⊰ ━ veni vidi amavi ” )

[roman]

veni, vidi, amavi.
I came, I saw, I loved.
━━━

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[roman]

⊰ everything · just great ⊱
━━━

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please do not post here
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enjoy reading these c:

[roman]

some ideas here:

"do you . . . believe in magic?" : write about the value of seeing magic in everyday life. have a main character named "wren" who is a reincarnated prince who was also excellent in magic. have him see flashbacks or something. maybe have a secondary character who was the prince's friend (named avi?). get some romance practice in, mika!

"I hate humans." : another vampire story? write about a non-human main character who has to spend time with humans. maybe just use kichirou or continue apollo's story. edit : on second thought, maybe use a siren or naiad-like creature who's never had to care about anything. the lesson could be the main kiddo learning the value of life, human or not. cold and mean personality? been through a lot in his long life.

"just use your magic, snow white." : strange healing abilities are granted to a kiddo who doesn't really care for others. female main character with a younger boy as a secondary character. she has long grey/white hair in pony tail and pale red eyes? write about her learning the value of others and friendship. she can be kind but standoffish at the beginning of the story. maybe like sybil from "athena complex".

"little do you know." : image that inspired this prompt

"why am I stuck with you?" : write about two famous singers, who are no good on stage without each other, that hate each other. makoto yuno ( onstage & offstage ) and yuuko mika ( onstage & offstage ), younger female. get some more romance practice in.

"really? why did I have to sprout the tail?" : human turned mermaid? really rough idea so I'll add on to this later.

"bullets can't solve everything . . ." : gun gale online au. more notes to come.

"afterlife" : long ago, two people, who were very much in love, stumbled upon something they shouldn't have. they were caught in a war between "angels" and "demons" ( basically just good and bad spirits ), and were killed in the process. the young man, named cassius, was raised from the dead as a spirit, but his lover unfortunately passed into the void. he was then made into a soldier, and he protects the line between the dearly departed and the living. he is a special type of spirit, and has a prophecy written about him : "destined to save humanity from utter ruin".

[roman]

some character ideas here:

katashi : male, personality and station like dantalion. high level demon, but a duke, smart but doesn't act like it most of the time. accompanied by miyuki. puts on this "I'm an innocent, adorable kid" act around humans. he really is sweet but doesn't like to show it much.

miyuki : female, super serious and mean except to katashi, low ranking demon in court, expert high ranking general otherwise. miyuki's most common statement to katashi is something like "what can you do, katashi? I lead armies, you just sit in a desk all day."

unknown : this girl refuses to share her name, and whether she just doesn't want others to know, or just doesn't know herself, remains a mystery. because of her mysterious nature, and the fact that she seems to contain an ancient power, she has been dubbed unmei, which means "fate" or "destiny". she acts very much like a big sister to everyone, and has a kind heart. she's very serious on the outside, though, and miyuki is always at unmei's neck.

[roman]

“ heaven on earth ”


indentwarm spring days. days when the sun is shining, and the clear, crystal blue sky seems to stretch on forever. days when a cool light breeze blows, and there is an open field that goes on for thousands of verdant hills. days like those are days to envy. they are something to strive for, and something to appreciate once you get them. they only come around every so often. katashi could almost feel the breath of wind against him, almost hear the birds chirping with glee, almost see the endless sky. almost. but the incessant click click of the train wheels against the tracks broke his concentration and the image faded from his grasp. normally, he had excellent control of his focus, but time among humans can damage something like that.

indent"oh my god," he heard a girl gasp. "you're not saying that you're going to that awful place, are you?"

indentkatashi left his eyes closed, though he could not hide that the conversation caught what was left of his broken attention. lately, there had been tension among the three races : angel, demon, and human. there were some half-breeds, but most of them suffered fatal "accidents" or "complications" during or soon after birth. they posed a valid threat against the districts, but not because their abilities were strong. they were simply a danger because they could not control the two sides of themselves. an angel and human child would provide less of a challenge, and some who showed mastery of their emotions and abilities were allowed to live. it was when a demon and human had a child that the problem appeared. humans were not meant to be with demons, and their children ultimately stated that fact with sincere clarity.

indent"yes, I am," a boy replied confidently. the two who had spoken were part of a larger group, all huddled together and wearing ningen tridistrict high school uniforms. katashi guessed them to be around seventeen. of the crowd, the five girls outnumbered the three boys. the red straps on the boys' sleeves indicated that they were highly valued by the school, whether through sports ━ which was the most likely, decided katashi ━ or through education, or money. ningen tridistrict schools were prestigious, and the highest donors were rewarded handsomely.

indent"you can't, makoto!" the first girl pleaded.

indenta black-haired girl chimed in. "yuuki's right, makoto. akuryo tridistrict is no place for a human."

indent"why? the wall's coming up. we cross it every day to get to school. plus, they can't hurt us. there's a peace," makoto stated flatly, looking down his nose at the girls. katashi almost laughed, but retained his composure. it was so obvious that he was trying to play hard - to - get. he could only guess where the boy was talking about. it wasn't the akuryo tridistrict particularly, but the little disaster the district harbored.

indent"but makoto, we're in the train. we don't actually come into contact with them!" yuuki exclaimed.

indent"she's right again, dummy. do you think some nasty demon is going to respect the truce? plus," yuuki's friend added in a low whisper. "the double district is strictly off limits, even to demons."

indentkatashi finally opened his eyes, troubled by what he'd just heard. to even mention the double district was a crime, and that went for each of the three districts. three districts, three races. three different names. three different worlds. the ningen tridistrict housed humans, the akuryo tridistrict housed the demons, and finally, the enzeru tridistrict housed the angels. all very diverse and dissimilar. and there was a reason for that. the double district was the reason why.

