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Post by John Smith on May 8, 2007 22:00:05 GMT 1
A powerful body walked through the deserted heaven. The floor squeaky clean, the walls not bloodied. The floor not littered with the remains of poor losers. His boots not echoing of dread and doom. They hadn’t echoed since Varron, where everything would shiver in fear whenever someone twisted enough walked by. Back when true respect was given out and people had been a bunch of chickens. They had not realised the danger Kvist posed before the entire city had been engulfed in the wildfire called The Hand of Fate. Everything was memory now. The grand army of The Hand was a joke. There was no longer any pride in being the strongest. Not a point in being a prick, simply because you could be one. No joy in kicking in faces when it didn’t bring fear. The second the Varronites had forgotten their heritage, the pillars had won the war before a fist had been thrown.
It was so god damn embarrassing to call yourself a Varronite these days.
His right hand went out and touched the door he walked by. The nails digging into the wood. Leaving long marks on the wooden door as he walked past it. In the darkness of the night he wandered about. A black out in all of the dorms had brought this masked menace out to find anyone panicking or at least exploiting the darkness. Nothing. Nothing at all. Only a deafening silence. He stopped dead in the hallway and took a break from his mindless walking. An idle glance to the right made him smile darkly. He knew who lived there. And he trusted his own ability to stay as silent as the grave. Or else he would just be silent in the grave.
He opened the door and walked in there, the living area was completely deserted. Dark like the rest of the building. He closed the door and looked around. It was a double dorm, meaning he would have fifty-fifty shot at finding her in the first bedroom he entered. Jackpot. It was clear from the point he opened the door that it was a female figure. He closed the door behind him once again and snuck through the room. He had been surprised when he had learned she woke up from her comatose, or whatever it was. On top of that, he had been surprised that there never came any reprisals. He looked down at the female face. The soft features. The wish to completely destroy and maim was great.
His bluish grey eyes looking coldly down at the girl. She had been the reason why Kvist had to make the attack on The Edge. Although a success, it had ultimately led them all to this fight-forsaken place. His right arm came around in a windmill fashion and slapped directly into the side of the sleeping beauty’s face. She would be snapped out of her dream world. Then the arm came back for a backhand across the other cheek. He grabbed her by the hair and lifted her up. Sent his left fist directly into the right cheek bone. He dragged her out on the floor and let her fall heavily on the ground. Once she was down there, he kicked her in the side a couple of times. He stepped up on her back/stomach and used her as a stepping stone. He had reminded the Kira-Taiku block that he was still around and that Kira wasn't safe from him. And never would be. He left the room and found the fridge. Opened it and saw the little light turn on. He took a couple of eggs and left the place.
He felt like making some fried eggs.
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on May 9, 2007 2:01:39 GMT 1
[( Talked with Ryan on why Darren would be out of the dorms on such a night, but Ryan, if you feel the need, feel free. )]
The power-outage had lasted longer than Kira thought it might, but she wasn't uneasy at all, perhaps more relaxed because she knew Darren would be out for the night...playing games or something with Tiao. Rumours flew quickly, especially after something like a tournament, and eventually, what the pillar had said during his match with Taiku reached her ears. It made her nervous, certainly, but not so much so that she hid under her bed every night. Besides, it could very well be that there was no truth in his words. And Darren, well, she had definitely relaxed around him, but not quite completely.
In any case, Kira had the Friday night to herself, and intended on at least curling up on the couch with her homework first, before moving onto a movie... Or at least that had been the plan until the power failed. So she'd done her homework and other things instead.
It was midnight before she went to sleep, which wasn't unusual in the slightest, and nor was it unusual to sleep deeply a few hours before waking up somewhere around five in the morning. What was unusual was the uninvited guest that slapped her awake. Snapping out of sleep, her heart skipped a beat before beginning to pound furiously in her chest as she struggled before being backhanded and then dragged to a kneeling position. Her scream of terror was abruptly cut off before it began by the punch to her right cheek. The rough tug upon her hair afterwards had her tumbling to the floor, her tank top and boxer-shorts in slight disarray from her previous sleep-induced tossing and turning. She landed on her back, the wind quickly exiting with the "Oomph!" that escaped her lips. His kick had her using the momentum to roll onto her stomach instead, and after two more kicks she waited, tears pricking and escaping from her eyes as a painful howl was ripped from her throat before her assailant stepped on her back, crushing the air out of her and adding pain to the mix before he left her dorm room. He was as silent as he had come in, and the light from the kitchen told her the power was back on before it was cut off. Unknown to her, her attacker - Kvist, she felt, for it was so like the rooftop back in Varron - had taken the liberty of snatching a few eggs from the refrigerator.
Curling into a ball, she slowly assessed her hurts in a dazed state that came with the ebb of adrenaline, and shock slowly set in. By the time she picked herself off the floor, she was shaking and muffling a few low sobs. Flicking on the light at her bedside table, she crept across the carpet to her purse to grab her cell phone. It was about three in the morning, and she felt terribly bad for waking someone, but she didn't want to be alone. Dialling the first number she thought of, she held the phone to her ear, pressing a finger sharply against her lips to fight down a sob when the answering machine on the cell picked up, instead of its owner.
"L-Leon..? It's Kira, sorry if this call wakes you but--" She paused on a half-shiver, before continuing on, trying to even out her voice. "I've just been assaulted in my own room. Could you co-ome over, if you get this..?"
Closing her cell, she dialled two more numbers, one was Kokaku, the other, her best friend. She answered, her voice groggy, before quickly becoming alert as Kira told her more than she had voiced to Leon and Kokaku's cell-messaging system. Her response was that she'd be over in a minute or so, and Kira nodded as she flipped the cell closed, creeping out of her room on unstable legs to shut the front door that Kvist left open, locking it quickly before sliding down, flipping her cell open to dial one more cell number.
