dappledleaves | CICONIA: WHEN THEY CRY

[ Sinclair flinches a little at the glare and he clasps his hands together to keep from fidgeting.]

... I'm sorry for intruding. But I wanted to hear this for myself too.

[ He looks at Oria askance... what did they end up talking about?]

[ Shion sighs, already tired of being here. Seems like he has a bad attitude or is just cranky. It doesn't explain the glare at Sinclair though, which he's still doing, by the way. ]

So, spill. Who were you fighting over?

[ "... What?" ]

Who. Were. You. Fighting. Over. With. Aria.

[ For that, Oria gets a crumpled up napkin to the face, which he sidesteps. Sorry if you get hit by it. ]

[Why is he being glared at?? Sinclair is so confused that he catches the napkin automatically, only to drop it with a squeak. Ew? Hopefully that wasn't used?]

[ Sorry it was definitely used. He wiped cheeto dust off his fingers with it. Ganba, Sinclair.

"You're really nosy. If I tell you, then what are you giving me?"

Oria frowns and shrugs outwardly with an arm. ]

What do you even want?

[ "Rack your brain and think of something that's worth what you want. Use it for a change."

Binch. Oria is tempted to punch him. ]

[Ew. At least he's wearing gloves. He glances over at Oria and frowns a tiny bit, giving a small tug at his sleeve to remind him not to punch anyone. Then he looks at Shion, feeling a small sliver of dislike worm into his heart]

...if you have a deal you want made for your information, shouldn't you be setting clearer terms?

[ Shion eyes the little sleeve tug and holds the urge to scoff.

"Of course the other Severine would have claimed him theirs."

Oria is held back thanks to Sinclair, but then he just stares at Shion, almost dumbfounded. ]

What?

[ "You heard me."

Oria grabs both of Sinclair's shoulders and pulls him to the front between himself and Shion. ]

You two were fighting over him?

Me?!

[Sinclair yelps, looking confused He gets pushed to the front without much protest]

But why? I don't even know you. There's no reason for the two of you to talk about me, right?

[ Shion doesn't seem embarrassed. If anything, he seems more irritated about Sinclair's presence.

"Don't word it so weirdly." ]

What the hell am I gonna do when that was what Sungjin told me? He legit believed that's how it went.

[ Shion clicks his tongue, again in annoyance. He resumes his glare at Sinclair.

"This has to be said, but I don't like you." ]

You made it really obvious. [ He says that in a slightly deadpan voice. His endless patience is dwindling bit by bit] It would be nice if I knew why though.

[ "So it's true. You really forgot everything."

With that, the two hands on Sinclair's shoulders attempt to pull him back so that Oria is between them. ]

[Ah. Sinclair freezes as he's pulled back]

...you, you knew me before?

[ Shion only crosses his arms, looking displeased with how Sinclair really doesn't seem to remember. This is really the "crime someone committed but the criminal doesn't remember doing said crime". There's always a gray area for things like those, but Shion seems mad at the very least.

But he doesn't say anything to confirm Sinclair's question. In fact, there's more of a bloodlust vibe that seems to gather and Oria dutifully gets in the way. ]

Calm down.

[I can speak to him. No. No, he needs to do this himself.

He can't hide from these things forever. He is already atoning in the only way he can, but he thinks it isn't much. This would always hang over him, choking him.

He lets Oria stand in front of him, but he grips his own wrist, trembling. That non-answer meant Shion probably didn't know him, but maybe knew of what he had done. He doesn't say anything just yet, trying to focus.]

You wont tell us the truth?

Edited 2024-11-18 01:56 (UTC)

[ Shion hates that look in Sinclair's eyes and Oria can tell, so he holds onto Sinclair's hand and feels how much he's trembling.

...

"Fine. You want to know the truth? My foster family and I were in the park when it happened. We were there to celebrate my little sister's birthday. But then you..."

Shion isn't a registered Gauntlet Knight, but Oria is getting the feeling that he's dangerous even without it. The only thing going for Oria and Sinclair right now is that it's broad daylight and they are out in a public park.

