It seems my resolve on this one has broken somewhat. I'll be completing it after all, and probably posting the whole part up on fanfiction.net. I'm not sure why I changed my mind. Perhaps it's just to placate those who keep asking for updates. Although, I have the feeling it'll make it worse. I feel bad for just leaving them hanging though.
I'll most likely be done by today and, depending on the speediness of the proofreading, I'll perhaps have it posted by the end of the day as well.
Apparently not, according to Bioware.
On the forum of their upcoming MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic, there have been threads discussing the posibility of homosexual characters. Most of these have been closed now. However, the issue came to a head when a filter was put in place on the site, banning the use of words such as "gay", "lesbian", and "homosexual". The poster had this to say:
"Just wanted to point out that disallowing the usage of the words G-A-Y and L-E-S-B-I-A-N in this forum is something we (the GLBT community) cringe at witnessing. I understand where it comes from, but my advise to Bioware is to rethink this. Blizzard got some really bad press when they tried to forbid the usage of these words, and it would be really disappointing if Bioware would follow such a conservative policy in their forum - and their game."
In response to this, a few pages later into the thread, Bioware Community Manager Sean Dahlberg stated this before locking the topic:
"As I have stated before, these are terms that do not exist in Star Wars. Thread closed."
Coming from Bioware, this seems an odd move as they have given players the option to follow diverse romantic options in their previous games. In Jade Empire, female player characters could choose between seducing a male or female companion, whereas a male player character had even more choice - being able to choose between a male, female or even two female companions. In Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, there was lesbian subtext between the female player character and Juhani, a female jedi.
Whilst their reasoning may work if they want to exclude the restrictions of specific sexuality from the Star Wars universe, why not restrict use of all terms related to the subject, such as 'heterosexuality'? At the moment, this seems like needless conservative censorship and added explanation is required on their part to avoid further conflict with the LGBT community.
Even if everyone was in agreement that these terms weren't used in Star Wars mythos, the need for players to identify themselves and build their character is still present. I can see the point of restricting these words in-game but it makes little sense to censor such things on a public forum.
Japanese developer and publisher Square Enix have acquired the UK company, Eidos for £84.3 million. Although franchises such as Tomb Raider and Hitman now belong to Square Enix, the Eidos logo will still be used when distributing them. Eidos has been allowed to remain independent and work on their own games.
Square Enix also released their sales figures for long-running games series, such as Final Fantasy, which has sold over 85 million units and Dragon Quest, which has shifted 47 million units. In comparison Tomb Raider has sold 30 million and Hitman only 8 million units. Other games of note from Eidos are Deus Ex and Just Cause.
Bethesda Softworks has upgraded their scrolls for books, taking their successful series of games to the literary stage. Elder Scrolls will be getting the treatment of bestselling author Greg Keyes as he creates two novels, the first due to be released in Autumn this year.
For more information, here's the press release:
"US, April 27, 2009 - Rockville, MD - Bethesda Softworks, a ZeniMax Media company, and Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, are pleased to announce that Del Rey Books will publish two novels based on Bethesda Softworks' award-winning, high-fantasy video game series, The Elder Scrolls. The best-selling game series is known for giving the player the ability to choose how their story will play out and unfold, and for the incredible amount of lore and depth found in these rich game worlds.
Penned by New York Times bestselling author Greg Keyes, the novels will be all-new, original stories based in The Elder Scrolls universe. The first novel – The Infernal City – is set to be published in Fall 2009. Among Keyes' prior works are the Age of Unreason tetrology (for which he won the prestigious "Le Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire" award), and three New York Times bestselling Star Wars novels in the New Jedi Order series.
"We've been big fans of Greg's work for a long time, and we're thrilled he agreed to bring his talents to The Elder Scrolls," said Pete Hines, vice president of public relations and marketing for Bethesda Softworks. "We see these books as a natural extension of the franchise and think fans will love the stories and characters Greg has created."
The Infernal City is set after the events of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion®, the latest game in the video game series, and finds the citizens of Tamriel once again facing an uncertain future. Floating high above the land is a strange and mysterious city that is casting a horrifying shadow – wherever it falls, people die and rise again as undead. It is up to an unlikely duo – a seventeen-year-old girl named Annaig and the Emperor's young son, Prince Attrebus – to rescue the kingdom from doom. Annaig and Attrebus' quest will take them through the Elder Scrolls universe and their adventure is sure to add to the series' already magnificent mythology."
The world of MMOs (Massively Multiplayer Online games); one of the fastest growing genres within the gaming world. There is never a shortage of new ones being released, but rarely do we see one rising to high popularity and longevity. World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, EVE Online, Guild Wars; these giants of the MMORPG world are a tough act to follow, but Age of Conan rises to the challenge and attempts to make something of itself, sword and axe at the ready.
Conan and the world of Hyboria are the creation of Robert E. Howard, an American author writing in the 1930s. Rather than being a world filled with races such as elves and dwarves, AoC is low-fantasy, focusing more on realism and the darker aspects of humanity. Moral ambiguity is rife in this genre and is one of the many things that make the game unique within MMOs. The inspiration for the game comes directly from Howard’s books, rather than the interpretations made since. The game setting takes place a year after the events of the book, The Hour of the Dragon. Those expecting to see Arnie look-alikes prancing around the wilderness, rescuing helpless virgins will be, thankfully, disappointed.
Age of Conan was developed by the Norwegian company, Funcom, and was released on May 17th 2008. Funcom have been responsible for such games as Anarchy Online and Dreamfall: The Longest Journey.
The world of Hyboria is on the brink of war. King Conan’s lands are threatened on several fronts; on one side he has the savage Picts biting at his heels, on the other Thoth-Amon, a powerful Stygian sorceror, schemes to twist the lands to his will. Not only do the world’s warriors have to contend with savages and fanatical cultists but the land is plagued by the undead and vicious beasts.
Your character is thrown into the centre of it all when the ship you are enslaved upon is sunk and you wash up on the shores of the island of Tortage. With only your slave’s manacles, a rather unattractive loincloth and a mysterious mark branded upon your chest, you attempt to make your way in a very hostile world, guided occasionally by strangers with unknown motives.
This is the first noticeable aspect Age of Conan has going for it; the emphasis on storyline. Not only does the plot feature heavily in the start of your adventures, but your character is made important in the grand scheme of things. Something a lot of other MMORPGs lack. You could be forgiven for thinking that this is, in fact, a single player game as it focuses so heavily on solo play to begin with. Once you reach the first town, you are given the option to enter ‘night time’ play, where no other players may join you. This allows you to do your ‘destiny’ quests and further the main plot. You may switch back to daytime mode at any time in order to do normal quests with friends.
Each of the destiny quest NPCs (non-player characters) have voiceovers as well, making the game play even more immersive. Every quest on the island of Tortage is treated in the same way and it is only when you leave the area, usually after your 20th level, that the voice-overs cease in the normal quests. This might be disappointing to some, due to the quality of acting, but it’s likely to be time-consuming and costly to repeat this throughout the entire game.
But don’t let the heavy plot fool you, this game is as much about pounding your enemies as it is about listening to some old scholar blabbing on about a lurking doom. And the combat system is truly unique. Instead of merely pressing one button to activate a skill, you have a choice of three directions from which to hit your opponent. Skills require you to press these directional buttons in a specific order to activate them. It makes the combat both diverse and tactical, as your enemies can block certain directions too, making some skills less effective in one moment and powerful in the next.
Add to that the ability to dodge out of the way of any attack, making range very important to combat, and you have a system that requires thought rather than mere button bashing. This might also make it frustrating for newcomers or those with impaired digital dexterity. Although the game does ease you into the combat, PvP (player vs. player) can be extremely brutal.
The game does feature some intensive PvP aspects and if you create a character on a PvP server, then expect to get pounced upon at any time. There are specific areas where you are safe from being ambushed but the majority of locations on these servers allow for a free-for-all type of play. There are no factions, like in World of Warcraft, so it’s you against the world. If you’re new to the game, you can find yourself at the mercy of more experienced players quite often, making questing difficult.
If, however, you choose to play on a PvE (player vs. environment) realm, it will allow you to appreciate the surrounding locales a bit more. And the graphics are nicely done. Rather than the more cartoony feel of World of Warcraft, Age of Conan goes for realism and immersion. The character models are very detailed and highly customisable, and who doesn’t like spending hours making new characters, right? The architecture of each culture can be linked to our own past and is easily recognisable, for example the Stygians are quite obviously based upon the Ancient Egyptians. The music is equally fitting and well composed, adding to the atmosphere of the game. So much so, it’s hard to play without sound at all.
With the vast array of features the game has, such as mounted combat, guild cities, professions, and the mentoring system (which allows you to take a lower level friend and raise them to your own level so you may fight together), it appears as though this game has much to offer the tired MMORPGer.
