Inkerz-chan my amazingly awesome Buddiekinsface. :P Come hither. ;)

((Finally done, Inkerz-chan! ))


Laiko turned to face Koaru as his friend began to speak. He smiled gratefully at the praise that Koaru's kind words offered, but he had no time to reply - for before any words had even reached his lips, Koaru had pointed out the parcel now waiting innocently on the counter. "I’ll be right back, I’m just going to collect the parcel then we can explore town a bit more.” At Koaru's explanation, Laiko nodded eagerly. He was looking forward to exploring more of the town, and hopefully getting to know his new friend a little more as well. Now that he thought about it, he didn't really know much about Koaru at all... In fact, they had only met a short while ago, yet despite that Laiko felt strangely drawn to the boy - as though there was some deeper force binding them... Perhaps they had been friends in a past life, if such things did exist? He would have guessed that he might have known Koaru before, but he was certain that if that was the case Koaru would have mentioned it. Besides, he had never met anybody else from his old life before... There was no logical reason that he might start now. No, there didn't need to be any sort of connection after all. Koaru was simply a rare find: Kindly and polite - reserved, yet willing to instantly befriend even people like him. He truly was a splendid friend, regardless of their short amount of time spent together.
Laiko felt a fond smile stretching his lips at these thoughts, and his fingers travelled to the spot on his shoulder where Koaru's hand had been moments before. He chuckled softly, then shook his head and glanced toward where Koaru was standing, casting his thoughts aside. He had decided now: He had to get to know Koaru better. He would ask him more about himself after they left the shop.

Startled by the sudden touch on his head - Laiko jumped in surprise as Koaru's fingers slid through his hair. He had been so lost in thought yet again that he hadn't even seen his friend approaching. A relieved breath escaped his lips then, and he burst out laughing at his own foolishness. "Sorry." He said with a sheepish grin, a slight note of shame to his voice. He had been so silly to get shocked so easily! Giggling softly to himself, Laiko raised a hand to scratch his head - only to find that his right hand was, in fact, already full. Laiko gazed down at the shiny plastic gun in befuddlement, searching through his memories to locate when it might have entered his hand. He was certain he had put it back... He had, he had definitely put it back - so why was it in his hand now? Slightly unnerved by this strange phenomenon, Laiko let a rather worried expression cross his face, and quickly replaced the toy gun. To find something in his hand and not know how it had got there... That was slightly alarming, he had to admit.
Of course, Laiko did not remember the knee-jerk reaction that had caused him to grab his gun - nor had he planned to do it. At the touch on his head, and the instinctual thought of 'threat' that went with it - Laiko's body had acted upon muscle memory from a long-forgotten time, and his hand had darted out fast as lightning of its own accord to grab his chosen defensive weapon: That gun. Perhaps if he understood all this, he would understand a lot more as well... But alas, he did not.

Laiko cast one last unnerved glance at the toy gun, where it sat innocently on the table amongst the harmless plastic pellets that served as its bullets. He let his eyes travel over it for a moment, then turned away, glancing toward Koaru with a smile. "Have you got everything you need?" He asked kindly, gesturing toward the parcels in Koaru's hands.
Satisfied that his friend had got everything he needed from the shop, Laiko readied himself to leave. If he was to be completely honest, he was somewhat relieved. He hadn't liked the way he had felt so drawn to that silly toy gun... Somehow, he hadn't trusted himself with it in his hand. Something had felt... Wrong.
Shaking off the thoughts, Laiko began walking toward the door. He rested his hand gently on Koaru's shoulder as he passed him, then stopped beside the door and pushed it open, holding it on the other side and waiting to close it behind Koaru. He glanced around at his surroundings as he waited for his friend, and presently a peculiar prickling sensation scuttled up his spine, causing the hairs to raise on the back of his neck. He had a terrible feeling that he was being watched... Yes, something did not feel right. It as a hunch, and a vague one at that, but in his short two years, Laiko had learned from experience to trust his hunches, since his instincts were usually right. And right at that moment, he felt threatened.
Laiko's bright green gaze scanned every crack and crevice - gazing deep into shadows and searching out any possible hiding spot for an enemy, but everywhere he looked he saw nothing but happy, innocent people. Perhaps he was just being paranoid after all... He glanced back toward Koaru then, wondering if his friend had just experienced the same thing he had. Somehow, everything seemed quiet... Too quiet... Laiko forced a tense smile onto his face - not wanting Koaru to worry over his nervousness, yet also secretly seeking reassurance from his friend.

((Finally finished! ))

KajolThappar wrote:her black beetle-like eyes watching him irritably as the classroom behind her broke into another wave of laughter and noise. Solo stared in amazement at the teacher, his large eyes catching every detail of her ugly intimidating face. He wondered whether she was related to some sub-species of anthropomorphic toad, but was cut off by her deep croaking voice before getting the chance to ask. Solo broke from his thought as the teacher irritably repeated her self,

???????

((Don't look at me... O.o They've been doing the same thing on every RP... ))

((Yikes that's a bit creepy.......perhaps it's a Spam???))
Will post tomorrow *is very tired today*, Btw loved the post, Laiko-kins is too cute *Has girly squeal moment*

(Sorry not my best post, Koaru is being very emotional and thoughtful of late…not sure what’s his problem, I think I may have given him a split personality…woops. These characters and their problems *sigh*)

Due to Laiko’s unexpected response and nimble finger work, Koaru felt his own agile legs slid into a defensive Kendo stance. His gentle gaze filled with a certain, almost hidden sternness. Koaru could feel the cold expression creep onto his delicate features almost stealing away the warmth of his face, he hated it so much and at one stage he had even thought he had rid himself of it forever. However this was not the case, his cruel side seemed to have raised its monstrous head once again in turn to defend Koaru.
The Teen felt a mixture of fear and familiarity cut through his belly as his attempted to push his crueller personality aside; as he did so he instinctively pulled out of his guilt-ridden stance only to stare apologetically at Laiko. His dove-grey eye’s searching for any shred of forgiveness in Laiko’s green gaze.

Laiko seemed just as unnerved by the toy gun as Koaru was, yet Koaru in turn felt sympathy for his companion. It pained him that such a small toy could cause such unease between himself and his friend. Fortunately Laiko seemed to notice the package in Koaru’s hands and managed to pull the lavender haired teen from the unpleasant incident. Koaru smiled graciously upon seeing his friend’s warmed features, he noted Laiko’s refreshingly green eyes as he stole a quick peek into them, they seemed so peaceful yet filled with energy, the impression he seemed to get was that it was like walking through a lush forest, so silent yet filled with lively bird and playful animals. Koaru allowed a small laugh escape his fair lips, was he really going to compare Laiko to a forest? It sounded a little silly yet it seemed true.
He turned to face Laiko before replying with a cheerful tone, “Yes, thank you for waiting, I hope I didn’t take to long.”