indentoriginally, the three races were at war, all vying for land, esteem, and gold. the kings, called the three ancient kings, after a long time of hardship and loss, decided upon an experiment to test if the three very different races could live in harmony. they formed the three districts, now referred to as the adistricts. the experiment payed off, but not after some bloodshed. decades passed, and the new leaders began to reform the way the adistricts worked, resulting the the creation of the double districts. they used power not belonging to them to accomplish that task, and not long afterward, the "double dead incident" happened, blasting a crater into the akuryo tridistrict and killing millions of humans, demons, and angels alike. from the ruins rose the tridistricts, and as some may say, "third times a charm".

indent"ningen tridistrict high school campus, next stop," crackled an automated recording over the speakers.

indent"well, then I'll be alone and there's nothing to worry about," said makoto, silencing any more objections yuuki and her friend might have.

indentkatashi smiled, grabbed his bag from beside him, and stood just as the train came to a screeching halt. though they were further down the car, he made for the doors near makoto and his fangirls. he was busy telling them how he'd saved the football team from certain doom when katashi took his place next to the jockey. makoto halted mid-sentence and turned to glare at katashi.

indent"who gave you permission to stand next to me," he spat.

indentkatashi turned his head to look at makoto, straightening his features and putting on an indifferent act. "who said this was your train?" he asked.

indent"how dare y━" makoto went to say, but the doors opened and katashi walked out without a second glance.

indenta friendly face greeted him as he walked out on the platform, and katashi placed a small grin on his lips as he walked up to her. miyuki was the only other non-human to attend ningen tridistrict high school this year, but they had been friends for much, much longer. both of them had been through school before, but apparently, even if you're on a mission to save the districts from crumbling, missing homework assignments weren't allowed. the king of akuryo had ordered them to go into the school as human students and find the threat to the tridistricts. that was all he'd said. very specific, katashi thought grudgingly.

indent"looks like you've made a new friend, katashi," miyuki said, very seriously.

indentkatashi turned just in time to dodge a fist that had been hurdled at the side of his head. he caught makoto's wrist, and tightened his grip until the other boy winced with pain. katashi knew he was probably on the verge of tears.

indent"a new friend, indeed," katashi agreed sarcastically.

[roman]

“ veni. vidi. vici. ”


indentthe cold hard concrete is unforgiving. many things in life are, but it is easier to deal with internal unforgiveness, isn't it? when one is hit, hard, but only by words, is it not easier to accept them? the pain from words may last for a little while after they are heard, but that pain is only temporary. wounds obtained on the outside are harder to escape, harder to hide. they leave visible scars. they offer nothing but continuous aches and pains. depending on the severity of the wound, the repercussions could last a lifetime.

indentpain. all I could think about was the pain of being knocked over. and no, I'm not talking about someone giving me a little push. I'm talking about someone hitting me, over and over and over. kicks and punches that never end. I don't know how I got myself into this mess. I gripped the handle of my dagger with a gloved hand. despite the dampness inside my black gloves, I was freezing. my whole body shook with exhaustion and cold. I was laying on my side on the concrete, and I tried to push myself from it. my muscles gave out halfway, and I fell again to the unforgiving ground.

indent"tired already, ceres?"

indentyes, I thought. but I couldn't tell him that. if I mentioned one sign of weakness, he would kill me. psychotic royal, I thought bitterly. they all were the same. they used, they abused, they killed. they did what they wanted, and they couldn't possibly be punished for it. at least not by the country's courts and police. that's why I was there. or that's why I was supposed to be there. I recently figured out that my missions handler was working for the prince I was facing. I also recently figured out that prince thane wanted me dead, and my missions handler gave me over to him without complaint. psychotic traitor.

indent"why don't you come down here and see for yourself?" I growled angrily.

indenthis boot bit into my back, sending fire up my spine. I rolled from the force of his kick, and more scratches and scrapes appeared on my torn body. I was bleeding from multiple wounds. I was bruised and sore in places I didn't know could get bruised and sore. my jeans were ripped, my white t-shirt was stained and barely clinging to my body. the medical cloth wrapped around my lower arms wasn't very wrapped anymore. if I couldn't kill him quickly, I wouldn't be able to kill him at all. I would be the one in a grave if this continued. actually, I probably wouldn't even get the honor of a grave. prince thane would probably chop me up and feed me to his dog.

indentI heard our good prince coming toward me again. his footsteps were heavy and fast. mentally, I braced myself for another kick. he was getting a running start for this one. frantically, I searched the floor around me with my hand. it was too dark where I had landed. I was in the shadow of the royal palace. although, from where I was, it didn't look very royal. the crumbling ruins of a palace was a more accurate way to describe it. the columns were decaying, and the roof was caving in. the walls were cracked and old, and ivy covered them. it was grand compared to some of the buildings I've come across, but it was by no means what it used to be.

indentI almost yelped with happiness as my eyes landed on a black coil of leather. a whip. one of the finest whips I'd ever seen. I stretched my arm out to grasp it, closing my eyes to keep the tears back. I must have torn something in my shoulder. ignoring the pain, I released my dagger as my fingers brushed against the whip's handle. it was just barely out of reach. I pulled at it with my fingertips, and inch by inch, I drew it closer to me. prince thane was almost on top of me. wrapping my hand around the handle, I threw all of my weight back and the polished black leather streaked through the air. tears streamed down my cheeks, and I was unable to stop them.

indentI heard the prince stumble, but there was no yelp or groan. in fact, the only thing I could hear was him scrabbling at the ground, trying to get back to his feet. I pulled at the whip, thinking that thane was very heavy. he would have been heavy even if my muscles weren't as tired as they were. still, I persisted, and a lump of prince eventually scooted near to me. the end of the whip had wrapped itself around his throat. he was thrashing around, desperately trying to free himself and breath again. I passed the whip's handle to my other hand, and grasped my dagger again. I looked at thane. the only word I could muster up to describe his expression was fear. he tried to grab at my legs, but I pulled them up out of his reach.

indenttiredly, I said, "prince fyrek thane, consider this the death sentence for your crimes."

