The Ashlanders - Chapter 6: The Blind Man's Last Gambit (Closed, Started)

[Fappy]

"How do we know this guy can be trusted? I reckon there's half a hundred crime families, tiny nobles, information brokers and general arsewipes wanting to kiss up to ol' Dio by acting useful. Not to mention all the rumours. What cuts this chap from the pack, ma'am?"

Tsubaki furrowed her brow, "Honestly, I don't know." She sighed. "Look, this intel came down from the General's staff. It's another one of those situations. Fuck their politics! If I could, I'd---" Tsubaki stopped herself dead in her tracks. What the hell was she doing? She'd never openly insult her superiors like this. Not in front of her men, anyway.

Her stoic disposition wavered but for a moment before she cleared her throat and tried again, "Anyway, no, sorry but they won't share that information. Why they're trusting someone who won't reveal his identity is beyond me, but if I had to guess, someone high up knows who we're dealing with. I don't see how this would ever be allowed to happen, otherwise. Blackmail possibly, I don't know."

You're doing it again.

"It's irrelevant, anyway. We're soldiers, we follow orders," She met each of their stares, one by one, Got that?"

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"Er... Sorry about that.... I often speak before I think."

That would have been rather insulting had my story been true!

Elizabeth simply blushed and flapped her hand about, "Oh no, it is okay, I often don't think at all." She laughed nervously. Just as they were about to move on, Maria turned on her heel and dashed towards another woman. Turning to see where she had gone, Elizabeth's stomach lurched when she spotted who she'd found.

It can't be...

Pulling her wicker hat down to obscure her face, she continued to stare at the woman from under the brim. It was her, that bandit from the train... one of Pixie's Maidens!

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"... By killing him, you've taken away any reason our enemies have to threaten his son, an innocent. Pragmatically, it was the only thing to do."

Followin' that logic, I reckon I should off myself.

Pixie received the kiss, one of dozens they'd already shared today. Somehow, this one was different, however. There was passion there, yes, but also a subtle sadness. Pixie traced her fingers up Amy's back and held the back of her head, before returning the favor. As their lips separated, Pixie felt her heart racing. It wasn't her libido, no. It was something else.

Catching a lock of Amy's hair between her fingers, Pixie twirled it between her fingers and smiled, "Party's dyin' down an' I ain't got nothin' ta' do until Sprout calls me tonight. What do ya' wanna do?"

 

[Daystar Clarion]

"Oh hi!" Lilith said cheerily as Maria approached her.

"Hey. Sorry but I seem to have a tail."

"What?" Lilith followed the doctors gaze to the woman a woman with a wicker hat.

"One good at crashing into doctors like myself and failing at haggling. What are you doing out there anyway?"

Narrowing her eyes, she couldn't get a good view of the woman's face. Had they been found out already? Keeping the girl in the corner of her eyes she looked back at Maria. "The kid's fine, Cranston said I should get some fresh air, so here I am." She said, holding out her arms slightly. "Also..." She added, grabbing the bottom of her oversized t-shirt, "I need to get some new clothes." Crossing her arms over her chest, she tongued the inside of her cheek, a knowing smile on her face. "Feel like doing some dress shopping?" She never thought she'd mutter the words with such a seductive undertone.

"Maybe some shoooooes?" She cooed.


-----------------------------------------------------------------

"Got that?"

Asad frowned. 'We're tracking down girls now are we?' The man would be lying if he didn't think this was a waste of all their talents. On the other hand, they'd get to stay in Feroxi.

"Well, this should be fun." He muttered, eating a strip of bacon. "Any word on what happened to the Maiden, or have they gone underground? I hear this Austin guy is a mean piece of work."

 

[The Funslinger]

"Got that?"

"Like a bad hangover," replied Bryan, smiling.

"Any word on what happened to the Maiden, or have they gone underground? I hear this Austin guy is a mean piece of work."

"Yeah, he is," said Bryan. "Guy I knew from back in my cat burglar days got killed by the guy a couple years ago. Austin just shoves him to the ground and stamps on his skull. Just fer trying to stop them psycho teenagers nabbing his baby son." Bryan shook his head and sighed mournfully. "What a fucken cock jockey."

==========================================================

Eddie hung suspended in the hidden room. The hospital gown was gone now, replaced by the faded jeans he'd had on when they'd taken him, and an off-white button down shirt. The chains bit into his wrists and ankles, and his shoulders and hips screamed from the tension. It was muted, however, as the sedative hadn't fully worn off. All he could do to escape his discomfort was dose, even if it was full of dreams. Darkness crept in.

