing Asuza would never happen again. There was no way he would ever see two of their caliber go head to head in his life. This was what he lived for, what he dreamed about as a child, watching electric fish devour fireflies in a pond in his backyard. Death was the ultimate end for everyone. He wanted to see every possible way someone could die so he could have the best one possible.
Deep breathes were the only response the prisoner would get. Henri was panicking, fighting against his very nature as it was. He wanted the best for her but he would suffer mentally for it. Not to mention the risk of Asuza finding him eventually.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 9, 2013 15:05:48 GMT -5
The prisoner was fairly new to the world, but she could tell that Henri was angry... no, bothered by something. Maybe she was mistaken before, about what he truly wanted?
"I am... sorry, if I have upset you with anything I said."
Moving slowly to her feet, she stood by the table with her hands held together, lingering there for awhile. It seemed she dearly wanted to say something, but couldn't Either she didn't have the right words, or simply she couldn't express in words what she felt. Or perhaps it was just something that she didn't want to say, but felt she should have. Whatever the case, the apology was about the best she could muster.
"I'll leave you to your thoughts then. You'll let me know, if there's anything you want from me?"
Lowering her hands to her sides, she took her leave, heading back to her room. She too, needed a chance to think about what was going, what her situation was. There was a need to consider how much use she was to Henri now, the one she owed her life to.
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Post by CJ on Aug 12, 2013 19:22:18 GMT -5
Henri looked slowly at Solaine and gave a weak smile.
There was something he wanted from her indeed.
---
Water 7.
This was where Henri Alain took Solaine Winterfield to start her new life. Renting a motel room, the two searched for a job she could pursue under an alias name, which Henri allowed Solaine to come up with herself. Strangely enough, at least for her, she was to call Henri "Hikaru" while they were out in public.
Solaine wouldn't get much from Henri. It seemed all he was there to do was pamper her and adhere to her every desire. Any question or favor directed toward Henri would be excused immediately and interrupted with some new insight on his part. Solaine would discover a kind and caring man in those days, burden with some unspeakable worry.
In those days, Henri completely changed his appearance, dying his blond hair bright green and wearing dark, bland clothing. It was his hope that people would notice his hair and then, more importantly, his hands. He had previously lost them in Asuza's encounter with Obivate's nephew, having to replace them with synthetic, cyborg hands.
The only particpants of his deadly games that would recognize him by this feature was Asuza and Light. He figured he wouldn't have to worry about Light searching him out for any revenge. That left Asuza.
To keep his lie going, Henri organized his games by different names and prizes. For Asuza, it was the "Grand Path" with the prize of one trillion bells and fame throughout the land. This prize money was to be found at Water 7 in Honeydew Bank.
So there he and Solaine were, in a cafe across the street from the bank, seated at a table closest to the canal. The con artist had ordered an expensive cappuccino with extra cream. As always, he told Solaine she could get whatever she wanted.
If Asuza were to pursue Henri, which the con hoped he would, he would likely come here. If he didn't, that was fine with Henri as well. He was starting to like this life, not having to respond to the beck and call of blood thirsty game participants. He quite liked getting his kicks reading tragic stories in newspapers and reading gruesome horror stories.
But there was always that chance that Asuza would stop by, notice him and threaten him. Then Solaine, out of gratitude and necessity, would attack and kill Asuza. He didn't even consider Asuza winning. No, not in his fantasy would the bloody King ever win against the wonderful Solaine, the Solaine he named himself after.
Then he would have to sadly inform Solaine, oh so sadly, that Asuza was ranked 11 in a new tournament. By law, she would have to climb the ranks for a new prize, lest she be killed by another contender.
He'd start the whole lie over again and watch as a new batch of criminals were ripped apart in her lust.
