Freedom; Washed Away (Orion)

[Rina Vade]

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

It wasn’t unusual to see Rina sitting near the docks, perched on the rocks that jutted up sharply a few yards out into the water. One only had to jump to reach them. She sat, both feet dangling toward the ocean as it tossed and spiraled below her. This was where she came to think. Sometimes, it was the only place where she could feel as if the world was miles away, and it was just her, the ocean, and its creatures. Above her, the seagulls soared and dipped from the sky, as if they were dancing with the water.

They were free, unlike most of the world these days.

Watching them, Rina began her usual process of sorting through her thoughts.

Her QI was making her stronger, at least mentally. Her emotions were no longer getting mixed up with the feelings of others, and she was faring a lot better when it came to not being overwhelmed by them. It was easier to bear the weight of many emotions at once, despite that she still struggled to filter them the way Orion had tried to show her.

Orion.

The name was like a ghostly whisper in her mind. He was so…unusual. The fire-loving daredevil seemed a faraway dream to Rina. How long had it been since she’d last seen him? Days? Weeks? Right now, all her days were a blur as she tried to sort out her most recent discovery. Her ability to kill with only just her mind. It wasn’t something that she could call up on command. Something had to happen, and it didn’t always come up when she was cornered or threatened. It was fueled by her instincts, she knew, but was it possible to control it?

Oh, enough of those thoughts!

She needed to stop pining over them. It wasn’t helping and only made her more confused, bringing her around in circles as she tried to puzzle it out. Looking down at the swirling, deep-blue ocean, she began to wonder what would happen if she let herself fall. All her worries could end, whispered a voice in the back of her head, though she barely registered it at all.

Entranced by the sea as it tumbled below her, Rina leaned forward, her azure and icy gaze on the dark-blue water.

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 480
Muse: Great!
Other: Snakebite Check last post for more info on Rina's ability from her QI

[Orion]

"So. This is where you disappeared off to. From fire to water, huh?"

After catching sight of a familiar figure by the rocks, Orion had, well, swam over to her, his halberd still in hand. He had just come around the rock and had found Rina staring intently at the water on the opposite side of him. Orion clambered out of the water, ignoring the fact that he was wet and dripping, and climbed to the top of the rock, next to Rina. He then sat down, leaning his halberd against his shoulder.

"It's good to see you, Rina. Have you been improving?"

The last he had saw of her, was at a bar he had thrashed, just to relieve boredom. After thrashing said bar, he had talked to her, and proven truths of her ability to himself. She was a receiving empath, the reverse of him. She also had some telekinetic abilities, though how powerful he was unsure of. Next to him, he toyed with his weapon, the one he had received from the Experiments. Double Halberd Snake Spear of Orion. Something of an ironic joke, as while the double halberd was his weapon of choice, the snake was a memory of the boy he had saved, who was able to summon venomous snakes at will. After risking past at least 40 of the buggers, he had pulled the boy free, and ran. After meeting with Experiments, they had taken him off. That was in the past, though; last time he had met Rina, he didn't have his weapon. He wondered how she would react to such a deadly and powerful weapon being with him, after their past experiences.

"You don't mind me having this, do you?"

[Rina Vade]

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

The voice of someone below startled Rina to the point where she almost fell from her perch. Scrabbling back onto the slick rock, Rina looked down to see the very person she'd just been thinking about climbing up to where she sat. "Orion!" she gasped, eyes wide. "Don't do that! Jesus, you freaking scared the daylights out of me!"

As he made it up and settled beside her - soaking wet, mind you - she returned to dangling her bare feet toward the water.

"It's good to see you, Rina. Have you been improving?"

Was the first question he asked. She smiled, eyes glittering. "Nice to see you, too, Orion. And yes, very much so." she replied. The thought of her terrible killing power crossed her mind and she faltered. Best not to say anything about that yet.

But maybe Orion would know something about it?

