Main Lobby/office

Satori blinked. "What the hell is wrong with this picture?" she thought before letting out a scream, and charging at her former friend, swinging her blade down at her.

Saeko grabbed the blade with her right hand as if it were made of cloth. She grinned. "My my Satori...we both were tought the grand fundamentals of 'Chi', and through pain and discipline we learned the ultimate techniques of the blade...however..." She started, then pulled the long blade out of the way. "...I have learned how to surpass 'Chi' and make it my own power!" She then brought down the blade that she had in her left hand, swinging across Satori's left shoulder, aiming to decapitate the young woman all at once.

Satori's eyes widened, and she quickly closed them and was able to teleport behind Saeko. Doing this however-she had let go of the ancestral family blade, and swung down at Saeko's back with the eviscerating claws on her left arm, scratching a deep gash across her back. "Saeko! Stop this!" she exclaimed.

Saeko let out a grunt, but turned with a grin. The wound looked like a cat scratch, and then she turned to Satori with her sword. "The only way you'll stop me is if you kill me-and I'm not going to stop!" she exclaimed, swinging the blade horizontally at Satori, dropping Satori's Nodachi.

Satori backed up, the blade grazing her torso and caused her to flinch. She gritted her teeth and and brought the clawed arm down on her friend and tossed her backwards into the jukebox. She breathed heavily, and she gritted her teeth. "Saeko, I can't do that!" she exclaimed running towards her with her arms gliding back.

(We're back! Longest case of writers block and summer fun! woot! )

The machine's music suddenly stopped...and then something else played...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FA77bPVCc9w&feature=related

Saeko shakily stood back up onto her feet. "But...you must! Or you'll die!" At that moment the room changed into a scene that had occured-but not with their memories.

Saeko, now standing as Taizo Busujima and Satori was her mother...

Taizo: "But you must. Or you will die Shizuka..." said the man who stood at the other end of that empty moon lit courtyard. In his ancestoral armor, and with his sword raised high he looked painfully at his former friend and ally. "You hold the key to our future Shizuka. If you die, the Emperor will die and I will become the hero of the new regime. If I die, you will become a hero for the old..." He adjusted his footing, and the dark clouds of a soon approaching storm drew overhead covering up the moonlit sky, the area signifigantly darker now. "You must...choose. Friendship..or honor."

Saeko readied her own blade, without realizing it being in a similar fashion to her father.

Satori...no Shizuka took a step back. "Must...we choose at such perilous times?" Shizuka asked. Her right fist was closed and she brought it to her chest. Looking down at her feet with tear stricken eyes.
Shizuka-no Satori looked up at Saeko: "We should'nt fight! Not like this! We are friends Gods Damn it all!" she exclaimed to her friend.

It appeared that both individuals were living in a parallel moment in time. Satori/Shizuka tried to talk Saeko/Taizo out of this duel to the death-but both personalities were not listening to reason. What would eventually play out would decide the fates of the living-Satori and Saeko.

(there were a few things we didn't want to share with the rest of the forum, but now that it has been concluded:)

Saeko still kneeling on the ground, looked back towards Satori, who was leaning against the mashed up desk. The ceiling fan wobbled and then fell onto the ground in the center of the room. The two looked at each other, and there was a long pause before they both started laughing. The laughter was bleak, yet strangely heart warming at the same time. It was like 'oh shit, Alastor is going to be pissed' yet 'but who the hell cares, we're still alive'.

Saeko let out a sigh, and looked up at Satori. "I've been holding something back, the boy who gave you the ribbon. His name is Jack Handy. Yeah, the boontai player. He's currently in Beijio, he was looking for a way to steal the Empress's proof of royalty for his new employer Arcanda...You should go and get him; before he does something he'll regret." She said standing up and leaning against the wall, holding her right arm with her left hand. She closed her eyes, her head hanging down and looking at the floor. "They were planning to do it soon. You should hurry your ass over to Beijio. Don't make me regret this Satori." she added with a serious tone.

The doors to the Wolf's Lament slowly open.

And Rufus Tenik pops his head inside, before fully entering the building. He took notice of the poor living conditions of the place, knowing that it had turned hands with someone else, but really:

"What a dump....The Gun's for Hire has certainly seen better days..." he says while kicking around the remnants of a desk and pool table. The room was dark, and had hardly any light to see at all. "Heh, Vampires may dwell here...I must tread carefully now." he says with a chuckle, continuing his way through the old business Selphie Lennox had owned from before 2639 till late 2644. Still, for three months, this was Rufus Tenik's home, and the point where he turned his life around for the somewhat 'better'. He still had a billion or so people who hated him; his name alone was almost considered a 'curse word'. He sighed. "I'm truly detesting the destruction of this place, I'm going to have to buy it now.." he says under his breath, picking up the remains of what looked to be a 'desk', and stuck the pieces back together, brushing dust and ceiling debris off it.

Rufus Tenik wrote:The doors to the Wolf's Lament slowly open.

