#sorelais

A mysterious earthquake one moment, and then the return of a nightmare the next: this span of time really was a gift. Liu had been out with Hibiki surveying the damage and attempting to help others when the change settled in, bringing back an intact city and a hoard of enemies. He was used to this by now, but that didn’t make him any happier to face it.

“Don’t worry,” he told Hibiki as one of the disjointed Pariah approached. Its deathly pale skin was dotted with red, remnants of those it had torn apart before. Hiding hadn’t helped at all, but he’d make sure his temporary partner would stay safe. 

Putting full force behind his kicks and dodging when necessary took out the first Pariah. No more were around at the moment, but Liu was sure another would appear soon. They had to get somewhere else---somewhere like home.

“Let’s get moving while we can.”

In a full suit, dark and slimming, Liu was both better dressed than he usually was and better suited to slinking around in the shadows. There was no red to catch the eye of a target this time. He didn’t plan on sneaking around tonight, but he wasn’t sure what was in store for them. Writing it off would be a little too precautionary.

“Keep your eyes peeled for anyone suspicious or familiar,” he whispered to Hibiki as they walked into the ballroom, leaning over to adjust for their difference in height. Before he drew away, his mouth curled up impishly. “You look good tonight.” 

Liu didn’t bother to explain the intent behind that. He straightened up, entertained expression easing into something more subtle. He was acting as a bodyguard tonight, but if asked they were meant to state they were on a date. The idea didn’t phase him; his working mindset was unflappable. The goal of the night wasn’t to have fun or save face---it was to face down the most recently made enemy.

Even with his newly returned powers blocked upon entering, his main weapon was still his body itself.

This situation could have gone better. A lot better. It was too late to fix it now, but it sure wasn’t too late to regret, rethink, and complain.

“I can’t believe they dragged you into this,” Liu muttered to the kid sitting at his back. “They would’ve used you as a hostage if they didn’t think you were working with me.” He snorted judgmentally. If it came down to Hibiki as a hostage or handcuffed left wrist to Liu’s right wrist and sitting in this room with him, the second option was... somewhat better, at least. At least he could make sure the kid was safe like this.

The room was mostly empty, even devoid of anything decent to sit on. There definitely wasn’t anything useful for getting out of the room. Everything in the area looked old and unkempt, at least: they were probably in some hideout in Sector oo3. There was a chance the door would break if they kicked it hard enough.

Hmph, they. It was almost like having a partner again.

Liu could only imagine that this was about the thug he took down the day before. The man had warned him about a gang that would get back at him, but Liu had little trouble handling groups of average people. It was just that he’d been caught off guard leisurely walking around that evening with Hibiki in tow---the last thing he remembered was a blunt pain at the back of his head, and now he was here.

He reached over and fiddled with his half of the handcuffs again. He didn’t expect to suddenly find a way to open them now, after looking it over multiple times before, but he’d be damned if he just accepted that he was stuck chained to someone else. “We might be able to kick the door down without pulling off someone’s hand if we try it together,” he mumbled back at Hibiki, scowling at the handcuffs.

OOOH, 4 QU3ST1ON 4BOUT TH3 1MPORT4NC3 OF 1NT3NT 3H3H3

TH3 ONLY D1FF3R3NC3 B3TW33N 4 MURD3R3R WHO COMM1TT3D TH31R CR1M3 ON 4CC1D3NT V3RSUS 4 MURD3R3R WHO COMM1TT3D TH31R CR1M3 W1LLFULLY

