Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
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Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 4, 2012 2:37:22 GMT -6
Lee's expression changed during the opening movements of the torture session. It was not so much that a great physical change came over her - she remained in her kneeling position, mostly limp, but held in place by her "owner." Her viewership was obviously forced, but as the seconds ticked by and the time to whipping crept ever closer, she seemed to fade. Her pupils told the story behind the apathy spreading over her face - they had been relatively large when she'd made eye contact with Kaien, but by the time the first blow was struck, they were no bigger than the head of a pin. Her breathing had also slowed considerably, and if one had the ability to take her pulse, they would have found that her heart rate was also largely depressed. Her "participation" in this play had been pre-planned, as if her outfit did not make that obvious, but she had attempted to resist in her own way and her "reward" for such resistance was a thorough drugging.
The whip rose and fell again and again... and the pink-haired girl seemed almost oblivious to it. Had she not been so heavily decorated and had the lights not been so fantastically altered, one might have noticed that she was developing a blue tinge to her skin. Her dose had been meticulously calculated - bring her as close to blatant toxicity as possible, so that the combination of her apparent frailty and her seeming inability to feel any pain inflicted on her would fling shame and embarrassment onto the "punished"... and give MV and the torturer more of a reason to play out atrocities on the other "helper."
When the whipping was done, and the lights returned, the costumed pet seemed ready to fail completely. But each time her head started to dip, each time her eyes began to slide shut, she was jerked back awake by the boss. There were other tests he employed as well, pressing against her abrasions or hatefully stepping on her ankle simply to activate her nerves enough to "keep her there." After all, "the show must go on", and she was to play a part in it. The eerie song seemed to touch her, too, bringing a faint glimmer of life to her in the form of a sharp inward breath. Between the song, the new girl, the candles, and the hateful brands, Leann seemed to gain enough energy to try and fight against the chemical chains that were binding her. It was not a visible battle, aside from the struggle she exhibited with her breathing. Kneeling, as she was, it was easy for most not to notice her... but then the spotlight was forced on her.
She was jerked to a standing position and her altered state became excruciatingly clear. As soon as her chains were released, she went stumbling to the side, stopping only when the guard that had originally dragged her into the room appeared in front of her as a road block. She smashed into him with the force of her lack of self-control and bounced off and backwards, unceremoniously falling to the floor. There were many effects to this - for one, the brunette panicked, fearing that this alone would be deemed a "failure" and result in her own punishment. The panic was evident on her features, but she hesitated to make an approach, instead turning her worried look on the primary performer in the hideous play. Secondly, the guard and guests... were amused. After all, Lee was supposed to be graceful and her arena reputation included feats of agility, whether of the gymnastics disposition or, rarely, when she was thrown into battle while wearing her skates. This girl, falling around like a drunken idiot, was a far cry away from the dangerous thing they were used to seeing. Their laughter was poisonous.
The boss did not appear to be as amused as the others, though this was actually "part of the act." A simple hand gesture instructed the guard to stand the girl up again. Again, as was their habit, Lee's braids were the devices used to bring her up. Her expression was one of confusion, then, her pin prick pupils giving her a distinctly doll-like appearance. Like she had been a few days prior, with Eluard, she was once again a puppet and although her strings had not been completely severed, it seemed they had tangled upon themselves. She was nudged with the butt of the guard's rifle to move forward, and her gaze shifted down to her ridiculous shoes. She took an extremely cautious step forward, her knees almost buckling, but she struggled to maintain her stance and she succeeded. It was a minor victory that was immediately stripped away - another gesture from the boss prompted a more vicious ramming of the gun into her back and sent her hurtling directly towards the panicked brunette.
But she hadn't the strength to actually make it all the way to the other woman. She face-planted a few feet away, and was quite slow to try and struggle back up. A third gesture from the boss finally prompted the other girl to act. She even smiled when it was given - a nervous expression elicited only because it offered her a chance, however slim, to "save herself" at the expense of another. Hurriedly, she placed Kaien's candle on the ground and moved over to Lee. Leann was... not exactly what one would call "heavy", but in her current state, she was mostly dead weight. Still, there was only one option available to the other girl - she took hold of Lee's chains and began pulling her towards Kaien's position.
Whether it was because Lee recognized the situation at hand (she did not) or if she were merely acting on instinctual responses, the pink-haired girl continued to try and get up, even as she was being dragged. On one hand, this significantly slowed the process of getting her into position - an effect that threatened to bring the panic back to the brunette, because she did not know how much time she would be granted. On the other hand, this actually saved Lee from additional physical damage and, perhaps, embarrassment that she would not realize until later. She was able to make it to her knees prior to being coaxed across the razor-edged rocks within the torture zone. Because of this, her face and upper body were spared their hateful touch, though her knees and shins, and thus her stockings, were shredded by the time she reached the red-eyed victim. Because the brunette half-expected Leann to simply fall back over once she released her chains, she improvised, pulling the pink-haired girl's arms up with the chain and draping her around Kaien's neck in a awkward embrace.
Someone in the crowd, probably one of the guards, remarked that "she was really hung up on him!" No doubt this was a reference to the story that had been reported, by the nurse, of the event that had occurred in the medical ward. There was some appreciation offered from the crowd in the form of laughter, but many were already too focused on whatever would come next.
In terms of their physical contact, Leann seemed mostly unaware. She'd made no obvious noises of pain as she was pulled across the rocks, and, just as she had been to the brunette, she hung on Kaien as mostly dead weight. There was something to be said in terms of the contrasting environments - that is, the "stage" itself was much warmer than the area the spectators occupied - but Lee's flesh against Kaien's was cold. It was as if she was made of ice, and her labored breathing seemed to imply a least a portion of the source of her troubles. The awkward position had also coincidentally aligned her face to his, but even though her eyes were open, she seemed to be looking right through him.
Though this lasted only a scant few moments, it seemed to drag on for eternity. Then, abruptly, the brunette returned with the candle, untangled Lee from Kaien, forced her hands to take hold of the candle and, with a mixture of hope and fear mingling in her eyes, tried to force Leann to deliver the kiss of flame as required. At first, the action seemed to labor because of the jester-girl's drug-induced lethargy, but the closer the candle got to Kaien - the brunette seemed intent on having the flame inserted into Kaien's left eye - the slower it seemed to move. Somehow, Lee was resisting though it was doubtful that she could hold out for long. Still the brunette's expression told the story of the hidden struggle going on. All three were tipping on the precipice of disaster, one way or another.
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 4, 2012 19:13:24 GMT -6
Up to the point Lee’s arms were draped around his neck awkwardly, Kaien had kept his eyes on a pair of bloodstained pebbles in front of him. Her cold presence chilled some anger out of him, both literally and metaphorically. He raised his gaze - furious, tired, pained from physical injuries and something else that wasn’t as clear, perhaps a regret of sorts and met her listless eyes. One of her hands, at one point, pressed onto an open, bloody whip gash that reached from his back to his shoulder and ending near his collarbone and it caused him to flinch without meaning to. His breath was labored from the strain of pain and keeping quiet throughout the ordeal. He didn’t miss the fact that Leann seemed sedated somehow but he couldn’t identify what exactly had caused her state by the hints provided.