No, no, no. He couldn't. This wasn't Solaine anymore. This was an innocent person he'd destroy with his selfish desires. What was he doing, trying to make it seem like an encounter with Asuza was mere accident? He was setting this all up to ruin Solaine. He had to stop it. Attempting to hold back panic, he stirred his coffee with his free hand and talked to Solaine in a whisper.
"Solaine, what do you think about moving somewhere else? I'm thinking maybe we should consider making new memories somewhere else."
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 13, 2013 17:16:08 GMT -5
A glass of only ice sat on the table before her, which she crunched in her mouth rather audibly.
"Somewhere else? I like it here, but... whatever you say Hikaru, I'll go along with. You're much smarter about these sorts of things, and I'm still just getting used to the outside."
The ex-prisoner had a hard time adjusting to a normal life, particularly from a social standpoint, as previously the only social interaction she'd had was with Lienfen on those rare visits. She had managed (with help) to get some work at warehouse, organizing files and paperwork. It was about all she could manage, and it was simple yet tedious work, but she enjoyed it enough as she seemed to have a natural talent for it. She had made a little bit of money for herself through this work, which she immediately gave to Henri. Even so, she had managed to make a friend or two, and a nice fellow had asked to take her to a park and around the city a few times. It was not an amazing new life, but it was a start.
"Where would we go, after this place? And how soon? I'd have to let Patricia know so we can write to one another, and also I think I'm supposed to let my boss at work know if I'm leaving."
---
Was it about the money? It had been some time since he had seen Henri, but Asuza remembered what he looked like well enough. A prize, some monetary reward for defeating everyone in front of him, the King never sought as much. To draw attention away from the old crew, or rather to draw focus to himself, that was what he wanted. Still though, a part of him had to know if what had been promised actually existed. To know if Henri had been lying to him all along. There had been some mention of money and roughly where it was, but Asuza had no idea of what account to ask for or where to look in the bank, so he waited. Waited to see if Henri would ever show up to collect what he promised existed; after all, why would he let all that money go to waste when the King wasn't taking it?
It was a long shot, but Asuza didn't have much else to occupy himself with in the time being, and Water 7 was a convenient location besides. Close to several important Marine and Government locations, he could pick almost any direction and sail that way for a day, and come across some facility or fleet to lay waste to. Whatever he could do, to keep attention focused on himself, and perhaps in time he might even go for Marineford? Who knew, as for now, he spent his free time waiting.
Well what do you know...
There he was. Could it be that he just arrived and sat down at a cafe? That would be so like him, to do that. Or maybe he had been in town some time and finally thought the coast was clear? What mattered was... well, that he was here. His appearance was a little different, but not enough that Asuza didn't notice him. As well, that girl with him, another detail. Who was she, did it matter? Probably another pet project of Henri's, just like Light or as much as he hated to admit it, Asuza himself. Too young to be of interest otherwise, unless Henri was into that sort of thing... whatever the case, he didn't have to sit around waiting anymore. Fortune favors the bold, after all.
"Hello, Henri. You look well."
Slowly, he set down Light's average-looking pistol on the table between Henri and the ex-prisoner. Asuza hadn't ninja sneaked up behind them or anything, but he did his best to keep out of Henri's sight at least, and in the hustle and bustle of the streets and the cafe he didn't have trouble treading lightly. Solaine noticed him at some point when he got close, but before she could point him out as a suspicious-looking person, he had made it to the table.
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Post by CJ on Aug 14, 2013 16:06:07 GMT -5
Henri's face fell. How could he even think of dragging Solaine away from Water 7 now? He had forgotten she had relationships and other things at stake. The money she had made was so miniscule, he didn't think would have to explain finance to her for a while.
He knew about Patricia but he never really thought about what she meant to Solaine. The only friend he ever had was Light. And now...
"Solaine."
There was a brief flash of notable fear in his eyes at the sight of Light's gun.
"Oh, hello," Henri said with a shaking voice, looking up at Asuza. His mind seemed to crack in that moment. Here he was.