"Kazuki...it's Kira-a..."
~Five Minutes Later~
There was a knock on the door and Hikari came in after Kira opened it. The two girls hugged one another tightly, and Hikari immediately set about heating some water in the kettle and crushing a bit of ice to put on Kira's right cheek.
'Jesus, Kira, how did he get in..?' The shorter girl thought, dumping the ice into a plastic zip-lock bag, wrapping a piece of paper towel around it before heading over to the couch where she put her friend, lightly pressing the bag to the cheek's swelling that started to appear. It was a solid, forceful hit, she noted, sitting cross-legged on the couch with her friend as they waited.
"Kira, I know it'll be easier for you to just tell everything once, but how on earth did he get in..?" She asked, setting a hand lightly against Kira's knee. She was wrapped in her comforter, now, and seemed pale against the dark green colour.
"I don't know... I swear I locked it, and aside from that, the rooms have that automatic locking system after the door is shut anyway..."
Sitting there patiently, they waited to see if anyone else would show up, Hikari worried about her friend's state of mind, and Kira remaining silent, save for the slight and occasional quake of her shoulders...
[( I'd like to make a note that while this is specifically for those Kira has called (if they would like), it's okay if others feel the need to see what the heck was going in in the room next to/across from theirs. )]
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Post by Kazuki Akimoto on May 9, 2007 3:52:07 GMT 1
ooc: I've discussed this with Tanya, and this is effectively a single-post presence for Taiku. He'll be covering everything he needs to in this before he sets out on other things relevant to this. Needless to say, his speech will be somewhat limited, but I trust any other participants here to accurately control his replies to anything you ask. I'm not trying to control anyone, so if anything conflicts with what you'd do, or if there's anything that should be inserted into something I did, just go right ahead and do it.
ic:
The last hour of the club being open was always one of the quietest. Whilst the floors and tables were still very full, most of the lesser party-goers tended to drift off during the last hour to find taxis, to get home before the rush spilled out onto the streets. It was in the last hour of the opening times that Taiku would most often leave the bar in the charge of his staff, choosing simply to observe via CCTV for any disturbance, and spend the time in the office working on paperwork of whatever variety needed done. The books for the club were due to his accountant sometime in the next few weeks, so he had decided to get started on them.
However, he would be lying to say it didn't bore the absolute shit out of him, and he barely got through a page or two before he signed into the laptop in front of him, idly playing solitaire as his mind wandered.
Wandered so much, in fact, that he almost didn't pay notice to the cellphone vibrating on the table next to him. Glancing at it with bored eyes, he reached for it, clicking off the game and closing down the paperwork as he opened it, speaking quietly.
"Hello...?"
His body didn't so much stiffen as rise from his seat...The voice on the other end was a welcome one, the emotion in it was not...
"Kira....What's wrong...?"
Her words, stammered with sobs and a slightly broken voice, immediately riled him, the hair on his neck spiking as he scowled silently, muttering his last words before he slammed the phone closed, his fist tightly wrapped around it....
"I'm on my way..."
A moment later it fell from his fingers, the screen cracked and broken from the force of his grip before he pulled his coat from the back of the door, checking for his keys and a spare phone he kept around for...Private calls. Whilst the number he'd given Kira was his conventional cellphone number, he kept the spare in his pocket for calling people who were able to help him out with slightly shadier deals, cheaper imports on stock, people looking for work that wouldn't get hired anywhere else, Rene and Rocco had the number too, but also knew that they were to call it only in the most dire of emergencies.
In less than a minute, a message had been left on the penthouses voicemail and he was in the car, his foot slamming onto the gas as the vehicle tore out of the rear-lot, onto the main streets and toward the dorms...
~Five minutes later~
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you in without a student I.D..."
The veins on his head flexed tightly, his temper soaring at the retarded rentacop in front of him with the flashlight and hittin' stick he was so proud of...
"I need to get in, I'm asking you to look away and let me in, I'll be ten minutes tops."
"Company policy sir, I-"
"Open the fucking door, or I'm going to drive my car through it and beat you into a pulp. I'm not fucking around, you weak excuse for a human being..."
The rentacop took a moment to glance past the young man, the car sitting idle less than twenty feet from him a clear testament to the fact that, at this very moment, Taiku was not pissing around...
"Sir, I-"
"Open...The fucking....DOOR!"
As if to accent it, his foot rose up and punted the center of the lock, the doors shaking viciously before the podgy man opened them, stepping out as if to confront the young Asian, both flashlight and baton raised. It was humorous for a moment, but the backhander he dealt not only knocked him on his chubby ass, but gave Taiku a moment to stroll through the doors and lock them from the inside again.
"Thanks for the co-operation..."
~A short elevator ride later~
His knuckles rapped against the door solidly a moment before he stepped in, his eyes skimming the room a moment before settling on the small group that had arrived, and the reason for the groups presence itself...He said nothing as he walked over, slipping down to a squat on his heels as he looked directly at her, her own eyes meeting his as the others, likely, did the same. It was no secret to anyone here where she stood with him, nor was it any secret of his rage at what had happened the last time she'd been hurt...Yet, oddly, despite the clear eminance of anger leaving him, not a single iota of that was looking at her.
"Are you hurt beyond anything painkillers and band-aids?"
He knew it would sound silly, but it was his own, weird way of trying to subtly ensure she was physically unharmed beyond anything superficial. He wasn't about to rub salt into another set of wounds, particularly with Leon around, and his palm lightly set against her knee, a slight smile leaving his lips before he got up from his lowered position, his attention turned to Hikari, the fury rising again as he spoke with singular, calculated words, a palm setting on her shoulder as he looked squarely at her, his words almost mouthed to the point of silence.
