Alone and Miserable (Sean Barker)

[seishounohana]

Nightmares.

Darkness reigned in the room Emily was in right now. She had been here to no end except the very few moments the guards let her have a few jogs out in the sun and the moments when she was brought out to eat... and read the books she had in her bag. There was nothing much else.

She sat there-- alone, unable to sleep... because of the nightmares.

The stories she'd have heard from Leon... the things that Sean could've done to Mathew. The guilt of being the reason for someone else's suffering was torture for Emily. If she had been here two years ago, she would've probably been able to handle being alone but --

... now that she'd learned to love the company of other people... that she'd accepted her own weaknesses and the fate that life had brought out onto her... she felt like slipping. Slipping deeper into despair.

She wished Leon would come back... she wished they'd send someone to talk to her... or better yet... fight with her. Yes. A fight... to knock herself out into her senses.

Maybe knock her enough to sleep.

She did her very best not to cry, especially that this was 'enemy territory'...

... but was Sean Barker... the warden of California's Correctional Facility... the real enemy, for her? With all the things that he had given her?

This power?

These warm gloves?

All these changes, symbolized by the white hair that she now had. She was very different from before. She huddled herself closer, now hearing voices.

"You need more of it, don't you... Emily~?"

"Kari..."

"Come on... You know very well that you can't get rid of me."

"I can... and I will..."

"Oh...~? Then tell me, why am I here talking to you?"

"NO! You're not talking to me...! You're just a voice on my head! NOTHING MORE!" Emily would fall sideways, curled up into a fetal position with her arms huddled over her head. "L-leave me... I-I want... I want to be just like everyone else... I-I want t-"

"To have friends~? To love?"

"... Yes."

"What did it give you?"

"... It-"

"Let me answer for you: Nothing. Nothing but pain."

"...I-I..."

"Remember, you detached yourself from them... from the Aoyamas... from the world... So that you'd never get hurt again..."

"... so that I'd never get hurt when expectations are not met..."

"... so that I'd never have to attach myself to the point of crying when I lose them..."

"... so that I wouldn't regret... anything I did to someone else, or what I said..."

"Fufufufufu, You're catching on, my dear... Yes. You need more of that power this man has given you. More of it. You're willing, aren't you?"

"... I'm willing."

"What about your... friends?"

"..."

"They're waiting for you to come back, aren't they? Don't you... love that gang leader of yours?"

"...H-He... probably... n-no... He doesn't have any feelings for me."

"Exactly. Why waste your efforts? Why love...?"

Emily pulled her head further in with her arms, obviously in despair. "Pl-Please... Kari... go away..."

"Heh... I will go, but you have to admit... that your efforts in Militia... all your efforts to gain all those you called your ... Friends... and comrades..."

"..."

"... will be worth nothing if you think you're too weak to control yourself."

Emily's eyes widened. Widened with the sudden realization that she was indeed talking to herself aloud. Kari was using her mouth, again.

Kari was the personification of her insecurity. The ultimate reminder of how she was bad-mouthed as a child... how her selfishness caused the death of the Aoyamas... how her despair brought her to kill...

She stood up, and shook the bars on the door. "P-please! Make me stronger!"

"MAKE ME EVEN STRONGER!"

"Make me stronger... Please..." she'd say faintly, a final cry reverbing around the empty room... "I-I'll... do anything."

Her arms shook as she fell to the ground, staring into nothing. She had snapped. It wouldn't be in her best interest to stay inside any further.

Or maybe he could do something about this. Fuel her hunger with more power. Build a subconscious craving for it...

[Sean Barker]

"Stronger?"

Sean's voice would echoe through the room, questioningly. Honestly interested in what she had to say. He had been listening.

"You want to be stronger? Are you not satisfied yet? Do you have more power? Something to proove? What compells you? What draws you? What is it that drives you for power? We shall discover this, yes. I will make you stronger. Much, much stronger."

A lock in the door would sound loudly through the halls as her door became unlocked. His voice would come once more.

"When you exit this door, I'll give you the choice. go left, and you will find the exit... Go right, and you will find my office, and you will become stronger."

[seishounohana]

"Stronger?"

"S-stronger..." She'd repeat, basically lost in her own insecurities.