And Rufus Tenik pops his head inside, before fully entering the building. He took notice of the poor living conditions of the place, knowing that it had turned hands with someone else, but really:

"What a dump....The Gun's for Hire has certainly seen better days..." he says while kicking around the remnants of a desk and pool table. The room was dark, and had hardly any light to see at all. "Heh, Vampires may dwell here...I must tread carefully now." he says with a chuckle, continuing his way through the old business Selphie Lennox had owned from before 2639 till late 2644. Still, for three months, this was Rufus Tenik's home, and the point where he turned his life around for the somewhat 'better'. He still had a billion or so people who hated him; his name alone was almost considered a 'curse word'. He sighed. "I'm truly detesting the destruction of this place, I'm going to have to buy it now.." he says under his breath, picking up the remains of what looked to be a 'desk', and stuck the pieces back together, brushing dust and ceiling debris off it.

From behind the new arrival, beside the broken juke box was Saeko; bleeding and just waking up with dizzy eyes. Without thinking she drew her blade, pointing the razor sharp weapon at the man's back as he put the desk together. "Excuse me...may I help you?" she breathed out. She held her wound with her good arm, using her less dominant hand to hold the heavy blade. Saeko's cerulean eyes gleaming in the faint light cast by the cracked dirty windows. "I believe...this business only takes missions via appointment...besides, he's already out on a mission." she added sweat dripping down her body. She didn't know how long she blacked out, all she knew Satori left like she told her too...the silly girl.

Saeko wrote:

Rufus Tenik wrote:The doors to the Wolf's Lament slowly open.

And Rufus Tenik pops his head inside, before fully entering the building. He took notice of the poor living conditions of the place, knowing that it had turned hands with someone else, but really:

"What a dump....The Gun's for Hire has certainly seen better days..." he says while kicking around the remnants of a desk and pool table. The room was dark, and had hardly any light to see at all. "Heh, Vampires may dwell here...I must tread carefully now." he says with a chuckle, continuing his way through the old business Selphie Lennox had owned from before 2639 till late 2644. Still, for three months, this was Rufus Tenik's home, and the point where he turned his life around for the somewhat 'better'. He still had a billion or so people who hated him; his name alone was almost considered a 'curse word'. He sighed. "I'm truly detesting the destruction of this place, I'm going to have to buy it now.." he says under his breath, picking up the remains of what looked to be a 'desk', and stuck the pieces back together, brushing dust and ceiling debris off it.

From behind the new arrival, beside the broken juke box was Saeko; bleeding and just waking up with dizzy eyes. Without thinking she drew her blade, pointing the razor sharp weapon at the man's back as he put the desk together. "Excuse me...may I help you?" she breathed out. She held her wound with her good arm, using her less dominant hand to hold the heavy blade. Saeko's cerulean eyes gleaming in the faint light cast by the cracked dirty windows. "I believe...this business only takes missions via appointment...besides, he's already out on a mission." she added sweat dripping down her body. She didn't know how long she blacked out, all she knew Satori left like she told her too...the silly girl.

Rufus turned around, looking back at the woman who now pointed an over sized curved razor blade. His first reaction, unlike most others in his shoes, was to smile. "Well now, I see this place hasn't been abandoned after all." he then bows his head to her a little, in a polite manner. "I'm sorry, I'm just a middle aged man walking through Melancholy City, and taking a side trip down Memory Lane." he finishes. He then notices her wound. "Your injured...quite a deep wound...and from your fevered state I'd say either you've lost a great amount of blood, or your suffering from early onset stages of infection...to be honest I think it's both...you should head to the health clinic."

Rufus Tenik wrote:

Saeko wrote:

Rufus Tenik wrote:The doors to the Wolf's Lament slowly open.

And Rufus Tenik pops his head inside, before fully entering the building. He took notice of the poor living conditions of the place, knowing that it had turned hands with someone else, but really:

"What a dump....The Gun's for Hire has certainly seen better days..." he says while kicking around the remnants of a desk and pool table. The room was dark, and had hardly any light to see at all. "Heh, Vampires may dwell here...I must tread carefully now." he says with a chuckle, continuing his way through the old business Selphie Lennox had owned from before 2639 till late 2644. Still, for three months, this was Rufus Tenik's home, and the point where he turned his life around for the somewhat 'better'. He still had a billion or so people who hated him; his name alone was almost considered a 'curse word'. He sighed. "I'm truly detesting the destruction of this place, I'm going to have to buy it now.." he says under his breath, picking up the remains of what looked to be a 'desk', and stuck the pieces back together, brushing dust and ceiling debris off it.

From behind the new arrival, beside the broken juke box was Saeko; bleeding and just waking up with dizzy eyes. Without thinking she drew her blade, pointing the razor sharp weapon at the man's back as he put the desk together. "Excuse me...may I help you?" she breathed out. She held her wound with her good arm, using her less dominant hand to hold the heavy blade. Saeko's cerulean eyes gleaming in the faint light cast by the cracked dirty windows. "I believe...this business only takes missions via appointment...besides, he's already out on a mission." she added sweat dripping down her body. She didn't know how long she blacked out, all she knew Satori left like she told her too...the silly girl.