indenthe stopped struggling after I said that. he just gazed at me, begging me to spare him without words. I looked away. eventually, the tension on the whip released, and I knew that meant prince thane was dead. finally. and I had won by mere luck. I was disappointed in myself. I was trained to fight men like thane. I had trained for years. I had risen in rank, prestige, and skill. yet, somehow, I was almost killed by a prince who was three years younger than me. that may not sound like much of a difference, but trust me, in my world, it is.

indentI took the next minutes to force air into my lungs, make my muscles relax, and gather my frayed thoughts. my vision was blurred, and I felt more tired than I'd ever been. I rolled over onto my back, which rekindled the pain from thane's most recent kick. my whole body throbbed, and I pushed the pain in my back away. instead, I made myself focus on the stars and moon above me. a gentle breeze rustled the cherry trees lining the path, and their petals floated over me. I slowed my breathing. I would survive this. I always survived. ceres wasn't my real name, but if I had a middle name attached to it, the name would definitely be "survive". ceres survive, I thought unenthusiastically, testing it. perfect. that will certainly strike fear into the hearts of all.

indentI realized after lying there for some time that my body wouldn't stop aching. no matter how long I waited to feel relief, without some pain killers and a medic, relief wouldn't visit me any time soon. I cringed just thinking about sitting up, but I repositioned myself and steeled my resolve. tears sprung to my eyes again as I pushed myself from the ground. finally upright, I scanned my surroundings on instinct, and was pleased to find that I was alone. no royal guards in sight. thane's pride never ceased to amaze me ; he'd probably sent them away just so he could fight me alone. I searched the nearby ground with my hands, sifting through rubble and dust. my fingers landed on an earpiece that I brushed off. I tapped it a few times, then put it near my ear.

indent"lucius," I said weakly. "I need you to send a medical team."

indent"darn it, ceres, did you go overboard with the guards again?" lucius responded.

indentI didn't have the patience for his taunts right now. "lucius, I need the medic team for me."

indentthere was a long pause, and I thought the connection might have been lost. after all, the earpiece was a fragile piece of equipment and it had just been through a rough fight. I decided that they should make earpieces more durable. but lucius eventually did respond. his deep voice that was normally so confident was thick with worry. "medic team one is on it's way to the palace. hang in there, ceres. don't you dare go dying on me."

indentI smiled, albeit weakly. "roger that, lucius."

[roman]

“ after the fact ” // chapter one
author's note : I may or may not continue this ? also, for my new readers, it might be good to check this out before you read. "after the fact" is based on it, even though it was left unfinished.


indentkichirou grit his teeth in frustration. the small vampire that was known as "parker" clung to his frame with everything she had. something about him almost dying. she sobbed into his uniform, clutching handfuls of cloth from his cloak. she was saying something, but kichirou couldn't hear anything but a muffled "mmmh ... mmmmhhh". how annoying, the blonde progenitor thought. when he made no attempt to hug her back, parker let go and backed up a few paces. she put her hands on her hips and leaned forward toward him. "let me guess," she grumbled. "you were about to say something like 'let me go, or I swear I'll kill you.' right?"

indent"do I have to spell it out for you?" kichirou responded coldly. "I know you don't really care. no one in this godforsaken country does."

indentparker sniffed, but said nothing. she turned heel and trotted off somewhere else, and kichirou guessed she'd just gone off to skulk. she never had enough courage to say it outright, but the blonde knew she was merely cozying up to him because of his position. it was easy to spot her lust for power. she'd done the same to the last progenitor, but he'd gone missing. how mysterious. it was as clear as day that she was behind the spell that had gripped kichirou so unrelentingly. he wouldn't be surprised if the former progenitor was in the same position. parker was known for her cutsie act. kichirou was not about to fall for it again.

indent"sir," said a cloaked servant. "we've almost arrived at the capital."

indentkichirou nodded and crossed his arms. leaning back against the side of the plane, he tried to imagine being back in court. it wasn't often that someone who was supposed to be dead turned up in the middle of some important council meeting. a frown spread across his features. how would the stand-in progenitor react? after all, once one has tasted power, is it not hard to give up? reaching down to his side, kichirou unbuttoned a leather pouch. inside were five vials, all neatly standing straight and holding crimson liquid. he wrapped his fingers around one, and after popping off the top, drank. cow blood was almost as disgusting as it came, but he could not bring himself to drink from a human. they may be young, he thought. but they are far from "livestock".

indentkichirou almost laughed at himself. a year ago, he'd thought the exact opposite. he'd been naive, to say the least, and he found it amusing at how much he had learned in the past months. spending time with humans and seeing their true nature changed him in many different ways. he may have lost family to them, but as one commander had said : "we only attack because we were attacked." the logic made sense. one of their old books documented what they called the golden rule. though he could not remember the exact words, it was something like "you get what you give."

indent"what is that retched smell?" kichirou heard the servant say.

indent"it smells like cow," another remarked.

indent"who would have cow? that's disgusting."

indent"shut up! shut up!" the second servant whispered urgently. "it's the progenitor. he'll kill you if he hears what you're saying."

indentkichirou smiled and crossed his legs. a year ago, he might've killed them for their comments. again, he reflected on how much he'd changed. how was he going to fit back in among the vampires? it almost seemed impossible. after he had seen the camaraderie and kindness that humans harbored, it was practically like heading back into a city of ice. politics and power were some of the only things that mattered where he was going. it surprised him that he'd even been invited back, and he spared no suspicion. was he heading to his own execution? there was no way of knowing. it had been a common rumor that he'd merely been captured by the moon demon company, and after a year of trying to escape, he'd finally succeeded. however, the truth had also made its way around. whether the council believed it or not was the question kichirou was nervous to find the answer to.

indentshuffling beside him pulled kichirou from his thoughts. it was the first servant. "sir," he said quietly, glancing down at the brown leather strapped to the progenitor's side. "I know cow's blood must have been what they were feeding you, but you do realize that we have fresh livestock for you, do you not?"

indentkichirou looked up at him with a stone-cold expression. "and do you realize that it is unlawful to drink directly from a human? or have laws changed so drastically during my absence?"