"You want to be stronger? Are you not satisfied yet? Do you have more power? Something to prove? What compels you? What draws you? What is it that drives you for power? We shall discover this, yes. I will make you stronger. Much, much stronger."

Emily smirked, yet her eyes were of flowing tears -- green orbs open wide as a river of salt and loneliness doused her face. "Drive... fu....fufufu... Why, control! Self-mastery! Independence!" she'd declare, almost laughing in between words. "Self-actualization."

She needed to be powerful. Why?

When she becomes powerful she wouldn't have to feel so weak... and THEN she wouldn't have to depend on other people so much...

... she wouldn't have to torture herself with such devious insecurities. Her face looked up to the lights on the ceiling, closing her eyes gently as her focus went closer to the light. Despite all she had said there was much more to those reasons, but those were what first came to mind.

Sounds of doors rung into the girl's ears as she stood, rubbing her eyes off the tears. A door...?

"When you exit this door, I'll give you the choice. go left, and you will find the exit... Go right, and you will find my office, and you will become stronger."

The word 'stronger' rung on her ears as she went through the door and into a dark path. It didn't take too long for her to reach the crossroad.

Two doors. One decision.

On the right was a path led to something that betrayed Emily's conscience. Currently torn between returning as is, or 'selling herself' to the 'devil' for power, Emily would find that despite the fact that a part of her is desperately screaming for her to get stronger...

... a part of her wanted to go home.

A glance at the left.

The end of her Loneliness, the moment to rebuild and move on to try and become a "normal" teenager once again. Then again, what was waiting for her back there?

If you didn't count Layla, or even Rem... maybe no one. Emily didn't consider herself that significant for "Unfettered" to think about her, worry, possibly even return her feelings for him. In fact, she wouldn't want to come back... even with the fact that her body was battered and somewhat groggy from all the crying and self-pity.

Weakness.

...

It was by then, that she thought: she couldn't dare come back when she would still be a burden.

"... Patawarin mo ako, Layla. [Forgive me, Layla]"

She would go right.

[Sean Barker]

Sean kept his green as his open door was there for her to walk into. Once she did he would be standing there, waiting, next to one of the drug chairs. She wanted power, and he wanted more data. A compromise. Behind him was a lift down into the testing arena that she would remember from the fight against 100 with Mathew. But this time he figured it would be better this time around.

"You want power? Then you shall have it. I'll put you against 50 fighters. Some will have Qi, some wont. But its more ufn that way. Dont you think? When your done, I'll give you some more of that good stuff. We will see if your one of the potentials."

Potential was a code name for the people with limitless power. Few had this property and th eonly way to figure out who they where was to test on them twice. If they advance in the second test then they either have a high bar for advancement, or are limitless.

((OoC: Your next post, just go down the lift into the training arena, fight 50 guys, and come back to the lift.))

[seishounohana]

She would find him alright, standing there besides one familiar chair as she entered. Oh, that chair would be hers to take, all right. "You want power? Then you shall have it. I'll put you against 50 fighters. Some will have Qi, some wont. But its more ufn that way. Dont you think? When your done, I'll give you some more of that good stuff. We will see if your one of the potentials."

Emily rose an eyebrow. 50? Well... we'll see how she'll fare with that one. Sure of herself, unlike before she'd step closer and finally walk towards the lift-- only to stop midway. "... what do you mean by potentials?" she queried, honestly interested.

However, it wouldn't take long before a thug pulled her onto the lift, sending her quickly to the training arena. Apparently the same as the one where she and Mathew had previously taken out 100 thugs... it was a team effort, so there was not exactly much.

She only wished though, that she had Hilaga and Timog back.

(To be continued in the next post)

[seishounohana]

Posts theme song from this point on: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Tortured by resurfacing insecurities, self-hypocrisy and loneliness-- a certain white-haired female decides to take on 50 more. No point in turning back, she decides to turn to a hidden side of herself.

The lift ... well, lifted her into the arena, eyes closed... taking in the environment. The subtle stench of dried blood that reeked; stuck within the rubberized walls and floor; dried sweat and tears, probably from previous subjects.

It all stirred her memories.

'There there, just lift your skirt. We'll make lots of money!'

The memories...

'Put this on! Put thi- ARE YOU FUCKING LISTENING, AOYAMA?!'