Spoiler: Flashback. Baby, flashback!

Spoiler: muzak

Ten years ago...

Eddie was not yet a General, but still a respected Captain of the Wilkes-Vines crime family. His metal backed hand was not as infamous as it would become in his days as the bounty hunter Metal, as he generally kept his hands gloved in leather.

Eddie and his men were carrying out a very important task. The Teagues crime family had overplayed their hand and put many people in danger. Eddie's men had tracked the fleeing Teague far south east. As they had suspected, he had stayed away from the towns and cities, where Wilkes-Vines would have agents ready to close in on him. He was still technically in a dome, though.

The Ashlands contained several domes known as 'Biomes'. The purpose of these domes was to produce flora, mainly trees, for lumber, and the occasional wealthy individual looking to furnish their land. However, the Rock was a treacherous place and one such Biome had been struck by a meteor. The thick, practically impenetrable glass that was a marvel of lost science had been punctured and cracked. The Ashlands' foul taint had seeped in. Combined with the burning, blistering heat of the meteor encapsulated by the remains of the dome, it had paralyzed the trees, rendering them statues made of highly impure carbon. Over several years, the glass around it had gradually collapsed, to be whisked away in ash storms, leaving only the trees.

The Fossilized Forest had stood for generations. Widely untouched except by the curious, it was here that Marvin Teagues fled with those who remained of his personal guard. For he had plotted to blow up the dome of New Haven, Wilkes-Vines' personal stronghold as a simultaneous blow to the crime leader himself, as well as the minor nobility still residing in a perfunctory capacity. That it would kill thousands was something the man seemed to consider small inconvenience.

Despite his massive influence, the lay person was unlikely to evacuate peacefully at the request of Wilkes-Vines agents, and the Nobility's forces were too small and neutered to do the job. That left preventing the act of terrorism from occurring.

A voice emitted from the long-distance radio built into the dash of Eddie's Crawler.

"Captain Canton, we have found one of the bombs. Our men can't find the others, however and disarming this one could prove incredibly risky. Do you have a visual?"

"We're approaching the Forest now," replied Eddie. "I have some men heading round to its other sides. We'll know if he tries to bolt."

"Catch him quick, sir. We've got just over an hour."

"Understood. Send my supplies on now, Lieutenant. Time's of the essence."

They were in the forest now. Eddie brought his Crawler to a halt, and he and the men in it jumped out, as did the men in two more. All of them, Eddie included, were carrying assault rifles and wore body armour. This was a major operation.

After several minutes, they came to a large clearing, with a familiar mound of pitted rock in the middle. Eddie shone the torch of his weapon around briefly, never lingering to give anything away. He saw what he needed to, though. "Sure is a nice view," he said.

Code. They're in the trees. His men waited. He cleared his throat. They opened fire. Armed and armoured men fell from the trees, hitting the ground with wet crunches. A couple managed to fire back, but were gunned down all the same. Then a man, armoured but carrying only a pistol, hit the ground running. "Cease fire," Eddie barked, throwing his rifle to the ground and sprinting.

Teagues made it several yards before Eddie tackled him to the ground.

Back at the edge of the forest, Eddie's 'supplies' were arriving. A sealed shelter had been erected, twenty feet by twenty feet. Inside were two chairs, one of which Teagues was cuffed to. Eddie sat in the other and waited for the rest of his things to arrive. He never took his eyes from the man in that time.

Teagues' eyes widened at the items being brought in, and he started sweating profusely. A large metal drum of liquid, an unfolding table, upon which was placed pliers, an array of knives, cloths, jugs of water, and a heavy mallet.

"How long?" asked Eddie.

"thirty six minutes and counting," replied one of his associates.

"Better get cracking then," he replied. Teagues started to whimper.

Eddie woke up with a small gasp. There was a dull ache in his head to match the ones in his limbs.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Party's dyin' down an' I ain't got nothin' ta' do until Sprout calls me tonight. What do ya' wanna do?"

"Well," Amy said reaching down and turning the lock on the door behind them. "I'd say we have plenty of time to take things slow."

Kissing Pixie again, Amy ran her hands around her waist, up her back, and brushed her fingertips across the sides of her neck.