Rufus turned around, looking back at the woman who now pointed an over sized curved razor blade. His first reaction, unlike most others in his shoes, was to smile. "Well now, I see this place hasn't been abandoned after all." he then bows his head to her a little, in a polite manner. "I'm sorry, I'm just a middle aged man walking through Melancholy City, and taking a side trip down Memory Lane." he finishes. He then notices her wound. "Your injured...quite a deep wound...and from your fevered state I'd say either you've lost a great amount of blood, or your suffering from early onset stages of infection...to be honest I think it's both...you should head to the health clinic."

Saeko takes a step back, swinging her blade at him but intentionally missing him. "No! No doctors...I'm...fine." she says despite her blurry vision and the fact she tumbled back against the wall and next to the Juke box. "You get...out of here....before I make you leave in pieces..." she threatens, her breathing becoming slightly harsher and her skin's temperature rising. "Heh...Satori...If anyone...I'm glad to have died by your hand." she thinks with a faint smile, closing her eyes. In seconds the sword was dropping from her hands and to the wooden floor with a clang. Her body teetered back, she was going to black out again...

Saeko wrote:
Saeko takes a step back, swinging her blade at him but intentionally missing him. "No! No doctors...I'm...fine." she says despite her blurry vision and the fact she tumbled back against the wall and next to the Juke box. "You get...out of here....before I make you leave in pieces..." she threatens, her breathing becoming slightly harsher and her skin's temperature rising. "Heh...Satori...If anyone...I'm glad to have died by your hand." she thinks with a faint smile, closing her eyes. In seconds the sword was dropping from her hands and to the wooden floor with a clang. Her body teetered back, she was going to black out again...

Rufus reaches out and catches the woman before she falls back, her back arching over his arm. "Hey! See this is why you need a doctor..." he states back to the young woman. In the faint light she looked familiar, but what he was slightly more concerned about was the rise in body temperature that seeped through her clothes. "Your burning up, half your shoulder is falling off your torso and your having constant dizzy spells; if you don't get medical attention, you will die here." he states powerfully, narrowing his eyes at her closed ones. She was of Beijionese descent, and was wearing a sailor fuku of sorts. "Of all the days I decide to reconcile my past...it has to be now?" he asks himself, holding back a sigh. He grumbles. "Hey! Are you listening to me? You've got to stay awake!" he says shaking her body lightly.

Rufus Tenik wrote:

Saeko wrote:
Saeko takes a step back, swinging her blade at him but intentionally missing him. "No! No doctors...I'm...fine." she says despite her blurry vision and the fact she tumbled back against the wall and next to the Juke box. "You get...out of here....before I make you leave in pieces..." she threatens, her breathing becoming slightly harsher and her skin's temperature rising. "Heh...Satori...If anyone...I'm glad to have died by your hand." she thinks with a faint smile, closing her eyes. In seconds the sword was dropping from her hands and to the wooden floor with a clang. Her body teetered back, she was going to black out again...

Rufus reaches out and catches the woman before she falls back, her back arching over his arm. "Hey! See this is why you need a doctor..." he states back to the young woman. In the faint light she looked familiar, but what he was slightly more concerned about was the rise in body temperature that seeped through her clothes. "Your burning up, half your shoulder is falling off your torso and your having constant dizzy spells; if you don't get medical attention, you will die here." he states powerfully, narrowing his eyes at her closed ones. She was of Beijionese descent, and was wearing a sailor fuku of sorts. "Of all the days I decide to reconcile my past...it has to be now?" he asks himself, holding back a sigh. He grumbles. "Hey! Are you listening to me? You've got to stay awake!" he says shaking her body lightly.

She raised her eyelids, closing them again in with a stern frown. "Let go of me! I said I'm fine...." she cringed, craning her neck and opening her eyes barely enough to look at him. "I...can take care of myself!" she exclaims, shutting her eyes tightly and moaning under the pain that spewed from her tender flesh. She throws herself forward, her chest pressed against his right shoulder and her head sagging over his neck. Her hair matted against her skull, and her breathing became a lot shallower. She opens her watery eyes looking down at the ground where her sword lay, and then she closes her eyes again, letting out a long sigh.

Rufus shook his head. "Your a rather stubborn one." he says with a light groan after feeling her bloody shoulder against his favorite white jacket. "..." he sighs, closing his eyes. "If you won't see a doctor, at least let me treat your wounds." he says lifting the woman carefully on to her feet. He keeps his eyes closed for a moment longer, trying to remember the layout of the building-that is if it was still the same after the 18 years that's passed. "Okay...through the kitchen downstairs into the cellar store room...I just hope there's still some of my company's pharmaceuticals down there..." He reopens his eyes and carries the woman towards the kitchen, when he turns to his left and was glad to see there was a leather couch under the stairs. "Good, I was wondering where I would have to set her down. I have no clue if the steps to the cellar are even in good condition, so it be too risky to bring her down there."

