Shrike's Heart (#2)

[idolpro]

The woman before you is beautiful—fair of features, with lovely golden skin and luxurious long black hair, petite. You have the immediate and distinct impression that she's just let go of your hand, and she steps back, and smiles.

It's not quite a happy smile.

"I'm sorry," she says. "There's just nothing I can do, as things are. But the way is there; it just needs to be lit."

You open your mouth—maybe to say something, or to express confusion—but you have to cough, and taste something metallic, spattering black blood onto the ground in front of you. Then you realize—blood seeps from opening wounds in your arms, your chest, your stomach, your face. It rims your eyes and trails from your nose and you feel like you're dissolving—

—and you fall through the ground like it's the surface of a lake, and go down, down, down.

> Wake Up

Comments

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

Ha ha ha, that's mighty funny, friend! See, a weapon's a weapon no matter where it goes. We can't really stand down, and isn't it more fun to not really want to?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[justfuckingtryit]

This is a war, not a play date. Orders are orders.

And we are not standing down; you are. Like I said, we'll take it from here. You're needed elsewhere.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ he... looks around; the increasing number of you isn't in his favor, exactly. ]

Do you really think you'll get anywhere with that attitude? We're best at doing what we're made for. Can you really make that man surrender from behind all his meat shields he think will squeeze one more day from the stone of the world?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[justfuckingtryit]

Yes.

If we couldn't do it, they wouldn't have sent us in.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

If you think that's going to be a feather in your cap with anyone 'round here, you're really wrong, you know.

But your pal there's got an enthusiasm for giving the prefect her love, or something, so, well. Who knows? Might be entertaining, still.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[justfuckingtryit]

I'm not in it for a feather in my cap.

I'm in it to make sure she's covered if talking him down fails. Now, are you going to stand here talking all day, or are you going to follow orders?

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

Fine, fine~

But don't blame me when it doesn't work and orders come from down top otherwise. You might call what you want peace, but don't you know how this all ends?

I'll be around; maybe there's something more exciting somewhere else around here.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[justfuckingtryit]

[He doesn't like that, either, but the rest of the city is dead. How much damage can he do.]

...mm. Have it your way.

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

[ he wanders off, but not before giving Dia a knife??? ]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[justfuckingtryit]

[Okay. Well.]

[Time to go deal with this guy, I guess]

Re: THE BATTLEFIELD

[handpuppets]

over here