Loa Blood

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

Faith spent a busy morning typing up two more pieces for the paper. Lighter ones about the plight of the Dockside refugees written in what become her trademark dark humor style.

After which she scouted a few more places, but with her heart not really in it. Her meeting with Kate loomed closer and a feeling of doom came with it. Her date with Price was her one bright spark in the day. She'd bought a few things to glam him up a bit with...some hair mousse to do his hair and some studded bracers for his wrists as well as a black fishnet shirt she coudln't wait to see him in....he might even wear it to the concert.

She'd run into a roadblock at the Embassy, and in finding Monolith, who had disappeared in a Coda limo according to the people she'd spoken for.

She opted for a cafe with outside seating in order to get more of a feel for everyday life in Bay City...a place with heros and monsters lived among common folk.......

That was a good line. She pulled out her notepad and wrote it down along with some other random thoughts.....

 

[SwampThing]

A pretty Argon nurse enters the waiting room. "Mary? Is your name Mary? The young man you're waiting for is up and about now. Did you know he's got a Loa Gift? Is he one of the Coda heroes? Oh, I just have to call everyone I know. Maybe I'll be on the news!"

As the nurse runs off in search of a phone, Mary hears a crash of breaking glass down the hall. A stangled cry, a thud, people shouting. It's coming from the opposite direction from the burn ward.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Rolling her eyes and making the sign against the evil eye Mary hurries toward the noise....It was almost as if by thinking of one of Kell's temper fits she'd provoked one to lead her to him.

She'd have to talk to him fast...if that Nurse called the press...she simply couldn't have her photo taken. Running into Kell was one thing...but if a dozen...three...four dozen people from her various pasts began to track her? There would be no where to hide.

However the distribance wasn't Kell...."Foolish twit." She flattened herself against the wall. She'd gone towards the NOISE thinking it was Kell, while actually going the opposite way...bending down she pokes the sleeping guard...blue powder encircles his nostrals.

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

"Mary...? Where's Mary..."

Another nurse looked at him, smiling widely.

"Well, Amy sent me to get her, but I guess maybe she took a wrong turn. Can you believe that she -- I mean Mary, that girl, you know -- actually waited here all night for you? Is she your girlfriend? You look like you would suit each other. But, I mean, it's none of my business. And I wouldn't know. Though I must say, I know my fair share about relationships! My name's Felicia! You're Gifted, aren't you? That's amazing! What's your name? Kell, right? You went into that church to help people, right? You're cute. Those burns sure have gone away quickly, and I think the scars make you look dashing. Funny, the scars seem to have faded a bit too. How old are you? I'm nineteen. I-- oh, you shouldn't stand up!"

Kell ignored her completely. A few days ago, he might have found her attractive -- but now, she simply reminded him of a panting dog.

Like Siddhartha... I remember. He was attracted to that girl until he realized she just wanted sex. Does this mean I'm achieving enlightenment? Hah! I'd probably be pretty bored if I did!

Paying no attention to his surroundings, Kell stood quietly, his eyes narrowed as if listening to something.

I just remember that one nurse... called Amy, I guess? I... hmm... I can't even remember what she looked like... when I think of her face all I can remember was that she was beautiful... and I keep thinking of Mary...

...Mary...? Where's Mary...

"Mary..."

The nurse looked surprised. "S-Sit down! You should rest..."

"Mary..." Kell stood, seemingly without any pain or real effort. He walked smoothly, not even with a hint of stiffness. He reached down and took his shirt and jacket from the chair, which the doctor had removed to treat his burns, but before he put them on, the nurse could see that almost all of his burns had vanished...

"You... you can heal yourself!"

Kell continued to ignore her, walking right past her. The nurse stiffened as he stared ahead, as if looking right through her...

He walked through the door.

"Mary... Mary... is she safe?"

He began to walk faster. His eyes widened slightly, paranoia beginning to gain hold again.

"MARY!!"

 

[SwampThing]

The sharp smell of the powder takes Mary back.

Her hand pulls back the heavy tent flap. Inside, the air is warm and spicy, although outside the night air chills her bones. The tent is filled with pillows and rugs in dizzying, intricate patterns, lit by the yellow flame of an archaic oil lamp. The red-haired man mixes bottles and jars of coloured powders. A small grey monkey chatters on his shoulder, yellow eyes fixed on Mary.

