Post by Vapovile on Dec 29, 2022 7:16:03 GMT
“Come oooooon, you have to come with me! Seto’s busy with something tomorrow!” Haruko whined to her silver-haired twin, who rolled her eyes.
“Haruko, you don’t want to go shopping with me, you want me to hold your bags. If you ACTUALLY wanted to shop with me, I’d be down. But I know you’re a sneaky bitch.” She retorted, Haruko puffing her cheek out in a pout.
“You won’t be just holding the bags! I want to hang out with you, Yaya! You’re my cool twiiiiin!” Haruko looped her arm through Yaya’s, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Yamiko squinted at her twin, thinking.
When she opened her mouth though…Haruko suddenly lurched forward, toppling onto the ground and nearly pulling Yamiko down with her. One look at Haruko showed a large red mark on the back of her head, now seeping blood onto the sidewalk below. Looking directly behind them, Yamiko narrowly avoided the second swing of the large metal bat in the figure’s hand, backing up to a nearby wall.
“Tch…missed. Back the hell off, girl, your friend’s expensive-looking purse is what I’m after.” The scruffy-looking man called out, Yamiko now getting a good look at their attacker. He wore a long brown coat, long green cargo shorts, and a scruffy black beard. He held a long metal bat, itself dented in several places.
He stepped toward Haruko, but Yamiko swiftly stepped forward and punched him in the stomach with surprising force. The man doubled back, clutching his gut. “You bitch…” He choked, Yamiko’s eyes now narrow with rage.
“You just attacking my fucking sister, you piece of shit! I’m going to hang you up on that pipe by your tongue!” She threatened. The man chuckled, looking down at the unconscious Haruko.
“You know, she is a beauty…might take her for myself now that you’ve pissed me off. This is all your fault from here on, girlie.” The man’s eyes appeared to stare past Yamiko.
The white-haired girl got a mild chill down her spine. Was this fear she was experiencing? She couldn’t dwell on this long, as the man swung the bat at her head, Yamiko ducked down to avoid it. But then his knee came up and cracked her in the chin, sending Yamiko sprawling.
“Nnngh…” Yamiko rubbed her chin, then rolled to the side when his bat came crashing down into the area she was just laying. Adrenaline was now pumping through Yamiko’s body as the life-or-death nature of this battle began to take hold.
“Nice bat, compensating for something?!” Yamiko yelled, grabbing the bat with both hands and trying to wrench it from his hands. He just chuckled in response. Yamiko then found herself thrown against the nearby brick wall, clutching the bat to her chest. The man continued to chuckle.
“On the contrary, girlie…my weapon of choice is this one.” He reached into his coat, and pulled out a long charred-black bowie knife. He twirled it around a few times, before striking the wall next to him. Much to Yamiko’s surprise, a thin strip of flames lingered on the area that was cut upon the brickwork.
“I’m a little special, you see? If I strike something with a sharp object, it bursts into beautiful flames. That includes human flesh, ehehehe.” He twirled the knife a few more times, slashing it at the air in front of himself and making a line of flames linger in thin air.
Yamiko stared in horror. “You’re Hidden World…” She muttered. Yamiko herself didn’t have any powers, as her dad forbade her from getting a Focus like the other family members. Too dangerous for her to have one, he would always say. But this fear of her own ability has now left her defenseless.
“Come on, not so confident anymore? What a shame…” He taunted, strolling toward Yamiko casually. Yamiko clutched the bat in her hands and stared up at the man. “I’m confident enough that this bat is going to be shoved so far up your ass, you’ll taste metal!” Yamiko yelled back at him, sprinting forward and swinging the bat.
It was at that moment she felt the entire top half of the bat get sliced diagonally away from the rest, the line bursting into flames. The man’s face could barely be seen through the flames, winding up for another swing. Yamiko dashed forward to try and grab his hand, but the man leaned forward to smash his head into her own. In her haze stumbling backwards, all she could see was his blade coming for her chest.
