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Post by charlotte on May 28, 2007 20:59:43 GMT 1
“You’re lucky it didn’t fracture,” the doctor said, standing beside the hospital bed where Charlotte sat. “There’s been a tremendous strain on both of your legs, but it seems the impact was mainly focused on your left. Your right leg will be fine, but if you exert your left too much, then we might have to give you a splint and crutches.”The Junior sat by, absorbing the words with a mild stun. A strained left leg? Almost a fracture? The pain, rather than a shooting knife-like rolling-stab, had been transformed – thanks to the codeine and a few hours to overcome it – had been reduced to a dull, throbbing, but tolerable ache in her left leg. “So … what then?” Charlotte asked finally. In response, the doctor held up a black wooden cane, handing to the junior. She reached out, taking it in her grasp with a curious – and slightly perturbed – look; holding it at a distance as if the cane were liable to bite at her. “Unless you’d prefer crutches or a wheelchair, you need to put less weight on that leg. The more you exert it, the more it will start to hurt.” The doctor slipped a hand casually into his pocket as he spoke, his other arm still firmly grasping the medical file and X-ray scans. “And how long am I supposed to use this?” Charlotte asked, drawing the cane closer, holding it with both hands as her eyes assessed the sleek, black surface. When she had been hit by the moped, she certainly had not expected the collision to offer more than a few minutes of numbness, followed by a few hours of pain and some bruising. But staring at the cane in her hands, milling over the thought of using it, reality seemed to have a sharp bite indeed. “At least three weeks. After that I’ll need you to come back in for another exam, and we’ll see.”Three weeks. Charlotte nodded dimly, shifting her grip on the cane: left hand closing around the derby handle, her right hand sliding onto the hospital bed. She slid forward, the bottom of the cane meeting the floor as her right hand pushed forward as well, her feet touching to the floor. However, her legs wobbled, still unwilling to support her weight fully, despite the cane, and she fell back against the bed, and sighing, pushed herself back into a sitting position. “Your legs are still weak … you’re going to have to stay here for a few hours more,” the doctor assured, holding up his hand, motioning for her to continue sitting. “We tried calling your mother, but we couldn’t reach her … there was no answer. You can try her again later, or if you’d like we will.”Charlotte rolled her eyes as she nodded in understanding. It was Saturday, after all. Probably hung over. “If you don’t mind me asking,” the doctor went on, as Charlotte tapped the cane against the side of the bed lightly in a 2/4 time beat. “How did this happen?”That was the hard part: how did it happen? Or rather, how best to answer the question? It would be easy enough to lie, but would lying offer the best recourse? Would truth, for that matter? She took a glance to the figure nearby: Leon Loire, the one who had brought her to the hospital after being attacked by Grey Shirt. Her gaze clearly explained that she did not want to tell the truth of the event, least of all to the doctors or her mother, should the woman ever stumble in. But also, the look indicated that the junior wished her lie to be backed up by Leon as well. “I tripped." The doctor raised his eyebrow disapprovingly. "And the bruises on your stomach?""I rolled." Again came the disapproving eyebrow raise, with a lamentable sigh to accompany it. "Are you telling me the truth?" He asked, tilting his head questioningly. It was at that moment when Charlotte decided to change tactics, sighing sarcastically. "Fine. I was out running and some guy rear-ended me with his moped and tried to beat me up. I was rescued by a man in a mask and him." She jabbed a thumb in Loire's direction. At that, the doctor merely rolled his eyes. "Like I said: I was in the woods and I tripped on a rock while out for a jog. I cracked my leg against something and couldn't move; luckily Leon happened by in time and carried me to his car before driving me here." The doctor seemed to ease up, believing the tale. Of course, she had told the truth, but the doctor had not wanted to accept it - though his subconscious mind knew it to be true - thus, he had allowed himself to believe her lie. Satisfied, the doctor nodded, turning to make his way out. "If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask," the man said before softly making his way outside, closing the door behind him. Charlotte sighed, tapping the cane against the bed roughly, restlessly, before ceasing the beat altogether. She placed the wooden object across the pillow to her left, then moved her hands behind her, pushing herself into a sitting position that faced Leon. It seemed like yesterday that she had talked to the navy-eyed senior for the first time, back in the cafeteria, and yet at the same time it felt like it had been years since she had first seen him at the riot. So much had begun to occur in the past few weeks - tensions were building, power struggles were slowly tilting back and forth, and the entire school seemed to be edging ever towards the brink and an explosively climactic situation. However, all that seemed lost upon her at the expense of the moment. She had, not an hour and a half ago, been beaten up by a skinny sophomore she had never imagined would be pushed so far by the sheer strength of his ego, and had been saved by three people, one of them standing before her now. Now she would spend the better part of a month limping about with a cane. Charlotte opened her mouth to say something, but found it lodged, promptly closing it. All she found that she could do was sigh - whether sorrowfully, apathetically, nonchalantly, contentedly, or a mix of those and many more - as she hoped Leon would be the first to break the silence and speak.
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Post by Leon Loire on May 29, 2007 2:35:44 GMT 1
The drive had been simple enough; inserting Charlotte into a lain position on the back passenger seats to allow her legs to spread out straight, drive at a nominal speed to prevent bumps toward the nearby city hospital. Fortunately, Charlotte's wound was not a dramatic, life-or-death demand, yet the shred of pain on her face was enough to remind Leon Loire that it was still an absolute necessity that a Doctor examine her wounded legs.
The drive only took about ten minutes, and after a brisk park in the E.R. lot, Leon jumped out of his car, popped the seat forward, and pulled Anders from her lain position. Shutting the door awkwardly with both hands occupied and hiding his keys away, Leon marched into the building demanding an elevated stretcher for the Junior to wait in.
"We'll have her with an examiner in a few minutes." rushed one Nurse, checking Charlotte's eyes for a moment before briskly dashing off, checking the victim of a car accident suddenly thrust into the atmosphere.
'Great... that means a few hours then.'
Leon was worried; he knew that Charlotte's wound was traumatic, but from what his own limited knowledge of the medical world taught him, the worse she gained was a possible fracture in the receiving hip bone. She was shaken from the shock, and her nerves were on overload, but she was far from death, and a smaller priority then someone who had a large gash across their chest from a piece of engine shrapnel.
Still, Leon was surprised that a bit of medication came for the girl within less than a half an hour, the entire time which Leon had been lightly palming his hand on Charlotte's left shoulder, expecting her to wake from her pained agony and speak. The medication was injected and the stress lessened, but it was not until later that Charlotte seemed to awaken from her pain.
After a few hours of waiting, a Doctor finally arrived to wheel Charlotte into an examination room. Leon was excluded from the examination for... obvious reasons, and after an hour of tests and x-ray scans, the boy was let in. Strolling in quietly as the Doctor spoke to Charlotte briefly of some matter that he did not hear, his ears quickly picked up the diagnosis.
'No fracture? Jesus, she is lucky.' Leon sighed a relief, a bit of a dark image of the Junior stuck on crutches for two months not exactly a bright sight. Still, when the Doctor pulled out a jet black cane for a substitute, Loire could not help but smirk at the thought of a rather unique image for a philosopher student in a school of fighters.