'Don't think she's listening, boss.'

'What?! Does she think she should live with us and not PAY her share?!'

'The fuck...!? Wait- You mad?! AHHH! FUCK! SHE BIT ME!

... that drove her mad.

Upon opening her eyes, she would look around... initially looking bored, but a deep look into her eyes would reveal a hidden hate. Hate for herself, and her existence. A person who attracts the worst of tragedy, no shield of happiness to safeguard her from the stabs of reality. Poorly taught to cope, or rather -- never wanting to learning to cope -- the girl found herself smiling, bursting into a sinister laugh as doors opened and 25 thugs would be sent out for the kill.

The air around her would seem colder than usual, warmth escaping her personality and now... her gaze was cold. A step forward, and it led her to a mad dash. She pulled her arm back into a fist, releasing her anger and hate into strength.

Three would be hit on a domino effect towards the wall. The force of it broke the sternum of the one in front, shattered a few bones in the spinal column on the one that hit the wall, and basically forced one rib of the thug in the middle to puncture his lung. Pfft, these people were most likely arranged from weakest to strongest. She'll have to deal with the stronger ones on the next wave.

A whoosh would be heard from behind-- and sent her almost flying towards the wall, cushioned by the three hooligans. Alas, a Qi user.

"Fufufufuufuuuu!?!" She'd laugh, quickly making her way onto her feet. The Qi of this person seemed to be the ability to make himself faster somehow.

'TOO SLOW, YOU IDIOT. RUN. RUN. RUN!"

Ah... two can play that game!

Dashing madly for him... her... she didn't care. She thrusted/stabbed her fingers through the bottom of his chin, pulling him downward as blood trickled down her arm and mildly making her leather gloves sticky. Shocked and basically not at his proper senses, the thug would land on the ground on his back, losing his consciousness immediately once Emily jumped into his chest with all her weight.

He'd live, but he'd immediately need medical attention.

...

Feh, novice (OOC: >>;; Emily scares me when she's like this.) .... a kick to the back sent her onto the floor on her arms.

The worst was indeed to come.

.. and she just smiled as she stood up, bashing her head quickly onto the thug's skull. A punch at her shoulder would be reciprocated with another, similar hit and a tripping kick to his shin-- just to topple him over so that he'd hit his head on the floor.









Will take on more thugs with each post, no worries. I'll make about er... 3-5 more... and make it more difficult for Emily with each one.

Current Tally of thugs taken out:
Non-Qi : 3/25
Qi : 1/25

[seishounohana]

Once the bastard had hit the floor, Emily pivoted herself to face what's behind her, crouching and found herself 2 inches away from a punch. Lucky...

Just why can't she be just as lucky in things that actually matter?

Grabbing the arm and pulling it downward onto her, she would shoot a fist hard onto his chin. Mandible breaking as teeth shattered; Emily would throw the man to the massing people right in front. Didn't do much of any damage to those that got hit, but basically it helped clear the way a bit. Running to her right she would stop 4 meters from the wall, spinning violently to release a torrent of sharp wind onto the approaching thugs. Around 2 were caught on this, being the fastest.

Her Qi could cut through bone, but this sort of attack was a bit random-- nevertheless, it would hit several areas, mostly areas that would cause massive bleeding, like the neck and the areas of the wrist and elbow. Though bleeding, the two practically punched Emily at the same time, sending her flying to the wall and hit her back against it.

A smirk.

"[YOU ACTUALLY THINK THAT YOU COULD KILL ME]?!" She'd roar (in Japanese), jumping back to her feet-- or rather, went in all fours. Dashing quickly for the two offenders, she would grab one of them by the leg, digging her teeth deep into flesh and ripping it off.

Temperatures around her would reach it's lowest temperature, as she let go of the poor thing, leaving him to scream... bleeding... as Emily-... no, Kari-- headed off to the other, who was basically running for his dear life. He was probably not a hundred percent tranced-- as he knew that once this girl would reach him, it would mean him losing a limb... or two.

Kari caught up to him, pulling herself up to raise her legs and kick him on the face with both of them, knocking him over as well.

Jumping up from her latest 'kill', Kari would spin mid-air into a somersault that sent at least three large blades of freezing wind to those that ended up behind her. Though one from behind was able to save himself with A shield of fire that he breathed out, 2 others, incapable of Qi found themselves on the ground, twitching from deep chest wounds.