indentshock and confusion made a plain debut on the servant's face. "sir," he repeated. "you're a progenitor. you can pretty much do as you please."

indent"yes," kichirou stated flatly, grinning ever so slightly. "and that includes killing you."

indentthe silver-haired attendant's friend gripped him on the shoulder, pulling him away. "forgive him, sir. he's new."

indent"get out of my sight," kichirou growled.

indentstartled, they backed away, into the back of the plane. though he might've changed his views on humans, kichirou still held no soft spots. some might call him cruel. some might call him cold. he called himself prepared. he would not kill unless necessary, unlike a year ago when he would murder on a whim, but he would not be nice. it wasn't the servant's place to say something about his choice of a meal. he's right though, kichirou thought, glancing down at the leather pouch. it is disgusting. the blonde progenitor's whole body ached at the thought of tasting human blood. it was so much better than any animal's blood, but how could he possibly drink from a child? after all, human children had been some of the first to accept him.

indentkichirou felt the plane dip, and he tried to quiet his thoughts. being in his own mind was one of the most dangerous places to be. he had to clear his head and think straight. if he were to make one mistake, he was sure the council would have him killed in an instant. not that he couldn't defend himself, but he was weaker than he was before. the blood of a cow was not as powerful as that of a human. kichirou crossed his arms to keep his hands from shaking. he could feel his desire for human blood only grow, and it scared him. would he be able to remain in control if they presented him with bleeding bodies? no, he realized. I probably couldn't.

indentas the plane touched down, the two attendants unbuckled themselves and made their way forward. they opened the door, and faint light came pouring in, staining the walls with its orange glow. kichirou wondered just how early he'd arrived. he had only gotten a few hours of sleep, and he felt tiredness dragging his muscles and mind down. unclasping the straps once again, he pulled a second vial from the pouch and drank, wincing as it passed through his mouth. although he'd been drinking it for a year, cow's blood never got any better. immediately, he felt the grasp of sleep loosen, and after placing the empty container back into it's place, kichirou unbuckled and stood.

indentparker burst through the pilot's door and danced on her toes in front of kichirou. "oh, kichirou! I'm so excited! we've prepared a big celebration for your return!"

indentkichirou stared at her blankly, and she crossed her arms. "hmph. fine, be grumpy. I can see the humans did nothing to improve your mood. well, let's go then." she ducked through the doorway, and kichirou followed suit. he was greeted by a line of vampires wrapped in white servant's cloaks, large bonfires, and four tiny human children, all cowering under the watch of the stand-in progenitor. kichirou could tell he was not happy to give up his rule. however, as soon as he realized that the blonde had exited the plane, he forced a wide smile and opened his arms. the two servants from the flight descended the stairs after parker and kichirou, joining the seven others. they all bowed as he walked by them. it felt strange to be bowed to again.

indent"welcome, welcome!" said the former-progenitor. "I am haru." he paused to glance at parker, who was hiding behind kichirou. "hello, parker." she said nothing, and haru shrugged before gesturing to the four human children. "to celebrate your return, I have brought you four of the best livestock we have to date."

indentkichirou hid a shiver. just one taste, his body was saying. no, replied his mind. they are only children. instead, he forced his attention away from them, and said boredly, "thank you, haru. have them taken to my estate. no one is to touch them on the way." haru nodded hesitantly, but motioned for the servants to do what kichirou commanded. "I assume you are here to escort me to the council, are you not?"

indent"yes ... sir," haru responded. "right this way."

[roman]

“I'll be there” // inspired by "oh! holy"
characters : amalie ( am - uh - lee ), called lie which is pronounced as "lee", jefferson


indentamalie twisted the scythe in her gloved hands with practiced skill. the metal was a smooth and black, tinted with green accents and very well made. the polished weapon had no scratches, except one notch on the actual blade. ECHO offered to fix the weapon often, but amalie refused. it was a reminder, and she would not rid herself of it. being a reaper wasn't exactly dignified work, but it was the only line of work amalie could accept. after all, she wasn't exactly alive, per se. and not willing to accept her grim demise, she'd taken the only other option to remain on earth.

indent"you're going to hell either way," amalie unsympathetically told the soul hunched over in front of her. "you can keep fighting and end up in a worse spot, or go now and I won't mention this little incident."

indentlie sighed as she waited for an answer. some souls just could not accept that they had been horrible people during their time alive. there had been a lot of excuses and but's from this particular one, and the black-haired reaper was running out of patience. there were hundreds of other souls she needed to "guide to the afterlife". she'd read somewhere that one person died every eight seconds, and she believed it. grim reapers never got days off : it wasn't just her. every reaper belonging to ECHO had to work until their time was up. for amalie, that was another five hundred years.

indent"I can't," the soul rasped, swaying as he tried to straighten himself. "I did some bad things, whoever you are, but I did good things too."

indentamalie rolled her eyes and prepared to charge the man again. another 'but', she thought bitterly. she freely admitted that if ECHO had not accepted her, she would be going down too. so what was the big deal for this guy? lie had been classified many times as a "bad girl" or as a "vigilante kid". that was fine with her. even when her mother had disowned her, amalie hadn't been upset. she knew she'd done some awful things, and she had accepted that years ago. so why couldn't this guy do the same thing? if you're going to be a sinner before death, why deny it after death? she thought, agitated.

indentthe man ran at her with all the speed he could muster up, and amalie pushed off one leg and came at the soul as fast as she could. he aimed for her left shoulder, preparing to hit her with whatever was left of his energy, and amalie saw her opportunity. swerving to the right, the reaper positioned the scythe in just the right position to strike his neck. the soul was so filled with rage that he did not notice her strategy, and he ran straight into her attack. he stopped inches from the sharp black edge, and panic spread across his face. lie gave him one last look before finishing the deed. the man's soul shrunk down into a glowing ball of blue spirit energy, which she bent down and picked up with no more care than if she were handling a marble.