"I have... several ideas. The only question is, where to start?"

 

[Fappy]

"Maybe some shoooooes?"

Did she not recognize her? Save for the curious stare, the bandit didn't seem to pay Elizabeth any mind. Distressed, Elizabeth ran through several scenarios in head. Obviously, running wasn't an option. That would raise too much suspicion.

Should I just... keep up this ruse?

Elizabeth slowly approached the two women, one hand held close to her heart. She was terrified. Lying wasn't her strong-suit. She bowed towards the newcomer, "Hello, Miss. My name i-is..."

Dammit.

"... Margaret Tiger...man..." As she rose from the bow it was with an embarrassed grin.

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Tsubaki crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair as she listened to her squad's exchange.

"What a fucken cock jockey."

Tsubaki clenched her jaw, "Yeah, he's a piece of work for sure. Someone else's problem, though, thankfully. As for the Maiden," She sat up straight. "They likely have their own people tracking her down. I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into them somewhere down the line." Taking a moment to glance around the table, she added. "Anyone have any experience with them?"

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

Bennie stepped out of the bedroom feeling refreshed and ready for... well, more drinking probably. As he made his way back into the main room he saw that the door to their makeshift holding-cell was open. Stopping right outside the door, he watched as Brock and Parker carried a body bag out of the room. Bennie crossed his arms and grunted, "Need any help?"

"Naw, we got this, Carmine." Parker muttered.

Stepping through the threshold, the stench of fresh blood was thick in the air. Though his body had been removed, there was still red painting the floor and the back wall, "How bad was it?"

Sliding the body-bag down the hall, Brock cracked his back and wiped some sweat off his forehead, "The Captain got 'im pretty good. Used a baseball bat. Shattered every bone in his body before blowing him away. Wish I could'a seen it," His smirk turned into a frown. "Bastard."

Bennie didn't respond, he just continued to stare blankly into the room. After Parker and Brock had moved on, Bennie whispered to himself, "I'm sorry, Pixie."

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"I have... several ideas. The only question is, where to start?"

Amy's hair fell through Pixie's fingers as she slid her hand across Amy's cheek. Holding her head, her thumb resting against Amy's ear, Pixie drew her in closer, their lips coming within centimeters of each other. Staring at Amy, her eye appeared to be searching for something. She wasn't smiling, nor was she frowning. Holding up her other hand, she opened her palm and went for Amy's breast, but stopped.

There was a long, still pause as the two women stared at each other. Closing her eye, Pixie lifted her hand higher and rested her palm on Amy's heart. The twitching, teasing lips withdrew as Pixie hung her head and rested it against Amy's collarbone. Feeling Amy's steady heartbeat reverberating through her hand soothed Pixie, making what came next a tad easier. Taking her hand off her chest, Pixie reached into her jacket pocket and produced the crumbled orchid.

Sliding her hand down onto Amy's shoulder, Pixie lifted her head and looked into her eyes, "I don' think I can go any further until we talk about this." Her voice was warm, but sad.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

It took Amy a second or two to realise what she was looking at. When she did, her hand shot up to the top of her head, as if to make sure. She hadn't noticed losing it. Even when she'd looked in the mirror before, it hadn't occurred to her that it wasn't there.

What was wrong with her today?

"Oh." she replied, blushing slightly and turning away from Pixie's gaze. "I-listen. I didn't want to overhear... I just couldn't help myself. I'm sorry, it was a private moment and I shouldn't have."

 

[Evrant-Knight]

"So we won't be helping the Maidens?" Asked Hannibal, his voice sounded as though it lacked any strength or confidence.

"Oh, we will be helping the Maidens get Elizabeth, sorry, Lady Maribel away from Lord Basilio; but afterwards I'm not so sure. Cranston may claim that she'll be safer with them, but I'm not entirely convinced, especially after the recent attacks; both on the Maiden and down here in the city. Though they are the lesser of two evils, so we may just have to bunk with them for the time being." Remarked Viola as she thought about what happened so far whilst her hands were in her coat pockets.

"If push comes to shove, and we have to take her someplace else; it would have to be somewhere outside the respective influences of both parties, a location where they don't have a foothold to spread. We'll call this Plan B, whilst the Maidens are a Plan A. Don't tell anyone about this, especially Cranston."

 

[Fappy]

"I-listen. I didn't want to overhear... I just couldn't help myself. I'm sorry, it was a private moment and I shouldn't have."

