Futuristic Eradication

[kitsunemage]

One moment she was standing there, clear blue eyes fixed upon the military man-Hans-she had been conversing with as well as his newly arrived comrades. She had finally managed to quell the shaking in her hands- the last sign of discomfort finally banished by the relatively normal chatter. If one could consider normal actually being able to speak after watching a man die in front of their eyes.


She must be cursed.


Suddenly the world tilted on it's axis, Hans dropped from her line of vision, and a lone white rose- no doubt the one that had been in her hair- fell to the ground. White petals shattering against a white floor. Her heart leapt into her throat, choking off her breath with a gasp- a muscular arm wrapped around her stomach, yanking her upwards and ultimately away from the ground.


Her mind went blank, her stomach flipped uncomfortably at the sudden sensation of nothing aside from the sturdy arm wrapped around her torso supporting her. She didn't even have the presence of mind to scream, or struggle.


Of course that changed when the rope jolted, freezing her and her captor a dizzying height from the ground. First the ground doubled, then tripled, all of the people in their fancy dresses and crisp tuxedo's shrinking before her eyes until they were merely specks. Her face paled- skin blanching like parchment, and her arms clutched at her captors arm.


How was her day going? "You must be insane! I swear to all things holy if you drop me I'll haunt you from my grave!" Alas, she was ignored in favor of another young boy appearing in the glass ceiling. With much struggling, and a little bit of tugging they were finally back on solid ground, not that she had the chance to enjoy it. Her head was still spinning- and then they were lifting off, a helicopter from the sounds of the air pressure in her ears. Aislyn shrunk back against her seat, away from both open doors.


"We have to jump!" No. No, no, no! The open doors of the helicopter gaped like the maw of some great creature, threatening to swallow her whole and make her sink into oblivion. She shook her head mutely, mussed curls falling around her face, hands smeared with blood and once pristine dress ruined.


Again, she wasn't given a choice. Darkness crowded her vision, the barest impression of wind and heat- a pain in her stomach from the abuse of a shoulder pressed into her skin. It wasn't until much later, that she finally regained the strength to move.


"Let...Let me go." She had to gasp her words out from between painful jogs, her fist weakly smacking against her captors back.

 

[Sen Pai]

She did her best to regain her composure, she really did. But as common and usual death was in the Community, Emilia had never seen someone killed in such a blunt and sudden manner. A bullet through the skull, the metal embedding itself into the man's brain and forcing its way out by ripping through the skull once more.


The exit hole of the bullet was located just above the man's ear, blood had splattered on many of the people who surrounded that now deceased man. The whole scene was carved into Emilia's mind. Even as two guards disposed of the body and cleaned up the floor, the horrifying scene was replayed over and over in Emilia's head. It seemed to play in slow motion, Emilia watched the man's eyes widen for just a moment before nearly falling on top of the woman he was speaking with. The woman jumped back, doing her best to avoid the red liquid that poured onto the ground and splattered the skirt of her dress.


Shouting and shrieks echoed through the stadium but, to Emilia, they were all muffled as if she was underwater. Even the words of Vincent did not last long in Emilia's mind. The sentence got lost and swallowed by the scene of the man who fell to the ground. Someone was just murdered in front of her eyes. Emilia's eyes were that of a virgin's. Blood, assassination, death. They were all kept away from her by the walls that encased her in her home. Emilia's father was right. The world is a horrible place. The government was what kept everyone safe, it's what kept her safe. Vincent must be wrong. The government...she couldn't be really seeing all of this.


Emilia tried to calm her ragged breathing, but it just wasn't working. The deep breaths that she was taught to use wasn't working! Emilia began to panick even more. She felt her chest tighten and her airway close. She couldn't breath. Emilia squeezed her violet eyes shut as tightly as possible, as if doing such a thing would erase the image of death from her mind. It didn't work. Emilia remembered every single detail of what had happened before her eyes.


"Emilia," she heard her name but didn't turn to look at who had said it. "...get you cleaned...kay?" Emilia only heard parts of what the woman who was speaking to her was saying but it was easy linking everything together. "Why don't we go to the bathroom where it's nice and quiet?" The lady suggested, her voice soft and warm. Turning her unfocused gaze to look down at the speaker, Emilia only saw blurs. It didn't matter whether or not Emilia could distinguish who was speaking to her at the moment. All Emilia wanted was to get the image out of her head. She never wanted to see anyone be killed. It was absolutely horrifying. This woman offered her help and Emilia would gladly take it.