"So, girl, are you looking for something to help you remember? Or to forget?"

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Amy

Tugging her coat over her shoulders, she left the hospital quietly, her eyes downcast. A volunteer, her shift was now over, and she was free to leave.

She hadn't eaten anything all day, but she wasn't hungry.

"Kell... you don't remember me, do you?"

Sighing gently, the young lady walked toward her parked car.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

After a few hours of wandering the streets I was beginning to give up hope of finding Faith. Maybe another direction in my search would help. I moved over to a nearby phone booth by a small cafe and looked inside for a phone book. Damn, it was missing. Oh well, my fingers are too damn big to dial aphone anyway. Guess I better get dorections to police headquarters. Hopefully Detective Price could help me find her.

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki stood stunned as Damien just got up and left with the beautiful woman. She felt as if her heart had just been torn from her chest. His words of protection meant nothing, he probably did so out of some code of honor. Her hurt was soon replaced with anger. How dare he toy with her! At that moment the wall in Damien's room exploded. She barely had time to react when the ninja entered killing James without even trying. She gauged her situation. The ninja had to be after Damien, no one knew she was here. Well damn it she wasn't going to allow this ninja to harm him, no she wanted that pleasure for herself. She placed herself squarely in front of the ninja her eyes narrowed and blazing with fury. Her hands were clenched at her sides. "Can I help you with something?" she asked her tone surprisingly sweet, hiding the steel beneath the question.

 

[SwampThing]

Cold, dispassionate Sejealan eyes meet Nikki's gaze from behind the dark green mask. The Ninja steps away from the window, clinging to the outside wall of the hospital.

 

[SwampThing]

"Amy?" Pol stops her motorbike beside Amy's car. Her spiky hair is dyed Weaver red. Amy knows Pol from school, and had heard she was part of a bike gang. "Did you say Kell? Is he here? Great. I wanted to visit my grandparents. They were hurt in that fire. I guess Kell was one of the people who saved them, huh? Now I really can't face him in there. We were hanging out some when his uncle died, and he was first living on the street. The last time I saw him, we had a fight. About the Loa, and Kell's Gift."

 

[Jacobo_Curious]

Amy glanced back, blinking, and smiled as she saw Pol. She quietly listened, her expression soft.

Pol... you seem so nice. Too bad we don't have many classes together. You should pay more attention to school, though... the Gifted aren't as great as you think they are...

"I can imagine," she said with a gentle smile, her face and words not betraying her more cautious thoughts. "Kell's... not very happy with what's happening to him. It's dangerous, and unpredictable. And so is he, at the moment. But I think we got along well today. He's very sad, you know... about his uncle. I think he blames himself, somehow."

He always did...

***

"It's funny, you know. I just can't set limits for myself. I'm so afraid that if I try and break things into little pieces, or focus on the small things I can change instead of the big things I can't even deal with, I'll miss something. And I really, really don't want to miss anything. Of course, it's counterproductive -- since I can't set limits for myself, I try to do everything at once, and I get intimidated by the sheer load of things to do, so I just don't do anything at all."

Amy listened quietly, her finger twined around the telephone cord. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Kell. You know you should take it easy."

"Knowing and understanding are different animals altogether. I... have a lot of reasons for what I do. I'm really... just afraid. Let me tell you, Amy, there aren't a lot of things I'm afraid of, and I'm not sure if there are any people I'm afraid of. I've got very little to lose. There's just one thing I'm afraid of... and that's delusion. And I can't avoid it."

"Kell... what do you mean?"

"Uncle Yael tries to make me take medication, Amy. To make me happier. But you know what? It just makes my mood swings worse. And the terrible thing? When I'm sad, it feels normal -- and when I'm happy, it feels normal. And I can't for the life of me remember why I was ever feeling the previous emotion. It all makes sense, and then it just goes away the next day. Emotion just seems like self-delusion. I always feel like I'm being melodramatic, no matter what I'm doing... I never feel genuine..."

"We all have that rational voice, Kell. Don't feel alone."

"...you know, Amy... it's only in the past few months that I've started to wonder if at times I really can be genuine..."

"Really?"

