dark_steps
in
mu_log
And the risk that might break you is the one that would save you
Who: Cross, Linali, and Atem
When: late afternoon
Where: House Rho, then a clearing in the forest
What: General Cross and Linali have their fight to force the Dark Boots to evolve; Atem watches.
Rating: PG for now, maybe higher later on (for now this is it though)
Nostalgia swept over Linali in waves as she slipped into her Exorcist uniform, the Rose Cross on the shoulder gleaming in the afternoon sunlight from the window. The zipper moved smoothly up the front of the black cloth; she’d never fought in this uniform, pulled onto the island before she could face one of the toughest battles of her life. Her midnight black hair cascaded down her back in waves as she pulled it free of the collar, the parallels between that time and this one making her feel strange, like she was experiencing some kind of déjà vu. She’d been away from the Order for so long that it felt like a whole other life, or maybe something she’d watched with Riku-chan on TV.
Linali’s gaze moved to the blue lacquered box on the bathroom countertop. Anita’s face appeared in the mirror behind her, deft fingers pulling her hair up into the bands the brothel madame’s mother had given her. Something precious, something special. No way were they getting destroyed this time. Using her usual hair ties, she pulled her hair up into two ponytails, again feeling a chill moving up her spine. She picked up the little box, taking a moment to examine herself in the mirror: dark hair framing her pale face and light eyes, skintight shirt and shorts, boots up to her knees. A nod to herself in the mirror and she was off, Yun-qi’s serious green eyes following her as she made her way out the door.
Atem was waiting outside the dorms for Linali to arrive, leaning back against the wall with his head bowed slightly in thought. He was still for once, rather than pacing or tapping a foot or otherwise making some sort of movement related to being too tense to resist moving, as his entire focus was inward as he considered what was about to happen and what he was going to do about it. He really didn't want Linali to go to this fight though he knew he couldn't (and even if he could, he shouldn't) stop her, and he also wasn't particularly interested in watching said fight. But he couldn't just sit around and wait for her to come back, because some part of his mind reminded him there was a chance she wouldn't come back at all, no matter how unlikely that might be.
If he was there with her, maybe he could do something. He knew he wouldn't be any help in the fight itself, or even possibly in the aftermath of it, but he could be there if something went wrong. He had to be; he couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't. And so, he was waiting to go with her, not certain it was the best choice but certain it was the only one to make. When Linali finally emerged from the building he looked up and turned towards her, too serious to manage much of a smile but doing his best anyway. He nodded his head slightly for her to lead the way.
Her smile in return felt fake, hollow, like there wasn’t any room for happiness in her head with the fight looming over her. "Atem, I…" What could she say to him? Thank you didn’t seem good enough for what he was about to endure, a warning seemed too cruel… Maybe just tell him to close his eyes when the beating began? Atem shook his head slightly when she spoke, responding to her quietly. "It'll be alright. Once it's over, you won't have to worry and everything will have been worked out." He assured her, with more confidence than he felt. Wordlessly, she moved into his arms, pressing her lips to his in a long, sweet kiss, feeling everything from desperation to some kind of ferocity course through her body, her hands against his chest. He put his arms around her, holding her gently until the kiss ended, touching his forehead to hers and smiling slightly. Taking his hand, she pulled away, smiling a bit more genuinely before heading towards the woods, and the clearing within where General Cross waited.
When: late afternoon
Where: House Rho, then a clearing in the forest
What: General Cross and Linali have their fight to force the Dark Boots to evolve; Atem watches.
Rating: PG for now, maybe higher later on (for now this is it though)
Nostalgia swept over Linali in waves as she slipped into her Exorcist uniform, the Rose Cross on the shoulder gleaming in the afternoon sunlight from the window. The zipper moved smoothly up the front of the black cloth; she’d never fought in this uniform, pulled onto the island before she could face one of the toughest battles of her life. Her midnight black hair cascaded down her back in waves as she pulled it free of the collar, the parallels between that time and this one making her feel strange, like she was experiencing some kind of déjà vu. She’d been away from the Order for so long that it felt like a whole other life, or maybe something she’d watched with Riku-chan on TV.
Linali’s gaze moved to the blue lacquered box on the bathroom countertop. Anita’s face appeared in the mirror behind her, deft fingers pulling her hair up into the bands the brothel madame’s mother had given her. Something precious, something special. No way were they getting destroyed this time. Using her usual hair ties, she pulled her hair up into two ponytails, again feeling a chill moving up her spine. She picked up the little box, taking a moment to examine herself in the mirror: dark hair framing her pale face and light eyes, skintight shirt and shorts, boots up to her knees. A nod to herself in the mirror and she was off, Yun-qi’s serious green eyes following her as she made her way out the door.
Atem was waiting outside the dorms for Linali to arrive, leaning back against the wall with his head bowed slightly in thought. He was still for once, rather than pacing or tapping a foot or otherwise making some sort of movement related to being too tense to resist moving, as his entire focus was inward as he considered what was about to happen and what he was going to do about it. He really didn't want Linali to go to this fight though he knew he couldn't (and even if he could, he shouldn't) stop her, and he also wasn't particularly interested in watching said fight. But he couldn't just sit around and wait for her to come back, because some part of his mind reminded him there was a chance she wouldn't come back at all, no matter how unlikely that might be.
If he was there with her, maybe he could do something. He knew he wouldn't be any help in the fight itself, or even possibly in the aftermath of it, but he could be there if something went wrong. He had to be; he couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't. And so, he was waiting to go with her, not certain it was the best choice but certain it was the only one to make. When Linali finally emerged from the building he looked up and turned towards her, too serious to manage much of a smile but doing his best anyway. He nodded his head slightly for her to lead the way.
Her smile in return felt fake, hollow, like there wasn’t any room for happiness in her head with the fight looming over her. "Atem, I…" What could she say to him? Thank you didn’t seem good enough for what he was about to endure, a warning seemed too cruel… Maybe just tell him to close his eyes when the beating began? Atem shook his head slightly when she spoke, responding to her quietly. "It'll be alright. Once it's over, you won't have to worry and everything will have been worked out." He assured her, with more confidence than he felt. Wordlessly, she moved into his arms, pressing her lips to his in a long, sweet kiss, feeling everything from desperation to some kind of ferocity course through her body, her hands against his chest. He put his arms around her, holding her gently until the kiss ended, touching his forehead to hers and smiling slightly. Taking his hand, she pulled away, smiling a bit more genuinely before heading towards the woods, and the clearing within where General Cross waited.