Without saying a word, Emilia nodded her head, her eyebrows furrowed together with anxiety. The two women quickly made their way out of the makeshift ballroom and into the pure white halls of the Concord Center. Although Emilia was taller and had longer strides, she moved so slowly that she was a few steps behind the shorter woman.


Skye. Her name is Skye Yoona Park. Emilia recognized the older woman from the times her father would bring her to parties or business trips to the other sectors. They did not converse with one another as if they were best friends, but only polite chit chat of acquaintanceship. She knew of this woman and this woman knew of her.


As they approached the washroom, Emilia finally found herself able to speak. Even if it was a hoarse croak. "I'm not dirty." Not bothering to glance down at her gown, Emilia knew for sure that she did not have blood splattered on her dress. Even if she did, it was just a simple dress. Stains could be washed out and Emilia probably wouldn't be wearing it again since it was fashion suicide to get caught wearing the same formal dress more than once. "I'm sorry for bothering you but..." Emilia's breath hitched in her throat and she was unable to speak for a few moments.


It was silent until Emilia was pulled out of the thoughts that she cannot recall and coughed out the first words that came to mind. "They...!" Stuttering, Emilia felt herself go weak in the knees and grabbed the frame of the door of the women's washroom to support herself. Her grip was shaky and her palms were covered with sweat. Taking deep breaths, Emilia felt it get caught in her throat every time she attempted to breath.


Holding her head in her hands once more, Emilia covered her eyes and furrowed her eyebrows together harshly. It took a few moments for Emilia to regain her composure once more, doing her best not to focus on the image of the man falling to the ground, dead. "I... I'm sorry." Emilia tried to force the usual cheerful smile of hers onto her face but it turned out crooked, disfigured, completely unnatural. Standing up straight, Emilia picked herself up and walked over to the sink. Washing her hands, Emilia stared down at the rushing tap water, her bangs covering her face. A second passed and Emilia looked up at stared at Skye through the mirror. "Thank you for helping me," she started, washing off the soap under the warm water. "But," She turned off the tap.


Drying her hands with the electric hand dryer, Emilia then turned to the mirror and quickly fixed her hair and overall appearance. "I'm okay now." Liar. "I didn't get any..blood on my dress." You hesitated. "There's nothing to worry about." What about Vincent? "Shall we get back to the party?"


After making their way through the hallways, the two women stood in front of the doors, Emilia resting her hands on the metal bars. She turned her head to look at Skye, a bright smile on her face. The mere presence of the woman seemed to comfort Emilia, pushing the image to the back of her mind. They still had a party to attend after all.


Parting her lips and closing them like a fish, Emilia tried to figure out what to say to Skye. The other woman had a way with her words that Emilia couldn't explain, nothing that she could say would ever live up to the greatness of Skye's. "Thank you, Skye. I really...needed that." With those words, Emilia pushed the doors of the stadium open, a refreshed expression on her face.


It was quickly replaced by a look of horror. Aislyn Whitman, an Upper Class young lady that had speaken with in the past, was dangling more than a hundred feet in the air, only held by a black clad arm of a young man with blue hair.


Wait. Blue hair? It took a moment for everything to click in Emilia's head. Glancing over at the soldiers who were doing their best to find a way to retrieve Ms. Whitman without injuring her, Emilia pursed her lips and sent a silent prayer to whatever omnipotent deity that could help save Aislyn. And the boy with blue hair.


Quickly moving her stare to the blue hair of the young lad, Emilia's eyes widened as she watched as the boy and Aislyn disappeared through the hole in the roof and into the night. Taking a step forward, Emilia felt her words become stuck on her tongue when she opened her mouth but nothing came out.


And so, she was left on the grand staircase that led down to the field, or floor, of the makeshift ballroom, eyes wide with shock at what had just happened.


@Syrenrei

 

[Ebonysdagger]

Sandra had so far not moved during any of the commotion that had followed the shooting. She had remained an unresponsive speck in the bedlam that had ensued until the clean up crew had removed the blood and body. Once that was clean again she became aware of the world around her once more.