At his next question, Rina's gaze fell to the halberd. Power emanated from it fiercely. "No..." she said quietly. "I don't mind." the weapon was magnificent. The aura she receivedd from it was green and silver. Powerful and lethal. She paused, then looked up at Orion questioningly. "Snakes?" she asked.

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 278
Muse: Meh
Other: Orion can't get sick, right? Just wonderin'

[Rina Vade]

Orion... *hisses* posssssst! XD

[Orion]

OOC: *facepalm* Rina....

IC: "Snakes?"

Orion grimaced.

"Someone's idea of a joke, really. I saved a boy who could summon... make those damn things at will. I went against about 40 of the things, got bit about 20 times. And so they made me my personal weapon of choice, named it after a snake and fashioned it after that model, and gave me the position of a diplomat. So, I am the "mediator" between the "normal" people and... well, "my" people. Your people as well, I suppose."

Orion looked down at his weapon, his grimace fading.

"After that... well, I carry it with me. Thankfully the blood's easy to wash off, but those more perceptive... Well, the sins of death are not so easily washed away. Still, It's mine, a useful symbol of both me and the Experiments. I figure, when I use it, if they attack with the intent to kill, they should be prepared to be killed. I have yet to find any one man or woman who is willing to die with the same feeling that they rage and attempt to kill."

Orion looked over the water, his eyes taking a distant look.

"I kill too easily now... Almost as easily as Shadow. I wasn't always like this, you know. Behavior, appearance.... I used to be a relatively normal kid. A basic talent for street-fighting, a better than basic talent for sneaking, and a sense of defending the innocent from those stronger in school."

Memories. A boy with black hair with blue highlights. Coal-black eyes caused by contacts. Underneath those.... the reflection of the ocean, a determination for justice. On the flip-side.... same boy, but with eyes the red of blood, spilled blood, lust and anger flaring within them.

"Then.... some asshole named Vaughan came. Made life harder... and then the people he hired, these Enforcers... they turned on him, unleashed the worst criminals from the depths of a prison... I went to the bottom of that place, and fought this psycho... We almost lost, until my friend Shugo came back, his QI in all his glory. He beat the Jester down, but was beaten by someone else. Never found out who. I dragged him out of the collapsing prison... and then in weakness was approached by someone I trusted."

Orion's eyes returned to him, suddenly realizing where he was.

"But that's another story. I ramble too much. Tell me of you, Rina. I doubt that your history is any more sane then mine."

He was truly curious. Rina had unique powers, and even if she was born with them, her life would not be normal by any sense of the word.

[Rina Vade]

OOC - Hehehe! *hisses again* Yesssss?

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

Rina listened as Orion spoke, drawn into the story of his past. In her mind's eye, she could picture Orion as a younger version of himself, fighting to save a friend. He suddenly stopped, and she turned to look at him.

"But that's another story. I ramble too much. Tell me of you, Rina. I doubt that your history is any more sane then mine."

Looking down at the rolling waves, Rina muttered, "You don't ramble too much." then shrugged her shoulders. He was right. Sane couldn't even begin to describe her past. "My past isn't as bad as others, but..." another shrug. "My mother was killed by drug dealers she owed money to. They took me in afterward,"

She could still see the leader, Ryuku.

"Ryu taught me how to fight. He was the leader of his gang and they...were good to me." she smiled softly. Another memory flashed through her head and Rina paused. She didn't want to annoy Orion by dumping all her past on him, but there was something she just had to get out. "Before that, my mother had a boyfriend," she began almost in a whisper. "He was an awful person. I can still...sometimes I can still hear his footsteps coming down the hall at night, you know?" she glanced up, biting her lip. "Like he's still..." she broke off and shrugged her shoulders again, dropping her gaze down.

There was one last thing.

"Orion...? What would you do with the power to kill with only your mind?"

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words:346
Muse: Better^^
Other: Nada

[Orion]

"Orion...? What would you do with the power to kill with only your mind?"