“...heh…dumbass…” Yamiko muttered, firmly planting her left leg onto the ground and bringing up her right, kicking straight up onto the man’s hand and sending him reeling. “Fuck you, b-” He didn’t finish when Yamiko was upon him once more, grabbing at the knife and trying to wrench it away.
The two proceeded to struggle down the alleyway, knocking over trash cans and throwing each other into the brickwork to try and loosen the other’s grip. Unfortunately…Yamiko could feel she couldn’t match his strength.
“Give…me…this…” Yamiko’s eyes glared a brilliant crimson as she began to focus mana into her hands. “fucking…KNIFE!” With a guttural scream, Yamiko managed to wrench the knife from the man’s hand and stab forward…
…straight into his neck. Yamiko was blind to the world as she stared at the person before her…bleeding out of his wound made by his own knife. Bringing the knife up, Yamiko stabbed again, this time in his heart.
“...heh…” She brought the knife up a second time and stabbed it into his stomach, a wild look of pleasure now on her face. “Haha…hahahahah! I win, you BITCH! I WIN!” Yamiko began to repeatedly bring the knife up, and stab it into another part of the man’s upper body. She began to get covered in more and more blood as her rampage continued, her cackling only getting louder. Yamiko’s silver hair was now spotted with red blood as their attacker’s corpse continued to be violated.
Several feet away, Haruko slowly began to stir, looking up to see a strange figure over what appeared to be a body.
“Yami…ko…?” She muttered, the world spinning. Yamiko was utterly lost in her rampage to take any notice of Haruko getting to her feet.
“Yaya…what are you doing?!” Haruko screamed, Yamiko finally looking up with blood patches all over her face, a wide grin that Haruko had never seen before.
“Hehe…hehehe…I did it, Haruko. I saved you from the guy who was going to kidnap you! And oh my god, this feels amazing!” Yamiko plunged the knife into another portion of his collar bone. Haruko looked on with a look of horror on her face.
“Yaya…stop stabbing him! He’s dead!” Haruko yelled, Yamiko’s eyes narrowing. “Dead…” Yamiko repeated. She looked at the knife in her hands, then at her crimson hands. A wave of fear began to wash over Yamiko.
“Nono…nonononononono…he can’t be dead…I killed someone…nononononon…” Yamiko got up from the body and kicked it violently, sending it into a pile of nearby trash bags. “Sorry Ruko, I can’t! I just…my life is over…haha…they were right…I just…murder…haha…ahahaha…tell Alex to pick up his phone, because he fucking called iiiiit!” Yamiko’s sick joke stunned Haruko, taking a step to try and chase after the fleeing Yamiko, but stumbling into the nearby wall. The world to her was still spinning.
“Yamiko, no! Come back! You’re not a monsteeeeeeeeer!” Haruko yelled after Yamiko, letting out a sigh when she couldn’t see her sister anymore. A wave of regret washed over Haruko. “I’m the worst sister ever…” She sighed, looking at her phone. “Well…maybe I can make amends before this gets out of control…” Clicking at a number near the top, Haruko cleared her throat before speaking.
“Hey, Frosty? I need to talk to you about your girlfriend...my sister…it’s serious…”
—
Arriving back at the scene, Haruko had a fashionable hat over the bandages that now covered the back of her head. The dead body had been pulled into the alleyway, and several garbage bags blocked the view. Haruko pushed over one of the bags to show the man she was with the scene.
“So, yeah…this is what happened…” She muttered, not wanting to look at the body that was riddled with stab wounds. The body was of a disheveled man with a long brown coat, small black beard, and long cargo shorts filled with illicit goods. The whole body was now covered in red and black from the rampage Yamiko went on with the knife.
Arthur had a repulsed expression upon seeing the body. “Did you let your family know what happened?” He was worried about what they could’ve said, or what they would say. And what they would do to her when they found her.