Koaru walked along side Laiko to the doorway of the Gift shop, he stopped as Laiko’s tanned hand rested placidly upon his shoulder. Koaru winked admirably at Laiko, his sharp eyes following the Blond haired teen as removed his hand from Koaru’s shoulder. Koaru beamed at Laiko appreciatively as he stepped outside. A spin-chilling breeze swept through him as he did so, all the warmth and playful atmosphere from the gift shop had blown away. He eyed Laiko worriedly, making sure his friend was okay was his top priority and the atmosphere outside seemed to incite his protective feelings for Laiko. Koaru spoke, though his voice almost a whisper in the wind, “Laiko…this area feels unsafe, it almost feels as though we are being watched….I don’t like it.” Koaru listened intently, his sensitive hearing acting like radar in an attempt to locate the watcher. He could feel their presences yet they themselves seemed invisible. Koaru cautiously edged closer towards Laiko and even the noisy townsfolk seemed to slowly disperse from the streets back into their houses. The streets became sullen and silent as the first of the watchers made themselves apparent to their chosen prey.

Koaru eyed the men dressed in black attire with a sullen coldness, his calm grey gaze darting to the few on the rooftops then down to the sorry- souls at ground level.
He felt his gentle, calm, feminine composure slowly melt away as his crueller personality revealed it’s self before slowly edging it’s way into the fight.
From the beautiful teen’s cruel eyes down to his dignified stance, one could tell he was once again the dangerous murder…. Mordecai.

“Laiko…this area feels unsafe, it almost feels as though we are being watched….I don’t like it.” Laiko cast an anxious glance toward Koaru at his friend’s whispered words. He nodded in agreement, pursing his lips and gazing around uneasily – not quite trusting himself to break the silence. He was glad that Koaru had been the one to bring it up instead of him… He hadn’t been keen to admit to his nervousness – thinking he was just being stupid and paranoid again… Not wanting to make Koaru worry… But if his friend had heard it too, then he had been right. Laiko lodged his feet firmly into the ground as a chilly breath of wind swept over his neck, leaving him coated in Goosebumps. The silence surrounding him was so intense it was almost palpable, and the suspenseful atmosphere was an eerie one. All the townsfolk seemed to have vanished – disappearing into their houses so suddenly it was as though they had melted away completely. One minute they were there, the next they were gone, leaving Koaru and Laiko alone in the street. The chilly breeze caught some old litter and tossed it roughly across the cobbling stones – wailing like a wounded animal as it whistled between the walls of the houses and gradually gained in ferocity. Laiko suddenly realised that he was so tense and on edge, that his fingernails were biting into the soft palms of his clenched fists, and he tasted blood in his mouth from where his teeth had broken skin whilst gnawing on his lip. He remembered Koaru’s kindly playful words from what seemed an eternity ago… Remembered the soft, graceful fingertips holding his chin in a gentle grasp. Looking back now, he wondered if he had appreciated such kindness enough at the time. He wondered if he had been gracious enough for all Koaru had done for him… He might never get to thank his friend now. This could be the end… Yet what bothered Laiko most of all, was how little that thought bothered him. More important, he had decided, as that Koaru knew just how much Laiko valued his friendship. For some reason, though he knew not why, he valued that above his life. “Koaru, I-“ Laiko began, turning to glance at his friend – but something about Koaru at that moment cut off his words. He stared at his friend, his eyes darting rapidly up and down the familiar figure. Those cold eyes, that stance… This was not the Koaru he knew – yet somehow, it caused a flicker of recognition to ignite in his mind, and Laiko felt a sudden burst of unexpected savagery. Alarmed by the ferocity of his momentary intentions, Laiko staggered a step away from the dangerous man standing where his gentle friend had been a moment before. “K-Koaru…?” He stammered uncertainly, reaching out tentatively toward his friend. “Are you o-“ But before he could even finish his sentence, a bullet darted past Laiko’s outstretched fingers, causing him to rapidly yank his arm back. Laiko’s head swung around as though pulled by a string and he glared in the direction the bullet had come from – only to see an official-looking man dressed all in black blowing casually on a gun. Laiko felt an overwhelming burst of some emotion he had never felt before, and it caused his fists to shake and his jaw to clench so hard that his teeth creaked and groaned. That sack of filth had just fired a bullet at Koaru! His friend! His Koaru! Suddenly, all thoughts of Koaru’s strange behaviour were cast out of Laiko’s mind, and his full trust in the mysterious boy returned as suddenly as it had wavered. “Say, Koaru…” He muttered quietly as the men began advancing toward them, “I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine.”

((Sheesh but that was gay. Ah, my dear Laiko-kins is even overly affectionate in thought, but I love him so... ))

(Very lame writing on this side sorry….*sulks*)

Koaru remained silent and indifferent to Laiko’s worried words; his focus was on the enemy…his target….his prey.
A silver bullet sang as it sped through the small space between Laiko and Koaru, it was a symbol that dared to separate them not just physically but as friends too.
Koaru felt anger, during his short life so far he had learned many things, but of those things the most important still stood above them all, it was something his Shihan had taught him very long agao…protect the people you love without regrets.

He turned towards Laiko, his sensitive ears catching the handsome blonde’s quiet words, “I’ve got your back if you’ve got mine” Koaru allowed a smirk to taint his fair lips as he replied in a silk smooth tone, “It would bring me immense honor to fight at your side...my friend.”
He bowed his head to Laiko as a symbol to their entrustment of each others lives. Koaru then slowly walked with absolute silence towards Laiko, his steps dignified yet delicate until reaching his companion’s side. The men in black attire proceeded to approach them with out relent; perhaps they were too overconfident to realize the change their presence had brought to the two teenagers. Koaru tilted his head, holding himself simply inches away from Laiko’s ear, his warm breath against the blonde’s neck as he whispered calmly, “We knew each other in a past life…lets fight together this time”

Koaru’s attention moved from his loving friend’s face back to the enemies before them. He examined their cruel, smug expressions; these people who knew nothing of mercy nor trust.
Koaru took to his offense stance, his legs aching with anticipation as the darkly dressed assassins edged closer and closer towards them. He winked slyly at Laiko then darted towards the nearest assassin, His speed picking up as he ran with pin drop silence. The atmosphere tense and the air heavy, yet all was as said before…quiet to quiet.
Koaru straightened his fingers, his thumb curled towards his palm as he prepared himself for the first blow to the enemy, he then moved with accelerated speed jabbing hard at the enemy’s chest area. The assassin stood for awhile, then suddenly dropped like a puppet with cut strings to the bricked floor, white saliva oozing from his limp mouth. A few seconds later another body dropped, Koaru stood in deadly stance as his shadow loomed over about four others all in the same limp position as the first two.
He stepped lightly over the bodies, then removed a handgun from the cold dead hands of one of the men. Koaru stared at the weapon for a few seconds, remembering how the cold sting of a bullet felt once it had pierced warmed flesh. He turned towards Laiko tossing the weapon in his direction; his trust in friend was absolute. “I hope you can use a real one as well as a toy.”

