*Independent Roleplaying Account and Ask Blog for characters listed under the muse page. Tag me in posts if you want me to see them, or if you want to rp--this is a sideblog!
“Yeah well, no one asked you to come over so often, I certainly won’t mourn ya’ so feel free to take a few months vacation.” Preferably more. Taking a swig of the disgustingly sweet coffee she’d saturated with an obscene amount of sugar, her gaze drifted once more to the box of chocolates. She did enjoy sweets, even if some of her old bosses liked to joke about how the calories shot straight to her thighs instead of her tits - fuck ‘em. Knowing Luca they were probably the fancy, tarty kind that cost a small fortune compared to the bog standard candy.
The mere mention of Valentine’s day had her stomach churn in repulsion ( or was that last night’s combo of beer and curry finally making attempt at evacuating her system? Who could tell. ) “Give me one good fucking reason why I should remember a dumb ass holiday like Valentine’s Day?” The only time she ever acknowledged that puke-worthy shitfest was the days following the celebration, when all leftover chocolates were buy one, get fifty half price or some shit. And when Luca brandished yet even more crap from various pouches on his suit like a crappy, children’s party magic act, Revy was just about ready to kick him right back out of the door ( or lob her coffee mug at him, she wasn’t decided yet ) until she noticed the design stamped on the papers.
“Theme park?” She tries to bite back any hint of excitement dwelling in her voice, slurping a last mouthful of coffee to conceal her grin. Theme parks baby, fuck yeaaahhhh!
“Yeah, I know the one.” She supplies, nonchalantly. Debito was actually a Hell of a lot more entertaining to hang out with than the marshmallow soft chump standing in her kitchen, it’s no surprise he’d provided actual COOL gifts.
“Alright, alright, I get it. You’re lonely, and tits McGee back at your mansion or whatever rebuked your advances, so here you are.”
“Gimme 10 minutes and I’ll be ready and DON’T fucking touch or rearrange anything while I’m gone!!” True enough to her word, she emerged less than a quarter of an hour later, fresh out of the shower and dressed up for the occasion.
Ignoring her first comments to leave her alone out of fear that her apartment would be condemned by hoarding takeout boxes, he answered her question. “Because you get gifts from me, signorina!! I try not to miss a holiday to give out treats.” He proclaimed ecstatically. Whether it be Valentines Day, Easter or even Halloween, Luca usually got to baking and whenever there was a holiday party to attend Regalo could be assured that his pastries would be attending too. Even if he personally had no reason to be looking forward to the day, he still loved participating.
“Why are you like this? Can I not just ask you to the theme park? Oujo-sama has done nothing to deserve these insults. And neither have I! The only place i am advancing is closer to the brink of insanity.” Mutter, mutter, mutter. In the meantime Luca obeyed her wishes to stop poking around and sat on a kitchen chair reading the Regalo Post to pass some time.
When she came back into the room he had to blink a few times to see whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him. She didn’t even come out looking like she had brass knuckles hidden in her back pocket. The whole ensemble was actually...really cute. And normal. That was probably what shocked him the most.
“Revy, is that you? I didn’t think you owned such beautiful clothes! It looks so proper! Well-fitted and fashionable! The knitting is so nicely done.” He flung down the paper and opened his palms as if he was presented with an old friend he hadn’t seen in years. “I’m getting emotional, ohh... to think these must have been buried under sleeveless work out shirts and stained ragged jeans this whole time...” he took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at his eyes. To an outside observer it probably looked like he was just being sarcastic, but he was completely genuine.
“Let’s go, we mustn’t burn daylight.” He ran over to the front door, as bouncy and excited as a puppy being taken on a walk.
It occurred to Revy, as the freak who still thought of himself as her husband despite months of having returned home shuffled by without so much as a tremor of fear in his voice, that one of these days she’d have to rough him up again to refresh his memories of beatings passed. How she longed to revisit the days when Luca still flinched in terror when she opened her mouth to speak, or made any kind of brisk gesture.
Those days where he wouldn’t have DREAMED of inviting himself into her domain and begin casually touching and re arranging her things as he fucking pleased! Her trigger hand twitched with blood lust, vivid images of curling coarse hands around his jugular and choking the life out of him flashed before her eyes–Yet with exemplary self control, Revy settled with craning her neck, loosening the trapped joints with a loud crack as she followed in tow muttering an entire sermon of curse words at her EX-spouse.
“Hey! Don’t use my best fucking beer glass for those!” She protested, her words clearly falling on deaf ears as Luca continued to go ahead and grossly misuse her alcohol beacon for the sake of sticking a few beautiful ugly ass plants into it.
She’d never really understood the appeal of flowers. They died after like, a week! You couldn’t eat them or drink them or wear them…all in all they were pretty fucking pointless. Making her way to the opposite end of the kitchen, she retrieved a (not so clean) coffee mug from one of the cabinets and flicked on the switch to her cafetiere (an actual useful gift from the pigeon fucker). Hopping to sit herself on the counter top while the water boiled, she deigned Luca with an unbecoming snort.
“You’d feed your dead corpse to those ugly winged rats of yours? That’s fucking grim dude.”
Violent hand motioning towards the table.
“What the fuck is all of this about? Trying to sweeten me up for something? It’ll take more than a few shitty gifts for me to suck you off y’know–Get one of your desperate housemaids to do it, fucking pervert.”
_____________________________________________
“I have learned from the best. Being around you has colored my humors. Or darkened them might be more accurate.”
The living room was starting to look a little better with his help, but something told him that one trash bag just wasn’t going to be enough. He took some time to fold the blankets on the couch and throw the cushions back on and called it a day. He glanced over at the flowers on the counter and pouted at his (unwilling) companion, claiming that beauty is wasted on those who don’t appreciate it. He also knew for a fact that she would drink out of just about anything, including straight from the bottle, so now she was just nitpicking. He bit his lip to stop himself from musing that last part out loud.
“Suck a what, Revy? I brought you chocolates, not hard candies. What this is about--It’s Valentines Day, though I see you haven’t changed the calendar I got you since December.” Any suggestive remark she was giving him couldn’t penetrate his shield of utter obliviousness. He tried with great difficulty to ignore the insults hurled in his direction anyway.
