Holy Pain

[Autoplay Warning] “Life is fleeting. If you stand up to destiny, it drags you screaming down to hell and shuts the door behind you.” | Atsuki Saijo | Lux Pain | Assigned Partner: Shinn Asuka | Affiliated with Concordium.

[drivenbyrage-blog]

↳ in dire need of anger management classes

[drivenbyrage-blog]

             ▪「   ▬   A lack of faith? No. It wasn’t that. His faith in the commander and his plans were unshakable; but he was still terribly afraid of not being near the battlefield. The chances of everything falling apart during a war was high, and he wanted to be there to prevent it; to protect everything he believed in with his own two hands. If he couldn’t even do that much, then he was still the same weak child wasn’t he? Listening to him blabber on as if he was a soldier caused him to harshly snap at the stranger once again. “Shut up!” His voice was loud and laced with aggression, as if he was using volume to drive out all the noise inside his own head.

           "I’m not god! I know that!" Narrowing his eyes, he clenched his fists tightly in frustration. His red pupils shined with determination and resolve as he spoke. "Even if I’m not their only hope, they still rely on me! They trust me to protect and lead them to their goals. I-" A small scowl appeared on his face as he abruptly cut himself off. "Why am I explaining this to you when you’re not going to understand at all." Attempting to make him understand was a waste of his own breath. Even though they both had access to each other’s emotions, there was still a large barricade between them.

           Because he had been briefly consumed by anger, he had forgotten that they not only shared emotions; but they also shared physical pain. As his punch landed on the man’s face, he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. His own punch caused him to stagger backwards and fall onto his back. Lightly panting, he placed a hand on his throbbing cheek. He threw one hell of a punch didn’t he? As he got up on his knees, he shifted his gaze to the guy he just physically assaulted and was slightly stunned by how exhausted the other looked.

           The physical pain he caused upon himself woke him up. The man’s feelings, which had been overshadowed by his own anger, washed over him and he was forced to face the truth. They were on the same boat. Desperate. Tired. Lost. Shinn’s heart remained surprisingly calm as he responded to the stranger’s words. “… You are not becoming someone else.” His words were curt; but full of certainty. There wasn’t a hint of doubt in his words as he spoke. “You are still yourself. You will always be yourself.” Lightly cringing in pain as he pushed himself to stand on his feet, he lowered his gaze to look at the man in the eye.

              "Being connected to me doesn’t change a single damn thing about you."

[gawains-gaze]

Shut up? Very well...Atsuki could do that. Talking to someone who was so full of rage was not worth the effort, even if it meant that Atsuki would get injured in the process. He knew what he could, and could not do, and if he did something wrong by trying to forcibly remove the other's anger with his ability...

He could destroy their minds, if they truly were connected. 

Atsuki would not meet the other's gaze as he was reprimanded yet again. His energy was completely gone, with no strength to argue the other's words. 

"...I understand. And I..." He trailed off, fatigue shattering his thoughts. Once he was standing, he swayed uneasily, shaking his head slightly to remove some of the dizziness that overcame him. That hit he'd taken, powered by anger, had been quite impressive, but they both knew that, didn't they?

Eyes flickered to the male once before drifting to the ground. "...I apologize." "Are you sure, though? Can I believe in your words?" Honestly, if he wasn't himself, he may as well consider himself infected with Silent. And if that happened...he'd have to do his best to destroy his own mind. 

But would that injure this person before him? Normally, he wouldn't care, but that small kindness shown by the other went a long way to leaving a tiny kernel of concern for the other. 

"I'll believe you." He would attempt to nod, but that was a mistake--the pain from the punch, and the throbbing in his head came back en force, causing the male to actually wince, pressing a delicate hand to his temple. 

"If that ever happens, though, tell me. I will have to do something drastic should that happen. It is as I am ordered to do." Should he even be telling this stranger this? 

Well, if they ended up perishing here, it didn't matter. Besides, the other had already seen some of what he could do. 

"I'll tell you now, looking into another's thoughts will be hell. I've been able to do that since before I arrived here. I will do my best to block my emotions from affecting you. For now, that is..."

His left hand grasped around his right wrist. 

"That is the only thing I can do without causing harm."