"Never again."
In a moment or two he was outside, standing on the balcony of the apartment and fishing in his pockets for the old, crumpled cigarette packet he held on to. Pulling one of them out, lighting it as he very quickly smoked it, he took a few short, light breaths before composing himself. He wouldn't bring himself to show it, but he was almost certain he knew who had done this...
The students weren't stupid enough to try and break into the school captains room. That much was blatantly obvious. The transfers, even, would not do such a thing if it meant bringing about more trouble for themselves...The building was concierged, as he'd dealt with already downstairs...There were only a handful of people stupid enough to try a stunt like this, knowing that Kira was the object of Taikus affections. Only one who was low enough to use her to get to him...
'Kvist...'
Stepping back inside, the butt stubbed on the outer wall before being flicked into the breeze, he spoke very little for the next few minutes, choosing just to sit near her as he fished his fingers through hers, squeezing her hand softly. He didn't bring his eyes up to her again, as whilst he had been able to give her a gentle expression before, he knew that he wouldn't be able to do it again. His mind was racing quickly along with his pulse, his eyes closed as he sat on the floor beside her legs, the same futility he'd felt when he hadn't been around to help her before, when he'd been the last one to turn up again...
Reaching into his knee-length coats pockets, he fished out his keyring and set them on the table after removing his car keys from them, his attention toward the others moreso than Kira at the moment. Until now, he would have spoken sporadically, replying where necessary and answering what he could, or more to the point, would...However, right now, he was making it clear that he was speaking.
"When you all are ready, I'd like you to take Kira to the apartment. She has my number, and Rocco is expecting her to arrive soon. Right now, if my thoughts are correct, it's probably the safest place she can be. There's something I need to do, so I'd be meeting you all later in the day, if you wish to stay with her."
His eyes shifted to her, the solidity of his words remaining as he continued, speaking directly to Kira herself.
"It's your call, Kira...They can all go with you if you'd be more comfortable to have them around. Rocco will have the guest room prepared for you..."
Sighing, giving a solitary nod to them, he smiled at her once before turning and making his way out the door...He didn't look back, and with good reason. He couldn't bring himself to look at the young woman right now, not for anything she had done, but because once again he had failed at doing what he had promised himself he would. However, that itself was about to change as he made his way outside, the cellphone flipping open again.
"Rocco? Yeah, I'm certain it's him. If she arrives, she'll probably come along with a few of her friends, Leon and Ko are among them."
A moments silence before he replied, taking in the response and the question put to him before he answered it, closing the phone immediately afterward and stepping into the car.
"No, before the night is out, I'll kill him. One way or another, Kvist is done..."
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Post by Kokaku Musha on May 20, 2007 11:58:36 GMT 1
The dorms, one of Kokaku’s least favorite places… although he had a room here, he didn’t like to spend a lot of time here… the place alone gave him the feeling as if he was more of a prisoner then just a student here. However, today he had been training at the school’s gym for the first time in a while. Apart from that, he had attended every class for a change and after this tiring day at Hircine High, he couldn’t even find the strength to drive to his apartment. No, today he would be spending a night in his dorm room… Although he lived there with a friend of his, Leaf, he had hardly seen him around there, giving him an even bigger excuse not to hang out in the dorms.
The snoring of Kokaku and the ticking sound the clock was making were the only sounds that filled his bedroom that night. He had cooked dinner, watched some television and after almost falling asleep during a movie, he had decided he might as well hit the bed. He hadn’t even heard Leaf coming home that evening… in fact he didn’t hear anything that night… it was as if he was lying in a coma there. He didn’t even hear his phone ring, though that wasn’t very surprising…it had dropped out of his pocket while watching television and was now probably lying on the couch. As the melody of his cell phone ended and Kokaku had still not answered, the answering machine took over. A minute later the annoying sound that his phone made when he received a text message was filling the living room and yet, Kokaku did not wake up…
Kokaku’s door slowly opened after a person had gently knocked on it but received no response. The person walked over towards Kokaku and started to push him until Kokaku’s eyes finally opened, though it be slowly. ”Kokaku… I’m sorry to wake you up but your phone just keeps making this annoying sound every minute… could you please take care of it… I would like to have some well deserved rest like you were having just now…” Though slightly irritated, Leaf was showing a slight smile on his face before he turned around and left Kokaku alone again. Kokaku slowly rubbed his eyes and checked his alarm clock only to see it was far past midnight. However, the annoying beep came from his cell phone again and this time, Kokaku was finally aware of it. His phone would make the same damn sound every minute until Kokaku would read his message and Kokaku could understand why Leaf would get annoyed by it. Still sleep drunk, Kokaku walked out his room and picked up his phone from the couch.
’You have one voicemail message. To listen to your message, please dial 11223.”
‘A voicemail message? Who on earth would try to call me on this hour?’ Dialing the number, Kokaku waited slightly nervous for the person to start speaking. The voice of Kira, filled with trembles and fear finally came out the speaker of his cell phone and Kokaku’s eyes widened. ‘Kira…’ Dashing back into his bedroom, Kokaku quickly put on a blouse and his pants before his socks and shoes followed. His hair was all disorderly, his blouse unbuttoned and his vision still blurry from the abrupt wakening, but he had no time for these things. He quickly dashed out his dorm and started to run towards Kira’s… On his way there, he checked his phone again to see when he had received the message… ‘8minutes ago… Damnit you sleepyhead! Why did I have to lose my cell phone on the couch!’ Sighing slowly, Kokaku dashed around a corner and left his block. Kira’s block was a 30seconds sprint away from his and Kokaku didn’t wish to waste any more time. While sprinting into the direction, he noticed a too familiar car stopping in front of the building and an even more familiar man jumping out and hasting inside the building as well. ‘Good… Kazuki’s here as well… And thank god I was at the dorms instead of my apartment… Now who the hell would assault Kira in the middle of the night? Damnit… even a child could answer that question… Kvist…’ Finally arriving at the block, Kokaku dashed inside only to catch the back of Kazuki before he entered Kira’s dorm room.