He sets her down gently upon the couch, and backs away heading to where, in his memory, was the kitchen. He sighs once more out loud. "Well, so much for me heading to the Silver Crest." he states in front of what was the Kitchen in his lifetime, reaching for the handle, turning it, and entering.

The injured Beijionese woman simply lays there with her hand on her stomach as the man in white leaves the room and heads into the kitchen where she had dined with Alastor and Satori what felt like ages ago. In her current state, she felt as if time was slowed, to her the air felt incredibly heavy and she could feel her rapidly slowing heart pump out more and more blood from her shoulder wound. "Wow...Lil...Satori really does pack a punch..." she manages to say to no one, her voice comparable to a weakened sigh. Her eyelids feel heavy, but she tries her best not to close them. She knew that if she did, the chance of her dying was very possible.

The thought of that makes her chuckle just as weakly to the air. "Funny, and here I was ready to die by Satori's hand not a moment or two earlier..." her smile drops and her face is serious again. "I can't help that now. My spirit would be greatly burdened having to die in the hands of a stranger trying to help. I don't want to place that stress on him. No one deserves that." she thinks. Her now dark eyelids were becoming dangerously closer, she attempts to flutter them in order to remain conscious. Her vision is like a swirling fog, not allowing her a chance to actually see what was through it... but in her delirious state, a new, but old name comes through her head. "General Barduwulf...he's the foreigner...the man who took over my father's position after...Satori's Mother had executed him in combat. Now...why would I wan't to see him...for?" she asks the air, who gives no response. She grunts. "Figures...give me names that I understand no meaning to..." she winces as she turns her body a little, her deep shoulder wound which had likely clotted now was reopened for she felt even more blood drain out. She physically grimaces. At this rate, she'll need a transfusion in order to survive she thinks. She begins to feel cold, her eyes tearing and her body trembling. She had not ever felt so helpless in her entire life...never truly felt the tip of Death's Scythe play upon the flesh of her neck, each turn or nimble glide upon her jugular and it would only take a small nick and she'd be dead. She could see the Death Mask of that ominous being draw nearer from the shadows. At this rate, it could be a real demon and she wouldn't be able to tell the difference. But leave it to a monster to take advantage of prey that can not even stand let alone walk in this current defenseless state. She wanted to close her eyes of the horrifying image-she knew it was in her head but the being was eating at her sorrow...pulling at her physical and mental pain. It's only then did she realize she had two major wounds...one that was physical...the other was mental. "Inside...I've already been dead for a long time." she silently whispers to Death who's face was now in front of her own. She simply stares back at the gaping eyes and then sigh as his visage seems to chuckle and fade away before her eyes. She could feel her heart beat at an impossibly low rate. That man in white better hurry...she didn't know how much longer she could truly hold out at this point...

"Your not about to leave this world yet my child." came the man in white's voice again. He knelt down beside the woman, and opened the case, pulling out a pen like device and a handful of packets. "I'm surprised that you've held out this long. If I was in your current state I would imagine that I could've died of blood loss ages ago!" he chuckled as he tilted her head up and forced a couple pills down her mouth and then held a glass filled with water that he had procured from the kitchen. "Drink...this will help with the internal wounds." he said before pouring the water down her mouth. He then took out a thick gauze pad and hovered it about her mouth. "Your going to bite on this..." he then places it in her mouth, and reach for the hanging limb and held the pen in his mouth. "This...is going to be...pretty painful." he says his voice hardly muffled by the pen as he forced her wounded shoulder against her torso.

Rufus Tenik wrote:"Your not about to leave this world yet my child." came the man in white's voice again. He knelt down beside the woman, and opened the case, pulling out a pen like device and a handful of packets. "I'm surprised that you've held out this long. If I was in your current state I would imagine that I could've died of blood loss ages ago!" he chuckled as he tilted her head up and forced a couple pills down her mouth and then held a glass filled with water that he had procured from the kitchen. "Drink...this will help with the internal wounds." he said before pouring the water down her mouth. He then took out a thick gauze pad and hovered it about her mouth. "Your going to bite on this..." he then places it in her mouth, and reach for the hanging limb and held the pen in his mouth. "This...is going to be...pretty painful." he says his voice hardly muffled by the pen as he forced her wounded shoulder against her torso.

Pain, searing and hot welled up her wide eyes; life seemed to still be in those dark shades of blue which gleamed like a fire. She bit down hard upon the gauze he didn't really need to tell her that. She brought her knees to her chest, her toes were flexing inside her shoes. Her hands gripped into the sofa and were clawing through the cheap polyester and material, digging right through to the cushioning underneath.

Saeko wrote:
Pain, searing and hot welled up her wide eyes; life seemed to still be in those dark shades of blue which gleamed like a fire. She bit down hard upon the gauze he didn't really need to tell her that. She brought her knees to her chest, her toes were flexing inside her shoes. Her hands gripped into the sofa and were clawing through the cheap polyester and material, digging right through to the cushioning underneath.