He would then turn to walk away before halting, turning back with a puzzled expression upon his face. "I do not wish to keep calling you insults, so may I have your name? Err...if that is alright with you." Awkward silence filled the air before he realized that he should offer his name first. 

"O-oh. The one you call idiot standing before you is Atsuki Saijo. I work...on the front lines." 

[luxpain-ebooks]

[bitchingmohawk]

gawains-gaze started following you

                               ”So.”

┊She rubbed a crick out of her neck and glanced across the room at her present company.┊

                              “You got any more idea about this mess than I do?”

[gawains-gaze]

The male remained silent, even when he was addressed. He pondered things for a pause, before, without once looking at her, responded in a listless tone. 

"It depends on how much you know."

And with that, Atsuki glanced up at the woman from where he was seated, taking in her appearance with cool indifference. She seemed a strong woman, mentally and physically. Atsuki could respect that, as long as she didn't launch at him like his supposed partner had done. 

"I take it you will be staying in this room?"

[drivenbyrage-blog]

↳ in dire need of anger management classes

[drivenbyrage-blog]

             ▪「   ▬   Apathy. The foreign feeling that attempted to overshadow Shinn’s rage caused him a great deal of frustration and confusion. He was an emotional individual who was never afraid to unleash his emotions onto the world and onto other people. For someone like him to suddenly feel indifferent and calm about a situation he bitterly hated - it was an unpleasant experience. It was as if he no longer cared anymore. It was unbearable. As soon as he unwilling calmed down a little bit, a small scowl appeared on his face. “… Then these annoying thoughts and feelings are all yours.” 

           Moving his eyes away from the stranger, his gaze landed on his clothed wrist. The brand that connected them was hidden beneath; but it seemed like the power of the mark was strong. Because their emotions were intertwined, he could tell that the stranger wasn’t lying to him. There was a war raging from where he hailed from. It was different from his, but it was war nonetheless. Unfortunately, this didn’t help the pilot understand him. It only made him more confused. If he truly felt as desperate as Shinn, then why was there a lack of spark within him?

           ”Does it look like we’re in a terrible sci-fi movie?! Of course time will continue moving on. Every second here is a second wasted!” The fury his apathy was attempting to suppress violently reacted, attempting to break free from his grasp. Narrowing his red eyes, he glared at him for a few seconds before looking away. The lack of trust and understanding between them pushed Shinn into declining his request. “I don’t need your help. I will find a way out myself.” Once again, his emotions ruled over his decisions and he failed to tell the difference between rational and irrational.

           "Yeah that’s right. I’ll do whatever the hell I want." He blinked in confusion as he watched the stranger raise his arm. "What are you talk-" His words were cut short when a searing pain washed over his entire body. "You- Gah!" Staggering backwards, his back pressed against a tree as he endured the torment with all of his might. It was the first time he had felt such intense physical pain, but his body didn’t fail him and supported him until it was over. Moving into a crouching position, he coughed before attempting to control his heavy breathing

           The stranger’s actions had an opposite effect on the pilot. Instead of making him understand, he awakened his rage he was trying hard to suppress. “You bastard! Like hell if I’m going to listen to a single word you’re going to say!” Even though his vision was blurry and his body was aching, his willpower and pride allowed him to stand up and run towards the man before throwing his fist right at his face. “Go to hell!”

[gawains-gaze]

"I've seen stranger happen than a shift in time. But that's not the point. Do you not have faith in those you fight for? That they will crumble when you are gone? If you are that important to them, they would withdraw, fortify their defenses until your return."

"Don't speak as if you're their only hope. People stand on their own two feet, and if you're as important to them as you claim, you're nothing but a crutch when they should be capable of making their own decisions."

"You are not God."

His tone was cold and harsh, almost to the point of being cruel. The other just didn't get it, did he? That they had to work together to figure things out? What a pain...this man was more difficult to get along with than Liu on a bad day. 

He observed as the other calmed down a bit, but then flare a ugly, black color. Eyes narrowed as he glared at the other, clenching his hands into fists. This was...quite the dangerous situation he'd gotten himself into. 

And so, after he attempted to prove his point, the other's anger only increased. 