Now. Yell to Solaine for help. Start the cycle all over again. There was no other way. He would just have to do it, enjoy it and regret it later.
No. There was a way. The cost was that he wouldn't see Asuza die in a beautiful, glorious way. But he could escape with his life and Solaine could keep her's here.
"I mean, hello!" Henri cheered with a bright smile, standing up in a twirl. "I can't believe it! You did it! You've won! Everyone, he won the prize! Let's give a cheer!"
The residents and tourists didn't react initially. But soon, some of them began to clap, even cheer for Asuza. Henri grinned as the crowd became puddy in his hands.
"No one has ever beaten Light and her ferocious Pato, much less found me at the very location my riddles led to. You should be proud of yourself! Would you do me the honor of shaking my hand, Zuzu?"
With an innocent smile and twinkle in his eye, he stretched out his hand for Asuza to shake.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 15, 2013 4:25:34 GMT -5
"Always one for flattery, Henri."
Asuza made a mental note of the gathering onlookers, but kept his focus on the only one he perceived as a possible threat.
"Who is this person... Hikaru?"
"Hikaru, is that what you go by these days? How much does she know, about the truth?"
The ex-prisoner did not like this stranger, whoever he was. If not for his mannerisms, then his appearance; he was physically one of the biggest people she could remember having seen in her life, and his stature was very imposing. Even his choice of attire, as the mass of bandages covering the man head to toe put her on edge almost as much as the burned skin she could see in parts.
"No one has ever beaten Light and her ferocious Pato, much less found me at the very location my riddles led to. You should be proud of yourself! Would you do me the honor of shaking my hand, Zuzu?"
"This is the last time I will ever tell you not to call me Zuzu."
Seeing no reason not to, Asuza went to meet Henri's handshake, there was no twinkle to match in his own cloudy eyes. After all, he had no idea what Henri's new hands might be capable of. Unless Henri had something up his sleeve though, it was possible his hand was about to be crushed. Partly from the King's physical prowess, but mostly from malice.
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Post by CJ on Aug 15, 2013 15:13:25 GMT -5
"No human will ever know the truth about me," Henri murmured with a twitching smile, glancing toward the crowd around them.
A bright grin came over the con's face when Asuza took his hand. Henri in turn stepped on Asuza's leather boot. A surge of electricity erupted from his breaking metal hand, coursing through the King's body, out through Asuza's foot, back into Henri and out through his hand again.
The force was enough to kill a normal man. But this was Asuza after all. The crowd was starting to get noticeably disturbed by the recent turn of events. Some women even started calling for help.
"What are you doing?!" Henri cried out in a laugh. "You're breaking my hand!"
Any onlooker would have to guess to see that Asuza was being shocked on purpose. If anything, the King could have simply been hurt by Henri's malfunctioning hand, crushed between his grip.
"Solaine!" he called out in worry, "you should probably high tail it back to the motel room! This guy's dangerous... apparently!"
Henri's change in mood brought on a change. The electrical current's power was cut in half.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 16, 2013 2:23:46 GMT -5
"Hey, what are you doing to him, cut it ou-"
Unaware of what was truly happening, Solaine rose to her feet in protest. As far as she could tell, Henri was at the mercy of this stranger, and she tried to get him to stop. Unfortunately before she got the chance, enough electricity had shocked Asuza, that some of the explosives he was carrying triggered. This in turn only caused more to detonate. Within a moment, the area outside the cafe was engulfed in a massive explosion.
---
His mind was still reeling after the explosion, but he was long past the point of feeling pain from this. Asuza hated no special enemy, why he hadn't even come here to kill or otherwise harm Henri in the slightest. He just wanted the truth, but this was the final straw. He was tired of Henri's lies and his schemes, tired of living according to his decree, tired of dancing to the tune that this man played. He had caused the death of innocents, and there was only one course of action now. There would be no easy rest for Henri, no simple end, and there were none now left alive on the blue sea to prevent that.
