Valik Sparks
2013-06-15, 04:57 AM
Alpha
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ukRDK7vuQ)
The only way to describe the noise was... busy. Busy sounds. So many..things..all going on at once. Processes. Transmissions. Data talking to data. Information being create and retrieved and discarded over..and over..and over again. Routine after routine. It was like a static whir in his ears, if he had any. Like a haze around the edges of his vision, if he still had eyes to see with. Alas, he no longer resided inside a physical body. He was.. some sort of metaphysical being, a mass of memories, transformed into electronic data by an inhuman power.
Within the Avalon, he could be anywhere he wanted within the fraction of an instant. He could see every system. He could feel the pulsing power of the engines, or the swarming bits of data that streamed constantly through the navigational system. When the shields were struck and weakened, he could even feel something reminiscent of pain. Yes, it was... busy, indeed. But in the midst of the static and busyness... a small, quiet voice called his name.
"Ryuu...?"
In an instant, he was looking from the perspective of a security camera into the room of Kallen Kozuki. She sat on a sofa, hands on her knees, very still, staring downward. "Ryuu..." She whispered again. "Are you here?"
Of course he was. But she would never be able to tell.. until he gave her something physical. Humans--...we...are in general stimulated and reliant more on vision than anything else. It seems to provide a certain comfort that a disembodied voice cannot. And so the green, hard-light energy began to materialize and shape itself into a human form. Ryuu Sasaki.
Relief was clear as it swept over Kallen. Her large, clawed, gauntlet rapped lightly against her knee. She turned it over, looking at the palm, then she lifted her head and gave Ryuu a small smile. "Hey.."
He could tell there was something on her mind. And with a little patience, something more indeed did slip from her tongue -though was it exactly what was on her mind?
"So... what's your... plan, now? What's your.. dream. If, I mean if... if you could do whatever you wanted.. in this world, to this world.. What would you do?"
"What would the world look like.. if you had your way?"
Beta
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EGUIw4Vhl8)
He was supposed to be trying to get some sleep. It was their last night in Hong Kong. The repairs and upgrades for the Avalon were finished; Rakshata was in the process of inspecting the work and ensuring that Avalon was in perfect condition -and that the Chinese hadn't gotten any funny ideas and planted any surprises. A sweep with the Geass had already registered no bugs planted, but one could never be too careful.
And so he lied in his quarters, on a small, cot, hands under his head as he gazed at the ceiling. Everyone was expecting a meeting by the morning. A plan of action. Where to go.. what to do. Somehow, Ethan had found himself in the very position he'd always tried to avoid. The Leader. Sure, Ryuu, Tristan, and Tetris all made plans just as well.. but they... well Ryuu didn't even have a body anymore, Tristan was a little less than charming, given his growing habit of killing and maiming. Rumors spread fast in a small rebel community like this. And Tetris.. well Tetris was.. Tetris. Who really knew what went on in that head of hers?
And so it all fell on him... He was the new face of the rebellion. The King who gave his orders from the frontlines. The strong-man, the leader...
...and he couldn't even accomplish the simple task of falling asleep. Because every time he closed his eyes.. She was there.
...an admittedly attractive young girl with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, dragging along with her a small, unassuming 11 with a scowl on his face..
She stops in front of Ethan, leaning down and leveling her face right in front of his. "Hi!"
Ethan's own voice echoes through his mind; it seems like years ago. He was so young..and so naive. "Hmmm? Is there something I can help you with?"
"I don't think we've really officially met -heehee!"
"I am Ethan Wyatt. Dirty Jap."
"Oh don't say that! You're not dirty at all!"
"Thats right, I do bathe regularly."
"In fact I--I mean we- really admire you!"
"So you'll join???? Oh pleeeease! We really want you!"
"If only to annoy this grumpy man here. YES."
"EEEEEEEEEE!!!" She squeals and hugs Ethan tightly. Abruptly. And then grabs his hand and drags him on his way.
Then.. shrieking.. and laughter.. racing footsteps. Something like a skull-sized vacuum is slammed over Ethan's head. -"WHAT THE BLAZES?"- A sucking sensation yanks Ethan's hair up, and then the machine is pulled off. Milly's giggling face filling Ethan's field of vision as he turns towards her and finds a mirror in her hand. "WHAT. DID. YOU. DO." Purple hair. "CHANGE IT BACK. NOW." -Milly races off, laughing hysterically. Ethan gives chase, lunging and tackling her to the ground. "Milly, you have to stop this madness!" She only continues to giggle madly. She doesn't seem to mind her predicament.
"Milly it slightly worries me that you aren't attempting to break my hold on you."
"I can't, silly! You're--" She struggles weakly. "--way too strong! Crazy Japanese rogue!"
"I'm not that strong. And you managed to grab me..." Ethan lets her go. She sits up, smiling all the while.
"Isn't this GREAT?!"
"Not really."
She frowns. "Awwwww why so serious all the sudden?"
"I liked having original hair color. And the Princess is making a splash."
She ruffles your hair. "Oh come on! It's Ok! I have stuff that'll wash it out after just one bath!