Of course he could dive into this male's mind, snap him as if he were a twig, but no...he wouldn't dare. As Liu stated many times...Atsuki was not a Sweeper. While he was told to destroy the Silent infected minds, he would only remove the Silent. 

But this individual was not infected with that darkness, but the rage comparable to one was there nonetheless. 

He stood his ground as the other approached, thinking that perhaps by being hit, this stranger would finally get the point. He made no moves to defend himself as he soon felt the impact of the other's fist, his jaw clenching from the pain as he was sent staggering before he fell to the ground, the world around him growing black for a terrifying few seconds. 

He lay there, stunned for a moment, before he even attempted to get to his feet. He did so with great effort, before falling to his knees once again. After his attempt to use his abilities earlier, he was weak enough already. His facade slipped, and his fatigue was plain. 

"...If I had no further purpose, I would go gladly. Listen to my words or not, that is all I have to say to you. If you ever find yourself needing help around here? Don't ask me." He looked away from the other, the side of his face still smarting from where he'd been hit. 

"I'm as desperate to get back as much as you do. Not that you'd give credit to any of my own words, but those are my words nonetheless." 

Atsuki grasped at his own wrist, drawing a thumb over the brand placed upon him. 

"I just feel...lost. Am I even myself anymore, or am I becoming someone else? Tch, no matter. It's not like you would listen, so why bother?" 

[foeyay]

yeah I feel like this is kind of important

[gawains-gaze]

(insert clever icon here) I know I still have a starter to write, but if anyone wants to interact with Atsuki. -coughs- you can like this post uwu//

[drivenbyrage-blog]

↳ in dire need of anger management classes

[drivenbyrage-blog]

             ▪「   ▬   The stranger’s words only caused the anger shining on his striking red eyes to burn brighter. Shinn sensed the strange connection between him and the man standing in front of him, but his rage prevented him from thinking rationally and coherently. Right now, he didn’t give a damn about the reason why he felt an emotional bond with the man. The only thing he cared about was telling this guy to shove off and to go bother someone who was interested in his crap. “Could you perhaps, I don’t know, get out of my face? ‘Cause it’s really none of your damn business.” A scowl appeared on his face as he turned to directly look at him in the eyes. Unfortunately for him, his attempt to calm the pilot down only caused the fury within him to increase.

                         ”Oh so important?! You don’t understand what’s at stake here! I have to go back out there and fight to end this war. I can’t just stand here and waste my time here!” The longer he was away from the battlefield, the more worried he grew about the war. If he wasn’t there to pull the trigger himself, then this war was never going to end. “Then get lost and think. You’re the one who came here to provoke me you bastard.” What an infuriating individual. He shot another glare at him for the offensive comment. “At least I’m trying to do something instead of standing around and trying to pick fights with others.”

                         Being treated like fool only angered him further. Unlike the stranger standing before him, he didn’t have any qualms with allowing his rage to flow freely and there was no way he was going to calm down just because he was told to do so. “If I’m such a imbecile, then you must be a total idiot since you’re the one who’s trying to piss me off.”

[gawains-gaze]

"Unfortunately, that is impossible. I'd quite like to be rid of you, but your thoughts being in my head all the time removes that. Still...I suppose I was a little rash in my words." Eyes glancing away from the other's for the briefest of moments, he gathered himself and steeled his mind, fighting the other's rage with frozen apathy. 

Atsuki was nothing. He was a void, taking in all emotion from the outside, and freezing it within his heart. There was no longer anger, there was no longer annoyance, merely a state of...not caring. 

Since this was a two way link, he did not speak, but allowed this alone to prove his point. 

  However, at the mention of war, something flickered behind Atsuki's eyes. "War? I understand. Again, you are not alone in that respect. I myself am fighting in a war of sorts."

A war against darkness, death, a war against the Silent. 

"However, who is to say that time flows the same here, as it was where you come from? When you return, it could be the same point as when you were taken. All I'm asking is a little patience so that I can investigate. Once I obtain enough information...perhaps I can help you find a way back to where you belong."

His pride stung at being called an idiot, but he did not deny such a thing. He simply took the brunt of the other's words, unflinching. Now that he recognized the other's anger, he could more easily do his best to defend against it. Being a telepath, defending himself was something he had to learn, or he'd lose his mind fighting the Silent. 