'Quite the weapon, that thing will be.'
Charlotte, however, took the item with an understandable bit of uncertainty; after all, any sort of handicap wasn't likely to be a welcome sight. Charlotte was still in shock, and while she got off somewhat, it would be probable that anyone would hope to get off such a demanding situation without a scratch.
After all, the pain was either worth something tremendous or nothing at all; a cane was something of a compromise. Yet, it wasn't a complete loss; Leon was sure to tease the girl on her new possession to keep her light hearted, or at least frustrated with another direction.
When the time for explaining the injury finally came up, Leon frowned; he knew this was coming. If they told the truth, then the Doctor would feel the need to call in the Police, and then they'd process them for "educating" her on considering charges against her attacker - and if that happened, Tiao Lei Shen's vigilante justice would soon land him in juvenile hall, or worse.
When Charlotte replied, Leon could barely hold back an amused grin. A trip and a roll were certainly the likely candidate for explaining a near-fracture and several bodily wounds. Yet when the Doctor became suspicious, and was ready to press further, the part of Charlotte Anders that Leon Loire could not help but envy jumped out in attack.
'How clever she can be.'
Using the truth as a sarcastic lie, the Doctor left them alone, and left. When the white coat passed through the door, Leon could not help but grin, and turned his gaze back to the girl now looking toward him, her body still shaken somewhat from her endeavors, the gaze that had earlier warned him to follow her plans - and more than likely, he'd have to reinforce it in a few hours with the Doctor alone - soon attempted to speak, something Leon had been hoping to hear for hours, before stopping, and releasing a sigh, with a sort of dropped sight that could match so many glances.
Leon felt a frown cross his face, and with a matching sigh, leaned off the wall slowly, inched across the room, placed his left hand onto the hospital bed for a moment and leaning across the metallic-plastic furniture lightly, before grabbing the black stick with his right hand, and bringing it to himself. Firmly planting the cane onto the flooring below him with a firm grip, Leon held the device with a smirk, and finally attempted to wake her from the pain, "First that skirt, and now this cane. I hope you do realize this matches with those quizzical shades of yours, so you'll do well with fashion. Still, it matches you well enough, and it'll keep those legs of yours nice and strong over the next few weeks."
Smirking before passing the object back to the girl before him, Leon let her grab its handle before palming his left hand before her, offering a hand, "I don't give a rat's ass what that Doctor says; if you want out now, then I'm up for bailing you out. After all, I carried you out of here once, and I think I can do it again. Of course, a good servant does nothing before he is ordered, so if you wish it milady, is it time to leave?"
The remark was lightly sarcastic, with a hint of a play, and a heavier attempt at light. After all, if it was flirting she needed, then it'd at least keep her mind off of the trauma. And in the end, hospitals weren't exactly the best place for mental recovery.
'I can't believe this is the sort of life I want for myself, wearing the white coat and carrying the tools all day long...'
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Post by charlotte on May 29, 2007 3:11:19 GMT 1
She found herself expressing a slight grin at Leon's light hearted teasing as she inclined her head towards him, accepting the cane once again. Charlotte ran her hand across the smooth length of the polished wood, feeling the still-warm spot where the senior had held it in his own hand to inspect it.
She tested the strength of the object a few times, thumping the end down upon the floor and giving a modestly approving nod, satisfied with the stability of the cane. At least, for the time being. Again came the sudden thought - something she had not thought about in what seemed like an eternity, something she had forgotten about and buried under the weight of all that had been happening in the past few weeks. Of course, she had never afforded herself much of a personal life in the past, and despite allowing herself the luxury it seemed, of slowly edging away from introverted tendancies, there was always the current political scene or the latest plot to divert her attention. An excuse perhaps, but now that she was here, the thought suddenly running rampant, there was little she could to contain the bizzare sensation from pushing all other thoughts from the forefront of her mind.
Leon offered his hand, palm up, and suggested that if she wanted to leave, that he would be willing to carry her.
"I wouldn't go so far as to call you a servant, though in a few minutes I think I could use a drink and maybe something to eat ... not to mention rest ... outside this place," she rebuked, her voice slowly beginning to gain a hint of playfulness, though still caught in the euphoric shock of the incident she had been caught in.
The incident itself remained as a stinging reminder of a past event she had faced; though the differences were essentially astronomical, they had both been the cause of grudges and ended in similar ways, despite the last time being the lesser of the two injuries. A staged car accident targeting the student she had been driving with, causing minor injuries on both parties, and the targeted student suffering a concussion and broken collarbone. The incident had certainly left it's mark on the then-impressionable Charlotte, and had been a silent partner in the many reasons for her steadfast and icy wall of sarcasm. However, when compared to the ordeal she had just experienced, that incident seemed unimportant, insignificant. And in a way, Charlotte Anders had, in that instant, overcome a massive emotional blockade - one that had unknowingly kept her back from a great many things.
In fact, were it not for the sudden revelation, the words lodging in her throat would have continued to remain lodged for quite some time.
She placed her right hand in Leon's left, trying to support her weight with his help and the cane, but thought better of it as she winced again and slid back into a sitting position, removing her hand from his grasp. Charlotte shifted her gaze from him, scanning the surface of the cane as she cleared her throat with a minute cough, and inhaled deeply, tilting her head upwards to regard the Leon Loire directly in his navy-eyes.
And, unlike as she had with the doctor, this time she told the complete and untainted truth, in all seriousness of the matter.
"I have a crush on you."
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Post by Leon Loire on May 29, 2007 5:18:12 GMT 1
"Wait a minute, isn't that exactly what a servant does, in collecting meals, beverages and fluffy scarlet cushions for the people with the cane? I think you're tripping around the idea here girlie..." Leon's reaction was calm, collected and at ease. The fact that Charlotte Anders was reacting in an attempt to her normal personality gave comfort in the fact that she was already progressing toward full recovery, regardless of the Doctor's cautions.
Her right took Leon's left as the third, artificial leg joined the weakened two in an attempt to balance her on the floor. Yet the girl's nervous system was still in tremendous shock from the events past, and quickly falling back to the examination table, Charlotte eased back in a light break, leaving Leon Loire to gaze at her sympathetically.
"Take your time; that's what he wants you to do." Leon noted quietly, retrieving his hand at his side and letting the girl contemplate for a moment. While Leon wished to keep her mind away from the shock, he knew attempting to constantly break the shell would only irritate her. After all, she was the one recovering, and her own willpower would be necessary.
Leon thought she was merely thinking of her own physical pains; it turned out she was pondering something else entirely, and suddenly, Leon realized it was exactly why she had attempted to clear her throat.
With those grey pair of eyes gazing right back at him, dead center, as if something inside of him were a spectacle of intensity, Charlotte Anders spoke out with a bare voice of honesty that caught Leon Loire completely off guard, striking him vulnerable.
"I have a crush on you."
'She has a crush on me? Me?[/color]'
Leon could not help but stare back in disbelief, eyes still for a moment, then shaken, and after glancing in various directions, Loire's left hand found the bed that Charlotte sat upon, and wheeled around in a clumsy state, finding himself leaning slightly on Charlotte's right, staring out at the wall ahead of him.