Haruko shook her head. “I-I only told Seto. He’s good with smart…stuff like this.” Haruko clutched her head, having a hard time thinking clearly. “But I didn’t tell Alex, Aria or my dad, no. Alex already wanted to send Yaya to an asylum, so I don’t want to think what he’d do after hearing this…”
“Right… Well, at least I know Seto’s cool enough not to tell anyone… For now. Alright, so we just have to cover this up, find Yaya, and convince her that this was… Not justified, but…I don’t even know what to call it… Well, we’ll think about that when we’re there.” The color red drained from Arthur’s vision and was replaced instead by various smells and sounds. The smell of blood was stronger than before, but he also found the familiar scent of Yamiko’s shampoo.
“She went this way!” He pointed in the direction the smell was the strongest.
The two of them ran through the rainy streets of Seattle, following the scent Arthur was tracking. They eventually came upon a back street with a familiar figure leaning against the side of a building, poking a long knife at a dead rat. She didn’t even seem aware of the two who just arrived. A dry chuckle occasionally escaped the bloodstained girl’s mouth.
The fall happened faster than Arthur expected. With all the negative expectations that always hung over her and the trauma of the situation, she must have convinced herself they were right all along.
“Yaya!” He shouted and ran over to her, doing his best to ignore the blood on her clothes and the knife. “Yaya, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Yamiko’s eyes grew wide as she leaped away from Arthur, backing into a corner and pointing the knife at him.
“Back off! I am NOT going to be arrested over this! You must be working with my dad…how could you?!” Yamiko’s face was a mixture of emotion, thousands of thoughts rushing through her head as she stared at Haruko and Arthur.
Arthur slowed down, but he didn’t stop coming closer. He raised his palms to her and said, “Yaya, you know I wouldn’t tell that annoying fart anything and I certainly wouldn’t work for him. Haruko told me what happened. She was hurt and you were threatened. But Haruko’s fine now and I won’t hurt you. So I know you’re not going to use that knife on me, Yaya. Just give it to me, okay?” He put out a hand.
Arthur’s words felt like they were echoing through a tunnel to Yamiko’s ears. Could he be trusted?! Wait, he was her boyfriend, of course he could…but what if this was a betrayal?! The image of Haruko’s scared face flashed through her mind. If her own twin was now turned against her…why not Arthur?
“You think that smooth talk is going to work on me?! Hah! You’re just like all the rest!” Bringing the knife above her head, Yamiko slashed downward, sending a deep red wave of energy barreling down the alley, passing to Arthur’s right. That was new. Or at least she never told Arthur she could do that. He finally stopped, but he decided not to comment on the slash. She did not aim it at him, after all.
“Like who? Like your dad? Like the asshole brother of yours? Frankly, I’m offended. Yamiko, I have no reason to lie. I’m just worried. I’m worried that you’re scared and hurt and that you have too many nasty untrue thoughts going through your head.” He raised his hand again. “You know that your dad and Alex wouldn’t bat an eye at sending some big mean agents to take you in. There’s no reason to send me. Or to expose Haruko to your ‘wretched influence’ or some crap like that,” he said the last part in a mocking imitation of Cyrus’s voice.
Yamiko studied Arthur’s face, eyes twitching from the amount of tension inside of her body. “Arthur…I KILLED someone! And it felt…good…so fucking good…” Yamiko stared at the dry blood on her hands, opening and closing them before looking back at the two. “I am exactly what they said! A psychopath who can only feel something if someone gets hurt! Do you really want to date someone like that, you fucking idiot?!” Yamiko’s face began to get more shiny as a few tears began to fall.
“You killed an asshole who tried to kill you and your sister. It’s not good that it felt good. But it’s not the only time you feel something, is it? You feel something from all the stuff your dad says. You feel something now. You feel something when you hang out with Haruko and Seto and Elyssa and, I hope, you feel something for me. Maybe it’s not as strong as most people do. Maybe it’s just as strong but you don’t know that and your dad just convinced you that’s the case. But you can’t say you only felt good from what happened.”