In regards to her awareness it mostly centered on getting into a corner with herself protected on two sides and her capable of viewing the other two. This way anyone who might have gotten blood on themselves could not sneak up on her or touch her if she had anything to say about it. She spared a thought to be annoyed at the fact that they expected her to stay in this now contaminated cesspit for another thirty minutes but there was little she could do about militarily enforced obligations.


In an effort to distract herself from descending into another panic attack she looked around in time to notice the woman being dragged out, rather sloppily in her own opinion, of the roof by two males. "I think I might have to take up drinking if this day continues much longer." She almost jumps when she realizes that her was her own voice speaking due to it lacking her usual higher pitched tone when she was panicking.

 

[Syrenrei]

Skye Yoona Park


Skye kept a close eye on the younger girl as she lead the reluctant socialite away from the grim seem. For her part she seemed detached and patient, painting an expression of calm temperance unruffled by even death. The magnitude of the veritable assassination had not been lost on the jaded female. What could she do? Hysterics would not raise the dead from their graves and restore them to the living. Should she sob for a man she knew not one ounce? Shed tears of insincerity for the loss that did not truly touch her guarded heart? All she could do was offer some strength and grace to the jittery Emilia as they made their way to the bathroom under the pretense of cleaning up. Skye was hopeful the change of scenery would aid in shaking out some of the vivid recollection from replaying. In her first hours and days without James, the familiarity of their apartment had become a setting for the movie to replay endlessly of his falling and then being whisked away.


She was relatively helpless to assist in a meaningful way as Emilia struggled to gain her composure. Her features flickered to a slightly pained expression as she watched the teenager clasp to a solid surface and try to regain healthy breath. Skye was a statute, albeit a pleasant one, that observed quietly. There was no quick fix to make her forget what had transpired or make it less traumatic. Considering the innocence of the young maiden she expected there would be nightmares, both those of the waking hours and those of slumber, and a search for explanation. Why was he executed? What had he done to deserve it? Why had their celebration been interrupted by such a horrible act of violence? The survivor's guilt was less likely to make an appearance but if Emilia had overwhelming sympathy it might.


Her docile smile did not waver at Emilia's false assurance that she was okay. There was no way in the nine levels of hell that suddenly she was okay after washing her hands. Had she not known how polite, poised, and kind Emilia was she might think that the other woman was trying to insinuate she was a fool. The gratitude that was voiced after the faux assertion she was 'all right' confirmed Skye's belief that Emilia was trying to be okay. Upper Class citizens did it by faking it until they made it- or putting on a grand performance if the situation dictated. She preferred the former rather than the latter and assumed Emilia did as well.


And then there they were, standing on the edge of the ballroom, and dear Aislyn was being dangled from the ceiling with some dashing young lad as if he had gone fishing for an heiress. Had she not been physically blocking a clear shot at the bandit they would undoubtedly be witnessing the second murder of the day. As luck- or 'unluck'- would have it, the duo escaped through the ceiling before a single bullet sailed through the air. This was the most excitement that the community had in years... at least the most that had been public, that is. Was the kidnapping a reaction to the killing just prior or was it a coordinated attack by the same group? Whatever the reason they had taken perfect advantage of the chaos to seize themselves a lovely hostage.


Skye almost wished she had been whisked away. If change was to be had, why not be taken far from the endless white of nothing. The vast expanse of alabaster was both soothing and maddening. If her world was to be disrupted, to be thrust into change, she did not want to be jerked back into the false security of that bleached hue. What was done was done, though, and her husband was a soldier that might be sent to investigate. It was prudent to return to his side and find the immature asshole that had left Emilia by herself while he wandered off to do something self-important. Honestly, had her brother done something similar with a lack of compassion she would have smacked him so hard his head would have gone spinning.


"Emilia?" Skye gently touched the other woman's arm, not wanting to startle her out of her wide-eyed reverie. "You came here with your husband, didn't you? Do you know where he wandered off to? I don't want to leave you alone in all this... chaos."

 

[CommodoreOlaf]

It was a good question. Where did his uncle run off too? Amidst all the chaos, Takeshi half-expected Red to be as oblivious to everything as his intoxication allowed, but he was proven wrong when who else but Red appeared beside them.


"Some party, eh?"


Red's large Rocky-esque figure was summoned from the shadows, his drunken drawl surprisingly disappeared from his usual speech.


Takeshi gave Novi another apologetic look before turning to Red. His uncle was quiet and his eyes watched over everything closely and intently. He seemed different.