He was treating it as if she had said three words instead of five - that specific set of three words. The sort he had once heard from someone else long ago, and for two years had hoped to hear from another, yet fell silent, and eventually realized they would never come.
Leon felt his hand cringe inward for a moment, then release, and a sigh fell through his lips, and then replaced by a subtle smirk, as Leon Loire continued to stare at the wall, "You don't want a crush on me... I'll just lead you to... to..."
Leon hesitated, gulped, and looked Charlotte Anders straight in the eyes for a moment, "Charlotte... I, I don't know what to say... God, look at me, shaken up by something like this."
A smile passed over him, and he shook his head, before looking back at the wall, "Frozen in fear by a confession of emotion. I'm touched, I confess that, and honestly find something in me struck, but... it instills fear... not for me, but for you."
Continuing to stare at the wall, then glancing back at the girl for a moment, Leon felt himself internally shaken; he was afraid for falling in love again, and it had been the very thing that had kept him from pursing Kira Karyuudo those years ago, and eventually letting her go to Taiku Akimoto.
"I'm... not someone you want to be connected to... trust me on that. I'm word only... and in the end, words are all I have. I don't want... to hurt you..."
'I hate being vulnerable,' Leon Loire worded to himself, mentally and spiritually, 'I absolutely hate it. And here she is, bringing it upon me... yet... I want it. I want to be vulnerable again... but there's more to it than that...'
Gritting his teeth, Leon forces himself up, and stands a few feet away, holding his hands on his hips, staring mindlessly at the wall ahead.
"Keep away Charlotte; all you'll have if you be with me is..."
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Post by charlotte on May 29, 2007 23:57:28 GMT 1
"All you'll have if you be with me is..."
"You," Charlotte said simply, her tone completely secure, though soft. "I would have you."
She slid foward on her hands again, pressing the cane against the ground to stabilize, but again though better of the act, sliding back onto the bed before her feet had touched the ground.
His words played over in her head as she sat, observing his still form: I don't want... to hurt you...
"When I was in my sophomore year, in my old school, I became friends with one of the student monitors, though I didn't know he was a monitor at the time," the junior began, an short - and entirely real - anecdote.
"Turns out he had a few enemies, and once, while I was in the car with him and a few others, driving, we were rammed by another car. I was fine; just a few bruises and scrapes, but one of the people I was driving with suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion."
Charlotte took a steadying breath, planting the cane firmly on the floor and pushing off, placing her full weight on her injured legs. Despite wincing from the wracked wobbles as she struggled to remain balanced, the dark-haired junior managed to stay upright; partly thanks to the painkillers she had been given previously, of course. She took an experimental step foward, tipping to her left slightly, but righted herself in time to avoid a fall, and continued slowly - but steadily - towards Leon.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that since I first met you, you've always been the one to keep me away or save me from harm. Trouble has always found me on it's own, and besides ..." she struggled to move in front of his field of vision, staring up at him through the five inch gap in thier height.
"... I think this experience has taught me a thing or two; I'm not entirely unable to take care of myself."
She took another step towards, him, more confident and able this time, her body learning to better adapt the cane into her step. It seemed slightly reminiscient of a dream she had experienced once, several weeks ago.
She shrugged. "Sometimes words are enough."
And, as it had occured in the dream (though certainly feeling more surreal - or perhaps it was an affect of the painkillers), Charlotte Anders reached up, wrapping her arms about Leon Loire's neck suddenly, aware that she had only moments before her legs gave way. She pulled herself upwards and his head down, thier lips meeting suddenly and with a gentle-fury of what could be possibly described as passion; the cane clattered to the floor as she held the kiss, supporting herself far more with her arms than with her legs as they stood, tip-toed and faintly wobbling, perched atop the tips of Leon's shoes. Then, after what seemed like either far too long a time or far too little, thier lips parted as Charlotte drew back, her arms still draped about the senior's neck to support her wieght. Her forehead fell against his chest lightly for a moment before the junior tilted her head back up to regard Leon, hoping his cheeks were just as flushed from the action as her's were growing.
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Post by Leon Loire on May 30, 2007 0:38:55 GMT 1
That single reply, something Leon Loire had never even considered to expect, struck more wind from his lungs than any violent strike to his chest had ever come close to. It was so simple, so natural, yet so powerful...
'Why is she doing this to me... why am I allowing myself to be drawn out...'
It was clear to him: he was tired of being alone, tired of having to fear for the sake of others without someone feeling some sort of absolute fear for his safety, tired of resisting passion and emotion, absolutely tired of hiding away behind the image.
Leon Loire would always be who he was, but there was the image... and there was the man.
Charlotte Anders was making quick work to break past the shell of images, and reach towards the core of that lonely, forbidden man of a pained, isolated history.
'If she wants to be with me,' Leon contemplated for a moment, 'I certainly don't know how I'll tell her about him, or her, or the others.'
Still, it was something he'd find a way to tackle in time; he was just relieved that, even if nothing else followed afterward, he at least had that moment of vulnerability to allow a release.
That's all Leon Loire thought it'd be; a moment of weakness.
How wrong he was; and how happy he was to be wrong.
A struggled tap of feet and cane struck the floor soon, and Leon was able to sharply listen with clarity as the Junior spoke of her last year, describing the events that must have led to the shell she had built as well, a sort of parallel to Leon's own, and something that had kept Charlotte from bringing out the truth. The taps, while struggling and resilient, found themselves sounding off on Leon's left, and the corner of his eye brought sight Charlotte Anders as she spoke of the lessons she had learned, and perhaps a stark contrast to a lesson Leon Loire had been struggling to forget.
She could take care of herself - something that brought it's own relief - and yet, at the same time, brought strength that one who is independent can also come to rely much on another of independence. And if Leon had succeeded in anything, he had certainly hoped his loner attitude had allowed a shade of independent rebelliousness to instill across him.
And finally, staring up at his own shaking, yet curious gaze, Charlotte Anders shrugged off his excuses, found her hands falling across his neck, tugging his face comfortably forward, before her body's strength brought her own closer, closer...
And in a natural instinct, knowing what was to come, Leon Loire's two hands supported the girl's hovering hips to ease her struggling legs, to replace the fallen cane, and gave in with happiness as Charlotte Anders brought her lips brightly against his own.
It was something he had not expected to experience in the limits of San Francisco - ironically, so near his hometown - and the returning warmth of being cared for melted the chills of the many days that had passed, fighting the fears of pain and drama and loss, and for a time, bringing only a candle-lit light of ease.
He was wanted by another again. That sort of feeling is... not something accurately possible to describe, only possible to experience.
Finally, their lips parted in a sort of lovely hesitation, and Leon Loire could not help but sigh out in a held breath as his navy eyes opened to the girl's dark hair toward him, before her reddened face and illuminated grey eyes gazed back at him, bringing a touched smile and warmed cheeks replying back without a resistance to hide them.