A few chuckles escaped Yamiko’s mouth. “Oh Arthur…you have no idea how much of my life is performative. I learn how you’re supposed to react in these shitty situations, and do so! Yeah, I feel a little when stuff happens, but it’s like I am in a padded room all the time Arthur! And I am FREAKING out right now, because I got the biggest damn bolt of feeling I ever had, and I’m still riding that high! And now I am going to be in an actual padded room the rest of my life…haha…I’m sure my mind will eventually grow numb…hahaha…”
Yamiko slumped to her knees, splashing a puddle in all directions. She began staring at the knife, turning it around in her hands. Arthur knew she had some bad ideas going through her head. “Yaya…” He knelt down next to her and hugged her, putting one hand on the knife. “You’re not going anywhere. We won’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. I love you too much to let you disappear just like that.”
The knife clattered to the ground when Yamiko let it go, slumping into the hug and letting out a long sigh, some of the tension in her body finally being released. “...hah…yeah, I feel a little something…just a little…” She muttered. “Guess you’ll have to get a visitor’s pass to the local prison to see me aga-” “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” A male voice called from behind Arthur.
Before Yamiko could say a word, Alex began to speak. “Why would I arrest my own sister for justified self defense? We looked over the security footage, and have already made that determination.” He began. Yamiko stared on with her jaw agape, Alex nodding his head. “My apologies, Seto explained everything and I came as soon as I could. You’re not under arrest, you’re not in trouble…I’m just here to make sure everyone here gets home safe. Give your brother a little credit here.” He gave an unsure smile, not sure how to approach Yamiko at this time.
Arthur looked at Alex distrustfully, not letting go of Yamiko. “Seto explained everything? And YOU came here?” Arthur was starting to feel like Yamiko herself just a few moments ago. Why send Alex of all people if this wasn’t some kind of setup.
Alex looked at Arthur, nodding his head. “But of course. I am one of two siblings who has authority on this matter. Would you trust this coming from Seto, who only works for the Intelligence branch?” Truthfully, Alex was also sent in case Yamiko remained unstable, and needed to be subdued, and Alex’s powers with chains made nonlethal capture easier than if another agent were sent.
“I would trust Aria more than you, frankly… But okay. Yaya, what do you want to do?” Arthur asked, hoping she’d go along with him but ready to support her no matter what.
Yamiko stared at Alex, trying to read his body language. If he wanted, he could wrap chains around her right now and slap cuffs on her wrists. What was the plan here…?
“...tell me why I should trust you.” Yamiko demanded, Alex nodding his head.
“Simple: remember that squirrel you murdered when you were 12? And you thought Seto was the only one who saw? Well I did too. And did dad ever find out?” He asked, Yamiko gasping. “You knew about that too?!” She yelped, Alex nodding. “Yes. I know I’m a big jerk, but I also love my family, Yamiko. Even if we don’t get along, I don’t hate you.” He tried to reassure. Yamiko turned to Arthur, unsure of what to do.
Arthur just nodded. He knew Alex was a dick, but he did at least trust him enough when it came to this. If she’s not a threat, he won’t try to hurt his sister.
Letting out a sigh, Yamiko also nodded. “Fine, I’ll trust you. Fuck me, this day has been exhausting…” She returned Arthur’s hug. “Haha…fuck your no knives policy now, you ass.” Yamiko waved the knife above her head, Alex looking on with disappointment. “Yes well…it sounds like there needs to be some proper Focus training now. But that can be later.”
Yamiko looked at Arthur. “Hey uh…mind if I stay over tonight? I don’t even want to see my ass of a dad after all this bullshit…” She muttered.
“You can stay over any night, dummy.” He said and kissed her forehead.
With the storm now weathered, the four of them filed out of the alleyway, Yamiko now visibly more shaken after her brush with desperation. She didn’t want to leave her boyfriend’s side for the rest of the night.