Pixie put a finger to Amy's lips and hushed her, "No, it's okay, Amy." She offered a sad smile before starting towards the bed. Kicking off her boots and throwing off her jacket, Pixie plopped down on the mattress. Sitting up against the wall, Pixie patted a space on the bed between her legs. "Come, sit."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"Come, sit."

Amy nodded, and crossed over to the bed, where she reclined, her head resting against Pixie's shoulder. She was relieved that Pixie wasn't angry at her. Unfortunately, the reveal of the orchid had also brought all of the doubts, created by what she had heard, back to the surface. Was Pixie about to end whatever it was they had barely after it had started.

"Okay," she said, composing herself "What now?"

 

[Fappy]

Pixie draped her arms around Amy and held her tight.

"What now?"

"I dunno. I didn' exactly think all this through," Pixie giggled. "But, I feel I should explain some thin's. Tell you why me 'n Bennie didn' work out. I reckon you've heard some of the rumors by now: he botched a mission an' got a bunch'a Maidens killed. Then I sent 'im packing." She sighed. "That ain't entirely true."

Pixie closed her eye and rested her chin on Amy's shoulder. After a long, deep breath, she began her tale, "I'd led a small squad 'a Maidens ta' Geno Dome. We were huntin' down this... bounty hunter, Saito. Ex-Yakuza. Dangerous guy. While attemptin' to take me out he'd managed to blow up a few'a my Maidens before gettin' the fuck outta dodge. I didn' take too kindly ta' that." Pixie chuckled. "I was a fuckin' moron. Blinded by revenge, I told Bennie to watch the ship while I went after the fucker, personally. Turned out ta' be a bad idea."

Sighing, Pixie shifted under Amy's weight and began playing with her long, golden hair, "We ran right into a trap. He'd called his old buddies from the Yamato family. A lot of 'em. They killed all my men. As the last woman standin', I barely managed ta' make it out of the ambush alive. With two gunshot wounds, I wasn' in any position ta' fight. I'd nearly given up when Bennie finally reached me on my radio. I told 'im ta' forget about me. Saito had half the yakuza backin' 'im up. The dome was a deathtrap." Pixie's voice wavered. "He didn' buy that. The normally pragmatic Bennie did the unthinkable, an' it was all because of me. He couldn' bare the thought'a losin' me, so he went in half-cocked. Willin' ta' sacrifice it all ta' save me. A lot of Maidens died that day, but they succeeded in rescuin' me."

Pixie leaned her head back against the wall, "I never did tell Bennie ta' leave. That was 'is own choice when I told 'im we couldn' continue our relationship. I still loved 'im, but 'is actions made me realize somethin'. If 'ar roles had been reversed, I'd 'ave made the same, stupid call, an' that was jus' somethin' I couldn' allow. Our relationship was a liability. I couldn' endanger my crew like that." She bit her lip. "That was why he was so upset, Amy. Seein' us like this, after what we went through... I don' reckon he sees me as anythin' more'n a hypocrite now. An' I can' blame 'im. It's just that... I dunno, I-I, I like this. I like you. I don' wanna lose this. I don' know, I-I, don'---"

Her weak voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words. In truth, she didn't even know what she was trying to say.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

Lilith placed her hands on her hips as the strange woman approached, raising an eyebrow as she introduced herself.

"Hello, Miss. My name i-is...Margaret Tiger...man..."

"Tiger...man?" Lilith smirked slightly, a twinkle in her eyes. Tilting her head slightly, she searched the girl's face, there was something eerily familiar about her, mostly the eyes.

"Hey, how you doin', I'm Lilith." Putting a hand on Maria's shoulder, she flicked the brim of Sprout's cap with her other hand before removing the cigarette from her mouth. "So, you need a doctor or somethin'?" She asked, waiting to gauge the girl's response.

 

[Dogmatic99]

"10 o'clock tonight." He repeated to Florian as they exited the house back onto the street. "Deep in Bejic territory naturally. All things considered, I think that went well. I even got them to let me bring you along."

I know, I was there.

"So we have some time to kill. What does The Gentleman do for fun on his time off, or is that top secret too?"

10 'o' clock. Only a few hours and he'd be stuck in a room with Vasa and a horde of his most loyal killers, something any sane native of Frostfall would give their right arm to avoid.