He stood there, staring back at her with a relaxed stance, just looking upon her... his hands still holding up her hips as best as he could, yet her own grip over his neck able to support her without too much trouble; in truth, he didn't care if the hands were there for structural reasons for not. He felt more of the... euphoria to feel her skin underneath his own fingers, the only object between them her shirt and pants.
And all over, warmth enthralled him.
Finally, breathing in deeply and sighing out, allowing a small wind tease back some of her bangs, Leon finally brought himself to speak. "Fine then, if all you want is me, word and terrible boyfriend skills with it," Leon Loire chuckled a bit in a nervous, embarrassed thought at the last comment, "Then I would be pleased... to let you have me as yours, if you'd permit me to have the same as you."
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on May 30, 2007 1:08:40 GMT 1
"Turns out he had a few enemies, and once, while I was in the car with him and a few others, driving, we were rammed by another car. I was fine; just a few bruises and scrapes, but one of the people I was driving with suffered a broken collarbone and a concussion."
Tiao briskly walked down the hall of the hospital, smiling as he heard the voice of Charlotte. The fact she could talk meant she was awake, and well enough to speak without a fit of coughs. Tiao smiled a content smile, slowing his pace as he neared the door.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that since I first met you, you've always been the one to keep me away or save me from harm. Trouble has always found me on it's own, and besides ..."
Tiao furrowed his brow in confusion, slowing his pace even further as he tried to make sense of what was going on. As he completely opened the door, his eyes unveiled the scene, filling in the blanks his mind hadn't come up with yet. There she stood, Charlotte, the one woman Tiao had come to care about past a skin deep lust, lip locked with none other than him. Leon Loire.
"Son of a bitch..." Tiao muttered, his mind not fully comprehending the situation as Leon finished his cutesy sentence towards Charlotte. Tiao threw the door open all the way this time, alerting the two to his presence as he took another step into the room.
"Son of a bitch!" Tiao snapped, slamming the edge of his handinto the complimentary flower vase, sending breaking it and sending the pieces into the wall. "How dare you!" Tiao shouted, clenching his jaw and pointing his index finger wildly at Leon.
"You're the one that's been there to save her!? Where the hell were you the day I saved her on the bleachers!? Who was the one that saved her today!? I should of let him gut you!" Tiao growled, baring his teeth.
His hands began to close into tight fists, straining the bones and tendons in Tiao's hands. What would usually merely cause intense pain for the pillar now resulted in reassurance. His hands pulsated with cramps, assuring him a physical pain that mirrored his emotional pain. Tiao had been defeated only twice, neither times causing him much hurt. Not like now.
Charlotte Anders had succeeded in harming Tiao more than any other person throughout his life. True hurt, true pain, it was all new to Tiao's life.
He would make sure to make it a constant in Leon's.
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Post by charlotte on Jun 1, 2007 16:35:45 GMT 1
What was once an almost euphoric sensation as the kiss ended and Leon spoke transformed, in the space of moments, to shock and intense worry. For while Leon had finally given in and returned her feelings, the arrival of Tiao had thrown everything into a completely new emotional territory.
The Pillar raged at Loire, slamming a vase with his hand and shattering the cheap plaster instantly, the larger bits careening to strike the wall. At every word, every accusation, she found herself wincing – both internally and externally. Of course Tiao HAD been the one to help her on her first day, at the bleachers, and he HAD been the one to finally bring down Aaron Wentworth, but Charlotte had not meant that Leon was the always the one to literally save her from harm – she had really meant that trouble never seemed to follow her when Leon was present, save, of course, for the present situation. She doubted, however, that Tiao would care to understand what she meant, or what she really felt for Leon, in the pillar’s present state, and as such, the junior found her mouth unable to open wider than a crack, her careful breath fluttering through the space. She regarded Tiao as one might regard a tiger released from his cage, only to find his hopes of returning home were hollow.
She did feel alternating waves of sorrow for Tiao – regret that she may have led him on unintentionally, and regret that he felt the way he did for her, whilst she could not return the feeling – but when placed next to the happiness she had felt with Leon, there was not a shred of doubt that her decision had been the right one.
Again, however, she could not bring herself to speak; did not even remove her hands from Leon’s neck while she stared towards Tiao, her eyes darting once, briefly, to the cane at her side, unable to reach it where it lay.
“I’m sorry, but this is the way I feel,” Charlotte said finally, unsure if Tiao had heard her tone: showing sorrow for his pain, but clearly indicating that her own feelings and decisions were steadfast. “And … I want to be with him.”
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Post by Leon Loire on Jun 6, 2007 18:23:40 GMT 1
All great things must come to an end. And in this instance, it was the fury of a beast that changed the environment immediately.
Charlotte was still in Leon's arms, her own hands wrapped around his neck, when Tiao Lei Shen arrived in the room, his usual instincts leading him closer to violence clear. Teeth bared like a bear, fists clenched like a lion before a strike, body tensed like an ape before a charge, Shen was ready to destroy the man that symbolized everything he despised, and now loathed more intensely.
Leon glared back at him with a frustration, a benediction; here he was, accepting the emotions of Charlotte, and there was Shen, trying to break him from her hands. It was a crime, and Leon felt the absolute determination to keep their inevitable conflict from harming her, and to end their apparent rivalry once and for all.
Leon could see that any hope of aligning with the Pillars was gone; Kurtz O'Neill had alienated Loire at that event at school; Tiao Lei Shen, who had already opposed Loire, now hated him for the destruction of the love triangle; Ein Gilsin believed Leon a "radical," and would do anything to keep him in "order"; and Darren Blayne seemed torn between his logic and his position.
In the end, it seemed Leon would have to either accept some sort of mediocre third-party position, or act as a neutral party on the side of the Captain against Stern Mason without any direct connection.
Charlotte spoke out to Tiao, apologizing for the clear pain in the situation, and Leon first kept his gaze on Shen while he attempted to keep the girl's slightly trembling form calm. When she spoke that she wished to be with Leon, he found himself glancing down at her, and a blank-faced warmth passed over his body.
'That's it then.'
Turning on his heel, taking a step towards the hospital bed and pulling Charlotte by the hold on her hips to the edge to allow her to sit down, Leon kept her there, giving her a glance that would allow her to read his intention, then took a step back in full stance, staring back at Tiao Lei Shen with a determination that had not been in his mind for at least three years.
"I hardly call destroying someone's back a 'rescue' Shen, especially when the job was already done." Leon whispered, face stern, hands loose, moving slowly, ready for the strike of anger.
"If you want to antagonize yourself in front of Charlotte, then go ahead. Let's get it over with. I've got bigger fish to fry than you."
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Jun 9, 2007 7:05:42 GMT 1
Tiao's jaw wrenched tight enough to bite through oak as he forced himself to look upon the figure of Charlotte, who finally spoke up. She began to express sorrow and sympathy for Tiao, which caused his sadness to grow over the anger. However, this was very short lived as she reinforced her preference of Leon.
Leon spoke up, Tiao unintentionally allowing a snicker of pure emotion erupt as he looked away for a moment, quickly gaining composure as Leon began to set down the girl in question.
