It was the last song of the first show Sekira had played since before the ruin of Tokyo. Priss was bringing in quite a crowd of adoring fans. The sweat beads ran off her forhead as she took a moment to breath before she started on the most powerful song of the night. Linna was in the crowd giving her her the strength to keep going. The loss of Sylia was more pain than she had ever suffered in all the years she was a lone child wandering the earthquake ruins. Linna had been the perfect crutch, along with her music. Now was the time to release her loss to the world though, this was that song. It was the song she poured all of her sorrows into, meant to be a goodbye to her pain and love involved with Sylia.
The beat of the drums lead the heavy tune, shortly followed by the guitars. Priss took one last breath before she poured her soul into the music.
//She was such an innocent little girl
Though you never would have known //
Priss was sitting back in Sylia's bed at the Silky Doll. She had the sheets wrapped around her bare skin, after one of the first nights she had spent with Sylia. Sylia was fxing her hair in the mirror, and Priss couldn't take her eyes off the woman. Sylia must have notice because she made eye contact with her through the mirror and smiled. That smiled made Priss feel so warm, she wished she never had to leave Sylia to her business. She wished she could keep her attention day in and day out.
"You have a beautiful voice..." Sylia said into the mirror, now fixing the collar on her coat. Priss gave her a slightly confused look, she hadn't seen that comming at all, "Well, you certainly are vocal. Do you sing?"
"Not really..." She blushed at the implications behind Sylia's comment now. She shrugged it off as she began babbling, "Only when I'm depressed, or lonely I guess. I sang alot when I was all alone. The sound made me feel safe."
"We all have our comforts." Sylia turned around to face Priss finnaly.
"I guess so..." Priss watched the woman walk over to her. She reached out and traced Priss' jawline. Priss leaned in to the touch. Sylia must have been making a point of comfort, because that certainly made Priss feel comfortable.
"Sing for me."
"What?" Priss questioned, not sure how else to respond to that request.
"I want you to sing for me..." Sylia repeated.
"Umm... Alright" Priss wasn't sure about this singing for someone else thing. Whenever she had sung before it was for herself, and only for herself. She swallowed, and thought up a good song she had written. As she began to sing for Sylia she felt a surge of control. Sylia seemed to be entranced by the tune. Her lyrics could reach out to people, not just Sylia, but anyone. It gave her a sense of power over her life, similar to her anger, it was a release. It felt so good to share. Sylia had listened until the song was finnished.
"Yes." She smiled, "You do have a beautiful voice. Have you ever considered singing for a band?"
"No." She stated bluntly, the thought had truely never crossed her mind, "Why?"
"I heard of some guys, though a club owner that I know, who are looking for a vocalist." She began sifting through the pages in the address book on the nightstand.
"I don't think I'm what they'd be looking for..." Priss sighed. She was never what anyone was looking for, until Sylia at least.
"Never know until you give it a shot." Sylia wrote down some information from the address book on the back of a 'Silky Doll' business card and handed it to Priss, "What else are you going to do with yourself in the meantime? Beat up some more cops?"
"Suppose I'm gonna start working for you soon aren't I?" Priss reminded, taking the piece of paper from Sylia.
"Yes. But that will be a very part-time position, as I mentioned before." She responded with a bit of a frown. Priss had assumed it was because she was pestering then, how nieve she had been.
"Okay Sylia... I'll give them a call. It won't do any good... but I'll make the call." Priss said, hoping to bring the smile back to Sylia's face. It didn't. Sylia looked to the clock and without another word hurried out of the room. She had so much mystery about her, it awed Priss, and pulled her in deeper. Deeper and deeper she felt into this womans twisted world.
The crowed swayed, they were enthralled. The sound of this new song was depressing, and people somehow related to it. Priss made eye contact with Linna as she continued, Linna was shocked. She hadn't expected Priss to start singing about Sylia tonight, and definately not useing the word 'she'. She wondered how far Priss would go in revealing her sexuality here. She hoped that her new lover knew what she was doing. She certainly looked into it.
//Lost in a valley of painful dreams she slept
It was a really long time to be all alone
And now she's finnaly found her way home...//
Sylia was still asleep next to her. She had pulled out of Priss' arms a long time ago, but Priss had just propped herself up to watch Sylia sleep. She was studing every feature Sylia had, over and over again. She loved everything this woman was. She was rich, she was beautiful, she was strong, and she knew exactly where she was going. Priss wanted to cuddle up to her again, but didn't want to annoy her. She had accidently done that a couple time already. Sylia had one hell of a temper. She had punched the computer when it didn't give her what she wanted. Priss didn't want to be like that smashed computer, not that she was afraid of the blow, but more the hate from Sylia.
Sylia twitched, she was dreaming. From the next few movements Priss could tell it wasn't a very good dream. She thought she heard Sylia say 'papa', but wasn't sure. She decided it would be best to wake her before the dream got any worse. She tapped lightly on her shoulder, then harder, and harder. Sylia was completely unresponsive, so finnaly she shook her. Sylia grabbed her hand, and pulled it off her shoulder.
"You were having a bad dream," Priss said, "I think."
Sylia turned to face her with a devilish smirk that threw her completely off guard.
"What?"
"Where you watching me?" Sylia asked in an curious tone. Priss took a big gulp, she hadn't thought about the connection between waking her up and obviously being awake herself.
"Um..." Priss started, trying to find a way to put 'watching you sleep' in a way that didn't sound stalker like.
"Ah, the better question would be, why were you watching me? Did I not tire you out?" She teased. Priss was slightly more at ease with the joking tone she was useing, but still felt so red handed.
"I..." She still was having trouble with wording, "I guess I just didn't get enough of you?"
Sylia laughed at her, then gave her another passionate kiss. Priss wraped her arms around the other naked woman once again. As she was tracing her fingers down Sylia's lower back the other broke the kiss.
"I swear, you are never satisfied Priss Asagiri...." Sylia scolded playfully, waiting for Priss to keep her hands situated.
"And I swear that I'm satified as long as I'm here with you... Sylia Stingray" Priss smiled lovingly at Sylia, and tried to pull her back into the kiss. Sylia resisted however, and Priss couldn't figure out why. So she waited for Sylia to make a move. She was sure she would.
"We... You... " Sylia tried to explain something, but stopped at that. Priss couldn't wait anymore she tried to kiss Sylia again, and this time she gave in. Sylia actually pulled Priss into her, entagling her arms with Priss as well. When the kiss ended Priss rested her face in Sylia sweet smelling neck. She decided right then and there that the smell of Sylia alone could keep her infatuated with this woman forever.
"I'm going to have to learn to say no to you..." Sylia sighed. Priss smiled, she pulled back and looked at Sylia again.
"I love you..." She said sincerily. She had never said it before, and it felt great. She wanted to say it again and again. Sylia didn't find it so great though, she had looked away sadly. Priss couldn't imagine why, she figured it must have made Sylia embarrased or something. So she kissed Sylia's neck and nibbled on her ear, which brought Sylia back around. Sylia gave her one last kiss.
"I have to run the shop tommarow my dear," She told Priss, "So I'm going to go back to sleep... okay?"
"Mmmm...hmmmm..." Priss nodded. She watched Sylia pull away and role over again. She sighed inwardly, not ever wanting the closeness to end. After a long time stareing at her new found love she whispered it again.... "I love you..."
The girl didn't know, and would never know Sylia's eyes were wide open when she said it, and those words made her close them. With the closed eye-lids a single tear fell from the corner of the womans eye onto her pillow.
With the first verse through Priss was only past the easy part, the beat changed slightly as she moved into the chorus. This was the most vague, but most emotional part to her. The sweat dripped from her bangs onto the mic in her hands. She had the crowd interested, here is where they would be hooked.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like a shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
Priss hadn't seen Sylia in almost a week, and that was the longest it had been since she had met her. She stood at the door anxious to see her girlfriend again. All week long she had blown her off, saying she needed to work on this, or that. She was just too busy. Priss was hurt, but could she really be that hurt? Sylia was a busy woman. Waiting at the door now was taking forever, she walked around to the Silky Doll entrance. Sure enough she found Sylia helping a costomer there. She waited patiently, happy just to be back with Sylia again. After the costomer bought three slutty dresses, Sylia pulled Priss into the house.
"You're early..." She remarked pouring herself a tall glass of rum and coke. Priss thought she looked quite a bit stressed out. It was probably the downing of alcohol with several pills. It was actually very worrisome to Priss.
"Yeah. We finnished up the rehearsal early, so I thought I'd just head over..." Priss answered, glancing at the pill bottle those pills had come from.
"Would you like a drink?" Sylia asked noticing Priss stareing down at the counter. Priss nodded. As Sylia turned around to get another glass Priss swiped the pills off the counter. Sylia poured her the drink. After sipping it she decided Sylia made drinks way to strong, it was like 80% rum 20% coke.
"Wow..." Priss said reflexively, choking back the strong alchohol, that she would eventually get used to.
"Hmmm Yeah" Sylia smiled. She finnaly smiled, it had taken that long for her to come around to cheering up again. Priss was really worried about her.
"Are you o-" Priss started.
"Why don't you meet me in my bedroom in a few minutes Priss... I have a few things to attend to." Sylia interrupted sharply.