indent"I'm sending a 'dominic jacobson' to you," amalie said to the handler on the other side of the bluetooth placed in her ear. he gave a quick agreement, and she closed her hand in a tight fist around dominic's soul. when she opened it again, there was nothing there but her worn black gloves. she sighed again and ran her hand though her plain black mess of hair. it had been that way for her whole life, and not just since death. many reapers retained their appearances as a sort of "thanks for working for ECHO". it wasn't like in books when a ghost's hair turned white or turned black. reality was different. lie hadn't expected to change in any way, although her eyes had turned into a pale grey rather than the sharp brown they'd been. but that was because of the type of reaper she'd become.

indent"amalie," came the familiar voice of her partner, jefferson. "ECHO wants to see us."

indentamalie turned toward jefferson. his dark brown hair whipped around in the breeze, and his piecing grey eyes looked at her with a kindness she knew well. the uniform he wore consisted of a black tie, a white button-down shirt, black slacks, and black dress shoes. as usual, his tie was loosened and the button on his collar was unbuttoned. he looked like a huge slacker, which he could be, but usually, he did his part. lie walked along the rooftop toward him. almost unconsciously, she spun her scythe around and it shrunk down into a small key, which she placed safely in her pocket.

indentshe smiled mischievously at jefferson, gesturing at his outfit, and asked, "well, if ECHO wants to see us, don't you think you should at least fix that up?" amalie reached up and buttoned his shirt and tightened his tie without waiting for an answer. jefferson's cheeks became a bright red, and he stumbled over his words. lie sighed. he always did that when she got close to him. there wasn't anything to be embarrassed at, though, which is what confused amalie. he's just crazy, she told herself with a grin. "come on then," she said, putting her hand on her hip and gesturing toward the ground. jefferson jumped first and amalie jumped after him. one of the benefits of being a ghost was that you never had to worry about getting hurt by jumping off a roof.

indentjefferson opened a portal to ECHO as soon as he'd landed, but he politely waited for lie to go through first. we may be dead, he would often tell himself. but that doesn't mean I can be impolite. amalie crossed over without hesitation, but jefferson still had trouble with portals. he could open them fine, but going through them always made him feel sick to his stomach. he inhaled sharply and stepped through.

indentnathaniel cross, the ECHO commander in chief was tapping his fingers impatiently and amalie was fiddling with her skirt when jefferson appeared in the office. his brown hair was tousled and his tie had some loose again. amalie sighed as she straightened it again. she decided that they should work on his portal jumps later. she had died before him, though they had known each other in life. they'd gone to the same school and died because of the same cause. some idiot had decided to put a bomb underneath one of the classrooms, immediately killing lie and placing jefferson into a coma until his eventual death. because she was introduced to ECHO before her partner, she'd had far more time to work out how being a reaper worked. nathaniel cleared his throat and both amalie and jefferson saluted.

indent"at ease," he said, waving their gesture aside. "I have a job for you two. there is a spirit at mary bridge college that is killing innocent kids who should have lived longer. he has somehow found a possessable body. it is priority number one."

indentlie thought hard about what the director had said. what exactly was he going to ask them to do? they couldn't deal with this corrupt ghost if he'd taken on a physical form. the only option lie saw was to kill the host. it was impossible to otherwise interact with the living world. even though they were hired to ferry souls to either heaven or hell, reapers did not escape the classification of "ghost" either. they were, indeed, dead, and therefore living people were unable to see, hear, or reach out to them. only people like nathaniel could take on a physical form, and he could barely hold that for long.

indent"lie, you are the best reaper we have. I have one possessable body in my stores. I need you to take it and stop that son of a necromancer. jefferson, you are allowed to tag along, but keep in mind that you won't be able to directly interact with amalie."

indentthe two reapers sat in silent shock. amalie, though, was the first to recover. "how did this body come into your care?" she asked sharply.

indent"she pledged her body to us at the moment of her death. we've been preserving it for a moment such as this," nathaniel said, matter-of-factly.

indentjefferson piped up next, though his voice was small. he had always been terrified of nathaniel and never got how lie could deal with him so calmly. "how did she pledge it to us if she was alive? she wouldn't have even known we existed."

indent"ah, the only reason we took interest in her was because she could see us. a near death accident when she was a child, and bam! ghosts. we approached her because of this talent. it will carry over into your possession of her body, amalie. you will be able to see jefferson, and talk with him. that is the only reason I am allowing him to accompany you."

indent"what do I get for doing this job?" amalie asked bluntly.

indentexpecting such a question from the black-haired reaper, nathaniel folded his hands in front of him and leaned forward. "you get an extra one hundred years of avoiding final judgement and a weapon for jefferson."

indent"deal," amalie firmly agreed.

indent"good," the director said. "my assistant will take you to the body. your task is in effect immediately. dismissed."

indentlie rose from her chair and grabbed jefferson's wrist, who rose and followed her in a daze. that had all taken place way to fast for him. lie hadn't even bothered to ask him if he thought it was a good idea - which he didn't - and the director hadn't bothered to ask if he accepted the task. which he didn't want to do either. he was too busy being caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't catch much of his surroundings. amalie, though, felt charged with energy and anticipation. nathaniel's assistant was waiting for them outside of the heavy oaken doors.

indent"right this way, amalie," she said politely, turning toward the far side of the building. "we'll be there soon if you hurry."