"You fucking ponce." Tiao chuckled as he attempted to choke back his sorrow. "You think you're the good guy here? Because you're the one who doesn't do a fucking thing when it comes down to it? I do what I do because the 'heroes' like you don't have what it takes to get the job done at the end of the day." Tiao looked away one more time, the traces of sadness long gone as he regained the animalistic rage.
"You're always spouting out condescending crap down your nose. You're not better than me Loire. She picked you, but you're not better! You're not!"
As Tiao finished he immediately charged forward, intending to place each hand on the corresponding lapel of Leon's, driving him straight back into the wall. It wasn't the most strategic move Tiao had ever made, but then again it never would be when reacting to emotional urges. Tiao was filled with primal rage, the kind that would love to disembowel Loire and feed it back to him.
(OOC: Had more in my brain, but too much for me and my Cystine Chapel.)
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Post by charlotte on Jun 19, 2007 19:48:09 GMT 1
(OOC: I had wanted to wait for John to post before I did, but for the sake of moving this along after being well overdue ... feel free to throw any semblance of a posting order out the window; the two of you fighting takes preceedence over me screaming at you to stop ) Charlotte did not struggle agains Leon's movement as he placed her neatly and gently upon the edge of the bed. However, despite his parting look to her, the moment he turned fully to face Tiao, she pressed her wieght against the cane, pushing herself to her feet, but, feeling suddenly and instantly wobbly again, decided better of it and slid back onto the bed to sit. The Junior's dark hair flipped back and forth as her head turned alternately between Leon and Tiao, at each new heated insult or retort shooting back and forth between the two, testosterone veritably wafting through the air. A thought occured to her then, that though the two always had previously seemed to be at odds, this was really the first instance of intensely heated rage she had ever witnessed between the two - and it was largely due to her. Then, as Tiao charged foward, Charlotte found her voice and shouted: "STOP!", as much to Leon as to Tiao, hoping to prevent the fight before it really began. Though, try as she might, Charlotte knew it would not end so easily.
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Post by Leon Loire on Jun 27, 2007 21:11:23 GMT 1
The anger behind Shen's eyes was a clear fuel for the fire that would inevitably hurl him towards Leon's waiting form. He spoke insult, talking of himself being the last resource to completing a necessary action, attempting to call himself the thing that a "hero" could never lead themself to be. And then, as should have been expected, he attempted to speak out - almost to assure himself - that Leon was not better than him, in no way at all.
'Depends on what you're talking about... I certainly think my methods of dealing with issues are more socially humane and affective than yours!'
Leon gritted his teeth in concentration; he knew there was no time for words. Tiao Lei Shen was clearly ready to spill blood, and Leon's only remaining option was to keep Charlotte unharmed, and to survive.
Seeing Tiao's charge forward, Leon felt the wring of the Junior's hands against his jacket's collar, the force of his momentum intent on colliding him against the wall behind him, perhaps to trap him, or else to attack him brutally.
'Not today!'
While Shen had succeeded in grabbing hold of Leon's collar, the Senior had anticipated the continued charge; planting his own right boot on his opponent's left foot, Leon grips Shen's left arm with his right hand, and placing his own left foot a few inches farther toward its left, uses the new-found weight placement to take his left arm and shove Shen's right shoulder towards his left, using his right arm as a constant pull, and keeping the right foot to prevent a counter attack or evasive maneuver. Using Shen's own grip on his collar, Leon intended to volley Tiao into the wall instead of him. If Leon had Shen against the wall, he would be cornered, and if he charged again, it would lead the two out into the halls, where they would be safe away from Charlotte.
Leon heard her own call for the fight to stop, but he knew there was nothing at the current moment that could prevent Shen from his rage. All that could be done would be to continue on the fight until one of them fell, or security split them apart.
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Post by Tiao Lei Shen on Jul 11, 2007 0:08:45 GMT 1
(OOC: Slight character control was approved of.)
Leon seemed to be more readied and coordinated than their last encounter. During the first riot, Tiao had played with Leon, slowly tearing him apart until Tiao had no choice but let the idealistic speaker leave. This time, Leon had managed to pull together a rather complex and effective counter in a matter of moments. Such improvements would be condemnable in most cases.
Obviously, this wouldn't be one of them.
Tiao's free arm went in front of him on instinct, palming the wall before any other part of his body would collide. Primal anger mixing with the grace of shaolin, Tiao planted his hand into the wall a moment, lifting his left leg with the added momentum of Leon's pull. Torquing as hard as he could, Tiao turned his hips, swinging his left leg over in a reverse crescent kick, with the edge of his foot aimed for the left side of Leon's face.
The torque would pull Tiao's foot from under Leon's, causing Tiao to do a short 180 degree turn using the wall as a pivot point as his body corkscrewed. Whatever defenses Leon put up, he was still clipped by the kick, causing him to stumble back into the silver medical tray, knocking both to the ground. Tiao prepared to finish the job, until the shouts of Charlotte echoed through the room.
Tiao paused, slowly turning to face the wounded girl. The flare in Tiao's eyes would slowly fade, replacing with a deep sadness that would only be visible to Charlotte.
"...Okay."
Tiao pivoted, fully facing Charlotte, speaking with a much lowered voice in comparision to his earlier speech. "I'll stop...for now. You're an amazing woman Charlotte, and I'll honor your wish. But don't think for a moment I'm doing this for you, or him. I'm stopping for now, but not because I care about his well being, or even for you safety. This is the hospital, not the place for this." He paused again, turning to face Leon. "Next time I see you, I'll tear your throat out; it'll be in my territory, and there'll be nothing you can do about it." He turned back, facing Charlotte yet again. "...Or you, for that matter."
Tiao exhaled slowly, taking a few steps towards the door before pausing. He turned his head over his shoulder, deciding to add a bit more before either had spoken up in return.
"You're fired. You're no longer to report to the pillars effective immediately. Its obvious we can't trust you now and...I don't want to see you anymore." Tiao reached out, opening the door and taking one step before he adressed both students one final time before stepping outside and leaving. "You two enjoy your happiness while you can. I don't imagine it'll last long. Wouldn't you agree, Loire?"
Tiao turned and left without waiting for response, leaving the two to ponder if Tiao's final statement held anything past mere threat. Was Tiao referring to himself, or to something quite different? He took little satisfaction in the fact they wouldn't be able to tell for sure.
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Post by charlotte on Jul 11, 2007 5:28:54 GMT 1
She had sat stock still, not moving, throught the entire ordeal after she had shouted to stop. But then, seeing the look in Tiao's eyes - a great sadness it seemed - Charlotte felt her entire body begin to quiver slightly, as though she had felt something she had not felt in a long time. Guilt at wounding someone else so deeply, and then, beyond that, there was fear. Fear of what Tiao might do, or be provoked to do in the future.
And, as he closed the door behind him she let out a great, pained exhale; something akin to a half sob-groan, falling back flat upon the hospital bed, the cane slipping from her grasp and clattering to the floor.
Her hands shot to her head, covering her face as she left slip another muffled exhale, this time one of relief, and of a slight worry.
"Fantastic. Another guy who hates me for ripping his heart out," she mumbled, lamenting; voice still muffled by the hands covering her face.
A million thoughts coursed through her head at once, so potent, seeming, that they drove back the pain medication into a sharp, mushy migraine.