In Funcom’s eagerness, however, it seems as though they’ve released the game a tad too soon. The servers are rather unstable and there are quite a few glitches within the world, graphical and mechanical alike. Had they taken more time on the game and ensured it was absolutely ready for release, then this would have been a perfect contender against the likes of World of Warcraft.
At the beginning of June, AoC had around 500,000 subscribers so it has a long way to go to match the 10 million of WoW. But it is an MMO in its’ infancy, and has time to get through the teething difficulties to become a truly great game.
Overall rating: 7/10
Title: DOFUS
Developer: Ankama Games
Platform: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
Release date: September 1, 2005
Genre: Fantasy Tactical MMORPG
Subscription: Free/£3.99 a month/£37 a year
Rating: PEGI - 12+
Platform: Linux, Mac OS X, Windows
Release date: September 1, 2005
Genre: Fantasy Tactical MMORPG
Subscription: Free/£3.99 a month/£37 a year
Rating: PEGI - 12+
DOFUS, created by the Ankama Group, is the leading MMO in France, having won several awards, and has recently reached a landmark 10 million players since release, currently boasting 1.5 million subscribers. Whilst 70% of its players are French speaking, it is played in 150 different countries and will soon be available in 10 different languages. With the sequel, Wakfu, in the works, this seemed like as good a time as any to give the phenomena a try.
The story is based around six mysterious eggs named DOFUS, which were discovered centuries previously in the entrails of a slain dragon. The wise men of Amakna, the land in which the game takes place and Ankama’s name reversed, discovered that when united the eggs contained great but unstable power. And so it was decided they would be scattered. Now, in present day Amakna, the DOFUS have disappeared from their secret hiding places and strange creatures have appeared, enticing adventurers and treasure hunters alike to hunt for the famed eggs.
When I first approached this game for review, I cleared my mind of any preconceived notions I had of both this game, and of the MMORPG genre, as I knew this was going to be different from anything I’d played before. For starters, it’s a Flash game, with only 150mb installation size, and a minimum required RAM of 256. Having never come across DOFUS before, I was surprised at how small it was, but this is one of the appeals it has to many of its players. It can be played from most computers so it is a truly mobile game.
It would be silly of me to try and compare DOFUS to other MMORPGs, such as World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online, as they can hardly be classed in the same bracket. Yes, they are of the same genre but there are just too many differences between them. So, that is the last time I shall mention those games.
With the quick installation gone, it was time for me to register an account, which was, again, quick and simple. Then it was on to one of the aspects of MMOs I always enjoy; character creation. Having tackled this game as a complete beginner, with no prior knowledge, it was easy to get confused at first glance of the classes. Whilst Ankama are to be commended for their originality of archetypes, some players may find the unique class names off putting.
There are a total of 12 different classes to choose from, with names such as Iop, which was inspired by the milkshake Yop, and Osamodas. These do come with a short explanation as to what each class is and some example spells, so under further investigation I was able to decipher which ones were warriors, which were mages, and which were rogues. Disappointingly, character customisation is rather limited, restricting the player to choosing the colour of only three aspects of their chosen character. No changes in face, hairstyle or body type is offered, although gender is selectable.When your character first steps into the game world, you are presented with 2D isometric graphics, an informative user interface, and some pop-up messages to help you on your way. The backgrounds are fairly vibrant and eye-catching, keeping the player interested but they can get pretty repetitive from scene to scene. Character movement is typically Flash-based and detail is limited due to the size of the models. The artwork is reminiscent of a cute manga style, which is one of the main draws of the game.
Another major draw of the game is its humour, which is evident as soon as you step into the world; with several quips from nearby NPCs. Character designs also portray this humour, although I prefer mine to be a bit subtler. Since the game was originally released in French, I was impressed with the quality of the translation, having experienced many poor attempts from mainly Japanese and Korean MMOs.Once through the quick tutorial, your character is exposed to the general starting area, where all young Amaknans must begin their adventures. A green exclamation mark, the symbol of choice among MMORPG developers, above the head of two NPCs denotes your first quests. These are generic MMO fare, telling you to kill a certain beast or speak to another NPC. Taking the orders to heart, I embarked upon my first real battle against an unsuspecting mosquito.
The combat is fairly unique for this genre of game, using a tactical turn-based system, which piqued my interest. My character, an Iop - which is a melee class by default - is given the choice of several squares as her starting position, with her foe clearly visible. Depending on your Initiative, one of a character’s core statistics, you or your opponent will move and take actions first. With limited movement, in a square-by-square manner, battles aren’t always quick. Actions take up, you guessed it, action points and my Iop was only able to take one action per turn. I found the system to be a little clunky; with fights taking longer than necessary with the sheer amount of clicking you had to do to move on to the next turn. The potential for tactical play, especially within a group, are extremely good however, it is just a pity I wasn’t able to experience them in the time I played.Another thing you come across when you enter the starting area is other players, who are fairly numerous, even on the UK server on which I played. There seemed to be a contingent of idle players merely standing around on nearly every scene I came across. Other players also have the ability to jump into your battles once you’ve initiated them, either aiding you or your enemy. I found, in my very first battle, that a level 41 player jumped in and started attacking me. I was a tad confused as to this tactic but merely got on with killing that poor mosquito and ignored his high-levelled rudeness. Thankfully, combat ended when the mosquito went to that little insect heaven in the sky.
Something I soon noticed in my travels around the starting area was the music, which was cheery but incredibly repetitive and it didn’t take me long to turn it off. The sound effects weren’t much better and they tended to annoy me rather than immerse me in the gameplay. It also seems that DOFUS hasn’t escaped the curse of MMOs that is the gold seller. Several chat channels were continually spammed by messages inviting players to buy their virtual currency but DOFUS does give you the option to leave these channels, much to my relief. From my conversations with players, I learned that the game does have quite a problem with bots; characters continually roaming maps and killing monsters to make that all-important money.
Another thing players complained of was the constant changes made to class dynamics with the intention of balancing them. Whilst this is a common complaint in MMORPGs, and I haven’t enough experience within the game to be able to tell for myself, enough people voiced their opinion on the matter to make me think Ankama have fallen into this trap as well.
DOFUS boasts several other features to keep players coming back for more, such as pets, guilds, PvP, and alignments. Among these are a variety of professions available for your character to learn. You are able to learn up to three professions after having levelled the previous one to 30. There is a wide range to choose from, such as farming, baking, armoursmithing, alchemy, carving, and much more. From my limited experience of the professions, I found the gathering of materials to be a slow, tedious slog and the crafting of items to be fairly hit-and-miss. For example, in the woodcutting profession, to make an ash plank it requires 20 pieces of ash wood. Each tree you chop down yields between one and three of the resource, with a gathering time of around 11 seconds. This seems rather unbalanced and levelling up each profession is very time-consuming.
I expect the professions aren’t the only time-consuming part of the game, as from the time spent playing, I foresee levelling to be just as bad, especially with the 200 level cap. Although levelling can be a pretty quick process in the beginning, the quests don’t seem to take up much of those levels, facilitating a grinding style of play. From what players have told me, it is estimated to take around two to three years to reach the maximum level. Add in the fact that certain monsters can be camped, especially the higher level ones in the starting area, grinding could become incredibly tedious. Personally, I don’t think the visuals are diverse enough to support such an approach.
DOFUS provides both limited free-to-play and pay-to-play options for gamers, with subscribed accounts enjoying such benefits as being able to challenge monsters over level 20, working on professions over level 30, and creating or joining guilds. On offer to subscribers is a rather novel idea - the heroic server. In this version of the game, you only live once. Character death means just that, you lose your character and any items you’d gained. As a benefit of this server, experience and item drops are increased.
Although I wouldn’t personally pay to play this game, I can see the attraction for a fair number of people. It’s not comparable to the big names in the genre but it is, indeed, a big name itself and I can’t think of a better example of a Flash game. It’s easy access and low specs somewhat balance the repetitive gameplay and I can only see its popularity growing.
Overall rating: 6/10
So I've had a think about what I could post up here other than fan fiction. I have my original stories but for obvious reasons I don't think I'll be displaying those for everyone to see. I'll probably put up snippits of ideas I've had in the past but decided not to continue with. That's perhaps a bit mean for those that actually want to read more. :P
I'll also post up some of my journalism. Obviously, I won't stick any of the old news items up here. Most of my online journalism was for emagi.co.uk but as I've stopped working for them now, I'll be using this blog for those kinds of articles. I actually enjoyed working on the news articles so I may continue. I did a few reviews over there so I'll bring those over here. Go check the site out if you have the time, it's certainly worth it.