Feeling cold air when she landed about 2 meters away, she found herself facing one with ice-affiliated Qi -- one that threated her by sending a fist laced with sharp spikes of ice towards her. Taking the full force of the punch with left hand and gripping it tightly as spikes punctured her hand, she'd send a torrent of punches towards his face, aiming for the center of his forehead, his nose and a sidewards punch at his chin.

Once done and over with, the enemy too dazed to even try to retaliate, Kari would grab him by the shirt and set him aflame. His screams made her day, and she'd throw him violently onto 3 approaching Qi-users... setting them aflame as well. Though one was able to take his shirt off just before it spread due to quick wit, the other two weren't so lucky.

...

The smell of burning flesh wouldn't last long, as Kari's Qi wasn't designed to create flames that would last more than 4-9 minutes. 10 minutes, tops-- but it'd alert the sprinklers, sending raindrops of cold water onto Kari and everyone else.

A smile would revert her Qi back to it's colder state as she--


Current Tally of thugs taken out:
Non-Qi : 9/25
Qi : 4/25

Argh... soft watercolouring is fucking HARD. DX;; Shoujo manga artists are Gods/Goddesses...

-_-;



Strength: 30 + 5 =35
Dexterity: 30 + 5 =35
Constitution: 30
Wisdom: 22
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 29-5 = 24


# Emily can create wind blades and modify the immediate temperature of the environment with temperatures ranging from -20c to 120c and maintain it for a 10m radius.
# It allows Emily to create small tornadoes that maintain the wanted temperature (Thus also can be lit up via gasoline), but it will cost -5 CHA
# It can light up any flammable material on fire, provided that it costs -5 CHA.
# Emily can integrate her Qi into her weapons, thus enabling attacks en masse onto her opponents.
# If Emily's nails are long enough, she could create more blades with her fingers. However it would be weaker than the normal one.
# Emily can create modified windblades that can return at her will for -5 CHA a piece.
# Out of Battle use effects: Emily can freeze, boil and generate steam out of water or any other liquid almost instantaneously. The people around her feel quite warm. Could feel colder, if Emily so wishes.

[seishounohana]

A smile would revert her Qi back to it's colder state as she licked the wounds on her left hand. It actually hurt as much as she anticipated, (maybe even a lot more) and it was bleeding.

She wouldn't be able to cauterize it immediately, Kari would have to turn up the heat to do that... but maybe she'll do it later.

A 'feh' escaped her lips as it began to snow around her. The droplets freezing immediately upon reaching her range of ten meters. Snow fell, and ten thugs began to shiver and began to become sluggish--obviously not used to the cold.

Dashing quickly through the group of fiends, she would take one sluggish thug by the arm and pull him towards her as she delivered a sharp punch towards his abdomen before she threw him to the side. A kick to her side would send her flailing a few steps to the side before she pivoted herself to face the thug and did a sweep kick, pulling him out of balance before she jumped up and landed on his stomach.

Jumping up again, she made several somersaults... sending torrent upon torrent of freezing air onto the poor people below-- and considering that it was still raining water from the fire she had created a few minutes back, the windblades would create actual blades of ice on the way to their targets, dropping on the poor thugs that were avoiding the initial trick. Around ten of them would be hit before Emily landed on the floor on a crouch.

Blood everywhere (but no one dead just yet), Emily would grab the head of the first that approached her and bash it against hers, then onto the hard, wet floor. More blood seared onto the rubberized floor. Leaning against the head of the downed man, she would immediately pull her leg up, kicking an oncoming man at the chin and sending him backwards. He seemed a little weaker-- was it because of the cold? Probably an effect of her Qi... and probably because he had fire-affiliation.

... she could swear she heard something snap.

... but she just smiled as if it was the most wonderful thing in the world.