“It would bring me immense honor to fight at your side...my friend.” Koaru’s words sent a burst of warmth shooting through Laiko, and a faint smile twitched his lips. He threw his friend a sideways glance as Koaru moved toward him – his expression not unlike the deadly excitement of a young child exploring the dark for the first time. That natural fear of danger converted to a twisted sort of excited enjoyment by the desperate desire to discover what it is that brings that rush of adrenaline to the veins, and how it can be contained… The tension, the suspense, the fierce, pumping adrenaline. He barely understood what it was, yet Laiko hungered for it. His smile stretched into a deadly smirk, then faltered as he felt Koaru’s breath against his neck. Goosebumps rose on his flesh, and Laiko blinked innocently - then gentility returning to his expression at the sound of his friend’s voice as Koaru spoke. “We knew each other in a past life…lets fight together this time”
Laiko didn’t understand what he meant by that, but he nodded all the same, and took up a natural defensive stance as Koaru darted away from him. His powerful eyesight could barely follow the speed of Koaru’s movement, and the rapid darting of his eyes left no time to spare for focusing his thoughts. Thus, he was barely prepared when the little metal object suddenly flew toward him, accompanied by the words “I hope you can use a real one as well as a toy.” At the last moment, Laiko caught the gun, fumbling for it for a moment before his fingers closed more surely around it. “I hope so, too.” He muttered quietly, and then he raised the gun, and pulled the trigger.
Laiko’s body seemed to act with a will of its own – fighting completely from muscle memory. His fingers danced on the trigger and his arms absorbed the shock of the shots effortlessly, leaving him ready to fire the bullets in quick succession. His aim was absolute, and every bullet hit its target with flawless precision. Before long, Laiko had the attackers dropping like flies. He could barely think – he just shot… In a complete daze, he just kept shooting, and shooting, never once pausing to consider the consequences. Not once did he consider that one simple fact that could change everything… Every bullet – every time his finger closed on that trigger – a life was lost. For every life, somebody lost a son, a brother, a lover… With every effortless tightening of his finger, lives were ruined, scattered, broken…

Laiko ignored all the attackers behind him – completely trusting Koaru to protect his blind spot. In return, he took out every black-clad assassin who dared stand before him. When, finally, the last one fell, Laiko spun around. Without so much as a second of hesitance, Laiko’s quick eyes assessed the corpse-ridden ground, and detected that which remained alive. His hand darted into position, the barrel of the gun pointing directly at Koaru’s head. He would protect his friend. Laiko’s fingers tightened on the trigger, when suddenly, he froze. What the hell was he doing?! That thing – he had seen how their attackers dropped like flies before it, and now he was pointing it at Koaru?! His own dear friend? The very person he longed to protect?! A sharp intake of breath indicated Laiko’s realisation, and his grip on the trigger slackened. He attempted to lower the gun, but it was as though his arms had frozen. His muscles began to tremble violently as they resisted his will, and within a moment the gun was shaking unsteadily in Laiko’s unstable grip. His eyes were wide with shock and terror – his face not seeming his own in the absence of his usual bubbly happiness.
His breath caught in his throat, yet still – the gun pointed at Koaru, and he could not lower it, nor could he release it. And all the while, despite his desperation not to, he felt a powerful desire to pull that trigger and send his Koaru, as much a brother as a friend, crashing into oblivion. One pull… That was all it would take… One pull… Laiko’s tongue darted over his lips and he gulped nervously, struggling to control the raging battle between thought and instinct… Between affection and hatred… Life and death.

((Dum dum DUM!!! *dramatic music* WOW, but that was lame. Awful. Terrible. But what the hell, at least it’s done. I hope you enjoy it, Inkerz-chan… Haha! And sorry about the kinda-power-play… O.o *hides* Good luck finding something to write about from that… ))

(Poor Koaru having an EMO moment……So Gay XD.)
(sorry not much to work with here)

Koaru fought off the last of the enemies his side of the battlefield, shivers of fear and pleasure ran down his deadly delicate spine as droplets of enemy blood ran elegantly down his pale hand before dripping evenly onto the cobble stone ground.
He cauld hear Laiko’s gunshots on the opposite side of the street, each shot a sickenly sweet love-letter of death. Laiko’s child-like personality belonged no longer to the angelic youngster Koaru had grown to know, instead it had become tainted with the dark lusting for death and self pleasure.

Koaru stood motionlessly among the corpses, his own pale skin radiant against the red contrast of blond that pooled around his feet and against his fair skin. The pale boy’s grey eyes clouded as Mordecai’s possession over him remained. The situation felt more like a fantasy than reality, everything seemed to have been either hallucinated or dreamed up by some God.
From the dramatic fall of a lifeless body down to the actual bringer of death, all seemed so impossible
.
Koaru turned to face Laiko, his stone-like eyes examine the lifeless surroundings that held them like two figures in a painting. He flinched at the suddenness of Laiko’s movement, his slim legs tensing into an attack stance upon instinct as he caught the unhesitant gaze of his friend. Koaru felt emotions build up inside him as the reality of the actions became a heavy weight inside his stomach. He at that moment felt the intensity of Laiko’s hatred and returned the teen’s cutting gaze with absolute unnerving indifference. Koaru stared at Laiko’s aimed hand, a sudden familiar emotional pain cut through him. He felt as though he had been in this situation before, yet the memory itself had become fuzzy with time.
He shivered as Mordecai released his possession allowing the gentle teen to regain himself. His indifference slowly turning to trust as the sudden sound of Laiko’s intake of breath reached his ears. Koaru remained still for a while before allowing a sweet yet saddened smile to spread across his gentle features, “Are you going to shoot me Laiko?”
He waited patiently for the blond to speak as his legs took slow graceful strides in Laiko’s direction; he was at the complete mercy of his friend…..brother…..dearest companion. Koaru noted Laiko’s shaking arms and pleading expression, it was almost as though the gun had taken control of him and now left him trying to fight against it’s deadly will.
The pale teen stopped walking; he stood before Laiko allowing the steel barrel of the gun to press sharply against his chest. The movement of Laiko’s fingers seemed so subtle yet deadly, it would take only one pull of that trigger to end Koaru’s life forever. However Koaru would not allow his trust in Laiko to faultier a third time, even if it did inevitably lead him to his demise, it didn’t matter much to him….it never really did. Koaru spoke his words his own, “ If my death will bring you complete peace then I shall give it up for you…..however… I have only one request, take care Alexsei…my lover” with those words said Koaru lifted his blood stained hands to Laiko’s gun clutched ones. He then tenderly stroked his fingers against the icy chill of the gun onto the warm flesh of Laiko’s hands.

“Are you going to shoot me Laiko?” Koaru's words reached Laiko's ears one moment, and the next moment comprehension dawned - feeling like an icy dagger stabbing into his heart and intantly freezing all blood in his veins - leaving his eyes wide and staring and his body motionless - his grip on the gun like that of a dead man. "No.." He whispered quietly, though no sound left his dry lips. "N-no... I... I'd never..." The silence persisted -leaving Laiko standing and shaking helplessly as Koaru began moving toward him. This was like a nightmare - like the worst kind of nightmare. Everything felt so real - the pain was real, the fear was real... And so was the risk, the danger, the prospect of losing everything. Yet he could not move, he could not speak - he could do naught but think. Think, wish, hope and pray in sheer desperation that he could loosen the bonds on his tongue and just scream his agony to the Heavens until his rebellious limbs were forced to submit to his will once more. The feeling of helplessness was so intense that he felt as though it was crushing him; squeezing the air from his lungs and slowly suffocating him. Koaru's soft footsteps sounded like gunshots in the silence as his friend moved gradually closer to him - each graceful step accentuated by the frenzied pounding of his heart in his chest.
Next thing he knew, Koaru was standing directly in front of him, pressing his own chest against the barrel of the gun that he clasped in his shaking hands - lining up the perfect shot for Laiko to unquestionably steal his life away with just one pull... One tiny pull... Laiko's fingers twitched, and his fear and desperation multiplied tenfold - leaving him staring at Koaru like a deer caught in headlights, even though Koaru was the one technically on the brink of death... In fact, if it had been the other way around, this might have been easier.
Laiko gulped, trying to force his shaking hands down again, but gaining no submission. His hands knew what was expected of them, and they were not going to give in easily to his weak will...