"Um... alright." Priss sat down her drink, with no intention on finnishing it and went to Sylia's room. Once there, sitting on the bed, she pulled out the bottle of pills again. The label read "Sylia Stingray," She smiled at the name, "Valium... Valium? Why? Take one pill when needed. Do not take more than 3 pills in a 24 hour period." Priss frowned now. Sylia had just took somehwhere between 4 and 7 of them just now.
"Stealing my medication now Priss?" Sylia walked in, and closed the door behind her. She had said it while walking in, which confused Priss at the time. She didn't know about the many cameras on her.
"It says to only take one... and you took like-" Priss pleaded with the stern silver haired woman walking up to her.
"I know what I did, Priss." She snarled and snached the pill bottle out of Priss' hands, "Don't worry about it."
"What's wrong Sylia? Something is up, I can see it." Priss begged.
"I said NOT to worry about it." Sylia yelled losing her calm. Priss squinted at Sylia, holding back the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes. Sylia shook her head and sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell... I loose my temper. Lately there's just been alot on my mind."
"What? Is it work? You never told me about anything else..." Priss continued to plead, "You never tell me very much at all..."
Sylia sighed deeply.
"Please... Sylia... I'm worried about you." Priss grabbed Sylia's hand within her own.
"Don't worry about me Priss, I have alot to deal with that doesn't concern you." She growled again, pulling her hand back.
"That's making you over dose on a drug you shouldn't even be drinking with?" Priss could feel the tears falling, and the more concerned she acted, the more frusterated Sylia appeared to be.
"I have a headache, okay?" Sylia snarled, "And I've been taking this shit since long before we ever crossed paths- understood?"
Priss looked at the floor and nodded. Time passed in a blurr after that. It was all very Sureal. It wasn't like it used to be, and then she was laying in bed with the sweat cooling her body. Just like everything else being different, usually Sylia and her would lay and chat, but now Sylia was getting dressed again.
"You're leaving?" Priss finnaly asked.
"I have work to do..." Sylia responded.
"But it's two a.m... " Priss argued.
Sylia finnished getting ready and walked over to the door. Priss was still watching her, feeling awkward alone in Sylia's bed.
"I'll see you sometime later this week." Sylia stated before leaving, "Please let yourself out...."
Priss was left alone in her wake. It felt like everything they had was dying, as if some accident had come up, and now they were dying. No, She was still there, Sylia was dying. She began to feel an icy cold engulf her heart. She didn't like this feeling of being second to work. Wasn't she suppose to be working with Sylia anyway? A chill ran over her body, and she let the tears fall.
Priss could feel tears building as she sung her song. The crowed was hooked as she knew they would be. Hundreds of eyes stared up onto her stage, and Sylia's song was given to everyone of them. Linna was as hooked as anyone else in that crowd. For a moments thought she missed Leon stalking her, just for him to hear this song too. The beat slowed again as she went back into verse.
//She had become such a beautiful woman
Yet still she was nothing but a lost little girl//
It had been a week and a half this time. She was getting very fed up with it all. Sylia was obviously blowing her off now. She calmly strode into the Silky Doll ready to make a scene if Sylia blew her off again. Sylia looked up to see her comming and then back down to the register she was working on. Priss walked right up to the counter and leaned on it.
"Sylia we really need to talk..." Priss said calmly.
"I'm busy right now Priss, Maybe tommarow?" Sylia answered not even giving Priss the respect of looking at her.
"NO." Priss screamed, "We're going to talk, and we're going to talk right now, god damn it!"
Sylia looked up in shock. She glanced around at the few upset costomers, then back to Priss. Priss glared at her.
"Actually, it looks like I can spare a few minutes for you Priss, my dear." Sylia patted Priss on the shoulder, and lead her into the house. Priss was still scowling at her.
"Now what did you need to talk to me about so urgently?" Sylia asked, hurrying over to the bar for a drink while she was not working. Priss followed her.
"What's going on Sylia?" Priss asked with the concern falling back into her voice.
"With what?" Sylia asked innocently.
"With US, with us... what else would I care about?" Priss gestured widely.
"There is no us, Priss. There's me, and there's you." She gestured back, "And as for our fling you could consider that over."
"Fling?" Priss squeeked, "Over?"
"That's right." Sylia sighed, "But I do have everything ready for you to finnaly start working for me."
"But... Sylia...." Priss dwelt on the earlier subject, "I love you... I love you... You can't just tell me you didn't care? You don't care? Sylia?!"
"Don't love me." Sylia sighed.
"I can't just not love you..." Priss cried. The tears began falling quicker then she could wipe them away. Sylia stared at her cooly, without a glimer of emotion. The words hurt, but that stare was burned into her memory forever.
"As I was saying, You can come try out your hardsuit if you'd like..." Sylia continued to ignore Priss' emotional breakdown.
"I-...I-..." Priss kept on crying. Sylia gave her a quick pat on the back before leaving the bar. Priss didn't watch her leave, she fell to her knees and cried, and cried until the tears would fall no more. When she finnaly regained her composure, Hendserson took her to Sylia and Nigel talking in the pit. Her hardsuit was waiting for her. They had her try it on, and practice a bit.
In a couple of days she tottaly mauled her first rogue boomer. She used all the pent up rage against Sylia to drive her though each and every one of those bastards. While Sylia was still with her, Sylia was long since dead to her now. She wrote songs about a man she loved, who died, dramatically. Those songs seemed to be all anyone knew of her past, but they were misleading.
Right now she was fixing all those misleading songs. She sung about the real source of those songs, though no one in the crowd except for Linna even knew who 'she' was. The adrinaline pumping through her body made her feel numb, and invincable. She took a breath and continued her release.
//Living her life playing games she called work
I would gladly give all my heart and soul
If only I could finnaly follow her all the way home...//
She had only been working for Sylia for about two weeks, and now they had another hardsuit built. She was alone in the pit glareing at it. Sylia had a new girl, and that's why she had so harshly dumped Priss, she knew it. She didn't know how long she had been standing there in her soft suit stareing at the red hardsuit, but it was driving her absolutly mad. Ideas of smashing it crossed her mind, but she now knew Sylia could see everything that she did. Her suit glareing was interupted by Sylia walking in with the girl that was suppose to wear that hardsuit. She'd rather kill the girl than the hardsuit anyway. She hated Nene before she even knew Nene, and she would never loose that underlying emotion, although others would build on top of it.
"Hi!" Nene had greeted Priss cheerfully.
"Who the hell is this?" Priss growled at Sylia.
"Priss, meet your new partner, Nene Romanova" Sylia announced. Nene continued to smile.
"I don't need a partner. I can do it alone." Priss snarled at the new girl. Now Nene cowered.
"Don't mind her, she's grouchy." Sylia smiled at Nene and led her over to her harsuit. Priss practically ripped off her soft suit and stormed out of the pit. She was insulted. Sylia would take that little twerp over her. It would be over a year to come spent with her and that twerp was soon to drive her absolutly nuts.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
A year had passed since she had loved and lost Sylia. She had grown cold towards the woman she had once cared so much for, now it was just as she had wanted. Priss played with her band regularly, they had become quite a hot item. People were amazed with her lack of enthusiam with thier quick rise to fame. Priss never really could manage enthusiasm for anything anymore, and she had grown used to it that way. Reporters would pester her on how she got with the band "A friend reffered me...", or what gave her inspiration for her powerful lyrics, "I... Riding my bike I guess..." She'd always make up some lie.
One day she was heading down an urban road to go to a rehearsal, and life poked some fun at her. She accedently hit some food outta some girls hand, and the girl had the nerve to yell at her. She stopped the bike. The girl fumed and demanded her food to be replaced. This was great, she drove into the parking garage, and the girl had followed her. The amazing thing was the girl kept up quite a chase. Priss finnaly rode off looking back at the girl still cursing at her. She laughed to herself, and didn't think much of it.
Later that night this very same girl showed up at a rogue boomer incident. She was scared outta her mind, and Priss couldn't help but tease her. She made the same motion with her hand she had done earlier in the day. The girl recognized it. Priss was getting a kick outta the whole thing, then they destroyed the boomer and she was gone as quickly as she has come.
This girl actually tracked her down, and persitently bothered her several more time in next week or so. Priss was very rude and sarcastic with her, but she just kept comming. Priss found herself admirering the persistence and determination on this girl.
She began to ask Sylia about maybe putting this new girl on the team, but the implications in Sylia's voice annoyed her. She left it at that, until she brought the girl to her. Priss watched as Sylia studied the new girl. She made a comment about how hot she was, which Priss hadn't really noticed until then. She instantly became territorial over Sylia again, and began to feel as if it was a mistake bringing the new girl.
Linna Yamakazi became the Green Knight Saber and a very important part of the team in the end, and Priss had no regrets at all. She liked Linna a hell of alot more than Nene, and a great buddying friendship was sparking between them.
Now that buddy was in the crowd watching her. She could feel the weight lifting from her shoulders as the music played on. The song freed her mind and her soul, and Linna's presence was all she needed to fill it up.