..But you don't take baths. Dirty Jap!" She giggles cheerily.
Sometime later.. the council room.. Milly is watching Ethan, guarding the bottle of purple-be-gone solution in one hand. "Ah! Ok! But then how will you ever get the solution?" She grins, backing away, towards the window, and holds the bottle threateningly towards the open frame.
"Milly..." Ethan advances, slowly. And then he bows to her and offers her his hand "May I have this dance?"
"Wh-...what..?" Her eyes are wide, full of shock, and...wonder. A hidden joy, somewhere deep within. She drops the solution, and Ethan gracefully snatches it with one hand, while keeping Milly in his arms the entire time.
"And that, my friends, is how to win a fight with a girl."
Smiles all around.. his friends.. his family.. Their voices. Their laughter. Their faces. It starts coming faster. Milly, bound and gagged, at gunpoint. Shouting terrorists. The lights go out. Ethan rushes her into another room and locks it behind them; but it won't hold. He undoes her bindings, opens the window. He's left his pistols behind for her sake. He peers down.. the door behind him bursts open. The Koumori is far below. He jumps.
He can feel it now.. the air rushing past his body, his hair yanked by the wind. Milly's face buried into his chest as she screams. He turns in the air, holds her in his arms, and slams into the palm of the Koumori on his back. Pain. Darkness.
"Milly? Do you ever wonder about what I do that keeps me so busy?"
The smell of fresh grass. The look on her face. An.. emptiness.. sadness.. fear.. he'd never seen in her eyes before. But as he strolled and talked with her, the darkness gradually gave way to light, even if just a small amount. "Well you're a terrorist right? Or, rebel...but they'd call you terrorist."
"How long have you known?"
"Well -now- I know. It was just a guess... I'm not stupid. Well, Ok, not as stupid as I act sometimes.."
"Does this change your perception of me?"
"No. I...understand you. And I believe in you.. I don't know how everything works.. I don't want to believe that the culture I've grown up in is so evil.. and sometimes it's hard not to believe all the so called evidence throw at me that all terrorism is evil, all fighting back.. But.. I know that right now.. something's just not right. This. Everything. It's.. not as it should be. And if anyone could make it so.. it would be you."
She looks down.. "I'm.. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't smile for you..." She closes her eyes and says under her breath, "Of all the days.."
"Milly... There are too many secrets I cannot tell you, for fear that if we are ever found out that you will suffer." Ethan wraps his arms around her. Her hair presses against his face, soft like silk, fragrant as a rose. "You don't need to smile for me. You have given me days that have made me smile when I thought there could be no reason. I have been surrounded by the pain of my people. For years I have been able to do nothing but watch. But the days of your student council... Those days were carefree. And now I have the strength to stand with my people. And fight for our freedom."
He can feel moisture seeping through to his skin and tears slip from Milly's eyes. She starts tearing up. "Oh..oh no.. I.. Oh I'm not used to this.. it's..I...Ethan, my smile, it's not real, it's not...it..."
"What do you mean?"
She pulls away.. "I..the reason I'm always..so happy.. I...today...why I'm suddenly...not..it's.." She's quiet for a moment. "I..take medication...for this sort of thing.." A flash of red, hard, fiery red that makes Ethan's heart slam and his body flinch. Geass. Her eyes. Both of them, aglow. She stands before a mirror, in her room, in the darkness. She whispers.. "Milly Ashford.. Love yourself."
Then she's there again, with him, on the lawn, tears in her eyes. "I skipped it today. I wanted to try to be..real. But everytime I do, I just feel sad.."
The dark room. A knife, stained with fresh, wet blood. Milly curled up on the floor, her arms bleeding profusely.
"I...I used it, for myself.. I used it.. all the time.. I would...trap people.. in love with me, because I..because I wanted that.. but.. it.. it was...wrong...And it was fake.. they didn't love me, they just..they were under a spell.. And pretty soon I...I just.. I hated myself.. I hated what I was doing, what I'd done, who I was.. I was a..a witch. And I... I almost.. I mean I.. I wanted to die.. But instead... I looked into the mirror..and I said... 'Love yourself'... and then..then I could feel better.. it took away my sadness.. it gave me joy..and so I..kept doing it..every day, when the spell would fade.. I did it again..and again..and now.. Now I.... I can't function without it... If it fades, I just... years of bottled up sadness just..overwhelm me, and..I can't bear it.. I get those feelings again.. I want to die again.."
She shrieks. Her eyes are wide. The bloody knife clatters to the ground. Then blackness. The symbol of Geass. A terrible, warbled, distorted scream. Whispers.. can't understand them. Milly is pale. Her skin is cold. Her hair unkempt. Her eyes... dull.
Then there's the lawn again. The smell of grass. Only this time.. it seems less green. The sky less clear. And the impending battle for Tokyo hangs over Ethan's head. Milly stands before him.. face turned up in a smile. Eyes..bright. But he can see it now. How...unnatural it is. Inhuman.
"Have you used your Geass recently?"
"Uh. What? Ahaha! Noooo! Silly, I'm just so happy! I love life!"