In his state, he didn’t really think about it much either. As suddenly as she had been placed on him, Lee was removed and she was given the candle whose flame had already become intimately acquainted with his skin. Under the brunette’s guiding touch, the candle was coming closer and closer to his face but a silent struggle ensued and it was quickly obvious Lee was trying to keep it away from marring him. Oddly, the pink-haired girl’s gesture made the faintest of smiles appear on Kaien’s face, in bittersweet acknowledgement of her kindness, allegiance to him and not the brunette who was growing paler with each passing moment she didn’t manage to complete the task or simple defiance towards everything here.
Kaien’s eyes were on Lee again and he was trying to see, through the layers of physical and spiritual numbness he found there, which exactly was the case. Before he could notice, however, his red eyes closed slowly, as if in acceptance of some private decision he had made. “Let it go,” he whispered calmly, a tone too quiet for anyone but Lee and the brunette to hear and it was obvious he was talking to the younger of the two. His fists clenched tightly, wrists already red from rubbing against the metal binds. “If they want to burn me, they’ll do it anyway, so just… let it happen.” He wouldn’t blame her for it and he wouldn’t blame the brunette either. He was here to be punished and he would be, whether the two girls were doing it or not. The only people who could truly spare themselves pain here were the bystanders like them so it was only logical to let them take that chance.
Right before anything happened one way or the other, Kaien half-opened his non-threatened eye and stared into space. One of the fingers on his left hand (that was nearest to Lee) managed to reach out and brush lightly against the side of her waist, a touch he anticipated she wouldn’t likely even feel considering her state.
“Thanks,” was all he said before closing the eye again and the faint smile had moved to his tone. Whatever happened next, Kaien was determined to get the burn and the branding. He didn’t know how much longer the show would last but he feared he would end up waking up unconscious in the medical ward before seeing the end. Blood was freely flowing from the wounds on his back and every bit of him felt sore and stiff and in pain. His last thought before passing out (if the blackout occurred at all) would be of strawberry fields.
Kaien liked strawberries.
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
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Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 6, 2012 16:20:43 GMT -6
((I think we'll leave the ultimate results of the rest of the torture session in the dark... and move back to the med ward. xD Let me know if that's no good and I'll just start this post over.))
The silent struggle taking place before Kaien was a taxing one for Lee. The current and recent bouts of medication induced sedation seemed to present together, though the latter should have long since passed and the former was the result of a different cocktail of chemicals. Still, she inherently held a lack of tolerance, and the double exposure so quickly piggybacked upon itself made it easy to lead her to numbed ruin. She fought as she might, mostly unknowingly. There seemed no point to it; circumstances told the end of that story plainly and called it, directly, futile. Even in her numbed state she could tell she would ultimately lose... but other things internal, less related to Kaien than the situation might have suggested, compelled her to keep trying.
That is, until she was told to stop.
"Let it go."
A simple command that, in its simplicity, proved a perfect spear to pierce the veil and make her understand its meaning. The explanation that followed, though circumstantially correct, was lost on her, but it didn't matter. The command induced enough hesitation that the brunette nearly gained full advantage in the awkward tug of war.
His touch, felt but unfelt - in the same manner that one might acknowledge, from uncoordinated swatting, a feather tickled across one's nose while sleeping - disrupted her more, but in a different direction. It upset the aim of the candle entirely, and threw the dual balance out of whack. He offered a word of appreciation... and as he faded away, the immediate struggle tipped. The candle was lost to the dual-female grip, liquid wax spilling over four hands. The brunette yelped against the pain, and seemed to scramble to try to catch the candle as it fell. Lee, surprised as she was capable of being (which wasn't much) merely offered a partial retreat, her weight shifting away from Kaien so that she was inadvertently grinding more damage to her knees and shins with the sharp rock bed upon which she knelt.
The candle hit the floor. The light went out. Kaien's "light" went out... and everything faded to black.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Kaien's state of awakening in the medical ward would prove flanked by a variety of stimulants, once he was aware enough to appreciate them. The room he was in was stained in blood, the relative filthiness of it suggesting that it might have been the room the previously mentioned "bleeder" had been tended to in. The status of that individual was unknown and unimportant, but his or her departure must have been semi-recent, for the mess that had been made had not been cleaned up. There had not even been an apparent sweeping of the place by way of fire hose, and, as such, the room was surprisingly less damp than usual.
Aside from the physical building surroundings, there were a few additional "souvenirs" in the room. The first noticeable one was the other body. The corpse seemed... crustacean turned humanoid, and the relation of form to crab or lobster had, apparently, been made a fatal mockery of in the end (or, at least, sometime after Kaien had passed out.) The creature-or-person's limbs had been crushed; cracked in the same manner that one may break the claws and legs of the previously mentioned sea scavengers for the purpose of consumption. Included, on an intricate silver tray nearby, was the expected lemon juice, tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and now-very-congealed-but-formerly-melted butter. Not only were the "guests" of the arena savages - they also seemed to have a bit of cannibal in them. One could surmise that this corpse represented the "victim" that had shown such marvel at his own form when placed in Kaien's presence in the torture room.
The other two "souvenirs" were suggestive but much less conclusive than the corpse. Kaien had his own silver tray. Adorning it was a mocking circle of candles. Only one of them - the closest to him - was lit, and they had been placed in a circle. They framed the end piece of the brands that had been used in the torture session, though from Kaien's perspective, the mocking jay was upside down. On the ground near the tray holding the platter rested the blood-stained costume the brunette had been wearing. Her shoes, high heels, seemed in one piece and unharmed, save for the red stain. The dress, on the other hand, was in absolute tatters. The fate of the one that had worn it, however, could not be fully elucidated from the presentation.
Meanwhile, a clamor arose from outside of the room. The hum, crackle, and spark of electricity filtered into the room, intermittently pierced by sharp feminine screams, cut off almost as soon as they began each time. This lasted for less than a minute in real time, though the suggestion it provided may have caused the duration to seem much longer. When the hum faded, heavy panting filled the silence for a few seconds, and then:
"Why the shit ain't this workin'?"
"I toldja to quite fuckin' with the voltage!"
Two male voices materialized, obviously belonging to two of MV's thugs.
"Naw, man. We done turned it low and high! Fuckin' ain't the settings, this shit just ain't workin'! Fuck, man! I'm gonna try it again."
"Wait a second, fool! Whaddaya think happens if we fuckin' kill her with this shit, when we're s'posed to be patchin' her up?"
"...So what? You know how to fix her? Why the hell'd he go and off the fuckin' science-bitch that figured this shit out in the first place?"
"Uh... hell, I dunno! Put the blindfold on her, then! You keep shocking her and her goddamn eyes'll burst and I don't wanna deal with that shit. Turn that shit back down, too!"