Fired? No trust? Can't Stop? Throatripout? Happiness ... happiness ...
Charlotte sat up slowly, still covering her face with her hands and took a long, drawn breath.
"I suppose you have a few questions then ... like me working for the pillars and being 'fired' ..." she said finally, dragging her hands from her face with another sigh, this time tired and clearly weary.
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Post by Leon Loire on Jul 15, 2007 1:52:05 GMT 1
Shen's sudden kick had not been expected by any means, surpassing Leon's defenses and landing a solid, yet minimal hit across the chin of Leon's head, sending a shock of pain through his head as the power of the hit forced him backward into a table behind him, before the object fell on him, pinning him to the floor.
'Shit! I've got to get up...' Natural instinct called for Leon to prepare and escape the trap so that he could continue the fight further, especially considering the fact that he was now vulnerable to a dangerous attack, yet finding that his mind was still dealing with the shock of the attack.
Tiao had other ideas, however, as he explained that he would let Leon go for now, walking away from the fight because of the fact that they were in a hospital. Shen's words bothered Leon in a great sense; while he would leave the two alone for now, it seemed he still held a strong grudge against Loire, so much to the point that he may even literally attempt at permanently harming Leon in the halls of Hircine, perhaps purposefully to affect Charlotte emotionally.
Loire grit his teeth, angered by Shen's own instinctual nature. He was prepared to hold a severe grudge, one that would definitely play out to harm Leon at some point in the future. At the moment, however, Leon found himself more concerned with Charlotte, as Tiao talked about 'firing' her from a subordinate position under the Pillarship.
'This is the first time I'm hearing about this...'
As Shen exited the room, Leon watched him with a flare of anger on his own side of the argument, before using the combined fear and adrenaline relative to Shen's last threat to push upward, kicking the tray aside, and standing up lightly, feeling a light crack in his jaw as the sore muscles prepared to heal.
Leon glanced over to Charlotte, who now leaned forward, her hands against her face, fear, dread, and sadness taking her. Leon sighed, worried over a few good things now. Charlotte's connection to the Pillarship, Shen's grudge against him, and now the fact that he had a relationship of all things seemed to swirl through his head, yet the first thing that had to be deal with was Charlotte's leg.
Strolling over to grab the fallen cane and hold it loosely in his own left hand, Leon stood in front of Charlotte's body, then brought his right hand to press against her two palms and slowly press them away, revealing her grey eyes.
"We can talk about that later," Leon began, now holding his right hand out for the girl to take so that she could stand, and the two could leave, "I'm not too fond of hospitals, especially for conversations. We can talk about our situations elsewhere, but right now we should get going. You ready?"
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Post by charlotte on Jul 22, 2007 5:27:52 GMT 1
Charlotte sighed yet again, taking Leon's hand and reaching to grasp her cane in her other. She offered only a nod of understanding as she slid foward off the bed, positioning the cane to support her weight, as well as resting on Leon's arm, struggling to stabilize her still shaky legs.
Making thier way toward the door, Charlotte spoke again, her voice much more stable than before - as well as her ability to stay on two feet.
"I don't know if I'm ready to go home just yet ... my mother probably still has a hangover from last night, and I don't want to have to explain this to her."
She paused as the moved out of the room and into the hall. Charlotte looked both ways down the hall, unsure of which way to proceed and still relying on Leon to both support her and guide her in the direction of thier now-mutual ride: his car.
"Do you mind if we just go someplace just quiet? Anywhere. Just not home or here."
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Post by Leon Loire on Jul 31, 2007 9:28:20 GMT 1
Leon held Charlotte's supporting hand in his own with a tense support, turning to his left to lead them both towards the door, with her weight slightly on his right side, and the cane acting as an inexperienced third leg. The fact that Charlotte and Leon knew each other from a collection of meetings helped with the proximity of where they strolled, but the fact that Leon now had to help the girl carry herself out of the building helped to sink the fact in deeper that he was now in a relationship, a real relationship. Tossing in Tiao's attack, Charlotte's apparent connection to the System, her feelings for him, and his own conflicting emotions from the past, Leon could not help but feel remarkably clouded in though, in realization.
'Jesus... I haven't been with anyone since Jaina, and it's been so long! I never thought I'd recover from such a scar, but here I am, accepting her feelings for me...'
When they reached the door, Leon turned his head down to look at her brown mopped forehead as she spoke of avoiding her home, and the talk of her mother's possible hangover only deepened the wrinkles of concern in Leon's face; another thought struck him, reminding him just how little he knew her, and based on that one remark alone, it was clear she had family issues. Still, Leon knew it was better to save these when they were alone elsewhere, and nodding to Charlotte's request, slowly leading her towards their left, allowing her to lean on his right side if she needed, "I've got no qualms with that at all, in fact, we could just drive the car down to the beach and kick back there."
Leading Charlotte through the halls, Leon shifted the grip of Charlotte's left hand to instead lay across his left side, giving her a more comfortable point of support, as he placed his own right hand across her lower back, lightly holding her right side. Yet, aside from that, Leon wasn't sure what else to say; his mind was wavering, emotions sharply toying with his logic, his body warming at the situation; it had been at least three years since he had allowed himself to be with a girl, and now, before he had even freed himself of his sinful past, he was allowing someone else to grow close to him, or at least taking that same place in Charlotte's life.
'Am I ready for it? Am I ready to give her that kind of attention, that kind of care? It's been so long... and my mind was so trapped on Jaina, on Kira, and then Lisa.... God! What am I going to do about Lisa? What about that promise I made to her? How am I supposed to explain that?'
Leon's body had no problem acting as an aide to Charlotte's own physical struggles, attempting to grow used to the cane, likely uncertain of where to go, and on instinct, Leon led her through the main rooms toward the exit, and eventually to his car, where he planned to drive off to the beach with her.
As their forms struck darkness, Loire still found his mind struck by the blind soup of emotions. It had been a long, long time since such simple, teenage problems had struck him; he had practically shut them off, broken them from habit, perhaps allowing himself to "mature" too much, to the point that he was losing the ability to enjoy the time he had. And here she was, Charlotte Anders, whom also struggled with such distinct feelings, yet accepted the uncontrollable choice and confessed them to Leon, hoping for a positive reaction.
He had given it to her, and much of him, near-all of that side of him to be Leon Loire desired to embrace her emotions and fondly grow with them. But his logic, and his older, conservative shades desperately yelled in fear, forcing the very part of him that begged for change, begged to move on, to become frozen in defense, shutting off everything, attempting to return to his loner mechanism for emotional defense. What was he to do? The young man that had not experienced love in so long? Could he hold it once more, or was all he did in accepting Charlotte's care damning her to an inevitable crush of sadness and disappointment?
'Stop thinking, stop thinking damn it! This isn't about you, it's about her!'
But there was the first flaw, the attempt to turn the relationship into a thing of a single individual, for it was as much a thing of Loire's thoughts as it was of Charlotte's...
By then, Leon had driven the Mustang nearly to the beachside of the Marina District, and in a strange moment of mental control, he realized just how cruel he had been by remaining silent.