His eyes lit up once he’d remembered the main reason he chose to visit that day. From inside his breast pocket he retrieved two slips of paper. They were gaudy and decorated with confetti and a rotating ferris wheel. He absently fanned the air with the slips of paper as Revy made her cup of coffee.
“I was given two tickets to the amusement park for today from my friend Debito. Maybe you remember him. He is the one who wears the eyepatch and uses too much hair gel. If you don’t have any plans you should come. It will be fun, and there will be plenty of the food vendors lining the streets capitalizing on the teenager’s dates.”
A laborious attempt at opening creased lids was quickly subdued by the sunlight filtering through her moth eaten curtains (’curtains’ being a loose term for the old bed sheets she’d draped across the windows to act as such) proceeding to roll onto her side with a loud groan to shield herself from the glaring attack. Smothering a pillow over her head for extra protection, Revy had every God given intention of resuming her post-booze up sleep, if not for a sudden light tapping at her door just moments later.
“Hhnnnnngghrrr!!!!!!” Another groan split open from dehydrated, chapped lips as she took a glimpse at the clock on her bedside table. 11:03 am, that was practically the crack of dawn! What kind of mindless savage bothered the good people of this Earth during these wee hours of the morning! She would have been happy to ignore the intrusion until it went away…but it didn’t. The airy, ditty rapping away on her door frame just went on and on and on and ON until no choice was left but to uncoil from her alcohol and sweat stained sheets and impart murder onto whoever was on the other side.
Not bothering to dress herself more than the last night’s underwear still clung to her form, a single one of her beloved pistols was fished out of her holsters and off Revy went on the short (but filthy) trek from her bedroom to the doorway of her shoddy apartment. Mostly emptied bottles of rum spilled out and soaked into the greyish, worn carpet, and cartons upon cartons of half eaten take away food were kicked out of the way or trampled on until finally, the door was in sight.
Cocking the trigger of her weapon, Revy flung the door open and pointed the barrel square between the eyes of that asshole awaiting on the other end. However, upon seen a familiar mop of dark curls hidden beneath the world’s ugliest hat, her ire simmered down, if only an iota, she’s feeling merciful–but not by much.
“Oh it’s you.”
“Fine, as we’re old friends ya’ can have 10 seconds to tell me what you want etched on your grave before I blow your fucking brains out….Ten….Nine….Eight….”
Somehow Luca knew that he would be greeted with the metallic extension of her right arm that morning. It had happened many times before, so he wasn’t really that shocked. Even when he had a set of keys to her--their-- apartment it would happen. And she would hear him turning the key too. Luca’s eyes peered out from behind a pink clutter of petals and plastic wrapping. The pistol parted his messy curls and hovered a few centimeters away from his forehead, causing him to frown and narrow his eyes.
“Ciao to you too, Revy,” he said, using two fingers to move the pistol away from his face. He squeezed in through the door frame without her moving at all to accommodate him. He wasn’t welcome, as always, but he pressed on anyway. He took a quick scan of her living conditions. It smelled like someone had taken a bath in rum and let it drown the carpets of the apartment. Not to mention the multiple weeks worth of take-out boxes. His expression morphed into a grotesque scowl and he walked over to the glass cabinet, picking out the tallest one he could find. He ran the glass under water and arranged the flowers on the counter. He didn’t even have to ask if she had a vase to put them in, since he popped in often enough to know.
“Etched on my gravestone, signorina, I want ‘Tried to poison himself and failed, got married instead, fed to the birds in respect of his last wishes.’” With that, he entered the living room and started picking up the old food scattered around and started throwing it all into the trash.
“But in the meantime, ehm, I picked up some chocolate on my way here. Hopefully it didn’t melt in my pocket. My arms were full.” He pulled a small package that was hanging out from his jacket pocket. He slid that on the counter next to the flowers before returning to his work in the living room.
Ruth couldn’t remember the last time she’d been introduced to so many people at once. Her pulse raced and she was sure she looked flushed, and she absently picked at the hem of her work shirt. Rayne, at least, seemed gentler with her than some of the other employees she’d run out of patience with. Ruth hoped she had enough left for her.
The other employees yawned, and Ruth tried not to be self-conscious; it was just before opening hours, after all. Lucky she was a morning person.
They were dismissed and Ruth started towards the garden center, but was interrupted–
The weirdness of it startled a laugh out of her, in spite of Ruth’s anxiety. “It’s nice to meet you, Corned Beefcake. Ah… I guess I’m Newbie?”
Smooth!
Shane saw that she was acting pretty cautious. She was probably used to keeping to herself. He on the other hand always seemed to meddle whether it was his business or not. He meant well, most of the time, even if he ended up acting pretty juvenile in the process.
“That’s right. I’d keep you guessing, but it’s probably better to tell you now that the name’s Shane. That bossy little lady is my younger sister Rayne. You’ve probably already met. Did you just move around here then, Ruth? Going to school in the area?”
Rayne lethargically exited the door frame with her poison of choice in hand, pushing her brother out of the way with little effort. He didn’t even flinch. She wished her new employee good luck before disappearing off towards the electronics section with her walkie talkie grasped in her other hand. Shane moved off to the side so that he wouldn’t be in the way of the other employees taking their stations.
“If you want some advice for navigating the place you should swing by the deli counter when you’re taking your break. I’ll break it down for you. If I’m in the back just tell them you’re looking for The Big Cheese. Get it? They’ll understand.”
Rayne’s face always looked a little sour in the morning her brother thought. Well, it actually always looked that way, but especially before the opening employees met in the break room for their usual briefing. Until she had a cup of coffee she was the most frightening person in the room. Shane rested his legs on a blue fold-able chair adjacent to him while she gave her status report; his disinterest was not helping with his sister’s foul temper, though this was a game he would play with her often. Would he do his substandard job? Sure. Would he find any way to make his day more interesting, even if it meant getting right on people’s nerves? You bet.
He was the Deli counter manager on shift this morning, much to the horror of the other employees. It turned out that whenever something like this happened, there were more complaints than usual about the deli counter’s eccentric lead. Most of the time it was soccer moms and elderly people who deemed his behavior unprofessional enough to speak up, but it always ended up with the store manager (Rayne) getting a headache. No one in the store really knew how Shane had been promoted to manager of his department in the first place, but most guessed that it was just because he’d been there the longest.