A few beats of silence passed, punctuated only by the sound of heavy breathing. Then, the shocking process was repeated. As stated, changing the "voltage" - not the proper term, but, hey, they were stupid thugs - did not sound as if it had made any difference. Still, somehow, one of them managed to have a "Eureka!" moment.
"Hey dude... ya think it's his fault? That red-eyed demon guy? He shuts them all down, don't he?"
A moment of silence passed, in consideration.
"Huh. Maybe. That's why Boss let them fancy people take a turn on all those bitches, right? Sparky and those others can't do shit when he's around... Hey, push the cart over there."
"Gotcha."
The creaking of rusted wheels could be heard, moving away from Kaien's location.
"Aight, try that shit now."
Another spark, another crackle, another hum - this time no screams.
"Ho-hooo! Look at that shit!"
"Haha... ugh, hey man, ya know what? That shit looks gross."
"What?"
"Look! I dunno about healing, but that's like, blood and skin and shit and... and it bubbles."
"So?"
"So it's gross, goddamn it!"
"...But it's hot on her."
"What?!"
"...Nothin'. Fuck you."
"You fucked up, man."
"Piss off! Yer the one that wanted to bang that mermaid chic last month! So shut the hell up! I wanna check something. Help me move this shit again."
The sound of the current ended and the wheels began creaking again. This time, as expected, the noises were approaching Kaien's location. Eventually, a form manifested in the doorway to Kaien's room. Leann was strung up in the wheeled apparatus that looked... like a medieval torture rack, turned vertical, and made out of a pair of old bed frames. A chain trailed from one portion of the frame, snaking off around the corner and out of sight. In the same manner, a series of wires also snaked around and out of sight, but instead of being connected to the rack's frame, these ended in electrodes that had been attached to various parts of Lee's body.
Her state was rather wretched. She was still wearing her costume from the torture session... sort of. The sleeves were little more than frayed ribbons. Her skirt was shredded to essential non-existence. What was left of her stockings hung around her ankles and trailed behind her like a pair of dirty, tattered mini-capes. All of her bells had been lost somewhere else. The vest, too, showed severe signs of mistreatment, and hung on her by a single remaining string that was barely keeping her "covered." Her makeup was like a tie-dyed mess covering the visible part of her face; the blindfold she had been recently equipped with covered most of it, however. Her hair rested only in a mockery of the braids it had originally been styled in. She was covered in bruises and lacerations, the most devastating of which decorated her knees and shins - but there was a distinctly odd quality to the wounds. All had borders suggesting healing - the light pink on the lacerations and cuts, a faint yellow halo around the bruises.
"Gun it."
"Here we go!"
The current was applied and the girl's body went absolutely rigid. Everything was clenched, and if one looked at her hands, they would see that the repetition of her shocking treatment had caused her to impale her nails into the flesh of her palms. This time, unlike the previous two, the shock was not applied for very long. When the current was cut, she went limp, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"That shit... is funny."
"What?"
"It's her goddamn element, right? Haha, it's a "drink of her own medicine", yeah?"
"...It's taste."
"What?"
"Taste! "Taste of her own medicine", idiot!"
"...Shut up. ...Whatever. That fucker in there does shut her down. That's all I wanted to see. We better do the job now, huh?"
The other didn't bother to respond. Instead, Lee-in-traction was pulled out of the doorway to Kaien's current room. The creaking of wheels continued, fading into the distance. They remained audible, of course, until they stopped. The current was turned back on. This time it was left on for quite a while.
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 6, 2012 20:06:06 GMT -6
Kaien woke up with a grunt, temples pounding as if he’d been run over by elephants and body seeming to confirm the occurrence. The smells he inhaled in a rush of breath wanted to turn his stomach so he pushed up from his position, trying to contain the sensation but failing as his eyes took in the butchered crustacean-man. The crimson eyed male soon discovered he didn’t have anything to vomit anyway, the memory of his last meal becoming dimmer by the hour. He would hate to live to the day he forgot it entirely and went for a piece of the crab like some savage from MV’s batch of spectators.
He looked away, gradually becoming accustomed with the general filth and smells as he sucked in short, tentative breaths and became aware of something else – the silver tray beside the hard bed. The candles and brands didn’t impress him too much but did bring back the eerie song to mind. He could recall the lyrics as if he’d spent careful attention on remembering them at the time. When he looked at himself he did note he was covered in half-healed mockingbird impressions. They were on his chest, slipped between and across stitched whip cuts, but the more painful one was on his neck. He couldn’t recall how or when he had gotten them.
The things the brunette had worn were also on his tray and he narrowed his eyes at the dress, quietly furious to see its state. She hadn’t escaped and it was clearly expressed that her fate was his direct fault. If he weren’t disobedient, If he didn’t make the pink-haired girl struggle against the candle (since it probably seemed like he had), if he didn’t exist at all as a thorn in the world’s back, perhaps she wouldn’t have known the amount of harm needed to leave that dress in tatters. Kaien rubbed a hand across his brow in irritation, cursing the day he had fallen into MV’s hands and cursing MV to rot for the rest of eternity for his sins.
His inner bitching was quieted by screams that seemed to stretch on forever and a pair of voices coming from somewhere near-by, just outside his room. During the intense screaming Kaien had tried to get up and get up he did, only to have one of his damaged legs buckle under his weight and make him fall to one knee on the bloodstained floor of his room. The pain in his bandaged but still raw on the inside knee hitting the cold surface of the floor almost made him scream out too. What he didn’t know was that the bone was shattered despite the quick patch up and there had been no mutant healing applied to him while unconscious that could suture the bone and cartilage to perfection.
Keeping in his anguish, he settled on just passively listening to the two voices. They sounded like they were coming from very far away, barely real through the haze caused by his pain, the continual pain that racked his body and tore parts from his sanity. When they clearly referred to him and he could muster enough strength and desire to connect a thought or two as well, he realized just what was happening in the other room. They were trying to heal Lee by electricity, like the nurse had mentioned some days ago and it was indeed his fault that the only thing the shocks were doing was harm her.
Luckily, the two morons found a brain and started placing distance between Lee’s charging and his presence. It was during that time that Kaien tried to sit up and failed, his other leg not strong enough to lift him without help. Some botched attempts later and his attention turned to something else - the approach of a Lee in tatters, looking more hurt than Kaien had ever seen her. Before his foggy brain could propose a reaction, a shock was applied to her right in front of him and although he started dragging himself back through the pain in his leg to try and place needed distance between them in case the two sadistic morons decided to shock her more, his fuss wasn’t needed, because she was being removed from the doorway and was being taken away again.
Still, he could tell that they retreated to a distance that was not enough (probably imagining he was still standing where he should be should he have not moved at all) and he found strength he didn’t know he had to push up to his feet and limp-run to complete the distance Lee would need not to get killed. Luckily, he managed to get there in time and he caught himself on the far bed of the room right before diving onto the bloodstained floor again. The current was on for quite some time and Kaien listened to the low hum of energy, keeping to his position until it was definitely gone.