//So she created a sick fantasy like her father
Fighting against everything he had started
She dragged me through those painful dreams
In the unknown darkness she's left me alone
But my love, I'm already on my way home...//
The Galatea fight went down and Priss was sure she was dead. She had somehow lived and was recovering in her trailor. When there was a knock on the door, she knew her stalker Leon was here to collect on his goods. To her surprise it was Linna. That night Linna came out to her.
"Your my best friend and I..."
"Linna don't" Priss found herself sounding like Sylia about someone else loving her. Linna had layed off on it, but with her persistence that couldn't last long at all.
"Listen, before anything else happens Priss..." Linna said, "I have to tell you this or I'll forever regret it."
Priss knew it was comming, but could only hope to further deny the fact Linna had a crush on her.
"I'm... I'm in love with you" She had admitted.
Now Priss could no longer deny her friend had the hots for her, and secretly she had kinda of had a thing for Linna as well. Priss had confided in Linna the secret that she had never told anyone. She and Sylia had a 'fling'. With that out in the open she felt almost relieved, and took advantage of the good feeling by fooling around a bit with Linna.
//Comming home...//
She banged her foot on the stage to the beat waiting for the time to start the chorus again. She took a moment to wink and grin at Linna in the crowd. She was feeling such a high right now, nothing could bring her down. And unto the repeating Lyrics she went.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
Her peace of mind could'nt possibly last long. She was laying in bed with her arms around Linna's waist, off in a dream world. The next thing she knew was that she heard a knock on the door, waking her up. She was just going to ignore it, figure that was definately Leon, but they intruded.
She jumped out of bed, greatful that she hadn't taken off any of her clothes in the night... only Linna's. Then the relization hit her that the person shinning the flashlight in her eyes was none other than Sylia. She had the urge to tackle the woman and beat the living shit out of her. It was like she was haunting her, and sure enough Linna woke up. Covers blown, Sylia knew she was with Linna now. Priss could read it on Sylia's expression, she hadn't actually expected her to ever move on. The whole situation had her fed up, and Sylia and Nene were cracking jokes.
The urge to kill slightly calmed after Sylia had finnaly left her home. She decided to concentrate on her music now, since that's all she could ever do to get Sylia off her mind. Linna had been worried, but Priss' hard shell kept her out. When Linna left she felt the impending doom of loneliness. She resented Sylia, and Linna alike. She hated anything she cared about, careing only led to hurt.
As if it wasn't bad enough Sylia had returned. Again. She had come in without a word and sat on her bed. Now it would smell like Sylia for days, and haunt Priss further. She just wanted to get rid of the woman.
"Why are you here?" She had sighed.
"I know I never really explained myself to you, Priss... but there were reasons." Sylia said, shocking Priss right to the bone. She hadn't expected Sylia to start bringing up the past now too. She held her calm face, and was sure the shaking she felt was all her imagination.
"Oh no. Not going into this. It's long gone and burried Sylia. Leave it there." She shook her head. 'must concentrate harder' she had stared down at the music sheet the whole time.
"Is it though?" Sylia stated, "From the attitude I just got from Linna..."
Now the blood was rushing. She felt the anger return to her whole body. If Linna had been there she swore she would have broken her neck. It was a secret she had shred with her, meant to stay a secret. She found herself just glareing hard at Sylia in her sudden rage towards Linna.
"I thought so." Sylia teased her, just playing games off of her emotion. Priss growled a low deep warning that Sylia was treading in dangerous water. She got the message, loosing the taunting expression, and prepareing to leave. "I'm sure Linna will fit your needs better than I ever could. Do you want your pay mailed here?"
Priss had just about enough of Sylia poking at her buttons, and she knew just where Sylia's was in return. She pounded her fists on her desk to express her rage at the older woman as she yelled out the most hateful, mean, hurtful thing she could think of on the moment. She watched as Sylia crumbled in front of her. At first she had great satifaction from it... but then it was getting serious.
Sylia was doubled over on the ground crying, and screaming. Priss thought back to the many medications Sylia took, and wondered if this is why. She had nothing but beer, and Sylia didn't want it. Soon she relized Sylia had just gone bat shit insane. She was trying to kill herself! Right there in Priss' trailor. Priss hadn't felt this concerned about this evil woman for so long. She held her back, trying to stop her from hurting herself. She begged and pleaded with the woman again. She was in another world completely, until she started appologizing to Priss.
"I'm so very sorry. I never meant to hurt you the way I did. If I hadn't... I'm sorry." She confessed, still threatening her own life.
That brought out the tears. Priss' tears were intermixing with Sylia's now, and all she could do was beg Sylia to put the broken beer bottle down.
"I still love you. I love all of you. I don't want to hurt you all anymore. I don't want to be my father, I just wanted to stop what he started. I- I-...don't deserve to live. I'm the cause of thousands of lost lives." She continued in her insane rambling, that for some reason re-opened that closed wound further.
It was a horror to see Sylia stab herself, and her blood to wash over Priss' hands. She wouldn't of been able to deal with this a year ago, but now she did. She took Sylia home, and kept it a secret what had happened. She knew Sylia would want it that way. Afterwards, she had to fix the wound that had been so thoroughly torn open in her soul. Linna was the perfect band-aid. Didn't fix it completely but it certainly helped.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm gonna stop bleeding//
It wasn't more than a couple days later, if that. Priss was about to take a nice cold shower, just to shake the absolute boredom she was trapped in. The bathroom was eerie, being all dark and the shattered mirror. She even found blood on one of the shards of broken glass. Then she was caught off guard by Sylia joining her in the little room. She had closed the door behind her, and had the most mischievious facial expression.
Priss' whole body reacted with panic. Sylia was pulling her back into one of her games, and probably all because of Linna too. She was prepared for Sylia's seduction techniques and held a sharp tongue to keep her away.
"What are you trying to do Sylia?" She sneered. Sylia sighed and crossed the room right in front of Priss. Priss didn't take eyes off her, and moved in respose to Sylia's movement to stay away from her. She eyed the door. Sylia tried running the shower, and letting the water drip off of her hand to loosen Priss up. The action just proved the point that Sylia was trying to seduce her again.
"I miss you, sometimes. I've made so many mistakes." Sylia sighed. She almost seemed convincing. Priss scoffed. "Sometimes you're so hard Priss, maybe you should lighten up a little bit. You couldn't possibly hate me as much as you lead on... could you?"
Priss knew the answer to that, but wasn't willing to share it. She hated her. She hated her more than she showed, but she hated her only because she loved her so fucking much. She let Sylia approach her. It was as if her feet were frozen in place. Sylia smiled that smile that she used to love so very much, then leaned into kiss her lightly. In that moment Priss was eighteen again, she was all over Sylia. She loved Sylia more than life itself, and she would give anything to stay in it forever. Then the kiss was broken as ubruptly as it had begun. She didn't want it to be, she lingered in the flowing emotions. She kept her eyes closed to visualize the past and block out reality. The past was gone though, and the past hurt. A tear fought for it's freedom and ran down her cheek. She looked down, ashamed now of her lingering lust, and her failure to resisit Sylia.
"I do care about you. I always have, and I want you to know that." Sylia whispered to her. It was like she was speaking to her soul. All the hate, and all the denial she had. It was soaked up in those words. She didn't want to face this, not then, not now, not ever. She would have to accept that she didn't know Sylia then, and she had as much of a part in hurting herself as Sylia did. Sylia was trying to protect her, it's why she always got that concerned expression whenever Priss had announced how much she cared, or how often she wanted to be with her. It's why she used work as an excuse to spend time apart, and then finaly why she just had to break it off. If she hadn't Priss knew just as much as she had, she would have clinged onto that woman up to and beyond death. It was insane to think about, but it was true. She nodded with acceptance.
Sylia left her then, and she got to wash away her tears of revalation in a warm shower. It had finnaly come to a conclusion after so long, and she accepted it fully now. She loved Sylia, but it could never be. She was falling in love with Linna, and that would be far more practical... and far less painful...
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm no longer bleeding//
Sylia had saved her life only three days previous. She was going insane by the wait they forced upon her in the hospital room. She didn't know if either of her two loves were going to be okay. Niether of them had looked good when they were taken to the hospital. They had perfect timing, just before her sanity had slipped, they released Sylia into the hands of her younger brother, Mackie. Priss had originally sensed something very wrong, but had passed it off as Sylia just being high off her ass.
She followed them back to her home, and watched from the other room while Sylia got situated with Nigel on the couch. The two of them talked in thier own way of expressing love, while Mackie was mixing a drink for Sylia. Nene was now his walking attachment, Priss was just glad it was him and not her. She couldn't take the cute sweetness between those two and joined Sylia and Nigel in the living room. She sat down on the coffee table even though there were two chairs open, just because she'd be closer to Sylia. That worried feeling was getting worse. It was almost as if she could feel what Sylia was going through in a 'vibe' like way.
She had walked in on the line "I wish things could have been diffrent" comming from Sylia, with Nigel agreeing. She put in her agreement as well.
Sylia gave her that look she had when they first met. That look that just said so many things. It was a sorrowful, yet loving look.
"Priss" She said in a quiet voice along with the look.
"I just wanted to thank you." Priss announced to her ex-lover, "Even though you've almost had me killed six zillion times, you've lied to me, you've hurt me worse than anyone in the world... but I'm sure I wouldn't be alive at all if it weren't for you. So Thanks."