"Milly... Geass are dangerous. We have to control them." She goes quiet. He continues. "These things are powerful... I know things are hard... And my time is being monopolized by the rebellion.. I don't know what to do..."
"I don't wanna be sad.. I don't wanna be mad at you.. I don't wanna hurt so much missing you.. I just.. have to.. make it go away. It's too much Ethan. I'm sorry. I'm not.. strong.. it's too much. All the back and forth, sometimes here sometimes not, and I never know when I'm gonna see you, or IF I'm gonna see you and I.. I.." Her face lights up and she gives a toothy smile. "It's Ok! I'm happy! You're doing important things!"
"I've created a real mess haven't I..."
She wraps Ethan in a warm hug. "It's Ok! I love you! Do what you need to do! I'm always here!"
"But I'm not... Thats the problem! If we could just run away. Flee from this war..."
...but I can't..."
Explosions rip through the air. Shattering glass, screaming, thunderous bombs. Concrete cracking, buildings being torn through... the colossal monster of a Knightmare crushing Tokyo beneath its feet. Friendly dots vanishing on his monitor. The blast of a giant hadron canon. Red lights, emergency signals, blaring alarms. Milly's smiling face. Then Aya.. the eyepatch removed, Geass lit within the empty, black socket. And then.. a flash. The face of the Emperor of Britannia. Grinning wickedly. Geass enflamed in one eye.
Ethan jolts up again, a cold sweat soaking his body. All he can see is her face, phasing in and out of reality, all around him. Her smile. Then her blood. Her voice, her laughter, echoing. She's trapped out there.. trapped under a spell of false memories. Gone...
And yet here she is? Tormenting him in the night. There's something in his peripheral. He turns. Then jolts back. Milly. Sitting there, arms around her knees, looking at him, a small smile, concerned eyes. Clear as day. No fading. He rubs his eyes. She's still there. She reaches.. He flinches. Her hand brushes his arm... Her skin.. soft. Her voice..
"Ethan... Where are you going..? What are you doing? What are you going to do with this world? If you could do anything.. if you could have your way.. What would the world look like?"
"What kind of world will you make for me?"
Gamma
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazBXlBz6cw)
Life looks very different when you're standing behind the red curtain...
Life looks very different when your fingers pull the strings...
Life looks very different when your foes' fate is certain...
Life looks very different...
...when you're killing everything.
Out of the abyss came shadows like knives. Red flames like eyes. A hiss, a whisper.. A cackle in the distance.
Weeee.. demand blood...
Behind him. All around him. Another pair of fiery red eyes igniting in the infinite dark all around him.
BLOOD!
The voices cried out in unison, echoing, vibrating as they melded in perfect synch.
Tristan could smell the heavy scent of iron. He could feel a sticky heat about him. A softness to the invisible ground beneath him.
We will tell you what was... What is... And what may be... for blood.
Blood, precious blood.. spill it before us. Show us your strength. Paint yourself RED! Tear off their heads! MAKE THEM ALL DEAD!
DEAD..! Kh-k-keeeeheeheeheeheeeeee..
AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!
Tristan's head spun. The scent of...blood, overpowered him. He stumbled in place, he couldn't speak, breathing in the stench of death as he opened his mouth. His heart pounded sharply. A warm, thick, wet sensation crawled over his toes, up past his ankles...his knees...
BLOOD! GIVE US BLOOD! BE OUR INSTRUMENT! OUR VENGEANCE. OUR HATRED. BLOOD. BLOOD. BLOOD!!
The thick, oozing liquid climbed all the way to his shoulders. Despite his thrashing, he couldn't move. There was nothing to grasp. He couldn't shout. Nothing came out. Blood. The blood rising all around him lapped at his chin now. The voices laughed and laughed...and never ceased their cry for blood. He stretched a hand upwards, desperate for something, for anything...
And then he was swallowed whole. Alone. In an abyss of darkness.
Tristan's struggle in the nightmare physically manifested as a desperate shout as he lurched upright, body covered in a cold sweat as he found himself alone, in the dark of his small room aboard the Avalon. His chest heaved with heavy panting.
The door to his room burst open, light blasting in, half-blinding Tristan as he caught glimpse of a silhouette racing inside. He felt two hands tentatively lay upon him as a figure knelt at his side, and a worried voice spoke softly into his ear.
"Master Tristan... Are you alright?"
Sayoko seemed to be analyzing Tristan, but finding no immediate threats, she backed off, standing in an astute and orderly manner, as she always did. Always ready for action, on a whim, no matter the order. "Was it a dream then..?" She asked cautiously. "Forgive me if I barged in here unwelcomed.. I just... I am very protective of you, you know this, sir. We cannot afford to lose you. If we are to...to win. To change the world... we need you." There was a long pause.
"I hope I'm not being too forward, but.. if I may ask... Is that what you want, Master Tristan? To change the world?"
Yes, 'Master' Tristan... Are you going to change the world? Are you going to wet the soil with blood to nourish your growing plots? What would you do, I wonder...to have your way?
Would you kill...even her?
The voices cackled in a most inharmonious manner. For a moment, Tristan thought he saw a flicker of red orbs in the shadows behind Sayoko. She continued to speak, gaze thoughtful and distant, completely unaware.