When there was definitely no more sound coming from the neighboring environment, Kaien rose back to his feet shakily but this time found his hopping more precise when he started moving towards the entrance to the other room. He was still wearing the same pair of dark jeans he had worn during torture but they had been cut from the knee down to make room for the bandages that were now wrapped tightly around his forelegs, knees and a little up his thighs. His torso was all one big bandage as well, to the point that he was effectively mummified in appearance, the only parts of him not wrapped being his arms (with the occasional small band here and there to cover some lighter wound), his neck and his face.
The burn-mark on his chin was mysteriously gone and the scrapes and bruises on his face were considerably less noticeable. Eventually he reached the other room and peeked inside.
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
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Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 7, 2012 13:12:59 GMT -6
Though any other banter between the two thugs had been lost on Kaien in his "necessary" retreat and the aftermath, the thugs had continued on with their assigned duties, including disconnecting the girl from the frame once her "charging" was complete and depositing her to the side, in the main room, after said disconnection. "Star of the show" as she was accustomed to being, Lee was certainly the "center of attention" - but in this case, it was not because of any catering to her now-severely damaged "pet" reputation. The medical ward was full to capacity, and there was no place to deposit her other than the central nexus. The other rooms were full of victims - three of the rooms, Kaien's included, contained those that had been part of the spectated torture session. The other two rooms, not surprisingly, contained others that had been part of a second session that had known no audience.
Leann had been laid out on a mat, the kind of which was typically used by early elementary school children for "nap time." It was a futile debate to determine whether this simple mat or the bed upon which Kaien had been laying had more cushioning but, given her state, it did not seem to matter in the slightest. She'd been placed without any real regard to positioning or lingering injury - the former apparent by the fact that all of her body except her head was on the actual mat. Her arms and legs were in asymmetrical positions. Her left arm was draped across her middle, and her right arm was extended out and up, perpendicular to her torso. Her right leg was bent at the knee, so that the only part of it resting on the floor was her heel. Her knee must have originally been pointed towards the ceiling, but it had fallen to her left, creating a "veil" of sorts that did a far better job of covering her unmentionables than had the puffy skirt she had been forced to wear prior to its shredding. Her left leg was extended out, but was also twisted in a touch towards her center. It almost gave the impression that, despite being apparently unconscious, she had somehow attempted to defend her mostly non-existent modesty. Her costume remained in the same state as Kaien had seen it in the doorway, and she was still wearing the blindfold. She seemed to be "resting", though her breath was somewhat out of rhythm.
Aside from the girl, there were some other environmental reveals in Kaien's peeking. The chain that had been attached to Lee's "healing" frame was shown to have been a cart or carriage of sorts. It had maintained the set of eight car batteries that had been used to deliver the painful or healing shocks to the girl. They were utterly ruined now, of course, barely recognizable in their half-melted state. Off in the corner there was another familiar sight - another crumpled collection of clothing, this time pink scrubs and the short white coat the nurse from before had been wearing when she had caught Lee and Kaien "in the act." There was blood on these as well, including what appeared to be a bullet hole going right through the location where one would expect the heart to be. So much for "rewards" for being a snitch. (Likely, the fatal discipline had been determined and administered directly due to the actions that had taken place in the torture session. Blame was an easy thing to spread around.) Finally, there was another cart in semi-close proximity to the pink-haired girl. This one held the following items: a gallon sized jug of water, a small tin cup, one small, slightly damaged apple, the usual collection of silverware wrapped and tied in a napkin, a small saucer-sized plate containing three pieces of slightly burned toast, and a larger plate upon which rested a large collection of apparently stir-fried style vegetables, the mix of which made utterly no culinary sense and was probably chosen simply to provide some amount of "necessary vitamins and minerals" for the consumer.
The thugs had apparently left.
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 9, 2012 13:02:15 GMT -6
Kaien took a sweeping look of the central hub, gaze momentarily pausing on the still Leann in her discarded position. From the “patients” in his room, he appeared to be the only one conscious and wandering. The moment of freedom wouldn’t last long and soon enough someone would come to pick him up and take him to his cell where he could recover in vastly less comfortable conditions (if you could call a hard bed surrounded by a bloody floor and walls comfortable). The thought of trying to escape sometimes made it up to the surface of his dazed considerations but he had been proven time and time again that the attempt was as futile as trying to get MV to grow compassion. As such, Kaien was experiencing a bit of a “lost” moment, where he didn’t know what to think, what to feel or where exactly to go.
Wandering into the space before him, he headed straight for the bloody pink scrubs and lab coat he had noticed, his pace a wobbly hop. The clothing items, with blood mostly dry from the surprisingly warm atmosphere within the hub, were taken under arm and transported to where Lee was. Throwing the scrubs somewhere near her, Kaien couldn’t help another notice of her indecency before covering her up lightly with the short lab coat. He lowered his more damaged leg onto the ground with a grimace and bent down to loom just above her head, concentrating his weight on the leg that didn’t hurt as much. He wiped the traces of dry blood and general filth from his hands on the few cleaner spots of bandages or jean fabric available on him and, with carefulness he didn’t know he had, moved Lee’s head and back so that he gave her a more proper position on the little mat.
When the task was done he lingered for just another moment, eyes thoughtfully on the side of her face that was angled in the other direction. Getting up, he wandered to the irresistible food available on the near-by cart. A couple of days of hunger made him unwrap the spoon of the silverware from the napkin with record-breaking haste and if he cared the vegetable mix didn’t make any sense, it didn’t show when he plunged it into the saucer-sized plate. Why he still had any manners at all was puzzlesome. Without having a thought about it, he ate the whole vegetable meal within seconds and drank half of the water provided straight from the jug. The nourishment and water consumption immediately relieved some of his nausea, in no small part caused by the mix of hunger and exhaustion.
When he was done drinking, he returned the jug to the cart and extended a hand for the bread but his fingers paused in mid-air, curling slightly, hesitating. After a very short moment of deliberation, he took one of the small pieces of bread and munched it as he made his way back to where Lee was sitting and sat next to her on the side that had her facing him due to her position. Kaien watched her for a moment, so small, so abused and so broken in probably more ways than he could imagine. He held one knee bent, leg drawn to his chest and the other one extended forward and he was propped up by one arm, palm on the mat. After a moment of consideration, his free hand came to rest on top of hers, palm lightly pressed onto another palm and he was ready to remove it if she opened her eyes, (and he would do so unless she restrained it or showed other signs that she’d rather he didn’t).