Today Rayne was introducing a new employee to the exhausted morning crowd. She was a short girl with dark brown hair who seemed to be pretty anxious on her first day. This is my time to shine, Shane thought. If she’s nervous, meeting the store goofball might help her feel more at ease here right? Or at least I’ll probably get a kick out of it. She said her name was Ruth, and that she’d be working in the gardening center. Shane caught up with her after the meeting adjourned and waved her down.
“Hey there newbie!” Shane beamed. “I’m uh... oh,” he looked down at today’s nametag, apparently unaware that he had even chosen it while getting ready this morning. “Corned Beefcake.”
Raising thin brows, Casper could only give a moment’s pause before she quickly began stalking after her new acquaintance. Really, really strange. Well, she supposed it was better to just skip over the awkward ‘get to know you’ rubbish that regular meetings entailed. Then again… she experienced few of those as well, given she had known most everyone in the Circle since her arrival as a young girl. The mage realized dismally that had the Circle not gone up in (almost literal) flames, she would have probably not have experienced any sort of normal outside interaction.
Glancing at Bea as she spoke, Casper mulled over her openness before fumbling with the apple that had been tossed to her. Carefully rubbing it against her robes, she murmured in response, “You are also very chatty for one who is probably safer acting discreet…” It wasn’t meant as an insult, more so her tone was that of being impressed. Bea was the first apostate she had ever met. True, mages tried to leave the Circle at times, but they rarely got far enough to deem them true apostates. Casper had always been too uncertain to try, however much friends had begged her to come with them.
Clearly, it hadn’t been worth the risk.
Frowning at mention of family, she didn’t speak for a long moment and instead focused on taking a few bites from her apple. Finally, the ginger exhaled and her voice suddenly became much more bitter. “I was placed in the Circle at ten years old because my parents were too afraid to do anything else. My older brother didn’t do anything to stop them,” she added caustically, nails leaving impressions in the fruit. Catching herself, Casper smoothed out her expression. “But it doesn’t matter really. It all fell apart anyhow.”
“I’m sorry. I just haven’t met anyone like me before. Mages can tell their own kind, and in my home none of us thought it was safe idea.” Bea threw the core into the field next to them. Then for good measure she started plucking more and throwing them into her pack. If they were to wait out a couple of days while the city was in disarray they would need something to survive off of.
“Afraid of the boogieman in the Fade, I understand. Everyone is. Luckily enough my own awakening came in the form of healing a gash in the leg rather than setting my house ablaze. My mother would not send me away and my father didn’t trust the mages; Suppose that meant me, too.” Bea flashed a bittersweet grin at her new companion. “It’s hard when the only people you trust become blinded by fear. Sorry I brought it up. Sounds like they truly suck nugs.” Bea had her own problems, but she couldn’t deny that she was lucky that her family hadn’t abandoned her when so many others in her situation did.
Suddenly, Bea started snickering. It probably seemed inappropriate given everything going on around them, but she couldn’t help herself. “I’ll do anything to keep us hidden. I didn’t come all the way here just to get locked up. So you should think about what you want to do with all this freedom, you know? Maybe become the Fade demon they wanted you to be.”
It was then that Bea fell silent. She stretched her arms behind her back and smiled with a spring in her step. Before this, she was feeling nervous and disappointed that she was all alone in Thedas. Now there was at least some hope that Casper would accompany her for awhile, even if it was only until the next town. Even with Thedas rapidly turning into a darkspawn nest, there was a kind of beauty in the way all hell was breaking loose.
Casper was beside herself with confusion at this girl’s obvious disregard for the hell that was surrounding them. Or perhaps she was all too aware of it and was thus pressed into her current behavior. Couldn’t she tell from what direction Casper had come from? Why she was moving so suspiciously? Ah. Maybe she did. That was also a possibility. Perhaps it was obvious to everyone except herself, but it must have done her some good, wearing this hood and scurrying out of templar sights. But here she was, getting stopped by a stranger on the street and asking if she had a roommate. Andraste, things were getting even stranger.
“I– uh, what?” With all the grace and etiquette of a girl who had been in the Circle the majority of her life, Casper felt a pack leave one of her shoulders and transfer to the unknown woman. She gave an indignant protest that was seemingly ignored, pursing her lips as she peered over the other’s shoulder to look down at the map. She did not have the city coordinates memorized by any means, but she had been hoping she could figure a way out herself. With this new companion, however, it was possible that was likely not going to be the case.
We’d be caught in no time there. Casper heard that, very clearly, in fact. Her eyes drifted in sidelong glance to the other woman, suddenly far more invested in her identity. If her phrasing had been intentional, then… this person was a mage, too. But certainly not a Circle mage, or else Casper would have recognized her. If that was the case…. who was she? An apostate? Why would she be in Jainen of all places? She was shaken from her thoughts when the girl began going over a possible escape route, nodding dumbly and peeking down at the map vaguely. It seemed like she would be following the other’s lead after all.
“Casper? Casper...” Bea repeated to herself. She was quite terrible with names so it always helped to say it out loud a few times. “Nicely met. I hope we have enough time to get to know each other. For now we have to move though.” Bea flashed a grin and began a brisk walk towards the farmland she had mentioned earlier. There was time to talk on the way, as long as they were making progress. It was strange walking through here after the chaos in town. The farms were practically deserted sans some horses trotting in their corrals.
“I have to thank you for coming this way with me, you know, I’m sure you’re on edge. You might have been able to tell already, but I’m an apostate. You might be thinking, how in Andraste’s good name could an apostate stay hidden in the Circle’s main headquarters? For one, act like a rogue. For two, I haven’t a blessed clue. Luck, I suppose.” Walking through the orchards, Bea reached her hand up to a tree and picked an apple from it’s branches. She picked another one and threw it over to Casper. Biting into the fruit, she listlessly surveyed the land around them for any figures.
“Things got too dangerous for me there. I didn’t feel like I could trust the people who I grew up with, as many of them turned to the templars or started becoming suspicious. So I had my family strike my name from our register and here I am. Right in the nick of time too, aye?” The girl pinched at the bridge of her nose. A right headache it is, anyway. A revolution couldn’t have waited a few days, could it?