I finally got around to doing some editing on this blog, but it's been a pretty big hassle. Some features haven't been working and one or two still aren't, so I've had to try and work around it. Adsense is being a major pain and I've pretty much had enough of it, so I shall just leave it as is. At least the images are working finally - just not in the way they were meant to.
Now that I have a basic layout sorted for this blog, I'll need to get some new writing up, which means I actually have to write something. Let's see how that goes!
Just a silly little drabble I came up with some time ago. I was considering making a small book with a collection of these kinds of verses, contributed by the Mai HiME fanfiction authors and community. I received a few submissions but not much other interest. I don't think it helped that it was limited to my friends list, of course. Ah well, it was just a silly idea anyway.
And lo, Shizuru came down from fiction heaven, and stood before the sinner.
And she did look upon it and give a wry little grin.
And she did speaketh, "Begone."
And thus, she smited the sinner with her rather long and pointy katana.
And henceforth the sinner was thrown into the gooey hell where all sinners go.
And she turned to the righteous and spoketh once more, "No longer will that ikezu, Writer's Block, plague you."
And the righteous heaved a huge sight of relief...eth.
And then she returned from whence she cameth.
And the righteous were filled with a sense of jubilation.
For there was fanfiction again.
- Book of ShizNat, 2:20.
Drabble Eight
Natsuki glanced over her shoulder at the redhead skulking behind her. Nao had insisted she take the lead as they stepped onto school grounds but she hadn't really expected anything different from her. She had appeared to have changed over the years though, in appearance and personality. She seemed far more resigned now, though resigned to what she wasn't sure. It seemed time had taken its toll on Nao; on her spirit and on her body. She still had a youthful appearance but Natsuki could see the experience in her movements now, something that told her the other woman had been through things she'd rather not know about.
She shook the thoughts away and forced herself to look forwards once more. Now wasn't the time to become reflective or to worry about Nao Yuuki. Is there ever a time to worry about her? She inwardly questioning, realising time didn't heal all wounds. Even though she'd saved Nao from Shizuru's wrath all those years ago, she wasn't quite at the point where she could forgive her for what the redhead had done to her. They hadn't had closure when it came to that matter and she wasn't sure she even wanted to anymore. She felt her brow furrow as an old anger swirled in her gut, fuelling each step she took inside the darkened school building.
The gloominess of her surroundings wasn't helping Natsuki's mood one iota and the fact that Nao was muttering away to herself didn't do much either. She caught parts of complaints of the state of the building but had tuned out the comments some time ago. She peered up the length of the corridor, making out a set of stairs at the far end of it. She wondered where exactly they were heading and she had a vague idea that the science labs were that way. Did she even want to go there? Where was she going? Why were they even in here? The questions didn't appear to have any immediate answers.
"Oi, Kuga."
Natsuki paused and turned to look at her unlikely companion. "Mm?"
"Your hearing starting to go in your old age or something?" Nao mumbled.
She narrowed her eyes and suppressed the growl that threatened to rise in her throat. The other woman had always had a way of getting under her skin so easily, even with a stupid remark like that. "What do you want?" she forced through clenched teeth.
"I asked if you knew where we were going," she said with a slight wave of her hand.
Natsuki let out a small sigh, regaining her composure quickly. "Not really. I have no idea what we're looking for in here."
Nao shrugged. "Something out of the ordinary?" she paused and snorted. "Not that anything was quite normal around here."
Natsuki nodded in agreement. She was right about that. Any sense of normality this place held was shattered the day she was approached by Nagi. She wasn't even sure it had a shred of normalcy before then now that she thought about it. Her life had been anything but the status quo.
"I have an idea," Nao cut into Natsuki's thoughts.
Raising her eyebrows questioningly, Natsuki gestured for the other woman to continue.
"Lets pay a visit to one of our old acquaintances' residence, shall we?" Nao's eyes sparkled as she spoke, making Natsuki wonder what exactly was going on behind them.
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble Seven
The chill wind pushed against her slim form as she emerged from the cave, the light outside hurting her eyes as she squinted to view her surroundings. Confusion clouded her mind for a moment when she didn't recognise the vast wasteland before her. The cave seemed to be the only structure of worth as far as her eyes could see, the flat craggy rocks stretching out for what seemed like miles. Her brow furrowed further as she tried to remember how she had gotten here. She let out a frustrated breath as she received no answers.
She recalled her altercation with Nagi, of how she couldn't push away the disgust she felt for him, of how she knew he was part of some terrible scheme still. She wasn't sure how she knew though, it was just a feeling of certainty she had. Even her words hadn't seemed like her own and that worried her. She was so used to being in control, of being so sure of her own world. Now everything seemed so uncertain and she didn't see any way of getting answers. She scanned the horizon, hoping to find some landmark she could use to help her navigate this plain.
Where was this place anyway? It almost felt like a dream to her. It was certainly nothing like any place she was aware of. She pushed the question away, knowing that her mind was probably incapable of answering it in the first place. She frowned when she couldn't find a landmark in any direction. Perhaps she could use the cave as a point of reference though. She turned to look back at it, her eyes immediately drawn to the etchings around the entrance. She stepped closer but didn't recognise the symbols that had been carved directly into the rock.
Now she had yet another question. She lifted the naginata she had been holding at her side and hoisted it over her shoulder so she could carry it more easily. She wasn't going to make any progress standing around here. A part of her hoped this was all some strange dream though but her senses told her otherwise. Or perhaps, she had finally relented to her insanity and she was trapped within her own mind. She let out a sigh, hoping that possibility would never come to fruition.
She shook her head slightly in an attempt to clear her mind. She needed all her faculties about her if she was going to find her way out of here. Wherever here was. She needed to get back. Back to her. She pressed her lips together in grim determinations and headed in the opposite direction to the cave. Nothing was going to keep her apart from her Natsuki.
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble Six
"I knew something was wrong, I could just feel it," Nao muttered, shoving her balled fists into the pockets of her short jacket. She idly kicked at the ground with one foot, her gaze following it.
"Why would you think that? Since when are you attuned to us?" Came Natsuki's reply.
Nao peered at her and gritted her teeth in an attempt to hold back a laugh. "Why the hell would I care about you? I mean something big is about to happen," she explained, stilling her foot and looking levelly at the other woman. She watched with slight amusement as realisation dawned upon Natsuki's features. "Besides, since when would Fujino disappear without taking you with her, huh?"
A smirk pulled at one corner of Nao's mouth as the dark-haired woman opposite her looked away at her words. Some things didn't change. She withdrew her hands from her pockets and stepped closer to Natsuki. "So, what do you think?"
The question took Nao by surprise. Since when did the strong-willed Natsuki ask anyone for their opinion, especially Nao? Perhaps things did change, after all. At Natsuki's expectant look, she turned her attention to the school building that they'd previously walked away from. Even at this greater distance, it loomed over them, as if it was watching. "Whatever is wrong, I'd say this place has something to do with it," she said quietly, as though the building would hear her words.
She heard a soft grunt from the other woman and she looked back at her to see Natsuki walking back towards the school, the thought of leaving on her bike long forgotten. She stared after her for a few moments before jogging after her. When she'd caught up to her and had set into an even pace beside her, Nao found herself peering at the other woman out of the corner of her eye. Now she was closer, it was easier to see how Natsuki had aged over the years and, she had to admit, they had treated her well. Far better than herself, she suspected.
She quickly dropped her gaze when she found emerald eyes upon her. "What?" came the curt tone the other woman had been known for.
Nao shook her head slightly. "Nothing, it's not important," she muttered, glad when they reached the main gate that led into the academy grounds. Her eyes follows the tall metal contours of it, noting the rust that had started to collect at the edges. Someone hadn't been taking good care of things over the years. That thought worried her. "Well, might as well take a look inside, eh?" she gestured from Natsuki to the gate. "Heroes first."
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble Five
The cold sept in around the young woman's frame, her body shivering at the contrast. She stared blankly at the night sky, the stars twinkling hopefully back at her but she knew their light was not intended for her. Hope was fading fast from her and a part of her welcomed it. Too many long, torturous years had passed for her to want to cling to life now and there was something comforting in the icy darkness that circled her, waiting to claim her.
She made an attempt to lift her head, damp red locks sliding against the clammy skin of her face as she moved. She could now see the one who had brought about all of this. He stood there, masked by shadow, staring straight at her. She imagined the cruel smirk upon his features and could see it quite clearly even though his face was shrouded in the night. A twinge of pain shot up her right side and she let out a dull whimper, her head falling back to the snow with a low crunching sound.
The sound of footsteps approaching was now the only sound to reach her ears, she couldn't even make out her own breaths. Was she still even breathing? It was so hard to tell. She felt numb, partly from the cold, partly from the wound she had suffered but most of all from the years she had spent burying all the sensations she felt, emotional and physical alike. As she lay there, she became aware of moaning filling the night air and she realised they were forced from her own lips.