Rina had grown up around those very people that Orion had fought against for quite some time, had recklessly gambled against and won. And.... she was abused it seemed, by her mother's boyfriend. Orion had no clue if his parents were alive anymore. At this point, he realized that he would probably act the same either way, as they had no way to reach him at this point even if they were alive. But then Rina's question came, and he turned his head sharply to her.

She was looking towards the water, biting her lip. And she wasn't talking about him, this was her question to herself. He was merely an outlet. Still, he figured that now would be a bad time to use his own ability. So he spoke, calmly.

"Well.... that's a good question. May as well ramble some more, as you don't mind, and it'll help me figure out my own answer. There are two types of fighters in this world, it boils down to. Those who fight, inflamed by their emotions, and those who fight with a steely calm. Some basic differences between the two is that those who are calm have amazing analytical powers, while those who fight with emotions have bursts of superhuman power. Somewhat like how mothers lift trees and cars off their children, ya know? Anyways... I fight as a calm fighter, most of the time. A few things can set me off, but only a few. So...

"The power to kill with your mind... It's an abnormal, monstrous power. It can corrupt you, to just automatically kill any who approach. It can turn the tides of war, either by killing waves at a time, or killing one select individual. But honestly.... if I had it? I'd probably be doing the same thing I am now, using it in tandem with my normal methods. I don't like relying only on one thing, hence why you've seen me use street fighting, crossbows, pyrotechnics, and my halberd here. For someone like you... with as much issues as you have, both with your past and your inability to control your emotion..."

Orion looked back out at the water.

"Well... For you, I'd simply say be careful. Use it if you have to, or when it's one on one with no witnesses, but you don't want anyone else learning of your power. Barker will hunt you down like a dog, and either kill or corrupt you. Anyone else will simply exploit your ability. The Experiments we both work for especially: we're too few in number to NOT exploit such a power."

Orion hefted his halberd and turned back to the docks, his back to her, though he made no move to get up.

"No worries though; no one else will learn of your power, at least not through me. I feel that you deserve that much. Strangely enough, I've come to care for you. I'd rather try to keep you from such a horrible fate."

Orion then turned his head to her and grinned.

"Enough of this gloomy topic. I need to go make some money for the day, and actually, that's what I was here to do. There's this troublesome gang over at an abandoned warehouse, and I feel that they need to understand that such methods are not appreciated. Care to come along? I promise it won't be boring."

OOC: 609 words. I dare you to beat that. In other news..... well, for starters, none of us can get sick, actually; we're only in the hospital for injuries. Beyond that... I never said. Maybe, maybe not. Probably not.

[Rina Vade]

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

It wasn't as if she was meaning to dump all her worries on Orion. He was her friend, yes, but she didn't want to annoy him. Though she wondered...did he ever get annoyed? With him, it was hard to tell. He could be so strange sometimes, but she liked him that way. After all, she only needed to get her thoughts out, and he was the one here. A friend who would most likely listen.

Lucky him, Rina thought with an inward chuckle.

The question that she had asked him made him look at her sharply, as if she had spoken of something that was forbidden. She felt his withdraw something in his abilities. What, she did not know. She wondered what it was...when at last he spoke, he spoke carefully, choosing his words wisely. Rina listened silently; intently. "It's not something that I can control you know..." she said after a moment, keeping her eyes on the sparkling water. She swung her legs a little, deep in thought. "Yet. Maybe I'll be able to one day. But it only happens when I'm cornered, like a snake coiled inside, ready to strike."

And that snake would strike if she willed it to, and if she had built up enough of the power so that she could strike.

When Orion said Barker's name, she flinched.

"Of course." she thought. He was right. Barker, or anyone else for that matter would kill to have her ability, despite the fact that she could not call it up on command. They would want her to. Yes, they would, but Rina knew that she wouldn't be able to give it to anyone like that. Her new power was just that; so powerful, having it on command would be dangerous. Many would want to use her for it. Orion turned his back to her, and Rina glanced up, brows furrowed. Why had he turned away? When he looked at her from over his shoulder and grinned, she couldn't help but smile back at his words.