Takeshi looked at the clean up crew finish their job.


"Did you know him?" Takeshi said, his mouth parted slightly.


Without turning to Takeshi, Red replied with an almost undetectable sigh,


"No... But I hear he was an important rebel- an enemy of the government." Red stayed unmoving, his irises fixed on the crowd of couples.


Takeshi turned to Novi, perhaps she had an idea, any idea of what had happened.


(Sorry crappy post. -.- Busy busy here in the Philippines)

 

[Sen Pai]

Dante raised an eyebrow when he heard the words of the young lady who was slung over his shoulder. "Let go of you? Why would we do that?" A little out of breath, Dante's voice was faint when compared to his heavy breathing. Dashing across the uneven ground, Dante kept his gaze forward, not daring to look back in case he to run into something such as a tree. You see, outside of the walls of the Community, there wasn't perfect order or flat streets. Nature decorated the land and over the years of humanity's seclusion, it dominated the earth. And running into a tree really did hurt. They weren't planted in orderly fashion like in the Community.


Chuckling softly to get his mind off of the pain that struck his lower abdomen, Dante slowed down for a moment to readjust his hold on Aislyn, moving her over to his other shoulder to rest his right one. However, that moment of peace did not last long for Isaiah was already a few meters ahead of the two, sprinting into the darkness. A strained noise escaped Dante's lips as he pushed off the ground and rocketed towards Isaiah. "I'm sorry if this is a little uncomfortable for you," Dante breathed out, doing his best to keep breathing. "But at least you're not the one running." Dante's chuckle was forced and strained. It was also very shallow.


Isaiah glanced back at the two who were lagging behind and narrowed his eyes. "Speed up, if you're this slow you can go and get yourself caught." With that being said, Isaiah turned his gaze to glare at the darkness in front of them and sped up, his feet seemed to be floating across the grassy ground. It wasn't long until Isaiah had completely disappeared into the darkness of the night, leaving Aislyn and Dante to themselves. When this happened, Dante began to slow down, obviously out of breath.


"You know, you're a lot heavier than you look." Dante leaned forward and supported himself and Aislyn with his knees. Placing the girl down, the blue haired boy collapsed on the ground and leaned back on his hands, tilting his head back and breathing heavily. Beads of sweat covered his forehead, his chest heaving up and down due to the physical and mental stress of completing such a mission. "Why did I volunteer to do this mission again...?" Gritting his teeth together in attempt to calm his breathing, Dante flopped down on his back and spread out his limbs like a star fish. Carmen was definitely going to kill him for resting when he was so near to the Community.


@kitsunemage


She's right... Where is Vincent? Emilia had convinced herself that Vincent would be fine. He knew how to take care of himself. He didn't need - or want - Emilia to be watching over him. However, despite the fact that Vincent had stated and proved that he very well knew how to take care of himself, Emilia felt that he wouldn't be very familiar in this sort of setting. She did not look down on the other because of the environment he grew up in, Vincent had clearly stated that she knew nothing about it. But, Emilia was sure of the fact that Vincent did not know anything about the environment where she grew up in.


The Lower Class and the Upper Class are two entirely different settings. He didn't know much about parties like these. Although Emilia was reasonable enough to know that Vincent would not be in danger unless someone was pointing a gun to his head, she couldn't help but worry. However, when Emilia glanced over to Skye, she didn't want the woman to continue doing this. It wasn't her business and it wasn't right for Emilia to stick by her side or for Emilia to drag Skye into the problems she and her so called husband have.


Smiling like it was nothing, Emilia shook her head. "I have no idea where he is." But she wasn't going to lie to Skye. "But, I'll be alright." Emilia folded her hands over the skirt of her dress and rolled her shoulders back. She didn't need to make Skye worry. It wasn't proper to reveal the personal arguments or problems that should be dealt with privately to someone who was completely innocent. "Thank you though." Emilia would probably be whisked away by civilians of the Upper Class for some mindless chit chat and gossip anyway. A conversation like that wouldn't be bad. Emilia's mind was still occupied by the flash of blue hair that disappeared through the roof.


Pursing her lips and frowning ever so slightly, Emilia brought a finger to her cheek as she wondered silently to herself. It might have not been him. There was the possibility that the person with blue hair wasn't him. When Emilia went looking for him, they all said that he had died. Taken away by the government for eradication. However, who else had such a hair colour? What was he doing here? Who was the girl that he was holding? There were so many questions that ran through Emilia's mind that all of the events that had occurred today made her...yawn.