“Haruko, you don’t want to go shopping with me, you want me to hold your bags. If you ACTUALLY wanted to shop with me, I’d be down. But I know you’re a sneaky bitch.” She retorted, Haruko puffing her cheek out in a pout.
“You won’t be just holding the bags! I want to hang out with you, Yaya! You’re my cool twiiiiin!” Haruko looped her arm through Yaya’s, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. Yamiko squinted at her twin, thinking.
When she opened her mouth though…Haruko suddenly lurched forward, toppling onto the ground and nearly pulling Yamiko down with her. One look at Haruko showed a large red mark on the back of her head, now seeping blood onto the sidewalk below. Looking directly behind them, Yamiko narrowly avoided the second swing of the large metal bat in the figure’s hand, backing up to a nearby wall.
“Tch…missed. Back the hell off, girl, your friend’s expensive-looking purse is what I’m after.” The scruffy-looking man called out, Yamiko now getting a good look at their attacker. He wore a long brown coat, long green cargo shorts, and a scruffy black beard. He held a long metal bat, itself dented in several places.
He stepped toward Haruko, but Yamiko swiftly stepped forward and punched him in the stomach with surprising force. The man doubled back, clutching his gut. “You bitch…” He choked, Yamiko’s eyes now narrow with rage.
“You just attacking my fucking sister, you piece of shit! I’m going to hang you up on that pipe by your tongue!” She threatened. The man chuckled, looking down at the unconscious Haruko.
“You know, she is a beauty…might take her for myself now that you’ve pissed me off. This is all your fault from here on, girlie.” The man’s eyes appeared to stare past Yamiko.
The white-haired girl got a mild chill down her spine. Was this fear she was experiencing? She couldn’t dwell on this long, as the man swung the bat at her head, Yamiko ducked down to avoid it. But then his knee came up and cracked her in the chin, sending Yamiko sprawling.
“Nnngh…” Yamiko rubbed her chin, then rolled to the side when his bat came crashing down into the area she was just laying. Adrenaline was now pumping through Yamiko’s body as the life-or-death nature of this battle began to take hold.
“Nice bat, compensating for something?!” Yamiko yelled, grabbing the bat with both hands and trying to wrench it from his hands. He just chuckled in response. Yamiko then found herself thrown against the nearby brick wall, clutching the bat to her chest. The man continued to chuckle.
“On the contrary, girlie…my weapon of choice is this one.” He reached into his coat, and pulled out a long charred-black bowie knife. He twirled it around a few times, before striking the wall next to him. Much to Yamiko’s surprise, a thin strip of flames lingered on the area that was cut upon the brickwork.
“I’m a little special, you see? If I strike something with a sharp object, it bursts into beautiful flames. That includes human flesh, ehehehe.” He twirled the knife a few more times, slashing it at the air in front of himself and making a line of flames linger in thin air.
Yamiko stared in horror. “You’re Hidden World…” She muttered. Yamiko herself didn’t have any powers, as her dad forbade her from getting a Focus like the other family members. Too dangerous for her to have one, he would always say. But this fear of her own ability has now left her defenseless.
“Come on, not so confident anymore? What a shame…” He taunted, strolling toward Yamiko casually. Yamiko clutched the bat in her hands and stared up at the man. “I’m confident enough that this bat is going to be shoved so far up your ass, you’ll taste metal!” Yamiko yelled back at him, sprinting forward and swinging the bat.
It was at that moment she felt the entire top half of the bat get sliced diagonally away from the rest, the line bursting into flames. The man’s face could barely be seen through the flames, winding up for another swing. Yamiko dashed forward to try and grab his hand, but the man leaned forward to smash his head into her own. In her haze stumbling backwards, all she could see was his blade coming for her chest.