Sylia looked shocked, then very pleased. That's exactly what Priss had been going for. She wanted to make it okay with Sylia, just as Sylia had made it okay with her. Sylia closed her eyes and leaned into Nigel with the pleased look played out on her face. She looked so serene and beautiful, she was having trouble looking away again.
Darkness engulfed her vision suddenly. She could see three people standing in the darkness, an older brown hair man, a woman that looked alot like Sylia, and Galatea. The child, which she had decided looked like Galatea was actually Sylia as a child. The other two were her parents... it was a perfect family picture. She stared in shock at the image, now fading back to Nigel and Sylia. The child giggled happily as the image disapeared into nothing. Sylia was still, too still. Sylia was dead. Death. It was a concept that Priss should have been familiar with... but no one that close to her had ever died. She was at a loss of any action, as she stared at what she knew was just a lifeless corpse now.
Nigel had brushed his hand accross her face, and it had hit him. Priss saw the realization, even though he kept his cool. He stood up, and retired to his room. Priss knew what was comming next. The gunshot was louder than she had expected, it startled her out of her lock on stare. Mackie and Nene ran to help the already dead man. He, just as she would have been- if not for Linna, was with Sylia again. The seductress queen that could drag her pawns right down with her, she was indeed. Priss smirked and shook her head at her old friend. Looked like this place was going to hell.
She returned to the hospital, ready to find Linna dead next. She knew she'd be joining them all soon if she was. When she walked in she was invited into Linna's room for the first time. Linna was doing great, and no where near the death Priss was prepared for. Her parent's were there, creeping Priss out, so Linna chased them outta the room for her.
They chit chatted and joked off the pain weary on both thier minds. Linna had become rather persistent on making sure the relationship they were in was real. Priss wondered why she hadn't ever bothered Sylia like that. It might of helped.
"Do you love me?" Linna asked bluntly after Priss was obviously avoiding the subject. What a place to ask, right in the middle of a hospital room. Priss wasn't ready to commit, but at the same time she really was. She needed Linna right now... and if reassurance was the price, reassurance it was.
"Yes, I love you." She smiled at Linna, then found herself kissing her. Again, in a hospital room, Priss wondered how much worse you could get. A church. A church would definately be worse. Linna's touch, and Linna's voice was everything she needed to keep on her feet, even though she was laying in a hospital bed at the moment.
The nurse walking in on them was enough to get her back on her feet though. That was the problem with PDA in a hospital room. So she was asked to leave...
//No, not bleeding anymore...//
They had dinner at her parents house about a week later. Priss was freaking out on the whole ride there, Linna riding on the back of her motorcycle.
"You're sure they're not gonna kill me?" Priss asked over the wind and hum of the engine.
"They're not gonna kill you!" Linna shouted once again. She had said it about a hundred times since they'd departed from Tokyo, but Priss still wasn't convinced.
"Poison. They're going to poison me..."
"They aren't going to poison you!"
"Yeah right... I think you put far too much trust in people Linna..."
"They're my parents... not strangers. I grew up with them They aren't going to poison you."
"Where are we going?" Priss asked noticing they were close.
"That driveway with the 'Yamakazi' mail box..."
"Oh... yeah. Right." Priss pulled into the driveway. Linna quickly demounted herself. Priss however looked as if she was gonna head straight back to Tokyo.
"Priss!" Linna scolded her for being so up tight about this simple little dinner. She had wanted to wear something non-offensive, and Linna told her to just be who she was. Now she regreted it. She was so going to be called trailor trash again. She took off her helmet and climbed off the bike. At least with Sylia she never had to go home to mom and dad.
Linna grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She let herself in and lead Priss through a quick tour of the downstairs house. Priss let Linna drag her this way and that. She just couldn't stop thinking about the muliple poisons they'd be giving her just to make sure she was good and dead.
"Oh Linna! You're home!" Her mother spied the two girls wandering around the house. She hurried over and gave her daughter a big hug. Priss swallowed. This was just too much pressure for her. She'd take a concert over this any day, night... whatever.
"You've met before, but Mom, Priss, Priss, My mother..." Linna introduced them.
"Hi..."Was all Priss could utter.
"It's very nice to finnaly get to meet you, Priss." She smiled at her. Priss wanted to run. If she ran now she could make it to the bike and out of town before the father even got the chance to see her.
"Yeah, you too" She choked out in response. Linna grabbed her hand again. That was a little bit of comfort, all though it drew more attention to thier relationship. Linna's mother had only glaced nervously at them before announceing that dinner would be ready soon, to go wait at the table. So they did. As soon as they entered the dinning room, Priss got the eye daggers from Linna's father.
"Dad, this is Priss." Linna said it in a firmer voice to her father than she had to her mother. Thank god the food came just then, and Priss could concentrate on eating her poison, rather than those angry eyes.
"So... Linna said you play in a band, Priss, how is that?" Her mother tried to start conversation.
"Um... It works for me..." She answered, shrugging slightly.
"Are you on drugs?" Her father accused, "Rock and roll singers are always on drugs..."
"No. Hell no." Priss glared at the man that had been glareing at her all night, "I don't do anything that could put me off gaurd, or ruin my voice. Thank you very much, sir."
"Priss" Linna jabbed at Priss leg under the table.
"What? He insulted me. Again." Priss was losing control, " ou expect me just to sit here and let him try and find every fault he can with me?"
"Priss... calm down." Linna begged.
"No. I'm not going to calm down. I told you I didn't want to come." Priss stood up and looked from face to face at the table, she sneered, "They hate me. You're just going to have to deal with that, because MR. and MRS. Yamakazi.... I LOVE HER. You don't have to like me... "
"Priss! Sit down... please." Linna pulled at Priss' leather jacket.
"Let me know when you want to go home..." Priss moved around the chair and found her way to the front door. She let herself out, and sat on her bike looking out at the countryside sky. That had been one of the worse senerios she had pictured. She sighed.
"Miss Asagiri." A masculine voice came from behind. She lowered her head, but didn't look back,. "Assuming I have mis judged you, which my daughter and wife both seem to agree on... I wanted to give you a proper welcome into our family."
"Heh." Priss scoffed, she turned around to see the man standing right behind her. She hopped off her bike in surprise. He collected the surprised girl into a hug. She returned it, confused the whole time.
"I did always expect her to marry a proper, rich, young man..." He smirked, "But I suppose you'll do..."
"Just so you know... She hit on me." Priss found herself joking with the old man.
"Did she now?" He asked, "And here I thought you turned her into a... yeah. Well anyway, Would you like to come back in?"
"I'd prefer not to Sir, but thank you..." Priss declined.
"I'll go get Linna then." He walked away. Priss collapsed against her bike. That night was enough stress to cause an ulcer. Linna came outside and climbed on the bike without saying much of anything. Priss was sure she was angry with her.
"Linna..." Priss was going to try and make better of it before it got to late, "I'm sorry..."
"No Priss... I'm sorry" Linna responded, "It was a silly dream, my parents actually excepting you..."
"They didn't seem all that bad..." Priss said to her compainion, "Just sure as hell makes me glad I don't have any parents..."
//You're free
I'm free//
The funeral was simple. Sylia and Nigel's ashes were buried together, and only very close friends were there. So it came down to Mackie, Nene, Henderson, Linna and Priss. The sky had rained down on them forcing them inside quickly.
"So what now?" Linna found herself asking as the funeral was comming to an end. "I guess this means the end of the Knight Sabers...."
"My hardsuit still works..." Nene announced, "And Mackie can fix them, basically...."
"Not like Nigel could..." Mackie sighed.
"Wow... That was our last battle. Who woulda guessed?" Priss turned to look at the others. She had been stareing out the window, towards Sylia's new grave.
"I guess it is an end then..." Nene sighed.
"Well, we'll just have to get on with our lives then... " Priss smiled at Linna, "Live like normal people for a while."
"Mistress Sylia would be proud." Henderson put in his few words.
//I'm not gonna bleed anymore...//
The show ended with more beauty than Priss could have imagined. The people gave her that amazed depressed, but driven applause. She could see faces from every walk of life out there, and of course Linna's. They all felt the emotion, and were now adoring her for sharing it. She gave a quick bow to her fans before making her way back stage.
Linna waited patienly in the empting club to tell Priss what an amazing show that had been. She didn't have to wait to long, Priss surprised her from behind. She had wraped her arms around Linna's waist, and rested her chin on Linna's shoulder.
"Like the show?"
"That was amazing, Priss! I can't believe you actually sung that..." Linna leaned back into Priss' embrace. She hadn't ever thought Priss would be showing her this kind of attention publicly.
"Neither can I, but I did... " Priss pecked Linna's neck playfully.
"Wow your in a good mood!" Linna teased her lover, surprised by the change to her average mood.
"Think so?" Priss asked letting go of Linna and stepping back, "I feel like riding... joining me?"
"Um, sure" Linna smiled, taking Priss' hand and letting herself be led out to Priss' bike. Priss rode out to a waterside field, where she stopped to adore the sky above. Linna joined her on the grass, looking up to the stars.
"What are you thinking?" Linna asked studying Priss' unreadable expression.
"Hmmm... I don't know." Priss smirked, and lunged out at Linna pulling her into and loving embrace. She kissed her forhead, "I guess I was thinking I can't believe that I've fallen for a mousey country girl..."