"I'm doing what I can. Other than that, I don't care what you think of me. Since it appears that I cannot stop you, then I suppose I could always..." He rose a hand to the other, his right hand with Gawain glinting on his middle finger. 

"What you feel, I feel. And vice versa. You may have felt this earlier, but I have no choice but to use it again." A golden eye gleamed as he focused his mind into his own abilities, an unearthly glow appearing in that right eye of his. 

Underneath his sleeve, the markings assiciated with his Lux-Pain appeared, and when it crossed the brand? A crippling pain started once more. The world was completely grey to Atsuki as he looked around, even the fiery eyes of this 'partner' before him. Silently, he endured, letting it last a few seconds before he halted it with a ragged gasp, hoping to prove his point. 

"That is what happens when I try to 'do something', as you so aptly put it. Now do you understand? I've no intention to make you suffer, so I'm limited in what I can do here."

[thepromisehekept]

don't point swords at unsuspecting individuals | +Atsuki

In the process of tentative exploration, Suga had left the inner area of the facility. He wasn’t so naive to think that there would be some simple exit outside of the white walls, but it was important to be aware of ones surroundings. These exterior surroundings were just as unsettling as the interior ones. It may have just been a function of uncertainty, but the familiar sights of grass and trees felt off.

An amount of walking that was neither very long or very short brought him to a grouping of trees that could be called a forest. Past experience speaking, he wasn’t keen on entering it. Knowledge of what was in one forest had kept him out, a lack of knowledge regarding this one did the same.

Already on edge, the sound of approaching footfalls truly was like the sound of someone falling. Only hindered by reaction time, his hand grasped the hilt of his sheathed sword. He allowed himself a moment to be surprised. The weight was so familiar that he hadn’t noticed that the sword hadn’t been taken from him on arrival.

Instinct - paranoia, really - drew the luminous tip of the sword toward the throat of the source of the noise. His eyes followed soon after, identifying what was clearly another individual. Those eyes narrowed, the what are you doing here clearly implied.

[gawains-gaze]

Atsuki was simply patrolling the perimeter, keeping his thoughts to himself, and keeping himself as far from his horrible excuse for a 'partner' as he could. He would still feel the lingering rage from earlier, but thank goodness he was able to bottle all that negative emotion away. Atsuki wasn't made to experience such things on such a violent scale. 

The last time he felt such bestial anger was when he saw his sister's corpse, and howled a curse to whatever Gods were above as the Silent consumed his innocent mind, corrupting him forever. 

Now, he appeared to feel little, caution of the extreme level causing his attitude to evolve into something quite apathetic. 

And yet, his heart skipped a beat when he came across someone, only to have a blade at his neck. 

"......."

Closing his eyes calmly, he took in a deep breath before looking upon the supposed assailant, a piercing gaze staring at the other as if searching for something. 

This assailant held no malice with his action. No, he appeared to be as distraught as all of the others that he had encountered. This, he could work with. Dichromatic eyes blinked lazily at the other as he did not move to budge or anything of the sort, canting his head ever so slightly to the side. 

It was obvious what question was in the stranger's eyes. The question everyone seemed to be asking nowadays. 

"What am I doing here...? That's the big question, isn't it? The question should be phrased along the lines of: 'What are we all doing here?' Or perhaps 'Why?' is another question. I myself am attempting to figure out the latter of the two." A breeze ruffled through ashen hair, and the young man stood without fear against the other's blade. 

"To answer your question, however, I am simply attempting to gather my bearings. Can I assume the same of you as well?"

[drivenbyrage-blog]

↳ in dire need of anger management classes

           ▪「   ▬   "Like hell if I’m going to sit here and be their damn test subject!" Voice intertwined with rage, his eyes burned with fury as unpleasant memories washed over his mind. Recalling how the woman he once loved was treated as a guinea pig by everyone around her only pushed him to become completely engulfed by his anger. Removing his helmet, he carelessly tossed it away before glaring at the fence that blocked his connection to the outside world. There was no way in hell he was going to accept living here. He was going to return back to ZAFT, no matter what it took. Shinn swore he would find this disgusting facility after he was free from its grasps, give all the entrapped souls back the freedom they deserved and erase this place entirely with his own two hands.