With the skin re-aligned, he begins to mend the flesh together again. Holding her shoulder with one hand, and grabbing utilizing the pen object with his dominant hand, Rufus brings the hand-held medical device which glows a deep orange once it hovered across her wound. He tore off her sleeve as he was going around, pushing over the strap of her bra as he continues his trip around the wound. Under the orange light, the skin almost seemed to naturally fold into each other and meld with each cell; reform.

Once he reaches the shoulder blade he is finished, and pulls away. The scent of flesh and blood is overwhelming inside this office; though it was a smell Rufus was used to, he did not want to stay here longer. "You should be fine now." he says, placing a hand upon the woman's forehead.

She exhales, her body relaxing and falling back onto the couch again. Sweat caked her body, and she began to breathe steadier. Her eyelids pull back, her shining blue eyes look to the man in white before she closed them. "Thanks." she says flexing her hands. She lays there with her eyes closed, her body vexed of energy and demanding rest. Without opening her eyes again, she rotates her head so it lays upon her right shoulder which is outstretched from the couch. She can sense the man still watching over her, and groaned slightly. "Look, I may carry the blade of the warrior; but it will be unlikely that I'd pay you back for your efforts... your wasted energy." she says, burrying her face into her armpit. "I'm... not a Samurai. Nor do I follow their honorable code. But... I don't want to kill anymore either... Not for payment... Four years I've gone by Psycho Saeko... and I think four years has been enough... I...I need a career change..." She chuckled coldly. "..work that doesn't include assassinations or military conflicts." she says shakily, almost as if she was about to cry. "But I..." She choked, before the corners of her lips broadened and then pulled back, expressing a creepy clenched set of white almost canine teeth. "-I enjoy the killing." she chuckled in an insane manner, her eyes still covered by her outstretched arm, her fingers however clenched into tight balled fists in both hands.
"I enjoy the sights, the sounds...the blood...the thick crimson ichor that sprays in fountains, pools into deep puddles and runs down the length of my cold steel blade... The thrill of the kill, and the smell of life as it is to be snuffed out by MY hand!" she practically screams, her body twisted on her side, and her arms came together covering all her face with the exception of her mouth. The insane smile dropped into a more charming toothless grin. With her lips in their charming grin that way, she could almost be fooled for a date who had a really great night and was ready to kiss the hosts lips in a romantic embrace.

"My favorite part of it, the killing is when I look upon the sweat covered or bloodied face of the person I was hired to eliminate. I watch their eyes, all full of life just before Death's sweet kiss makes it's embrace. Oh...the pleasure of watching them fall like a sack, their body now a piece of art; they ARE my art! Created by my two beautiful hands!" she says pulling away from her face, her blue shining eyes were replaced with empty lavender sockets that when combined with her charming smile made her look absolutely terrifying. One can say, it was similar to a drug addict who hasn't been able to get a fix; it was the look of desperation by addiction.

"We...we become beautiful. Both my victim in their forever state, and I for being the one who made them look so beautiful..." she chuckles almost sadistically. "It was with my first kill that I realized my potential...my art.... but more importantly I found myself! Their lifeless body...becomes eternal...Living forever but lacking the life to see what they become; because of what I am. I am a Goddess of destruction, the very scythe of Death's scepter; I am blessed with this accursed gift to deal death and serve destruction!" She screams, arching her upper body back, after a small cry of exhaustion, she slowly turns with her dead eyes to her savior. "You see my plight? Without the killing, my existence is meaningless..." her dead empty blue gaze waver, her eyebrows twitch. "I am a tool meant to be used to deal out death, but my heart yearns for more... for things that I can never have because of what I am!" she cried, tears flowing from her eyelids. She lunges onto the man, forcing him onto the floor on his back. The younger and somehow stronger Psycho Saeko was on top of him, pinning his arms down.

She grabbed her katana, pulling it out from her sheath. She grips the blade tightly, holding it high above her head, the sharp double edged pointed tip was aimed for the man in white's heart! She had tears streaming down her desperate screaming eyes, her purple hair matted thick and messily against her skull. Her fingers which gripped the blade were bleeding out, dripping down the long length of the sword's blood groove, dripping onto the man in white's clothes in steady drips. "I need... to be useful!" she screams, raising the blade high above her head, practically behind her now. "You... should have just let me die..." she then swings down, swiftly and forcefully.

A loud squelching noise echoed in the destroyed room. Blood sprayed over Rufus's face, his eyes wide with horror no doubt, for the woman just plunged the full length of her blade into her own abdomen.

Her eyes widened, her mouth agape in a yawn of pain. Blood shot from her throat and sprayed over her lower jaw in a waterfall of blood and saliva. She could feel the weight of her sharpened blade inside her, feel the blood rushing down the blades blood groove and could hear it drip onto the floor boards behind her. She felt cold again, her arms dropping limply, her right hand upon the grip of her blade, wincing and crying out in painful bliss as she drives the blade all the way to the tsuba of her katana. She grunts painfully, and looks down upon the man's face. Her eyes were no longer dead...but instead full of life. She closed her mouth, though despite the blood and saliva smearing down her lower lip and dripping over her chin, she smiled the most lovely smile.