"Hey..."
Ze End! Finnaly!
loved it? Hated it? Lemme know...
Imaj
The beat of the drums lead the heavy tune, shortly followed by the guitars. Priss took one last breath before she poured her soul into the music.
//She was such an innocent little girl
Though you never would have known //
Priss was sitting back in Sylia's bed at the Silky Doll. She had the sheets wrapped around her bare skin, after one of the first nights she had spent with Sylia. Sylia was fxing her hair in the mirror, and Priss couldn't take her eyes off the woman. Sylia must have notice because she made eye contact with her through the mirror and smiled. That smiled made Priss feel so warm, she wished she never had to leave Sylia to her business. She wished she could keep her attention day in and day out.
"You have a beautiful voice..." Sylia said into the mirror, now fixing the collar on her coat. Priss gave her a slightly confused look, she hadn't seen that comming at all, "Well, you certainly are vocal. Do you sing?"
"Not really..." She blushed at the implications behind Sylia's comment now. She shrugged it off as she began babbling, "Only when I'm depressed, or lonely I guess. I sang alot when I was all alone. The sound made me feel safe."
"We all have our comforts." Sylia turned around to face Priss finnaly.
"I guess so..." Priss watched the woman walk over to her. She reached out and traced Priss' jawline. Priss leaned in to the touch. Sylia must have been making a point of comfort, because that certainly made Priss feel comfortable.
"Sing for me."
"What?" Priss questioned, not sure how else to respond to that request.
"I want you to sing for me..." Sylia repeated.
"Umm... Alright" Priss wasn't sure about this singing for someone else thing. Whenever she had sung before it was for herself, and only for herself. She swallowed, and thought up a good song she had written. As she began to sing for Sylia she felt a surge of control. Sylia seemed to be entranced by the tune. Her lyrics could reach out to people, not just Sylia, but anyone. It gave her a sense of power over her life, similar to her anger, it was a release. It felt so good to share. Sylia had listened until the song was finnished.
"Yes." She smiled, "You do have a beautiful voice. Have you ever considered singing for a band?"
"No." She stated bluntly, the thought had truely never crossed her mind, "Why?"
"I heard of some guys, though a club owner that I know, who are looking for a vocalist." She began sifting through the pages in the address book on the nightstand.
"I don't think I'm what they'd be looking for..." Priss sighed. She was never what anyone was looking for, until Sylia at least.
"Never know until you give it a shot." Sylia wrote down some information from the address book on the back of a 'Silky Doll' business card and handed it to Priss, "What else are you going to do with yourself in the meantime? Beat up some more cops?"
"Suppose I'm gonna start working for you soon aren't I?" Priss reminded, taking the piece of paper from Sylia.
"Yes. But that will be a very part-time position, as I mentioned before." She responded with a bit of a frown. Priss had assumed it was because she was pestering then, how nieve she had been.
"Okay Sylia... I'll give them a call. It won't do any good... but I'll make the call." Priss said, hoping to bring the smile back to Sylia's face. It didn't. Sylia looked to the clock and without another word hurried out of the room. She had so much mystery about her, it awed Priss, and pulled her in deeper. Deeper and deeper she felt into this womans twisted world.
The crowed swayed, they were enthralled. The sound of this new song was depressing, and people somehow related to it. Priss made eye contact with Linna as she continued, Linna was shocked. She hadn't expected Priss to start singing about Sylia tonight, and definately not useing the word 'she'. She wondered how far Priss would go in revealing her sexuality here. She hoped that her new lover knew what she was doing. She certainly looked into it.
//Lost in a valley of painful dreams she slept
It was a really long time to be all alone
And now she's finnaly found her way home...//
Sylia was still asleep next to her. She had pulled out of Priss' arms a long time ago, but Priss had just propped herself up to watch Sylia sleep. She was studing every feature Sylia had, over and over again. She loved everything this woman was. She was rich, she was beautiful, she was strong, and she knew exactly where she was going. Priss wanted to cuddle up to her again, but didn't want to annoy her. She had accidently done that a couple time already. Sylia had one hell of a temper. She had punched the computer when it didn't give her what she wanted. Priss didn't want to be like that smashed computer, not that she was afraid of the blow, but more the hate from Sylia.
Sylia twitched, she was dreaming. From the next few movements Priss could tell it wasn't a very good dream. She thought she heard Sylia say 'papa', but wasn't sure. She decided it would be best to wake her before the dream got any worse. She tapped lightly on her shoulder, then harder, and harder. Sylia was completely unresponsive, so finnaly she shook her. Sylia grabbed her hand, and pulled it off her shoulder.
"You were having a bad dream," Priss said, "I think."
Sylia turned to face her with a devilish smirk that threw her completely off guard.
"What?"
"Where you watching me?" Sylia asked in an curious tone. Priss took a big gulp, she hadn't thought about the connection between waking her up and obviously being awake herself.
"Um..." Priss started, trying to find a way to put 'watching you sleep' in a way that didn't sound stalker like.
"Ah, the better question would be, why were you watching me? Did I not tire you out?" She teased. Priss was slightly more at ease with the joking tone she was useing, but still felt so red handed.
"I..." She still was having trouble with wording, "I guess I just didn't get enough of you?"
Sylia laughed at her, then gave her another passionate kiss. Priss wraped her arms around the other naked woman once again. As she was tracing her fingers down Sylia's lower back the other broke the kiss.
"I swear, you are never satisfied Priss Asagiri...." Sylia scolded playfully, waiting for Priss to keep her hands situated.
"And I swear that I'm satified as long as I'm here with you... Sylia Stingray" Priss smiled lovingly at Sylia, and tried to pull her back into the kiss. Sylia resisted however, and Priss couldn't figure out why. So she waited for Sylia to make a move. She was sure she would.
"We... You... " Sylia tried to explain something, but stopped at that. Priss couldn't wait anymore she tried to kiss Sylia again, and this time she gave in. Sylia actually pulled Priss into her, entagling her arms with Priss as well. When the kiss ended Priss rested her face in Sylia sweet smelling neck. She decided right then and there that the smell of Sylia alone could keep her infatuated with this woman forever.
"I'm going to have to learn to say no to you..." Sylia sighed. Priss smiled, she pulled back and looked at Sylia again.
"I love you..." She said sincerily. She had never said it before, and it felt great. She wanted to say it again and again. Sylia didn't find it so great though, she had looked away sadly. Priss couldn't imagine why, she figured it must have made Sylia embarrased or something. So she kissed Sylia's neck and nibbled on her ear, which brought Sylia back around. Sylia gave her one last kiss.
"I have to run the shop tommarow my dear," She told Priss, "So I'm going to go back to sleep... okay?"
"Mmmm...hmmmm..." Priss nodded. She watched Sylia pull away and role over again. She sighed inwardly, not ever wanting the closeness to end. After a long time stareing at her new found love she whispered it again.... "I love you..."
The girl didn't know, and would never know Sylia's eyes were wide open when she said it, and those words made her close them. With the closed eye-lids a single tear fell from the corner of the womans eye onto her pillow.
With the first verse through Priss was only past the easy part, the beat changed slightly as she moved into the chorus. This was the most vague, but most emotional part to her. The sweat dripped from her bangs onto the mic in her hands. She had the crowd interested, here is where they would be hooked.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like a shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
Priss hadn't seen Sylia in almost a week, and that was the longest it had been since she had met her. She stood at the door anxious to see her girlfriend again. All week long she had blown her off, saying she needed to work on this, or that. She was just too busy. Priss was hurt, but could she really be that hurt? Sylia was a busy woman. Waiting at the door now was taking forever, she walked around to the Silky Doll entrance. Sure enough she found Sylia helping a costomer there. She waited patiently, happy just to be back with Sylia again. After the costomer bought three slutty dresses, Sylia pulled Priss into the house.
"You're early..." She remarked pouring herself a tall glass of rum and coke. Priss thought she looked quite a bit stressed out. It was probably the downing of alcohol with several pills. It was actually very worrisome to Priss.
"Yeah. We finnished up the rehearsal early, so I thought I'd just head over..." Priss answered, glancing at the pill bottle those pills had come from.
"Would you like a drink?" Sylia asked noticing Priss stareing down at the counter. Priss nodded. As Sylia turned around to get another glass Priss swiped the pills off the counter. Sylia poured her the drink. After sipping it she decided Sylia made drinks way to strong, it was like 80% rum 20% coke.
"Wow..." Priss said reflexively, choking back the strong alchohol, that she would eventually get used to.
"Hmmm Yeah" Sylia smiled. She finnaly smiled, it had taken that long for her to come around to cheering up again. Priss was really worried about her.
"Are you o-" Priss started.
"Why don't you meet me in my bedroom in a few minutes Priss... I have a few things to attend to." Sylia interrupted sharply.
"Um... alright." Priss sat down her drink, with no intention on finnishing it and went to Sylia's room. Once there, sitting on the bed, she pulled out the bottle of pills again. The label read "Sylia Stingray," She smiled at the name, "Valium... Valium? Why? Take one pill when needed. Do not take more than 3 pills in a 24 hour period." Priss frowned now. Sylia had just took somehwhere between 4 and 7 of them just now.