“If my death will bring you complete peace then I shall give it up for you…..however… I have only one request, take care Alexsei… My lover.” Koaru's words broke through Laiko's thoughts, and once again the words of desperation jumped to his mute lips. No... NO! Koaru, what are you saying?! I'd never... I'd never... But he couldn't bring himself to say it. I'd never harm you. Oh, how he longed to voice those words, even in his own mind, but he could not. He simply couldn't... For he did not know if they were true. Right then, at that moment, he had his gun pointed directly at Koaru's heart. How could he, in that position, swear a sincere oath that he would never, not even at the cost of his own life, harm his friend? "K-Koaru..." He stuttered helplessly, finally managing to get a few hoarse words past his lips, "I wouldn't... I'd never... You know I couldn't-" His desperate pleas broke off as he felt the soft touch of Koaru's fingers on his own skin, and suddenly the universe fell back into place. In one singular motion, the gun fell from Laiko's fingers and clattered to the floor, then his arms dropped to his sides and his legs buckled. It felt like an eternity that Laiko was falling, but it was really only the next moment that his knees hit the hard cobbling stones with a quiet thud, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Shock wrapped its clutches around him, and at first all Laiko could do was sit silently and stare - stare at that tiny piece of metal glimmering so innocently on the stones beside him. That one little gun which had just reaped so many lives, and almost stolen away his closest friend for the rest of eternity. That pointless little object that had almost left the closest thing he'd ever had to family dead by his hand. Laiko stared at in unfathomable loathing and fear, until finally, it all sank in.

Relief coupled with shock, and a torrent of other recognizable emotion's crashed over Laiko and he dropped his head into his hands. His fingers gripped handfuls of his soft blond hair so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and he tugged at it desperately, a strangled scream of frustration escaping his lips. All these thoughts... All these emotions... Such sheer confusion, and he had no clue what to do with it! That was when Laiko gave in to the waves of emotion crashing over him, and simply acquiesced to the natural reaction his body suggested.
He wept.
Laiko buried his face in his hands and wept. Salty tears streamed from his brilliant eyes, creeping through the gaps between his fingers to fall to the stony ground amidst the rivers of blood surrounding him. Strangled sobs wracked his shoulder with each shuddering breath, and before long his eyes were burning and a dull thudding pain was throbbing in the back of his head. The crying hurt, and he felt ashamed... He wanted to stop, but every time he tried he thought back over what had happened, and the tears fell harder and faster - his quiet sobs increasing in volume. He was a pathetic and pitiful sight... Slumped amongst the corpses of his own victims, utterly defeated, and sobbing out a heart-wrenching lamentation which should have been a victory cry.

(Urghh I don’t like my writing here…tis SUPER lame….naww I so embarrass, but at least it gets the point across…I hope XD)

The moment Koaru’s pale fingers had reached the warmth of Laiko’s hands, he felt Laiko slip away from him. It was as though he had held a priceless yet delicate object in the palm of his hand and now out of recklessness and irresponsibility allowed it to fall from his protective clutches leaving it to meet a cruel end upon the damp cold floor. Koaru’s limbs froze in fear as he painstakingly watched his friend…brother slowly fall. Each second slowly allowing the teen to examine every detail of pain, confusion and guilt he had laid upon Laiko.
The sound of the blonde’s knees hitting the crimson stained cobblestone floor echoed through the lavender haired teen’s sensitive ears. He shuddered as a different kind of fear weighed down at the interior of his flaxen belly. He…..he had done this to his friend, he had know it a bad idea yet he had still done it. Had he even thought of the consequences of his foolish actions….no… he had lost himself in the moment of fighting glory instead and now as a result he had hurt one of his most precious friends.
Koaru felt his eyes water as the first of his tepid tears began to fall; this situation….everything was his fault. He found himself no longer looking as Laiko’s pathetic state, he was to guilty….to afraid, his body wouldn’t allow it. Koaru’s tears ran down the contours of his beautiful face before silently falling to ground, pointlessly diluting the liquid life he had spilled with his bare hands.
The sounds of Laiko’s own sobbing hurt every part of Koaru’s emotional being, his body jerked in retaliation to the blonde’s moaning before breaking into spasms of uncontrolled shivering as Laiko emitted a strangled cry of desperation.
Koaru dropped to his knees, the blood of the floor slowly soaking into the knee area of his pale blue kimono. His cold arms then thoughtlessly wrapped around Laiko, whom he then clutched protectively to his chest, like a mother to her dying child. He wept silently into the slumped shoulders of his companion, his bruised hands holding tightly to Laiko’s shirt as he did so. His smooth voice shaking and muffled as he quietly spoke, “I…I’m so sorry…so sorry…don’t forgive me…don’t allow me to hurt you again...never again.”
Koaru stroked Laiko’s hair soothingly before running his hands over Laiko’s back in an attempt to calm him down. However Koaru could not stop his own tears and eventually found himself buried back into the security of Laiko’s limp shoulder.

The sky began to darken, turning from baby blue to a sorrowful grey; it was as though God himself had witnessed their sins and now wept icy tears that fell from the heavens down to the bowels of earth.
Rain drizzled softly almost playfully on and around the entwined teens. It was one of the purest forms of water that now washed away the blood. The white band that had been holding Koaru’s hair up into a neat ponytail had now fallen away releasing the purple mass of its binds. The long hair darkened as it soon became wet and tangled, the shorter strands falling over Koaru’s left eye.

Faint footsteps tapped against the stone street surface, they were lonely, belonging to a single unknown human being. The steps grew closer and louder, yet Koaru remained with Laiko limp in his arms, until finally the shadowed silhouette of a stranger could be seen through the gradually hardening rain. The arrival of the stranger provoked Koaru to attack, yet he could not bear to pull away from Laiko in fear that he would loose him. The silhouette remained where it was, staring so cruelly that one need not look at him directly to feel the intensity of his vibes. He too was an assassin, though somehow different from the others they had fought. Koaru winced as the slow clicking of metal against metal shot through his ears. ”Laiko!” He shouted in panicked tone as he protectively shoved his friend out of harms way.
The bullet from the assassin’s gun sung through the air before virulently embedding itself into the soft flesh of Koaru’s side, allowing the feminine to fall roughly to the stone ground. Koaru cried out as hot pain burned into him, his pale hand clutching the blood spewing wound. He desperately attempted to lift himself from the ground; however his shivering arms gave way beneath him every time he tried. The assassin began moving closer, his steps like that of a man walking to the gallows. Koaru spoke, his voice suddenly smooth and gentle though at the same time pained and strained, “Laiko…please….Run”