Following suit, Kokaku quickly entered the room whilst the door was still open, only to find Hikari, Kira and Kazuki there(OOC: Don’t know if Leon’s supposed to be here already or not… aaaa confused). Quickly taking in Kira, Kokaku concluded that his close friend had not endured any heavy damage this time, but the fact that she had been attacked in her own dorm was frightening to say the least. Kokaku heard Kazuki speak but didn’t really pay too much attention to him. He walked passed Kazuki and kneeled down in front of Kira, next to Hikari. If his face wasn’t prove enough of his worries, his eyes would speak for him on top of that. He stared at Kira for a few seconds before a wry smile appeared on his face. His right hand moved towards Kira’s chin as he moved her head to the sides slightly to get a slightly better idea on the wounds but they didn’t look severe.
“It’s a good thing you’re such a strong girl…” He said, trying to at least lighten the mood in the room a little and hopefully lift their spirits a little. However, after concluding that her wounds wouldn’t leave a mark physically, he slowly moved to his feet again. “Are you alright, beside from the wounds?” He asked her calmly, his eyes still on his friend, avoiding Kazuki’s and Hikari’s glare. He waited for Kira’s response before turning away from all of them and moving through the dorm slightly, checking if the one who did this, though he had no doubts about it, had left anything for them, but he found nothing but a mirror. He noticed his blouse was fully unbuttoned, showing his abs and his face turned slightly red in front of the mirror. Although all that had run through his mind after the call was Kira’s safety, he was now feeling slightly embarrassed by the way he looked. With his back turned towards the rest, he quickly buttoned his blouse before walking back towards them.
The moment he returned, Kazuki walked past him towards the balcony and lightened a cigarette. Kokaku’s gaze followed him for a second but he decided the importance lied with Kira at the moment… and Hikari. “Kira… forgive me for asking, but what exactly happened here? Did you let someone in?” Kokaku waited for an answer once more and shortly after he had received it, Kazuki came walking back inside, the look in his eyes giving away his intensions immediately. Kokaku did not speak and waited for his friend to say what was on his mind. After Kazuki had spoken, Kokaku slowly shook his head and stepped towards Kazuki.
“I understand the importance, but if you’re going to do what I think you are, my place would be right beside you… I’m going with you Taiku…”
However, Kazuki responded as Kokaku expected. He shook his head as well and responded firmly. ”No Ko… I need you to take care of Kira for me… Besides, I must do this alone…” Kokaku knew that arguing with the man would only lead to them getting into a verbal fight so he dropped the subject. He cared for Kira’s safety a lot, but he knew that whatever Kazuki would be doing, Kazuki would be in a lot more danger then Kira. However, Kazuki could take care of himself. With some annoyance he finally moved out of Kazuki’s way, allowing him to walk out the door.
After Kazuki was gone, Kokaku finally walked over towards Hikari until he was only a few inches away from her. His voice was soft and only loud enough for Hikari to hear. His care for the beautiful girl in front of him had never withered but fact was that the two hadn’t seen a lot of each other lately. “Hikari… are you alright as well…?” Kokaku didn’t quite know what else to say, but he was afraid that Hikari might’ve been shocked by the whole thing that happened to Kira again… In fact, Kokaku would be surprised if she wasn’t…
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Post by Leon Loire on May 21, 2007 5:46:58 GMT 1
~Nightmare...[/i]
Wavering, feet slipping and shifting below his form, the Eyes stared out ahead, watching as the twilight plane lit, then darkened, then dissipated, then reappeared as nothingness once more. The Eyes' form felt heavy, as if the world lay upon Their shoulders, and the arms were so worn that they no longer felt connected. The atmosphere around was suffocating, unbearable, depressing. Every moment the Eyes would desire to shut, to end it all.
Finally, the feet slipped, and the Eyes felt toward the right, world's perspective changing, returning to a bleak mirror of reality.
The Eyes crashed against the plane, the world far ahead changed a shade of grey, revealing two silhouettes in the distance, one with back turned and a pure white mane, the other a black mask, and burning bright eyes. Floating far beyond, hung by an unknown source and the noose embracing an unknown form lay another silhouette - feminine - and shadowed in black and violet.
~Kira Karyuudo~
The two first silhouettes charged, colliding into a massive form of darkness, and the shades across the hung form grew darker, darker... before growing bloody, bathed in red... and then...
The body fell from its noose, and onto the plane...
And across from the Eyes, as clear as anyone would believe as "Reality," lay the body of Kira Karyuudo, neck reddened from the roughened by the threads of the rope, shoulder dislocated, arm twisted in the direction never desired, legs in a twist, stomach and wrists like a violet blouse, lips reddened by her own blood, hair tangled and shredded, and eyes piercing - dead.
~You failed me... you failed me...~
Standing behind the corpse of the girl stood the monster, face metal, eyes bright, fists clenched, and stepping over the body as it stepped closer to the Eyes...
Then, suddenly, the Eyes saw a new form taking shape, body turned away from the Eyes' sight, body unknown... a woman? a man? Unknown, the Eyes suddenly found itself rising back up, slowly... struggling, before charging forward, toward the Monster, passing by the form, believing to protect the form - assuming who it was, and hoping to save them.