"Please..." she started weakly. "Tell me... am I...am I now beautiful? Did... did I ... did I make my final...masterpiece a 'breathtaker'?" she says with a half chuckle before clenching her mouth shut with her teeth to hold back another bout of blood that would have been spewed from her mouth if she coughed, her glossy beautiful eyes bulged slightly when she did this, breath was exhaled from her nose, but despite holding back the blood cough, the blood seemed to just spew from the corners of her mouth regardless; a darker red upon the brighter drying and sticky red which had painted her chin and lips.

(sorry for the long wait, finally came up with a reply )

Saeko wrote:A loud squelching noise echoed in the destroyed room. Blood sprayed over Rufus's face, his eyes wide with horror no doubt, for the woman just plunged the full length of her blade into her own abdomen.

Her eyes widened, her mouth agape in a yawn of pain. Blood shot from her throat and sprayed over her lower jaw in a waterfall of blood and saliva. She could feel the weight of her sharpened blade inside her, feel the blood rushing down the blades blood groove and could hear it drip onto the floor boards behind her. She felt cold again, her arms dropping limply, her right hand upon the grip of her blade, wincing and crying out in painful bliss as she drives the blade all the way to the tsuba of her katana. She grunts painfully, and looks down upon the man's face. Her eyes were no longer dead...but instead full of life. She closed her mouth, though despite the blood and saliva smearing down her lower lip and dripping over her chin, she smiled the most lovely smile.

"Please..." she started weakly. "Tell me... am I...am I now beautiful? Did... did I ... did I make my final...masterpiece a 'breathtaker'?" she says with a half chuckle before clenching her mouth shut with her teeth to hold back another bout of blood that would have been spewed from her mouth if she coughed, her glossy beautiful eyes bulged slightly when she did this, breath was exhaled from her nose, but despite holding back the blood cough, the blood seemed to just spew from the corners of her mouth regardless; a darker red upon the brighter drying and sticky red which had painted her chin and lips.

Rufus closed his eyes slowly, despite her story, despite her fury and her sadness and her obvious psychosis he felt little pity. "But you are wrong..." he says reopening his eyes he grabs hold of her blade and thrusts the sharp blade up her torso, slicing between her rib cage. His white outfit covered in blood he forces the woman back, grabbing her by the neck with his left hand while gripping her blade with his right. "This...is my masterpiece. Someone so low and so disjointed with reality as yourself doesn't deserve to take her life, especially the Bushido way." He says twisting the blade slowly in her gut-no doubt causing great agony for the dying woman. "You don't even deserve to be Beijionese. You'll never be able to make your death as remarkable as you think it is. Why? Because I stole that chance." he says, his piercing blue eyes looking into her own, he twists the weapon so that the blade was now 'horizontal' within her grinding against her insides and her rib bones before he drew back and pulled the full length of the weapon out. Her blood sprays out and onto the floor, her eyes wide with pain and her skin pale.

He continues to clench her neck and grins. "Too bad your going to die, never making that final 'masterpiece' you've dreamt of creating. In death..you will die because of my own doing and forever I shall carry that knowledge. The knowledge of poor Saeko, the failed samurai who couldn't even take her own life." he then looks at the blade. "A mere toy in your hands-how pitiful you couldn't have made this weapons potential really shine." he says pointing at the blood groove. "Can you even read your own language? You backwoods bumpkin. It clearly reads that the blade was blessed by the Seven High Priestess's of Beijio. This weapon wasn't meant for killing people, it was meant to destroy demons." he says before stabbing the blade through her right breast and directly through her lung, the blade smoothly exiting her back and stabbed into the already blood stained sofa. He leans close, lifting her chin before forcing his lips against hers.

His embrace was not at all romantic-no..he was taking her remaining oxygen from her mouth, keeping her from breathing. He remained there, his left fingers pinched over her nose as he sucked the air from her mouth, pulling back from his 'kiss of death' before spitting a wad of her blood from his mouth and wiped his lips with his sleeve. "Absolutely disgusting. You can't even die with grace." he says pulling the blade from her breast, propping his left boot against her left shoulder; her left breast crushed under his heel as he drew the blade again, leaving her on her knees. He begins to walk away with the blade in hand, heading for the door. He gets within range before pausing. He half turns his head in her direction. "You should have killed me when you had the opportunity..dear heart." he says before turning to the door again and started reaching for the handle.

Rufus Tenik wrote:

Rufus closed his eyes slowly, despite her story, despite her fury and her sadness and her obvious psychosis he felt little pity. "But you are wrong..." he says reopening his eyes he grabs hold of her blade and thrusts the sharp blade up her torso, slicing between her rib cage. His white outfit covered in blood he forces the woman back, grabbing her by the neck with his left hand while gripping her blade with his right. "This...is my masterpiece. Someone so low and so disjointed with reality as yourself doesn't deserve to take her life, especially the Bushido way." He says twisting the blade slowly in her gut-no doubt causing great agony for the dying woman. "You don't even deserve to be Beijionese. You'll never be able to make your death as remarkable as you think it is. Why? Because I stole that chance." he says, his piercing blue eyes looking into her own, he twists the weapon so that the blade was now 'horizontal' within her grinding against her insides and her rib bones before he drew back and pulled the full length of the weapon out. Her blood sprays out and onto the floor, her eyes wide with pain and her skin pale.