When Laiko felt the soft vibrations through the ground that meant Koaru, too, had dropped to his knees – his sobbing increased considerably. What had he done?! Had he hurt Koaru? He couldn’t even bear to look… He couldn’t, so he just cried even harder instead – the tears rolling in endless floods down his face.
Then he felt Koaru’s hands softly slipping around his shoulders and his breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened, and one blink dismissed the last of the tears as the shock of Koaru’s gesture froze them in his eyes, and choked the sobs from his throat. “K-Koaru…?” He stammered in a choked whisper, hardly daring to believe that this was actually happening. Was it all just in his head…? It had to be. Nobody would take pity on their would-be-killer, would they? Then again, if he put himself in Koaru’s shoes, he supposed he might… But it was as Kevin said: He was a fool. He was too quick to trust, too quick to believe… Too quick to forgive. Now that he was on the receiving end of such foolishness, he finally understood what it meant. Koaru was… He… Laiko’s eyes slid shut and he lowered his head as Koaru’s arms closed tighter around him and he felt his friend’s tears soaking through his shirt. He let his forehead rest against Koaru’s shoulder, and simply remained motionless for a moment, before slowly wrapping his arms around his friend’s shoulders. He held him tightly, his eyes squeezing tight shut as a desperately pained frown furrowed his brow.
Koaru was just… Perfect. Laiko drew in a deep, shuddering breath – and the tears began to trickle from his eyes again – only this time he was calm. Koaru’s gentle touch on his back soothed him, but the more kindness he received – the more his guilt festered. He could see it now… Koaru- He was too kind… What was with this kindness? The sympathy? The forgiveness…? He did not deserve this.

Well then, what was the solution? Become depressed and cry over it because he had, by some incredible stroke of luck, found a friend he was not worthy to have? What a pitiful solution… That would simply make him less worthy. No – he would strive forward and become a better person with Koaru as the star to guide him. He would deserve his friend. He would do whatever it took… Because he was not willing to lose him!
Laiko clutched Koaru tighter – feeling such a powerful longing and affection that it almost hurt, and yet the pain felt like Heaven. He felt Koaru’s soft purple hair fall over his fingers as the rain lashed it free of its bonds – rapidly soaking all of Laiko that was not already saturated by blood and tears.
Soft, muffled words reached his ears then. “I…I’m so sorry…so sorry…don’t forgive me…don’t allow me to hurt you again...never again.” Koaru’s voice shaking with his own tears even as the flow of Laiko’s own began to ebb away again. “Koaru…” He murmured quietly, even surprising himself by how calm and steady his voice was. He stroked one hand soothingly down his friend’s back as he went on, “Don’t be sorry… It’s my fault.” His whispered words gained a slight tremor, and Laiko paused for a moment to exercise control over his rebellious voice. “But I promise you, I won’t let this happen again!” He declared – his voice alive with a fiery passion. “I don’t deserve a friend like you…” He mumbled quietly – his words becoming muffled as he pressed his face into Koaru’s shoulder. “But I swear to you, I’ll never stop trying!” He gasped fiercely, “Just never apologise to me again. I don’t know if I’ll be able to forgive you for that…” Tears leaped to his eyes again, and Laiko succumbed to them – but a smile held his handsome features in form as he leaned into Koaru’s gentle embrace and let his eyes slide shut – enjoying the closeness he had always been deprived. Knowing he did not deserve it, and feeling guilty for accepting it, but taking pleasure in Koaru’s friendship.

Laiko heard footsteps approaching, but he did not stir – simply remaining limp in Koaru’s arms. When the steps ceased, and Laiko felt a dangerous presence nearby – he tensed and began to pull away, but Koaru still held him fast. He remained obediently still – waiting for Koaru to release him.
Then, as he heard the soft click of a gun being loaded, Laiko’s panicked yell was overlapped by Koaru’s own. “Koaru!”
But before he could do anything, he was flung aside.
Somehow, though he was not sure how it had happened, Laiko caught himself on one hand and leaped to his feet – but despite his inconceivable speed, he was still too late. He spun around just in time to see the bullet strike Koaru’s side. Laiko’s eyes widened in shocked horror as time seemed to slow down. Blood exploded into the air from Koaru’s wound and Laiko’s own yell was lost in the silence that pressed heavily on his eardrums – deafening him to all but his own pounding heartbeat, which heavily punctuated each second of the worst moment of his short life. Koaru… Shot? No… No, it couldn’t happen! He wouldn’t let it happen… How could he have let this happen?! Another heartbeat deafened Laiko in its thunderous silence, and then time resumed its natural pace. Koaru fell toward the ground, and Laiko reached his friend’s side in an instant. He was forced to look away as Koaru struggled pitifully to get to his feet, but Laiko shook aside the burning pain it caused him, and looked back at his friend. “Laiko…please….Run” He could hear the assassin moving closer now, but Laiko stubbornly shook his head – not trusting himself to say anything for fear the tears would blind him so as he could not protect his friend… He gently lifted Koaru into a sitting position – supporting him – his eyes all the while locked on the approaching assassin.

He would not get away with this. He was the one who could never be forgiven! A sin such as that… To nearly kill one as pure and innocent as Koaru… There was no damnation- no suffering that could ever be cruel enough! There was no good deed in existence that could allow him to repent! Laiko felt a feral snarl lift his lips, and a fever of anger burned through his veins – so powerful that he barely knew what to do with it. The man lifted the gun to point it at him, and Laiko’s glare darkened. With one arm, he held Koaru tighter, and with the other he let his fingers feel softly over the ground – the tips scraping softly against the bloodstained cobblestones – until he felt the touch of cold steel. He closed his hand around the handle of the discarded gun and slowly raised it up, hiding it at his side.
With a resounding BANG, a bullet jumped from the dark man’s gun, and Laiko countered it unflinchingly – his sharp eyesight detecting the approaching bullet with ease, allowing him to jerk his arm up and counter it with a shot of his own, leaving the two crumpled bullets falling pointlessly to the floor with a soft tinkle of metal on stone.
Laiko began to tremble slightly with the sickening feeling of fever as red hot anger and ice cold hatred warred in his veins. He was not a punisher… It was not for him to slaughter this man, but nothing – nothing would keep him from protecting Koaru… Though deep down he knew that this was his fault, and that he could never atone, he knew also that his apologies would be of less use to a dead man than a living one.

(heheh hope this is readable....I may have rushed it off a bit :p )

Koaru struggled helplessly upon the cobblestone floor, he had hoped that Laiko had fled, but when the sudden touch of warm hands held him, he couldn’t help but smile at his friends loving features.
Koaru flinched painfully as Laiko carefully lifted his stubborn body into sitting position. He breathed heavily as blood continued to pump from his wound, each drop seemingly not his but someone else’s who’s precious life he had stolen. His face and body became drained, fragile and covered in tiny shiny beads of sweat which were incoherently washed away by the continuous fall of icy rain. His pale fingers moved towards the wound as he tried to assess the damage done, it didn’t feel good compared to others he had received before, perhaps the bullet had damaged an organ or nerve…he wasn’t sure. Laiko continued to hold Koaru up even as gravity willed him to fall back down again. It was strange. As he lay in Laiko’s arms he felt the missing familiarity he had long since lost fill with love and support that seemed to seep from Laiko’s being. He both loved it and hated it for it was yet another gift he did not deserve and guilt instantly made his dove Grey eyes water. Koaru stared pleadingly into Laiko’s stubborn eyes; somehow he knew Laiko would never abandon him even if it would inevitably lead to his end as a result. He followed the blonde’s handsome gaze to the assassin that stood so close to them. A mixture of fear and pain shot through him as his thoughts spiralled, what if Laiko was killed…he would never allow that to happen yet he could neither move nor deflect a bullet to stop it from happening.