"Enough of this gloomy topic. I need to go make some money for the day, and actually, that's what I was here to do. There's this troublesome gang over at an abandoned warehouse, and I feel that they need to understand that such methods are not appreciated. Care to come along? I promise it won't be boring."

"Oh, so you promise, do you?" she asked with a small smirk.

She paused and pretended to consider his offer, though in reality, she had already made up her mind. Of course she would go with him. An abandoned warehouse? Sounded creepy, but she liked things like that. And anyway, what else was there to do in this damned place? Boring? Please. Orion himself was never boring. She inwardly giggled when she remembered the fire thing. That had been really fun. "Orion, you and the word boring are not to be used in the same sentence, got it?" she questioned, eyes glittering in mischief. "It should not even be in your vocabulary!" she grinned.

Just for the hell of it - and because she wanted to tease him -, Rina said, "Alright, but I get eighty percent of the profits!" she laughed and stood up, her bare feet easily slipping into her shoes that she had placed behind her. Jumping from rock to rock, she laughed from over her shoulder, "You know I'll do most of the work anyway!"

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 668 BOHYA!!! lol XD
Muse: Wonderful!
Other: I challenge thee to a word contest!!

[Orion]

OOC: Word contest. Yeah no. I would lose. Moving on...

IC: "Alright, but I get eighty percent of the profits! You know I'll do most of the work anyway!"

Orion chuckled as he spun his halberd, before planting the tip into the ground as he swung his body forward with it, launching into the air above Rina.

"Yeah right! You get forty percent, if you can do more then just sit around and drink!"

Orion landed and nimbly jumped, using his halberd to propel himself forward even faster more often than not, as he reached the docks. Waiting for her, he then pointed at a nearby warehouse.

"Over there. Let's go."

And with that, he charged towards it.

-Time-skip!-

Now at the warehouse, Orion had his weapon. shouldered. In front of him was a brute of a man, at least twice Orion's size, grinning down evilly at him. Behind him, hopefully, was Rina. The man spoke down to him.

"Puny man. It was stupid of you to come here!"

Orion shook his head.

"Why do I always get the stupid ones... right then. Hey, big guy, you want to see a magic trick to open doors?"

Behind the brute was a door, about the size of the man. The brute paused at these words, considering. Orion tossed his weapon to Rina while the brute was doing so.

"Magic?"

Orion grinned, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah. It's called Elene magic. I read about it in a book once. It goes like THIS!"

With that, Orion slammed his fist into the man's gut, the brute letting out a grunt of pain as his breath whooshed out from him. Orion then grabbed him by the throat and lifted him.

"Hey assholes.... KNOCK KNOCK!"

Orion then proceeded to throw the man through the wooden door, shattering it as the man went flying in and knocked over a few others. Orion stepped through the now open door, cracking his knuckles.

"Alright you bastards. Who's next for an ass-whooping? Please feel free to line up or come all at once, I got all the time in the world for this."

[Rina Vade]

OOC - *Cackles*

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

With a laugh, Rina yelled, "No fair! You used your weapon!" as Orion sailed over her. She reached the docks and raced off after him.

---

"Why do I always get the stupid ones?"

"Because you can relate?" Rina said in question, grinning. They were standing at the door to the warehouse, a big, hulking sort of man standing before them.

When Orion tossed his weapon to her, she caught it and flipped it over to rest across her shoulders, one arm over each end, careful of the bladed sides. She almost hit the floor laughing at what happened next. Orion knocked the man back and into the door of the warehouse, busting it open. "Magic my ass!" Rina laughed, leaping over Orion and swinging his halberd sideways with a whoosh that made half of the men back away. "Yo! If you don't want to die, scram!!"

Only hardened gazes was her reply. She smirked. Oh well. Too bad for them.