[roman]

“allies? yeah right. more like a-LIE-s.”
characters : kerrigan, troye


indentkerrigan smiled weakly. the city was a dangerous place for him to be, but he didn't care. not any longer. caring, as he had recently found, led to betrayal. he swallowed the lump in his throat, frustrated with himself. he shouldn't be getting upset. stop, he scolded himself. he never cared for you, kerrigan. why should you care about him? whenever he asked himself that question, he could not muster up a good answer. he doubted that there was a good answer. but he forever seemed stuck trying to figure out a suitable response.

indentswallowing his emotions, kerrigan slammed his pistol into the holster on his hip. he ran a hand through his mess of grey hair, and his smile disappeared. ferris had done the same thing, many times. cursing underneath his breath, kerri slipped from his spot and crept toward the sleeping city. he needed more bullets, food, and better clothing. the city was the only place he could get those things, but it was one in many that had placed a kill order on him.

indent"did our friendship really mean nothing to you?" kerrigan whispered bitterly.

indenthis heart rate quickened as he closed the gap between safety and the city. towering buildings rose from the earth, splitting into the sky. planes soared overhead. even at night, the never ceasing neon lights of thousands of signs broke the darkness. screens displayed advertisements for useless things. how foolish kerri had once been to desire them. now, he only wished for a soft bed, a warm meal, and some decent sleep. but ferris denied him these. the soft bed was taken from him because of the kill orders in the cities, forcing him to try to survive in the forest. the warm meal much the same. ferris even stole kerrigan's sleep from him by haunting his dreams. "is this what you wanted, ferris?"

indentkerrigan snaked his way through the slums of the city. the stink filled his nose, and he shook his head to try and clear it. finding no relief, he quickened his pace. even here, everyone seemed to be comfortably tucked away in their homes : kerrigan was the only moving thing. though it worsened his loneliness, he was glad for the absence of people. especially here, where money was low and bounty hunters were plenty. he doubted that he could enter even the slums during the day and hope to make it out alive.

indentdesperately searching his memory, kerrigan tried to figure which direction to go. he had never been in this part of the city, though he had been over it a few times. imagining it from above helped, although the twists and turns never seemed to end. he did not have much time to accomplish what he needed to. sunrise was slowly creeping up on him. he remembered scolding himself over and over when coming up with this plan. you have to make it out of the city before the sun comes up. that's at about six o' clock. kerrigan glanced down at the watch on his wrist. 2:07 am.

indentthe slums finally opened up into the actual city. the buildings immediately got taller and were clearly built better. there were some homes, but most were huge skyscrapers used for business. this city was more politically based, rather than residential. which could be seen as both good and bad when it came to kerrigan's survival. most businesses were closed throughout the night, although there were always some lingering employees, but there were some that were open all night. kerri trusted his memory, but he still emerged cautiously into the open. he had plotted a map in his head, avoiding 24/7 businesses and other, more active spots.

indenthe placed his hand on the handle of the gun, but did not draw it. this was where it got trickier to stay hidden. cowering behind a trash bin, kerrigan picked his steps before he moved. it was imperative, even if he thought no one was around, to stay hidden. one never knew when someone decided to stay later than they should. kerri did not intend to die tonight. revenge was the only thing left to him, though it brought him no joy. he would not breath his last until he had seen ferris in chains. a grim smile adorned kerrigan's features. he did not desire revenge, but only two options presented themselves : die or take vengeance. you were always the one to tell me "an eye for an eye".

indentkerrigan slipped from his spot behind the trash bin and stuck to the shadows of a particularly tall skyscraper. as he turned the corner, his eyes landed on the building he wanted to see. out of the thousands of lavish structures in the city, the one he traveled toward was a small, one story shop. the name was painted onto a hand-carved wooden sign : new york's everything store. if he had not been so focused on his task, kerrigan might have laughed. the title was a bit of a mouthful, although it was true enough.

indentcarefully, he twisted the handle on the door until the lock gave way with a heavy click. kerrigan silently slid through the small crack between door and frame, wary of opening it further lest there be some sort of bell to alert the owner of customers. he was immensely lucky that this was one of three shops in the city that was old fashioned enough not to have any type of sensors or alarms. the floorboards creaked underneath his steps, though they were light, and kerrigan winced with every advance. the inside of the store was musty and old, but many useful things lined the shelves.

indentkerri unbuckled the satchel at his side and slid two cases of bullets, a week's worth of food, and two pairs of nice-looking uniforms into it. he longingly eyed a soft bedroll, but he dared not take it. it would make his satchel too heavy and awkward to escape the city easily. sighing, he resumed examining the store for more things he might need. in the end, he grabbed one more uniform and two more cases of bullets. though heavy, the leather bag still fit underneath his arm comfortably enough. giving one last glance at the shelves - or more specifically the bedroll - kerrigan forced himself out into the open air.

indenta light breeze brushed past him, and he was grateful to be outside again. his sharp blue eyes scanned the surrounding clearing, and he was pleased to find that, as before, he was alone. besides the occasional shadow in the window, the night was still. feeling satisfied with his work, kerrigan headed back the way he had come. when he reached the slums, he checked his watch. this part of the city would take longer to get through, and he needed to know how to pace himself. 3:42 am. he'd made good time. casting one glance at the stars, which were shining defiantly against large patches of cloud, kerri quietly slipped through the collection of rag-tag homes.

indentthe edge of the city was fast approaching, along with freedom, when he heard someone shout, "kerrigan!" he froze. fear chilled his bones. immediately he reached down and drew his pistol, searching for the source of the sound. "kerrigan!" came the cry again. he tried to slow his breathing, and he was sure anyone nearby would hear his heartbeat. he had no time to process that the yell was a mournful one : a worried call. scanning the nearby brush for any sign of danger, kerri inched closer toward the forest. he needed to escape into the woods, or at least find cover there. out in the open, as he was, he was unsure whether he could survive against whoever was shouting.

indenthe reached the treeline without any trouble, but his pursuer was still making quite the racket. kerrigan ducked behind some brush, where he could clearly see the edge of the slums and, eventually, who was after him. after some tense minutes, the black figure of a woman appeared. she was not holding a gun, but kerri could make out the outline of a holster and the sheath of a sword. she stopped, almost in front of him. her breathing was heavy. "kerrigan," she said, almost as a lament rather than a call. "I swear I saw you."

indenthe tried to muffle his breathing. he was surprised to hear the woman start crying. who was she? it could just be an act to draw him out. bounty hunters were about as ruthless as they came, as long as the pay was sufficient. kerrigan had already run into bounty hunters, and had barely escaped their clutches. she leaned up against one of the trees and sunk to the ground. cautiously, kerrigan inched closer. as her face came into view, happiness and confusion welled in his stomach.