                         Grinding his teeth together in frustration, his attempt to search for an exit with a clear mind was failing. Shinn was desperate to return back to his base. They were in the middle of a war and he was their ace pilot. Without him, the commander’s dream for peace would remain unachieved forever. He couldn’t even stand the mere thought of failing. If he fulfilled his duty as a soldier, then he would be saving future generations from suffering caused by war. There would be no more pointless fighting. Clenching his fists tightly, he narrowed his eyes before taking a step forward to examine the fence.

                         Damn. There really was no way he could just use brute force to get to the other side. Slamming his fist on the table, he pressed his hand against his face. Grabbing his cracked helmet from the ground, he threw it against the fence in anger and watched the electricity wrap its tender arms around the helmet and completely destroy it.

[gawains-gaze]

Atsuki was one who locked away his emotions--they were something he didn't need in his job, and as a telepath. Hearing of this brand and why it was there, and how it worked?

Well, that was just fine. 

He didn't know where he was walking, he just knew that something was in the direction of the fence. Something that, quite frankly, had him pissed off right about now. This emotion, forced upon him so suddenly, he couldn't brace himself against it. 

Unbridled rage. Anger. Desperation to return home. Yet again, who would have guessed, more anger. Soon enough, he came across an individual with a shinen blazing red in his rage. 

So this was the one? The one who was making Atsuki face emotions he didn't have the time of day to recognize or deal with on his own? 

     Fantastic. 

"Could you, perhaps, I don't know, but tone down that attitude of yours? Your emotions are really pissing me off. Yeah, I know you're ticked because you're trapped here, and you have something oh so important to do."

"Here's a news flash--you're not the only one who thinks that. Maybe if you'd just calm down for one god damned second, I can focus on, say, thinking of a way to get out of here other than thrashing about like some primitive ape?"

Arms were folded across his chest, and his dichromatic eyes were glaring at this young man like shards of ice. 

"Now, if you're done being an idiot, feel free to tell me now. I don't have the patience to deal with imbeciles."

What a freeing feeling, to be able to lash out with his words at this individual. Speaking those words lessened his own anger, which was good, correct? And yet fighting off this man's anger was so much effort, the emotions piercing any defenses he'd set up, and just...irritating him. 

     What an annoyance. 

[gawains-gaze]

narianya

Atsuki Saijo was not one to do things that were not necessary, but he found himself pacing outside of the building in which he was housed nonetheless. 

Back and forth, restless as his travelling thoughts, he attempted to think on the situation he was in. How long was he to be kept here? Was there any other purpose to be kept here, other than some experiment? If so, was he targeted because he was a telepath of a sort, that he had been brought back from death?

Turning on his heel, his visage for once was anything but calm. Pensive, bridled with barely contained hostility, was quite apparent. He was frustrated, alone, and in a situation where he knew so very little. Not only that, but he'd been branded, and that was painful, of course, it hampered his attempts to use his own abilities. Oh, sure he could use them, but if he did so for so long, the pain inflicted could most likely kill him from the shock alone. 

He aggressively shoved that thought aside. He needed facts, not speculation, and he would not be able to do so on his own. But who he would ask?

Certainly not the figure he gazed upon at that moment his thought ran through his head. Though he was not one to judge on appearances, Atsuki was on guard by this man's shinen. While not hostile, per se, there was something clearly off about this individual.

     Hatred. Regret.

Something Atsuki was all to familiar with. 

Atsuki's pacing stopped abrubtly as he whirled to face the stranger with narrowed eyes. 

"If you are just going to stand there, speak. Make yourself useful." While he would like to say that he didn't mean what he said, that he didn't intend to be rude, but that was a lie. Normally as calm as death, being thrust into a compound with no other explanation other than a simple 'experiment', his patience was wearing thin.  

And so it was this stranger that would be the target of his venting his aggression. 

[gawains-gaze]

lightningkxssed

He'd not met many people while in this enclosure as of yet, and he had recently attempted to use Gawain, the same pain happening once more as the markings crossed this brand of his making his visage pale, his breaths shallow. His hands were trembling, so Atsuki merely stuffed them into his pockets, his expression a mask of neutrality that locked emotions far within. 