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
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Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 11, 2012 9:30:48 GMT -6
There was little in the way of response from the girl, at least when it came to Kaien's initial re-positioning attempt. She was dead weight again, though, unlike other recurring recent themes for Lee, she could not actually grow accustomed to such a status. She did not stir when Kaien covered her with short lab coat, nor did she seem aware when he went about devouring the meager meal left in her vicinity. It was difficult to gauge her awareness, anyway, given the blind fold she'd been equipped with, but if she had, through sound or tactile stimulation, become conscious, she made no obvious show of it. Her breathing, once ragged, was even again, if a little shallow, and, even disconnected from the electric frame, her wounds continued to show accelerated healing. Sooner or later, she'd essentially look like herself again, shredded costume notwithstanding.
At Kaien's hand-to-hand touch, she seemed to stir. She mumbled something unintelligible, and sighed. Then she seemed to tense, her muscles going rigid as she stretched. Her legs went straight, her back arched, and her fingers closed around his hand, tightly. But she wasn't awake yet. Instead, she rolled over, disrupting the careful placement of the lab coat, and placed her other hand over his. Her grip strengthened, a double-handed clutching, and another mumble came out - something about rice balls and a lunchbox - before she relaxed and settled, half-nuzzling the mat she was laid upon.
She rested in that position for a few minutes and then, abruptly, seemed to choke. It was a transient thing, progressing quickly from an irritation of her throat to one of her entire upper airway. It culminated in a sneeze. The sound she made with this motion was cruelly heart-meltingly cute and completely inappropriate for their surroundings. Cute or not, the significance of this event was clearly her awakening, and the subsequent panic her "blindness" caused. She sat up with a start, head turning towards Kaien wildly - a movement caused by his touch. Had it been anyone other than the "nullifier", she'd no doubt have produced a hateful spark of self-defense. Instead, her body tried and failed to produce the electric surge, and she promptly jerked away from him, scrambling backwards across the floor until she hit the wall. The back of her head smacked against it, unceremoniously.
"Ah! OW!" she managed, adding a hissing sound as she sucked air through her teeth and clutched the back of her head. Though defensive, this motion resulted in an immediate distraction from the pain - her hands found the blindfold and she quickly went about removing it. Her expression was one of amazement as her eyes blinked about wildly and her vision returned.
"I.... can see!" she whispered after a small gasp, her disposition like one who was in the presence of one of the Wonders of the World. Then, her gaze fell on Kaien, and her expression became clouded and confused. "Wha-what...? Why are you...? Where... am I? What... happened?"
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Kaien Tsubakuro
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 12, 2012 10:34:21 GMT -6
Kaien was about to retract his hand when she started moving but it was locked in her grip so he relaxed away from drawing it back. Suddenly, she had a firm hold of his hand with both of hers and she was talking in her sleep by the sounds of it. He could do nothing but stare and wait and in the meantime reached over to adjust the lab coat on her but paused in mid-motion when she sneezed. That was also when she woke up and direct contact was abandoned to a hasty retreat. Kaien gave new use to his freed hand, making it help support his position on the mat.
It didn’t take long for her to be full of questions. Kaien started replying with a light shrug. “What does it matter? I just happen to be here and that’s that.” Having no idea if that’s what she meant with her vague beginnings of questions, Kaien offered a random reply in return. “You’re in the “medical ward,” though I’ve seen more sanitation in a cave of rats.” Especially if he recalled the state of his room, the blood was a persistent scent in the air but he had grown accustomed to it and didn’t notice it much. Since she was almost naked again, Kaien frowned, picked up the pink scrubs and the lab coat and flung them at her. “Would you cover up? It’s distracting.”
Not that he had much to be distracted from but he wasn’t interested in the display, not in these conditions. He was looking at the far wall when he started explaining the situation. “I think they brought us here after the torture session. I woke up not very long ago. They…” He gestured vaguely. “… healed you with electric shocks.” He frowned, annoyance in his eyes. “But not before torturing you with them, bringing you close to where I was…” There was a shallow aspect to his breath, the memory of the thugs like bile in his mouth. Kaien let slip a short sigh and pointed to the food cart.
“I think I ate some of your food. Sorry. I was sort of starving.” He was still hungry, the meager meal barely managing to make a difference. Why was he here? Why had he stayed with her? For one, this room wasn’t covered in blood but that wasn’t the only reason he’d stayed. She had somehow become the only person who survived long enough to have a connection with here and even though he normally preferred solitude, there was something about conversation that helped him keep sane. Kaien looked back to her, consideration in his gaze. “Are you okay? You looked terrible earlier.”
And he liked her. It was an annoying thing to notice, but it persisted from the very first day they had met.
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
([url=http://tinyurl.com/7fm9rxh]Application[/url])
Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 12, 2012 18:09:19 GMT -6
Still somewhat groggy from her startled awakening, Lee managed to only look half-glossy eyed while Kaien responded. If she actually understood all of his words, it wasn't immediately present, but she clearly was not ignoring him either. She flinched slightly when the clothing was thrown her way, but she didn't properly respond until Kaien was completely finished.
"Wha-? Oh. Oh! Oh, geez, I didn't even... I mean... How come I'm dressed like... E-er..."
She made the clothes, which were too big for her, work as best she could. She pulled on the scrub bottoms, being forced to loop the drawstring around her waist in order to make them have a chance of staying on, and she also put on the white coat, backwards because she was sure her "front" was far more of a "distraction" for Kaien than was her back. She was not about to don the blood-stained, bullet-ridden top, and she tossed it aside very quickly. All through these actions, she seemed to be considering something, her gaze locked mainly on the cold floor. When she was done, she paused for a moment, and then produced a small sigh.
"I, uh... I'm... fine. R-really, since... since, ya know, ya said they shocked me, it's all... good. Weird. I'm sure ya think it's... weird, but, really! For some reason, it puts me... back together. But, uh..." And she paused again, her expression becoming clouded. She shook her head, though, and continued on the current topic for a few more words. "And, um, it's like, alright. About the... that food, I mean. M'not even hungry and... and I'll get in trouble if it ain't all gone, so go right ahead! Please, um, help yourself some, uh, som'more? Heh... that sounds... retarded. Ugh! Lee, yer so retarded!"
With this exclamation, she pulled her knees up to her chest and brought her fists to her temples, her eyes shutting tight. She knocked on the sides of her head a few times, pressing her forehead against her knees. Then, she exhaled and wrapped her arms around her legs, clasping her left wrist with her right hand, and tilted her face up, so that her eyes and the bridge of her nose were visible as she looked at Kaien.
"I, um... you said... torture session... right?" There was a pause. "I don't... I don't really... I mean, I can sorta see... shadows, but... who was...?" And that question fell off as she continued to look at Kaien, for the answer was obvious and, though delayed, had eventually dawned on her. "It... was it... my fault? It was, wasn't it? If I was there, then... then it hadta be..."