"What would the world be like... If you, Tristan, could shape it into anything you wanted?"
Delta
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPPqSIkD-P0)
She sits alone. One of those rare moments. Being alone. It seemed like the whole world wanted a piece of Tetris. Friends, enemies, frenemies. Everywhere she turned there was someone else calling her name. Or buzzing her phone, as it were. Companions wishing to include her in their plots. Friends seeking advice. Someone talking to her just to...talk. And get it out. Or something. She probably had more information than any other member of the rebellion. What made her so popular? She'd even received a Geass. What made her so special? Privileged.
Privileged?
Her parents died. Twice. She sure didn't feel privileged. Tetris fiddled absent-mindedly with a blade, every now and then knocking it against her metal leg. Another memory. Another reminder. She rubbed at her temple. So many... memories. It was such a mess up there. Memories. Some fake, some real, apparently? How the heck could she tell? All she had to rely on were what other people said. And whatever seemed right. What was right anymore? And what were words from a friend anymore? Couldn't those be fabricated just as her memories were? Just because she and her companions supposedly regained their old memories... couldn't that be a trick too? Couldn't those be fake, still? What was real anymore... What proof was there of.. reality. Of anything.
The knife went flying into the wall, bouncing off with an anticlimactic 'Ping!'. She sighed, flopping back onto her bed, hands over her face, letting out a whiney, childish groan. She kept getting more flashes...more memories. Faces and words and feelings and agh. Stop.
Ryuu. At least who he used to be. Supposedly. Some sarcastic but kind of charming in a weird way tech-genius... Did they have a thing? Was she..? Did he..? Were they..? But then what about...
"I love you, Tetris..."
Who was that loon.. Jeremiah Gobble? A badge with his name flashed in her mind's eye. Gottwald. Right. JJ...
Texts. Smiley faces. A candlelight dinner. Soft words. Warm hands. A smile. Deep, orange eyes. Spirited green hair. A strong, determined face. Was he..? Did she..? --Tetris' eyes flew open as she gasped sharply, yanking a hand abruptly over her lips, staring at the ceiling. Oh dear. That happened? That happened... She blinked. Stared. His face lingered before her, ghostly...and yet attached to feelings. Feelings that didn't seem to belong, but they were there, they wouldn't go. Agh!
Tetris snatched her pillow and slapped it over her own face, leaving it there to smother her as she laid sprawled on her bed. She groaned again.
A knock. She had to wait for a moment to make sure it was actually happening. But it sounded again; the knocking. She lifted the pillow, peering at the door to her room. Who...? Squinting, Tetris peeled herself off the bed and staggered over to the door. Really? At this time of night..? Who would...
"Hi mom.."
She stared. Then closed the door. Pause. She blinked, realization flooding over her as her eyes widened and she opened the door again to take in the sight of the young boy.
Right. She had a kid.
Kind of.
"Cor..mac?" She barely managed, voice gravely and hoarse.
Cormac gave a little smile. Those orange eyes.. green hair. But his face.. it was softer, a touch rounder. His nose small and... Tetris started to reach her hand towards her own nose, then stopped and shook her head quickly. Stop stop stop. None of that.
"I, um.. I'm sorry if I woke you up." He glanced down, shifting his weight. He looked to be around fifteen now.. only days ago people would've said he looked twelve. What are you gonna do. Demon Kids.
Tetris grumbled something incoherent.
"I...could I just.. sit in your room with you? I've been.. having weird dreams.. I just don't wanna..." Cormac looked away. "I don't wanna be alone."
Tetris looked at him for a long moment, then just nodded. She turned around, dragging herself back into the room, leaving him to shut the door again, and when her shins bumped the bed, she toppled over and hit the sheets face first.
There was a long moment of silence before she heard Cormac's voice nearby. "What are we doing here, mom..? What are we doing on this ship...with these soldiers? Are we helping them? What are they doing? Why is everybody... fighting so much. I don't understand. Everything I can remember.. it's like ever since I opened my eyes...all I've seen is people fighting. Is this just how it is? Is this what life is? Is this how it's always been..."
As his voice softly broke the silence of the room, she couldn't help but soak in his words. Images flashed by of the time she'd spent with him... First seeing him in her arms...so foreign...and yet...they said he was hers? Leading him by the hand...protecting him. Until he was big enough now, that he was protecting her. She'd watched him die...and then come back. What was he? He was...inhuman. Strange. Monstrous? And yet...he was one of the few things in her mind...that was solid. He didn't change. The memories of him didn't feel fuzzy, confused, noisy... He was just...there. And he just...cared for her. Not because she was nice, or important, or beautiful. But just because...she existed. It wasn't complicated. It was...so simple it was impossible. It was the bond of blood. Biologically true? Maybe not. Physically possible? Definitely not. And yet he was there. Calling her mommy and everything.
What do you do with that?
"What would you do, mom...?" Cormac said, once again breaking the silence, and bringing Tet's mind back to reality.
"If you could change the world...make it into anything you wanted... What would you do?"