"Yes... but..."

"Kell?"

"...it's always around you."

"..."

"I love you, Amy."

"...Kell... I..."

"No. Don't worry about anything like that. I just... I guess it must be some kind of love, right? Because I really feel honest around you. That sort of 'never have to say you're sorry' thing. Maybe people say that because you never have to say you're sorry when you always know what the other person is thinking... because they're always honest..."

"Kell... you've thought a lot about this, haven't you?"

"Yeah. For an overanalytical guy like me, my grades are too low, I think."

"Shut up, Kell! You know you get better grades than me!"

"Hah hah hah! I'm sorry, Amy."

"It's good to hear you laugh, at least."

"Did I laugh? Good... I didn't mean to."

"You should stop thinking so hard for a while, Kell. Just have some fun. We all need to every once in a while."

"I can't stop thinking. Not for a second. I can't stop worrying. Or else I won't be able to protect anyone."

"Protect? Kell, you sound like the world depends on you."

"No. I'm not that arrogant. But... some people depend on me. People who would die if I died. There are some things... I can never forget."

***

Who were you talking about, Kell? You wouldn't tell me. But... your uncle... he's dead now. You couldn't protect him, could you? I'm sorry, Kell.

If only I could protect you...

"Kell is frightened, Pol. He might like you to talk with him, but it would only be worth it if you're prepared for him lashing out. He's... going to have to live with his abilities for a while. I think he'll use them to protect people. I hope so. I trust him."

Amy turned to Pol, and while her eyes remained as soft as ever, her expression hardened slightly. "Remember, Pol. People may become Gifted, but they are always human. Just as exceptionally strong or exceptionally smart people are still human. No power in the world can erase Kell's human flaws, and he still resents that. So... if you try to appreciate his Gift... he'll get angry. As you no doubt discovered."

Lowering her eyes and sighing, she turned away slightly, her smile returning. "I have to get home. It was good seeing you, Pol. Take care of yourself, okay?"

 

[Lady_Siren]

Nikki's clenched her fists tighter "I asked you a question!" She took a step towards the ninja, she beyond all reasoning, her rage filled her and swept through the entire hospital. Her psycic powers enhanced by her sense of betrayel and anger caused anyone within the hospital who was sensitive to psycic energy a splitting headache. The lamps beside the bed blew to peices, the bed it'self began to shake. The entire room crackled with energy and power. "and when I ask you a question. You damn well better answer it!" With that said the full brunt of her rage hit the ninja, there was a loud crash, a bloodcurdling scream... then silence. Nikki stood there for a moment her rage slowly draining, her breathing returning to normal. Her eyes searched and found the ninja, or what was left of him. He had bled out of every orafice and his hands had clawed out his eyes. She stumbled back collapsing against the wall shaking her head. She felt a numbness settle over her, she felt empty, incomplete. Damien had left her, her entire family was dead, and her own country was out to murder her. She felt horrified at what she had done. What she was capable of doing, yet she felt suddenly better. At that moment she made a decision. Her death wasn't going to be faked, when it took place Nikki Hall would really die. In her place would be a woman without her weaknesses and who refused to rely on anyone again! With that thought in mind Nikki turned and headed back to the Killer Bee's.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Mary

Glanceing quickly down the hallway both ways Mary scuttled back to the corador junction and stood. Hospital security had arrived, followed by staff and Mary allowed herself to be brushed aside as inconsidental. It was a skill she cherished.

Quickly she slipped into Kell's room and closed and locked the door behind her. Leaning against it and a little breathless she gave Kell a grin. "Hi Kell. How are you today? Kell?"

Mary stood up and looked at the rumpled Kell-less bed. "Kell?" She tapped on the bathroom door and opened it.

"Shit. Can't anything be simple and go right?" She gritted her teeth and made a exgaggerated little girl face of fustration which looked strikeingly odd in her young twenties face.

She went to the door and unlocked it and peeked out.

OCC: Edited because I'm a clueless doofus. Thanks for the clue JC.

 

[Democable]

Damien hit the ground and held his head in extream pain, Merrick stopped and looked down at him. "What is Wrong?" she asked him. Damien stood up, "nothing, just still have a headache." but in the deep part of Damien's mind he only knew one word 'Nikki' .....

