14th Inversion - Video

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The Vine opens a mirror to anyone passing by it to show the inside of an empty building. A place of finery, there was no movement. No sound. Nothing...

The mirror closes and a few moments later, it opens again, to show the inside of the same building, but a different place. A room untouched. A bed unmade. Trinkets around, but there was a thin layer of dust on them.

Again, the mirror closes and reopens a bit later to show the outside of this building. The gardens. They were untended, but finally there was so movement. Barely visible was a distressed looking Hoppip waving its fronds at something with cries of 'Hoppip! Hoppip!'

A voice responds, quiet but with a cruel edge to it, finally identifying the seemingly abandoned building as the Tohno Mansion.]

Your cries mean nothing to me. She's gone. They're all gone. You should leave, too, before I eat you.

[The Hoppip continues to cry out and draw close until it screams as one frond catches on fire. It flails about, putting the fire out before retreating. To the viewers of the mirror, it was hiding in the garden out of sight of Akiha.]

Go... leave.

[There's movement then as Akiha passes by the mirror, heavy streaks of vermillion running through her black hair. When she glances over at it, there is something distinctly non-human in her eyes. She narrows them, but says nothing, continuing on her way. A few seconds later, the mirror closes.]

Comments

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha lets herself be pulled into the hug but she doesn't respond right away. Then she brings her arms up and drops down to her knees so she would fit against Katina the way she was supposed to.]

I love you... I'm scared... I want to kill you...

[grandtheftmecha]

[ There isn't much she can do for Akiha, other than being there. A familiar feeling of helplessness.

Too bad she can't punch the demon out of her. ]

I believe in you. You aren't going to kill me, Akiha.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Then don't provoke me to it. [Some vermillion creeps back into her hair and the edge was back in her voice.]

[grandtheftmecha]

I'm gonna stay by your side, and I'm not going to do anything as awful as what I did. Don't worry about that.

[ For both their sake, she needs to make sure Akiha doesn't go that out of control. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Her nails dug painfully into Katina's back.] Are you going to try to stop me from destroying this place?

[grandtheftmecha]

I'd help if I could. [ She's sick of all the emotional jerking around. ]

Mind if I keep bystanders out of the crossfire? You can raise hell on the Queen and her little entourage.

[ritsu_kouyou]

I want them all to die. Everyone.

[But there was a shakiness to that last word that gave away the internal struggle.]

[grandtheftmecha]

You don't sound totally sure of that.

[ Akiha's not a mindless killer. A mindful killer, maybe, but not someone who would slaughter everyone wantonly.

AKIHA though... ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[AKIHA was the monster. No, she was worse than the monster, because she is cruel in her thirst for blood and death. Had she not killed her brother, absorbed his concept and his madness, AKIHA wouldn't exist and it would be a silent, almost innocent monster that knew nothing other than killing. AKIHA was far worse...]

I know what I want. And I want you to say it to me again - what you will do, what you feel.

[grandtheftmecha]

I love you. That's why I don't want you to make any mistakes... to do anything you'll regret.

[ Katina shook her head, then let it drop a little. This would stick with the both of them, wouldn't it? ]

If this is what you really want... I'll stay beside you the whole time.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha's hands went into Katina's hair, lips kissing her face lightly over and over as she spoke.] You are my warlord. Carry my banner, keep me satisfied at night, let me drink of you and I will make this Garden ours. All ours...

[grandtheftmecha]

You know I don't need it.

[ ...but power is nice, isn't it? Damn. She hasn't had a real battle-driven rush in so long. ]

All I need is you, but...

[ It's so tempting, but what would be left? Just the two of them and the ruins of this place? ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

But what? When it is ours, we will have the means to go where we want. You can come to Misaki City and stay...

[grandtheftmecha]

[ The power to leave. To leave this place, forever, with Akiha -

But her duty. How can she abandon her world, if they need her? ]

...damn. You know... I shouldn't abandon my friends though. I mean, I want to... be with you but... shit.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[Akiha's nails dug into Katina's back ans she raised her head, hair vermilion again.]

You would leave me to go die in a war?

[grandtheftmecha]

I'm not gonna die now. I'll kill anyone who gets in the way of me living to see you. No matter what...

[ Katina hoped that she wasn't obviously torn, though - she might die anyways. She wanted to be with Akiha.

Enough to abandon her friends, her family, her home? ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[AKIHA's head dipped down to run her tongue over the bites on Katina's neck. The bleeding may have stopped and the blood drying, but the skin should still be sensitive.]

Can you promise me that?

[grandtheftmecha]

[ She shivered a little, reaching a hand up to AKIHA's shoulder. It's definitely the demon. ]

I promise... in fact... I promise that one way or another, I won't die without you around...

[ Even if she's the cause. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[AKIHA's head comes up to bite down on Katina's ear. She doesn't draw blood, but her fangs pinch a little.]

Good. Then I may let you return to your war.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ ...that feels good, AKIHA or Akiha. ]

...it's not a sure thing yet... but... thank you.

[ritsu_kouyou]

[The edge in her voice, though not as obvious as it was when Katina first found her, makes it easy for her to know which side of the half-demon she was dealing with.]

Do I frighten you, Katina? I won't be going away. Not this time.

[grandtheftmecha]

[ She's gonna have to get way more used to the difference between the two. ]

I'm only worried about what kind of effect you'll have on your other half.

[ritsu_kouyou]

Perhaps she will decide things are better this way. After all, if it weren't for me, she never would've realized what exactly was stirring inside her for you. Remember that I was the one that kissed you first.

[That first mistletoe didn't count.]

She loves you... I want to kill you. Yet, I also love you and she hates you. Now, kiss me so I can hear her voice again. Otherwise, I may take your blood again. And you have not much more to give me today.

[grandtheftmecha]

...whatever both of you decide, you're both Akiha, and I'm not gonna leave you. [ Not even if it gets her killed. No, that might... be an alright way to die compared to what could happen to a soldier. ]

'm a little light-headed. Heh.

[ Don't bleed her dry please. Katina leaned in, no hesitation, a slight grin on her lips as she pressed them against AKIHA's, kissing deeply. ]

[ritsu_kouyou]

[AKIHA liked the feel of Katina's tongue brushing against her fangs, so recklessly unafraid of getting cut on them. It was good they weren't sharp enough to draw blood that easily, because another sharp taste of copper and AKIHA would devour Katina.

Arms wrapping about her, this time it was the demon that fell into the kiss. It took a few seconds for an almost submissive whimper to come from her. Her hair darkened again and Akiha clung to Katina with shaking hands.]