“What about yourself, then? When did you enter the Circle, Casper?”
A reflexive action, honed instincts had prevented any undue harm from befalling the surprisingly faint-hearted adolescent. The shrill scream had been wholly unanticipated, as it was, head having ducked downwards after the preemptive kick with eyes squeezed shut at the trivial pain that’d afflicted his hearing. A single eye peered over his shoulder at the collapsed youth, a brow lifted to properly display a look of incredulity, his body language much too lackadaisical for someone on the verge of committing a capitol offense. His gaze no sooner alternated to the fleeing individual, bypassing the momentarily stunned man upon the ground.
“Ah. That way’s no good, my man.”
An offhand comment, a less than well-intentioned warning, the dialogue held no other purpose than to serve as a, ‘I told you so.’ There had not been enough time to heed the words, the panicked sprint that the man had taken up whilst retreating unable to be stopped before reaching the mouth of the alley. His form continued onward, just past the entrance, escape seemingly accomplished before the body simply fell apart like a box of grotesque puzzle pieces dumped out in preparation of assembly. Uneven hunks of flesh strewed about, copious amounts of blood painting the asphalt a shade much too bright to possibly ignore, the unrecognizable remains were filleted so very finely.
The following distressed shrieks of the pedestrians that had played witness were incapable of muffling the cynical chortle of the responsible party, an implausibly stationary cutthroat that’d decimated without movement. “I tried to tell him, but he was having none of it. Guess that’s what happens when you turn tail on a fight that you picked yourself.” Callous scarlet pupils watched apathetically as the man upon the ground reeled back, a hysterical scream wretched from his throat as the hand that once brandished the knife cleanly detached itself from his wrist. “You end up being the one picked off.”
Nina watched wide-eyed as a man got turned into a pile of butchered steaks just a few yards down the road. She felt something rise up in the back of her throat and held her hand over her mouth. It didn’t really work as she planned. She turned to her side and vomited. She’d seen bodies before. There have been patients that she couldn’t save before. She’d seen plenty of violence. She had read the newspaper everyday for years. She listened to these stories on the radio, but she had never seen someone massacred like that right before her eyes. He was torn to pieces like he had never once been whole to begin with.
She looked up at her savior, looking nothing like a beacon of light as she would have hoped. This was Ergastulum. Even the sun shone dim on a good day. She was scared; actually it would be more accurate to say she was terrified. Though she considered Hitoshiki would have no reason to hurt her after what he did just now, she couldn’t trust him. She braced herself and prayed for her strength to return. Rising to a crouch, she turned her heel and ran the opposite direction. She knew she had no chance of outrunning him if Hitoshiki were to follow her. All she knew was that she needed to go home. She would run back to Dr. Theo and the comfort of a familiar place.
“No...No...No...No!” she shouted through each pant. After a minute she felt something more than fear run through her veins, solidifying more each time her foot touched the ground. Was it...anger? Distrust? She slowed down. Her throat felt like it was catching fire after winding down alleyways. Nina clenched her teeth and pressed her palms to her knees as she caught her breath. If he was going to follow her, he would be greeted with one angry nurse.
Timeline: Alternate ending to “Blood Best End” Shinsouban HnKnA game
Words: 1953
Blood sat in a chair outside of her father's office door. Alice had been in there for some time now, and the door blocked him from picking up on what they were saying. As someone who was once arguably the most powerful man in the country, he never thought he would have been in this position. He didn't have anything to impress him with--and for once he had to rely solely on his personality rather than his influence. In his irritation, Blood pinched his wrist for pretending like this was going to work out like some kind of business deal. This was probably the first thing in his life that had nothing to do with business, and that was perhaps what made him feel the most uneasy.
The door opened a crack, and Alice's head popped out from behind it. She looked troubled, but feigned positivity with an inviting smile. He got up from his seat and took that as his cue to speak to the man behind the desk. Alice squeezed his hand when he passed by her, and slipped outside of the office after giving him an apologetic look. It seemed that her father told her that he would speak with Blood alone. Hearing the click of the door behind him, Blood turned his attention to the sallow face looking over to him. The man had lines under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in a week and was sunken into his seat, surrounded by papers and empty bottles. Alice had said before that he had become a workaholic after her mother passed, but it seemed as if he had taken a liking to having a few drinks as well. His eyes were glazed over and his attention appeared to drift off.
"Take a seat, Mr. Dupre."
Blood did as instructed, and folded his hands together on his knee. "Sir,"
"Alice has told me that you intend to marry."
"That is correct--"
"...and that you have been the best thing to happen to her."
"She said that?"
"She did indeed. I just wonder why I haven't heard of this before now. I have to admit that it's been my fault. I don't think that I've had a real conversation with her since her mother died. It's been years...and the lines have only grown deeper on my face. I don't know if I've left this office for reasons other than work since then."
Blood was slightly taken aback. He was sure this conversation was supposed to be much more about him and his 'qualifications' to be her husband. Though the man's attention was now resting on the corner of the room, there was a sadness that laid beyond his stare. "It has been some time, but we didn't wish to bother you. As of late it has been rather unavoidable."
"The happiness of my own daughter would never be a bother...but I can see how I have made her feel that way."
"I'm sorry to hear about the rift between you two, but surely you don't think that's the end or anything ridiculous? You two were in here for quite some time talking. That's a step, don't you think?" He was terrible at this kind of thing. Advice wasn't his strong suit, especially towards another man. In a way, he pitied Mr. Liddell. After all he knew of him, he had become a recluse and could not face his own children after the loss of his wife. Although he could not deny how terrible the circumstances were, he would never have neglected his own children. He felt melancholic considering what his reaction would be if he ever lost Alice, but dismissed the thought from his mind immediately.
The older man spoke. "Alice did say that you had quite the blunt approach to problems of the heart. There's no turning back for me. You two don't plan to stay here for long I assume. Your stay is temporary. I'd give anything to go back and have more time, but even I know. I can't stand in the way anymore. But that's just an old man airing out his grievances. You've listened to me groan for far too long. You can stay."