'Yes, it's not just about her, or about me. But if I'm going to be this... person in her life, I need to be what she'd expect of me. I can't just let her sit there.'
While Leon knew it was fake, his social controls returned to him, etching a small smirk across his face, and as the car slowly edged to a stop at an abandoned four way, its asphalt lit in red, Leon's right hand calmly tapped his radio on, allowing for some eased jazz to pass over their ears.
"You know," Leon commented, easing back into the driver's seat, keeping his eyes on the road until the corner of his eye brought Charlotte Anders out of her own thoughts, "That cane isn't such a bad thing for you. I must say, I kind of like it. Helps give you a more sophisticated edge than ever before."
Leon suspected that the girl would have something to say in reply, anything really, and no matter what it was, it would bring a bit of hope back into Leon's heart; it was enough to quell his own doubts, for now.
Pulling into a random parking lot near the beach side and turning off the engine, yet leaving the music flowing, Leon leaned back and sighed, closing his eyes for a moment, allowing his left hand to massage his jaw a bit from the sore pain that Tiao Lei Shen had given him.
"So..." Leon began, allowing his hands to act as a cushion for his head, his eyes calmly turning towards Charlotte, "I don't want to place any pressure on you, but I think you and me both know there's a few things we'll need to share amongst each other before we can... well, continue this relationship we're sharing now. You mind filling me in on something? Anything really? 'Promise I'll tell you something back."
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Post by charlotte on Aug 4, 2007 8:51:05 GMT 1
The car ride had been silent; almost agonizingly so.
From the moment they had left the hospital to the moment they had entered the car - despite his supporting hand on her side - he had not spoken a word. Charlotte had taken a few glances up at him without tilting her head; though it was dark, she could tell his mind was raging with thought and debate. And though she desperately wanted to hear some sort of speech to break the silence, she knew that he needed the time to process the events as much as she did.
So the ride progressed in silence.
Charlotte held top of the cane in her right hand, the fingers of her left drumming upon the length black wood as it lay propped against the floor and her seat between her legs.
Tuta-tut-tut
She glanced out the window, still in silence, then glanced back at Leon, now experiencing a strange sort of body numb that had nothing much to do with painkillers or leg-trauma.
Tuta-tut-tut
Presently, the car slowed to a halt in an empty four-way and Leon, it seemed, decided to break the silence with a light hearted comment. One which was certainly not unappreciated.
"You know," he said as she turned to face him, managing a slight smile for both thier sakes, "That cane isn't such a bad thing for you. I must say, I kind of like it. Helps give you a more sophisticated edge than ever before."
"You think?" Charlotte responded, drumming her fingers unconsciously once more in that Tuta-tut-tut rythem against the cane. "... I could grow fond of this, actually ..." she finished, sending the object a sidelong glance before turning her gaze back to Leon.
The silence began once more, though far more bearable due to the soft emanating jazz music, and persisted until Leon pulled the car to a halt at a parking lot; the darkened beach stretching out beyond. Charlotte watched him massage his jaw for a moment before he spoke.
"So. .. I don't want to place any pressure on you, but I think you and me both know there's a few things we'll need to share amongst each other before we can... well, continue this relationship we're sharing now. You mind filling me in on something? Anything really? 'Promise I'll tell you something back."
Charlotte sighed deeply, taking a measured breath as she offered another Tuta-tut-tut, Tuta-tut-tut on the cane. While the junior was exhausted both mentally and physically, she knew that she would likely feel a small measure of relief from telling a breif story. So she decided to begin in the beginning.
"When I was ten, my parents divorced and my mother got sole custody. She used to be a member of a school board, and pushed for several reforms back in her day. We moved from Maine to here. Shortly after which, she began drinking ... about to the point where she lies to me about being an alcoholic," Charlotte began, a hint of bitterness trailing in her last statement. Nevertheless, she went on.
"So, a few years drifting around middle schools and a high school on the other side of the city, I was transferred here after my mother got a new job at an elementary school," she gave a pause, then immediately jumped to the next issue.
"Do you remember a riot a while ago? You were fighting Tiao them, and there was ... an explosion? Well ... I kind of blew up a fire extinguisher in your general direction ..."
Charlotte looked to Leon with a bit of a wince, her cheeks turning red - the subject apparantly diverting her previous uncomfortability with the beginning of the tale.
"So ... after that I was ... blackmailed by the Principal into working for the Pillars - a job where I did literally nothing and have just been 'relieved' of."
She sighed, attempting another grin, but this time deciding not to tap the cane in her regular beat; tired of the repetition.
"Your turn," she said simply.
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Post by Leon Loire on Aug 8, 2007 6:07:15 GMT 1
Leon Loire felt a frown drop across his face, his ears listening to the personal details of Charlotte Ander's life. He had known that such a conversation would not be something light or comfortable, it was meant to fill the two individuals on the history of the other, and the most important facts of knowing someone's background was the dark experiences that bound them, allowing two who cared for the other to know how to battle the other's problems.
Strangely, the thing that struck Leon the most during her confession of the past was her family life. Leon couldn't imagine the sort of trauma such a change would make on any young person, especially an eight year old, and the fact that her mother had fallen upon alcohol as an escape could only help to make Charlotte's trust in her family worse. In a sense, it could potentially explain her search for security with the Corporal Punishment System, striving to find comfort in education instead of those that emotionally abandoned her. The thought that she had to undergo such a troublesome childhood brought out an unrelenting sympathy within Loire, who had never experienced such pains through his own fortunate, spoiled life, yet felt as if it was terrible for her to have to experience such a loss.
A curious fact was Charlotte's involvement in the riot that occurred a few months before. Leon vaguely remembered the fire hydrant she spoke of, and a girl that - once she noted the fact - did resemble her physique. A bit of a bemused grin passed over his face as he glanced at her embarrassed thought on the event, remembering his genuine surprise at the tactic back then, and finding himself able to connect the tactic to her mentality now. He was, in fact, fond of that specific trait in her... the intellect that drove her...
The fact that she had been the System's prisoner, however, did play a great deal of anger in him, in no way striven at her, yet a sort of enforced dislike of the Principal and his methods now seemed to have an adequate reason, a personal grudge. Yet it seemed that his actions and her choice, ironically enough, had been her saving grace.
Leon took in the grin and conclusion she gave him, and leaning back into the seat, his eyes on the roof of the car surrounding them, a part of him wishing there was nothing where he stared, allowing him to gaze at the stars. When his physical world began to blur and his mind began to trail back, Leon Loire began to observe his past life, allowing some details to filter out, while others remained in his hand, waiting for another time.
"My childhood was nothing special. I just grew up as another little nerd surrounded by everyone else, with great parents and a great best friend to support me. I was pretty ignorant back then, nearly a different person from I am now, yet my memories of those times are good, longing. Sometimes I wish I could go back to them, yet then I remember where I am and toss such desires aside."
Taking a pause, Leon sent the girl a side glance, gazing at her a bit as he continued on, "That best friend of mine was Chris, a red head who started yelling at the System way sooner than I did. When we got into Middle School, we met a girl name Jaina, who became a sort of feminine voice in our crazy minds. We grew up together, entered high school together, and saw the other survive."