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 13, 2012 19:00:30 GMT -6
Blood was starting to look like floral patterns to Kaien recently. Its presence was so extensive, so expected, that he didn’t quite remember how to show proper aversion towards it anymore. Maybe he had never been overly sensitive to the sight of it from the very beginning. However, there was a limit to his desensitization, and it was clearly surpassed by the sight available in the other room. Leann’s appearance became more proper and it helped him remember that none of this should matter to him really. Neither of them would survive MV’s arena, not after he finished having fun with them. Death hung in the air like fog in a marsh but he could no longer feel terrified, the sensation was worn out. All that was left to do was wait. Wait for the next battle, wait for the next torture episode, wait until someone from the audience got a taste to see your death. So wait he did.
“Weird?” Kaien glanced at her. His lips were smiling as if amused but none of it was in his eyes. “Someone’s eaten bits from a crab dude in the other room, with friggin’ mayonnaise too. I don’t think anything’s weird anymore.” And it was true. There were few things that could surprise anymore after being in this place for too long. His tone lost the snarky attitude. “At least you’re okay.” He stared at the wall some more, wondering if he’d ever see daylight again, more out of curiosity than any longing. Kaien preferred the dark and the creepy dim light available in the central room was actually comforting. The spotlight in the arena was a bitch.
She invited him to eat the remaining food and chastised herself for how she presented it in such a cute way it genuinely amused him. “Really? You sure?” He was asking that while already getting up to take the offer. Although there wasn’t much left to look forward to, any semblance of food was irresistible down here – except for the crab dude. Kaien reached the food cart in record time for someone whose leg hurt as much as his did (he had needed to hop back to it) and he was enjoying what was left of the toast when Lee spoke again.
He glanced to her between bites. “Not your fault,” he was quick to contradict and took a bite of the small apple. It was easy to recall exactly how he had defied MV to be sent for punishment again: a simple matter of ignoring a kill order. He was doing it more and more lately. Maybe some part of him wanted it to end and he expected to be the next on the execution list if he displayed any more disobedience. Kaien swallowed the apple and his eyes became focused on her again. “I don’t think the Boss likes me. I have this stupid thing I do where I don’t listen to what he says very much.” His lips parted to reveal a wicked grin, then he returned his attention on finishing the food.
When he was done he hopped back to the little mat and resumed his position on it. “So how come you’re not hungry? Is that an effect of the electricity too?” He tilted his head to watch her better. “How did he catch you anyway?” Kaien looked to the side and his voice gained a notch in gravity. “We need to get out of here somehow.” And he was thinking about it, considering all the ways they could possibly escape.
Kaien had no idea Lee was free to come and go, her return to the arena the result of blackmail.
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
([url=http://tinyurl.com/7fm9rxh]Application[/url])
Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 15, 2012 16:21:40 GMT -6
"E-eaten... a crab... dude? Ugh..."
If she had actually been hungry before (which she wasn't), Lee would have found herself bereft of any hint of appetite with Kaien's revelation of the evidence of (pseudo?)-cannibalism in the other room. It wasn't enough to nauseate her - her imagination wasn't functioning well-enough to manage that - but it was disgusting. Unfortunately, the relation of mutant-to-monster was never far from her mind, and this added just a touch more cement to that unfortunate fortress inside of her. If those that owned and used them were willing to consume them, then didn't that further show that they were no better than animals? It was disconcerting, but she kept that sentiment inside. It kept her mouth shut, though, with regard to Kaien's questioning-while-auto-accepting response to her encouragement to finish off whatever food was left. Her nose even wrinkled when he bit into the apple; unable to shake the thought that, for those from the arena, she was (or at least, could be) that apple. She would have shuttered had he not dismissed her fault in his torture.
"W-why, though?" Even if she'd shown some willingness to resist more recently - a side effect of her interactions with both Kaien and Eluard - it was still a very worrisome proposition. Things were already "bad"; disobedience only made those bad things "worse", right? "Shouldn't you... I mean, ya don't seem... well, so... shouldn't ya, maybe... I-I dunno, take it, um, easy and, and listen? Just... just so you can recover? If ya keep that up, then..."
Lee's words trailed off because the finish to the sentence was obvious. It was more than obvious; it was inevitable. And what soured her even more - an unrealized empathy shared by the two at that moment - was that, even if they offered zero resistance, and followed every order to the letter, the "finish" would still come. One day. Perhaps she really was as stupid as recent developments seemed to be implying - everything she was doing... was simply prolonging the inevitable. Her train of thought was de-railed when Kaien asked about her lack of appetite and how she'd come to be in this hateful place.
"I dunno," she started, quite honestly, in response to Kaien's electrical hypothesis. "I mean, I guess so. Since it patches me up, I guess it sorta works as a substitute, right? I don't... think I could just survive on it alone, though. Like, M'not a machine or anything. I don't think, anyhow. Uh... but, uh... I... dunno? I mean, about... bein' caught. I was alright for a while, after... after the accident, by myself, at my mom's house. I didn't really go anywhere, 'cept the hospital, cuz that's where she was, but... but I was... kinda stupid about some... things. Like... like runnin' errands late at night and takin' stupid short cuts and... gettin' caught by folks that weren't too happy with me anyway. So... so that, and the shocking thing I do... musta caught his attention somehow, right...?"
Lee let that hang for a moment, as she tried to consider the final phrase Kaien had uttered. "We need to get out of here somehow." She was wearing a frown while she was thinking, unsure as to what the proper response could be. Encouragement... would only lead to failure and additional pain, but denial? Discouragement? Would that not, at least halfway, paint her as a "traitor" to the cause and disrupt whatever amount of camaraderie she'd developed with him? Her expression moved from the thoughtful frown to one of shocked realization... that melted into a small, sheepish - almost guilty - blush. This was quickly replaced by a more determined look. She'd realized that her hesitation in responding was, like so many other things as dictated recently, due to selfishness. Was she concerned about his safety when it came to an escape attempt? Certainly. But it was because, she didn't want him to leave. What if he succeeded? Then, she would truly be alone here.
She was terrible. In fact, she would be terrible, regardless of the choice, but if she tried to help, instead of clinging to her selfish status quo... she might be able to convince herself that she wasn't completely a lost cause. Abruptly, the pink-haired girl reached back and pushed herself up with the wall's help. The look she placed on Kaien seemed... resolute, somehow.
"I'll help. I can't ever truly leave... I always come back. I have to. He'll... kill her if I don't. But... but I can... I think I can, at least, help you. I..." She looked towards the exit of the medical ward, as if to ensure that no one on the boss's payroll was nearby. "J-just... just tell me what might be useful. I can... I can leave, ya know? Go out and... and do whatever. I dunno what all I can get - it... it'll haveta fit in my backpack to get back in, but... Just tell me, and... and I'll try. I'll get stuff and... and tonight or... something, I'll... I'll clear the path. How's that?"
Brave? Stupid? Both? This would probably damn her... but that was going to be her fate anyway, right?
((So, I saw yer post in Lyre's plot thread about an escape attempt, and thought it might be good to facilitate it! Not to mention this takes us to the battle and the end of the Arena anyway, right? LoL.))