"Stealing my medication now Priss?" Sylia walked in, and closed the door behind her. She had said it while walking in, which confused Priss at the time. She didn't know about the many cameras on her.
"It says to only take one... and you took like-" Priss pleaded with the stern silver haired woman walking up to her.
"I know what I did, Priss." She snarled and snached the pill bottle out of Priss' hands, "Don't worry about it."
"What's wrong Sylia? Something is up, I can see it." Priss begged.
"I said NOT to worry about it." Sylia yelled losing her calm. Priss squinted at Sylia, holding back the tears she could feel gathering in her eyes. Sylia shook her head and sighed, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell... I loose my temper. Lately there's just been alot on my mind."
"What? Is it work? You never told me about anything else..." Priss continued to plead, "You never tell me very much at all..."
Sylia sighed deeply.
"Please... Sylia... I'm worried about you." Priss grabbed Sylia's hand within her own.
"Don't worry about me Priss, I have alot to deal with that doesn't concern you." She growled again, pulling her hand back.
"That's making you over dose on a drug you shouldn't even be drinking with?" Priss could feel the tears falling, and the more concerned she acted, the more frusterated Sylia appeared to be.
"I have a headache, okay?" Sylia snarled, "And I've been taking this shit since long before we ever crossed paths- understood?"
Priss looked at the floor and nodded. Time passed in a blurr after that. It was all very Sureal. It wasn't like it used to be, and then she was laying in bed with the sweat cooling her body. Just like everything else being different, usually Sylia and her would lay and chat, but now Sylia was getting dressed again.
"You're leaving?" Priss finnaly asked.
"I have work to do..." Sylia responded.
"But it's two a.m... " Priss argued.
Sylia finnished getting ready and walked over to the door. Priss was still watching her, feeling awkward alone in Sylia's bed.
"I'll see you sometime later this week." Sylia stated before leaving, "Please let yourself out...."
Priss was left alone in her wake. It felt like everything they had was dying, as if some accident had come up, and now they were dying. No, She was still there, Sylia was dying. She began to feel an icy cold engulf her heart. She didn't like this feeling of being second to work. Wasn't she suppose to be working with Sylia anyway? A chill ran over her body, and she let the tears fall.
Priss could feel tears building as she sung her song. The crowed was hooked as she knew they would be. Hundreds of eyes stared up onto her stage, and Sylia's song was given to everyone of them. Linna was as hooked as anyone else in that crowd. For a moments thought she missed Leon stalking her, just for him to hear this song too. The beat slowed again as she went back into verse.
//She had become such a beautiful woman
Yet still she was nothing but a lost little girl//
It had been a week and a half this time. She was getting very fed up with it all. Sylia was obviously blowing her off now. She calmly strode into the Silky Doll ready to make a scene if Sylia blew her off again. Sylia looked up to see her comming and then back down to the register she was working on. Priss walked right up to the counter and leaned on it.
"Sylia we really need to talk..." Priss said calmly.
"I'm busy right now Priss, Maybe tommarow?" Sylia answered not even giving Priss the respect of looking at her.
"NO." Priss screamed, "We're going to talk, and we're going to talk right now, god damn it!"
Sylia looked up in shock. She glanced around at the few upset costomers, then back to Priss. Priss glared at her.
"Actually, it looks like I can spare a few minutes for you Priss, my dear." Sylia patted Priss on the shoulder, and lead her into the house. Priss was still scowling at her.
"Now what did you need to talk to me about so urgently?" Sylia asked, hurrying over to the bar for a drink while she was not working. Priss followed her.
"What's going on Sylia?" Priss asked with the concern falling back into her voice.
"With what?" Sylia asked innocently.
"With US, with us... what else would I care about?" Priss gestured widely.
"There is no us, Priss. There's me, and there's you." She gestured back, "And as for our fling you could consider that over."
"Fling?" Priss squeeked, "Over?"
"That's right." Sylia sighed, "But I do have everything ready for you to finnaly start working for me."
"But... Sylia...." Priss dwelt on the earlier subject, "I love you... I love you... You can't just tell me you didn't care? You don't care? Sylia?!"
"Don't love me." Sylia sighed.
"I can't just not love you..." Priss cried. The tears began falling quicker then she could wipe them away. Sylia stared at her cooly, without a glimer of emotion. The words hurt, but that stare was burned into her memory forever.
"As I was saying, You can come try out your hardsuit if you'd like..." Sylia continued to ignore Priss' emotional breakdown.
"I-...I-..." Priss kept on crying. Sylia gave her a quick pat on the back before leaving the bar. Priss didn't watch her leave, she fell to her knees and cried, and cried until the tears would fall no more. When she finnaly regained her composure, Hendserson took her to Sylia and Nigel talking in the pit. Her hardsuit was waiting for her. They had her try it on, and practice a bit.
In a couple of days she tottaly mauled her first rogue boomer. She used all the pent up rage against Sylia to drive her though each and every one of those bastards. While Sylia was still with her, Sylia was long since dead to her now. She wrote songs about a man she loved, who died, dramatically. Those songs seemed to be all anyone knew of her past, but they were misleading.
Right now she was fixing all those misleading songs. She sung about the real source of those songs, though no one in the crowd except for Linna even knew who 'she' was. The adrinaline pumping through her body made her feel numb, and invincable. She took a breath and continued her release.
//Living her life playing games she called work
I would gladly give all my heart and soul
If only I could finnaly follow her all the way home...//
She had only been working for Sylia for about two weeks, and now they had another hardsuit built. She was alone in the pit glareing at it. Sylia had a new girl, and that's why she had so harshly dumped Priss, she knew it. She didn't know how long she had been standing there in her soft suit stareing at the red hardsuit, but it was driving her absolutly mad. Ideas of smashing it crossed her mind, but she now knew Sylia could see everything that she did. Her suit glareing was interupted by Sylia walking in with the girl that was suppose to wear that hardsuit. She'd rather kill the girl than the hardsuit anyway. She hated Nene before she even knew Nene, and she would never loose that underlying emotion, although others would build on top of it.
"Hi!" Nene had greeted Priss cheerfully.
"Who the hell is this?" Priss growled at Sylia.
"Priss, meet your new partner, Nene Romanova" Sylia announced. Nene continued to smile.
"I don't need a partner. I can do it alone." Priss snarled at the new girl. Now Nene cowered.
"Don't mind her, she's grouchy." Sylia smiled at Nene and led her over to her harsuit. Priss practically ripped off her soft suit and stormed out of the pit. She was insulted. Sylia would take that little twerp over her. It would be over a year to come spent with her and that twerp was soon to drive her absolutly nuts.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
A year had passed since she had loved and lost Sylia. She had grown cold towards the woman she had once cared so much for, now it was just as she had wanted. Priss played with her band regularly, they had become quite a hot item. People were amazed with her lack of enthusiam with thier quick rise to fame. Priss never really could manage enthusiasm for anything anymore, and she had grown used to it that way. Reporters would pester her on how she got with the band "A friend reffered me...", or what gave her inspiration for her powerful lyrics, "I... Riding my bike I guess..." She'd always make up some lie.
One day she was heading down an urban road to go to a rehearsal, and life poked some fun at her. She accedently hit some food outta some girls hand, and the girl had the nerve to yell at her. She stopped the bike. The girl fumed and demanded her food to be replaced. This was great, she drove into the parking garage, and the girl had followed her. The amazing thing was the girl kept up quite a chase. Priss finnaly rode off looking back at the girl still cursing at her. She laughed to herself, and didn't think much of it.
Later that night this very same girl showed up at a rogue boomer incident. She was scared outta her mind, and Priss couldn't help but tease her. She made the same motion with her hand she had done earlier in the day. The girl recognized it. Priss was getting a kick outta the whole thing, then they destroyed the boomer and she was gone as quickly as she has come.
This girl actually tracked her down, and persitently bothered her several more time in next week or so. Priss was very rude and sarcastic with her, but she just kept comming. Priss found herself admirering the persistence and determination on this girl.
She began to ask Sylia about maybe putting this new girl on the team, but the implications in Sylia's voice annoyed her. She left it at that, until she brought the girl to her. Priss watched as Sylia studied the new girl. She made a comment about how hot she was, which Priss hadn't really noticed until then. She instantly became territorial over Sylia again, and began to feel as if it was a mistake bringing the new girl.
Linna Yamakazi became the Green Knight Saber and a very important part of the team in the end, and Priss had no regrets at all. She liked Linna a hell of alot more than Nene, and a great buddying friendship was sparking between them.
Now that buddy was in the crowd watching her. She could feel the weight lifting from her shoulders as the music played on. The song freed her mind and her soul, and Linna's presence was all she needed to fill it up.
//So she created a sick fantasy like her father
Fighting against everything he had started
She dragged me through those painful dreams
In the unknown darkness she's left me alone
But my love, I'm already on my way home...//
The Galatea fight went down and Priss was sure she was dead. She had somehow lived and was recovering in her trailor. When there was a knock on the door, she knew her stalker Leon was here to collect on his goods. To her surprise it was Linna. That night Linna came out to her.
"Your my best friend and I..."
"Linna don't" Priss found herself sounding like Sylia about someone else loving her. Linna had layed off on it, but with her persistence that couldn't last long at all.