 

[SwampThing]

Pol watches Amy drive off. She finishes her sweep of the front parking lot, and draws her dark green boot knife. She catches sunlight on the polished surface, and flashes the "all-clear" signal to the Ninja clinging to the hospital wall. She's watching him for a return signal when she sees his body burst with blood, and he falls the four storeys to land in front of the Emergency doors with a wet thud.

"Holy Loa." Pol whispers. "I'd better report to Hass." She guns her motorbike, and races off.
_______________________

In a corridor in the hospital, Merrick places her hand to Damien's throat. She presses a sequence of pressure points, and he feels his head clear. "Come on."

The hospital guards and orderlies are all rushing to Damien's room, or to the body outside. Merrick and Damien walk quietly out a side door, where Merrick's plain brown car is waiting. She drives until they're outside the city, and Damien notices a large hawk following them. When they reach the desert outside Bay City, Merrick opens the window, and the bird swoops down to perch on her wrist. Damien can sense the deep bond the two share. The hawk hops into the back seat, and Merrick picks up speed. She pulls off the highway and Damien finds himself at a little camp in the desert. Two large red dogs greet Merrick as they arrive.

Later, after they have settled themselves, Merrick says "We can leave for Svetla very soon, Damien. I can't wait for you to see mother. But there is one last thing we must do here in Bay City. I want to kill that bastard King, our father."

 

[poohlive]

After the police had left, Kriegan waited another hour before he moved. Out of habit, if nothing else, and the thought that someone, anyone might come back to investigate. Cops were notorious for being fucking pricks when it came to crime scenes.
Once he felt it safe, he oncovered the car, put it in neutral, and dumped it off the dock with a loud and awkward splash.
Throwaway car.
He left the docks, went down to the market place, where a truck had been waiting. He took this to a run down motel in the heart of the city. Something that was cheap, and where the manager often didn't remember faces in case nosey people started to come around. Discretion, hell he would pay top dollar for that. But it seemed in the world of hotels, it went the other way around. The cheaper the place, the better discretion.
Those fancy five star swimming pool fuckers had camera's at every angle. You were identified five minutes before you even check in.
Not that Kriegan cared in the slightest, but still, one could never be too sure. One small security check now, could equal life or death later on.
When he opened the door to his small excuse for a bedroom, he saw a note on his bed.
On it, Kriegan read:

The Frog had found Faith.

Excellent. Kriegan left, without even checking anything else. He got back into the truck, and made it across town. Close to the docks, were more seedy places. Markets that stayed open until all hours of the night, but hadn't sold so much as a can of chili in months.
He went into an office that claimed to be a dry cleaners, despite the fact that inside, he only saw four pieces of clothing.
A man with a balding head and amazing ratlike features nodded as soon as he entered.
"Frog?"
Kriegan glared at him, his face emotionless.
"Right, right," The rat-man jumped off his little rat-stool and ran into the back.
"Come on in, come on in."
Kriegan stepped into a small office, where a big and burly man with pink skin and sausage like fingers sat, holding a manila envelope.
"There you go," He tossed it at Kriegan, who caught it with one hand, "Her current address, where she works, friends, family. Anything and everything you need to track her down and do some damage."
Kriegan opened the envelope, looking at the pieces of paper inside. He was pleased.
"Four hundred," Kriegan grunted, picking into his pocket. Frog waited, like a child waiting for christmas as Kriegan gave him the full payment.
"A pleasure," Frog said, counting it.
Kriegan only growled, already on his way back to the motel.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

Faith heard people begin to get restless around her and looked up to see the cause.

Monolith stood outside a phone booth looking at it with a odd longing. Odd because with a face of stone you shouldn't be able to tell his expression and it puzzled her how it could be possiable.

She brushed her hands on her pants, a habit her mother loathed and tried to train her out of, and crossed over to the Gifted.

"Hey big guy, want me to dail for you?" She glanced him over and didn't see any pockets. "I can even lend you a bit-peice if you need it."

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

when you weigh a half a ton, your not supposed to jump, but this slip of a girl just startled the pants off me, so I jumped a little.

"No, I was actually looking for you. I have a idea that you may find intriging, and may help foster some understanding about us gifted. How would you like to be the first reporter to hear my story, from normal man to what I am now?"





occ:tag!

