We Meet Again [David/Open]

[David B.]

"Yes. Used to be I had five. But now these two are enough. Upgrades and all."

He shook his head.

"And no, no apologies. I don't expect one either."

[Kyrie Blaze]

Five down to two...so each bracelet was approximately two and a half times more powerful than one alone. At least...she considered it, and felt fortunate that was the case. It gave her options, options her mind was quick to store. Perhaps death wouldn't be the ultimate answer, but...if it came down to the end of it all and that was all that could be done, she was just as prepared to face that reality if it came to be as she had when she went all out trying to get to him just over five years ago.

"Well, I would not be surprised if she does apologise at some point. It is just who she is."

[David B.]

He eyed her, cocking a brow.

"You know...last time we fought, you were pretty adamant about me taking these off. The way you're staring now makes me think you still plan to go for that goal."

He just shrugged at the idea of Arianna apologizing.

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie's head tilted just a little further, then she straightened.

"Well, if we are being honest, last time I was more adamant on killing you than removing them, all things considered."

He wasn't wrong, though.

[David B.]

He stared, then grinned broadly.

"I like you."

He'd let out a little chuckle.

"Tell me then, Mrs. Blaze." He'd gesture to a bench. "What exactly did I do that made you want to kill me?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie moved to sit at the gestured bench, for everything in the world looking like she was at ease. She was, anyway, so it wasn't hard to be such.

"Well, your strength is not an unknown factor. The David I once knew wouldn't tolerate becoming a lapdog, nor would he use his power to hurt people. I can assume you are not the same person, for simplicity's sake...but all the same, I would rather see you dead than as a puppet whose power would be used at the whim of someone pulling the strings. And being you had five at that point, I chose the path my husband would have wanted if there were no other options."

[David B.]

He furrowed his brow. How rude.

"I'm no ones puppet."

[Kyrie Blaze]

"Are you not, though?" A pale brow raised, pointedly.

She might piss him off.

[David B.]

He'd lean back, resting an arm on the bench.

"If your definition of being someones puppet is to follow the rules and laws of those above you, then perhaps. You'd be one too then, wouldn't you? After all, you serve Cabal now. And I'm above you. So is Asiv."

He glanced at the bracelets.

"What I want to know is why you think these make me a puppet?"

Before Kiyr could answer, a man came around the corner in a suit. He was sweating, so clearly he'd been running.

"Mr. Blaze. Um, we need you to come with us, please."

David would look over and cock a brow.

[Kyrie Blaze]

The huffing and puffing man drew Kyrie’s attention easily. The timing and the man’s huffing was a clear indication that he’d been sent in a rush. The edges of Kyrie’s eyes crinkled in amusement, though they were too narrow for amusement to be flying solo.

“Well well, looks like reason one hundred and two showed up in the nick of time.” Blue eyes were pinned on him as her hand casually flipped back and forth, shadows weaving and dissipating with each looped motion; perhaps a knife, perhaps a multitude of shapes that meant nothing. “How convenient that you are needed right now, given our conversation, no?”

Her eyes roamed back to David, and her feet tucked beneath the bench in the shadows didn’t move...but her shadows extended outward to David’s, staying beneath the bench.

“The David I knew would not stand to have his freedom of self stripped from him. Would not submit to being controlled.”

[David B.]

His eyes came back to hers, and he fell into an easy smile.

"It is inconvenient, yes. But not unheard of. In fact, I'm surprised it took so long."

He would stand, walking toward the man before stopping and turning back, hands in his pockets.

"You think, then, that these Bracelets control me. And that's why you wish them broken?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie’s lips twitched upward, amused. Inwardly, though, she had yet to come to any conclusions...well, other than the notion she would still take him to bed. But that wasn’t related to anything she was currently doing, thus it was easily discarded for the moment.

She had remained sitting where she was, and the shadows stretched after him. His turning back was a surprise, but nothing that was cause for alarm. Her brows came up slightly and then relaxed.

“Control? I could not say for sure, but I would be willing to wager that they make you easier to be controlled.”

Her shoulders moved, nonchalantly.

If he turned to leave with the Huff’n’Puff, she would stand casually and take a step away from the bench...and step into shadow, which would snap her beneath David as they rounded the corner.

Assuming everything went to plan.

[David B.]

"Hm. And where did you-"

The man behind him spoke up again.

"Mr. Blaze, Sir, you must-"

His jaw was forcefully shut. David had whipped up a hand and clenched it into a fist, keeping the man in place while shutting his jaw. David turned to look at him.

"I can feel everything happening in this place, as it's happening. While your board may want to meet, it is not critical to me. Not life and death. So if you interrupt me again, I'm going to have to spend the next several days in prison for breaking your legs. I'd rather not have that. Do you understand?"

The man's eyes were wide and face was pale, but David released him, causing him to collapse to his hands and knees. He turned back to Kyrie.

"Where did you learn this?"

[Kyrie Blaze]

Kyrie watched the proceedings with an expression of passive interest, but internally she was pleased. So, after all this time there was still a spark. She didn’t condone immobilization by David - goodness knows the one time he’d done it to her it opened old scars - but the knowledge that part of David was still there...it was exciting, and more than anything she’d hoped for.

The corner of her lip moved slightly, just a small jut upwards, and she remained focused on David rather than the silenced hired help.

“I know because I watched what they did to Damien. We were lucky that his squadron was there, and they managed to immobilize them as they warped his mind, his memories... So I suggested cutting his arms off.” A beat and a blink. “We did. And then we took care of the rest of the issue. No bracelets, no suppression, no being controlled.”

Her hand was resting on the hilt of her sword again. But only casually, as she had earlier.

[David B.]

His eyes returned to her sword.

"So you're saying my brother was collared, and you cut off his arms to free him. So you'd like to do the same to me?"

He gave an lazy smile and returned his hands to his pockets.

"It's a nice story. One conveniently lacking in proof and ends with me not having hands."