Was she tired? Did she need to sleep? Emilia didn't think anyone would mind if she just sneaked out and took a little nap. However, with all of the things that she had witnessed today, the Love Harvest, searching for Vincent, the tour, Vincent's opinion of the government, the murder, the talk with Skye, and then the kidnapping of a woman....was it really humane to be able to sleep after all these things had occurred?


@Syrenrei

 

[kitsunemage]

@Darth Pai


Over the course of time being brutishly carried over this man- no, boys chest, Aislyn was sure she wouldn't be able to hold it in. She couldn't even say anything after her first weak declaration for fear that she'd lose control of it. Things simply got worse and worse- each hitch, jump, jog, and little bump drawing her closer and closer to the edge.


When he put her down she nearly cried with relief. Instead, she did the next best thing. Lurching over to the nearest bush to let her stomach reject the contents it had been holding onto for the better part of an hour. Even in the dark she could still see a pattern of red every time she closed her eyes.


That didn't help her retching.


When she had finally stopped heaving, Aislyn carefully let herself fall back into the trunk of a tree- wiping her mouth on the back of one hand.


"That is why you should have... let me go." She closed her eyes, dropping her head back against the rough bark. She was tired. Emotionally, and physically tired. Really, how much could one person go through in one day? From the stress of the love harvest, to losing her match via the virus- all the way down to being kidnapped.


If it hadn't happened to her she might even be envious. As it was though, she was less then pleased.


"Do I at least get to know the reason you've so rudely ejected me from the ball?"

 

[Syrenrei]

Skye Yoona Park


Skye studied Emilia for a few moments as she tried to reassure (once more) that she was all right. The older female didn't buy what the younger female was selling, but it would be rude to inquire further. If and when the socialite decided she wanted help she would possibly be there and willing to help- with some reservations. It was dangerous to offer her assistance and empathy freely as that could create emotional entanglements Skye was not yet ready for. A loss of spouse was devastating, but the loss of a close friend could be just as damaging depending on the circumstances. The Asian woman let out a slow breath and gazed across the smooth marble floor to where her tall husband stood engaged in a conversation with a fellow soldier and her new consort. Evidently "monkey suit" had been quickly replaced.


"I was married before. They do not talk about it in our social circle as it is somewhat impolite to speak of the dead. Regardless, his name was James and I was delighted to be matched with him. He was handsome, older, intelligent, and everything I dreamed of for my pairing- but he was much more cautious and much less excited. I expected everything to fall in place and to instantly fall in love, but it took more time and patience than I anticipated." Skye closed her eyes briefly as the retelling conjured ghost images of memories in her vision. Cloudy, hazy shapes danced around the people of the ball as she spoke. "It was worth the frustration. We had blissful months before he passed and they were the happiest of my life. A lifetime of joy in each day. I hope you are rewarded as I was... truly." With a smile of manifested melancholy, she squeezed Emilia's arm briefly before slowly making her way towards Hans.


It had been chaotic and most of the other civilians were losing their minds. Most of those that did not were people that Skye to be particularly self-absorbed or exceedingly good actors. A precious few were like her- jaded from loss and tragedy and numb to the sense of panic that overtook those with a high desire to live. There was much more anxiety in a life when you had a robust sense of self-preservation.


There had been an assassination and a kidnapping. She doubted that the military would be completely idle... and if she heard correctly, Hans was a man of note in his ranks. Perhaps he would be drafted into solving this mystery? One could only hope. She slipped her arm around Hans', brushing against his side that had a pocket containing a gun. She had seen the weapon thrown and felt it there, but smiled as if she noticed no such thing. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Skye," she offered to his conversation partners. Today was a day full of new faces and names for certain.


@Darth Pai , @Veirrianna Valentine , @Hanzax

 

[Sen Pai]

Watching the young lady bend over and puke out most of the contents of her stomach, Dante grinned sheepishly aOne nd rubbed the back of his neck. Muscles still shaking with adrenaline, Dante chuckled nervously in attempt to shake off the guilt that was trying to punch him repeatedly in the gut. "Ahaha," Dante started, forcing himself to sit up. "Sorry 'bout that." Rolling his shoulders back and cracking his neck a few times, Dante pulled his knees up and crouched over, thinking silently to himself.