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

"Oh fuck!" She clapped her hand over her mouth. "Sorry! I mean really? That would be great! When are you free next?"

Faith looked up at him, utterly unfraid, her green eyes glowing with excitment and her smile as bright as the sun.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

"Little one, I am free for a few days. Why don't we do it now. For starters, let me show you the world from my point of view."
I carefully reached down, and encircling Faith's waist in my hands, lifted her up placing her so she was sitting on my shoulder.
"Hold on now, this may be a bit bumpy"
I started jogging then, heading out twoard the park. In a few minutes we were alone in a glade, surrounded by flowering trees and bushes. I carefully lowered Faith down to the ground then, and sat down on the earth, facing her.

"Ready when you are, Little One."

 

[amon_darknight]

Ghost

He saw everything go black around him and the last thing he heard was a thud, and that was the sound of his head hitting the ground hard. When he opened his eyes, he saw he was in some ally, dark and with the stench of trash. He slowly stood up and he didn’t know what happened or where he was, he only smelled trash and smoke. He walked to the street and he saw the sky filled with smoke and ash floating in the air now that he was in open area and not surrounded by walls. He wondered what had happened, he looked around for where Aya was and he didn’t see her, he walked around looking for her, but it was no use, she was gone. All kinds of thoughts entered his mind, her abandoning him and her hating him for something he had done, he didn’t know why she left him, but where ever she was he hoped she was ok. He fell to his knees and a tear fell and hit the ground, he walked back to the ally and he saw his coat there with his Katana and gun and he picked them up and put them on and took the shades out of the pocket and put those on as well and he walked the streets. Where he was going, he didn’t know.

He found himself in the park where he and Aya first stayed and he sat there and waited for her, in his heart he knew she would return, but for some reason his brain was telling him that she would never return. He held in his hand a red rose, and another tear fell from his eyes and it hit the rose and Ghost looked up to the sky and shook his head. He had no idea on where to go or what to do. Maybe Ghost would find his death here, or maybe a new life. But whatever awaited for him, he needed it to happen now.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

"Whew!" Faith fanned herself for a moment. "That was just amazeing! But I think you need like a necklace or something, there was nothing to hold onto!"

Faith sat down and unloaded her little recorder and her notebook. "Thanks for this oppurtunity, can you tell me why you chose me when I'm sure a lot of more respected writers would have jumped at the chance?"

She squinted up at him and waited, pencil posed over virgin paper.

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

"I chose you because I trust you to tell my story without embellesing it, and because I know you. You see, before I was changed, my name was Dramon Knight, and I was going to be your brother-in-law."

There. I did it. Now all I had to do was wait and see how she took it.

 

[PoliteSuccubus]

Faith

In an instant all her bubbly enthuisam turned to ice and she sat stone still looking at him...through him. One moment turned into three...and then into eternity and Monolith began to shift uncomfortably. Had he made a mistake?

"Dramon?" She asked softly and reached out to touch his face...so unlike the handsome young cop she'd known who had laughed at her family dinner table, his eyes shineing with love for Hope. "Oh Dramon, what did they do to you?"

She fell on him, crying and hugging him as fiercely as her slight body allowed her to hug stone before pulling away and then pelting him with her fists. "You son of a bitch! You let us all think you were dead!"

 

[Abraxas Winterlight]

Monolith

I let her vent her anger on me for a while, then gently took her hands into mine.
"Faith, I had to. My life had just ended as I knew it, and I needed time to come to grips with what I had become. That took over three years." I paused to see if she had calmed down a bit. Her eyes were tear-streaked and red, but she was still the beautiful young woman I had called little sister.
I sat down so we were eye-to-eye. " I had to remake myself, because if I didn't come to tearms with what I was, I would have gone mad. I maybe did go a little crazy for a while, but I eventually sorted it all out. I looked for Hope, but I couldn't find her in the old country, so I came here, to see if I could find her & at least give her peace of mind, so she could move on.
I'm not a man anymore Little One, I'm a statue with a soul. Hope needed somebody who could be a man for her, a husband. Not a animated pile of rocks."

I let her hands go. Hopefully she wouldn't hit me again. I didn't want her to hurt herself.