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 15, 2012 19:02:27 GMT -6
She asked him why and he stopped eating, hand dropping slowly to his side with the half-finished apple in it. During the moment of quiet that passed between them, Kaien stared into space, considering much the same thing she was. Although he felt numb in many ways, there was something very deep-rooted in his character that remained alive in the depths of his eyes. Over his shoulder, he looked to Lee. “Because when I die, I want to die knowing I was still me at the end of it.” There was something very resolute in his gaze. Kaien looked away. “What’s the point of prolonging it?” His eyelids lowered a little and his voice became quieter. “Sometimes I regret waking back up in the medical ward. Even when I think it’s the end, they seem to find a way to bring me back again.” He frowned and bitterness flooded his crimson gaze. “I won’t let that bastard have the only thing I have left – my dignity.”
While that would have been completely true in other circumstances, it didn’t ring so true down here, so Kaien added with his fists clenched so tight what was left of the apple was almost crushed in his palm. “He’s already taken some of it. I can’t be a coward again.” And he feared he would. It was easier to be brave when the pain wasn’t an immediate reality. It became a lot harder to remember your principles when it was racking your body. Kaien took pride in his resistance and that pride was the only thing truly keeping him sane.
Kaien finished the food while she explained how she was found and captured. It did sound stupid, but he did things that were just as moronic, so he wasn’t one to judge. His interest was sparked a little by the idea that her mom was in the hospital but he chose not to ask right then. More quiet filled the central hub and soon the only sound was his drinking from the jug of water. Food and liquid were so satisfying down here that they almost gave him hope of escaping, fueling his ability to imagine a life beyond this imprisonment. Nothing was impossible so there had to be a way they could leave.
When she spoke again Kaien was on the mat and looking to her, a little surprised by the strength of her decision. His surprise was quickly replaced with confusion. “What? Kill who? You can leave?” He was frowning without realizing it. Shifting on the mat, he angled towards her fully, both hands spread in front of him to support his weight. “You mean you can go out, but you still come back?” There was incredulity in his tone, but he collected it out of it. “Who will he kill?” There was a lot of repetition fueled by his surprise. Then, his frown deepened and he looked away from her, tossing himself back into his previous position, with both hands on his sides. “Hell no. If you’re crazy enough to return here, I won’t have your suffering for helping me on my conscience. What’re you even hoping to achieve?” The incredulity was back in his tone. “You know he won’t spare any of us, don’t you?”
Kaien didn’t know who she was trying to save but it all seemed very futile to him. Whatever salvation could be had was only temporary. Whoever was within MV’s influence was already dead, the actual dying part was just a technicality. His gaze was very intense when he looked to her. "If you can get out of here, Leann, don't fuckin' come back! There's no one you can save from him..."
It didn't even cross his mind to want her to stay to ease his own experience down here. Any sense of consideration he had for himself had died along with his sister.
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
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Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 15, 2012 20:30:32 GMT -6
Ah, the best of intentions, and the downward spiral that accompanied them, when they were turned on their heads. Dignity, pride - though she could, in some small measure, appreciate Kaien's meaning in his explanation for resisting, she could not actually understand it. Whatever one's intangibles - the values they held - she couldn't actually fathom that attempting to live longer, even if it meant doing the terrible things they were required to do, could steal or erase one's "identity" - alter it, yes, but not remove it. Lee would fully admit that she was not the same person that she was prior to becoming the "lightning angel pet" of the Arena; but she could say the same thing about her awakening. Backtracking further, she could say that about many "life-defining events" that had occurred over her life. But she was still "Leann" wasn't she? And if she died, right there, on the spot... she still would be. But once that fatal toll was struck, there was no more "change" that could occur. Therefore, death itself, was the only thing that could "steal" one's identity. And if that were the case, wasn't it... required to try and prolong that existence for as long as possible?
But she didn't have time to try and make an argument out of such philosophical musings. Instead, she found that her moment of resolve had seemingly backfired, completely. Again - and again, from a different source - the litany returned. The melancholy waltz of futility enshrouded her; there was no saving what she so hoped to try and save. She should just turn and run. Give up on it. There was no chance. It was hopeless. This time, she'd even been called "crazy."
At first, she seemed shocked by his response, his sudden refusal at what he had originally voiced as a goal. Because of her circumstances - which she knew he didn't fully know but could not, at that moment, let soften the blow - her help was not wanted. In fact, the suggestion was turned aside on the point of liability. That is, accepting such help would simply "cost too much." The shock began to fade, replaced by frustration and anger. Her head bowed, her jaw clenched, her eyes closed, and her hands balled into fists at her side. She looked utterly ridiculous, given her apparel.
"Crazy, huh?" It was quiet. Smoldering, but quiet. "Why... can't I do anything right? Why does everyone... keep... sayin'... the same thing? ...I can't save her. I can't save... anyone. Ha... haha, can't even save myself, right? Her hands shot up to her head, gripping and tugging at her ruined braids. "It's so clear to everyone else! Why can't I see it? Why can't I just accept it?! Just... just cut an' run, right? Sever all ties... that's the path! I should... I should just go pull the plug myself, right? I've already killed her once... Everything is pointless. Pointless. Useless. I'm just... ha, crazy like that... huh? That I don't want... to accept... my mom's blood... on my hands... because... of... what... I... am." She recoiled, as if struck, opening her hands in front of her. Her eyes were wild, as dangerous as they were during her outburst in the hospital. "But it's already... already... there. And I can't make it go away! Nnnngh!"
Lee turned on Kaien then, her expression a mixture of despair, frustration, and... something else. Fervor? He'd called her crazy, and now, especially with the strange mix of clothing and her horribly smeared makeup, "mad" seemed a perfectly appropriate label. She staggered away from him, her movement somewhat twitchy given her amped up state. She seemed to be circling towards the exit, doing her best to keep as much space between them as possible.
"You... don't understand. Ya can't understand. No one can. But... but don't worry. Ya don't have to. Ya won't have to. D-don't mind me, anyway... cuz... I'm just... crazy. ...Crazy. Crazy! So... so! Fine! Ya don't want my help? Forget I even said it! It's... it's like you - they![/b] - said! What can I hope to accomplish?! I won't be spared! None of us will! So forget it! Forget me! A-and don't worry-"[/color] Frantically, she tore off the lab coat she was wearing and flung it at him. "-I won't distract you anymore! I... I won't be yer... yer... cause of suffering! A-and I won't come back! ...Not to you! I can't leave, it's not as easy as you think... but I won't stain your... dignity... anymore..."
She was poised to dart towards the door...
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Kaien Tsubakuro
✖ mutants
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Posts: 55
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Post by Kaien Tsubakuro on Sept 15, 2012 21:24:27 GMT -6
Ever since his sister had died and he had needed to flee from his country to start a new life for the crimes he ended up committing, Kaien had forgotten what it was like to truly care for someone. His relationships with people were now dull, mostly emotionless affairs. All that was left was that – his so called dignity, his sense of entitlement to judge everyone and anyone around him. As such, his logic did think it absurd to throw your life for a lost cause – in this case saving someone, or prolonging someone’s life until MV chose to end it. He wasn’t an expert at delicately choosing his words either. Kaien said things as he saw them and in this case it seemed to shock her.