They probably shouldn't rest for too long, getting caught by the Community could and would prove to be fatal. Dante thought back to Carmen. How was she going to escape? She was too busy fighting off the guards, there was a large chance of her getting captured. Frowning at the thought, Dante raised his hand up to his face and covered his mouth. One could call this his thinking pose, sitting on the ground, hunched over with his hand to his face, and they would be correct. Dante often did that, furrowing his eyebrows in the process.


The young lady sat at the base of the tree just a few feet away from Dante, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Dante could spot the movements through the corner of his eye. When she opened her mouth to speak, Dante immediately turned his gaze to look at her. For a moment, the gaze was something that was as sharp as a knife. One that he assumed while thinking deeply. But, Dante quickly lighted up for that sharp stare only lasted a few moments.


"Do I at least get to know the reason you've so rudely ejected me from the ball?" Her voice was high-pitched and posh. It was very feminine and held a tone of superiority. Dante frowned when he heard that superiority but he waved it off seeing as that all Upper Class citizens were like that. They were raised like that after all. He wondered if he should answer her question or not, to stay silent or to speak wasn't a difficult decision at the moment. However, Dante was the type of guy who wouldn't let an opportunity for fun escape him. With all the death and seriousness in the world, Dante wanted to enjoy his youth while he still had it. Maybe one day when he has grandchildren, he'll be able to tell them about all of the adventures he went through as a child.


"Nope." It was a simple answer but the smirk that spread across Dante's lips made the answer absolutely infuriating. "That's classified information." Finding that he had already regained his breath, Dante didn't want to risk resting for too long. He didn't know whether the Community's military was outside, patrolling and searching for Aislyn. After all, there were many times where people who were taken from the Community by the resistance were given up on once they left the sanctuary of the Community's walls.


Getting up with a soft grunt, Dante brushed off the dirt, much to no avail. Dante glanced around quickly, even if one couldn't see past the darkness of the woods. "We should get going." Dante muttered to himself under his breath. Seeing as Aislyn wouldn't enjoy being carried over his shoulder again, Dante considered simply dragging her along. If she did try to run, he could catch her. Running in that dress and those heels must be difficult. Not that Dante knew.


Turning to look at Aislyn, Dante pondered for a moment and then reached out his hand to help her up. She was used to being treated like a princess, people who would come to her every whim. "I'm guessing you don't want to be carried again?" Grinning boyishly, Dante's eyes flashed over to the bush that the young lady had be hunched over, retching. How was he going to get her to move quickly? The journey would be long seeing as Isaiah wouldn't wait for them in the car and would have drove off the moment he got there.


She didn't seem like the type who would easily cooperate unless it benefited her. Raising an eyebrow, Dante decided that he would just have to make Aislyn feel like she was getting something out of all of this. It would be easier if she did cooperate in her kidnapping. Although, Dante wouldn't doubt the idea that in a few days, the Community would announce her as "dead", killed during a terrorist attack during the Community ball. "How about we make a deal?"


@kitsunemage

 

[kitsunemage]

@Darth Pai


Aislyn narrowed her eyes at the boy, distrust clear on her face. She briefly debated turning him down- just to be spiteful. Being carried that way had hurt. But regardless of whether she agreed or not, she would end up going with him. So it might as well be on her own two feet.


"Absolutely correct. I do not want to be carried again. I have perfectly good feet, thank you very much." Aislyn took the boys hand, letting him help her to her feet. Something she still managed to do gracefully despite everything she'd been through.


"And it would all depend on the deal. I'm assuming your end is going to be something along the lines of 'don't try to run, or scream', am I wrong?" Aislyn flashed the boy a small, sharp smile, tilting her head to add to the effect. It was something she'd seen her mother use when taking to her fathers competition. Acute, and effective. Though she had no idea how much it would help with her hair no doubt in a mess, and her dress torn, smudged with soot, dirt, and blood- and who knows what else. Honestly, she would be happy just to get out of the damned thing.