He'd caught his breath after a short while, glad at least that he knew he could use his ability should the time rise that he must battle the Silent. However, how much pain was the telepath willing to endure to do so?

As much as it would take to get the job done. This was his sole purpose after all, why he'd been brought back from death: to combat the Silent. Nothing else mattered but this fact alone. If his death was to be because of this brand, so be it. 

Lost within his own thoughts, he startled slightly when a strange individual crossed his path of vision once he had opened his eyes by a fraction. 

Once the other had reached earshot, Atsuki would make a statement in a calm, dislocated tone. 

"What do you think of this place?"

An easy enough question, and one this stranger would hopefully answer. The effort alone it took to speak was almost too much for Atsuki to bother, which led him to question why he did so in the first place. 

Why did he even bother? He didn't know. Perhaps he just...felt like it, as some would say. 

[soanvalentine]

[gawains-gaze]

[I'm not on for much longer today, but if people would like to interact with this fellow, like this post? I won't have a cap, but please know I'll be very slow over the weekend.]

[jestinghunter-blog]

      His keen senses alert him to the other presence, but he doesn’t actually turn to face the other until they begin speaking. 

And, boy, Favaro really knows how to meet the perfect type of people. The words spoken to him reminds him of a certain stick in the ass childhood friend turned vengeful stalker, but he knew a softy like him could never muster up the kind of coldly pissed off tone like this guy. He tries to listen to the stranger’s speech, actually listen, because it seems that brute force isn’t going to let him through that enchanted fence. 

The word experiment brings a wide grin onto his face, and he tries with the greatest amount of effort not to laugh at the prospect of someone like him (no matter how dazzling) being of some sort of experimental interest. What are these experimenty guys going to do with him? Check the type of cologne he uses?

When the stranger finishes with their question, Favaro bursts out in laughter, holding his stomach and slapping his knee from the sheer strength of his outburst. “Do you hear yourself?” he says between hard laughs, out of breath. “Experiment? Enclosure? Refrain from stepping out of line?” Slowly, he calms down, before speaking again. “Like hell some strange guy’s gonna keep me locked up in this place.

"I also don’t know what "broadcast" you’re talking about; I don’t see any blacksmiths casting any sort of broadswords around. Unless, well, you’re talking about the projection that came out of this thing." His foot slides under the object on the ground and he kicks it up. The object lands on one hand and then rolls to the other hand from his back before ceasing its little journey. "I did hear it, but didn’t really listen. Don’t need some sorcerer telling me shit I don’t need to know. In retrospect… might’ve been better to listen."

A sly smirk widens across his lips, and he latches an arm around the other guy’s neck, all buddy, buddy. “But I got a good samaritan here willing to help, right? We can even split the profit off this thing when we learn to get out,” he says, pointing out the metal object shining in his hand. “In bounty hunter land, this is considered a partnership.

"Try to be loving with your new partner that I don’t know the name of just yet, buy I’m sure it’s lovely." 

[gawains-gaze]

He could not believe this--was this laughing male making fun of him for being correct? Now was the part when he vaguely wondered why he bothered with speaking at all, and ever so slightly, his neutral expression curved into a mild scowl. The stranger's voice was abrasive in a sense he could not put a finger on, but he did not allow his frustration to fester, locking the emotion deep within. And yet when he opened his mouth to speak...

"Of course I can hear myself. I'm surprised that you could, seeing as you seem to love the sound of your own voice without comprehending what words have been said." Arms folded across his chest, dichromatic eyes staring at the other with grim disapproval. 

"Blacksmith? Is this another of your jokes?" Because clearly, Atsuki was far from laughing. 

"Yes, I am talking about the mechanism you undoubtedly pried off of the wall within your room. I don't know whether to be impressed or disturbed, to be honest." The effort it must have taken to pry the object off of the wall...this male must be quite physically capable if that were indeed the case. 

His eyes are fixed upon the other, observing how his emotions ran though his form as this stranger spoke. It didn't seem that he was lying to the telepath, which sent a small trail of confusion through the male's mind. Sorcery? Blacksmiths? 