Standing up out of the rubble, pieces of rock and plaster still fell from the King's form and sent up dust about the area, fire blazing all about. Only the barest remains of his pants remained, his other clothes and even his flak jacket all burned away. His bandages with them as well, and all that remained was the skin underneath, if it could be called that. Almost like tanned leather, all that was left of the King was scorched, charred skin from head to toe almost resembling gristle at this point and not so very far from it. The most unsettling detail was that his being in this state was not due to the explosion. No, that had burned him further, if such a thing was possible so that he bleeding across his entire back. Whatever had caused him to be this way, had happened long ago, and whatever it was must have paled in comparison to this.
"Hikaru?! Where are you, are you alright?!"
The young girl on the other hand, was already on her feet by the time the King emerged, seeming no worse for the wear herself. Apart from her work clothes being burned a little, she seemed completely fine, and entirely unshaken by the explosion. Instead of trying to adjust to the aftermath or regain her senses, she was busy looking for Henri amidst the destruction and fire. The smoke and the dust though, made it hard for her.
Asuza meanwhile, though somewhat concerned by how little the girl seemed effected, merely waited until Henri showed himself or she found him.
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Post by CJ on Aug 16, 2013 10:17:48 GMT -5
Henri could be found by the edge of the water. His eyes were wide open, looking down into the canal. He had just missed falling into it.
The whole right side of his body was bloody and burned, as though someone had taken a bucket of paint and splashed it on him as he laid on the ground. His arm looked like it could be yanked off or broken easily. His green eyes were vivid, strikingly brighter than the manufactured green of his hair.
But despite the horrible injuries, Henri started laughing. It was quiet, to the point where it was half wheezing, but it was unmistakable laughter.
Was he in shock? Perhaps. It could have been the brief glimpses of innocent death around him that sent him into euphoria. Like a child receiving a puppy for Christmas, Henri got a rare and unexpected treat.
Despite his efforts, he couldn't focus on the pain, Solaine's voice or even the threat of Asuza nearby. He kept laughing and laughing as he stared straight into the water.
---
Meanwhile, some Marines arrived on the scene, lead by a large (though not nearly as large as Asuza) man dressed in a formal coat. There were scars all over his body, indicative of a man who had been through many battles.
"What a horrible day for you to retire on, Commodore," a man in sunglasses muttered sadly standing nearby. "I'll go and detect the living. You can handle the big guy, right?"
The Commodore nodded with a nervous frown. Was he frightened of Asuza? His cold, black eyes seemed to say otherwise.
As the lower ranked Marine led the others in locating and carrying away survivors (at a surprisingly fast and effective rate), the Commodore took to action. Stepping forward with clenching fists, he gulped and spoke feebly.
"Excuse me. By the order of Commodore Savage Feral, you're under arrest for the murder of innocents and destruction of public and private property. Will you comply?"