The dark figure knelt at her side but she didn't strain to see his face, she didn't want to see the emptiness in his eyes. That was far more frightening than what awaited her. He leant in close and she could feel his hot breath against the side of her face. Another shiver crept down her spine and she closed her eyes, trying to block everything else out, hoping that sleep would come soon. She only became more aware of his presence though and that constant, steady sound of his breathing tormented her.
After what seemed like an eternity, he whispered his final words to her, the last words she would ever hear. "Do not fear, it will all be over soon... Shiho."
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble Four
Nagi knew. Oh yes, he knew. One could almost say he was omnipotent but there was one thing he hadn't foreseen. And that was the woman standing before him, naginata braced against her arm, fingers flexing almost imperceptibly. Why he hadn't expected this escaped him at that moment. Out of all the HiME, he should have expected the Fujino girl to be the one to come after him, to work out where he would emerge once more into this world. How she had done that, he wasn't sure of either and he realised he wasn't quite as omnipotent as he had first thought.
He did know he wouldn't fall to her blade though, that he was certain of. He felt quite powerful after his long rest and he was sure he could defeat any single HiME in combat, even if his form did appear weak. Appearances could be quite deceiving after all. He eyed her, a grin pulling at his features as he watched her every movement. She seemed almost wild in the low light of the cave, her crimson eyes darting back and forth whilst her muscles tensed in expectation. Yes, she seemed quite the animal to Nagi, not at all the cultured Kyoto woman she was so often perceived to be. He knew her true self.
Those crimson eyes focused on him as he stepped forwards, pupils shrinking as she recognised him. He wanted to say something to throw her off guard but he felt content in merely watching her for the time being, to see what it was she thought she might accomplish here. She took a singular step forwards, hoisting the shaft of her weapon across her body so her torso was partially shielded by it. His grin shifted to a smirk as he realised she wasn't as foolish as he thought she might be. She seemed to be aware of the threat he posed.
He tilted his head to one side as he paused in his motions. Had she said something? Her lips had moved slightly but he hadn't caught the sound clearly. Perhaps his senses hadn't adjusted to this world quite as quickly as he had hoped. It didn't matter to him though, they would soon enough and he was more than powerful enough in his current state to take down this HiME if she had the gall to attack him. His thoughts wandered to the reason he was here and he pondered taunting the Fujino girl with that information before taking care of her.
The woman opposite him took a few more steps forwards but Nagi didn't feel threatened in the least. He had the advantage here and she was merely closing the gap to her demise. He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at that thought and Shizuru paused mid-step. The hesitation lasted for only a second and she soon closed the gap, standing only a few feet away from him, peering down warily. He felt amused that she'd come so close. She could have stopped much further away and still be within reach for her naginata to do a great deal of damage yet she had come this close. She was a strange one, that was for sure.
"A more mature Fujino-san is certainly more appealing," he murmured past his smirk and he watched in amusement as a flicker of annoyance passed through those crimson orbs.
"Why are you here, Nagi?" her words reached his ears with far greater clarity this time and he wondered if it had been the distance that made it hard to hear her before.
"Oh my dear, I think you already know that," his smirk grew as he spoke. "And I could ask you the same question."
Her eyes narrowed, her irises darkening in colour. "And you should already know the answer to that."
He let out a low chuckle, waving a hand slightly as he opened his mouth to speak. "Oh yes, of course. You want to protect that little whor--" Nagi blinked in surprise, his words dying in his throat as he felt a warmth flood his chest before it turned to a chilling spear of ice.
He looked down slowly, the red metal jutting from his chest drawing his gaze and he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly as if to say something but no sound emerged. Shizuru's hand was still clasped firmly around the shaft of the weapon and her eyes burned with a fury Nagi had never seen before. Not even from his Lord. Darkness began to creep in around the edge of his vision and he found himself wondering why he didn't feel any pain.
His body shook as it hit the ground and he hadn't even noticed he was falling. Dust and dirt swirled in the air around him before settling against the blood soaked ground once more. A cough racked his body and he tasted something metallic in his mouth, something that left a heated moisture upon his lips. How could this have happened? He had known he would be the victor, hadn't he? What had gone wrong? As the darkness began to fill his vision entirely, he decided upon something.
Omnipotence was overrated.
"Damn... you..." he coughed again, the last of his life force draining from his body. "... Shizuru..."
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble 3
Life had a funny way of taking all you had experienced and shoving it back in your face when you least expected it. That was the redhead's opinion, at any rate. She had suspected life had a sick sense of humour but her current situation just confirmed it. Standing only ten feet away from her was the woman she had so easily turned to hating all those years ago and she, in turn, had hated her right back, it seemed. But one day that hate had turned to pity and Nao couldn't stand that. To be hated was easy for her to handle but to be pitied meant she was pathetic, not even worth such a strong emotion as hate.
Emerald eyes surveyed her for several long moments and she could feel her skin become clammy under her drenched clothes. She took in a deep breath, determined not to let any sign of discomfort show to the other woman. If there was one thing she had left, then it was her control. And then the dark-haired woman looked away, her eyes drawn to the main building of Fuuka Gakuen, a darkness falling over her features as she studied it. Nao found herself taking a good, long look at the other woman whilst her attention was elsewhere. She wore jeans and a dark leather jacket, her frame still lithe and toned from what Nao could tell. Her face had matured over the years though, a little of her youthful innocence lost with the passing of time. The hair was shorter than it had been but only by a few inches and Nao wondered why she'd even noticed such a small difference.
Natsuki turned her head to look back at her, her eyes clouded over as if she'd been lost in deep thought. Her lips parted ever so slightly as if she was about to speak but no words emerged. Nao swallowed quickly, her throat having become unusually dry. They stood like that for a while longer and the redhead had no idea how much time had actually passed when Natsuki turned and began to walk away. This was almost surreal. Nao found herself walking forwards after the other woman, the reason for her coming here fresh in her mind. Soon, she saw the street ahead and a large sports bike sitting at the end of the path. She recognised it as Natsuki's "type".
As the other woman rifled through her jacket pockets for something, Nao felt a sense of urgency rise within her. She just knew if she let this moment pass, she'd end up regretting it. Though for what reason, she wasn't sure. "Kuga, wait," she muttered, still not able to muster a shout.
Natsuki paused, her keys jingling from a finger as she pulled them from her pocket. The sound seemed to be the only in the world at that moment and unbearably intrusive. Then, it was joined by a soft sigh before a low, raspy voice reached her ears, "Nao."
END OF DRABBLE
Drabble 2
A sudden chill ran down her spine, causing her muscles to tense one by one and a shiver to wrack her body. The dark-haired woman brought her hands up to rub at her upper arms, attempting to get some warmth back into them from the unexpected drop in temperature. She blinked a few times, the view outside the window obscured by the glaring light of the sun. She found it odd that the weather was so good yet she was so cold. She shook her head slightly, turning away from the scene of the street outside to her living room, emerald eyes skimming over the large coffee table where books were piled. She'd need to clear that up, she decided.
Taking a few steps forward, she placed her hands on the back of the long sofa, the soft material in contrast to her calloused palms. Everything about this house seemed designed for safety and comfort. Even the carpets were soft, the fibers beneath her toes pleasurable to walk upon. It was almost as if this home was a cocoon, wrapped protectively around her. She let out a small snort, inwardly deriding herself for such philosophical thoughts. It wasn't like her at all. She restlessly moved away from the sofa and found herself in front of a small desk where a telephone and a small photo sat. Both items drew her attention, the photo displaying a scene that made the dark-haired woman smile. There she was, years before, with another woman. They were happy, it was clear to see.
Her eyes reluctantly moved to the telephone and she frowned, seeing that there weren't any messages on the answering phone. She reached out, her hand hovering only inches above the phone yet she hesitated. She'd called that particular number many times already, would one more really make any difference? Her frown deepened and she pulled back her hand, her fingers curling around into a fist. She couldn't just stand here anymore, she needed to do something. Anything.
Inaction wasn't her thing and all this waiting around was starting to drive her crazy. She'd only end up thinking herself in circles anyway. Her decision made, she marched from the room, pausing in the hallway to grab her boots, jacket and keys. As she pulled open the front door, she felt the urge to turn back and take one last look at the house she was leaving. A small sigh pushed its way past her lips and she whispered, "Shizuru..."
-------------------
The sound of tapping against the wet pavement was her only distraction from the denizens of this area of town. She concentrated on the ground beneath her heeled boots, ignoring as best she could the leers and comments thrown her way. It wasn't as if she hadn't gotten used to it by now, in fact she was probably completely desensitised to it. But tonight something was different. Tonight she had a bad feeling and she'd learn to listen to her instincts a long time ago. So here she was, walking through the streets she knew all too well, bypassing all of her usual prey, as she liked to call them.