"I don't mean to prod, that is very kind... but I must ask why since you don't know a thing about me."
"As you said, we were in here talking for quite awhile. I know enough." The man smiled as if he had a secret. Blood suddenly felt the slightest bit self-conscious of what Alice had been saying about him. Certainly he wouldn't have shown it to save face.
"I'll make sure to keep her happy. I'd spend every last breath to see to it. Likewise, the young lady has been the rock keeping me grounded throughout these past months. She's made me a different man, 'much more patient and lively' as a good friend of mine used to say." Blood grinned to himself, rising from his seat. He shook hands with the older man from across his desk. When Blood exited the office, Alice was waiting for him in the chair that he had previously sat in. She immediately jumped to her feet and ran towards him, asking what her father's decision had been.
"I can stay. All thanks to you, that is."
Alice's cheeks flushed red and she hesitantly averted her gaze. Blood placed a palm on the top of her head. He tried pushing her to tell him what she had said while he was waiting his turn, but his fiancee refused and covered her mouth with her fingertips. The man breathed a sigh and wrapped his hand around the one that fell by her side. She squeezed his grip back and leaned against his arm. Biting her lip in consideration, she stared up at the curvature of his jawline, Blood himself being distracted by looking around the estate.
"I'll tell you eventually, I promise. Just...let's get your jacket and something to eat first, alright? It's been a long day."
"Lead the way, sweetheart."
~*~
Hours later the sun had already set when Alice was finished showing him around the expansive home. Blood sat up in bed, a white towel draped behind his neck. He had been the first to take a shower, and had turned the heat of the water up to relieve the tension that had built up in his shoulders over the course of the day. His skin was still hot against the cool air in Alice's room. In his lap he held the newspaper from this morning open to the section that held job offerings. A few short descriptions and addresses were circled in a pen he found lying on the nightstand. The door to the bathroom quietly swung open, followed by a trail of steam.
Alice wore a familiar nightgown and had tied her hair into a long braid while it dried. She shuffled over to the bed and slipped under the covers next to him. She rested her cheek on his shoulder, eagerly trying to see what he was doing with the newspaper. Instead of indulging her, he felt it was better to try and hide his plans, to alleviate any worries she might have, or make her question just how confident he was about their situation. Blood rolled the section he was holding up and lightly tapped her on the forehead with it, eliciting a frustrated whine. He set the paper down on the nightstand with the pen and folded his hands together
"Is that the Classified section?"
"That would be classified if it were, young lady," he smirked lethargically.
"Ha-ha. Really funny. You're not wasting any time then! You know I have work at the publishing company. We'll be just fine." Alice felt that this situation was surreal, for once she was the one reassuring him. It had always been the other way around.
"I won't just leech off of your earnings. The pride I had in the Country of Hearts should tell you that much. The sooner I can get income here, the sooner we can move out together, like you've wanted to, no?"
"But--."
"We'll look for a place once I've found steady employment then. With no surviving documents of my identity it might be difficult, but there's no choice. It will work itself out. You don't need to worry about a thing, young lady. Just let me take care of this."
Blood sat up, causing his lover's face to slide down his arm until she could regain balance on her hand. She winced and frowned when he left to hang his towel in the bathroom. Silently he exhaled and returned to bed, though he turned his back and faced the nightstand. Alice could tell that something wasn't right. For once in her life it was her that was trying to stay positive. For it was the person beside her that taught her to take things less seriously and enjoy herself, she felt like now it was her duty to return the favor; if it were not out of thanks than out of love. She lied her head down on the pillow beside him. Her forehead fell onto his back and her left hand lightly gripped the side of his rib cage. Her hair was cold against his skin, making his shoulders squirm for a moment before he got used to it.
"Are you mad?" she asked desperately.
"No."
"Please don't lie to me. I don't like it when you try to blindfold me from what you're thinking..."
"Alright. I'm certainly not happy." Alice bit at her lip and she could feel her eyes water. Was it really all worth it? Could she have actually lived her life there in Wonderland happily in ignorance? She didn't want the last person she held onto to drift away from her. But suddenly, a voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Relax. I'll get over it, Alice. I have no regrets as long as I'm protecting you." He reached his right palm to cover her hand. His thumb rubbed circles above her wrist.
"I love you, Blood." her voice trailed off. He covered his mouth with his palm and turned away even further, though he rationally knew that she couldn't see his face even if he hadn't. Little motions like that meant a thousand words to Alice. Even if he wasn't used to returning affections like that, he did so subtly. After a moment, he turned over to face her. She backed away a couple of inches so that he wouldn't lie on her when he turned. He combed his thumbs through her damp hair and touched his forehead to hers.
"I don't know~ I could use a little reassurance." He grinned.
"It's good to see that you're back," she sighed, defeated.
Alice tilted her head and caught his lips with hers. The kiss he returned was not impassioned or light and teasing like she would normally have expected from him. Instead it almost felt comforting--protective and warm. It was only under special occasions when he showed this side of him--something more genuine than he liked to show on a normal basis. She could remember him acting like this once after she was caught in one of their street fights and he had thought that she had gotten injured. His arm wrapped around her back tightly before they parted. Alice nuzzled her head into his chest. She would quickly grow accustomed to hearing the beating of a heart in his chest as a replacement for the familiar ticking of a clock. He, however, would take longer for that.
"Goodnight, love." he whispered, closing heavy eyelids.
An explanation was unnecessary in regards to the unmistakable lack of young women upon the streets, the violent underbelly of the city barely blanketed from view. Rampant bloodshed, illicit acts of prostitution, and the prominent presence of Twilight guaranteed permanent discord, the very confrontation at hand all the supporting evidence that was needed. Avoiding predicaments of this nature was possible, but perhaps that was much more difficult to accomplish for someone able to supply the very stabilizers that decided life or death for choice individuals such as himself.
But these men, these ordinary humans, had no excuse.
“You worried about little ol’ me, Doc? That’s actually kinda touching.” An airy response to the concern shown, the introduction of the knife was duly noted. Far from impressed by the boorish selection, digits slid from the soft skin of the younger’s wrist to allow both hands to be uplifted in mock surrender. “But the cops aren’t necessary. They’ve got the Three Principles to keep them safe, ya know. My hands are tied.” A short chuckle followed the announcement, but the fearlessness remained intact despite the supposed vulnerability.