TH3 FORM3R D1D NOT 1NT3ND TO C4US3 H4RM

TH3 L4TT3R D1D

TH3 L4TT3R CHOS3, PR3SUM4BLY OF TH31R OWN W1LL, TO T4K3 TH3 L1F3 OF 4NOTH3R

4ND 4S P3R YOUR 3X4MPL3, TH1S MURD3R3R CHOS3 TO T4K3 TH3 L1F3 OF 4N 1NNOC3NT P3RSON

TH31R 1NT3NT D3SCR1B3S TH3M 4S 4 P3RSON

S1NC3 TH3Y CHOS3 TO DO 1T, 1T M34NS TH3Y 4R3 C4P4BL3 OF CHOOS1NG TH4T RO4D 4G41N

1T 1S TH31R W1LL TO HURT SOM3ON3, 4ND TH3Y M4Y NOT F33L R3MORS3 OR R3GR3T FOR TH1S 4CT

4N 4CC1D3NT4L MURD3R, HOW3V3R, L4CKS TH3 1NT3NT 4ND CHO1C3

TH3 MURD3R3R D1D NOT CHOOS3 TO HURT SOM3ON3, 1T JUST H4PP3N3D TO B3 TH3 R3SULT OF TH31R 4CT1ONS

THUS 1T W4S MOR3 OF 4N 4CT OF N3GL1G3NC3 TH4N M4L1C3 4ND 1T 1S MOR3 L1K3LY TH4T P3RSON WOULD F33L R3GR3T 4ND R3MORS3

HOW3V3R

WH1L3 TH3Y M4Y B3 L3SS L1K3LY TO W1LL1NGLY H4RM; TH3Y COULD W1LL1NGLY N3GL3CT 4G41N

4ND R3G4RDL3SS OF 1NT3NT, TH3 R3SULT 1S TH3 S4M3

SOM3ON3 N33DL3SSLY D13D, THOS3 4ROUND TH3M SUFF3R3D TH3 LOSS

THOS3 TH4T SUFF3R PROB4BLY S33 NO D1FF3R3NC3 B3TW33N 1NT3NT OR L4CK-TH3R3-OF B3C4US3 TH3 F4ULT ST1LL L13S D1R3CTLY ON TH3 MURD3R3R

SO WH1L3 1 DO NOT B3L13V3 TH3Y 4R3 N3C3SS4R1LY ON TH3 S4M3 L3V3L OF D4NG3R, B3C4US3 TH3R3 4R3 TH3 F4CTORS OF CHO1C3 4ND F33L1NGS OF R3MORS3

1 DO B3L13V3 TH3Y SHOULD ST1LL F4C3 TH3 L4W 4ND B3 PROS3CUT3D FOR TH31R CR1M3S 4ND B3 PUN1SH3D FOR TH3 LOSS TH3Y 1NFL1CT3D UPON OTH3RS

「You’re trying to do what exactly?」

As tested before, a toy gun shooting plastic pellets was no way of defending oneself, no matter if the enemy was a vampire or just a normal street thug. As quickly as Sion realized the uselessness of her weapon was how soon she decided she needed something more damaging. Expecting Barrel Replica to show up in a random store was something not even a hopeless optimist like Shiki could believe. And so began her search for a pistol.

When it came to buying dangerous items, the easiest place to go would be the black market. Unfortunately, Sion had yet to find any information on such a place. Asking a random person on the street would yield... a 7.9% chance of success. Still, it was much better than wandering about.

Sion grabbed the first person at arm’s reach. 『Excuse me, I have a question-』

A quick look at the man she’d reached for immediately brought a frown to her face. A teenager, one who seemed as normal as any other student. Sion sighed. She didn’t need to do any sort of calculation to assume the probability of gaining a weapon through his help would be near zero.

Though he was still unknowing of majority of things in this strange ‘experiment’ of a city - which was somewhat disconcerting to know, that the skies, even what wind there was: was nothing more than the result of some person with a white coat tapping at a monitor - one thing was obvious in his silent observations. Today seemed to be a rather hectic of days: lots of people talking about increasingly bizarre things that would have put his court case to shame, and doing just as odd things. All that noise and energy: he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“Sheesh. The people of this city sure are noisy on this particular day.” Despite his efforts to keep his mask firmly in place while trying to make sense of this, out of habit, his hand moved to the collar of his Themis Uniform’s neck, gripping at the...secret object only he knew was there. Though, it seemed a passer-by must have heard his mumbling to himself, considering the staring he was getting.

“...People tell ME I squint so much I need the glasses I wear, but you’re staring enough to need two pairs. If you want something, wouldn’t it make more sense to ask rather than just look on?”