She pulled her short jacket tighter around her body, trying her best to keep the rain out but the skimpy garment didn't provide much protection from the elements. That wasn't what it was designed for. The rest of her outfit was much the same. She had dressed to lure someone in, not to investigate a hunch. This was quite the annoyance. She pawed at a few strands of red hair that dared to stick to her forehead, pushing them to one side as she side-stepped a friendly patron of a local bar. He stumbled and collapsed onto the pavement and she didn't even offer him a second glance. He would have been the perfect target on any other night. Quite the annoyance indeed.
She turned a corner and found herself on a main road, vehicles speeding past her in a blur of colour and motion. The rain seemed only to intensify as she made her way onwards and she decided that even the weather was now mocking her. She continued walking for some time, her thoughts wandering to places she had long tried to forget and she wondered if her decision to investigate was a wise one after all. She let a wry smirk tug at one corner of her lips. Wisdom had never come easily to her, it seemed, not ever after all the mistakes of the past. She had continued to make the same errors in judgement until she'd been stuck in a cycle, unable to escape from it. Perhaps tonight would be the night she broke free, perhaps this had been the chance she had been waiting for. Or perhaps she was clinging to the last string of hope that she had.
She shook her head, pushing those thoughts from her mind. It didn't matter anymore. Hope, dreams, aspirations, none of those mattered to her. She had her place in life and she had to make the most of it. Any chance she'd had of becoming something more and slipped through her fingers long ago. Even if her instincts were right tonight, it wouldn't change a thing. She'd still be lost and alone.
She stopped in surprise when she found herself standing before Fuuka Academy. The walk had taken a shorter amount of time than she'd expected, or perhaps she'd gotten lost in thought. The building almost appeared to be looming before her and she couldn't help but shudder. The darkness of the night only proved to add to the foreboding atmosphere she associated with this place. Her eyes darted to her right quickly as she noticed movement. She quietly gasped as she instantly recognised the figure who stood there, staring back at her with equal shock.
"Kuga?"
END OF DRABBLE
I created this drabble series quite a while ago, for my friends list on livejournal. I intend to add to it, and as each one is so short my time constraints shouldn't effect them so much. Now I just need to remember where I was headed with it.Drabble 1
Her fingers grazed the impossibly smooth metal of the naginata as it rested upon her lap, the weight of it strangely comforting even though she sat somewhat awkwardly against the cold, hard stone floor. She continued the stroking motion of her hand, crimson eyes boring into the gloominess of the cave, constantly searching. A sharp dripping sound echoed around the expanse, causing the young woman's head to dart from side to side to find the source of the noise, long chestnut locks dancing around her face as she did so.
She drew her lips into a thin line, her brow creasing slightly as her eyes narrowed, focusing on one point at the far end of the cave. Shadows licked at the walls yet she could tell something lurked within them. Her muscles tensed as she pulled herself into a standing position, her naginata scraping against the ground causing an eerie sound to fill her ears. She wore an expensive-looking business suit, the dark blue now marred by dust and dirt. Her hand tightened and relaxed continually around the shaft of her weapon as she stood there, waiting. Forever waiting.
Her eyes narrowed further as the shadows seemed to swirl and yaw against the far wall of the cave, her senses bristling with anticipation. The darkness intensified for a moment before a solid form emerged from it, the short stature of the boy doing nothing to reduce the malice that seemed to seep from him. His playful expression didn't fool the naginata user, she had seen this boy's true intentions in the past and she had known this moment would come once more. Some small part of her had always know, and had always been ready for it.
"Nagi..." she murmured, her tone holding nothing but a calm crispness.
END OF DRABBLE
I posted this up a while ago on my livejournal account for only my friends list to see, but it's probably about time I let others see it. It's not completely finished but it should give people an idea where the chapter's heading. Maybe.
Halloween Special
Part Two – Fang and Claw
Disclaimer: I own neither Mai HiME nor any concepts used in Underworld.
Warning: This is rated T for violence and sexual references.
Notes: This part is long overdue, I realise, but I have been awfully busy so I hope you can forgive me for that. This story will only have these two parts.
-----------------------------------
She blinked, the gloominess of the tunnel obscuring Natsuki’s view of any possible threats. Her breaths came in short, ragged spurts and her muscles were beginning to feel the strain of prolonged exertion. She leant over, resting her hands on her knees and taking in deep breaths to steady herself. Natsuki was unaware of how long she’d been running for and even where she was. The tunnels all looked the same in the darkness, even with her heightened senses. Damn, there’s so many of them, she cursed internally.
Once her pulse had returned to a somewhat normal speed, Natsuki straightened her posture, feeling each of her muscles cry out in complaint as she did so. She rolled her shoulders to work out the knots that were beginning to amass there. That encounter in the subway had obviously taken more out of her than she had, at first, realised. Natsuki frowned at the thought, disliking that this vampire elder could affect her so much. Where had she gotten to anyway?
She glanced up and down the tunnel but could pick up no signs of movement, visually or aurally. She tilted her head back a little and sniffed the air, taking in the many scents that filled the old tunnels. Within the haze of mildew, iron and dust was a hint of something she immediately honed in on. Blood. Any young werewolf might mistake its metallic scent for the rusting girders that lined the walls of this place but she could easily pick out the differences. Moreover, she could tell it wasn’t human blood. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle as she narrowed her eyes. There was a vampire nearby. A wounded vampire.
Natsuki instinctively pressed herself up against the nearest wall, making sure she wouldn’t be any easier a target than she already was. She could feel the damp stone behind her, the rough texture coated with something that felt worryingly slimy and she found herself cursing the vampire elder for the umpteenth time for damaging her clothing. That thought brought back the chain of events that followed. She still couldn’t fathom Shizuru’s reasoning for blocking those bullets. Her words had been echoing in her mind since she had said them but Natsuki couldn’t believe that was the motivation. There had to be something else. Was she trying to mess with her head? That seemed like something she would do; elders tended to be subtler with their plotting.
The werewolf let out a frustrated breath, annoyed that she was thinking about that vampire yet again. What was it about her? She should be worrying about getting herself out of this maze, not about the inner workings of a vampire’s mind. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind as best she could and looked up and down the tunnel once more. It was hard to tell which direction the scent of blood came from and she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to be heading toward it or away from it.
This particular tunnel appeared to curve off to the east at one end, whilst the other seemed to go on straight for quite a way. The inky darkness didn’t aid in making the decision any easier either. There was a small hatch nearby which led back into the tunnel from which she had emerged and she certainly wasn’t going to retrace her steps now. She didn’t want to risk running into those gunmen nor did she think she’d be able to recognise the route she had come.
Deciding that she had always preferred curves anyway, she took a step towards the northern end of the tunnel. At least, she believed it was north; she had always had a good sense for that kind of thing. Her booted foot hit a small puddle of water and the resulting noise echoed down the length of the tunnel, causing Natsuki to cringe. It seemed unbearably loud to her but was probably only a slight sound that would have been hard to pick up by anyone other than a werewolf or vampire. She hoped so anyway. Besides, if her previous running hadn’t garnered any attention, walking carefully through puddles wasn’t likely to.
Natsuki pressed onwards, eyeing the ground warily with each step, her other senses on full alert for any signs that she wasn’t alone. She made her way around the bend in the tunnel and looked up to see a long stretch of darkness. A crease marred her brow as she frowned, knowing that if an ambush awaited her, it’d be too late by the time she realised it. Alcoves in the walls, obstacles in the passageways and low visibility made it perfect conditions for a surprise attack.
She was no coward though. She had decided on this route so this way she would go. Perhaps that just makes me stubborn, she pondered. Shrugging, she moved forwards, her eyes darting from stone to floor to barrel. No object was left untouched by her emerald gaze. After several minutes of slow progress, her muscles began to relax a little and the prospect of an ambush began to fade, at least in this part of the tunnel. She debated the idea of allowing the transformation to occur down here so she might be able to use her senses to better effect but she was still reticent about it. That form gave many benefits but she also believed it took a little of her humanity from her in return and she didn’t like that at all.
Natsuki rolled her eyes and shook her head again. She was probably over-thinking it and she found it quite annoying when those moments of deep thought came along. Her right hand moved to one of the holsters at her ribs as she continued to edge along the passage, the fingers brushing against the cool metal of her pistol. Her fingers twitched as faint noises resounded off the walls of the tunnel, making it difficult to place where they had come from. She wondered if it was merely this old network of passageways that made those noises or if there was a more animated cause.
After a few moments, she spotted a recess in the stone and, as she neared, she saw a metal door set into it. She paused in front of it and looked it over, noting that there was no handle, only a lock. She leaned in to inspect the lock further, pressing her palm flat against the door. She almost stumbled forwards as the door swung open with a slight creak. Natsuki straightened herself and peered past the metal, squinting into the darkness. It appeared to lead into some sort of room and not another tunnel such as the one she stood in. That seemed fairly promising to her.