He continues to clench her neck and grins. "Too bad your going to die, never making that final 'masterpiece' you've dreamt of creating. In death..you will die because of my own doing and forever I shall carry that knowledge. The knowledge of poor Saeko, the failed samurai who couldn't even take her own life." he then looks at the blade. "A mere toy in your hands-how pitiful you couldn't have made this weapons potential really shine." he says pointing at the blood groove. "Can you even read your own language? You backwoods bumpkin. It clearly reads that the blade was blessed by the Seven High Priestess's of Beijio. This weapon wasn't meant for killing people, it was meant to destroy demons." he says before stabbing the blade through her right breast and directly through her lung, the blade smoothly exiting her back and stabbed into the already blood stained sofa. He leans close, lifting her chin before forcing his lips against hers.

His embrace was not at all romantic-no..he was taking her remaining oxygen from her mouth, keeping her from breathing. He remained there, his left fingers pinched over her nose as he sucked the air from her mouth, pulling back from his 'kiss of death' before spitting a wad of her blood from his mouth and wiped his lips with his sleeve. "Absolutely disgusting. You can't even die with grace." he says pulling the blade from her breast, propping his left boot against her left shoulder; her left breast crushed under his heel as he drew the blade again, leaving her on her knees. He begins to walk away with the blade in hand, heading for the door. He gets within range before pausing. He half turns his head in her direction. "You should have killed me when you had the opportunity..dear heart." he says before turning to the door again and started reaching for the handle.

Her wide eyes stare out into the distance after he removed the blade which caused her to fall upon her knees. Fresh blood fell from her lower lip and the young woman looks up with shocked eyes. "You-you can't! Thi-this is my death you bas-" but before she could get out another word she felt the blade's tip sink through her flesh, piercing her breast and slipping its way through her body, parting the flesh of her right lung before being forced out of her back and into the sofa she had been previously laying on. This talk...of Beijionese Pride...of Bushido...of her blade meant for the flesh of demons. Of being denied her will to kill her self. This bastard....this bastard is taking it all away from her...taking her art!

She felt her air supply run low, her blood supply was running lower. At this rate the entire floor would be painted red with blood. "How...how ca-" but before she could say anything he again cuts her off by his kiss. Part of her found this disturbing, part arousing and part confusing. It took only his hand upon her nose to realize he was suffocating her. Her paling eyes widen, her desperation returning when her breath was being forced out of her. She weakly raised her arms, which weighed like anchors; gripping his shoulders with all her might, but it could only amount to the strength required to close a simple wooden box. He then pulls away and spits out a blood wad and degrading her beauty of her death. She barely feels his boot against her left breast as he pulls the length of her blade from her right breast. She falls over, her hands upon the floor, blood seeping from her multiple wounds and from her mouth. She wheezes, completely out of air as he degrades her yet again and begins to walk away with her blade. She is beginning to shake, her body becoming completely cold, her skin almost gray. She looks over to the man in white, falling upon her chest.

"I'm...going to die like this...with...no grace..no dignity." her mind spoke. She slowly crawls towards him, the time seeming to slow down, and the world in her vision was gray with the exception of the blood however...that was red and crimson. "Stop..." she spoke, barely a whisper. She reaches towards him, noting that he still very much had her blade in his possession. "That is...my father's..." she spoke hoarsely again. Her eyes becoming bluer again, a second wind pushing her up onto her feet. She stumbled to the wall on weak legs, her hands coming across a sword in it's sheath before she absently drew the weapon. "I...will not die this way...I'm going to kill you first; I swear on my honor..as a Busujima...as a Beijionese--" she coughed up a heavy bout of blood and haunched over. "Give...me my blade!" she screamed, pushing off the wall and rushed the man in white. The blade was a tsurugi and she readied herself for a strike, weapon raised and ready to kill the man now that she got in lethal range. "DIE!" she screamed.

"Gladly." he says under his breath, turning around parrying her strike, and then skewered her through her neck. The tsuba pressed firmly against the flesh of her neck, and as Rufus held it there his fierce eyes look into hers with piercing rage...but also with a sorrow and a deep sadness. He says nothing, only watches as she squirms with the full blade's length sticking out behind her. Thankfully, the Tenik Revive hadn't gone into full effect yet; her wounds would have healed already if it had. "Foolish...and an irredeemable action. A good Beijionese Assassin, Samurai or not, would have known to remain silent as she strikes. But you do not need to worry, your not going to be doing much speaking since I've destroyed you, young Busujima. Let it be known that you've been killed by none other than Rufus George-Alexander Tenik himself. It is a shame, but I must take my leave-speaking of which.." he then twists the blade. Instead of sliding it back out, he cuts through the left side of her neck; separating the flesh with a small spray of blood. He swung the sword, cleaning it of her blood before looking from the nearly decapitated Busujima's neck to her eyes again. "May we meet again, in another life." he says with a smile, reaching out and parting some of her purple hair back before lightly pushing her back, to send the woman falling onto her back.