The mention of Jaina brought much conflict in Leon's mind, forcing his eyebrows to furrow a bit as he leaned his head back, staring at the roof. He wasn't sure whether to tell Charlotte about her... about any of what had happened, that he held a different name then, that the period he spoke of brought terrible pain to his life, had changed him forever, had turned him into the person she cared for, yet had the potential to take him away from her. Speaking of Alec, of Odine, of what Jaina became, of what had become of Chris at the hands of the very girl that he thought he loved... he was split, unsure of what to say, if he ought to even tell her.
After a few moments, he began again, "Eventually I gained a sort of title under the authority of the Principal there, who was a good man in comparison to MacMillan, someone who seemed to dislike the extremes of the System, and was willing to protect his students. But when I look back... I was arrogant, a bit of a fool; I hurt people, not to the extremes that the Deans at Hircine have been known for, and definitely nothing in comparison to what happened at Varron Academy, but... I still hurt people. Even if they were guilty, they didn't deserve to be beaten. Chris and I weren't on the best of terms right then. But he got over it, over time.
"Some time passed, and a few gang wars started springing across the school, and I had to deal with those groups. My.... friend Toshikune Sekine was the leader of one of those gangs, so when I beat them, he sort of became connected to me. I met my mentor, Azumi, there as the school nurse, and it's where I grew to start seeing what the System truly was. I wasn't as much a left winger as I am now, but I was rising up. Finally, one day, things started going sour, and I was forced to leave the school. So I transferred to Varron Academy. That was... God, nearly two years ago.
"I arrived at Varron Academy, made some friends, one of the first being Kira that you met from the park. Things were different at Varron Academy back then; they were simpler, with less hassle and less bloodshed. Sure, the System loved to smack at us, but the teachers were afraid of many of us, since we were the 'worst' of the System. the Deans stood no chance against many of us, and even if we avoided to fight them, they still stayed out of the way. Our Captain, Victoria Alexander, was under the leash of the City Council there, but she kept them outside of things often, and helped to keep things in order. Life was good for a while. I met people, enjoyed my education, and simply... lived life as any student should."
Leon allowed a dark smirk to cross his face, one of bitterness, one of loathing, "Then, of course, that bastard Marcus Lawson showed up, blew up the fountain in front of Varron Academy, killed a dozen or so students in cold blood with the flying shrapnel, almost killed Kira, too, but thankfully she was okay. Turned out the Council had brought in five maniacs to try and break those of us who resisted them, and Marcus had no qualms with killing us instead of fighting us. So Victoria established the Class Captains, and I became the Junior officer, along with another friend of mine, Dain Gavyns, as the Senior leader.
"We resisted the five, fought them for a while, then a sort of confrontation occurred where four of our best fighters, including Dain, fought against their four best. All of our guys won, but Marcus tried to use Dain's sister as a bargaining chip and... placed her into a coma. She ended up being in the hospital for months before she finally woke up, and it wasn't the greatest way either, but I don't think that's my place to say how. After the Five were defeated, the Senior class graduated, and I moved on to being a Senior myself with Kira, Kokaku, Tyler Scott and everyone else.
"Senior year was a mix of various things: a lot of my first quarrels with Stern Mason, my Liberal side taking over, that bastard Kvist attacking Kira and hurting her pretty badly - yet she recovered, thankfully - and finally, the gang war that tore everything apart, leading to our transfer here. And from there... it's been all kinds of things."
Leon inhaled a deep breath, then released it, allowing the calm breeze to pass over his chin. Turning his eyes back to the girl beside him, a tired smirk across his face, Leon joked with Charlotte, attempting to wake her from her listening, "So... if you were so happy to fire an extinguisher at me, what made you pep talk me after Stern's return?"
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Post by charlotte on Aug 12, 2007 4:53:02 GMT 1
As always, Charlotte listened intently at Leon's revelations to her, beginning with childhood nerdiness - which brought a small, yet welcome grin to her face. Being a child and having interests that were a bit 'out-of-the-norm' was something she could relate to, though her situation had left her with constant teasing whereas as far as she could tell, Leon had not had quite the same experiences.
As he digressed into his later years, the grin vanished: replaced by a simple look of understanding, but with a hint of both grave concern and wonder. She offered a low smile at the side-glance he gave her, but other than that brief shift, her expression remained unchanged.
When he mentioned the girl named Jaina and Charlotte saw his expression - leaning his head back ad staring at the roof.
Instinctively she placed her hand upon his forearm, mirroring how she had back in the cafeteria, when they had really first met. A comforting touch - one to show that she was there, above anything else.
She raised an eyebrow at the mention of gang trouble, but she made no further moves and asked no questions as he continued his tale. At his dark smirk however, she allowed her hand to slide low and clasp his gently.
"So... if you were so happy to fire an extinguisher at me, what made you pep talk me after Stern's return?"
Charlotte shrugged, her hand slipping from his as she grasped the cane firmly in both hands, turning to watch the darkened beach momentarily; the waves lapping back and forth on the sand. There was something so entirely serene, yet incredibly eerie about a beach deviod of life in the night. She only stared a moment before she shifted her gaze back to Leon, a strange calm having washed over her features, likely from the feeling that radiated from the landscape beyond the car. It was a nice change from the stress that had gripped her earlier; peaceful, were it not for the event still being so fresh in her mind.
"Mob mentality, I suppose," she said, her lips pursing slighty, though in more of in the manner of a shrug than one of displeasure. "The only difference between me and the rest, I suppose, is that I didn't use fists. Of course, Darren and Kurtz took over soon enough, but you were there ..."
She sighed, tilting her head slightly as she propped it up with a hand to her cheek, elbow resting on the edge of the door - near the window. The junior had twisted her body to still face Leon, her other hand still clutching the cane loosely while her fingers tapped again.
Tuta-tut-tut
Tuta-tut-tut
"Later ... in the cafeteria, you looked like you just needed someone to give you a hand. I saw a lot at that riot, and just looking at you then; you seemed like a different man. And ... I ... admired how you lead people without seeming ... outgoing or bubbly."
Charlotte smiled nervously, stuttering her next words as if unsure of them. "... Outgoing people usually annoy me."
"It seems like you've had a lot of run-ins with people like Stern," she said presently after a slight pause, switching gears. "I've heard some things about this 'Kvist', but they're mostly just rumors. I had no idea this Marcus guy ... killed people ..."
She sighed. Not out of apprehension of the topic - though she certainly had stiffened at mention of it and had never seen a death before - the subject still gave her an measure of uncomfortablity, especially since her own actions at the riot could have caused more than just minor injuries.
"I'm sorry," she said simply, with nothing more to say. Then, switching gears a final time before leaving the rest of the conversation open to Leon, she spoke once more. "What do you think will happen now?"
And in the event he asked 'what', Charlotte elaborated.
"I mean with the two of us ... with the school; politics and such ... and just the future, I suppose ..."
She left the question hanging, uncertain of what it was she was really asking, knowing that such an uncertainty would show; and she hoped that Leon would know what she meant and how to answer in the face of all that had happened.
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