He doesn't even need me there, it's not like they'd be surprised to learn that The Gentleman can speak Russian. Why do I even need to go, just to take the minutes for the captain? It didn't even take a second for Florian to see the answer in it all. Because you made a promise. Now stop being a coward and do what has to be done.

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

Amy listened in silence as Pixie recanted the tale. It was strange. For someone who gave so much of themselves so freely, it would seem that Pixie's worst fear was that the people she loved might return the favour. When she was done talking, Amy reached up over her shoulder, an held Pixie in a gesture of support.

"If it helps..." she replied eventually, in a tone that wanted to make light of things "I'm not Bennie. I'm no soldier, and I'm nowhere close to being your second in command. I couldn't send an army of Maidens into hell to rescue you whether I wanted to or not. As for the inverse," She continued, sitting up on her knees and turning round to face Meredith. "I've never needed someone to come and rescue me before, and I don't plan on starting now... but if that happens, I know you'll make the right call, whatever that may be. Your Maidens wouldn't follow you if they didn't trust your leadership, and each of them know the stakes, now more than ever. If they choose to follow you to the bitter end, then let that choice rest on their shoulders, not yours."

As she said this, Amy moved her arms back and fourth across Pixie's shoulders, massaging the tension out of the muscles there.

"We're in the eye of the storm Pixie, with death and pain all around us. What use is there in being safe, if it means we have to give up the few things that give us respite from all of that?"

'Did I just say that? That's not like me at all.

===============================================================================================

"What does The Gentleman do for fun on his time off, or is that top secret too?"

"Why I'm glad you asked Florian." The Gentleman replied, a spring in his step. "Myself, I am rather fond of puzzles. In fact, I have a conundrum for you, if you like."

 

[Dogmatic99]

"Why I'm glad you asked Florian." The Gentleman replied, a spring in his step. "Myself, I am rather fond of puzzles. In fact, I have a conundrum for you, if you like."

I know I'm going to regret this but... screw it. It couldn't top the big ones that are slapping me in the face right now.

"Alright, let's hear it." Florian said, yet again resigning himself to what was to come. This was going to be a really fun mission.

 

[Terratina.]

"...Maybe some shoooooes?"

"Good." Maria laughed, "Maybe. I think I should drop off all of this first, though. We bought way too many tomatoes."

She tilted the brown bag that was in her arms slightly so that Lilith could see the obscene amount of red fruit within. Afterwards, she watched as Miss 'Tigerman' introduced herself to Lilith. It was proof that bandits could be somewhat intimidating even when wearing a kid's hat and an oversized t-shirt. The bandit in question seemed to catch onto the strange surname as well. Maria wondered what a timid little thing like her would have to hide. And then it hit her.

'Wait, did she just bow?'

***​

"Got that?"

'More than you know, Commander.' Jun bitterly thought and tried to keep his usual reply as neutral as possible. So, they were going to oversee a meeting with someone they had no intel about. They were going in completely blind. Had someone managed to piss the higher-ups off or something? No. Questions like that were irrelevant and unbecoming of a soldier. They had been given no intel and they would work with no intel. There was nothing to it.

"Anyone have any experience with them?"

Talk soon turned to the Iron Maidens, and by extension Father Austin - both notorious persons of note in The Rock. He had encountered the former, but not the latter. It was back when he was just one of Dio's grunts, just part of the faceless and nameless privates that were a dime a dozen. Of course, the soldier didn't waste any thoughts about an enemy. Still, one thing stuck with him: the band of bandits had fought with more fury than any of the Kumiho rebels.

"One firefight, Commander, that is all." He said.

 

[Fappy]

"So, you need a doctor or somethin'?"

Elizabeth blinked stupidly.

It really IS her.

"Oh, uh," She mumbled, realizing she'd just been asked a question. "N-no, when I bumped into her I managed to ruin some of her produce. We were just buying replacements." Looking around nervously, Elizabeth forced a smile. "Well, I hope you got all that you need m'la---I mean, ma'am. Again, I apologize for my clumsiness."

She looked down at her wrist instinctively, despite the fact that there was no watch around it, "Well, look at the time! I should probably be on my way back to the inn. It was n-nice m-meeting you both!" She stuttered.

The bandit is going to kick my fanny, isn't she...?

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"One firefight, Commander, that is all."

Tsubaki perked up, her eyes finding Jun's, "Oh, and how did that go?"