Rufus Tenik wrote:"Gladly." he says under his breath, turning around parrying her strike, and then skewered her through her neck. The tsuba pressed firmly against the flesh of her neck, and as Rufus held it there his fierce eyes look into hers with piercing rage...but also with a sorrow and a deep sadness. He says nothing, only watches as she squirms with the full blade's length sticking out behind her. Thankfully, the Tenik Revive hadn't gone into full effect yet; her wounds would have healed already if it had. "Foolish...and an irredeemable action. A good Beijionese Assassin, Samurai or not, would have known to remain silent as she strikes. But you do not need to worry, your not going to be doing much speaking since I've destroyed you, young Busujima. Let it be known that you've been killed by none other than Rufus George-Alexander Tenik himself. It is a shame, but I must take my leave-speaking of which.." he then twists the blade. Instead of sliding it back out, he cuts through the left side of her neck; separating the flesh with a small spray of blood. He swung the sword, cleaning it of her blood before looking from the nearly decapitated Busujima's neck to her eyes again. "May we meet again, in another life." he says with a smile, reaching out and parting some of her purple hair back before lightly pushing her back, to send the woman falling onto her back.

Saeko saw the flash of light, felt the steel the steel re-enter her body and carve into her flesh. She twitched, dropping the tsurugi and clutched at her neck, gasping in deep raspy/gurgling breaths. She looked into the eyes of her killer, and listened to his almost 'far off' words...confused by the sorrowful look that was hidden behind his mask of rage. Her watery dead irises contracted when the name Rufus Tenik was mentioned. The Vice President of the ADN...and former Dictator of Galiavan. Her weakened, battered body stilled when he cuts his way out of her neck, causing arterial spray as the blade swung from her neck. "W...h...y..?" she gurgled, feeling her cold body shut down, her mind becoming blank, and her vision blurring then blacked. She was already dead when he parted her hair and tucked it behind her ear and did not feel her body fall upon the boards of Alastor's office. No, she was dead and spiraling in the aethereal limbo as her spirit was free to move to either Demon Realm or the Spirit Realm-but she also seemed...'locked'. Her spirit was unable to leave her body and she was stuck. She was not aware of the revival pill that was dissolved and absorbed into her body. She would soon however...realize she was in a state of neither dead nor living.

Rufus's smile fell and became a deep frown as he looks upon the deceased-soon to be revived woman. He shook his head in shame, not in the woman whom he'd just killed...but of himself. "Am I truly unable to redeem myself? Must I always travel in the path of darkness? Why must my past forever dictate my future? How long can I truly pull off the charade of being 'redeemed'...how long will it be till Galiavan's people truly do not want me around and seize to seek my guidance? Will Galiavan's people be able to survive without a 'Tenik'? It's been nearly 400 years and the Tenik Legacy has been able to thrive till a mere 18 years ago. Sure, it was through my father's guidance of the world most of my problems came to the surface. Because of my father and my own misuse of our power...the Tenik Establishment and family name had been soiled." he looks for the scabbard to Saeko's blade, found it and cleaned the blade off with his ruined armored jacket before sheathing it. He places the sheathed Busujima blade upon the desk, and thinks of his own partial if not diluted Beijionese history. "Beijionese blood is in my veins...its in my father's veins....its in my own son's veins...where ever the hell that youngman is." he says and then suddenly sneezes. He shakes his head, and looks to his garment. "I feel as though I was referenced somehow...hmm." he then heads over to the fallen Saeko and removes her cloths, at least the ones that are bloodied and needing repair and also wraps her wounds with medical tape before taking her upstairs to the owner of the building's room, which Rufus only speculated since it would have been the same room Selphie had occupied. By luck, it was the room. He places the scantly clad woman upon the bed and tucks her in before leaving the room. As he prepares to leave through the front entrance he picks up his cell phone and dials his secretary.

"...Roin. I want you to double security and armed personnel for my Security Detail... I... I believe I may eventually be hunted down... I will spare the details later, just... ... no I'm not with Bob and Jake. Bu-hey-wai-stop it, I un-understand the severity of--woman I'm warnin-huh... fine. I'll see you at the Guardian plate then... I... I also want you to bring the Tiny Bee with you, if you can. I'm sure it's small enough to land in the center of town... I just really need to get off the land." he says with a slight chuckle, half sigh of exasperation. "Alright then. I'll meet you in a few." he says as he hung up his phone. "War-Gods preserve me. She may not be the super-Secretary/Director of the TIRS that Revan was, but she's the second best." he holds his forehead and rubs it, feeling a headache come on. "Well... I guess it's time to wait." he says walking down the stairs and headed for the front door.