Fantasy Anything Goes

[OmegaFang232]

As the dust settled, Shinu coughed a few times and slowly opened his eyes. Looking over his shoulder, he saw through blurry eyes that the bookstore was intact. A few cracked windows, but that was it. Thankfully, the blast had been fired at an upward angle, and the truly destructive portion had been focused on the giant stone monstrosity in front of him. And it was still moving. As the beast roared in fury and raised its massive fist, the young wolf tossed his pistol at his feet and sat down, leaning against an overturned car and lighting a cigarette as he said his final prayers. He was defeated, and he'd always been the type that knew when to throw in the towel. "Come on, then." He said in a flat tone, ready to face whatever waited for him in the next few moments. "Kick my ass, then. You earned it, big guy." He took a long drag of his cigarette and offered a humble prayer to Amaterasu, hoping that he'd done the right things in life. By no means had he been a good wolf, but he'd always tried to help people and protect them, even if it occassionally meant protecting them from themselves or taking a life in the process. If only he'd kept riding. If only he'd driven right through this town, none of them would be in this mess. Victoria, Aileada, whoever that skinny blonde kid was, and that Zodiac fellow..... But it was too late now. And so, he stared up at the stone beast with a peaceful look in his eyes and took a final puff as the stone fist descended towards him.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria seems to appear from nowhere in front of Jack. She grabs his hand and tries to pull him away from the monster. "What are you doing!? You're going to get yourself killed!"

 

[kenryuko]

Hunter ran out of the store with both blades in hand being essential super charged by them and slashed the stone two headed hellhound in half like it was butter he looked at the wolf with his right eye glowing pure white and left pitch black, and energy wisps flowing out of the corners of his eyes respectively of the colors, all the while giving off the presence if a primordial being (google Orthus for the statues looks)

 

[Deadly Darkness]

Aileada opened her eyes to find Hunter gone. She whipped her head around to watch him run out and slice the statue in half. In his hands he held to swords and was surrounded by energy. Aileada shrunk away and watched from inside, unsure if the boy she once knew was still in there. She had an itch to go and get her book and possibly read ahead, but instantly scolded herself. She couldn't, not in a situation like this. So instead she remained silent, hoping that everything was finally over.

 

[OmegaFang232]

Something spoke to him, but in his battered state, he wasn't entirely sure who or what it was. And then there was the sound of steel striking stone, and a terrible rumbling that only made his migraine all the more painful. All he had the energy to do was to lift the cigarette to his lips with trembling fingers, and take a short drag. His entire body ached, his vision constantly blurred and focused, and he was fairly certain he'd broken more than a few bones. Staring blankly at the moon, he leaned his head against the battered metal of the car, neither fully concious or otherwise. He just wanted to sleep for a bit. Yes, just a moment to rest his eyes and not think or worry or do anything. Just a quick nap, nothing more. And yet something kept him awake. Some fuzzy, unseen feeling he didn't care enough to try and describe.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria kneels in front of him. She lightly shakes his shoulder. "Stay with me, Jack." She examines his most visible wounds. "You're going to be okay. I promise. Just don't fall asleep."

 

[kenryuko]

Hunter walked up to the wolf who he heard from the woman near him was named Jack and touched to white blades tip to his temple and transferred a small portion of the swords energy to him healing all the wounds he had received, and then walked into the store to see if Aileada was ok, noticing she was he put the blades back into their case, hiding their energy once more, "this is what I was talking about Aileada." Said the shifter as he walked out of the store case in hand to the house for some sleep. (Night Everyone)

 

[Deadly Darkness]

Aileada only stared, watching him leave. Her mind had trouble fully processing what happened, but she didn't bother trying to reason through it. After a moment she stood up and carefully made her way outside where she found the man and his accomplice. "Are you alright?" Was all she could manage at the moment. She knew he wasn't and hoped that he wouldn't yell at her and rip her head off.

 

[OmegaFang232]

Something shook him from the edge of sleep, and even called out to him in the midst of his mental haze. With slow, deliberate movements, he took Victoria's hand in his and turned his gaze towards her, although he wasn't entirely sure who he was speaking to or why he spoke at all. "My name...." He started, but his breathing was labored and raspy. He steadied his shallow heartbeat and tried again. "My name's Shinu.....I've killed.....five people. You should've....You should'a let me go...." he said as he jerked his head away and coughed a few times, spitting blood onto the pavement at his feet. He turned his head to look up at Aileada and spoke with a gentle tone, though his words were beginning to fail him. "I'm sorry.....keep it safe, ok? That's all....just keep it....". Another cough left him rather out of breath as he struggled to his feet. He had to get out of here. Fix the bike and run far away, before he really did hurt someone. Stumbling like a drunk, he attempted to limp away.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria nods towards Aileada. She wraps one of his arms around her shoulders to try and help him walk. "I would've never let you go," she said softly.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

