☠ 1 VIDEO (ENGLISH) 1 ☠

[symmetryguns]

[A video. A glimpse of buildings, sky, a lonely tree, and a possibly familiar figure. Pale skin, ringed gold-orange eyes, longish black hair with... no stripes. A white dress shirt, slightly bloodstained, the sleeves torn off. An annoyed (but more than annoyed, unnerved, something very very worried hidden behind the surface emotion) expression

Comments

[loyal_inferno]

[There's a silence before she answers, this time her voice betraying the slightest hints of hurt. Still, the questions are logical, and smart, all things considered. It's what she has to remind herself.]

Kid...I don't know how to prove that...

My name is Jacqueline O Lantern Dupre. I'm a student at Shibusen and my meister, Kim is a witch. She hid it for obvious reasons, but she is a good person. Recently, Shibusen found out, and Kim panicked and left, I went with her because she needed me. It's what weapons are supposed to do. They protect their meisters, and Kim is my best friend.

We went to Arachnaphobia. While we were there, they brainwashed both of us into being enemies of Shibusen, but our friends saved us. We went back to school, with Shinigami-sama's full acceptance, and Kim has been helping out as a medic for Shibusen since.

...but you didn't come back with us. I don't think I need to clarify why. [Her voice is soft, almost broken, but not quite. That short time when she was an enemy of Shibusen, and Kim was at risk was the hardest time of her life, but it's all she can offer as proof of who she is.]

[symmetryguns]

[A... good response, actually. It covers things he knows, things he would have no way of proving, and the emotional component of a weapon/meister relationship.

It's a very good response, and he's obviously debating how much to trust it.]

Who else from Shibusen is here?

[That other girl had mentioned Liz. Liz and Jackie. Which gave her some credence.]

[loyal_inferno]

Just me and Liz...Black*Star was here, but he disappeared a few days ago. A...lot of people from home have come and gone.

Maka, Soul, Marie-sensei, Professor Stein, Death Scythe, Patti was here for a very short time more than a year ago...Tsubaki...even the demon Kishin was here for a while. This place doesn't discriminate with the people it brings.

You and Soul were both here more than once, and Soul lost his memories the second time he was here as well.

But now it's just me and Liz. They've all gone home.

[symmetryguns]

[Here and gone, here and gone.

It's beginning to sound more and more unlikely. Which (paradoxically) makes it more and more believable. Which in a few moments will start to cycle back around again...

But he's going to take a risk and trust her.]

All right.

I'm... [He pauses, glances around.] near the corner of Lander and Gohl.

[loyal_inferno]

Okay. A friend is coming with me. Her name is Kirika, and she was one of your friends before you left. She just wants to make sure you're safe.

That's not very far from where we live. I can explain more about the living situation when we get you, but we used to share an apartment. Me, you, Liz, Black*Star and Kirika. You're welcome back of course.

[There's the sound of a door closing, and then footsteps.]

[symmetryguns]

Fine. I'll see you in a moment.

[loyal_inferno]

[As she said, it doesn't take long for she and Kirika to arrive. He was after all, only one street away from the Latimir apartment. She pauses, chancing a glance at Kirika before they approach him]

...Are you okay with this?

[carrythesin]

[To be honest, it wasn't at all. Kirika stayed by Jackie's side carrying two hand guns, exact duplicates. She focused her attention forward. After a brief pause, she finally gave a nod.]

[symmetryguns]

[Kid's standing there, quiet, hands tucked in his pockets, posture a deceptively relaxed slouch. He doesn't say anything, just studies the two girls as they walk up.]

[loyal_inferno]

[She can tell as much about Kirika's feelings, and she briefly lays a comforting hand on her shoulder before moving forward and calling out.]

Kid! [She waves and closes the remaining distance.]

[carrythesin]

[Kirika follows Jackie quietly. Walking, she scans from one side to the other, finding something out of place or a threat. Her poster remains calm and undetected. So far, nothing yet.]

[symmetryguns]

... Jackie. [Watching, seeing what she-- what both the girls are going to do, ready to strike out at any sudden movement.]

[loyal_inferno]

[When she had reached Kid, she gave him a soft smile, but refrained form hugging him. He didn't look like he could handle it.]

Our apartment is only a block away, so you can follow us back there for now. And this is Kirika, Kid. [She motioned to the girl beside her.]

[carrythesin]

[Kirika nods when Jackie introduces her. She studies Kid as well; his clothes and poster. She then pulls both hand guns out, one on each hand holding on the front side allowing Kid to pick them from the hand grip. As well, her expression remain dead pan. Both guns loaded.]

... Here.

[symmetryguns]

[His eyes narrow at the sight of the weapons. Not his guns, these are ordinary, thuggish weapons and he does not want to take them. But there are two of them, identical, and she's offering them to him.

They trust him enough (are powerful enough) to supply him with weapons.

He can afford to take the risk.]

Thank you, Kirika.

[He takes the guns from her, tests the way they feel in his hands, how they're comfortable despite the unorthodox way he holds them, mentally runs through everything he can't do with these things, all the ways they are worse than Liz and Patti.

He doesn't bother to move to slip them into holsters he is no longer wearing.]

You said I was here before, but I've forgotten?

[loyal_inferno]

[Jackie watches carefully, glad that he accepted them. Kirika had seemed really upset earlier, and she didn't want him making her feel that way again...not that there was anything she could do about it if he did.]

I know they're different, but for now it's better to be armed with something. [She then nods in answer to his question as she begins to walk back the way they came.]

Yes. It happens sometimes. In fact, you left once and came back with your memories.