"Listen, before anything else happens Priss..." Linna said, "I have to tell you this or I'll forever regret it."
Priss knew it was comming, but could only hope to further deny the fact Linna had a crush on her.
"I'm... I'm in love with you" She had admitted.
Now Priss could no longer deny her friend had the hots for her, and secretly she had kinda of had a thing for Linna as well. Priss had confided in Linna the secret that she had never told anyone. She and Sylia had a 'fling'. With that out in the open she felt almost relieved, and took advantage of the good feeling by fooling around a bit with Linna.
//Comming home...//
She banged her foot on the stage to the beat waiting for the time to start the chorus again. She took a moment to wink and grin at Linna in the crowd. She was feeling such a high right now, nothing could bring her down. And unto the repeating Lyrics she went.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm still here bleeding//
Her peace of mind could'nt possibly last long. She was laying in bed with her arms around Linna's waist, off in a dream world. The next thing she knew was that she heard a knock on the door, waking her up. She was just going to ignore it, figure that was definately Leon, but they intruded.
She jumped out of bed, greatful that she hadn't taken off any of her clothes in the night... only Linna's. Then the relization hit her that the person shinning the flashlight in her eyes was none other than Sylia. She had the urge to tackle the woman and beat the living shit out of her. It was like she was haunting her, and sure enough Linna woke up. Covers blown, Sylia knew she was with Linna now. Priss could read it on Sylia's expression, she hadn't actually expected her to ever move on. The whole situation had her fed up, and Sylia and Nene were cracking jokes.
The urge to kill slightly calmed after Sylia had finnaly left her home. She decided to concentrate on her music now, since that's all she could ever do to get Sylia off her mind. Linna had been worried, but Priss' hard shell kept her out. When Linna left she felt the impending doom of loneliness. She resented Sylia, and Linna alike. She hated anything she cared about, careing only led to hurt.
As if it wasn't bad enough Sylia had returned. Again. She had come in without a word and sat on her bed. Now it would smell like Sylia for days, and haunt Priss further. She just wanted to get rid of the woman.
"Why are you here?" She had sighed.
"I know I never really explained myself to you, Priss... but there were reasons." Sylia said, shocking Priss right to the bone. She hadn't expected Sylia to start bringing up the past now too. She held her calm face, and was sure the shaking she felt was all her imagination.
"Oh no. Not going into this. It's long gone and burried Sylia. Leave it there." She shook her head. 'must concentrate harder' she had stared down at the music sheet the whole time.
"Is it though?" Sylia stated, "From the attitude I just got from Linna..."
Now the blood was rushing. She felt the anger return to her whole body. If Linna had been there she swore she would have broken her neck. It was a secret she had shred with her, meant to stay a secret. She found herself just glareing hard at Sylia in her sudden rage towards Linna.
"I thought so." Sylia teased her, just playing games off of her emotion. Priss growled a low deep warning that Sylia was treading in dangerous water. She got the message, loosing the taunting expression, and prepareing to leave. "I'm sure Linna will fit your needs better than I ever could. Do you want your pay mailed here?"
Priss had just about enough of Sylia poking at her buttons, and she knew just where Sylia's was in return. She pounded her fists on her desk to express her rage at the older woman as she yelled out the most hateful, mean, hurtful thing she could think of on the moment. She watched as Sylia crumbled in front of her. At first she had great satifaction from it... but then it was getting serious.
Sylia was doubled over on the ground crying, and screaming. Priss thought back to the many medications Sylia took, and wondered if this is why. She had nothing but beer, and Sylia didn't want it. Soon she relized Sylia had just gone bat shit insane. She was trying to kill herself! Right there in Priss' trailor. Priss hadn't felt this concerned about this evil woman for so long. She held her back, trying to stop her from hurting herself. She begged and pleaded with the woman again. She was in another world completely, until she started appologizing to Priss.
"I'm so very sorry. I never meant to hurt you the way I did. If I hadn't... I'm sorry." She confessed, still threatening her own life.
That brought out the tears. Priss' tears were intermixing with Sylia's now, and all she could do was beg Sylia to put the broken beer bottle down.
"I still love you. I love all of you. I don't want to hurt you all anymore. I don't want to be my father, I just wanted to stop what he started. I- I-...don't deserve to live. I'm the cause of thousands of lost lives." She continued in her insane rambling, that for some reason re-opened that closed wound further.
It was a horror to see Sylia stab herself, and her blood to wash over Priss' hands. She wouldn't of been able to deal with this a year ago, but now she did. She took Sylia home, and kept it a secret what had happened. She knew Sylia would want it that way. Afterwards, she had to fix the wound that had been so thoroughly torn open in her soul. Linna was the perfect band-aid. Didn't fix it completely but it certainly helped.
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm gonna stop bleeding//
It wasn't more than a couple days later, if that. Priss was about to take a nice cold shower, just to shake the absolute boredom she was trapped in. The bathroom was eerie, being all dark and the shattered mirror. She even found blood on one of the shards of broken glass. Then she was caught off guard by Sylia joining her in the little room. She had closed the door behind her, and had the most mischievious facial expression.
Priss' whole body reacted with panic. Sylia was pulling her back into one of her games, and probably all because of Linna too. She was prepared for Sylia's seduction techniques and held a sharp tongue to keep her away.
"What are you trying to do Sylia?" She sneered. Sylia sighed and crossed the room right in front of Priss. Priss didn't take eyes off her, and moved in respose to Sylia's movement to stay away from her. She eyed the door. Sylia tried running the shower, and letting the water drip off of her hand to loosen Priss up. The action just proved the point that Sylia was trying to seduce her again.
"I miss you, sometimes. I've made so many mistakes." Sylia sighed. She almost seemed convincing. Priss scoffed. "Sometimes you're so hard Priss, maybe you should lighten up a little bit. You couldn't possibly hate me as much as you lead on... could you?"
Priss knew the answer to that, but wasn't willing to share it. She hated her. She hated her more than she showed, but she hated her only because she loved her so fucking much. She let Sylia approach her. It was as if her feet were frozen in place. Sylia smiled that smile that she used to love so very much, then leaned into kiss her lightly. In that moment Priss was eighteen again, she was all over Sylia. She loved Sylia more than life itself, and she would give anything to stay in it forever. Then the kiss was broken as ubruptly as it had begun. She didn't want it to be, she lingered in the flowing emotions. She kept her eyes closed to visualize the past and block out reality. The past was gone though, and the past hurt. A tear fought for it's freedom and ran down her cheek. She looked down, ashamed now of her lingering lust, and her failure to resisit Sylia.
"I do care about you. I always have, and I want you to know that." Sylia whispered to her. It was like she was speaking to her soul. All the hate, and all the denial she had. It was soaked up in those words. She didn't want to face this, not then, not now, not ever. She would have to accept that she didn't know Sylia then, and she had as much of a part in hurting herself as Sylia did. Sylia was trying to protect her, it's why she always got that concerned expression whenever Priss had announced how much she cared, or how often she wanted to be with her. It's why she used work as an excuse to spend time apart, and then finaly why she just had to break it off. If she hadn't Priss knew just as much as she had, she would have clinged onto that woman up to and beyond death. It was insane to think about, but it was true. She nodded with acceptance.
Sylia left her then, and she got to wash away her tears of revalation in a warm shower. It had finnaly come to a conclusion after so long, and she accepted it fully now. She loved Sylia, but it could never be. She was falling in love with Linna, and that would be far more practical... and far less painful...
//Like a relfection in the mirror
She was never really there
Like shard of broken glass
She tore right through my skin
Now she's found the end
And I'm no longer bleeding//
Sylia had saved her life only three days previous. She was going insane by the wait they forced upon her in the hospital room. She didn't know if either of her two loves were going to be okay. Niether of them had looked good when they were taken to the hospital. They had perfect timing, just before her sanity had slipped, they released Sylia into the hands of her younger brother, Mackie. Priss had originally sensed something very wrong, but had passed it off as Sylia just being high off her ass.
She followed them back to her home, and watched from the other room while Sylia got situated with Nigel on the couch. The two of them talked in thier own way of expressing love, while Mackie was mixing a drink for Sylia. Nene was now his walking attachment, Priss was just glad it was him and not her. She couldn't take the cute sweetness between those two and joined Sylia and Nigel in the living room. She sat down on the coffee table even though there were two chairs open, just because she'd be closer to Sylia. That worried feeling was getting worse. It was almost as if she could feel what Sylia was going through in a 'vibe' like way.
She had walked in on the line "I wish things could have been diffrent" comming from Sylia, with Nigel agreeing. She put in her agreement as well.
Sylia gave her that look she had when they first met. That look that just said so many things. It was a sorrowful, yet loving look.
"Priss" She said in a quiet voice along with the look.
"I just wanted to thank you." Priss announced to her ex-lover, "Even though you've almost had me killed six zillion times, you've lied to me, you've hurt me worse than anyone in the world... but I'm sure I wouldn't be alive at all if it weren't for you. So Thanks."
Sylia looked shocked, then very pleased. That's exactly what Priss had been going for. She wanted to make it okay with Sylia, just as Sylia had made it okay with her. Sylia closed her eyes and leaned into Nigel with the pleased look played out on her face. She looked so serene and beautiful, she was having trouble looking away again.