“I mean, that’s what they’re designed for. To keep someone like me from doing a damn thing, not even when it’s to save a damsel in distress. Counterproductive if you ask me, but I don’t think my opinion is valued very highly.” Maneuvering to stand before the adolescent as a makeshift safeguard, the body language was all too challenging for one harboring such a diminutive stature. “Now that the air’s been cleared, it looks like you’ve got us right where you want us. Ripe for the picking. Lambs for the slaughter, and all that.”
“Mr. Zerozaki?!” Nina hissed incredulously. From what little she knew of him and the demeanor he carried through his life, she figured he might have some sort of plan. Even still, the girl didn’t exactly find the idea of willingly putting oneself in danger an attractive option. Unconsciously, Nina’s hand wandered into her messenger bag. She grasped her digits around until she found two things-- a needle and a can of pepper spray. She kept the needle in case of emergencies, specifically if she happened to need to give someone a shot for allergies. That kind of medication wouldn’t help them right now, but she felt like she would carry it to feel a little less helpless. She knew that in all reality it wouldn’t be much of a threat to anyone.
The man with the knife lunged forward, and Nina couldn’t help but feel a scream rise from her throat. Nobody left their houses. She might have seen people crowding around their windows in her peripheral vision, but that was the reality of this city. If someone didn’t know you, their survival was much more important than yours. She couldn’t say that she found this to be an illogical stance.
In an instant, she could barely comprehend what happened next. Half of it was a blur. They had hopped back a few paces, being pushed back by her companion. Hitoshiki had kicked the pursuer’s wrist, making the knife fly across the other side of the dirt street. Nina’s finger tensed and hit the trigger on her bottle of pepper spray, catching the man’s eyes as he fell forward. Nina started hyperventilating, her knees buckling underneath her until she could no longer hold herself up. A crowbar couldn’t have torn her grip from the bottle. It looked like the other man had started to flee in the meantime.
Casper could hardly remember what had kickstarted the horror. By the time she had heard the screaming and clashes of spells, it was too late. No one even cared to stop and explain to her what was happening, why the Circle was quite literally up in flames. It was as if none of them had trained together, grown up together for Andraste’s sake! The best she could make of the situation was that the rebellion had finally reached Jainen, but beyond that she was not sticking around to see what other horrors had been unleashed by this call to arms.
So, the young woman had stockpiled as much as she could carry, cast a few charms on her packs to make them hold more, and rushed out of the tower as fast she could. It was surprisingly easy, and with her staff concealed and hood pulled over her head, no one shot her a second glance. It was disconcerting especially given the number of templars she darted around, many of which made her skin crawl and shivers of anxiety run down her spine. If she were to be caught… well, one could say death was not necessarily the worst end for a mage.
Out the tower and down the steps she fled, and while there were those she wished to know were alright, it didn’t seem smart to stick around. As comfortable as the Circle made her feel, Casper never exactly had the closest companions within the confines of the structure. Even alongside fellow mages, she thought of home, resentment occasionally bubbling in her chest even as she learned more new and incredible things from her studies. “Comfort” did not always mean “happy.”
Casper had nearly made it into an alley before a sudden hand on her shoulder yanked her back, a panicked inhale sucked in through parted lips. “Let go of m–” Shrill, indignant; that’s what she must have sounded like, and had it not been for a last minute spark of conscientiousness, she could have easily given herself away. All that had been asked of her was the cause of the chaos. With a beat of hesitance, Casper turned her gaze to a girl who looked relatively similar to her own years. “…the Circle has been… disbanded, unofficially. I’d suggest getting out of here–”
It seemed that Bea didn’t really have time to be slacking off or drawing out her demand for information. It’s not like she would find a person calm, rational and knowing of the situation that also wouldn’t try capturing and torturing an apostate caught in the chaos. Bea took a deep breath and nodded at the girl’s cautious and unnerved explanation. If they were caught...Maker, she didn’t even want to think about it. “Here, let’s go. Someone ought to know something in a week’s time. News travels Thedas like gossip at an Orlesian tea party. I don’t suppose you need a roommate?”
There weren’t really time for objections to that. Bea felt dreadful just pushing her way into a stranger’s life like this, but she also figured that there was a better chance of survival if the two helped each other out, at least for the time being. As she was carrying far less than this girl, she took one of the bags from her hand, reassured her she wasn’t about to steal it, and helped take some of the weight off of her new companion. She reached into an unzipped side pocket of one back and pulled out a map, hastily searching out the markers she placed in the ship.
“We should exit the city from this farm on the edge. Everyone and their mabari will be fleeing from the stables at the main road. If the Circle was chaos, I’ll bet you five gold pieces we’d be caught in no time there.” That is, if she had that kind of coin. “In all that farm land we might find a horse and carriage, and take some food from the trees that might last us a few days. Might not be a great first impression to steal, but we don’t have much choice.” There isn’t a mage who could stay hidden in Jainen after this happened.
“I’m Bea, by the way. I’m from Cumberland up in Nevarra.”
After throwing around some coins and stowing away on a boat headed Southeast, Bea had made her first stop in Jainen. There was an irony in arriving in the port village at night from the Waking Sea. It was against the wishes of everyone she knew in Cumberland to travel to Ferelden, especially with the news of the anarchy and chaos of the Blight. At least if she had been taken by darkspawn, the Nevarrans could bury her with ease.
Everyday she stayed in Cumberland she feared being found as an apostate, and thrust into a Circle with no way out. As a young girl developing her powers she might have welcomed the inclusion with people who experienced the calling of the Fade. If what she heard from Denerim was true, Circles were sounding less like a safe space and more like an easy target, if she was any judge. All in all, the only thing Bea felt she could do was flee.
She asked for directions for the local Inn, threw her bag securely on her back and pulled her hood over her head, just in case. When she got closer to the main roads of the village, she could hear muffled voices frantically chattering and yelling. At this hour it was hardly drunken fools from the tavern, so what exactly was going on? She kept close to buildings as she slowly approached the direction of the commotion. Behind a pillar, the apostate watched in hesitant curiosity of a crowd rushing out of Jainen’s Circle, pushing anyone in their way.