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 18, 2013 3:16:57 GMT -5
"Hikaru! Oh no, this is bad... we have to get you to a doctor!"The ex-prisoner found Henri by the water, and tried to clear away some of the debris around him so that any spreading fires and smoke wouldn't cause greater harm. She was afraid to move or otherwise touch him in his condition, but she knew they had to get out of here for his sake. Busy as she was, she didn't notice the arrival of the marines or Asuza's recovery. "Excuse me. By the order of Commodore Savage Feral, you're under arrest for the murder of innocents and destruction of public and private property. Will you comply?"Shifting towards the Commodore, the King stood in a rather bestial stance. There was no malevolent gaze or ambition, no aura of dread or defiance, just Asuza looking about the scene of destruction. "All of... this around us, this ruined place and these hurt people, and all you want to do is... arrest me? You can see the fires still burning, yes? Do you even know what happened here?"Asuza found it somewhat humorous, the arrival and presence of the marines. It all seemed too coordinated, too well-orchestrated and too convenient to simply be be chance. He had the creeping suspicion now that Henri had done something to bring them here, just another trap for Asuza to fall into. He had fallen too far to just accept defeat however, and he wouldn't comply willingly. Instead, he kicked up an unexploded rocket out of the dust to his hands, at which point he lit it and fired it at the ground before the marine. He didn't intend to kill the man, but he wanted him out of the picture at least long enough to deal with what was on his mind. --- "Stand aside girl. Don't get hurt for the likes of him.""No, stay away from him! Whatever it is that you want to do, I won't let you!"When she heard his voice, the ex-prisoner turned anxiously to see the King standing not so far away, carrying another unexploded rocket he had managed to find amidst the wreckage. Correctly she assumed it was his plan to blast Henri into the afterlife, but she wouldn't stand down, just as he wouldn't stand down to the marines. "No more tricks, no more games, I'm done with it all... and he's going to die. There are none alive on the blue sea who can stop me.""I can... I can stop you. You'll have to get through me first!""No you can't, and no I don't. You're guarding a dead man."The ex-prisoner stood defiantly between Henri and the King, her arms outstretched as her tattered clothes and hair blew in the wind. As close as she was now, she got a good look at Asuza though, and felt a twinge of fear for it. His condition was ghastly enough, but she could see beneath the few remaining lengths of his jet black hair that he was missing a large portion of his face. Not like it had been blasted or burned off, but like his skull had caved in from some earlier conflict. As such, near half of his lower face was gone such that he barely had a jaw left. That he managed to be able to speak was a miracle, and it explained why he could never eat anything Henri had ever given him before. Caught off guard by this sudden gruesome sight, Asuza was able to exploit her hesitation. Striking it as he went, he hefted the rocket to aim right for Henri. It was his plan to simply shoot the explosive right past the girl to hit the target, bypassing her entirely and in no way bringing harm to her. There was no way she could move in the way in time. After all, no one could move at that speed to dodge bullets and the like? "AGH!"With a cry of pain, the girl was sent hurtling across the ground in a roll, to which the King's eyes widened. Slowly he straightened up, lowering his guard as he tried to make sense of what happened. What had he done? The girl, he... could it be his aim? He'd be the first to admit that his eyesight was terrible, and after everything that had happened today, he was more than shaken. He had never once had a problem with his aim though, even after all these years, he had never missed once on a shot that counted. No, his aim was sound, he had to believe that... but then why did she- "Grrrrr- HA!"There was some movement, and before long the girl was back on her feet, though it seemed she was having an intense difficulty with just that. Looking closer, she seemed to be holding something close with both her hand and struggling with it no less, but when he saw the fire coming out the back Asuza knew exactly what it was; the rocket. With both her hands clasped around it, not only had she managed to get in the way, but had even managed to catch the thing midair. The force behind it sent her flying, but she managed to stop it, and struggling with the effort she finally managed to direct it off into the canal with a shout. The resultant explosion was immense, but underwater, so that a large portion of the contents of the canal were sent skywards. Water began to shower down upon them, and Asuza dropped the rocket launcher with a clatter as it hit the ground. The girl looked exhausted but she had some moments to regain her breath, as the King stood there with water raining down on all of them, at a loss for what to think or say. "Who are you, girl?"Returning to something of a fighters stance, he closed the distance between him and Henri as the ex-prisoner considered his question. Her eyes on the ground and panting, memories began to flash across her mind. Of the prison and Fen, and the warden and the guards. Of her time spent with Henri in her new life, and the few friends she had made during it. She saw and heard many things, many names, but they began to coalesce into one word, and by the time the King neared she stood up ready to meet him head on. There was this idea, of the kind of person who she needed to be, that was what Lienfen wanted for her after she had been freed from prison. After all that she had been through however, the ex-prisoner finally had an idea of who she wanted to be. "My name... is Solaine."With that she lunged at Asuza, who was ready take her down. That little stunt with the rocket was enough for him to tell that she wasn't normal, and that he wouldn't hold back against her. --- After the smoke had cleared, two figures remained, the two that had begun the fight. Only, they were not in the same condition as when they started. Solaine sat on an upturned piece of rubble, covered in blood herself. Despite this though, apart from her clothes which had already been in tatters but were now reduced to less than that (though not enough to risk her dignity), she looked completely fine. At least that is, none of the blood was hers. Before her though, in his own personal mini-crater in the ground lie the other, motionless in a pool of his own blood. Kingsley Asuza, who once fought alongside the Sky King Proteon. The man who survived the Cataclysm of the Ashfall Islands, had gone on to become the first mate of the Hearfelt Pirates, and ended up the victor of the Grand Path. A monster of a man yet there he lay, utterly defeated, broken by a sixteen-year-old girl when no others could. It was hard to tell what Solaine was thinking or feeling at that moment, other than she was shaking, perhaps from the cold. The only proof she had to show for the fight she had just gone through, she grasped very tightly in her hands; one of Asuza's arms. That, might explain the blood covering her.