“...heh…dumbass…” Yamiko muttered, firmly planting her left leg onto the ground and bringing up her right, kicking straight up onto the man’s hand and sending him reeling. “Fuck you, b-” He didn’t finish when Yamiko was upon him once more, grabbing at the knife and trying to wrench it away.
The two proceeded to struggle down the alleyway, knocking over trash cans and throwing each other into the brickwork to try and loosen the other’s grip. Unfortunately…Yamiko could feel she couldn’t match his strength.
“Give…me…this…” Yamiko’s eyes glared a brilliant crimson as she began to focus mana into her hands. “fucking…KNIFE!” With a guttural scream, Yamiko managed to wrench the knife from the man’s hand and stab forward…
…straight into his neck. Yamiko was blind to the world as she stared at the person before her…bleeding out of his wound made by his own knife. Bringing the knife up, Yamiko stabbed again, this time in his heart.
“...heh…” She brought the knife up a second time and stabbed it into his stomach, a wild look of pleasure now on her face. “Haha…hahahahah! I win, you BITCH! I WIN!” Yamiko began to repeatedly bring the knife up, and stab it into another part of the man’s upper body. She began to get covered in more and more blood as her rampage continued, her cackling only getting louder. Yamiko’s silver hair was now spotted with red blood as their attacker’s corpse continued to be violated.
Several feet away, Haruko slowly began to stir, looking up to see a strange figure over what appeared to be a body.
“Yami…ko…?” She muttered, the world spinning. Yamiko was utterly lost in her rampage to take any notice of Haruko getting to her feet.
“Yaya…what are you doing?!” Haruko screamed, Yamiko finally looking up with blood patches all over her face, a wide grin that Haruko had never seen before.
“Hehe…hehehe…I did it, Haruko. I saved you from the guy who was going to kidnap you! And oh my god, this feels amazing!” Yamiko plunged the knife into another portion of his collar bone. Haruko looked on with a look of horror on her face.
“Yaya…stop stabbing him! He’s dead!” Haruko yelled, Yamiko’s eyes narrowing. “Dead…” Yamiko repeated. She looked at the knife in her hands, then at her crimson hands. A wave of fear began to wash over Yamiko.
“Nono…nonononononono…he can’t be dead…I killed someone…nononononon…” Yamiko got up from the body and kicked it violently, sending it into a pile of nearby trash bags. “Sorry Ruko, I can’t! I just…my life is over…haha…they were right…I just…murder…haha…ahahaha…tell Alex to pick up his phone, because he fucking called iiiiit!” Yamiko’s sick joke stunned Haruko, taking a step to try and chase after the fleeing Yamiko, but stumbling into the nearby wall. The world to her was still spinning.
“Yamiko, no! Come back! You’re not a monsteeeeeeeeer!” Haruko yelled after Yamiko, letting out a sigh when she couldn’t see her sister anymore. A wave of regret washed over Haruko. “I’m the worst sister ever…” She sighed, looking at her phone. “Well…maybe I can make amends before this gets out of control…” Clicking at a number near the top, Haruko cleared her throat before speaking.
“Hey, Frosty? I need to talk to you about your girlfriend...my sister…it’s serious…”
—
Arriving back at the scene, Haruko had a fashionable hat over the bandages that now covered the back of her head. The dead body had been pulled into the alleyway, and several garbage bags blocked the view. Haruko pushed over one of the bags to show the man she was with the scene.
“So, yeah…this is what happened…” She muttered, not wanting to look at the body that was riddled with stab wounds. The body was of a disheveled man with a long brown coat, small black beard, and long cargo shorts filled with illicit goods. The whole body was now covered in red and black from the rampage Yamiko went on with the knife.
Arthur had a repulsed expression upon seeing the body. “Did you let your family know what happened?” He was worried about what they could’ve said, or what they would say. And what they would do to her when they found her.