Epsilon
???
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ukRDK7vuQ)
The only way to describe the noise was... busy. Busy sounds. So many..things..all going on at once. Processes. Transmissions. Data talking to data. Information being create and retrieved and discarded over..and over..and over again. Routine after routine. It was like a static whir in his ears, if he had any. Like a haze around the edges of his vision, if he still had eyes to see with. Alas, he no longer resided inside a physical body. He was.. some sort of metaphysical being, a mass of memories, transformed into electronic data by an inhuman power.
Within the Avalon, he could be anywhere he wanted within the fraction of an instant. He could see every system. He could feel the pulsing power of the engines, or the swarming bits of data that streamed constantly through the navigational system. When the shields were struck and weakened, he could even feel something reminiscent of pain. Yes, it was... busy, indeed. But in the midst of the static and busyness... a small, quiet voice called his name.
"Ryuu...?"
In an instant, he was looking from the perspective of a security camera into the room of Kallen Kozuki. She sat on a sofa, hands on her knees, very still, staring downward. "Ryuu..." She whispered again. "Are you here?"
Of course he was. But she would never be able to tell.. until he gave her something physical. Humans--...we...are in general stimulated and reliant more on vision than anything else. It seems to provide a certain comfort that a disembodied voice cannot. And so the green, hard-light energy began to materialize and shape itself into a human form. Ryuu Sasaki.
Relief was clear as it swept over Kallen. Her large, clawed, gauntlet rapped lightly against her knee. She turned it over, looking at the palm, then she lifted her head and gave Ryuu a small smile. "Hey.."
He could tell there was something on her mind. And with a little patience, something more indeed did slip from her tongue -though was it exactly what was on her mind?
"So... what's your... plan, now? What's your.. dream. If, I mean if... if you could do whatever you wanted.. in this world, to this world.. What would you do?"
"What would the world look like.. if you had your way?"
Beta
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EGUIw4Vhl8)
He was supposed to be trying to get some sleep. It was their last night in Hong Kong. The repairs and upgrades for the Avalon were finished; Rakshata was in the process of inspecting the work and ensuring that Avalon was in perfect condition -and that the Chinese hadn't gotten any funny ideas and planted any surprises. A sweep with the Geass had already registered no bugs planted, but one could never be too careful.
And so he lied in his quarters, on a small, cot, hands under his head as he gazed at the ceiling. Everyone was expecting a meeting by the morning. A plan of action. Where to go.. what to do. Somehow, Ethan had found himself in the very position he'd always tried to avoid. The Leader. Sure, Ryuu, Tristan, and Tetris all made plans just as well.. but they... well Ryuu didn't even have a body anymore, Tristan was a little less than charming, given his growing habit of killing and maiming. Rumors spread fast in a small rebel community like this. And Tetris.. well Tetris was.. Tetris. Who really knew what went on in that head of hers?
And so it all fell on him... He was the new face of the rebellion. The King who gave his orders from the frontlines. The strong-man, the leader...
...and he couldn't even accomplish the simple task of falling asleep. Because every time he closed his eyes.. She was there.
...an admittedly attractive young girl with wavy blonde hair and bright blue eyes, dragging along with her a small, unassuming 11 with a scowl on his face..
She stops in front of Ethan, leaning down and leveling her face right in front of his. "Hi!"
Ethan's own voice echoes through his mind; it seems like years ago. He was so young..and so naive. "Hmmm? Is there something I can help you with?"
"I don't think we've really officially met -heehee!"
"I am Ethan Wyatt. Dirty Jap."
"Oh don't say that! You're not dirty at all!"
"Thats right, I do bathe regularly."
"In fact I--I mean we- really admire you!"
"So you'll join???? Oh pleeeease! We really want you!"
"If only to annoy this grumpy man here. YES."
"EEEEEEEEEE!!!" She squeals and hugs Ethan tightly. Abruptly. And then grabs his hand and drags him on his way.
Then.. shrieking.. and laughter.. racing footsteps. Something like a skull-sized vacuum is slammed over Ethan's head. -"WHAT THE BLAZES?"- A sucking sensation yanks Ethan's hair up, and then the machine is pulled off. Milly's giggling face filling Ethan's field of vision as he turns towards her and finds a mirror in her hand. "WHAT. DID. YOU. DO." Purple hair. "CHANGE IT BACK. NOW." -Milly races off, laughing hysterically. Ethan gives chase, lunging and tackling her to the ground. "Milly, you have to stop this madness!" She only continues to giggle madly. She doesn't seem to mind her predicament.
"Milly it slightly worries me that you aren't attempting to break my hold on you."
"I can't, silly! You're--" She struggles weakly. "--way too strong! Crazy Japanese rogue!"
"I'm not that strong. And you managed to grab me..." Ethan lets her go. She sits up, smiling all the while.
"Isn't this GREAT?!"
"Not really."
She frowns. "Awwwww why so serious all the sudden?"
"I liked having original hair color. And the Princess is making a splash."
She ruffles your hair. "Oh come on! It's Ok! I have stuff that'll wash it out after just one bath!
..But you don't take baths. Dirty Jap!" She giggles cheerily.