Templars ran this way and that trying to contain the crowd, but soon they too started to flee. The steps to the Circle were bloodied, some of the walls had crumbled. Crates stacked against the side of the tower burned and spread to hanging flags. The place was going up in ashes and screams. There was no way the ship captain had known this was happening, or she would have doubted that they’d be stopping in Jainen at all. Bea grabbed the shoulder of the closest person; it was a girl her own age. She raised her voice to be heard, asking what happened.
Fortunate, yet equally unfortunate, was the unexpected reunion.
An arm shot outwards to impede the adolescent’s retreat, digits clasping securely about a thin wrist and successfully causing an abrupt halt with a meager amount of strength. The unassuming action was staggering for the woman as her body was yanked backwards without prior warning, the groceries that’d be in hand impossible to be salvaged as they fell to freshly litter the asphalt. A sheepish apology, half-hearted but genuine all the same, would’ve been offered if not for having been hand delivered an unnecessary complication on what had been a relatively uneventful evening.
Entirely avoidable was the ensuing confrontation, but the option of withdrawal had been denied with a distinct sense of obstinacy. Fingers loosened the grip upon the wrist in hand, remaining in place but lessening the pressure, and when incautious steps were taken towards the fallen forms did they coax the adolescent into following in spite of the blatant danger posed by the individuals. Brashness apparent in the way he bowed forwards, undaunted and heedless of the threat, a cocksure grin bore teeth when cheekiness was vocalized.
“Friends of yours, Doc?” A rhetorical inquiry, the mirth was evident in his voice while the severity of the situation was unappreciated. “You make it a habit to hang out with the wrong crowd. I thought you’d be smart enough to draw the line at me. Even then, that’s pushing it. But regular sleazeballs like these? C’mon, Doc. You can do better.” Disregarding the incensed expressions the aforementioned pursuers wore whilst regaining their footing, the provocation continued. “Dont’cha think so too, guys?”
There went dinner. If anything good would have come out of this day, she would have hoped that returning home back to normal would have been what saved her sanity. She was asking for a lot, when she wasn’t even sure that she would get out of the alleyways with her life. Oh well, some other day then.
“I don’t do it on purpose!” Nina forced back tears--more jumpy than a stray cat. She resisted his movement towards the criminals, but ended up just dragging her feet against the dusty road when he kept moving forward. It seems that Hitoshiki wanted to face them head-on, even after she told him to stay away from fights. “I would love some friends my own age, but there’s a reason why you don’t see many girls outside around here.” She bit her lip, staring into the eyes of the men at her feet. She felt like they would hop up to grab her throat in retaliation for what she did.
In her amazement though, the thugs took one look at Hitoshiki and their faces twisted into a grimace. For some reason, Nina got the feeling that these guys at least knew of his reputation. One of them spit blood right in front of Nina’s guardian’s foot. Another rose to his feet and flashed his knife around, wobbling until he could finally steady his vision. It looked like he fell onto a rock when he landed. Nina might have been proud of her trap if she wasn’t so scared.
“Mr. Zerozaki... I don’t think we should--I’m calling Officer Chad about this. You don’t have to fight them. I just need to get home!” She didn’t want to drag him into this. She knew why they were after her. Dr. Theo’s little errand girl, she could probably help with a fix. Unfortunately this wasn’t the first time something like this has happened.
He made sure to pick a day when his sister would have no reason to go to the garden. He lied and said he had business, a small white lie which would prevent her from interrupting the two of them that day. Blood had been planning the proposal for about a month now, sneaking away to town more often than usual to pick out a ring that would be worthy of sitting on Alice’s finger. His companion had no idea that it was sitting in his coat pocket right now. Though it might have seemed a bit strange that the normally-lethargic man now seemed to have a sudden energy in his step, he was hoping she would overlook that.
Blood took Alice’s hand as they walked to the garden--one footstep at a time, counting together. “10..9...8...”as was the routine. Once they appeared, they held idle chatter until reaching the far back of the garden. There stood a small veranda, painted in a shade of blue-gray. It had been so long ago that the two fixed it that Alice seemed surprised to see it again. He had tea and some books Alice had been asking around for already on the table when they arrived. He grinned and nudged her forward a little.
“You remember then?” He said, taking a seat on the other side of the table after they walked up the short steps. “We painted this place after I took you back to the Country of Hearts. It was a sort of amends for the past. The very start of an apology, I suppose. Despite that, I’m still rather fond of it. Each time I visit to tend to the roses I recount how distant that day seems now.” He waited her for to make a remark. He would wait awhile before making any rash steps. Instead, he poured himself a cup of tea and took off his hat.
Nina checked the cheap plastic watch on her wrist. She was careful not to make any noise, peering cautiously from behind a pillar after she felt that she was being followed. She held a paper bag full of groceries for that night’s dinner. it was getting close to the time where she would need to be back at the clinic too. Dr. Theo was expecting her and expecting her alive no less. Nina bit her lip and tried to plan an escape route.
Nina had incredibly sensitive ears, and when she felt that the footsteps she was hearing were getting too close for comfort, and the taunting calls of two men telling her to come out of hiding, she sprinted down the alleyway. She jumped over piles of garbage and avoided bottles of broken glass, turning corners until she lost her knowledge of the area. Ergastulum was a big place and she wasn’t sure that she had completely lost her pursuers. She shook her head.
Think, Nina. Think. You can’t beat them, but you can outsmart them.
She took a small pocketknife out of her bag and cut a low-hanging laundry wire that was hanging across the alleyway. She apologized to the owners for ruining it. Then she tied one end to pipes attached to the two buildings on the side of the alley. She ran when she started to hear voices again, Her legs carried her as fast as they could when she heard the men trip on the line behind her, but to her surprise she was running towards a familiar face.
If there was a notable trait, a redeemable quality that excused all the negative drawbacks of having an overwhelming amount of brashness, it was the insouciant manner that problems were handled. Remaining levelheaded under pressure was what allowed for great leadership, what made it possible to find a solution to any issue faced while managing to prevent unnecessary lose from being suffered. It was what had rightfully earned the veteran solider a reputable rank, yet the method he’d selected for handling the conundrum at hand did not befit the countless achievements under his belt.