"Don't laugh it off just yet, however. If the one behind this is out of their mind, your supposed train of logic has no traction. Guessing the motives of such people is far beyond my capabilities, seeing as I do not know who this supposed captor is."

It was clear this stranger before Atsuki was not infected by silent, so delirium was out of the picture as an explanation.

"Of course you should have listened. Information or clues of any sort as to why we were taken here would be critical if we wished to return."

As he pondered this, he soon felt an arm snaking around his neck and froze upon the spot, his whole body stiffening at the contact. What was this, now? He would move to get out of the other's grip, but to no avail. His struggle ceasing, he was forced to heed the stranger's words, his skin crawling at the thought of this individual being a 'partner'. 

He already had a partner in his work, he didn't need another. And yet, his partner was not here. Could this individual honestly be a substitute? And...he wanted to sell the mechanism? Clearly, this male was a few cards short of a full deck. 

"Take the profit for yourself. I've no need for currency at this time." Yet again, he spoke with an aloof, indifferent tone of voice. Inside, however, there was the smallest hints of annoyance beginning to grow. 

Atsuki locked that away as well. He had no use to get emotional over such trivial things, or people for that matter. This man was what again? A bounty hunter? Strange profession, indeed. 

"...Fine, I'll tell you what I'd heard. Laugh at my words again, however, and this conversation is over." With a pause, he exhaled a sigh. He seemed to be stuck with this individual for the moment, and still it seemed that this was not the one he was 'connected' with. 

     Thank goodness for that. 

"...I am Atsuki Saijo. What would your name happen to be?"

[unfamiliar-air]

Visit Original Link

Well there’s chaos in the city And a vengeance in the air And my feet are weighing heavy In the haze of this despair And the papers now are writing Lock your doors and stay inside But the enemy’s among us So be careful where you hide

[jestinghunter-blog]

    It’s a bad day when you wake up to pain and panic in some unfamiliar place.

Favaro grips his right wrist, searing with pain as if it was set aflame, before casting his gaze to the room around him. The first thing that comes to mind is, how drunk did I get last night? followed by a normal reaction, where the hell am I? 

The room is unnaturally sterile, way too clean to be the houses that lined the streets of any town or city he’s been through. Hell, even castles have their characteristic dust. Who would invite a drunk into a place like this unless they wanted someone to wreck the place. He’s use to waking up in unfamiliar places, so he just assumes this is a similar situation. 

Naturally, he directs his attention to only object that stands out (besides himself, of course) is a strange contraption in the corner of the room. He releases his burning wrist and stands up to examine the strange thing, maybe do a little looting because, damn, did that thing look mystically expensive. Before he could snatch it off the wall, a voice is emitted from the box. 

Favaro falls back and scoot away from the object that suddenly erupted with life. Some sort of magic projects some stranger’s voice through the box and he just thinks what kind of sorcerer would choose to enchant something so clunky. Though, he is still thankful to that weird sorcerer for creating something so nice looking.

The voice cuts off, and he’s listened to absolutely nothing it said, shrugging it off as something radically unimportant. Of course, he goes back to his previous mission and breaks the object completely away from the wall (with some effort). He tosses it into the air a few times to check its weight, and he’s duly satisfied with his plunder. 

Then he simply walks out the door with it by his side, ignoring the continual burning of his wrist and the deep longing sensation in his chest. And he just walks out, completely ignoring every other strange objects around him. 

He arrives at a fence and thinks this is too easy. That sudden thought probably saves him from a burning death because he tests it and finds that there is something definitely enchanting this metal. 

"You’re kidding me, right?" He says in awe as he watched a blade of grass he threw burn. The object in his hand drop to the ground next to him. "Like, you’re big time kidding me, right? And this isn’t some singular side fence; this is an entire rectangle around. I mean, otherwise there would be no point to it. A-and I’m inside of this damn rectangle." 

[gawains-gaze]

     Pathetic.

Atsuki did not say a word as he stood by a fence, having to carelessly used a tie upon the fence to test if it was merely a prop, or something to keep himself and a bunch of other individuals quarantined. 

There was nothing remaining of the tie that he'd used, and now he would never get it back, unless by some miracle existed an item that could turn ash back into what it was. 

     Ridiculous. Absolutely and utterly ridiculous.