Current Tally of thugs taken out:
Non-Qi : 15/25
Qi : 11/25

Strength: 30 + 5 =35
Dexterity: 30 + 5 =35
Constitution: 30
Wisdom: 22
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 29-5 = 24


# Emily can create wind blades and modify the immediate temperature of the environment with temperatures ranging from -20c to 120c and maintain it for a 10m radius.
# It allows Emily to create small tornadoes that maintain the wanted temperature (Thus also can be lit up via gasoline), but it will cost -5 CHA
# It can light up any flammable material on fire, provided that it costs -5 CHA.
# Emily can integrate her Qi into her weapons, thus enabling attacks en masse onto her opponents.
# If Emily's nails are long enough, she could create more blades with her fingers. However it would be weaker than the normal one.
# Emily can create modified windblades that can return at her will for -5 CHA a piece.
# Out of Battle use effects: Emily can freeze, boil and generate steam out of water or any other liquid almost instantaneously. The people around her feel quite warm. Could feel colder, if Emily so wishes.[/quote]

[seishounohana]

"FUFUFUFUUUUFUUUUU~~!!"

She was doused in crimson. Skin pink with a paint of red, sticky with the fresh blood drying on her skin and clothes. It smelled sweet-- very much pleasing to her senses.

Made her wish her eyes were blood red.

Then again, she had been at this for a bit... and things were already looking dim for her energy. Kari would be, most likely, able to pull through this... just a little tired. "IMBECILES." she roared, charging forward and hitting one on the stomach. Upon impact, she would immediately use the free hand to pull him closer with his arm and then fling him back, crashing onto the group headed her way.

Normally, she would just run back and have her fun with the fastest. Today was different~

A sinister smile came upon her lips, blood trickling from her mouth and face. Not her own-- but certainly had an exhilarating effect on her.

"FWAAAH!" She would jump up and aim a kick towards one thug's head. She would hear something pop. Ah~ Her heel had hit his face-- his EYE, specifically. It sent him down onto the floor, and writhing-- SCREAMING in pain as he lost his eyesight, blacking out immediately as Emily jumped at him again, crushing his skull with her weight and spun (while still on his face).

With ill-regard to the man's face, nor his unconscious body, she spun wildly, sending a whirlwind of searing wind and windblades up front.

More screams rang on her ears... and a laugh came as the raging winds continued, burning about 5 people with different intensities.

Those left awake from that assault: she'd step on them, bite and rip at their flesh... anything to satisfy the HATE that was within her.

She'd send one heavy slash with her arm towards her back, fingernails creating 5 small blades of wind with no specific target. Two were unlucky enough to get hit on their Achilles heel, rendering them unfit for walking... or even standing!

Lightning surged from behind, a punch soaring then towards her from above with sparks of yellow. She quickly took the punch, carefully though-- as to not deal lethal damage to herself. Electricity wasn't fun to play with, after all~

Continuously electrocuted as she laid there, stained with red as blood seared through her white hair. Kari just smiled, though body twitching madly with the volts of electricity flailing through her flesh and bones. Grabbing the fist at her stomach, she'd punch at the elbow, causing it to dislocate.

Desperate for a kill, that guy pulled a punch towards her head-- she quickly would set him off balance by rolling to her right and at her feet.

She would take the fallen boy's hand (the dislocated one) and pull it to his back, sending him to be at his knees. Kari's free hand would pull his head back by his long hair and pull it down... down...

DOWN.

*SNAP*

Current Tally of thugs taken out:
Non-Qi : 20/25
Qi : 15/25

Strength: 35
Dexterity: 35
Constitution: 30
Wisdom: 22
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 24 - 5 = 19


# Emily can create wind blades and modify the immediate temperature of the environment with temperatures ranging from -20c to 120c and maintain it for a 10m radius.
# It allows Emily to create small tornadoes that maintain the wanted temperature (Thus also can be lit up via gasoline), but it will cost -5 CHA
# It can light up any flammable material on fire, provided that it costs -5 CHA.
# Emily can integrate her Qi into her weapons, thus enabling attacks en masse onto her opponents.
# If Emily's nails are long enough, she could create more blades with her fingers. However it would be weaker than the normal one.
# Emily can create modified windblades that can return at her will for -5 CHA a piece.
# Out of Battle use effects: Emily can freeze, boil and generate steam out of water or any other liquid almost instantaneously. The people around her feel quite warm. Could feel colder, if Emily so wishes.

[seishounohana]

Aye. Kari was tired -- Yes, that about sums it all up: She was exhausted. Opponents down to the last fifteen.

Her head was aching, mind calming down as she had almost finished venting frustrations and self-insecurity. What else could she do?