Haruko shook her head. “I-I only told Seto. He’s good with smart…stuff like this.” Haruko clutched her head, having a hard time thinking clearly. “But I didn’t tell Alex, Aria or my dad, no. Alex already wanted to send Yaya to an asylum, so I don’t want to think what he’d do after hearing this…”
“Right… Well, at least I know Seto’s cool enough not to tell anyone… For now. Alright, so we just have to cover this up, find Yaya, and convince her that this was… Not justified, but…I don’t even know what to call it… Well, we’ll think about that when we’re there.” The color red drained from Arthur’s vision and was replaced instead by various smells and sounds. The smell of blood was stronger than before, but he also found the familiar scent of Yamiko’s shampoo.
“She went this way!” He pointed in the direction the smell was the strongest.
The two of them ran through the rainy streets of Seattle, following the scent Arthur was tracking. They eventually came upon a back street with a familiar figure leaning against the side of a building, poking a long knife at a dead rat. She didn’t even seem aware of the two who just arrived. A dry chuckle occasionally escaped the bloodstained girl’s mouth.
The fall happened faster than Arthur expected. With all the negative expectations that always hung over her and the trauma of the situation, she must have convinced herself they were right all along.
“Yaya!” He shouted and ran over to her, doing his best to ignore the blood on her clothes and the knife. “Yaya, are you okay? Are you hurt?”
Yamiko’s eyes grew wide as she leaped away from Arthur, backing into a corner and pointing the knife at him.
“Back off! I am NOT going to be arrested over this! You must be working with my dad…how could you?!” Yamiko’s face was a mixture of emotion, thousands of thoughts rushing through her head as she stared at Haruko and Arthur.
Arthur slowed down, but he didn’t stop coming closer. He raised his palms to her and said, “Yaya, you know I wouldn’t tell that annoying fart anything and I certainly wouldn’t work for him. Haruko told me what happened. She was hurt and you were threatened. But Haruko’s fine now and I won’t hurt you. So I know you’re not going to use that knife on me, Yaya. Just give it to me, okay?” He put out a hand.
Arthur’s words felt like they were echoing through a tunnel to Yamiko’s ears. Could he be trusted?! Wait, he was her boyfriend, of course he could…but what if this was a betrayal?! The image of Haruko’s scared face flashed through her mind. If her own twin was now turned against her…why not Arthur?
“You think that smooth talk is going to work on me?! Hah! You’re just like all the rest!” Bringing the knife above her head, Yamiko slashed downward, sending a deep red wave of energy barreling down the alley, passing to Arthur’s right. That was new. Or at least she never told Arthur she could do that. He finally stopped, but he decided not to comment on the slash. She did not aim it at him, after all.
“Like who? Like your dad? Like the asshole brother of yours? Frankly, I’m offended. Yamiko, I have no reason to lie. I’m just worried. I’m worried that you’re scared and hurt and that you have too many nasty untrue thoughts going through your head.” He raised his hand again. “You know that your dad and Alex wouldn’t bat an eye at sending some big mean agents to take you in. There’s no reason to send me. Or to expose Haruko to your ‘wretched influence’ or some crap like that,” he said the last part in a mocking imitation of Cyrus’s voice.
Yamiko studied Arthur’s face, eyes twitching from the amount of tension inside of her body. “Arthur…I KILLED someone! And it felt…good…so fucking good…” Yamiko stared at the dry blood on her hands, opening and closing them before looking back at the two. “I am exactly what they said! A psychopath who can only feel something if someone gets hurt! Do you really want to date someone like that, you fucking idiot?!” Yamiko’s face began to get more shiny as a few tears began to fall.
“You killed an asshole who tried to kill you and your sister. It’s not good that it felt good. But it’s not the only time you feel something, is it? You feel something from all the stuff your dad says. You feel something now. You feel something when you hang out with Haruko and Seto and Elyssa and, I hope, you feel something for me. Maybe it’s not as strong as most people do. Maybe it’s just as strong but you don’t know that and your dad just convinced you that’s the case. But you can’t say you only felt good from what happened.”