indenthe stood slowly from his hiding place and asked, "troye?"

indentthe brunette reached down to her gun in surprise, but when her eyes met his, recognition and relief shot across her features. "kerrigan!" she gasped, standing and coming closer toward him. he stepped back to match her advance. a frown replaced her smile. "what?" she asked.

indentkerrigan shoved his joy at seeing a familiar face down. ferris was one of troye's closest friends. even if she had nothing to do with ferris, kerri wouldn't have trusted her. he couldn't. not after what he'd been through. it was impossible for him to trust her. his hand snaked down to his gun, and fear adorned troye's face. "what are you doing?" she asked. her voice trembled and her hands were shaking. "what's wrong?"

indent"you know what's wrong," kerrigan growled, trying to keep his own voice from shaking. "I can't trust you. you work with him."

indent"ferris sent me to find you," she said, holding her hands in front of her. "look, I know you did something terrible, but ferris will forgive you. he's your best friend, kerri."

indent"is that what he told you?" kerrigan gasped. tears blurred his vision and spilled over his cheeks. "he told you I committed treason, I'm assuming. and you believe him?"

indent"kerri," troye said. "why would he lie? you don't have to play innocent with me."

indent"goodbye," kerrigan said angrily. he hated ferris. he hated himself for hating ferris. he hated troye for getting herself caught up in ferris's web of lies. he wasn't sure he could control his actions. turning away from troye, he clicked his half drawn gun back into it's holster and readjusted the leather satchel. he wanted to run. to run and never stop. he could, if he wanted. he glanced back at troye, and new tears slid down her cheeks from her piercing brown eyes. she just watched him go, too confused and shocked to chase after him. he offered nothing but a cold hard glare before he turned sharply into the woods.

indent"good luck with ferris," he called over his shoulder. "he'll stab you in the back the first chance he gets."

indentwiping his eyes, and not waiting for a response, kerrigan walked briskly further and further from the city he knew and the home he once took for granted. the pain in his chest turned from unbearable to dull. he couldn't trust anyone anymore. not even his childhood friends. especially his childhood friends. he had to survive on his own, and he wouldn't let anyone get in the way of his quest to destroy the pedestal ferris had put himself upon. kerrigan dragged his sleeve across his eyes one more time. he forced a weak smile, and continued his trek deeper into the forest.

indentif ferris wants to play a game of lies, so be it.

[roman]

( “ -- i.xwith nothing but hate

indentI can't do this, was the only thought running through Matthew Troyard's head. He stood in front of several prisoners, each with black bags around their heads and hands tied neatly behind their backs. Their breathing was ragged, fear-filled, and shaky. None of them were ready to die. And Matthew wasn't sure he was ready to kill them. He clenched his gloved hand around the grip of his State-issued black pistol, shut his eyes, and drew a deep breath. How could he pull the trigger on these men? He didn't even know who they were, only why they'd been handed the death sentence. As O class soldiers, they probably meant nothing to anyone. But they were still human. There may be an interplanetary war, but what did that matter if there was no one left when it was over? What would that accomplish? Nothing - the answer was nothing. No one on Earth seemed to want to admit that. No one on Mars seemed to want to even consider it.

indent"What the hell, Matt?" he heard Caspian breath.

indentThe man standing next to him, Caspian River, was commander in chief of the MXC Class division in the State Army. He was renown for his skillful combat and use of the power he was given. Unfortunately for his division, or those he visited, he was a harsh and unruly. No one ever knew when he would lash out, or if he even would. MXC soldiers did, though, tend to have erratic behavior, and none of it came as a surprise to those knowledgeable about the Classes. Matthew was not one of that group. He had barely been on this planet for long, and somehow, he'd managed to get himself caught up in a war. He'd just wanted to come see the blue skies and seas of Terra. Now, the sky was always black with smoke, and the sea filled to the brim with war ships.

indentCaspian stepped closer, and, flinching, Matthew moved his shaking finger to the trigger. He couldn't go through that again. Torture, that is. Caspian called it "effective training", Matthew called it "cruel and unusual punishment". But who cared what the Martian thought? He'd never had anything against Terrans, but they sneered and scoffed and wished him nothing but sorrow. Matthew felt tears cloud his eyes. Be beaten or shoot. That was his only choice, but he couldn't bring himself to kill. War and Death followed each other around like a boy and his dog. The black-haired young soldier knew he could not avoid killing. It would eventually creep up on him, and he really would have no choice. But was that today?

indent"Matthew Troyard, shoot. Now."

indentThen he felt exactly what he didn't want to feel - the cold metal of Caspian's pistol barrel pushed up against the side of his head. The tears spilled over from Matthew's eyes. Now the choice was shoot or die. I can't. I can't do this! his thoughts screamed out. How am I supposed to live with myself if I kill them? He'd seen his fair share of people dying, and it was hard enough to deal with the horrible nightmares those created. It would be many, many times worse if he had been the one pulling the trigger, rather than simply watching. Battlefields : "the places where boys become men" or, rather, as Matthew saw it, "the places where men die and survivors never escape". War was a useless tool that produced no victors, only crying mothers and dead children. Too bad Matthew was one of the very few who saw it that way.

indent"Stupid coward," he heard Caspian growl. "You would rather die than shoot these dogs? Even though, we, Terrans, have given you refuge and food while they try to kill you?"

indentMatthew nodded feebly, not trusting his voice. Killing another human being, no matter what planet or Class they came from, was a horrible sin that was unforgivable. Blood wasn't something that was washed from hands as easily as water. He knew it would haunt him for the rest of his life if he killed those soldiers. Why can't they see that we're all human? he thought solemnly. Matthew forced a weak smile and steeled himself for the bullet soon to be lodged in his skull. He hoped it wouldn't hurt. He remembered his mother used to tell him stories of an afterlife, of heaven and hell, and of God and men. Thinking this an appropriate time, he muttered a prayer to heaven above and hoped that he would end up there.