 

[Sen Pai]

Turning his back to Aislyn, Dante hid the cheeky grin that was growing on his face. "Yes, you're wrong." Folding his arms over his chest, Dante leaned back, his feet wide apart in a dominant and confident pose. The night was pitch black but Dante's bright blue hair could still be seen due to the close proximity between the two people. "Good guess though." Spinning around on his heel, Dante stared at Aislyn in a rather nonchalant way. She seemed to be very calm at the moment. Upper Class women were always so overconfident, they were usually taught how to hide their feelings and remain "proper". However, was that really the "proper" way to act in a situation such as the one Aislyn was in?


"Even if you run," Dante started in a matter-of-fact fashion, pointing a finger up as he spoke. "I'll catch you." The left corner of Dante's lips twitched up for a moment, forming a quick smirk before he continued to talk. Although a normal person would have made those assumptions, not to scream or run away, but Dante knew better than to waste his deal on that. Upper Class women also tended to keep their word. They had a strong sense of integrity, even if their morality was often messed up.


"If you scream," The blue haired boy gestured to the dark woods that surrounded them. "It'll be your death, not mine. Besides," Glancing back in, what he thought, was the direction where they had come from - it was hard to tell in the darkness - Dante flashed Aislyn a smirk that contained a few emotions. Confidence, smugness, and pity. The Community wouldn't go as far as running off into the woods for a simple girl. Even if she was apart of the Upper Class section of the Community. "They won't be able to hear you."


After all, if a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?


@kitsunemage

 

[kitsunemage]

@Darth Pai


Aislyn pursed her lips in thought, intrigued despite herself. It was true, that she wouldn't be able to run away from him. Not in her condition- especially not if the muscles lying just beneath the fabric of his clothes weren't lies. Which of course they weren't. She'd had ample opportunity to feel that particular tid-bit of information, thrown over his shoulder the way she was. He was certainly confident enough in himself, and she was no athlete. Unless dancers counted as athletes?


Probably not.


"Well, if it isn't 'Don't scream', or 'don't try to run', then it could be 'Don't try to fight'. But that would probably end likewise in your favor." Even saying the words out loud sounded just as silly as they had sounded in her head. His words were certainly discouraging, and while it was true that the regular patrols wouldn't search for a girl this far into the words, Aislyn knew her father would turn over every damned stone to find her. And privately owned security firms didn't have quite as many compunctions as general public patrols.


"And it certainly isn't anything I have on me, unless you want this wretched dress. So, you must want...information?" While waiting for his reply, Aislyn fiddled with the necklace around her neck. Letting the brilliant sapphires glint in the dim light afforded to the deep woods.

 

[Sen Pai]

Aislyn is much too smart for her own good, her curiosity seemed to get the better of her. Many intelligent people have that trait, the lust for knowledge, always sticking their nose into the business of others. Now Dante wasn't the most sharpest tool in the shed, he had street smarts but he never did learn how to read properly. He would always pick out the words that he could read and string them together and assume the context. He was always very good at making inferences, jumping from one thought to another and relating them for better understanding.


However this girl was just so...predictable. Her reactions, her words, and her attitude. Dante was just shocked. She was so normal. Average. Not shocking at all. It was that trait that threw Dante off so much. She was so on topic and it was weird. He didn't have to make any guesses to what she was going to say next since it was obvious, Dante was absolutely dumbfounded by this girl.


"...information?" The four syllable word snapped Dante's thoughts back into reality, causing his eyes to widen as he quickly regained his composure and the information of his current whereabouts. Aislyn was fiddling with the rather expensive looking necklace around her neck, the jewels would catch the rare light from the moon that streamed past the dense coverings of the trees.


Taking a moment to connect everything together, Dante flashed Aislyn his signature cheeky grin and began to lead her through the dark forest. "I guess you could say we want," Keeping Aislyn just a step behind him, Dante made sure that she was close enough to grab in case of danger but far enough so that she would get a head start if he pushed her aside. Not that that would happen in these woods. It was very unlikely since humans always had the tendency to scare away nature. "Information but you can keep that in until we get," Somewhere safer than this forest. "To the campgrounds."


Turning his head to look at Aislyn, Dante beamed happily at Aislyn. "If you're worried, don't be. We wouldn't hurt our own merchandise." Unless it was necessary. But Aislyn seemed like a smart girl, she would do what she thought would be best and that would be to cooperate without struggle. "But that's a whole other deal." Shrugging and turning his attention back to the darkness in front of him, Dante stopped Aislyn for a moment. Picking her up around the waist, Dante lifted the girl up and over a protruding tree root that seemed to enjoy tripping people.