Whoever it was, whoever it may be...
The Eyes found itself turning around to stare at the form, to find many faces in one place. Charlotte... Kira... then Taiku Akimoto, snarling, before charging off past the Eyes.
The Eyes turned back, following the man's charge forth, to see the Monster with a woman in his grasp, and the corpse still at the floor.
But the corpse was different. Instead of the beautiful Kira Karyuudo, victim, lay the young zealot Leon Loire, martryr... and fool. A piercing to his chest was evident, and his eyes were still... and bleeding.
~I did, and I'm sorry.~
And then Taiku Akimoto collided into the Monster Kvist, to release its grip on Kira Karyuudo, saving the woman at risk, and destroying the Monster at last... but, perhaps, with a cost.
As another voice, behind the Eyes, whispered, its own emerald eyes gazing into its non-existence.
~You are Mine again, dear.~
Suddenly, Leon Loire awoke. Grasping his chest, lips gasping for air, his eyes found tears in their ducts, the pain in his chest quiet severe - from the fright, and the subconscious damage resonating from the dream... the nightmare.
'The hell was that?'
Panting for a moment as he sat in bed, left hand pressing against his shirted chest, Leon finally subsided the agony in the wound that had been dealt there long ago, then sighed, breathing normally again, his nerves beginning to ease.
A ring began to play in the distance.
'The hell is that?' Leon remarked in his mind, and a mental kick struck him for the redundant comment. Breathing for a few moments more, Leon shifted out of bed, shifting across the carpet for a moment, before reaching the phone in his bedroom and bringing the device to his ear.
"Sounds like... someone called..." Leon muttered, hitting his answering machine's receive button, and hearing a voice pass into his ears - the voice of Kira Karyuudo.
She was shaken... perhaps hurt? Someone had attacked her inside the safety of her own room... but why? And where was her roommate, that Captain, Darren Blayne?
'Good for nothing! We expect you to protect us, and you can't even protect your damn roommate?!'
Leon felt a snarl pass his face as he clumsily thrust his phone against the table, brunting against the wood before his readjustment replaced it on its receiver. His mind seethed, yet no speculations had risen yet. He was too tired, too unconscious. The only thing that mattered at the moment was arriving at Karyuudo's apartment.
Spending ten minutes pulling on his clothes - taking a while, since he was in a sleepy stupor - Loire returned his clothing to his body, before opening his closet and grabbing the one sword that meant something to him.
'Tonight, I'll need your light to get me through this hell on earth...'
Attaching the Lionheart[/color] to his belt, Loire passes through his door and heads down the elevator, to pass through the school grounds in the middle of the night, to arrive at Karyuudo's apartment building just down the way and to her door itself. He found it open, and slipping inside with a cautious gaze, Leon Loire found four figures inside: Kira herself, her best friend Hikari, their good friend Kokaku, and the almighty Patriarch himself - Taiku Akimoto. At the moment of Loire's arrival, Akimoto was outside with smoke passing above his head, and Kokaku was leaning on the floor, speaking with the two women.
'I feel like a cop...'
Examining the scene for a moment, Leon took in that Blayne wasn't even in the vicinity. Ignoring the detail for now, Leon placed his right hand on the black grip hovering near his belt and leaned down, kneeling next to Kokaku and looking into the sullen gaze of the two girls.
"We can talk later. Let's just get someplace safe, okay?"
He had already assumed that, since Taiku and Kokaku had clearly beaten him by a few minutes, any necessary notes had been taken. The clear problem was that they could not stay in the apartment; it was too risky, and involving the Captain inevitably was too risky an endeavor. Leaving the scene and finding a safe haven was their only real option, and it seemed Taiku Akimoto had that idea down.
Standing up as Taiku placed his hand in Kira's - and wincing a bit, his ego still attempting to act hurt, although Loire himself feeling a mindless choice to ignore it passing him - Leon passed to the door and leaned against the nearby wall, sheathing his glowing blade and waiting for the others to exit with him - if Kira chose to leave her apartment.
"Honestly, Kira, I think Taiku's got the best option at the moment. You're not safe here, and you'd be best at his place. We can stay with you..."
'Although, honestly, I'd rather go with Taiku. But if he wishes to go alone, then Kokaku and I can act as honorary guard.'
While Loire hated taking a back seat - especially to actions against Kvist - he knew that Kira would need comfort and reassurance, and in the end, Leon knew he could not organize his own allies until the morning struck. At the moment, Taiku was their best shot at getting any sort of revenge accomplished.
Watching Akimoto pass through the door, his intentions clear, Leon waited a moment, his navy gaze at the floor, before sighing and looking back to Kokaku, Hikari, and finally, Kira Karyuudo.
"So, your choice. We can make this a fortress, or we can make his place a fortress. Either one works with me. It's all up to you - princess."
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Post by Kira Karyuudo, Hikari on Jun 21, 2007 9:43:38 GMT 1
[( A month in coming. T____T; I know guys, I'm sorry. However, there should only be one (maybe two) post(s) after this one...so you can bash me if my reply isn't up at least a week after the last one. (I mean that.) )]
The tea was ready even before Kazuki managed to get up into the dorms. Taking it off the heat as it began to whistle, Kira's friend left her to press the make-shift ice pack to her cheek. Hikari swirled a few strands of hair through her fingers as she poured the hot water into two cups before rummaging through the cupboards, pulling out some raspberry herbal tea triumphantly a moment later. A couple teaspoons of sugar later, and Hikari was back on the couch. Kira's eyes had followed her friend as the soothing cool of the ice eased the stinging heat in her cheek.