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Post by CJ on Aug 19, 2013 9:15:05 GMT -5
Savage should have known there was something was up about the call they'd gotten earlier. The girl on the other end seemed to know a little too much about the situation at hand. In that moment, standing before the monster of a man, he regretted standing in for the Marine who typically ran the place as a parting gift.
"That's not it! I need you out of here so more people aren't killed!"
Commodore Savage blinked, seeing the rocket kicked toward him. He frowned and wound back his fist to punch it back at Asuza. He miscalculated and it grazed past him, exploding into the cafe and propelling him forward. He hit his head on the edge of a chair and slumped down.
---
"There's someone in the canal!" the Marine in sunglasses shouted. He had been searching and locating survivors with amazing accuracy. He and the others just about had everyone living evacuated.
"Sir, the water's clear," an Ensign corrected him. "There's no one there!"
The man shook his head in worry.
"No, I know it. They're right below us. There's so mistaking it."
"Lieutenant March!" another called out, seeing Solaine toss the rocket their way. The soldiers were blown back by the explosion. In the chaos, a girl emerged from the tower of water and fell forward into March's arms.
---
A voiced called to the Commodore. He tiredly opened his eyes to see his men kneeling around him. He absentmindedly held onto the one's shoulder as they took him away.
For whatever reason, he couldn't remember the names or faces of his men. But he didn't say anything, lest they panic. Their voices were distinct and he could recall having memories of them, but he couldn't place their names or faces.
Trying to figure out if he had some kind of amnesia, he tried to think back on his past. He could remember everything, his childhood, his Marine exploits, that purple haired bee kid.
But what was his name? And what did his face look like?
"Commodore ---," one of them said, "we need to evacuate. That girl, she said her name was ---. She'll kill us if we don't leave. I'm sure of it! I couldn't see what she did to that disfigured criminal, but the sounds... oh, the sounds! Commodore, can you hear me?"
This one was the Lieutenant. He could tell by the sunglasses. But again, he couldn't quite place his name. A girl was in the Lieutenant's arms, dressed in some strange gothic attire with a stark black top hat. Her hair reminded her of the bee kid's, purple and curly.
"I hear you," the Commodore muttered, looking back at the bloody scene. He noted the girl in the midst of it all, clutching the criminal's arm. He felt it would be beneficial to remember her name and face.
For some reason, he thought he would come to regret not being able to.
---
Henri's eyes opened to see debris and blood flowing in the canal.
"Mizuko?" he croaked.
There was no response from the water. No bubbles. No twist of a wave.
"Mizuko... where... are you..."
He tried to move his arm to lift himself up but found that he couldn't. Then pain started to seep in. His right side of his body felt like it was on fire. He cried out and clutched his arm in misery.