Without further thought, she slipped past the door and into the room, blinking several times as her eyes adjusted to the even darker lighting level. Something caught her attention across the other side of the room though and she took a few steps forwards. There was a faint glow of light coming from a crack in the opposite wall. She guessed there was a door there but she couldn’t see it. She waited several more minutes until she could make out the slightest outline of a doorframe.
She took careful steps forwards until she reached the door. Now that she was closer, she could make out the surrounding objects fairly well. There was a small table off to her left and what looked like a notice board against the wall to her right. She ignored those though and focused her attention on the door in front of her. The glow of light seeped under the door and illuminated only an inch or so of the floor. She placed a hand against the door and leaned in towards it, turning her head to the side so she could listen more efficiently.
No sounds came from the room beyond as far as she could tell. She sniffed a few times, taking in the scents of the room she stood in and there was that faint odour of blood again. The same as she’d smelt before. It seemed stronger now though and she wondered if she’d chosen the right direction after all. Her fingers brushed against the metallic doorknob as she dropped her hand a little and she paused, some instinct prickling at the back of her mind. Something told her opening this door might not be a particularly good idea.
Natsuki sighed softly, deciding that she was becoming paranoid. Many years of being hunted could do that to a girl. She found it rather ironic how often she found herself the prey when she was supposedly a born hunter. If it wasn’t vampires after her hide, then it was self-styled monster hunters or some ancient organisation. She couldn’t quite decide which was worse.
She turned her attention back to the door and the room beyond. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she gripped the doorknob and turned it, hearing the door open with a soft click. She pushed it open slowly, her heartbeat quickening slightly with anticipation. Light spilled out across the floor of the room she stood in, touching her boots before spreading up across her legs. She pressed her back against the door as she continued to open it and peered into the other room.
Natsuki could make out yet another table in the corner nearest her. It held a few pieces of paper and a pen but nothing else that she could see. The tiled floor was dusty and it had been recently disturbed so she knew someone had been through here. Whether it had been in the last few minutes or hours, it was hard to tell. She edged into the room slightly and peeked around the door, noting several filing cabinets along the far wall and an overturned chair.
Her gaze slid along the width of the room until it met something that was moving. Barely. Natsuki felt her brow furrow as she noted the black leather splayed out across the floor. A trickle of perspiration slid down her back, causing her to involuntarily shiver and she hadn’t even realised how stuffy it was in this area. She stepped further into the room, quickly closing the door behind her as her right hand gripped her pistol but she didn’t withdraw it from its holster.
She could now see that the leather-clad figure was slumped against the wall in one corner of the room; the only view of their head was a mass of chestnut hair. Recognition had already struck her and she found her mouth unusually dry all of a sudden. Shizuru. From the small shudders that shook the other woman’s shoulders, Natsuki reasoned that she was in a lot of pain. Those bullets had done more damage than she’d let on. Yet, Natsuki couldn’t fathom why that bothered her.
She glanced around the room quickly and ascertained that no one else was in it before quickly moving forwards towards the vampire. She paused a few feet in front of her, the prospect that this was a ploy entering her mind. She quickly discarded that thought though. Although Shizuru seemed to like playing with her prey, she was more than capable of attacking Natsuki head-on even in her injured condition. As hard to admit as that was for the werewolf.
Natsuki lowered herself to her knees and tried to assess Shizuru’s situation as best she could from her distance. She quickly noted the red blade lying beside the vampire. I don’t remember seeing her pick that up… She edged forwards and reached out towards Shizuru’s knee with one hand but hesitated before she could touch it. Did she even want to help the elder? They were mortal enemies after all and her whole purpose for being here was to kill her. She frowned at the thought. The vampire had saved her life though, at risk to her own. Or unlife, whatever.
She gripped one of her pistols tightly with her right hand once more and released it from its holster. She glanced down at it for a moment, indecision clouding her mind. Finally, she raised it, bringing the barrel level with Shizuru’s head. Natsuki clenched her teeth, the idea of shooting her whilst she was helpless leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Her pack may not have had a problem with killing this elder whilst she was in this state but Natsuki certainly did; there was no honour in it.
“Damn it…” she breathed, unable to hold the curse in as her hand shook slightly. Why can’t I just pull the trigger?
She inhaled sharply and her eyes widened as she felt something clamp around her wrist. Cool fingers gripped her arm firmly and moved it so the gun was pointed away from Shizuru’s head. Natsuki’s eyes flicked between her wrist and the vampire’s hair. She felt a shiver creep down her spine as red eyes peered back at her through a curtain of chestnut. Her muscles weakened under that intense gaze and she thought she might drop her weapon altogether but she managed to hang onto it.
“Natsuki…” came a low whisper that sent a shudder through her. She swallowed hard, expecting some form of attack to come. Shizuru had toyed with her previously but she didn’t expect the elder to be so playful when a gun was pointed at her so closely.
When no such attack came, she yanked her arm out of Shizuru’s grip, the cold sensation of her fingers lingering on Natsuki’s skin. Scrambling backwards a few feet, she pointed the gun at Shizuru once more, her senses on full alert. Why hadn’t she attacked? Surely she knows I mean to kill her. Perhaps the vampire was more affected by her injuries than Natsuki had first thought.
Moments passed as Natsuki was frozen in that position, a crimson gaze holding her captive, her resolve wavering. Instincts battled within her for dominance. The wolf inside her told her to kill this vampire and be done with it, fulfilling her duty to the pack, but every ounce of her humanity screamed at her to lower the weapon. A part of her felt she owed Shizuru at least a half-decent chance to defend herself when the final blow came, for saving her back in the subway.
The intensity in Shizuru’s eyes faded and she dropped her gaze suddenly, a small sound escaping the elder’s throat as she lurched forwards in pain. Thoughts of assassinating her immediately fled Natsuki’s mind and she lowered her gun, shifting closer to the other woman in order to assist her. Placing a hand on a leather clad shoulder, Natsuki pushed Shizuru back against the wall so she could get a better look at her face.
Shizuru leant back awkwardly, resting her head against the wall as her features returned to normal, hiding any hints of pain. Natsuki could tell that it was taking quite some effort to do and wondered if it was pride that forced her to do that or the need to hide any form of weakness from her enemies. She watched as the elder’s lips parted ever so slightly, as if she was about to speak. Shizuru paused before looking Natsuki directly in the eye.
“Natsuki is rather torn, it seems,” she murmured quietly, her voice somewhat strained.
“I told you to…” Natsuki trailed off, her ire losing its steam very quickly as she noted the pain in Shizuru’s eyes. That was one place she couldn’t keep some degree of emotion from showing. The werewolf let out a resigned sigh as she glanced towards the only exit from the room. “We’d better get moving.”
“We?” the elder questioned, an eyebrow quirked.
Natsuki forced herself not to react to the question, her immediate instinct to angrily deflect it. “You heard right.”
The small smile that tugged at one corner of Shizuru’s lips only made the task of remaining stoic all the harder. “I need a little longer before I can move.”
Natsuki eyed the vampire for several moments, trying to gauge the true extent of her injuries. She would have thought that Shizuru could still move, albeit painfully, as she managed to get here fairly quickly. “Really..?” she asked doubtfully.
Shizuru nodded once but didn’t say another word. Instead, her eyes shifted to the door, her body stiffening. The action caused Natsuki’s senses to bristle and she instinctually knew danger was close, her own gaze falling upon the door. She listened carefully, attempting to discern what had caused this reaction in them both. Her heightened sense of hearing picked up the slightest movement from outside the room; possibly in the tunnel she had travelled through previously. She couldn’t be sure what the sound was though, as the echoes of this place distorted it.
A hand gripping her forearm almost startled her and she glanced down at Shizuru’s hand once before looking her in the eye. The vampire answered the silent question in a hushed tone. “I’m afraid I cannot assist you this time.”
Natsuki swallowed her pride, fighting against the urge to tell the elder that she didn’t need her assistance anyway. Instead, she pushed herself up into a crouching position and began to move towards the door. “Stay here, and stay quiet,” she ordered, before sidling up to the door and closing her fingers around the handle.
She opened the door painfully slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Of course, if there was someone standing, watching on the other side of the door, all the precaution in the world wouldn’t stop her action from going unnoticed. She hoped her luck wasn’t quite that bad. Once the slightest gap was made between the door and its frame, she peered into the other room, the dim light not assisting her view of it very much. From the angle, she couldn’t see if someone was there or not, but she could pick up the faintest scent of human.