The clicking of metal filled his ears, his gaze slowly blurring. He could heard the sudden shot of the gun, yet there seemed to be no sign of blood or movement from both parties. He shifted slightly, not sure at first what had happened. The gentle ringing of crumpled bullets clattered to the ground. Through his ears he could make out that the there were two bullets, both had canceled out the other. Koaru blinked dumbly at Laiko who held the icy life stealing weapon in his free hand. Laiko had such amazing skill, all his shots seemed deadly accurate and beautiful….it was almost an art in itself. Koaru could sense the tension and utter silence that followed the cancellation of bullets. He closed his eyes, not sure of what to do……he listened. He could hear everything, rats crawling, Laiko’s chilled breath, the dripping of rain……..foot steps. Wait Foot steps?, more of them?, at first he panicked slightly, but as the steps came closer, he felt a flow of familiarity rush through his pained body. He knew theses steps well, they would be able to protect Laiko from the enemy before them.

The tension of the atmosphere suddenly became tainted with something else…it was cold, ice-like yet filled with heated rage. A slat haired figure made it’s way towards them, ice beneath each step the male made as he approached. The rained itself chilled until disappearing completely into tiny flakes of white. Koaru felt a single snow flake fall upon his cheek, it melted away instantly yet left a small gash of hope in his chest.
The assassin seemed unnerved by the approach of the Russian; he was a fool to act so proudly in front of such a person and would pay dearly for his actions. Koaru tugged gently at Laiko’s shirt before speaking in a weakened yet slightly cheerful tone, “He came…..Alexsei came for us...You don't have hurt yourself fighting anymore”

The Russian’s deadly cold gaze examined the situation, instantly locking onto the enemy target like a shark to an injured seal. He snarled a threat in his native tongue before receiving a rather snotty reply from the assassin. Alexsei felt his fearful tempter build up inside him. His gaze murderous and unmoving. Icicles began to edge their way around his toned body. The assassin seemed slightly started now, but foolishly held his ground. The Russian smirked allowing a fragment of his evil temper to curl his lips. The assassin continued to stare mockingly into the Russian’s eyes. A white glaze began to irritate the assassin’s eyeballs as Russian’s smirk grew. The glaze was ice itself and it wasn’t long before the foolish attacker realized what the slate haired boy was doing. The assassin dropped to his knees madly rubbing his hands pointlessly at his slowly freezing eyeballs. An accentuated scream left the attackers lips as the Russian continued to torture his prey….slowly enjoying every moment of pain. Minutes passed eventually leaving the struggling human still as ice. Alexsei stared indifferently down at the frozen bundle, the assassin’s skin still held it’s soft fleshly texture; he had been frozen from the inside out.

Laiko was so busy glaring at the assassin that he did not even notice when the atmosphere suddenly grew rapidly colder. He heard the soft footsteps approaching, yet the prospect of rescue did not register in his brain at all until he felt a gentle tug on his shirt. He glanced down to hear Koaru’s weakened voice forming the words “He came…..Alexsei came for us...You don't have hurt yourself fighting anymore.” Laiko did not seem to hear the words at first, for the weakness in Koaru’s voice was troubling him. He frowned at his friend, concern knitting his brows together and causing him to completely forget everything. The danger, the guilt, the rescue… All he saw was Koaru, and the fact that he was powerless to help him. “Koaru, I-“
But he broke off, for at that moment, a familiar Russian voice sounded behind Laiko. With a gasp, he swung his head around – causing a crick to form in his neck – and let his bright green eyes rest on his and Koaru’s saviour. His innocent eyes widened in awe as he stared at Alexsei in what could only be described as a Hero-worshipping expression. So cold… So deadly… They were saved!
He watched Alexsei for a moment, then looked away with a slight blush heating his cheeks. He was not worthy to look upon such brilliance… The fierce dominance with which Alexsei faced his opponent- The way he slowly tortured him to death- It was magnificent, yet in the cruel sort of way that it was magnificent to watch a spider paralyse a butterfly and slowly eat it alive…
And he had never been able to witness such things without doing something.
Alexsei was on his side… He was here to rescue Koaru, and in so doing, save Laiko from an incomprehensible magnitude of suffering. But at what cost…? The assassin had sinned, true… He had shot Koaru, Laiko’s beloved friend, and Laiko would never forgive him for that, but-

He couldn’t do it.
He couldn’t just watch the man die… All alone… With nobody to hold on to…

His decision was made, and though Laiko knew that it was the wrong one, he knew also that he could not live with himself after making the right one. Thus, he bowed his head down toward Koaru’s. His soft blond hair fell forward until the tips gently brushed Koaru’s own damp hair. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, his lips inches from Koaru’s ear, and his warm breath softly caressing the silky smooth skin of his neck.
With that, Laiko slowly lowered Koaru to the ground, placing him down gently, and got to his feet. His legs cramped, and it felt as though his muscles were screaming in protest as he began to walk. Every step he took was punctuated with a heartbeat, and each step away from Koaru caused his heart to beat more frantically, more desperately, as though determined to escape from its cage of muscle and bone to stay with his friend, where it belonged.
Yet Laiko pressed on, despite the pain. He paused when he neared Alexsei, coming to a standstill. With his eyes still trained on the ground, and the shadow of his hair hiding them, Laiko addressed Alexsei. “Thank you.” He murmured quietly, “And I’m sorry… All of this was my fault. I shan’t begrudge you, nor attempt to stop you, if you decide to take my life.”
With those sombre words, Laiko walked on – his footsteps echoing with eerily even in the din of the pouring rain.
Finally, Laiko reached the man’s side. He knelt beside him, and covered the cold, stiff hand with his own. “It isn’t fair that you have to die.” He murmured quietly, his eyes glistening with a fresh batch of tears. “You wouldn’t have had to come here if it wasn’t for me… I’m sure of it. You shouldn’t have had to die for my mistakes…” The tears were falling in earnest now, freezing upon touching the cold corpse beside him. His voice cracked, yet he pressed on regardless. “If there was something I could do… Any way at all… I would trade places with you now, and accept the death that was rightfully mine.” The nobility of his words was ruined somewhat by the strangled sobs that declared them, and Laiko’s tears began to fall faster.
Then, suddenly, shock dried Laiko’s tears and silenced his sobs as a bright green light began radiating from his body. Startled by the sudden appearance of the strange light, Laiko gasped and tried to pull back from the man – but his hand was fixed to the corpse as though by glue. And through it, he could feel his energy flowing… Gradually weakening him… His eyelids flickered, and Laiko stopped fighting the pull. With each minute that the light blazed from him, his head sunk gradually lower and his thoughts began to cloud over.

What was this…? Why was this happening…? He didn’t understand… Yet somehow, from some distance part of his mind, he thought that, just maybe, he remembered this.