A few chuckles escaped Yamiko’s mouth. “Oh Arthur…you have no idea how much of my life is performative. I learn how you’re supposed to react in these shitty situations, and do so! Yeah, I feel a little when stuff happens, but it’s like I am in a padded room all the time Arthur! And I am FREAKING out right now, because I got the biggest damn bolt of feeling I ever had, and I’m still riding that high! And now I am going to be in an actual padded room the rest of my life…haha…I’m sure my mind will eventually grow numb…hahaha…”
Yamiko slumped to her knees, splashing a puddle in all directions. She began staring at the knife, turning it around in her hands. Arthur knew she had some bad ideas going through her head. “Yaya…” He knelt down next to her and hugged her, putting one hand on the knife. “You’re not going anywhere. We won’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. I love you too much to let you disappear just like that.”
The knife clattered to the ground when Yamiko let it go, slumping into the hug and letting out a long sigh, some of the tension in her body finally being released. “...hah…yeah, I feel a little something…just a little…” She muttered. “Guess you’ll have to get a visitor’s pass to the local prison to see me aga-” “I don’t think that’ll be necessary.” A male voice called from behind Arthur.
Before Yamiko could say a word, Alex began to speak. “Why would I arrest my own sister for justified self defense? We looked over the security footage, and have already made that determination.” He began. Yamiko stared on with her jaw agape, Alex nodding his head. “My apologies, Seto explained everything and I came as soon as I could. You’re not under arrest, you’re not in trouble…I’m just here to make sure everyone here gets home safe. Give your brother a little credit here.” He gave an unsure smile, not sure how to approach Yamiko at this time.
Arthur looked at Alex distrustfully, not letting go of Yamiko. “Seto explained everything? And YOU came here?” Arthur was starting to feel like Yamiko herself just a few moments ago. Why send Alex of all people if this wasn’t some kind of setup.
Alex looked at Arthur, nodding his head. “But of course. I am one of two siblings who has authority on this matter. Would you trust this coming from Seto, who only works for the Intelligence branch?” Truthfully, Alex was also sent in case Yamiko remained unstable, and needed to be subdued, and Alex’s powers with chains made nonlethal capture easier than if another agent were sent.
“I would trust Aria more than you, frankly… But okay. Yaya, what do you want to do?” Arthur asked, hoping she’d go along with him but ready to support her no matter what.
Yamiko stared at Alex, trying to read his body language. If he wanted, he could wrap chains around her right now and slap cuffs on her wrists. What was the plan here…?
“...tell me why I should trust you.” Yamiko demanded, Alex nodding his head.
“Simple: remember that squirrel you murdered when you were 12? And you thought Seto was the only one who saw? Well I did too. And did dad ever find out?” He asked, Yamiko gasping. “You knew about that too?!” She yelped, Alex nodding. “Yes. I know I’m a big jerk, but I also love my family, Yamiko. Even if we don’t get along, I don’t hate you.” He tried to reassure. Yamiko turned to Arthur, unsure of what to do.
Arthur just nodded. He knew Alex was a dick, but he did at least trust him enough when it came to this. If she’s not a threat, he won’t try to hurt his sister.
Letting out a sigh, Yamiko also nodded. “Fine, I’ll trust you. Fuck me, this day has been exhausting…” She returned Arthur’s hug. “Haha…fuck your no knives policy now, you ass.” Yamiko waved the knife above her head, Alex looking on with disappointment. “Yes well…it sounds like there needs to be some proper Focus training now. But that can be later.”
Yamiko looked at Arthur. “Hey uh…mind if I stay over tonight? I don’t even want to see my ass of a dad after all this bullshit…” She muttered.
“You can stay over any night, dummy.” He said and kissed her forehead.
With the storm now weathered, the four of them filed out of the alleyway, Yamiko now visibly more shaken after her brush with desperation. She didn’t want to leave her boyfriend’s side for the rest of the night.