This chapter will probably serve to baffle you even further, which is pretty much the point of it. There's also a character who I was planning on briefly mentioning but didn't get around to. His name is Dillon, and that's everything about him you would've learned in this chapter if I had found a place to include him. I had a ton of fun writing this chapter probably because it's so cryptic. I have to say that I love it when there's always something you don't know when you're reading. When one question gets answered, five more pop up.
SnowyNeko: I'm hungry. What's for dinner?
Sebastian: Are we planning on eating here?
SnowyNeko: I'm too hungry to go anywhere.
Yuki: Well, I can't cook, so someone else will have to make it.
Sebastian: I can do that.
Lelouch: But what're we going to eat?
SnowyNeko: Chinese!
Yuki: Maybe some rice balls?
Sebastian: So Asian foods?
SnowyNeko: Yes please! ^-^
Lelouch: SnowyNeko doesn't own any of the animes used or their designated characters.
SnowyNeko: Sebastian! Can I help?
I sit back, releasing a heavy breath. They made it. Bringing them here was risky, but somehow they all appear untouched. I guess that's the power of being abnormal. Still, I was apparently right in assuming they would have headaches.
Yuki and Vierra's arrival was particularly difficult to arrange, due to the fact that I had to first revive Vierra's original body and Yuki had to have an entirely new one. Yuki's body is pretty much an exact replica of his usual one, which isn't too uncommon. I was assigned to help Alice repair Vierra's vacant body, and we did pretty well if I do say so myself. Unfortunately, the fix is only temporary. The deadline for her is the equivalent of about a week. The two bullet holes in her head, for now frozen and hidden by her hair, will once more begin to ooze and rigor mortis will set in again. It won't be pleasant.
Hopefully, this whole ordeal will be over and we can return her soul and her body to their rightful places before that happens. She was the most complicated out of all of them, but that isn't to say it was easy getting the others here.
Tori and Lelouch are completely ignoring the sanctuary, which isn't too surprising, and are in the process of raiding the cabinets for food and water. I'll have to make a note to get it restocked next time any of us head that direction.
It looks like Medusa has found Kara already. The poor thing has been miserable ever since her separation from Marianna, even with how spoiled she is, but Kara's presence should help cheer her up. I doubt she's realized the cat actually is Medusa, although she's probably already noticed the similarities. I was speechless when I learned she had fallen in love with a demon, but from what I've seen, he's suitable for her.
The rodents seemed to recognize Yuki's existence as soon as he entered. I had to keep myself from breaking out laughing when they plowed into him like an ocean wave. I understand that they sense their fellow 'rat', but what a welcome!
"How are our heroes faring?" I glance over my shoulder to smile at Lee. His name is actually longer than that, but it's some Asian name that none of us can pronounce, so we just call him Lee. The smile that I give him is the one he always tells me is oh-so-charming.
"This isn't a movie," I tell him, looking back to the screens. "They aren't heroes, and neither are we. There are no villains either."
"Have a little creativity for once," he jokes. He comes up to lean on the back of my chair.
I let out a small chuckle. "Did you forget who came up with this plan in the first place? That took quite a bit of imagination."
"Yup, it seems to have drained you dry of it."
I designate a landing spot for one of our gnat cameras before responding. "For a nine year old, you sure have a sharp tongue," I comment.
"Well, I've had a while to perfect it," he grins. "Jackal wants to speak with you. He wasn't aware your plan involved a demon coming here." He wouldn't have let me carry it out if he had. I push back my chair and point at the screens.
"Keep an eye on them, and don't get any bright ideas. If I come back to find that you've been messing around with them…" I don't have to finish the threat. Jackal has always favorite me, which makes me lucky all the people here are nice enough not to hate me for it. If I report that one of the others (pretty much always Lee) is doing something they're not supposed to, he won't hesitate to bring down the hammer. The others are mindful of this, and need no more than a light warning.
Lee takes my seat and waves me off like he's hot stuff. Leaving the room, I make my way to the gardening facility where Jackal can usually be found. Sure enough, he's attending to the growing wheat. There aren't many native plants here other than grasses or trees, but like us, a few seeds of different natures have been able to get through. Most of them aren't edible, but we do have things like wheat and sugarcane into foods. Still, there are plenty of times when it's challenging to grow them and we end up having to go without. Jackal looks up to meet my eyes. His expression is that of coldness, one that I rarely am condemned to see.