Aileada exchanged a glance with the other woman before catching up to Shinu. "Hey, where do you think you're going?" She stepped in front of him, carefully placing a hand on his shoulder to keep him from falling, the other girl putting an arm around him. "You can't go anywhere in the condition you're in. Let's get you to wherever you're staying and your friend," She looked over to the girl with a smile. "And I will take care of you. Then when you're better if you still want to go we won't have to worry that you weren't going to be ok."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He tried to shake free of them, but all he managed was a weak shrug of his shoulders. "It's my fault...." he mumbled as he leaned against Aileada's hand in an attempt to continue moving. "I should've minded my own business. Should've never...." his voice trailed off as his mind slowly began to come back to him. Just precisely what had he been doing out this late at night in the first place, he wondered. Despite the searing pain in his skull, he began to remember bits and pieces of the past few days, but this only inspired him to keep quiet and say nothing. He'd talked enough as it was. And so, he let himself slip into a brief state of unconciousness, slipping free of Victoria's grip and tumbling down to the asphalt beneath him. He wasn't dead, he knew that much. But he wasn't quite sleeping either. He was somewhere else, but at least he could lie down and rest for a minute. And for a few moments, he was at peace.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria sits on her knees next to him. She had to get him home, but she couldn't even move him. She begins to brainstorm. One of the most prominent things that came to her mind was his brother. He didn't like him, but he was powerful and maybe he could help.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

Aileada watched as the woman knelt down beside him. "Do you know where he's been staying?" She questioned. "I was thinking if we both grab an arm we can have him stand and it my help us carry him." She looked from Shinu's exhausted, unconscious face to the woman. "I'm Aileada, by the way." She stuck out her hand with a smile.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"Victoria," she says and quickly shakes the girl's hand. "He's staying with me at the moment, but I live across town. There's no way we could carry him."

 

[OmegaFang232]

Somewhere within the shadows of subconciousness, he could hear that accursed laughter he knew all too well. He could hear his brother laughing, but he was too tired to care. And so he drifted, staring into the inky black nothingness around him as his sibling spoke to him from everywhere and nowhere at once. "Well, you certainly know how to put on a show, Shinukara. But I must say, I didn't know you could talk so much. I always took you for the strong, silent type. Impressive, isn't it? The things we're willing to do to achieve our desires?" But the young wolf said nothing. The more his brother's voice taunted him, the more determined he became. When he awoke, he would leave as quickly as he could. And eventually, he would kill Tsatsu, even if it meant his own death in the process.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"Well I live just down the street so you guys are welcome to stay there tonight while we fix him up." She offered

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"It'll be a while before he's fixed up..." Victoria bites her lip and looks around. "I have an idea, but you need to leave. Find somewhere safe and hide. Leave town, if you must. I don't know how this is going to turn out, but it might not be good."

 

[OmegaFang232]

He let out a sigh as a feeling of impending doom washed over him, and this suspicion was only confirmed by his brother's excitement. "Oh goodie! I think I'm being summoned, dear brother!" The voice cackled with glee. "Consider this, while you rest. We were given life for a reason, same as all else that breathes or ever has. But what is that reason, praytell? I know my true calling, but what of you? You've been given knowledge, and power, and strength too. Albeit, you were also burdened with silence and sadness, but most of it you bring upon yourself. So my question is this. They know your nature, and they've seen the beast within you. So, what will you do now, Shinukara?" And with that, he felt the presence depart, leaving him to drift among his thoughts.

 

[Deadly Darkness]

"If there's any chance that it might not go well, then we should stick together and come up with another plan." She was unsure of what Victoria was planning, but with her seeming uncertain about the safety of such an action Aileada thought it would be best if they didn't take any unnecessary risks. "How about we get him in the bookstore, the basement has a first aid kit and some other things that should help." She left out the fact that the basement was where Mr. Renolds would let her practice her medical training before she dropped the class, seeing as it didn't seem too important to dive back into her history.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

"We don't have time." Victoria gently pushes Aileada in the direction of the bookstore. "Hide in there. If there's trouble, I will call for you. If not, stay hidden. Please." She looks down at Shinu and bites her lip. Gently taking his hand, she looks up at the shy and calls out for Tsatsu. "If you can hear me, please help us!"

 

[Deadly Darkness]

Aileada swore under her breath as she watched from behind the front desk. From what she could tell Shinu seemed to be stable enough that she could've bandaged him up, hooked him to an IV drip for all the fluid he lost, and he would've been fine after a few days. Whatever Victoria was doing seemed like a reckless option, but Aileada stayed out of sight like she had been told.

 

[OmegaFang232]

A terrible sensation filled the air before she even spoke the words. The mere thought had conjured him. The feeling of death consumed the immediate area, and there was a smell akin to wilted flowers. Slowly, he emerged from the shadows, dressed in an elegant 19th century attire. As was his custom, his clothes were as black as night and adorned with decorative chains and inverted crosses. With a single clawed hand, he reached from the darkness behind Aileada and gently laid his hand on her shoulder, speaking softly with a voice that would've chilled Lucifer himself to the bones. "Énchanté, mademoiselle. Have no fear, Tsatsukara is here." He said as he passed by her and made his way out onto the street. With an illustrious bow, he greeted Victoria and breathed deeply, savoring the midnight air. "And greeting to you also, mein kinder. Been drinking again, has he?" The wolf said with a smirk as his ebony ears twitched with curiosity.

 

[MissZoeHatter]

Victoria looks up at Tsatsu. "Would I have asked you for help if he was just drunk? He's hurt. He's broken more than a couple of bones and he is bleeding out on the sidewalk."

 

[Deadly Darkness]

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end as she felt a hand set on her shoulder. Chills ran up her spine as the deep voice rumbled. She watched, frozen in what was more than fear, as she watched the dark figure pass by, heading towards Victoria and Shinu. His name stuck in her head as she examined the detail in his black suit, 'Tsatsukara.'