Sometime later.. the council room.. Milly is watching Ethan, guarding the bottle of purple-be-gone solution in one hand. "Ah! Ok! But then how will you ever get the solution?" She grins, backing away, towards the window, and holds the bottle threateningly towards the open frame.
"Milly..." Ethan advances, slowly. And then he bows to her and offers her his hand "May I have this dance?"
"Wh-...what..?" Her eyes are wide, full of shock, and...wonder. A hidden joy, somewhere deep within. She drops the solution, and Ethan gracefully snatches it with one hand, while keeping Milly in his arms the entire time.
"And that, my friends, is how to win a fight with a girl."
Smiles all around.. his friends.. his family.. Their voices. Their laughter. Their faces. It starts coming faster. Milly, bound and gagged, at gunpoint. Shouting terrorists. The lights go out. Ethan rushes her into another room and locks it behind them; but it won't hold. He undoes her bindings, opens the window. He's left his pistols behind for her sake. He peers down.. the door behind him bursts open. The Koumori is far below. He jumps.
He can feel it now.. the air rushing past his body, his hair yanked by the wind. Milly's face buried into his chest as she screams. He turns in the air, holds her in his arms, and slams into the palm of the Koumori on his back. Pain. Darkness.
"Milly? Do you ever wonder about what I do that keeps me so busy?"
The smell of fresh grass. The look on her face. An.. emptiness.. sadness.. fear.. he'd never seen in her eyes before. But as he strolled and talked with her, the darkness gradually gave way to light, even if just a small amount. "Well you're a terrorist right? Or, rebel...but they'd call you terrorist."
"How long have you known?"
"Well -now- I know. It was just a guess... I'm not stupid. Well, Ok, not as stupid as I act sometimes.."
"Does this change your perception of me?"
"No. I...understand you. And I believe in you.. I don't know how everything works.. I don't want to believe that the culture I've grown up in is so evil.. and sometimes it's hard not to believe all the so called evidence throw at me that all terrorism is evil, all fighting back.. But.. I know that right now.. something's just not right. This. Everything. It's.. not as it should be. And if anyone could make it so.. it would be you."
She looks down.. "I'm.. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't smile for you..." She closes her eyes and says under her breath, "Of all the days.."
"Milly... There are too many secrets I cannot tell you, for fear that if we are ever found out that you will suffer." Ethan wraps his arms around her. Her hair presses against his face, soft like silk, fragrant as a rose. "You don't need to smile for me. You have given me days that have made me smile when I thought there could be no reason. I have been surrounded by the pain of my people. For years I have been able to do nothing but watch. But the days of your student council... Those days were carefree. And now I have the strength to stand with my people. And fight for our freedom."
He can feel moisture seeping through to his skin and tears slip from Milly's eyes. She starts tearing up. "Oh..oh no.. I.. Oh I'm not used to this.. it's..I...Ethan, my smile, it's not real, it's not...it..."
"What do you mean?"
She pulls away.. "I..the reason I'm always..so happy.. I...today...why I'm suddenly...not..it's.." She's quiet for a moment. "I..take medication...for this sort of thing.." A flash of red, hard, fiery red that makes Ethan's heart slam and his body flinch. Geass. Her eyes. Both of them, aglow. She stands before a mirror, in her room, in the darkness. She whispers.. "Milly Ashford.. Love yourself."
Then she's there again, with him, on the lawn, tears in her eyes. "I skipped it today. I wanted to try to be..real. But everytime I do, I just feel sad.."
The dark room. A knife, stained with fresh, wet blood. Milly curled up on the floor, her arms bleeding profusely.
"I...I used it, for myself.. I used it.. all the time.. I would...trap people.. in love with me, because I..because I wanted that.. but.. it.. it was...wrong...And it was fake.. they didn't love me, they just..they were under a spell.. And pretty soon I...I just.. I hated myself.. I hated what I was doing, what I'd done, who I was.. I was a..a witch. And I... I almost.. I mean I.. I wanted to die.. But instead... I looked into the mirror..and I said... 'Love yourself'... and then..then I could feel better.. it took away my sadness.. it gave me joy..and so I..kept doing it..every day, when the spell would fade.. I did it again..and again..and now.. Now I.... I can't function without it... If it fades, I just... years of bottled up sadness just..overwhelm me, and..I can't bear it.. I get those feelings again.. I want to die again.."
She shrieks. Her eyes are wide. The bloody knife clatters to the ground. Then blackness. The symbol of Geass. A terrible, warbled, distorted scream. Whispers.. can't understand them. Milly is pale. Her skin is cold. Her hair unkempt. Her eyes... dull.
Then there's the lawn again. The smell of grass. Only this time.. it seems less green. The sky less clear. And the impending battle for Tokyo hangs over Ethan's head. Milly stands before him.. face turned up in a smile. Eyes..bright. But he can see it now. How...unnatural it is. Inhuman.
"Have you used your Geass recently?"
"Uh. What? Ahaha! Noooo! Silly, I'm just so happy! I love life!"