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" he demands, fists clenched. His only major downfall as a leader is his temper.
"Because," I answer calmly, "I knew you'd reject the plan if I did. This is the only chance we have, Jackal. We can't end this simply because there's a devil involved."
He knocks his fists together, agitated by the lack of punch-able objects. He would never hit anyone else unless we'd gone insane or killed an animal, which is the only rule officially set here.
"Send him back."
"I politely refuse. If we sent him back, Kara would have to go, too. They're souls are bound together, you know? They're just as important as the others."
"So what," he rejects my analysis. "I'm sure it'll work just as well with only the other four." He's being unreasonable and he knows it. With an enemy of his old tribe being so imminent, I'm sure it's clouding his mind. For the first time in decades, he's feeling fear.
"The demon realm has created some of the biggest tears yet, Jackal. It may be meant to be connected, but for the past few thousand years it's begun to meld. Whether you like it or not, we need Sebastian and Kara. Their special relationship might just be what we need to fix this, or at least repair it for the time being. I'm afraid that we require the help of a demon, and I'm afraid that demon has to be him. If you won't consider your own life, think of the animals. Think of the rest of us."
I close my argument and let it soak in. My disarming manner has calmed him considerably, so he seems to be seriously contemplating my words. All of it is true, but he's reluctant to acknowledge it. Enlisting the assistance of a demon would be something he'd die before doing….twice.
"Fine, he can stay," he relents, hands trembling. "However, you can't expect me to meet him face to face. I will not talk to evil."
A small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. "Of course. I'll be a middleman between you and them. I doubt they'll mind."
"I'm done speaking with you," he dismisses me, returning to the wheat. I leave without another word. As I'm walking back to the control room, I falter when I hear a loud bang.
"Help! Help! It's Arthur!" It's Alice's voice. I break into a run.
I arrive at Arthur's room to find her outside of it, backed against the wall opposite to the door. Directly in front of the door is one of our clay water pitchers, shattered. The door itself is rattling violently. The banging noise is evidently Arthur attacking the door, and I can hear him growling like a feral animal.
"I was just bringing him water!" Alice explains to me, quivering. "He said that he was thirsty, and I remembered that I had forgot to bring him any yesterday. When I tried to give it to him, he freaked out!"
I offer her my hand and help her up, wincing at Arthur's snarling. Through the small barred window of the door, I can see him thrashing about, teeth flashing. If I'm not seeing things, he's also foaming at the mouth a bit, as if he has rabies. If only he did. I approach the door, careful to remain at a distance where he can't reach out and grab me.
"Arthur? Can you hear me at all?" He freezes, his growling mellowing out into a low hiss. "Do you recognize me? Your sister brought you the water you wanted. Are you still thirsty?"
He eyes me warily, as if sizing up an opponent. He stare is one of aggression. Alice says that before he came here, he was the kindest brother anyone could wish for, and I can see it. With warm brown eyes and blonde hair only a few shades darker than his sister's, he's a handsome nineteen-year-old. Nonetheless, I've never seen him without a murderous intent in his eye. Whoever he was before, it isn't him now.
"I'm hungry," he seethes, his heavy British accent clashing with his menacing demeanor. When he's not acting like a vicious animal, the sound of his voice is as soothing as Alice's. The contrast between his inward and outward appearances serves to confuse me more and more each day.
But even with that appeasing voice of his, the words he said sends an alarm blaring in my head, and my blood run ice cold. I lock eyes with Arthur, with the beast inside of him.
He grins.
I like Arthur. Anyone else? Just me? Okay, that's pretty understandable. First of all, I love British accents. Second of all, I have a tendency to like what others call creepy. I don't see it that way, but plenty of people have pointed out to me that it's odd to them. This cast I introduced this chapter is all my own, and I'm pretty proud of it. So now you know Jackal, Alice, Arthur, and Lee. Actually, Arthur was added as an after note. He wasn't originally going to exist in the story, but he just sort of ended up happening. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get back to writing about the main characters. I'll type it up as soon as I can.
Till then, Kisses from SnowyNeko! :3 MEOW!