(Urgh…. sorry very sucky post) *Dies from shame*
(Hope you can work with this somehow, I may have rushed it off a bit)

Koaru felt a warm tear trickle down his cheek as Laiko’s bowed forehead gently met with his own in a moment of understanding and forgiveness. Koaru felt as though he had lost himself completely in Laiko’s gesture, he felt overwhelmed, pained and cold….yet that was not all, there was also warmth, compassion and friendship. It was all so confusing, yet it made perfect sense.
Laiko’s whispered words seemed to dance along the surface of Koaru’s pale, delicate neck before eventually entering his ears. Once the words had reached him, the lavender haired teen simply shook his head in subtle discord before replying in a weakened tone, “No… don’t be”
He couldn’t help but stare pleadingly into the Blonde’s eyes, begging for him to stay even though he knew he wouldn’t.
Koaru slowly closed his soft grey eyes; he tried but couldn’t stay awake any longer, the wound had drained to much blood.
The last thing he had felt had been Laiko’s warm arms slowly unravelling themselves from his body, then the gentle touch of cold stone beneath his back.

Alexsei watched Laiko cautiously out of the corner of his icy gaze, a sudden sensation of mistrust tainted his features. Laiko; this boy whom he had met earlier today….he did not trust him. He was not sure why, but perhaps the reason would come soon enough.
The slate haired boy felt his body instinctively tense as Laiko stood up and slowly began to approach him. Each step the blonde had taken made the Russian more defensibly aggressive and when Laiko eventually came to a standstill before him, a long silence followed. The Russian examined Laiko as he had done before when they first met; he remained completely silent as the boy began to speak. Each word uttered by the blonde seemed to remind Alexsei of a far-off memory, the memory had become fuzzy over the years but he could still remember it’s events well.
Once Laiko had reached the frozen corpse and knelt beside it, Alexsei’s memory cleared completely and he was cruelly reminded of how his younger brother, Kai had taken the side of his bastard of a grandfather. He snarled upon thinking about his Grandfather, that man was the reason why he was the way he was….cold and bitter, yet still his own brother had sided with him instead of Alexsei.
He stared icily at Laiko’s compassionate gesture towards the assassin, he felt betrayed and instantly related Laiko with his younger brother Kai. Both didn’t seem to understand the black and white areas of life. One was either good or evil, there was no grey area, you were only on one side and therefore help only your allies, this is what Alexsei had believed.

A sudden glow of green light caught his eye as he focused once again on the situation before him. Laiko was doing something and whatever it was it was reviving the assassin Alexsei has supposedly killed. The frozen corpse was slowly but surely becoming fleshly once again. The Russian didn’t like this one bit and he felt a sudden burst of anger rake his body causing him to clutch his fists until they became white at the knuckles. He approached Laiko murderously, each step leaving behind an icy trail of dagger sharp icicles. Once he had come near enough, he stopped walking altogether. The assassin’s breathing had become normal again and Alexsei waited patiently to see what would happen next, though he already knew how their kind would react.
Once the assassin had opened his eyes, he breathed calmly for a few seconds before allowing the reality of his current situation to sink in. Instinctively he panicked at the sight of Laiko’s green energy and as a result shoved the blonde away from his still aching body. Alexsei remained motionless as he continued to watch the assassin with sharp eyes. The assassin growled at Laiko making sure that the blonde understood that he was ready at anytime to kill who so ever dared to attack him. Alexsei’s steely eyes met with the cocky ones of the assassin and the two simply stared at each other. The assassin felt a spear a hate cut through him as he recognized the Russian as a threat. He spat mockingly at Alexsei before fingering a hidden dagger in his pocket. The Russian snarled fiercely as the sticky blood filled salvia stood out on his pale cheek, he spoke threaten “You dare to mock me, and here I thought you’d be a little more grateful.” The assassin clenched his teeth as his hand gripped the hidden dagger tightly. He made a sudden cutting movement towards Alexsei, but was instantly pinned by the Russian. The assassin cried out as Alexsei froze the man’s hand before crushing the frozen flesh into beautiful fragments of ice. The Russian’s hair now shadowed his own eyes as he spoke, “Consider yourself lucky, I won’t kill you….but once that stump defrosts the blood loss should do it for me.”
The Russian turned sharply towards Laiko and in a single movement slapped the boy across his tear stained face, he pulled away, “Tell me….who’s side do you want to be on….will you choose them or us. You can sit here in the cold and think about for all I care….but I’m going back to school and I’m taking Koaru with me.”
Once the Russian had finished speaking he moved away from Laiko and slowly perhaps even fearfully headed towards Koaru. His heart was now in his throat, as his steps gradually quickened. Once he had reached the feminine boy he silently knelt beside him, his cold hands brushing a strand of damp purple hair away from Koaru’s face. He felt a sense of relief pass through him at the sight of Koaru’s rising chest, he was still breathing and that was all that mattered. Alexsei carefully cradled his arms around Koaru’s limp body before slowly lifting him into his arms. The Russian stood with Koaru protectively cradled against his warm chest, he then slowly walked towards the familiar figure of Principal Hayden.

Just as Laiko felt his consciousness begin to fail him, a loud yell shattered his stupor, and he felt himself shoved roughly backwards. He hit the ground hard, landing with a muffled thump. He groaned softly, but remained motionless – too weary to move, even to see what had become of the assassin. The man he had accidentally saved… Though he did not regret it. Why should he die? He was only doing his job, right…?
Painstakingly slowly, Laiko raised his throbbing head to take in the situation – only to see the assassin spit ungraciously at Alexsei. Anger flashed through him for a moment, and Laiko thrust himself to his feet and stared down at the assassin in complete indignation. How dare he? How dare he disrespect Alexsei so after they had spared his life?!
Laiko felt his hands tighten into fists at his sides and he clenched his jaws tightly together – the muscles in his cheeks straining with the pressure of his bite. There was no excuse for such ungraciousness… It was not to be forgiven. Yet it was not his duty to punish it, so what was he to do…? How many times had he asked himself that question recently? Everything was just too confusing… Every fleeting action like a soap bubble slipping through his fingers… And those few he could grasp simply exploded in his clutches and were ruined – like now. A deserved justice had been done unto this ungrateful swine and he, Laiko, had reversed said justice. Admittedly, it had been an accident, but he knew painfully well that – if given the choice – he’d have done exactly the same thing if he had known how. The fact that the power had slipped his mind was no excuse… It was his intentions which counted – and those had obviously been flawed.

Laiko stared unseeingly at the scene unfolding before his eyes. Alexsei freezing the assassin’s hand, muttering some icy parting words, then leaving the pathetic man writhing in pain without a backward glance.
He was moving toward Laiko now – stepping with cool deliberation that made Laiko feel uneasy, as though he were in the presence of a great king with naught to show for himself but the clothes on his back. The aura of Alexsei’s callous fury was palpable, and Laiko could have sworn he felt it burning like liquid nitrogen. Gooseflesh crept over his skin, and Laiko rubbed his arms vigorously to rid himself of it.
Alexsei… The man he respected like no other, for reasons he did not yet understand.
How could he explain?
No – he would not explain, for anything he said would be naught but a plaintive excuse, and he did not want to excused, nor forgiven, nor pitied.
Squaring his shoulders, Laiko prepared himself to hear Alexsei out, and take what he could from it. This was what he needed… No matter what happened, he had to learn from this! His fists clenched tighter, and a droplet of sweat trickled from his clammy palms to escape the tightly interlocked fingers and fall to the floor.