"Milly... Geass are dangerous. We have to control them." She goes quiet. He continues. "These things are powerful... I know things are hard... And my time is being monopolized by the rebellion.. I don't know what to do..."
"I don't wanna be sad.. I don't wanna be mad at you.. I don't wanna hurt so much missing you.. I just.. have to.. make it go away. It's too much Ethan. I'm sorry. I'm not.. strong.. it's too much. All the back and forth, sometimes here sometimes not, and I never know when I'm gonna see you, or IF I'm gonna see you and I.. I.." Her face lights up and she gives a toothy smile. "It's Ok! I'm happy! You're doing important things!"
"I've created a real mess haven't I..."
She wraps Ethan in a warm hug. "It's Ok! I love you! Do what you need to do! I'm always here!"
"But I'm not... Thats the problem! If we could just run away. Flee from this war..."
...but I can't..."
Explosions rip through the air. Shattering glass, screaming, thunderous bombs. Concrete cracking, buildings being torn through... the colossal monster of a Knightmare crushing Tokyo beneath its feet. Friendly dots vanishing on his monitor. The blast of a giant hadron canon. Red lights, emergency signals, blaring alarms. Milly's smiling face. Then Aya.. the eyepatch removed, Geass lit within the empty, black socket. And then.. a flash. The face of the Emperor of Britannia. Grinning wickedly. Geass enflamed in one eye.
Ethan jolts up again, a cold sweat soaking his body. All he can see is her face, phasing in and out of reality, all around him. Her smile. Then her blood. Her voice, her laughter, echoing. She's trapped out there.. trapped under a spell of false memories. Gone...
And yet here she is? Tormenting him in the night. There's something in his peripheral. He turns. Then jolts back. Milly. Sitting there, arms around her knees, looking at him, a small smile, concerned eyes. Clear as day. No fading. He rubs his eyes. She's still there. She reaches.. He flinches. Her hand brushes his arm... Her skin.. soft. Her voice..
"Ethan... Where are you going..? What are you doing? What are you going to do with this world? If you could do anything.. if you could have your way.. What would the world look like?"
"What kind of world will you make for me?"
Gamma
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WazBXlBz6cw)
Life looks very different when you're standing behind the red curtain...
Life looks very different when your fingers pull the strings...
Life looks very different when your foes' fate is certain...
Life looks very different...
...when you're killing everything.
Out of the abyss came shadows like knives. Red flames like eyes. A hiss, a whisper.. A cackle in the distance.
Weeee.. demand blood...
Behind him. All around him. Another pair of fiery red eyes igniting in the infinite dark all around him.
BLOOD!
The voices cried out in unison, echoing, vibrating as they melded in perfect synch.
Tristan could smell the heavy scent of iron. He could feel a sticky heat about him. A softness to the invisible ground beneath him.
We will tell you what was... What is... And what may be... for blood.
Blood, precious blood.. spill it before us. Show us your strength. Paint yourself RED! Tear off their heads! MAKE THEM ALL DEAD!
DEAD..! Kh-k-keeeeheeheeheeheeeeee..
AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!
Tristan's head spun. The scent of...blood, overpowered him. He stumbled in place, he couldn't speak, breathing in the stench of death as he opened his mouth. His heart pounded sharply. A warm, thick, wet sensation crawled over his toes, up past his ankles...his knees...
BLOOD! GIVE US BLOOD! BE OUR INSTRUMENT! OUR VENGEANCE. OUR HATRED. BLOOD. BLOOD. BLOOD!!
The thick, oozing liquid climbed all the way to his shoulders. Despite his thrashing, he couldn't move. There was nothing to grasp. He couldn't shout. Nothing came out. Blood. The blood rising all around him lapped at his chin now. The voices laughed and laughed...and never ceased their cry for blood. He stretched a hand upwards, desperate for something, for anything...
And then he was swallowed whole. Alone. In an abyss of darkness.
Tristan's struggle in the nightmare physically manifested as a desperate shout as he lurched upright, body covered in a cold sweat as he found himself alone, in the dark of his small room aboard the Avalon. His chest heaved with heavy panting.
The door to his room burst open, light blasting in, half-blinding Tristan as he caught glimpse of a silhouette racing inside. He felt two hands tentatively lay upon him as a figure knelt at his side, and a worried voice spoke softly into his ear.
"Master Tristan... Are you alright?"
Sayoko seemed to be analyzing Tristan, but finding no immediate threats, she backed off, standing in an astute and orderly manner, as she always did. Always ready for action, on a whim, no matter the order. "Was it a dream then..?" She asked cautiously. "Forgive me if I barged in here unwelcomed.. I just... I am very protective of you, you know this, sir. We cannot afford to lose you. If we are to...to win. To change the world... we need you." There was a long pause.
"I hope I'm not being too forward, but.. if I may ask... Is that what you want, Master Tristan? To change the world?"
Yes, 'Master' Tristan... Are you going to change the world? Are you going to wet the soil with blood to nourish your growing plots? What would you do, I wonder...to have your way?
Would you kill...even her?
The voices cackled in a most inharmonious manner. For a moment, Tristan thought he saw a flicker of red orbs in the shadows behind Sayoko. She continued to speak, gaze thoughtful and distant, completely unaware.