"You maimed my foster family in your outrage when they didn't do anything to you. They lived through your carnage, but they wished they were dead. You cut them up in a way they suffered despite having to still live on."

...

"And then you just, forgot?"

He's livid now, under the calm facade where his fury lies. But still, he doesn't make a move. ]

I...did that?

[A sick feeling rises in his throat. Flickers of memories flash through his mind. Pain, overwhelming his every senses. Rage consuming him as he tore himself free from restraints, the implants going haywire. Kromer. Kromer. Trying to escape and then.

Blood begins to drip down his nose as he staggers on]

I...the ABN...those scientists...

[ "I also lost my friends because of that incident. You really left me with nothing."

Sometimes the psychological toll is too great for them to handle even if they survived the initial onslaught. The pain they had to endure, whether it was physical or emotional, was immense.

In Sinclair's moment of vulnerability, the rook appears once again inside of him but with a vengeance. It's a lot more sturdy this time and generally all around resistant. It tries to inject Sinclair with the same sickness that befell Oria and several other Gauntlet Knights.

Die.

Meanwhile, Oria catches Sinclair's nose bleeding and fully turns around to get small tissues to stop it from flowing. ]

Emil! Wait! Get a hold of yourself!

I'm sorry. I'm sorry--if I did that, then...

[He doesn't want to believe it. He can believe it. After all, most of his memories are a tangled mess. Who can deny Shion's truth? He clutches his head as the pain becomes searing, and the rook begins to wreck havoc]

Ah...the rook...was that you...?

[ Sinclair gasps, trembling as blood drips down his nose. It hurts; it's agonising. It's like his brain is being torn apart]

Why...did you go after so many people... they weren't involved.

[ I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Take your revenge on me but leave the others out of it. It's meaningless of course - he can't bring back the dead and he can't repair the harm he's done, unwittingly or not. Inside, Demian activates a shield, honing in on the rook.

"Sinclair, I'll free you from this grip."

Sinclair can't do much but crumble against Oria as the information warring against shattered memories begins to overwhelm his brain]

Edited 2024-11-18 11:18 (UTC)

[ Oria is alarmed when Sinclair falls against him. Seeing him in so much pain hurts his heart and he wishes he could do something about it. He wraps his arms around Sinclair even though he'd rather be punching the shit out of Shion. Hold back, even though he's hurting the one person he loves more than anyone in the world. Hold back. Hold... back...

... ]

"How do you know that they weren't involved? All those dirty factory borns... They deserve it, but you... my Sinclair,"

[ "Oria" caresses Sinclair's face. ]

"are an exception, just like that day."

[ Shion doesn't look surprised when "Oria" is suddenly like this. In fact, it looks like he expected this to happen.

"Why go after them when they weren't involved?"

Shion is absolutely furious with what he's hearing.

"I could say the same for you."

The rook is much more fortified than last time and attempts to disintegrate the shield. It's a virus, after all. It's meant to tear things down as it infects a program and continue the cycle. ]

[ Not again. Panic tightens arond Sinclair's throat. Oria's hands, Oria's voice but those words weren't Oria at all. ]

Oria...stop it. This isn't you.

[ He trembles a little his body shaking with exhaustion but he still has enough strength to gather himself. It wasn't even 'Kromer'. It was a projection destined to hurt him, to hurt Oria because he knows Oria would never say these things willingly and would hate knowing how much it caused Sinclair pain.

He can see Shion's lack of surprise. He knew. How many people knew? They knew what aas done to Oria, to him and]

[ He wants Oria to hear him. So he sends a barrage of messages through the selcom even as Demian and Charon were fighting for his life.

Stop letting that projection take over. Oria. Wake up wake up wake up

But for Shion...]

...I don't have my memories. I can't atone or give you satisfaction of revenge or knowledge behind why.

...but if you knew about this, then you know what I am. What the ABN and AOU both did.

[ He can't fight them both; not this projection, not Shion. So he does the only thing he can. He slams his forehead into Oria's]

So, let go of him!