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Glancing around the main room, it was clear the party was as good as dead. The few that remained hanging out were either on the verge of a drink induced coma or just spacing out, bored. For whatever reason, however, Aesop looked as right as rain, marching into the room from down the hall with this... weird grin on his face. Parker had mentioned to Bennie that he'd made a bit of a scene in front of the prisoner's room. Apparently Pixie chewed him out... or something.

Bennie was tired. Tired of drinking, talking... even thinking. He needed to blow off some steam, and if he was reading the bearded maniac correctly, so did he. Meeting him in the center of the room, Bennie flashed Aesop a grin, "Hey man, what's up? I was wonderin'," He glanced down the north hall. "Carlos' got this pretty tight gym here. You wanna, I dunno, spar or somethin'?"

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"We're in the eye of the storm Pixie, with death and pain all around us. What use is there in being safe, if it means we have to give up the few things that give us respite from all of that?"

She was right, or rather, Pixie was trying to convince herself she was. They could be dead by tomorrow for all Pixie knew, so why not enjoy the time you have? Why not give in and let passion take the wheel? What harm could come of it?

It feels too convenient...

Pixie closed her eye and rested her forehead against Amy's, her furrowed brow relaxed and she smiled, "Yer too fuckin' cute fer yer own good," Pixie mused. After a short period of silence, Pixie sighed. "I don' deserve this. I don' deserve you." She started, her thoughts finding their way to the man she'd just killed. Her smile faded. "I'm a fuckin' monster, Amy. I don' care what the fuck this world's done ta' me... it doesn' give me the right to take the lives of so many fathers and sons. Ta' make so many widows."

She lifted her head and looked Amy in the eye, "I don' sleep much, an' when I do I often dream'a my kills. The personal kills. The slow ones." She broke eye contact, looking down at her hands. "How can you love someone like that? Someone who thrives off chaos. Someone who finds more ecstasy in violence than sex. It tears me up thinkin' my sweet, sweet boy's been raised by someone like that."

"Amy," She whispered, looking up at her again. "I know you understand what I did ta' Randy, but that's jus' the tip of the iceberg, sweetheart. I know it's yer decision, an' I don' wanna tell you what you should do with yer heart, but Amy... you don' know what I'm capable of. You 'aven't seen me at my worst." She ran her fingers through Amy's hair. "I don' wanna hurt you, baby."

 

[NinjaDeathSlap]

"I don' wanna hurt you, baby."

As Pixie said this, hazy, long-remembered visions swan before Amy's eyes. A little girl, whimpering, chained the the wall in her own filth. Screaming now, as men with faces obscured by shadow held her down. Closing her eyes, trying to make it all go away, to pretend she was somewhere else, but the room, and the chains, and the feeling of violation were all she could ever remember.

"What about what I'm capable of?" she answered, holding Pixie close and speaking in her ear. Her voice was still gentle, but there was something else there, a darkness. "I never told you want happened to the man who took my unborn child from me. He paid. With everything he had, he paid. He wasn't the first, and he wasn't the last. I have a high pain threshold, Pixie. Whatever it is your scared of throwing at me, I can take it."

Drawing back, Amy took Pixie's face in her hands, and lifted up her gaze. Again, her touch was still so soft, but there was something there that made it impossible to look away, as their eyes locked.

"After all the things I've seen, the things that have been done to me and the things I have repaid in kind... I don't, no, I can't believe, that this world is so easily split between good and bad people. Who is it who are writing the rules anyway? The nobility, who thrust their domination up to the heavens, while thousands fall prey to sickness and starvation around their feet, or madmen like Austin, who think that the answer to all things lies in one lonely man's pathetic fantasy. If good and evil are determined only by the number of bodies we leave in our wake, then we'll all be burning in hell together, but I don't think it's that simple. It's all relative Pixie. The Gentleman, and you, for example; how many graveyards combined have you filled together? And yet, it is the two of you, who have done more for me that all the would-be saints, and honest, peaceful souls that this Rock can spare. You want to know how I can love you, Pixie? It's because we're no different in that regard. If it came down to it, to protect my sisters, and to protect you...

I would burn every last one of them to ashes."

=========================================================================================================================

"Alright, let's hear it."

"Very well." The Gentleman replied, cracking another smile. "How do you win a war against a man, who's objective is war itself?"