indentBang! Bang! Bang!

indentMatthew felt no pain, only the kickback of the weapon held in his hands. Carefully, he opened his eyes. What just happened? Did my gun fire? The sight that greeted him was a gruesome one. The Martian soldiers were hunched over and bleeding. One from his head, the other from his side, and yet another from his abdomen. Matthew dropped to his knees and felt more tears slip down his face. There was a smug "hmph" from Caspian before Matthew heard his steps leading away from the execution site. He covered his face with his hands and sobbed. There were jeers and laughs at him, and comments like "what a crybaby" or "weak Martian". But what did that matter?

indentMatthew had no idea how his gun had fired, but he knew it was somehow his fault. Regardless that they were from Vers, or Mars as the Terrans called it, they had families and friends that would never see them again. And it was his fault. He hoped they had been honorable soldiers, if nothing else. Just like him, they'd most likely been forced into military service and were dead for a cause they may or may not believe in. Why was Vers so intent on killing to get Earth's resources? Could a peace not have been brokered between the two planets? There had been, once, an uneasy peace, but a peace nonetheless. All it had taken to provoke war was a simple tap to the pride on each side. And just like that, thousands of lives were only pawns in a twisted game of chess.

indent"Hey, you stupid Martian," someone taunted. Laughs sprung up. Matthew guessed there were at least four soldiers to the right of him. He didn't so much as flinch. "Hey! Pay attention when I'm talking to you!"

indentPain tore through his side as a kick was delivered to his ribs. Matthew coughed, trying to force air into his lungs. He didn't stand or try to retaliate. There was no reason to. He would loose anyway. As an O Class soldier, he was not given any abilities or privileges and barely any training. His job was simply to do as he was told without any questions. These M Class soldiers held no respect for anyone belonging to the O Class, and that excluded the despise they held for Matthew as a Martian. Their laughs of amusement rattled through Matthew's head, and he tried to shut them out.

indent"Cut it out. Now," another voice commanded.

indent"Who are you to tell us?"

indent"Second Lieutenant Avi Ishikawa, that's who. Get out of here and leave him alone."

indent"Y-you you're Sec-second Lieutenant I-Ishikawa?" the first man stuttered.

indent"Scram before I have to escort you to the whipping post," Avi hissed.

indentA moment of silence, then, "Y-Yes ma-ma'am!"

indentMatthew still did not move. The Lieutenant could have just come to make fun, just like all the others. He had heard bad things about Avi Ishikawa. That she was just as harsh as Caspian or more so. That she hated Martians with her whole soul. How many she had killed. Perhaps she had just come to "put him out of his misery". Matthew would rather that. He was a murderer. He would forever be a murderer. So why keep living with that kind of weight on his shoulders? He would just be teased and kicked and asked to kill again, and again. Terrans were crueler than he thought they would be. It's not their fault, he told himself. Vers attacked first. Earth is just defending itself. But why do they have to torment me like this? I'm not my planet or my government.

indentMatthew winced as a hand passed over his ribs. The touch was gentle, and he doubted it was to cause pain. Was that Avi? Hadn't she come to hit him too - like all the other angry State soldiers? He attempted to pull himself away from her, but the sharp pinch in his side prevented him from making it far. His vision was blurred from the lack of air and the tears that still insisted on spilling over from his sky blue eyes. All he could see clearly was the dirt below his head and a pair of State Army boots. He guessed those were Avi's, and not someone else ready to laugh. Or, he hoped Avi wasn't here to laugh. Perhaps she actually wanted to help?

indent"Hey, Soldier," Avi said gently, kneeling down next to Matthew. "I'm not going to hurt you, okay? I'm a friend."

indentMatthew flinched. Was she lying? He really had no way to tell for sure. He tried to speak, but nothing but a cough and more pain came from it. Avi hushed him. "Don't talk, dummy. I'm going to roll you onto your back. Not gonna to lie here, it's going to hurt. You've probably got some cracked ribs. But I need to get a look at how bad it is. Damn those M Class bastards." Matthew steeled his resolve and then nodded, scraping his cheek against the small, sharp pebbles in the ground below. "Okay, then. Here it goes." Her hands grasped his shoulder, and at the count of three, she pushed him over onto his back. The pain that shot up through his ribs caused him to see stars. "It's over," Avi reassured him as she began to unbutton his uniform shirt. "You're a tough one, aren't you? To not get back up and give those soldiers what they deserve is a hard thing to do."

indentMatthew didn't try to talk again, but he wished he could tell her that he wasn't deserving of such praise. A killer like him didn't deserve anything. The cold air of morning bit into him as Avi ripped the rest of his shirt open. She gasped at the amount of damage the M Class soldiers had done. Shaking her head, but offering Matthew an encouraging smile, she began chanting a healing spell. Matthew gasped as the magic began to rework torn muscle and broken bone. It itched like nothing he'd ever felt before. Several tedious minutes passed before Avi finally sat back. "Okay, I'll help you sit up now," she said, sounding a little out of breath. Matthew winced at the thought. Noticing his hesitation, Avi laughed, "It shouldn't hurt, goofy. I just cast healing magic on your broken ribs." The black-haired soldier was unconvinced, but tensed his muscles and tried to sit up. When there was, indeed, no pain, Matthew reinforced his efforts and was successful in his task.

indent"Why did you help me?" he gasped, wiping his eyes and trying to stop the sobs that felt fast approaching. "Didn't you know that I'm-"

indent"You're what?" Avi asked, frustrated. "Martian? Of course I knew that. I helped you because you are an honorable person. It doesn't matter where you're from."

indentMatthew's eyes widened. Such talk was considered heresy, and was punishable by lashings or worse. "But-"

indentAgain, Avi interrupted. "No. And if you're worried about those Martian soldiers, don't be. Yes, they're dead, and that's unfortunate. Just more lives lost. But you didn't kill them. Caspian pulled the trigger for you. It's not your fault."


indentindentindentfin.