Her muscles tensed automatically as her mind sped through a list of possible threats, Searrs being at the top of that long flow of names. Steeling herself, she clenched her jaw as she pushed the door open further, relief filling her as she saw the room was empty. Whoever was around, hadn’t discovered this area yet. But she couldn’t relax, there was every chance they were standing right outside in the tunnel.
She took one last glance behind her at the slumped frame of Shizuru before slipping into the next room, moving quickly to the other door. Natsuki pressed herself up against the hard, cold stone of the wall to the right of the door, forcing herself to be as still as possible. Then, she merely waited and listened. She knew Searrs were thorough, determined, and relentless in their fanaticism and they wouldn’t leave any room untouched down here. It would be only a matter of time before confrontation found her once more.
The slightest scuffle from the tunnel reached her ears and she stiffened, pressing herself closer to that wall as if she could merge into it. Another scuffle. And then another. Someone was coming closer. The sound stopped for several moments and she found herself holding her breath. The clicking of the door as someone gripped the handle sounded unbearably loud and Natsuki’s pulse quickened in anticipation. She readied herself, preparing to ambush anyone stepping through that door.
She watched as the door handle turned, in a similar manner to how she’d opened the previous door. There was a soft click as the door was released from the frame and it was pushed open. The door continued to swing on its own momentum but no one appeared and Natsuki could feel a trickle of perspiration slide down her neck. Whoever was there was being incredibly cautious. Damn them, where did they get good training?
When several more moments passed without as much as a sound, she grew impatient. She strained to try and hear something, the background noise of this place obscuring most signs of life. She could just make out the quick rhythm of her opponent’s breathing. Whilst it wasn’t quite fast enough to denote fear, she could tell they were in a fairly excited state. Whether that was from nerves or anticipation, she didn’t know.
Warning: This is rated T for violence and sexual references.
Notes: This part is long overdue, I realise, but I have been awfully busy so I hope you can forgive me for that. This story will only have these two parts.
-----------------------------------
She blinked, the gloominess of the tunnel obscuring Natsuki’s view of any possible threats. Her breaths came in short, ragged spurts and her muscles were beginning to feel the strain of prolonged exertion. She leant over, resting her hands on her knees and taking in deep breaths to steady herself. Natsuki was unaware of how long she’d been running for and even where she was. The tunnels all looked the same in the darkness, even with her heightened senses. Damn, there’s so many of them, she cursed internally.
Once her pulse had returned to a somewhat normal speed, Natsuki straightened her posture, feeling each of her muscles cry out in complaint as she did so. She rolled her shoulders to work out the knots that were beginning to amass there. That encounter in the subway had obviously taken more out of her than she had, at first, realised. Natsuki frowned at the thought, disliking that this vampire elder could affect her so much. Where had she gotten to anyway?
She glanced up and down the tunnel but could pick up no signs of movement, visually or aurally. She tilted her head back a little and sniffed the air, taking in the many scents that filled the old tunnels. Within the haze of mildew, iron and dust was a hint of something she immediately honed in on. Blood. Any young werewolf might mistake its metallic scent for the rusting girders that lined the walls of this place but she could easily pick out the differences. Moreover, she could tell it wasn’t human blood. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle as she narrowed her eyes. There was a vampire nearby. A wounded vampire.
Natsuki instinctively pressed herself up against the nearest wall, making sure she wouldn’t be any easier a target than she already was. She could feel the damp stone behind her, the rough texture coated with something that felt worryingly slimy and she found herself cursing the vampire elder for the umpteenth time for damaging her clothing. That thought brought back the chain of events that followed. She still couldn’t fathom Shizuru’s reasoning for blocking those bullets. Her words had been echoing in her mind since she had said them but Natsuki couldn’t believe that was the motivation. There had to be something else. Was she trying to mess with her head? That seemed like something she would do; elders tended to be subtler with their plotting.
The werewolf let out a frustrated breath, annoyed that she was thinking about that vampire yet again. What was it about her? She should be worrying about getting herself out of this maze, not about the inner workings of a vampire’s mind. Shaking her head, she cleared her mind as best she could and looked up and down the tunnel once more. It was hard to tell which direction the scent of blood came from and she wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to be heading toward it or away from it.
This particular tunnel appeared to curve off to the east at one end, whilst the other seemed to go on straight for quite a way. The inky darkness didn’t aid in making the decision any easier either. There was a small hatch nearby which led back into the tunnel from which she had emerged and she certainly wasn’t going to retrace her steps now. She didn’t want to risk running into those gunmen nor did she think she’d be able to recognise the route she had come.
Deciding that she had always preferred curves anyway, she took a step towards the northern end of the tunnel. At least, she believed it was north; she had always had a good sense for that kind of thing. Her booted foot hit a small puddle of water and the resulting noise echoed down the length of the tunnel, causing Natsuki to cringe. It seemed unbearably loud to her but was probably only a slight sound that would have been hard to pick up by anyone other than a werewolf or vampire. She hoped so anyway. Besides, if her previous running hadn’t garnered any attention, walking carefully through puddles wasn’t likely to.
Natsuki pressed onwards, eyeing the ground warily with each step, her other senses on full alert for any signs that she wasn’t alone. She made her way around the bend in the tunnel and looked up to see a long stretch of darkness. A crease marred her brow as she frowned, knowing that if an ambush awaited her, it’d be too late by the time she realised it. Alcoves in the walls, obstacles in the passageways and low visibility made it perfect conditions for a surprise attack.
She was no coward though. She had decided on this route so this way she would go. Perhaps that just makes me stubborn, she pondered. Shrugging, she moved forwards, her eyes darting from stone to floor to barrel. No object was left untouched by her emerald gaze. After several minutes of slow progress, her muscles began to relax a little and the prospect of an ambush began to fade, at least in this part of the tunnel. She debated the idea of allowing the transformation to occur down here so she might be able to use her senses to better effect but she was still reticent about it. That form gave many benefits but she also believed it took a little of her humanity from her in return and she didn’t like that at all.
Natsuki rolled her eyes and shook her head again. She was probably over-thinking it and she found it quite annoying when those moments of deep thought came along. Her right hand moved to one of the holsters at her ribs as she continued to edge along the passage, the fingers brushing against the cool metal of her pistol. Her fingers twitched as faint noises resounded off the walls of the tunnel, making it difficult to place where they had come from. She wondered if it was merely this old network of passageways that made those noises or if there was a more animated cause.
After a few moments, she spotted a recess in the stone and, as she neared, she saw a metal door set into it. She paused in front of it and looked it over, noting that there was no handle, only a lock. She leaned in to inspect the lock further, pressing her palm flat against the door. She almost stumbled forwards as the door swung open with a slight creak. Natsuki straightened herself and peered past the metal, squinting into the darkness. It appeared to lead into some sort of room and not another tunnel such as the one she stood in. That seemed fairly promising to her.
Without further thought, she slipped past the door and into the room, blinking several times as her eyes adjusted to the even darker lighting level. Something caught her attention across the other side of the room though and she took a few steps forwards. There was a faint glow of light coming from a crack in the opposite wall. She guessed there was a door there but she couldn’t see it. She waited several more minutes until she could make out the slightest outline of a doorframe.
She took careful steps forwards until she reached the door. Now that she was closer, she could make out the surrounding objects fairly well. There was a small table off to her left and what looked like a notice board against the wall to her right. She ignored those though and focused her attention on the door in front of her. The glow of light seeped under the door and illuminated only an inch or so of the floor. She placed a hand against the door and leaned in towards it, turning her head to the side so she could listen more efficiently.
No sounds came from the room beyond as far as she could tell. She sniffed a few times, taking in the scents of the room she stood in and there was that faint odour of blood again. The same as she’d smelt before. It seemed stronger now though and she wondered if she’d chosen the right direction after all. Her fingers brushed against the metallic doorknob as she dropped her hand a little and she paused, some instinct prickling at the back of her mind. Something told her opening this door might not be a particularly good idea.
Natsuki sighed softly, deciding that she was becoming paranoid. Many years of being hunted could do that to a girl. She found it rather ironic how often she found herself the prey when she was supposedly a born hunter. If it wasn’t vampires after her hide, then it was self-styled monster hunters or some ancient organisation. She couldn’t quite decide which was worse.
She turned her attention back to the door and the room beyond. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she gripped the doorknob and turned it, hearing the door open with a soft click. She pushed it open slowly, her heartbeat quickening slightly with anticipation. Light spilled out across the floor of the room she stood in, touching her boots before spreading up across her legs. She pressed her back against the door as she continued to open it and peered into the other room.
Natsuki could make out yet another table in the corner nearest her. It held a few pieces of paper and a pen but nothing else that she could see. The tiled floor was dusty and it had been recently disturbed so she knew someone had been through here. Whether it had been in the last few minutes or hours, it was hard to tell. She edged into the room slightly and peeked around the door, noting several filing cabinets along the far wall and an overturned chair.