 

[ProtoChimp]

Aesop meandered through the hallway towards the party. But he swore, despite not being in the room, he could hear pain. He just could, he couldn't explain it but it was as if he just knew Randy was being tortured. No sixth sense was required however as two bullets rang out. He stood stiff. He was dead, and he felt nothing. 'Oh fuck she'll be getting outta the room then! Shit.' Aesop continued out, quickly he dodged inside a slightly open room as Pixie and Amy walked on by him. He bit his knuckled as he saw her. Just seeing her reminded him of what an absolute shit he was. God dammit, Carlos had given him the perfect pep talk to have fun tonight. Why oh why did he need to go and ruin it like that. Why? WHY! Why did he always fucking end it like this, every single time. Carlos gave him the perfect pep talk, just enough for tonight, just enough to be happy for tonight. Just enough to get through.

To get through.

To get through tonight.

Aesop gulped as he thought on Carlos's words, the man knew, he knew everything without needing to ask. And that made Aesop feel so much better. And god damn, he wasn't going to disappoint him like this. He might be a total stranger, but its not every day you meet someone who knows what its like to be the fuckup.

He shook his head as his body shivered. He tugged at his beard, little strands of hair falling to the ground before he straightened up, trying to make his beard look decent, and stepping out of the room. His first step was an overdramtic, chidllike step. He span on his heel and clicked his fingers before making dumb gunshot noises. He did a merry little jig before flicking out some hairbands and pulling it back into a ponytail. "Nice." He span one more time before heading into the room, his dumbass grin all over his face.

"Carlos' got this pretty tight gym here. You wanna, I dunno, spar or somethin'?" Approached Bennie. "Carlos' got this pretty tight gym here. You wanna, I dunno, spar or somethin'?"

Aesop looked around with glee. "Why the fuck not?!" He chirped as he patted Bennie on the back. "Let us beat each other black and blue until we are blacker and bluer than we already are. Wait is that racist?" He thought, looking at his own brownness on his hand.
==============================
Don't tell anyone about this, especially Cranston."

"O-Of course. D-do you have any-w-where we could t-take her?"

 

[Fappy]

"... I would burn every last one of them to ashes."

It was like staring into a mirror. Pixie could have sworn she'd made this exact same speech before. What had Amy gone through to make her this way? True, Pixie knew there was something dark under that smile on their first meeting, but she never suspected the corruption to run so deep. Perhaps corruption wasn't the right word. Amy was right after all, whose laws were worth following, save your own? This rotten world had no true saints. No real gods. Taking Randy's fate into her own hands like that was the only justice his sins could ever hope to see.

Pixie offered her a weak smile as she wrapped her fingers around Amy's hands, guiding them down from her face and into her lap, "You really would, wouldn't you?" It was more a statement of fact than a question. "You have that kind of devotion fer me? After such a short time? Why, Amy? What could I possibly offer you, the finest woman on the planet, that you couldn' get from someone else? Someone better? Yer so young, Amy, an' I'm lookin' more'n more like a weathered hag as the days go on."

These were questions that had been burning in the back of her mind since earlier this morning. Curiosity was one thing, but why love? "I don' mean to insult yer tastes, sweetheart," She mused. "But, I guess I jus' don' understand where yer comin' from."

********************************************************************************************************************************************************

"Let us beat each other black and blue until we are blacker and bluer than we already are. Wait is that racist?"

Bennie cocked an eyebrow and chuckled, "I ain't blue, man. Don't know what you're on about." He turned down the hall and gestured for Aesop to follow. "Also, lets keep the bruising to a minimum, okay? We don't want to be running on half-a-tank tomorrow. I don't know about you, but I'd be surprised if things don't go south with Wilks-Vine. Payton's one mean mother fucker."

The two men crossed through the double, steel doors and found themselves in a large gym. Stepping into a more open area in the center of the room, Bennie threw off his dress shirt and removed his socks and shoes. Garbed in jeans and an undershirt, he cracked his neck side-to-side, "It's been awhile since I've had an actually sparring partner. My only real practice usually happens in the field these days, you know. Such is the fate of independent contractors, I guess."

 

[Daystar Clarion]

LIlith furrowed her brow as the young woman clumsily staggered through the conversation, her big brown eyes never looking at her own for more than a second. Those big brown eyes...

'The same as Axel's...'

As the woman began to leave, Lilith smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. Bowing? 'M'lady'? Of course it was her.

"Fairwell, Lady Maribel." Lilith spoke softly, taking a long drag from her cigarette.