Letting their tea be a moment, Kira quickly took the ice pack off her cheek, hiding it beneath the blankets as Kazuki literally flew in. Oh, she knew he'd be in a nearly blind rage, calling him when she hadn't gotten a hold of herself yet. Chastising herself on that poor decision, she nearly flinched as he crouched in front of her, just managing not to. She didn't meet his eyes a moment either, then they flicked up and away quickly before swerving back to his own and finally holding the gaze.
To his question she shook her head, a soft accompaniment of a word with the gesture. "No..."
Kira heard his words to her friend but her attention had been diverted by Kokaku as she caught sight of him moving towards her. Hikari, however, gave Kazuki a level look, remaining silent; the look was one of understanding and even concern. After a few moments, she turned her gaze to Ko, pointedly raising an eyebrow at his...shirt-unbuttonedness, a look which was promptly ignored.
Kira's soft blue eyes closed, the dark lashes contrasting with the pale skin beautifully, yet the sombre mood of the teenager seemed to almost contradict the physical image. Beneath the blanket, a hand clenched for a moment - not in pain, but in a touch of momentary panic - and seemed to remain a little too motionless as he turned her head, inspecting her face for sign of injury. She made a half-hearted attempt at a smile with his little quip. To his question, she nodded silently.
When she looked up, she noted that the two men had scattered and had left her alone. She let out a soft breath; her friend's presence was one of comfort. There was worry there, yes, but not like Kazuki and Kokaku's. Her 'aura' probably would have been equivalent to her mother or father's - one of family moreso than anything else. Leaning forwards, she picked up the cup of tea and blew gently on the surface of the liquid before taking a small sip.
"Kira… forgive me for asking, but what exactly happened here? Did you let someone in?"
Snapping out of her quiet stupor, Kira blinked at the question. She'd known they would ask it - had been preparing for it from the moment she'd gathered her wits about herself after calling them. Still, she took another sip of her tea to make sure she was calm, to steady her nerves a bit more.
Her voice was soft, yet still very audible. She took pride in the fact her hands were no longer shaking, and her voice came clearly. "No, I didn't let anyone in. I was sleeping...and the next thing I knew, I was being slapped about."
She didn't say anything more; she didn't know, for certain, if it was Kvist. Her intuiting screamed that it was - nobody else would dare - and she could consciously acknowledge the fact...but she wasn't about to say it out loud. Her gaze flickered up to movement in the kitchen, an almost wild look to them, before it calmed as she saw Leon standing there. He'd heard what she'd said, she guessed. Feeling her hand being grasped, she glanced at Kazuki, whose fingers were intertwined with hers. She gave a soft squeeze back before withdrawing her hand to coil her fingers around the heat of the cup.
As far as plans went, she really didn't have much choice in the matter. While she didn't want to stay here, her pride made her stiffen her backbone...she didn't want to run away. Her eyes flickered dangerously as she was about to speak her mind, and got a nudge from Hikari, snapping her back. In the end, a few short seconds later, sense won out. It was a vicious war, however, and she'd barely paid attention to what was being said. She had caught that she could bring the three at her side - which meant Kazuki was off, probably to find her assailant. It disturbed her greatly, and her eyes lowered as she considered the possibilities, remaining completely silent as the worry was contained within herself. That strong front cracked slightly as her lips quivered downwards for the barest of seconds...and were immediately drawn back in a line as tears pricked her eyes. Still, none fell as that show of bravado was shoved back into place.
The words that snapped her back were Leon's. "So, your choice. We can make this a fortress, or we can make his place a fortress. Either one works with me. It's all up to you - princess."
'Princess...'
Her eyes flicked up to each of the four surrounding her before, with a slightly shaky sigh, she nodded. Sense had indeed won out over pride, but she knew she'd be back here in daylight to face that monster under her bed. She also knew there was no way Kazuki was going to let her spend another night in the dorms. He'd insist upon it with the same zeal and stubbornness she had. Perhaps all four would. But she still had to explain to Darren, to tell him what had happened and why she had to leave, and that was for nobody but herself.
"If we can quickly pack a change of clothes if you want to come with me...we'll go..."
At their nods, she slowly untangled herself from the dark green comforter she'd wrapped around herself, the ice pack clenched in her hand as Kazuki disappeared from the dorm room. Eyes downcast as she stood, before they flicked up, she set the cup down and pressed the pack against her cheek again, closing her eyes a moment to bear with the change in temperature against her skin. Walking slowly, mentally assessing herself, she figured her ribs were cracked, at the very least. And while she couldn't be sure, there was something about her right cheekbone that felt off as well - perhaps a hairline fracture. Her stomach would be sore as well, the bruising already colouring her skin though she didn't realize it.
~Hikari's Point Of View~
Watching her friend walk off to her room to get the things she would need, Hikari was faintly aware of someone standing next to her. Blinking as she heard Kokaku's voice, she turned her eyes to him.
Those crystalline orbs were calm, but just below the surface was the shock, rage, and horror that her friend had been attacked in the middle of the night, in her own room. She'd been thinking that since the power had been out, that maybe the locks were electrically operated. But even so, there was a secondary lock that Kira hadn't forgotten to lock.
She nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'll be okay. Just wanting a bit of payment myself for all this...crap."
There was no other word she could find for it, that disgusting feeling that came, like bile.
Shrugging her shoulders, she looped an arm around his back and cinched herself to his side in a playful gesture, reaching out with a quick grin to Leon and pulling him in as well.
"Shall we go get our clothes when Kira's ready, then? Or do we plan to walk around in these or stark naked tomorrow?"
She was trying to put a semi-cheerful light on now, and with a squeeze to their sides each, dislodged herself from between them and moved into Kira's room to help her put the change of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, the works, into her bag. Opening her closet, she eyed that black leather trench coat enviously before pulling it out.