Her gaze slid along the width of the room until it met something that was moving. Barely. Natsuki felt her brow furrow as she noted the black leather splayed out across the floor. A trickle of perspiration slid down her back, causing her to involuntarily shiver and she hadn’t even realised how stuffy it was in this area. She stepped further into the room, quickly closing the door behind her as her right hand gripped her pistol but she didn’t withdraw it from its holster.
She could now see that the leather-clad figure was slumped against the wall in one corner of the room; the only view of their head was a mass of chestnut hair. Recognition had already struck her and she found her mouth unusually dry all of a sudden. Shizuru. From the small shudders that shook the other woman’s shoulders, Natsuki reasoned that she was in a lot of pain. Those bullets had done more damage than she’d let on. Yet, Natsuki couldn’t fathom why that bothered her.
She glanced around the room quickly and ascertained that no one else was in it before quickly moving forwards towards the vampire. She paused a few feet in front of her, the prospect that this was a ploy entering her mind. She quickly discarded that thought though. Although Shizuru seemed to like playing with her prey, she was more than capable of attacking Natsuki head-on even in her injured condition. As hard to admit as that was for the werewolf.
Natsuki lowered herself to her knees and tried to assess Shizuru’s situation as best she could from her distance. She quickly noted the red blade lying beside the vampire. I don’t remember seeing her pick that up… She edged forwards and reached out towards Shizuru’s knee with one hand but hesitated before she could touch it. Did she even want to help the elder? They were mortal enemies after all and her whole purpose for being here was to kill her. She frowned at the thought. The vampire had saved her life though, at risk to her own. Or unlife, whatever.
She gripped one of her pistols tightly with her right hand once more and released it from its holster. She glanced down at it for a moment, indecision clouding her mind. Finally, she raised it, bringing the barrel level with Shizuru’s head. Natsuki clenched her teeth, the idea of shooting her whilst she was helpless leaving a bad taste in her mouth. Her pack may not have had a problem with killing this elder whilst she was in this state but Natsuki certainly did; there was no honour in it.
“Damn it…” she breathed, unable to hold the curse in as her hand shook slightly. Why can’t I just pull the trigger?
She inhaled sharply and her eyes widened as she felt something clamp around her wrist. Cool fingers gripped her arm firmly and moved it so the gun was pointed away from Shizuru’s head. Natsuki’s eyes flicked between her wrist and the vampire’s hair. She felt a shiver creep down her spine as red eyes peered back at her through a curtain of chestnut. Her muscles weakened under that intense gaze and she thought she might drop her weapon altogether but she managed to hang onto it.
“Natsuki…” came a low whisper that sent a shudder through her. She swallowed hard, expecting some form of attack to come. Shizuru had toyed with her previously but she didn’t expect the elder to be so playful when a gun was pointed at her so closely.
When no such attack came, she yanked her arm out of Shizuru’s grip, the cold sensation of her fingers lingering on Natsuki’s skin. Scrambling backwards a few feet, she pointed the gun at Shizuru once more, her senses on full alert. Why hadn’t she attacked? Surely she knows I mean to kill her. Perhaps the vampire was more affected by her injuries than Natsuki had first thought.
Moments passed as Natsuki was frozen in that position, a crimson gaze holding her captive, her resolve wavering. Instincts battled within her for dominance. The wolf inside her told her to kill this vampire and be done with it, fulfilling her duty to the pack, but every ounce of her humanity screamed at her to lower the weapon. A part of her felt she owed Shizuru at least a half-decent chance to defend herself when the final blow came, for saving her back in the subway.
The intensity in Shizuru’s eyes faded and she dropped her gaze suddenly, a small sound escaping the elder’s throat as she lurched forwards in pain. Thoughts of assassinating her immediately fled Natsuki’s mind and she lowered her gun, shifting closer to the other woman in order to assist her. Placing a hand on a leather clad shoulder, Natsuki pushed Shizuru back against the wall so she could get a better look at her face.
Shizuru leant back awkwardly, resting her head against the wall as her features returned to normal, hiding any hints of pain. Natsuki could tell that it was taking quite some effort to do and wondered if it was pride that forced her to do that or the need to hide any form of weakness from her enemies. She watched as the elder’s lips parted ever so slightly, as if she was about to speak. Shizuru paused before looking Natsuki directly in the eye.
“Natsuki is rather torn, it seems,” she murmured quietly, her voice somewhat strained.
“I told you to…” Natsuki trailed off, her ire losing its steam very quickly as she noted the pain in Shizuru’s eyes. That was one place she couldn’t keep some degree of emotion from showing. The werewolf let out a resigned sigh as she glanced towards the only exit from the room. “We’d better get moving.”
“We?” the elder questioned, an eyebrow quirked.
Natsuki forced herself not to react to the question, her immediate instinct to angrily deflect it. “You heard right.”
The small smile that tugged at one corner of Shizuru’s lips only made the task of remaining stoic all the harder. “I need a little longer before I can move.”
Natsuki eyed the vampire for several moments, trying to gauge the true extent of her injuries. She would have thought that Shizuru could still move, albeit painfully, as she managed to get here fairly quickly. “Really..?” she asked doubtfully.
Shizuru nodded once but didn’t say another word. Instead, her eyes shifted to the door, her body stiffening. The action caused Natsuki’s senses to bristle and she instinctually knew danger was close, her own gaze falling upon the door. She listened carefully, attempting to discern what had caused this reaction in them both. Her heightened sense of hearing picked up the slightest movement from outside the room; possibly in the tunnel she had travelled through previously. She couldn’t be sure what the sound was though, as the echoes of this place distorted it.
A hand gripping her forearm almost startled her and she glanced down at Shizuru’s hand once before looking her in the eye. The vampire answered the silent question in a hushed tone. “I’m afraid I cannot assist you this time.”
Natsuki swallowed her pride, fighting against the urge to tell the elder that she didn’t need her assistance anyway. Instead, she pushed herself up into a crouching position and began to move towards the door. “Stay here, and stay quiet,” she ordered, before sidling up to the door and closing her fingers around the handle.
She opened the door painfully slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible. Of course, if there was someone standing, watching on the other side of the door, all the precaution in the world wouldn’t stop her action from going unnoticed. She hoped her luck wasn’t quite that bad. Once the slightest gap was made between the door and its frame, she peered into the other room, the dim light not assisting her view of it very much. From the angle, she couldn’t see if someone was there or not, but she could pick up the faintest scent of human.
Her muscles tensed automatically as her mind sped through a list of possible threats, Searrs being at the top of that long flow of names. Steeling herself, she clenched her jaw as she pushed the door open further, relief filling her as she saw the room was empty. Whoever was around, hadn’t discovered this area yet. But she couldn’t relax, there was every chance they were standing right outside in the tunnel.
She took one last glance behind her at the slumped frame of Shizuru before slipping into the next room, moving quickly to the other door. Natsuki pressed herself up against the hard, cold stone of the wall to the right of the door, forcing herself to be as still as possible. Then, she merely waited and listened. She knew Searrs were thorough, determined, and relentless in their fanaticism and they wouldn’t leave any room untouched down here. It would be only a matter of time before confrontation found her once more.
The slightest scuffle from the tunnel reached her ears and she stiffened, pressing herself closer to that wall as if she could merge into it. Another scuffle. And then another. Someone was coming closer. The sound stopped for several moments and she found herself holding her breath. The clicking of the door as someone gripped the handle sounded unbearably loud and Natsuki’s pulse quickened in anticipation. She readied herself, preparing to ambush anyone stepping through that door.
She watched as the door handle turned, in a similar manner to how she’d opened the previous door. There was a soft click as the door was released from the frame and it was pushed open. The door continued to swing on its own momentum but no one appeared and Natsuki could feel a trickle of perspiration slide down her neck. Whoever was there was being incredibly cautious. Damn them, where did they get good training?
When several more moments passed without as much as a sound, she grew impatient. She strained to try and hear something, the background noise of this place obscuring most signs of life. She could just make out the quick rhythm of her opponent’s breathing. Whilst it wasn’t quite fast enough to denote fear, she could tell they were in a fairly excited state. Whether that was from nerves or anticipation, she didn’t know.
I've decided to create a blog here as it's more versatile and I like the utilities. I'm going to make this a mixed blog, much like my livejournal one, but have this one more for public consumption. Anything that I only want select people to see will be kept to my livejournal blog. Everything else goes here. That's the plan, at least.
I'll try to think of a way to bring over some of my fiction to here - such as my drabbles, etc... without it being too spam-like. My longer fictions can stay where they are. The people who want to read them already know where to find them. Also, I'll probably start posting about my original ideas here. Those I won't be publishing, that is.
Anyway, I have some customising and editing ahead of me. So that's all for now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