Rina tossed Orion his weapon back and pulled her own weapons out; two daggers with curved, wicked-looking ends. "Alright. I guess they wanna die!" she giggled, sending out her QI to immobilize those that she could. She darted forward, weaving through the mass of bodies and striking the ones she'd targeted down.

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 284 Bein' Lazy
Muse: Great
Other: Mwhahahaha!

[Orion]

OOC: Muse escapes me, so Imma BS a little bit.

IC: FOR DA CHAOS!

Orion caught his weapon easily, merely watching as Rina rushed forward, unleashing her ability. She had little tact, and immediately went about killing those she targeted. There were still a number moving though, and they would easily overwhelm her if Orion didn't step in. He considered. Looked to his right. Grinned evilly as he calmly stuck his halberd into the rotting floorboards.

---------

"SUP FLEAS!!!"

Cue flying vending machine over Rina's head and into the crowd of gangsters, knocking them back like a bowling ball and bowling pins. Orion chuckled as there were screams of pain from his action, before actually using his strength for once and grabbing a charging man by the face and throwing him at two more, knocking them all back. He grabbed up his halberd and twirled it before settling into an easy stance, halberd across his neck as he gazed at the fight.

"Let's make it interesting..."

Knowing that this would probably really mess with Rina's head, Orion released his control. But he did more than that.

Mirror the rampaging emotions.

Orion called up memories, any memory that evoked any form of emotion, and unleashed every emotion he could summon up. Pain, sadness, anger, happiness, curiosity, affection, lust, bliss, blood-lust. He unleashed all of these, and maintained them, drowning the warehouse in a massive tide of relentless mixed emotions.

Rina was gonna be pissed. If she managed to get a hold of herself, of course.

[Rina Vade]

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

When the vending machine went flying, Rina grinned. What a show off Orion was. She darted back to stand next to him as they surveyed the angry gangsters. One lunged for her, but she leaped up and grabbed onto a rafter, swinging up so that she could crouch atop it.

But then, Orion did something..."Oh, no he just didn't!" she thought, eyes wide as a torrent of emotions flooded the room.

Surprised, her grip slipped from the rafters and she plummeted to the stone floor. "Orion!" she half-yelled, half-shrieked, twisting in midair so as to try and land on her feet.

Oh, he was SO dead.

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 168
Muse: Sooooo Looooooow ><
Other: Lol, s'fine with meh!

[Orion]

Staring down eternity

The thugs were stumbling around, struggling against the emotions that were currently being unleashed. Orion was completely fine: they were his memories, his emotions, after all. Calmly walking forward, casually twirling his halberd, he grabbed one man by the throat and effortlessly lifted him. Then threw him at two more guys, sending them all flying and to the ground, coughing pain. The other thugs quickly figured that taking him down was best. Orion chuckled as they all began running/lurching towards him, shifting his halberd as he saw a few of them pull knives.

"Are you so willing to die that you come to me? SO BE IT!"

But before rampaging, he turned and caught Rina, setting her down on her feet. He wagged his finger at her.

"This is the part where you hide behind me. I don't feel like holding back right now."

And then he turned back, prepared to fight the thugs.

The first one, one without a knife, was kicked in the solar plexus, then the head, Orion balancing on his halberd which was stuck into the ground. A final sent to the chest, and then Orion slammed his right foot into the gangster's head, sending him back and blowing a few away as he collided with them. He landed on his feet and brought his halberd around to catch a baseball bat in the middle of it. He swung his weapon effortlessly to the left, then brought it back to slam the back of the weapon across the man's face, stumbling him a little bit to the left. Orion then brought the weapon back into the floor and proceeded to dropkick the man in the face, sending HIM flying back as well. Orion landed on his feet and effortlessly brought his halberd out and forward into the throat of one who had a knife. Pulling it away, he stepped back and surveyed the field calmly as the thugs began to slowly realize that this was maybe a bad idea.

The emotions were still swirling around, inflamed, messing with all in the warehouse.