Drinking himself stupid was hardly praiseworthy, after all.
Body was unceremoniously thrown down into an empty booth, the selected bar graciously bereft of other midday customers that would’ve undoubtedly questioned the golden gauntlet adorning the length of his right arm. Sinking into the back of the furniture, arms resting upon the length and eyelids closed wearily, an unrestrained groan escaped before a packet of cigarettes was drawn from the depths of a pocket. It was once one of the sticks was balanced between lips that a sheepish expression overrode the tiredness that’d been openly displayed, the barkeep that’d surely witnessed it acknowledged at long last.
❝You wouldn’t happen to have a light, would ya? I’d like to say I misplaced mine, but that’d be lie. It’s loooong gone.❞ A lighthearted joke accompanied by his own soft laughter, the lose of the lighter was truly mourned, a painful sacrifice made in a mission that’d taken place just prior to this. Still, in comparison to an unintended universe transfer, it was hardly worth mentioning. ❝If not, I’ll just have to suck it up and deal with it. It’d be much easier with some good beer, though. I’ll take your best, and don’t let up. I’m gonna be here awhile.❞
The man in the booth certainly did catch his attention. People-watching was a specialty of the bartender, as it was with most in his profession. The night would be rather boring, even with the entertaining company of slurring housewives on the stools and clumsy young men causing a racket at the pool tables, if he did not monitor the place with curiosity. Even at this early hour, the man appeared as if he hadn’t had a proper nights rest in days, or at least he’d been through hell and back that morning. Izumo wiped his hands with a clean cloth and exited through a gate at the side of the bar,
“Ah course. Couldn’t leave home without one.” The bartender raised an eyebrow and took the zippo out of his pocket. His companion placed a cigarette in his mouth and leaned forward when Izumo flicked the top open and rolled the flint wheel.
“Rough mornin’ captain? That’s some heavy armor you got there. Don’t suppose you collect ol’ antiques or somethin? It’s kinda odd for a fashion statement around here.” Izumo shrugged and slid into the other side of the booth. Another worker of his had taken over the post at the bar, taking it as a sign of the owner taking a short break. He tapped the bottom of his own case of cigarettes and pulled one out to smoke. Then he opened the window next to the booth a few inches.
Motioning to his employee, Izumo instructed him to bring out a bottle of one of their specialty seasonal beers from the local brewery. Homra had some nice deals and investments with this brewery, so Izumo often placed orders for his own mixtures. Sure he had some imported beers to taste too, but this one was a crowd favorite, and was pretty damn good if he said so himself. He wasn’t sure what this guy’s tastes were, but he had plenty else to choose from if he wasn’t a fan.
The hypothesized ranking was consistent with his capabilities, any possible margin of error excusable as the consequences wouldn’t be severe. Aware of this, the once ill-placed smile remained untarnished, much more appropriate now for expressing gratitude. ❝Hey, thanks, man. You’ve got a real knack for this. You know, dealing with Twilights. And I don’t just mean figuring out the proper doses, either.❞ What he meant was the boundless patience that was necessary to simply handle the incessant, bothersome quirks of the patients under her care. Not everyone could humor the elongated speech that spilled from his lips, the nonsensical rambling comprised of self-depreciation, as elegantly as she had.
The conversation was what the thankfulness had actually been for.
Digits tucked the proffered prescription into one of the countless pockets sewn into the fabric of the tactical vest he wore before stretching out legs in preparation to stand. With an overdone hop was he back upon solid ground, shoulders rolled for good measure as did he indulge in the belief that the treatment time had been unbearable lengthy. Seemingly as if all business had been concluded, a few steps towards the door was taken until a sudden halt occurred, a single leg still lifted as he rounded with an impish smirk curling lips. ❝Actually, there’s one more thing …❞
Without further preamble did he all but throw his body upon of the nearby beds intended for critically injured patients rather than a minimally pained young adult, face pressed soundly into the comfortable embrace of a pillow. There was a lull of silence, the vagabond permitting himself unhindered enjoyment as far from commonplace were such luxuries, and only once fully settled did head turn in an incredibly slow fashion. Scarlet pupils peered upwards at the clearly befuddled nurse, their depths containing that same mischievousness for that single moment until they closed in contentment once more.
Fingers half-heartedly released bleached locks from their confinement, allowing the strands to hang unrestricted while boots were kicked off in the same slothful manner. It was once truly having mad himself at home that it appeared the purpose behind the recent actions was going to be explained. ❝Don’t let me sleep too long, huh? Gonna have to make up for all this lost time.❞ Without providing a viable reason, a convincing argument for this intrusion to be even be considered, the Twilight successfully turned a deaf ear until consciousness was able to become fully immersed in much needed slumber.
“Oh? Thank you...?” Nina wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but she took it as a sincere compliment. One of the many benefits of her job was the company she kept while she worked. At first she wasn’t really sure that they would have gotten along, but now she was glad to see that she might have made another friend. She doubted that he would consider the two that close after just a refill of Celebrer, but Nina loved to be optimistic. If he felt comfortable to come back for a chat in the future, that was more than enough for her.
“Huh?” she answered, seeing him turn on his heel.
She watched him in bewilderment as he took up residence on one of their hospital beds. Nina folded her arms with an amused expression and laughed under her breath when he gave his request. After he closed his eyes, she brought a glass of water to his bedside table for when he woke up and closed the curtain to the partition quietly. It wasn’t unusual for them to receive guests that desperately needed sleep, but it was a shock to see that Hitoshiki was one of them. Just minutes ago his lively conversation gave no indication of being tired at all, but maybe that was just his personality.
“Good night, Mr. Zerozaki,” she whispered. He was undoubtedly already sleeping, but she still felt compelled to wish him well.
Nina checked the clock on the wall and visited the other patients in the meantime. She would feel bad waking him up too early even if he insisted, so she would wait until a couple hours after dinner before bothering him. After all, it really seemed like Hitoshiki needed someone to be looking out for his health. ‘Oh, that’s right!’ she thought. She needed to hurry to take the laundry off the roof as well before Dr. Theo returned. Busy, busy, busy! But that was the way that Nina was most comfortable.