"Here, I think you should just slip that on, save you time from changing in and out of the PJs, no?"
She received a nod from her friend, and within moments, she had it on and done up and the four friends were out the door, shutting it.
~Not Long After~
Knocking on the door, Hikari watched as Kira nearly jumped into Rocco's arms, setting her forehead lightly against the taller man's collarbone, a quiet murmur exchanged between the two before she quite literally fled to the first door on her left, closing the door so it remained open slightly, inviting her three friends in when they were ready. She'd spent the cab ride with her forehead pressed against the window pane, or leaning against Leon and she'd stayed silent for the majority of it as well. It worried Hikari, but Kira had kept her little ice pack against her cheek to help ease the swelling.
"Hello Rocco," Hikari murmured to the older man. "How much do you know about all this? And are Rene and Reiko up, and if they are, do they know, too?"
She was full of questions, but it was a Friday night. Chances are Rene was still up and about, but Reiko Hikari wasn't sure of. If Reiko was, the shorter teenage girl was certain that she could come into Kira's guest room with the four of them. Maybe they'd just watch movies, or sprawl out on the bed and try to sleep. Either way, Hikari figured that if Rocco didn't know all of it yet, they'd stay a few minutes and inform him before scooting in to be with Kira. Of course, Kokaku and Leon were free to leave the explaining up to her if they wished; it just depended on what their priorities were.
[( Open for Liam to play his NPCs if he wishes. Figured I couldn't do justice with them at the moment. ^^; )]
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Post by Kokaku Musha on Jun 25, 2007 12:51:02 GMT 1
OOC: Really sorry but I don’t really have a lot to add to all this =( Small modding of Leon, if you mind what I did, let me know and I’ll edit IC: Kokaku’s eyes, though calm as he was, slightly showed another sign of fear as Hikari answered his question. The girl was more of a fighter then Kira, there was no doubt in that… but Kokaku also knew that if she wanted to get even with the one who did this, he would end up losing her… he couldn’t let that happen… But who was he to go all ‘stay out of trouble’ to her whilst he had been the one who used to get into trouble himself. He sighed slowly and decided to only answer by giving her a slight nod. Kokaku felt as if all his emotions and feelings had left his body and the only thing keeping him from going berserk being his thoughts not settling at all. Before he could turn around and walk away however, Hikari grabbed him and Leon and tried to lighten the mood a little. Kokaku gave her a wry smile, though the words she spoke seemed to go right through him. ‘He will not hurt any more of those precious to me…’ Kokaku followed all his friends when they left the dorms and closed the door behind him. “You guys go and take a cab ride, I’ll drive right behind you guys, I don’t want to risk any more then necessary…” Kokaku doubted Kvist or his goons were still around, but he didn’t want to take any chances… and if he was in a separate car from the rest, he could at least ram any other vehicle without having to worry about his friends’ safety. He hastily walked towards his car and waited for the cab to arrive before following it… Kokaku stood behind Hikari and Kira as they knocked on the door, waiting for Rocco to let them in. The scenery that followed fully escaped Kokaku’s mind as he blankly stared through the opened door. ‘I… I can’t just let all of this happen without doing anything… Kazuki can’t do this on his own… Does he even know where Kvist is? And perhaps… perhaps I was the one following the wrong methods… perhaps taking this evil out truly is the only way from stopping him… stopping him from hurting more people… I cannot let him… hurt…’ A small tear twinkled in his right eye as his blank stare was still focused forwards, Hikari’s back being the only thing he could stare at. He couldn’t let her get hurt… he wouldn’t allow it… this would end now. Kokaku suddenly snapped out of it as he felt Leon’s shoulder brush his as he passed Kokaku by and turned towards him. He had obviously waited for Kokaku to enter but the fact that he stood there frozen had quickly made Leon realize something was up. Kokaku slowly wiped away his tear as his expression turned serious again, yet slightly aggressive as well. He ignored Leon’s question if Kokaku was alright and looked at his friend with an old glimpse in his eyes. Something he had lost some time ago when he had seemed to stop giving a damn and almost retired from being a fighter… “Leon… Promise me you take care of Kira and Hikari for me… alright? And I’m not talking about just now… promise me you’ll ensure their safety, no matter what okay? And… I’ve always respected you man… I’m sorry for the times where we had arguments over nothing…” Kokaku abruptly turned around and started walking down the stairs again, his mind focused on one thing… destroying Kvist. Realizing he could lose Hikari… it had released the brakes… he would go to his apartment, get a firearm, and finish this once and for all… No matter what happened to his own life… OOC: For me this continues at: xinrpb1.proboards99.com/index.cgi?board=housing&action=display&thread=1180348897
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Post by Leon Loire on Jul 15, 2007 1:10:28 GMT 1
Once Kira made her decision, Leon felt a light sigh leave his lips, pressing his head against the wall behind him in the process. He was relieved to see that Kira would be in a safe house, one that would be extremely difficult to penetrate, and one where Leon could trust those housed there. Then again, he wasn't even sure what to think of the situation itself...
'Kvist is my enemy, I'll easily accept that, but I've never come to make him my real foe. He's always been Taiku's problem, or Maverik's problem, and yet when he attacked Kira the first time at Varron Academy, I thought I'd have joined in the crusade to eliminate him - hell, I even spoke about destroying him at the rally! But now he attacks again, just to mock us, and I just stand here allowing Taiku to take the lead again...'
The part of Leon Loire that had risen from his years under the image yelled for him to follow Taiku Akimoto outside the room, force him to allow his assistance, and to take down as many of the Hand as possible with his own blade. But as a friend, he both listened and desired to stay at Kira's side for the sake of her protection, even when he knew that Taiku was about to throw himself into a suicidal situation, and soon enough, Leon knew he'd be absorbed into the war as well.