So much for climbing over, but to be honest, what point was there in climbing over?

He didn't know his location, could not get in contact with Nola, Liu, or anyone in particular. So if he were indeed able to escape, where would he go to? The area looked deserted--not much in the ways of shinen about, residual or otherwise. And so this was meant as something new, then. 

So what did that make him again? A test subject? A lab rat?

This either meant they would perish in a first trial, or they would be kept here for a certain amount of time before scheduled release. If that was the case, he saw nothing wrong with things--as long as he was properly fed, given facilities, and was not poked and prodded for being a telepath, he would be quite alright. 

However, his attention, listless as it was, was drawn to another approaching the fence. He thought about halting the other's advance, but decided against it. If the other got burned alive, it honestly wasn't his problem. 

They had all been told that there was no escape. While he tested it out of curiosity, this male seemed to be rather shaken. 

But then Atsuki's eyes were fixated upon what the male had dropped to the ground. 

     You can't be serious...

The other's ignorance was clearly trying on Atsuki's patience, but he shrugged that off as he finally spoke to the other. If the other knew he was there to begin with or not, he couldn't care less about that. 

"Obviously, we are in an enclosure." The other's shinen was that of surprise mingled with apprehension, so he took a deep breath and begun once more. 

"I highly doubt we were brought here simply because some people were 'kidding'. Grab a hold of your own senses and take everything you see in. From now on, we will be living here, like it or not." 

"Now would be the best time to calm yourself and look at things from another perspective. If those who brought us here wished us dead, we would be already. Instead, we find ourselves branded and turned loose within an enclosure."

"...We're an experiment of some sort. We shall be treated well as long as we are of some use to them, so I suggest you refrain from stepping out of line."

At this, his quiet voice died down a bit, gazing upon the other and their red hair with cold indifference. 

"...Did you hear the broadcast?"

[gawains-gaze]

He awoke with searing pain upon his right wrist. His eyes remained closed as he lets out a quiet hiss,taking in the smallest of breaths as the young teen shifted, sitting up, listening intently to his surroundings before opening his eyes. 

A disembodied voice spoke with the clarity of a recording, as Atsuki only half listened, groggily taking in his surroundings. 

Even by his low standards there was little there to feed off on to inform himself of his location. No residual shinen, no remnant thoughts, absolutely nothing. Only a voice that had spoken to him and left him in absolute silence. 

There was never /nothing/ in a place he'd been to before--a small flicker of discontent caused the young man's neutral expression to curve ever so slightly downwards into a frown. But this was of little importance--his wrist still felt as if it were aflame, causing dark eyes to gaze downward. Surely, Gawain had not forsaken him and found him unworthy?

No, that wasn't it. If he was unworthy, then he would be dead. Upon staring at his wrist, he found a mark. Rubbing at it experimentally with a hand, the pain flared again in his mind, as if it were just recently inflicted. 

It had seemed that he had been branded in some way shape, or form. Things happened while he was unconscious, and while he wished to find out why, there was a more pressing matter at hand. The male silently stood to his feet, his clothing rustling ever so quietly in the otherwise calm room. 

Would this affect how he used Lux-Pain? He would then hold his right hand out in front of him, the a ring glinting subtly whilst affixed to a slender finger. 

He knew not, but he had no contact in his right eye, allowing any to see the fact that it was now a bright golden color. Markings traveled up his arm, and...

Atsuki's mind blacked out, a wave of pain overcoming him that he felt as if he were being torn apart. Where the markings crossed the brand, what felt as if it were burning intensified into an inferno. It kept growing in intensity as he tried to keep it going, but soon would become exhausted, his legs collapsing underneath him as he hit the ground with a heavy thud. 

His sides heaved with exertion as he gasped for breath. 

And that was when he noticed it. Another presence within his mind. Muted, but there nonetheless. When Atsuki regained the strength to stand, he did so. This presence...was beckoning him somehow. While using Gawain would cause him great pain now, he was able to use it without perishing. 

Should he come across any Silent, he could have confidence and eliminate them. 

But for now...this strange feeling within himself, he had to find it. Or rather....

Them. 

Without further ado, he left the room to face whatever dangers that may be lurking.