Then she exploded.
He didn’t know what she was talking about at first, but gradually he could make out the meaning of her mom’s situation being her fault. It appeared to him that the more moments went by, the closer she seemed to true lunacy. A wire had snapped and he was rendered wordless. With slightly wider eyes than he had ever had outside of torture session, Kaien pushed himself to his feet with a wince he couldn’t help. One of his legs still felt like it was broken and he could barely touch the ground with it without shuddering in pain. Still pelting him with words, she threw the lab coat at him as well. He lifted his hands to catch it by instinct but let it tumble to the ground afterwards.
While she was circling him, he had been slowly shuffling to fill the distance she was creating, but in the same circling manner that brought them both close to the door. Every moment of relying on his hurt leg shot pain through him, but he ignored it. When and if she decided to dart out, he would have sprung forward, attempting to catch her wrist and then her other, in both his hands. It was such self-torture to his injured leg the pain made his head hurt but he wouldn’t mind it. Even if she struggled in his grasp, he wouldn’t let go, unless she did something debilitating, like kick him in strategic places.
“I’m sorry…” His words were barely above a whisper, but held true regret, quiet acceptance of fault. He was looking to the side with thoughtful eyes. “I didn’t mean it to… sound like that.” He frowned, frustrated with himself, then looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Lee. I don’t remember what it’s like, okay? I don’t remember what it’s like to care for someone so much you’d sacrifice yourself for them, even when all seems lost. I just don’t remember!” His grip on her wrists tightened for just a moment, then slackened, until finally he released her and turned away, a hand digging into his hair.
But it wasn’t the truth. The reality was that he didn’t want to remember. It was easier without them, without those people who made you do insane things for their sake. “Just go. It’s better that way.” Because she wasn’t right about everything. The reason he wasn’t accepting her aid wasn’t for his sake, regardless of how he had worded it. She was in enough pain without him adding to it.
Kaien seemed to have nothing more to say.
((Let me know if you need anything changeddd.))
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Leann Lacey
✖ mutants
([url=http://tinyurl.com/7fm9rxh]Application[/url])
Posts: 87
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Post by Leann Lacey on Sept 16, 2012 18:52:05 GMT -6
As might have been expected, Leann was a loaded spring; a tightly coiled bundle of energy just waiting to explode. Ironically, the person directly responsible for "charging her up" was the same person responsible for holding her in check - through no direct action. Such was Kaien's inherent "talent" - the same "nullification" that had terrified her from the first time she had seen him, because in that power, she could taste her ultimate failure. Kaien, unintentionally, kept her electricity sealed. Unfortunately, he had also seemingly sealed her sanity.
Though she was largely irrational, her movement had been with purpose. She had done what she could to keep her distance and to facilitate her escape. Yet, Kaien seemed determined not to let her go, and the closer he came, the more wild her eyes got. In the end, she waited too long to dart out; just as she turned to go, he grabbed her by the wrist...
"N-no!"
...spun her around...
"Don't! Don't touch me! Lemme go!"
...and grabbed her other wrist. Crazed she was, but she was not yet spiteful towards him. She struggled against his grip with all of her strength, but even injured, Kaien had the physical advantage. She could not wrench herself free, no matter her effort. Even when he started whispering, she did not calm. Eyes still flashing, she continued to strain against his grasp through the whole of his apology and explanation, so much so that when he finally released his grip on her she fell back, landing roughly on the ground. The jolt of her landing seemed to stun her for a split second, but her eyes flashed hatefully at him from this "new insult" and she quickly scrambled back up.
He told her to "just go." That is was "better that way."
"Shut up! Yer not sorry! Y-you... you don't even know what yer sayin'! Yer just... just... just makin' shit up cuz ya think I'm pathetic! Just like the nurses at the hospital! You don't know nothin'! Not what's right! Not what's "better!" Y-you... you..."
"Hey, what the fuck is goin' on in there?!"
Apparently all the screaming Lee had been doing had alerted the guards to the "dispute" going on in the central room. The sounds of heavy boots quickly picked up from just down the hall. If Lee heard it, though, it didn't change her demeanor in the slightest.
"You idiot!"
In fact, the sudden return of individuals who were not Kaien actually seemed to make her worse. They presented a release for her that she could not have with the bandaged young man in the room. The first guard came through the door, alarmed but unsuspecting of the tempest he was walking in to. His focus fell on Leann immediately, as she was closest to the door, and he made as if to grab her. But she'd already been grabbed once, by Kaien, and she had no intention of playing the detainment game again. She side-hopped out of the guard's range and turned on him like some kind of wild beast. Landing the small hop allowed her to coil the energy in her legs and, crazed but aware enough to know that electricity was not at her disposal, she launched at the guard. Thanks to cheerleading, gymnastics, and the "in-the-field training" provided by the forced participation in the Arena, the pink-haired girl had... "significant ups." When she launched at the guard, she brought both of her knees up, her arms outstretched behind her like "wings." Vertically, she had jumped nearly as high as the guard was tall, and the result was that she drove both of her knees, full force, directly into the guard's face. He flew back in heap, back through the door, and into the second guard.
"Stay away from me!" she yelled as she landed. Still, it was not completely clear who this outburst was actually directed at.
And she wasn't done. She did not look back at Kaien, but she dashed to the side, kicking the door stop free from beneath the heavy fire door that lead into and out of the medical ward nexus, sending it skittering across the concrete floor. When the second guard made to scramble inside, she spun and kicked the door with all the force she could manage, sending it flying ferociously into the man as he tried to enter. The heavy thud was... unnervingly satisfying to her, and if she hurt herself in the action, she wouldn't feel it until later.
The third stanza in her vengeful dance was a follow-up made perfect for her original door slam. She may have knocked the first guard unconscious with her surprise double knee lift, but the second was only stunned by her use of the door as a weapon. Unwilling to wait on their recovery - or, perhaps, simply spurned on by her nearly berserk state - she hopped back, and then broke into a sprint towards the door. Again, she took to the air, essentially drop-kicking the door with both feet. It flung outwards and found its mark squarely to the side of the knee of the still-standing guard who was making his return approach. The crackle of bone and the snapping of sinew coincided with a scream of pain, as Lee's fire door "projectile" shattered the guard's knee cap and tore asunder the knee ligaments.
Lee had rebounded from the door in graceful fashion, using the momentum of her double kick to land and roll backwards in a reverse somersault. She was on her back in the center of the room for a moment, her breath heavy, but she kipped up with ease only a split-second later. She landed in a half-crouch, hair falling about in a pink mess to cover much of her face. And she seemed to be waiting, almost inviting something else to happen - whether that was another guard-based assault attempt or Kaien getting in her way. One could only imagine the damage she would have caused had her power not been sealed.
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