[ He has to break free]

[ Shion merely rolls his eyes and focuses on the virus attack. Of course Sinclair wouldn't ask for himself. Shion understood that much. All that's in his mind is vengeance. Sinclair being dead is everyone else's problem. He doesn't care about anyone else. Aria fought to protect Sinclair, but Shion aimed to destroy him. No wonder Aria split from him. (Then there's Sungjin who's none the wiser about all this stuff)

Anyway, Shion isn't sure if Sinclair is yelling at him about letting go of Oria, because he can't do anything about that. Sure, he's a hacker, but it's not like he was the one who implanted the projection.

Meanwhile, the forehead slam against Oria's really hurts. It smarts. Instead of letting go of Oria's body, the projection merely laughs at the amount of messages that are sent this way, but it trails off as the body slumps against Sinclair.

"If you can't do any of that,"

Shion has a knife in hand.

"you're useless. Why are you even alive? Then die."

And he brings it down. Oria is between them and is effectively being a meatshield for Sinclair because of his position, but Shion is aiming for Sinclair's head. ]

[ Sinclair catches Oria's body, and panic rises in his throat. No. No.

But he is a gauntlet knight for a reason. He's used to much faster reaction times, much more deadly threats than a knife to his head. He twists, one arm cradling Oria and his other arm comes up to protect himself. The knife cuts a deep wound across his arm but he takes the wound unflinching as he slams his elbow into Shion's solar plexus. His 8ms implants means he's far stronger than the average human, far stronger than his size would suggest]

Don't hurt him-!

[As soon as he can, he pulls back, setting Oria down, even as his left arm screams in agony. It hurts. He can't remember the last time he was injured like this. Blood runs down his arm and he thinks.

Screams. Shouting. Why, why were those people there? What had he done. He really should die.

But then there's Aria's smile, Oria's protection.

He can't. No. What was the point of all they did for him then?]

...maybe I'm useless now. It's inevitable I'll die soon enough anyway. But I can't do that here. There are still things I need to do. Things I need to remember.

[ Shion doubles over. He should have expected such a strength from Sinclair, but he didn't and now he's paying for it. He coughs and gradually gets back to his feet, gripping the handle of the knife as if that's his lifeline. The virus attack intensifies from within Sinclair. The rook isn't giving up at all. A formidable hacker who was Aria's age, and didn't become a Gauntlet Knight? Meanwhile, Oria is definitely passed out from that forehead slam. Want to check for a fracture later?

"You think I'll let you die satisfied? After all you did?"

But he really can't continue despite how much he wants to. Sinclair is right there. He could kill him right now if the virus finishes infiltrating him for good. Who cares if he dies in the process--

It happens in a blink.

Shion disappears in less than a second--a horizontal motion blur replaces him. Sinclair, of all people, should be familiar with what kind of speed is used here: a Gauntlet Knight's speed that a commentator usually can't even keep up with. However, Sinclair can see a glimpse. That person... looked like they could have long, black hair. It's a blur of colors... or a lack of it.

The commotion dies down, Oria is still knocked out, and the virus hasn't given up yet.

What will Sinclair do now? ]

[The hell? Sinclair wishes he could react. But he doesn't have a gauntlet to give chase for more answers. So he sinks to his knees and ignoring the pain in his arm once he's bandaged it roughly and draws Oria close to him to check his forehead. He didn't think he hit him that hard, and yet]

Oria...Oria.

[He bites his lip down on an angry sob and in the chaos of his mind, retreats briefly. This time, there was another failsafe. Doctor Faust had expected the virus would come back for Sinclair. It was a matter of luring it into the right part of his selcom and snap. This time, the trace could be found.

Sinclair just hugs Oria close as Demian closes in on the virus in his mind and reaches out dimly through the selcom again for help. And in a matter of second, a white van rolls up, and people in in high tech gear come out.

"We're tracing that hacker now! Securing Oria Severine and Emil Sinclair. We'll take them back to base."]

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1/2

2/3 i lied

3/3

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