A saucer of milk... {Jian | Closed}
Jan 19, 2016 19:43:55 GMT -5
Jian Oreachi, Melody Black, and 2 more like this
Post by Dew on Jan 19, 2016 19:43:55 GMT -5
She could have let it go. She could have let him talk about something that was so terrifying to someone who didn’t have her experience. Her knack for things. She could have simply planned on what arcade they were going to, and the sorts of games they were going to play. Singing games, dancing games, shooting games. Normal shit like that. So what if an idiot wanted to let himself slowly be corroded by hollow energy inside of him? So what if she’d been in that same situation and almost died for it? What did she know about his situation? About how the hollow energy inside him right now worked, right? It was none of her business.
And yet, somehow she found herself eighty percent of the way through the action of slapping Jian when the red mist cleared. She stopped, took a look around herself, then changed the motion to a flick. Lucky for the both of them, the noodles were a little disturbed, but not overturned. Dew made her next action to strip off her parka so that she could move around without shifting the table as much. The black long sleeved shirt underneath was a little thin and clung to her body, but it would do as far as keeping her warm indoors. Her internal heaters were working properly again. She pulled her bowl in front of her and slowly began to eat. Her shaking hand was making it exceedingly hard to lift the noodles to her mouth to slurp up. She tried three mouthfuls before she realized she had to vent or she was going to explode. And limiter or no, there was going to be carnage.
When she looked up at Jian, her eyes were the clear, hauntingly brilliant crimson of her hollow shift. Black was in control. “I told you before, I did this to myself right? I didn’t say what I paid in doing so without properly managing it. Fullbringers, like me, are born with a little taint of hollow in our souls. It’s what gives us our power. Knowing this, and on a whim caused by a series of nightmares, I decided to ingest hollow reiatsu. I figured more hollow, more power, right? The first round, I was growing addicted to it. Kept a flask with me to have a little sip if I ever felt a tremor coming on. Got a couple of what I assume were hollow powers while things…settled.” The area around her eyes seemed marked by eyeliner. A very thick black that hadn’t been there before. At first just around the edges, but slowly growing thicker, and then spreading like veins from the outer corners of her eyes, down the sides of her head, and along her neck until it disappeared beneath her collar. Just as quickly, the inky blackness began to bleed into the white around her eyes until they were truly like those of a hollow. The area around them steadily grew darker as she spoke.
“Second round, after my little stay in Hueco Mundo, I wasn’t addicted, but I wasn’t the kind girl you seem to think I am. I was abusive. Vindictive. If a normal person so much as looked at me funny, they lost a wallet, or in one case, I chained him up with golden shackles of light. And the best part? I didn’t care. I relished the feeling. I continued to ingest to my heart’s content, damned be the consequences.” Her teeth weren’t that sharp before. Her nails weren’t akin to talons. Nor were they black. Her tiara seemed to lose it’s luster, going from silver to gunmetal gray.
“I stumbled on Takua in his tower while experimenting with the reiatsu. You see, I got out of Hueco Mundo with a garganta. Freed myself because there were no knights to come rescue me. Didn’t want them even if they were around. I couldn’t use the rest of the hollow powers from before, but I found garganta useful. So, when I stumbled upon a powerful and agreeable hollow, I had him teach me how to control my hollow energy. You know what he told me the consequences would be if I didn’t get a handle on it? Two weeks. That was my expiration date. And after I did manage to get control? A month. After that, I would die, or worse, I would become a hollow.”
Save the heavy air around her, there was nothing of note for the other patrons to take note of. Dew wasn’t going to destroy the restaurant, but she was going to make it very clear that there were some things you couldn’t be reckless about. Images flashed through her mind of Colin, leaning on a tree, arm slashed to ribbons. Dying, the life flowing out with his blood. And then? His arm was gone, then back, and back to normal. Inches from death, and the bastard tried to laugh it off like it was nothing special. It was one thing to rush into danger and die by the sword. It was another to poison yourself and think it a passing ailment. Her nails bit into her own palm as Dew stepped out from her side of the booth and walked over to grab hold of Jian’s shirt. Only the fabric kept her from drawing her own blood.
“I can’t implore you as a friend. We only just met. I can’t force you. We’re about even. I can’t do it myself. I’m a horrible fucking teacher. So I’ll put it like this. Unless your words about wanting to keep people safe, about protecting the human world was simply that? Find Takua, or anyone who can help, and get that bile in your heart settled as soon as you can.” She let go, and closed her eyes. The black marks receded, the vibrance of the area returned, her tiara once again shone it’s beautiful silver in the light. Dew took her seat once more, and opened her eyes to show their simple gray once more. No one was allowed to sip from that particular brand of stupid if she could help it. No one is more critical of booze than a recovering alcoholic.