"What would the world be like... If you, Tristan, could shape it into anything you wanted?"
Delta
GRMM (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPPqSIkD-P0)
She sits alone. One of those rare moments. Being alone. It seemed like the whole world wanted a piece of Tetris. Friends, enemies, frenemies. Everywhere she turned there was someone else calling her name. Or buzzing her phone, as it were. Companions wishing to include her in their plots. Friends seeking advice. Someone talking to her just to...talk. And get it out. Or something. She probably had more information than any other member of the rebellion. What made her so popular? She'd even received a Geass. What made her so special? Privileged.
Privileged?
Her parents died. Twice. She sure didn't feel privileged. Tetris fiddled absent-mindedly with a blade, every now and then knocking it against her metal leg. Another memory. Another reminder. She rubbed at her temple. So many... memories. It was such a mess up there. Memories. Some fake, some real, apparently? How the heck could she tell? All she had to rely on were what other people said. And whatever seemed right. What was right anymore? And what were words from a friend anymore? Couldn't those be fabricated just as her memories were? Just because she and her companions supposedly regained their old memories... couldn't that be a trick too? Couldn't those be fake, still? What was real anymore... What proof was there of.. reality. Of anything.
The knife went flying into the wall, bouncing off with an anticlimactic 'Ping!'. She sighed, flopping back onto her bed, hands over her face, letting out a whiney, childish groan. She kept getting more flashes...more memories. Faces and words and feelings and agh. Stop.
Ryuu. At least who he used to be. Supposedly. Some sarcastic but kind of charming in a weird way tech-genius... Did they have a thing? Was she..? Did he..? Were they..? But then what about...
"I love you, Tetris..."
Who was that loon.. Jeremiah Gobble? A badge with his name flashed in her mind's eye. Gottwald. Right. JJ...
Texts. Smiley faces. A candlelight dinner. Soft words. Warm hands. A smile. Deep, orange eyes. Spirited green hair. A strong, determined face. Was he..? Did she..? --Tetris' eyes flew open as she gasped sharply, yanking a hand abruptly over her lips, staring at the ceiling. Oh dear. That happened? That happened... She blinked. Stared. His face lingered before her, ghostly...and yet attached to feelings. Feelings that didn't seem to belong, but they were there, they wouldn't go. Agh!
Tetris snatched her pillow and slapped it over her own face, leaving it there to smother her as she laid sprawled on her bed. She groaned again.
A knock. She had to wait for a moment to make sure it was actually happening. But it sounded again; the knocking. She lifted the pillow, peering at the door to her room. Who...? Squinting, Tetris peeled herself off the bed and staggered over to the door. Really? At this time of night..? Who would...
"Hi mom.."
She stared. Then closed the door. Pause. She blinked, realization flooding over her as her eyes widened and she opened the door again to take in the sight of the young boy.
Right. She had a kid.
Kind of.
"Cor..mac?" She barely managed, voice gravely and hoarse.
Cormac gave a little smile. Those orange eyes.. green hair. But his face.. it was softer, a touch rounder. His nose small and... Tetris started to reach her hand towards her own nose, then stopped and shook her head quickly. Stop stop stop. None of that.
"I, um.. I'm sorry if I woke you up." He glanced down, shifting his weight. He looked to be around fifteen now.. only days ago people would've said he looked twelve. What are you gonna do. Demon Kids.
Tetris grumbled something incoherent.
"I...could I just.. sit in your room with you? I've been.. having weird dreams.. I just don't wanna..." Cormac looked away. "I don't wanna be alone."
Tetris looked at him for a long moment, then just nodded. She turned around, dragging herself back into the room, leaving him to shut the door again, and when her shins bumped the bed, she toppled over and hit the sheets face first.
There was a long moment of silence before she heard Cormac's voice nearby. "What are we doing here, mom..? What are we doing on this ship...with these soldiers? Are we helping them? What are they doing? Why is everybody... fighting so much. I don't understand. Everything I can remember.. it's like ever since I opened my eyes...all I've seen is people fighting. Is this just how it is? Is this what life is? Is this how it's always been..."
As his voice softly broke the silence of the room, she couldn't help but soak in his words. Images flashed by of the time she'd spent with him... First seeing him in her arms...so foreign...and yet...they said he was hers? Leading him by the hand...protecting him. Until he was big enough now, that he was protecting her. She'd watched him die...and then come back. What was he? He was...inhuman. Strange. Monstrous? And yet...he was one of the few things in her mind...that was solid. He didn't change. The memories of him didn't feel fuzzy, confused, noisy... He was just...there. And he just...cared for her. Not because she was nice, or important, or beautiful. But just because...she existed. It wasn't complicated. It was...so simple it was impossible. It was the bond of blood. Biologically true? Maybe not. Physically possible? Definitely not. And yet he was there. Calling her mommy and everything.
What do you do with that?
"What would you do, mom...?" Cormac said, once again breaking the silence, and bringing Tet's mind back to reality.
"If you could change the world...make it into anything you wanted... What would you do?"
Epsilon
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