How did he get here? Wasn't he just at the cafe?
"Solaine?" his voice cracked, calling out for her.
But when he finally he saw her, everything came back. Asuza had found them. Henri tried to electrocute him but something went wrong. Latent fire magic? No, he wasn't capable of such a thing.
He remembered the dead and some kind of loud noise, but most importantly the dead. Somehow, he was knocked out in the confusion. Then Solaine apparently killed Asuza. But how?
"Tell me... how... did you..."
How did Henri miss it? After all of his work, after all the frustration, Henri missed seeing Solaine brutally murder Asuza. It happened right in front of him but his damn eyes were shut.
The pain of his bloodied skin and shattered arm faded away in his grief. Tears flowed down his face. He inched himself with his working hand slowly and pathetically toward her.
"Please... how did you kill him..."
Perhaps it wasn't too late. He could live the experience vicariously through her. His cares and worries about her ceased in that instant. For now, and maybe forever, he was only obsessed with her actions, not her person. He grinned, his smile stretching across his face.
"Tell me, Solaine!"
He coughed and rolled onto his back and started laughing again. He wheezed, trying to fight against his glee in his equal misery.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 21, 2013 1:21:48 GMT -5
Seeing Henri crawl from the smoke and ruin towards her, Solaine heard his words just fine, though they sounded worlds away. It seemed like a very long time for her, till she was able to comprehend exactly what he was saying though. Before that they were just a jumble in her mind, and carried no meaning. Whereupon she did understand though, she found her gaze drawn ever so slowly to what was left of Asuza.
Seeing his broken form, she looked down towards one of her hands, covered in blood as it was. Moving said hand to her face, she hesitated just a moment before actually touching it, then waited no longer. Closing her eyes as she pressed against it, she dragged her hand across her face to leave a vivid, bloody handprint. Opening her eyes again, she was able to look at the world in a whole new light, and the remains of the King as well. Not a smile, just a word. Shaky, but distinct.
"Run."
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Post by CJ on Aug 22, 2013 8:23:18 GMT -5
Henri looked dumbfounded.
So this was what it all came to. He finally got his prize, but not in a way he'd ever want.
Glancing out the corner of his eye, he saw a girl break out of the Marine's arms and sprint toward him. She clutched her top hat to keep it from flying away in the wind.
Looking back at Solaine, he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she looked, her face covered in blood. It was the beauty of death incarnate, a death he wouldn't mind embracing.
He laughed.
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Post by Shark a' Pult on Aug 22, 2013 17:02:42 GMT -5
He didn't seem to understand the bigger picture. Moving to her feet, she dropped the bloody arm like it was nothing, as she no longer needed it as some kind of mental anchor. She had regained her senses and closed the distance between Henri and herself, leaning over him as she spoke, blood probably dripping onto him in the process.
"Don't you get it? You're finished." Kneeling down she went to pick him up, lift him to his feet, carefully so in his injured state. If he needed help to stand, she would give it, but she looked up to him as she spoke. "Just look at the two of us."
Looking him over like some injured or diseased dog, the disapproval (or perhaps disgust) on her face was clear to see. It was like she was sizing him up, and extended her arm next to his to compare. With her clothes in burned tatters loosely hanging from her person, her arm was clear to see, and it was healthy and completely unharmed. Truth be told she had not shook the hand of a man who exploded, but she was caught in the blast vicinity just like everyone else, the next closest person after Henri to be precise. Metal, stone, even the King himself had been marred by the explosives, but here Solaine was, as good as she ever was.
"You're not fit for this kind of thing, you can't even stop the likes of him." At this, she lightly kicked the arm down into the mini-crater where the rest of Asuza was. "...but I can. So why don't you just go and tell me why he was here? What did he mean, games and tricks?"
At his she prodded his chest in a demeaning manner, intent on learning the truth. It may not have seemed that way, but she was being nice about it. If she had to though, she would play mean.
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