[Rina Vade]

Quiet shadows slowly slinking…

Rina was able to get ahold of herself. Slightly. Orion and those damn emotions he could put out. When he said that she should hide behind him, she placed her hands on her hips and huffed, her stubborn streak coming out. "I can take care of myself, you know." she said, flipping one of her daggers in her hand.

But she didn't move otherwise.

Instead, Rina sent her QI out to help Orion by immobilizing any thugs that thought they could blind-side him. Which, they of course probably couldn't, but hey, she hated feeling useless.

"Tell me again why you get to have all the fun?" she asked lightly, sending him a grin before snap-kicking a thug that had circled around behind them.

A hypnotic darkness in the mind

Notes;
Words: 184
Muse: Whaaa! It's low!
Other: Sad...so sad...*shakes head*

[Orion]

"Tell me again why you get to have all the fun?"
"Because I have this? No more caring about human life. Stay out of my sight, Rina."

Orion closed his eyes briefly. When they opened, the golden hue was now splotchy, more blood-red in his eyes, less shiny. His glow became more ominous. He counted. 12 enemies. Two armed with knives, another with a lead pipe. A fourth holding a bat. The rest....

Well, they could just die.

Orion smoothly brought his weapon around and down, separating the first man's right arm from his shoulder. The man screamed as he collapsed to his knees, but that was easily tuned out. Orion kick the man aside before sweeping his weapon slow, the tip of the spear catching the next opponent across both kneecaps. Didn't puncture, wasn't a deep cut, but painful, and as the man grunted in pain, Orion brought his weapon through the sweep, back, and stabbed into his solar plexus, hoisting the man over him and spinning, releasing the man and sending him flying over Rina. Orion continued his spin and brought the axe to cut through another man's head, sending it away and causing blood to spray everywhere. Now there were screams of panic as a few men, 3 tried to run away, past him. Orion didn't mind: Rina would either kill them or let them flee, her choice. He advanced, catching a fourth screamer in the throat with his weapon, silencing him and killing him. Bringing his weapon back, he shook it to remove the excess blood.

The next man came running, bat over his head. Orion stepped up and smoothly stabbed the bottom of the spear through his foot, halting his momentum. Or rather, halting that leg, as his body came forward still. Orion released his weapon and unleashed a punch to the nose, blood spewing across his fist as it broke, the man crying out and dropping his bat as he covered his face. Orion grabbed his weapon once more, dislodging it and then swinging the bottom up to catch the man between the legs. As he doubled over in pain, Orion flipped his weapon, slamming it forcefully into the man's spine. His axe cut through it, and he pulled it out, letting the body fall as he spun and unleashed his next sweep at the next opponent.

But it was stopped, this opponent being the one with the pipe. Orion's face remained expressionless as he pivoted on his left foot and struck out with his right, catching him in the stomach. The man let out a pained gasp, the air leaving his body. The lack of oxygen weakened him, so Orion parried his opponent's pipe aside before stabbing him in the skull. He didn't have time to remove it, though, as his next opponent came, knife swinging wildly. Orion released his axe and dodged a clumsy blow before the thug's wrist, unleashing a quick chop to the throat. Choking, the man's grip loosened, and Orion easily disarmed him before using the knife to slash his opponent's throat open. Kicking the man back to let him bleed out away from him, he spun and side-stepped a stab from his next opponent, before stabbing him in the eye. The man began to shriek, falling to his knees, as Orion calmly walked past and grabbed his weapon, pulling it free, and turning to observe the blubbering man. The remaining two men had escaped, leaving only this man, as there was plenty of time through the combat for Rina to either kill them or for them to flee.

He considered the hysterical man, agonized shrieking falling on deaf ears, before raising his weapon.

OOC: Fallout is bad inspiration. Except for lots of senseless killing. In which case it's good inspiration.

In other news, getting ganged up on by two Super Mutant Brutes with miniguns at level FOUR is absolute bullshit.