“You can’t protect anyone if you’re dead.”
Gp Gain: 20
Gp Total: 301
And yet, somehow she found herself eighty percent of the way through the action of slapping Jian when the red mist cleared. She stopped, took a look around herself, then changed the motion to a flick. Lucky for the both of them, the noodles were a little disturbed, but not overturned. Dew made her next action to strip off her parka so that she could move around without shifting the table as much. The black long sleeved shirt underneath was a little thin and clung to her body, but it would do as far as keeping her warm indoors. Her internal heaters were working properly again. She pulled her bowl in front of her and slowly began to eat. Her shaking hand was making it exceedingly hard to lift the noodles to her mouth to slurp up. She tried three mouthfuls before she realized she had to vent or she was going to explode. And limiter or no, there was going to be carnage.
When she looked up at Jian, her eyes were the clear, hauntingly brilliant crimson of her hollow shift. Black was in control. “I told you before, I did this to myself right? I didn’t say what I paid in doing so without properly managing it. Fullbringers, like me, are born with a little taint of hollow in our souls. It’s what gives us our power. Knowing this, and on a whim caused by a series of nightmares, I decided to ingest hollow reiatsu. I figured more hollow, more power, right? The first round, I was growing addicted to it. Kept a flask with me to have a little sip if I ever felt a tremor coming on. Got a couple of what I assume were hollow powers while things…settled.” The area around her eyes seemed marked by eyeliner. A very thick black that hadn’t been there before. At first just around the edges, but slowly growing thicker, and then spreading like veins from the outer corners of her eyes, down the sides of her head, and along her neck until it disappeared beneath her collar. Just as quickly, the inky blackness began to bleed into the white around her eyes until they were truly like those of a hollow. The area around them steadily grew darker as she spoke.
“Second round, after my little stay in Hueco Mundo, I wasn’t addicted, but I wasn’t the kind girl you seem to think I am. I was abusive. Vindictive. If a normal person so much as looked at me funny, they lost a wallet, or in one case, I chained him up with golden shackles of light. And the best part? I didn’t care. I relished the feeling. I continued to ingest to my heart’s content, damned be the consequences.” Her teeth weren’t that sharp before. Her nails weren’t akin to talons. Nor were they black. Her tiara seemed to lose it’s luster, going from silver to gunmetal gray.
“I stumbled on Takua in his tower while experimenting with the reiatsu. You see, I got out of Hueco Mundo with a garganta. Freed myself because there were no knights to come rescue me. Didn’t want them even if they were around. I couldn’t use the rest of the hollow powers from before, but I found garganta useful. So, when I stumbled upon a powerful and agreeable hollow, I had him teach me how to control my hollow energy. You know what he told me the consequences would be if I didn’t get a handle on it? Two weeks. That was my expiration date. And after I did manage to get control? A month. After that, I would die, or worse, I would become a hollow.”
Save the heavy air around her, there was nothing of note for the other patrons to take note of. Dew wasn’t going to destroy the restaurant, but she was going to make it very clear that there were some things you couldn’t be reckless about. Images flashed through her mind of Colin, leaning on a tree, arm slashed to ribbons. Dying, the life flowing out with his blood. And then? His arm was gone, then back, and back to normal. Inches from death, and the bastard tried to laugh it off like it was nothing special. It was one thing to rush into danger and die by the sword. It was another to poison yourself and think it a passing ailment. Her nails bit into her own palm as Dew stepped out from her side of the booth and walked over to grab hold of Jian’s shirt. Only the fabric kept her from drawing her own blood.
“I can’t implore you as a friend. We only just met. I can’t force you. We’re about even. I can’t do it myself. I’m a horrible fucking teacher. So I’ll put it like this. Unless your words about wanting to keep people safe, about protecting the human world was simply that? Find Takua, or anyone who can help, and get that bile in your heart settled as soon as you can.” She let go, and closed her eyes. The black marks receded, the vibrance of the area returned, her tiara once again shone it’s beautiful silver in the light. Dew took her seat once more, and opened her eyes to show their simple gray once more. No one was allowed to sip from that particular brand of stupid if she could help it. No one is more critical of booze than a recovering alcoholic.
“You can’t protect anyone if you’re dead.”
__________________________________________________________________________
Word Count: 1043Gp Gain: 20
Gp Total: 301