Darkness engulfed her vision suddenly. She could see three people standing in the darkness, an older brown hair man, a woman that looked alot like Sylia, and Galatea. The child, which she had decided looked like Galatea was actually Sylia as a child. The other two were her parents... it was a perfect family picture. She stared in shock at the image, now fading back to Nigel and Sylia. The child giggled happily as the image disapeared into nothing. Sylia was still, too still. Sylia was dead. Death. It was a concept that Priss should have been familiar with... but no one that close to her had ever died. She was at a loss of any action, as she stared at what she knew was just a lifeless corpse now.
Nigel had brushed his hand accross her face, and it had hit him. Priss saw the realization, even though he kept his cool. He stood up, and retired to his room. Priss knew what was comming next. The gunshot was louder than she had expected, it startled her out of her lock on stare. Mackie and Nene ran to help the already dead man. He, just as she would have been- if not for Linna, was with Sylia again. The seductress queen that could drag her pawns right down with her, she was indeed. Priss smirked and shook her head at her old friend. Looked like this place was going to hell.
She returned to the hospital, ready to find Linna dead next. She knew she'd be joining them all soon if she was. When she walked in she was invited into Linna's room for the first time. Linna was doing great, and no where near the death Priss was prepared for. Her parent's were there, creeping Priss out, so Linna chased them outta the room for her.
They chit chatted and joked off the pain weary on both thier minds. Linna had become rather persistent on making sure the relationship they were in was real. Priss wondered why she hadn't ever bothered Sylia like that. It might of helped.
"Do you love me?" Linna asked bluntly after Priss was obviously avoiding the subject. What a place to ask, right in the middle of a hospital room. Priss wasn't ready to commit, but at the same time she really was. She needed Linna right now... and if reassurance was the price, reassurance it was.
"Yes, I love you." She smiled at Linna, then found herself kissing her. Again, in a hospital room, Priss wondered how much worse you could get. A church. A church would definately be worse. Linna's touch, and Linna's voice was everything she needed to keep on her feet, even though she was laying in a hospital bed at the moment.
The nurse walking in on them was enough to get her back on her feet though. That was the problem with PDA in a hospital room. So she was asked to leave...
//No, not bleeding anymore...//
They had dinner at her parents house about a week later. Priss was freaking out on the whole ride there, Linna riding on the back of her motorcycle.
"You're sure they're not gonna kill me?" Priss asked over the wind and hum of the engine.
"They're not gonna kill you!" Linna shouted once again. She had said it about a hundred times since they'd departed from Tokyo, but Priss still wasn't convinced.
"Poison. They're going to poison me..."
"They aren't going to poison you!"
"Yeah right... I think you put far too much trust in people Linna..."
"They're my parents... not strangers. I grew up with them They aren't going to poison you."
"Where are we going?" Priss asked noticing they were close.
"That driveway with the 'Yamakazi' mail box..."
"Oh... yeah. Right." Priss pulled into the driveway. Linna quickly demounted herself. Priss however looked as if she was gonna head straight back to Tokyo.
"Priss!" Linna scolded her for being so up tight about this simple little dinner. She had wanted to wear something non-offensive, and Linna told her to just be who she was. Now she regreted it. She was so going to be called trailor trash again. She took off her helmet and climbed off the bike. At least with Sylia she never had to go home to mom and dad.
Linna grabbed her arm and pulled her along. She let herself in and lead Priss through a quick tour of the downstairs house. Priss let Linna drag her this way and that. She just couldn't stop thinking about the muliple poisons they'd be giving her just to make sure she was good and dead.
"Oh Linna! You're home!" Her mother spied the two girls wandering around the house. She hurried over and gave her daughter a big hug. Priss swallowed. This was just too much pressure for her. She'd take a concert over this any day, night... whatever.
"You've met before, but Mom, Priss, Priss, My mother..." Linna introduced them.
"Hi..."Was all Priss could utter.
"It's very nice to finnaly get to meet you, Priss." She smiled at her. Priss wanted to run. If she ran now she could make it to the bike and out of town before the father even got the chance to see her.
"Yeah, you too" She choked out in response. Linna grabbed her hand again. That was a little bit of comfort, all though it drew more attention to thier relationship. Linna's mother had only glaced nervously at them before announceing that dinner would be ready soon, to go wait at the table. So they did. As soon as they entered the dinning room, Priss got the eye daggers from Linna's father.
"Dad, this is Priss." Linna said it in a firmer voice to her father than she had to her mother. Thank god the food came just then, and Priss could concentrate on eating her poison, rather than those angry eyes.
"So... Linna said you play in a band, Priss, how is that?" Her mother tried to start conversation.
"Um... It works for me..." She answered, shrugging slightly.
"Are you on drugs?" Her father accused, "Rock and roll singers are always on drugs..."
"No. Hell no." Priss glared at the man that had been glareing at her all night, "I don't do anything that could put me off gaurd, or ruin my voice. Thank you very much, sir."
"Priss" Linna jabbed at Priss leg under the table.
"What? He insulted me. Again." Priss was losing control, " ou expect me just to sit here and let him try and find every fault he can with me?"
"Priss... calm down." Linna begged.
"No. I'm not going to calm down. I told you I didn't want to come." Priss stood up and looked from face to face at the table, she sneered, "They hate me. You're just going to have to deal with that, because MR. and MRS. Yamakazi.... I LOVE HER. You don't have to like me... "
"Priss! Sit down... please." Linna pulled at Priss' leather jacket.
"Let me know when you want to go home..." Priss moved around the chair and found her way to the front door. She let herself out, and sat on her bike looking out at the countryside sky. That had been one of the worse senerios she had pictured. She sighed.
"Miss Asagiri." A masculine voice came from behind. She lowered her head, but didn't look back,. "Assuming I have mis judged you, which my daughter and wife both seem to agree on... I wanted to give you a proper welcome into our family."
"Heh." Priss scoffed, she turned around to see the man standing right behind her. She hopped off her bike in surprise. He collected the surprised girl into a hug. She returned it, confused the whole time.
"I did always expect her to marry a proper, rich, young man..." He smirked, "But I suppose you'll do..."
"Just so you know... She hit on me." Priss found herself joking with the old man.
"Did she now?" He asked, "And here I thought you turned her into a... yeah. Well anyway, Would you like to come back in?"
"I'd prefer not to Sir, but thank you..." Priss declined.
"I'll go get Linna then." He walked away. Priss collapsed against her bike. That night was enough stress to cause an ulcer. Linna came outside and climbed on the bike without saying much of anything. Priss was sure she was angry with her.
"Linna..." Priss was going to try and make better of it before it got to late, "I'm sorry..."
"No Priss... I'm sorry" Linna responded, "It was a silly dream, my parents actually excepting you..."
"They didn't seem all that bad..." Priss said to her compainion, "Just sure as hell makes me glad I don't have any parents..."
//You're free
I'm free//
The funeral was simple. Sylia and Nigel's ashes were buried together, and only very close friends were there. So it came down to Mackie, Nene, Henderson, Linna and Priss. The sky had rained down on them forcing them inside quickly.
"So what now?" Linna found herself asking as the funeral was comming to an end. "I guess this means the end of the Knight Sabers...."
"My hardsuit still works..." Nene announced, "And Mackie can fix them, basically...."
"Not like Nigel could..." Mackie sighed.
"Wow... That was our last battle. Who woulda guessed?" Priss turned to look at the others. She had been stareing out the window, towards Sylia's new grave.
"I guess it is an end then..." Nene sighed.
"Well, we'll just have to get on with our lives then... " Priss smiled at Linna, "Live like normal people for a while."
"Mistress Sylia would be proud." Henderson put in his few words.
//I'm not gonna bleed anymore...//
The show ended with more beauty than Priss could have imagined. The people gave her that amazed depressed, but driven applause. She could see faces from every walk of life out there, and of course Linna's. They all felt the emotion, and were now adoring her for sharing it. She gave a quick bow to her fans before making her way back stage.
Linna waited patienly in the empting club to tell Priss what an amazing show that had been. She didn't have to wait to long, Priss surprised her from behind. She had wraped her arms around Linna's waist, and rested her chin on Linna's shoulder.
"Like the show?"
"That was amazing, Priss! I can't believe you actually sung that..." Linna leaned back into Priss' embrace. She hadn't ever thought Priss would be showing her this kind of attention publicly.
"Neither can I, but I did... " Priss pecked Linna's neck playfully.
"Wow your in a good mood!" Linna teased her lover, surprised by the change to her average mood.
"Think so?" Priss asked letting go of Linna and stepping back, "I feel like riding... joining me?"
"Um, sure" Linna smiled, taking Priss' hand and letting herself be led out to Priss' bike. Priss rode out to a waterside field, where she stopped to adore the sky above. Linna joined her on the grass, looking up to the stars.
"What are you thinking?" Linna asked studying Priss' unreadable expression.
"Hmmm... I don't know." Priss smirked, and lunged out at Linna pulling her into and loving embrace. She kissed her forhead, "I guess I was thinking I can't believe that I've fallen for a mousey country girl..."
"Hey..."
Ze End! Finnaly!
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Imaj