Nightshift 44: The Coliseum
[Warped in from here.]
When Guy's eyes opened, it was almost as if he was waking up, and yet he knew that wasn't the case; he was standing, with a weapon in his hand, and somehow feeling far more comfortable than he had in weeks.
His gaze was on his feet, and it took him a few seconds to let everything sink in. He was wearing boots. His boots. ( Read more... )
When Guy's eyes opened, it was almost as if he was waking up, and yet he knew that wasn't the case; he was standing, with a weapon in his hand, and somehow feeling far more comfortable than he had in weeks.
His gaze was on his feet, and it took him a few seconds to let everything sink in. He was wearing boots. His boots. ( Read more... )
Guy was still up and fighting, but he was in bad shape. Sync was taking a beating too. If this didn't end soon...
Before Anise could complete her thought, she suddenly found herself bathed in light. She released her grip on the rail and took a step back, startled, but she relaxed somewhat when she felt the warmth that came with the spell. It was a healing arte, she realized, though it was different from the ones she was used to. She could feel the soreness leaving her body - in her arms, her shoulders, and her neck...
But not in the wound just below her shoulder. The one that needed healing. Anise pressed her hand against it to see, and sure enough, it hadn't healed even a little bit. The girl winced, then turned her head to face the blonde who was now standing close by.
"It's no good," she said quietly. "There's something weird about these wounds..." Another clatter of metal, louder than before, silenced the girl and forced her to look back to the fights. It wasn't from Guy or Sync, so it had to be...
Claude's opponent. The long-haired man's sword had been thrown aside, and the man himself was...
"...N, no way..."
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"Can he be any more barbaric..." she murmured. Stupid. Dias was stupid for that half-second pause that she knew he should have seen coming. He wasn't some greenhorn with a blade. The Lady General did not weep, or cry out in alarm.
Men died. It was the way of the world.
But this. Yet another man she nearly called friend was gone, and that smarmy, weak bastard in the box was to blame for it. She would kill him. Slowly. Perhaps with a fruit knife, skinning him from the ankles upward. Each wrong, each death, each wound would be paid for in kind, in agonizingly slow detail.
Celes drew in a slow breath to calm her wicked thoughts before answering the girl, "A pity, that. Then there is no point in casting it again."
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On one hand? This was disgusting. It was messy and crude and, really? Dahlia didn't give two shits about who these people were. She didn't know them, aside from Syncy-poo. So when one keeled over by his boyfriend's sword, she just shrugged her shoulders with an little inward "Well, that's life."
On the other? This could mean so many birds out of her way. If she was lucky, the rest of them would kill each other too and she could be the last one standing, whether it be from pure nonattendance or not. So, again, when the guy keeled over and the two whimps next to her continued bleeding out? Dahlia smiled.
Maybe for just a second, an actual laugh left her throat. Haha, whoopsie. She made sure to cover it up with a few sobs and went back to covering her face with her hands. Getting a little too excited there, Dollie...
Ah, what the hell, it didn't matter anyway. What were they gonna do to her, add more to the death count? What a bunch a losers!
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If Anise hadn't gone along with Sync, this wouldn't have happened. If she hadn't bought Dahlia's victim act, nobody would have come here, and nobody would be dying...
From behind her, Anise heard a brief snicker. It was hastily followed up by sobbing, but Anise knew what she heard.
"You...!"
Full of anger and frustration, and only now realizing she had someone nearby to take it out on, Anise whirled around, stomped over to where Dahlia sat, and grabbed her wrist, pulling one of her hands away from her face. "You think this is funny!? This is where all your stupid acting got us!"
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Hmph.
Her smile died the instant someone touched her, so she didn't have to worry about that. All they'd see when her hand was removed was a teary-eyed girl sobbing hysterically (that poor man! Poor Annie and the strangers! Poor her!), one that became even more scared when some cruel, insane girl started roughhousing with her! "A-Annie? What are you doing?!"
Cruel world! Someone save her!
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Anise raised her hand into the air, bringing it down on Dahlia's face in an open-handed slap.
"Knock it off already! Everybody knows you're faking!" the girl snapped, furious. She knew it wasn't exactly true; she and Sync were the only ones who had seen Dahlia's deceit for what it was. But it looked like that blonde was on Anise's side, so hopefully Dahlia would drop the hysterical act already.
It was sickening. Those men came along to rescue the two of them, and she didn't even care that they were suffering!
It was unclear if Anise planned to scream at her some more, or if she planned to strike her again, but she wound up doing neither. Behind her, she heard the loud roar of flames, and within them, an agonized scream. The girl froze, dropped the other girl's arm, and whirled around to look back to the fight.
Both of the fighters looked like they were inches away from death. There was some relief at seeing Guy still on his feet, but that feeling was overwhelmed with the dread she felt as he approached the fallen God-General.
Sync was going to die, here and now.
Anise felt her eyes welling up with tears, and she lowered her head to hopefully hide them. She didn't want Sync to die. Even though he was twisted, he was so much like Ion... But Guy had no choice but to do this. No, even if he had a choice, maybe this was the right thing to do. Anise hated it, but it was the only way to stop Sync from hurting more people.
Even though Anise tried to accept that, she couldn't stop wishing there was some other way, though.
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Oh.
Oh.
Oh, that idiot. No, both of them were idiots. Who did they think they were, ganging up on her like that? The sting of that slap to her face spread in little pinpricks across her skin as the red welled up below it and by god if she couldn't feel her anger rising by its side. She was certain she got out a pitiful "Sto-... Stop it!" in an effort to keep acting, but from the look in her eyes, it was obvious she didn't want to play anymore.
Oh, Annie. Stupid, stupid, little brat. Her and blonde-bimbo both here were going to have to watch their backs from now on if they knew what was good for them because Dahlia Hawthorne? Didn't take that.
But what could she do right now? Annie turned her back to her and let her go to watch poor Syncie failing and Dahlia curled back into her seat, tears still streaming down her face. Goddamn it, Sync! You were supposed to win! What the hell was she supposed to do now, shove Annie from the balcony and hope Sandbags over there didn't put up a fight? Mad? Maybe. But not dumb enough to pick a fight she was outnumbered in. But with Sync being a drowning hamster over--
...well. Look at that.
Really? She didn't have to say anything right now. That plan to kick back and relax while everything played out like it should have? That was a good plan. She went back to it, eyes on the fight and smile in her heart.
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The cold look Celes returned to her said one thing, as simply as it could: Attempt it, and I can and will break every bone in your body. And I'll enjoy it.
Now with Dias dead, and Guy apparently well on his way, Celes closed her eyes. She didn't know him well, and it felt somewhat dishonorable to watch. This was not a field of honor, anyway.
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Anise dashed back to the edge of the seats, her hands gripping the railing once again. Her heart sank when she saw Guy fall to the floor, and a cold, dreadful feeling washed over her. It looked like his arm was broken... no, both of them were? She couldn't tell.
...He wasn't getting up.
Anise's heart started pounding hard. He managed to roll over, but he didn't move for the sword. He didn't climb up to his feet. Part of Anise knew it was because he couldn't, but another part of her wouldn't accept that. Guy couldn't be losing. He couldn't lose here!
[to here]
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