Looking back and forth at Aislyn and the unpaved path ahead of him, Dante used a lot of hand gestures as he talked. "This is our own little deal." Smiling like it was a precious little secret, Dante coughed a few times into his elbow and glanced behind him, as if he was making sure there was no one following them in the darkness. "What I want is," Pausing for a moment to lean down and invade Aislyn's personal space, Dante stared into Aislyn's eyes for a second or two and then moved over to whisper in her ear. "A favour from you." With that said, Dante quickly retreated away from Aislyn, returning to a comfortable distance.


The serious expression that was on Dante's face became one that was as cheerful and jolly as that old legend, Santa Claus. "Well, now that you know what I want out of the deal, what you want?" Grinning like a cowboy, Dante continued walking, bringing Aislyn along with him. Chuckling softly, Dante gave Aislyn a big thumbs up and pointed at himself. "Even though I can do anything, make sure it's at least a little reasonable." Laughing lightly, the young man turned his gaze forward, only glancing at Aislyn out of the corner of his eye.


@kitsunemage

 

[kitsunemage]

@Darth Pai


"A favour for a favour." An interesting prospect, one that she mused over as he guided her through the treacherous undergrowth. Even with all of his efforts- lifting her over difficult obstacles, carefully leading her around terrain that might lead to a turned ankle- her dress still caught in the brush, thorns that she managed to miss tattering the fabric and catching it-dragging on the back of her dress until she was just about ready to snap.


It didn't help that her mind constantly turned to the word 'merchandise', or his coughing vividly brought back the image of a white form collapsing on the road while she stood with bare earth beneath her feet.


N0. She couldn't think about it. If she thought about it, she would break.


But it was impossible not to. If only she was a character in a story- someone wild, and daring. Someone more than this small pale girl thrown into circumstance over her head.


A small spark ignited in her chest. Yes, if she were someone else- then she wouldn't have to be so scared. But who? She couldn't even see her mothers calm steadying gaze remaining fixed and focused had she been thrown into these dreadful circumstances. It occurred to her naturally, as she stumbled over yet another well hidden root- bright blue eyes glaring down at the ground.


Alta Briggenshaw. She would never waver.


Aislyn reached down to break off the heels of her boots with a quick snap!


She would never falter.


Her dress was likewise a nuisance; so she grabbed the hem by her knees where a branch had snagged the fabric- and tore the dress unevenly along the tear. Dropping the half white half blue fabric behind her.


And she would always keep her eyes on the horizon.


"Well, I'll take you up on that offer, and bank my favour for now." She forged on ahead, glancing over her shoulder at the man who had kidnapped her without a trace of fear.


"Are you coming?"

 

[Agent Nine]

((Sorry for the lateness. Writer's block...))

Skye wandered off, leaving Novi on her own amidst a rapidly dissipating crowd of still-startled couples, some of which were still holding onto their drinks as they tried to get themselves back into a partying mood, while others made their way towards the nearest exit, the night officially ruined for them. The young woman wasn't quite sure how to feel, at the moment, other than surprised and confused.

She was, however, certain of one thing. The fat cats were sure as hell gonna be miffed that rebels had managed to crash their party. Despite the urgings from soldiers to continue on like nothing had happened, Novi wasn't feeling up to tolerate it anymore. Any of it. The whitewashed walls, the stale scent of bleach and blood that hung in the air, the painfully-annoying Upper Class idiots who were acting as though they were still having the time of their lives...

The ballroom was now a crime scene, and she was going to treat it like one. By leaving it.

A bit lost in her musings and frowning, it took Novi a moment to catch Takeshi looking at her. She looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. What, did he expect her to know just what was truly going on?

"All I know is," Novi began, crossing her arms. "That some dude just got offed and everyone here is ignoring it. Well, mostly everyone. Anyway, unless the government's happy with sweeping this little incident under the proverbial rug, I'm betting this place will be crawling with police and soldiers within the next twenty or so minutes. I don't plan on sticking around to deal with that."

Then she paused before she added "If you really want to stay for when that happens, then I guess that's fine. You can do what you want. What I'm going to do is head back to the car."

With that, and a final, lazy wave to Takeshi's uncle, Novi turned on her heels and headed for the exit, the fringed hem of her dress swishing about as she moved.

@CommodoreOlaf
​