Before Laiko knew what was happening, Alexsei’s cold palm had struck his face powerfully. He felt the force of the blow reverberate right down his spine, yet he did not allow himself to stagger – merely flinching slightly away from the blow, yet not allowing his head to turn. He may have destroyed all respect for himself with his foolish actions – never mind Alexsei’s respect for him, if indeed any had been there from the start… But he still had some pride – and some long forgotten priority demanded that he cling to it with the last ounce of strength in his soul. Clenching his jaw tighter until his teeth crunched together, Laiko let his innocent green gaze flicker to Alexsei’s face – his eyes steeling with determination as the boy began to speak. “Tell me….who’s side do you want to be on….will you choose them or us. You can sit here in the cold and think about for all I care….but I’m going back to school and I’m taking Koaru with me.” The words stung more than any slap ever could, and Laiko felt himself flinch away from Alexsei’s harsh tone despite his best efforts to hold his ground.
His resolve was crumbling, the determination falling away like a fleeting glance of sunlight on a rainy day…

Alexsei was right. This was war…He had to pick a side and support it with undivided loyalty. He had to kill or be killed… He had to survive, or risk letting his friends down.
This was no gym class.
No history class.
No playground game…
This was real life, and in the real world there was no option to ‘try again later’. This was his only life… His only chance. The friends he had made – if he lost them, he would never get them back, and it was up to him to see that they made it through each battle, be it literal or metaphorical.

Finally, he understood!
Laiko straightened his back, slowly raising one fisted hand to brush a trickle of blood away from the corner of his mouth.
“Alexsei!” He called after the boy, his voice surprisingly strong, and holding an uncharacteristic sense of seriousness. A certain dignity, perhaps, that had not been there before.
“I’ve learned.” He stated simply, “I won’t repeat my mistakes. You may be assured of that.”
With that said, Laiko turned away – not waiting for an answer, since he did not believe he deserved one. He would prove his loyalty, and earn respect and forgiveness – all in good time. But for now… For now he would leave Alexsei be. He would miss Koaru. Already it felt as though some inexplicable force were tugging at his soul with the absence of his friend, but he trusted Alexsei to care for him – certainly better than Laiko could himself.

If he was going to survive in this world, he would have to get stronger. No more breaking down, no more falling apart… A faint smile curved Laiko’s lips, and he touched a hand tenderly to the reddened skin of his bruised cheek – souvenir of the lesson Alexsei had taught him. He would not let the boy’s efforts go to waste. Laiko’s smile widened at this thought, and he dropped his hand back to his side – starting to step forward in a determined stride. After a hit like that, Alexsei’s hand was probably stinging, too… Laiko was damn sure not going to waste that pain! In fact, he hoped that maybe he’d be granted the wisdom to return it one day… To grant Alexsei the very same blessing he had just been granted.
Knowledge.
To those too weak to handle it, it was a burden. To those who wished to grow stronger – there could be no greater blessing!
Gleeful determination flashed in Laiko’s eyes, and he stepped out faster – his mind flooded with his aspirations.
He would get stronger.
He would earn his place in this world.
He would get stronger…

Hehehehe I’m gonna be evil and jump to the next day if you don’t mind…*Grins*
I’ll start this day by using Kite ^_^, not going to bother with making a form for her, though I can if you want me too. OMG, I don’t think I gave you much to use here….*Hides under table*

The following day:

A short dark-haired girl suddenly opened her brightened Yellow eyes, she was a little surprised when she realized where she was, but before she could fully comprehend her reality she turned to face the nurse who had just woken her up. The nurse held a youthful appearance enhanced by bouncy locks of blond hair and a sweet smile which played harmoniously on her lips. The little dark haired girl beamed up at the nurse in an impish way, everything about the way she moved and smiled implied mischief and endless trouble.
The nurse cleared her throat nervously before continuing her examination of the queer girl, “Miss Kite Arethusa….How are you feeling today….WAIT what are you doing???” she exclaimed in slight horror.

Kite jumped out of bed with a small spark of enthusiastic energy. Her legs wobbled horribly for a few seconds as she tried to regain her balance. She grinned rather proudly at the nurse, “Look I can STAND!!!!, Can you stand? Bet you can cause…well your doing it right now. Hehehe for a moment I thought I had lost my balance completely…Yes that would have sucked because I’m really bad at finding stuff….like houses, books, plates of food, pencils, cats, my brush…”
The nurse looked at Kite with a clearly worried and confused expression on her pretty face, “Miss Kite, please your not supposed to be running around yet, you have a very bad concussion.”
Kite stared brightly at the nurse before tilting her head in obvious confusion, “Huh? What’s a concussion……is it some kind of animal...Ooooooh wait I get it...it’s a life threatening slug with a fetish for purple daisies.”
The nurse rolled her eyes in annoyance before rubbing at her temples in a desperate attempt to relieve any stress caused by Kite. She then slowly took the liberty of explaining what a concussion really was and why it was important for Kite lie down and rest. Kite, who understood very little hospital slang, simply nodded as nurse finished her detailed explanation.
“So….I’m sick?...I don’t feel very sick, Are Sure I’m sick?...Hmmmm Can I still have a slug?” she asked in complete innocence.
The nurse slapped her palm to her face in simple defeat; she was not going to get through to this girl and she now knew that. She sighed deciding it best to change the subject since there would no logical conclusion to it, “May I be so kind as to ask HOW did you even get such a severe concussion?, you do know you’ve been out for three days straight right?”

The little dark haired girl thought this through carefully allowing the nurses words to really sink in, Three days….three was a number…Three days, “OH MY GOSH!!, THREE DAYS?!... Three days of my precious life, it’s GONE, Gone forever!!!.....Noooooo!, I wasted them by sleeping.” She wailed in distress.
The nurse moved cautiously to Kite’s side, she would need to calm her down before she woke up every person in the hospital wing, “ Um, you didn’t tell me how it happened yet?”

Kite looked up from her watery red eyes, making sure as to face the nurse before she explained her story, “Ah that’s right I didn’t did I….Hehehe let me try to remember…..Well I do remember running, Yes I was running very fast...GO ME!! Run faster!!.... I think I was racing against a boy, can’t really remember his name but I think it started with an M…Anyway we where running through the school garden and I decided to take my secret shortcut through the hedge area.” She stopped, making sure as to take in a huge gulp of air before continuing her strange story. “Um yes the hedge, well once I ran through it I accidently tripped over this fluffy white THING….and from what I can remember afterwards I some how managed to hit my head on a rock…..I may…not entirely sure if I did, but some how I think I may have also managed rolled into a bush of poison oak….Oh I just realized that may be why I’m so froging itchy.”
The nurse shook her head in disbelief before raising her voice so that Kite’s attention could be focused, “Miss Kite, first of all please reframe yourself from scratching those poison oak rashes…second of all, you must get back into bed immediately…If you don’t I’ll call the doctor and ask him to give you an injection.”

At these words Kite flinched, an injection sounded painful and possibly best avoided. She slumped her shoulders in defeat before slowly climbing back into bed. Though sleep was another thing entirely and Kite would not waste her hours in bed sleeping.

Koaru who happened to be in the neighbouring bed parallel to Kite’s, had woken up from the queer and unusually loud conversation. He shifted uncomfortably before fingering the area of the gunshot wound. The feminine teen flinched slightly, the wound was still tender, but most of it had been healed. He suddenly found himself wondering who had healed him, but sighed at his own stupidity...after all he was in a school that specialized in people with unusual abilities.