Regardless of the fact that he had his own wars to fight for, particularly, those of his past, and those of the future.
Kicking off the wall, sheathing his weapon, and standing at attention near the door, Leon's navy eyes blankly staring out into the oblivion of the dark room. All there was to do left tonight was to escort Kira to the safehouse, and wait there with her, most likely, until it was all over. Once Taiku had dealt with Kvist once and for all, Leon suspected that the painful chapter in their lives would finally close, and Leon would be free to leave their presence briefly to close one of his own.
Soon enough, without even noticing, Hikari threw herself over Leon's shoulder, her small arm hoping to embrace him close alongside Kokaku, seeming to try and cheer the two men up a bit - and most likely hoping to cheer herself up as well. Yet Leon only stared out into the distance, trapped in his own thoughts - over every issue that had bothered him in recent days, and yet, why he couldn't surpass them all to simply help Kira. In all honesty, it felt a bit overwhelming, to know a friend was being harassed, yet forced to do nothing but to stand by them and wait for what was the inevitable attempt at retaliation or another attack.
After a while, Hikari went into Kira's room to help her pack, leaving Kokaku and Leon alone. The two men did not converse, however. They stood quietly, waiting for the girls to finish preparing for the departure. It didn't take long, as the ladies finally walked out of the room hefting Kira's light luggage, the girl herself wearing the leather jacket Leon had given her two years ago to cover her pajamas. The sight seemed to spark a bit of light in Leon's mind, the nostalgic memory of that Christmas when he had given her the jacket bringing back the memory of their friendship, and seeming to resound a reminder of exactly why he was there to help her.
'She's been there for me on so many occasions... the least I could do is help ease her at a time like this.'
Strangely, a genuinely relieved smirk passed over his face before he hid his chin by turning towards the door and nodding forward.
"Okay, let's get going then."
The party of four passed through the elevator, and onto the exterior walkway, as Kokaku Musha noted that he'd flank with his own car. Leon understood his logic perfectly, and watched as he ran off to his vehicle as Leon stood by Hikari and Kira, waiting as their luggage was packed into the rear of the taxi, before the three crowded into the back and waited for the yellow vehicle to take them to Taiku's apartment.
Leon sat between the two girls, leaning back against the worn and greasy seat as the time of night began to play across his eyes. The headlights of Kokaku's car reflected across the windshield of the taxi, and the weight of Kira's head occasionally passing over his shoulder, before returning to the cool touch of the door window. Leon's own thoughts were to nothing. He was too tired, too strained to contemplate the conflict between Kvist and Taiku, or what they were to do at Taiku's apartment, or what Leon would do after it was all over. At the moment, he simply wanted to ease back, and for once, take the supporting role of the situation.
Finally, the taxi dropped them off, and Leon followed Hikari, Kira and Kokaku up to the apartment above. The very same mindset affected him, and as Kira jumped onto a man that Leon had never met, he only found himself waiting patiently for the girl to toss herself inside as well, where she'd at least be safe, and the four would finally be able to relax and catch some sleep. A moment later, Kira soon ran off into one of the guest rooms nearby, and Leon watched Hikari enter the apartment herself, and he waited to follow Kokaku in to flank.
But Kokaku never moved; he just stood there.
'Is he okay?' Leon wondered, standing behind Musha for a few moments more before taking a step forward and nudging his friend's shoulder with his own, before taking a stance in front of him.
"Something bothering you?" Leon questioned, looking sternly at Kokaku's face. A bit of his face was damp, and his eyes were just staring out into space, before he snapped back to reality and reacted in a way that Leon should have expected, yet at the current moment, found himself a bit awestruck.
~ “Leon… Promise me you take care of Kira and Hikari for me… alright? And I’m not talking about just now… promise me you’ll ensure their safety, no matter what okay? And… I’ve always respected you man… I’m sorry for the times where we had arguments over nothing…” ~
'He's talking as if he's going off to die...'
And then Kokaku turned away, walking towards the elevator, and Leon realized what Kokaku intended to do: he was prepared to run off and help Taiku, perhaps even charge off into finding Kvist all on his own. Leon wasn't sure if simply helping Taiku would lead to something so drastic as to Kokaku speaking like a condemned man. There must have been something else to it. Leon wanted to yell at him to stop, to run over behind him, grab him by the collar, and knock some sense into him, to remind him that Leon had already been condemned to his own sins, and that he was not the one to trust towards protecting others; in the end, Leon was condemned to death as well, and Kokaku would be a fool to expect him as a guardian of others.
Yet Leon only stood there, shocked, watching his friend stroll away and disappear, leaving him alone, as he always expected he'd be - yet instead of playing the role of martyr, he'd be the lone guard, hoping to stand a chance against any horde of foes that came after them.
"Don't you die Kokaku Musha..." Leon whispered, turning on his heel to enter the apartment, "That promise was meant for you and the others, not for me."
Closing the door behind him and looking around the comfortable abode, Leon wasn't sure exactly what to do; part of him called to sit by the door leading to Kira, leaning down and sitting back, waiting for the hours to pass by before he'd start up his own investigation into the events. Yet a wiser part of him knew that if he separated himself from Kira, it'd only play to darken her mood. Sighing with a bit of frustration with Kokaku's choice, Leon pulled off his leather jacket and held it in his right hand, before throwing it into the corner of the guest room Kira and Hikari waited in and unlatched his blade to his belt, before laying down against the carpeted floor and sighing deeply.
"I'm too tired to even talk... are you ladies gonna watch a movie or something, because I don't know what to do now."
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