They were all tired in this room.

Herself the most of the lot. Her expression began to soften, but still ice-cold in terms of stance. She couldn't afford to feel guilt now of all moments; just when she was about done!

She was this close...

... so close...

... to getting what she wanted.

"I CANNOT LOSE!" Kari bellowed, charging forward with lesser speed as to conserve the rest of her strength for the... stronger few... that might have thought well enough to stay away from the crazed freak in front of them.

An x-pattern formed with her arms, and flinging them madly she created blades of ice and wind. As the blades flung towards and felled 4 (who were, apparently in front) Emily continued on running forward, water collecting on the floor from the sprinklers right above them. It already was to a point when it reached her ankles.

-- Good. Everything was according to plan.

A punch went towards the first person up front. Followed by a kick that sent him pivoting to the right and landing face first on the ground-- the guy was probably tired out, the poor fellow.

Emily though showed no mercy even as the guy tried pulling himself up to fight again. Palm slamming onto the back of the boy's head she would drown him on the blood-stained water. He was squirming for the first few moments, until he slipped onto unconsciousness under the water.

No sooner than that, one tackled Emily, pinning her to the man she drowned stomach-down. She couldn't move her legs! Why!?

Could it be Qi? Paralysis-Qi?

She felt her body numbing... numbing...

The ten remaining thugs burst out into a fit of laughter, mocking Kari as she was now officially drained. Would she stand for this kind of mockery?!

Never.

Anger boiling, and knowing that she was protected by this unconscious boy below her, she would use most of her remaining energy on her Qi. All the thugs would realize that they feet were getting hot, and the water below was beginning to boil.

Screams flooded the room, as the ten remaining --including Emily herself -- began to experience being steamed alive. The ten, unused to these temperatures and circumstances would either pass out, or injure themselves greatly. Emily on the other hand, though realizing that her enemies were already done... she was not only exhausted, bruised and wounded... but also slightly scalded.

Nothing more than first degree burns. She was used to this... after all, it was her own Qi.

It was done.

Finally.

She closed her eyes...

"I'm... sorry." she muttered, falling asleep.

----------------

Six hours passed, and Emily winced as she stood. What the heck... just happened?

She looked around her; bodies and blood everywhere. Emily couldn't tell who was dead or just plain unconscious. They all looked the same... cut... bleeding... barely alive, if alive at all.

There was something she had to do before anything else: get back on that lift. Flashes of what she did came back to her... their screams... and the manner she tortured them.

Her muscles remembered how she jumped around and slashed windblades at them...

She stopped at the lift, leaning over with one hand at the rail before she fell to her knees.

Emily was cold, wet... and basically mentally blank-- partially in shock. She wasn't ... really back... to who she was before, ... right?

She would stay there, as droplets of water continued falling onto her... drenching her further. Does it really matter now?

Did anything matter?

Little did she know... that the next time she'll sleep, her mind would've tucked the memories of this ever happening on the back of her mind.

Just like that day in April...

When she murdered four men...

... but now, add fifty.

"Fifty-four.

Fifty-four.

.... fifty... four..."

Tears ran on her cheeks, but it wouldn't be noticeable through the falling water.

Sean barker would only notice her eyes were red.

That was all.

Current Tally of thugs taken out:
Non-Qi : 25/25
Qi : 25/25

Strength: 35
Dexterity: 35
Constitution: 30
Wisdom: 22
Intelligence: 22
Charisma: 19


# Emily can create wind blades and modify the immediate temperature of the environment with temperatures ranging from -20c to 120c and maintain it for a 10m radius.
# It allows Emily to create small tornadoes that maintain the wanted temperature (Thus also can be lit up via gasoline), but it will cost -5 CHA
# It can light up any flammable material on fire, provided that it costs -5 CHA.
# Emily can integrate her Qi into her weapons, thus enabling attacks en masse onto her opponents.
# If Emily's nails are long enough, she could create more blades with her fingers. However it would be weaker than the normal one.
# Emily can create modified windblades that can return at her will for -5 CHA a piece.
# Out of Battle use effects: Emily can freeze, boil and generate steam out of water or any other liquid almost instantaneously. The people around her feel quite warm. Could feel colder, if Emily so wishes.


Finally? D8