Re: Polo! (how many RPs do you do at any one time? xD)

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((My brain went spazzy... And came up with a LOAD of I don't know what. O.o
Typing the start of that was so strange... XD Haha! Poor little Kougu is so pathetically innocent that I was feeling guilty about typing about a little peck on the cheek... *Coughs* I tend to take on my character's emotions sometimes, and I was getting such extreme nervous vibes from the little Kougu in my head that I could barely type! The poor thing.
And poor Charlie putting up with him... My oh my, what will we do with them? :3 ))

Charlie stopped the same moment he did, and it seemed to Kougu that time began to drag on slower and slower the longer they sat there, simply staring at each other. He felt his tension mounting rapidly, his shoulders gradually creeping up toward his neck as the muscles tightened automatically. His eyes were locked with hers, and soon enough he began to feel trapped, and reverted back to his old way of thinking.
Too close… This is dangerous… I have to get away.
Yet still, his body refused to co-operate with his mind. He couldn’t budge an inch. So instead, he merely stared at Charlie – his expression hovering in an uncomfortable place between affection and nervousness. His breath was getting shallower now, and he heard his heart pounding in his eardrums, and wondered if perhaps he might pass out.
Judging by the quickness of Charlie’s breaths, she was feeling much the same.
He was almost beginning to panic, when finally, Charlie said something to break the awful silence.

“Can I have my heart back, please?”
Her words registered somewhere in the back of his mind – obviously not a good place – since he didn’t seem to hear the giggle that went with them.
Instead, He felt his shoulders – which had climbed right up to his neck with tension – drop slowly back to their normal position as a feeling somewhere between shock and despair ran through him.
What exactly was she saying…? What did she mean when she said ’Can I have my heart back’?
It seemed to him… Unless he had misunderstood the metaphor… That she was revoking her declaration of love?
Yes, from what he had heard in the past – somebody was said to ‘give their heart’ to another when they fell in love. Kougu had been appalled when he first heard this, but thankfully he had soon learned that the meaning was not literal.
But that was beside the point… If what he had heard was true, then Charlie was asking to take back her love.
The thought sent a jolt of fear through him, and Kougu finally began to pull away from Charlie. But before he had moved more than an inch, she leaned in toward him, her lips brushing against his nose as she made to kiss his cheek.
He almost jumped in surprise, having come to terms so quickly with the prospect or any sort of love between them – if that was indeed what this was – coming to an abrupt halt.
But of course, once again, he had misunderstood what Charlie had said.
He could still feel her lips against his cheek, and though Kougu felt tension and nervousness building up rapidly in him, he thought back to what Charlie had said before – trying to find where his calculations had gone wrong.
“Can I have my heart back, please?”… She had said it with a giggle.
She was laughing…
She was smiling.
She was… Joking.
Kougu was so relieved that he almost laughed out loud – but the laugh vanished instantly as he felt Charlie’s lips leave his cheek, her soft brown hair tickling his face as she moved toward his neck.
He was visited by a powerful desire to shove her away and scramble as far from her as he could – or just to get up and flee the room. But he couldn’t, even if he had wanted to. He was so tense, and so nervous that he could barely move.
What am I so scared of…? He wondered as tried desperately hard not to start trembling with what could only be considered as fear – bizarre as it seemed, even to him.
I’m perfectly sane right now, and my father thinks I’m dead… Now is one of the few times when I’m actually not a danger to Charlie, so what the Hell is bothering me this time?
He turned his head slightly, keeping a wary eye on Charlie and trying hard not to pull away from her as she began to kiss his neck – just slightly. The first time, he almost flinched, but the more he thought about it, the more he gradually began to calm down.
I’ve got nothing to worry about. He assured himself, This is what people are supposed to do. It’s normal… There’s no reason for me to freak out.
She kissed his neck again, and this time he relaxed slightly – turning his head just a little to feel her hair against his cheek. It smelled like her. It was frightening, but in some way comforting at the same time, feeling so close to Charlie.
He found it unfathomable to think that, just a few short weeks ago, he hadn’t even met her.
Now, terrifying as she may have been, he couldn’t imagine life without her.

Finally unfrozen, and calm – except for the mad hammering of his heart – Kougu managed a weak smile, and coaxed his limp hand to give Charlie’s a gentle squeeze.

“There,” ((Would you believe I copy-pasted that one word? -_- *Dies* Lazy, or what? XD)) She whispered, finally easing away after a few brief seconds that felt like an eternity – yet only far enough to rest her forehead against his. “That's all you're getting until I've seen you sleep.”
Kougu smiled, one corner of his mouth lifting, and his eyes meeting Charlie’s, and surprisingly managing to hold her gaze with relative calmness. “That’s all I can take.” He admitted with a slight chuckle. “This is going to take some getting used to…” He trailed off, another tentative smile lifting his lips as he leaned his forehead lightly against Charlie’s. He hoped she knew what ‘this’ was supposed to be, because he sure didn’t. He supposed he would just have to follow her lead, and one day he would get used to being near her – perhaps even kissing her – without feeling like the world was going to end.
“I’ll get there…” He mumbled, mostly to himself.
Charlie pulled away then, dropping one final kiss on his forehead. He closed his eyes momentarily to accept it, then glanced up at her with a tentative smile – somewhat grateful, but hesitantly so, as though he was unsure of how to react, which indeed he was.
“You need rest.”
Oh, shoot, she had been serious about that ‘sleep’ thing?!
Kougu leaned away from her slightly, a faint frown creasing his pale features. “No…” He began, an innocent expression erasing his frown as he struggled to find a way to object without lying.
Gosh, why was it so difficult to think after losing half the blood in one’s body?!
“No-“ He attempted again, “I mean, I do, but-“
“Just an hour or so, and I'll be happy. I promise you, this can continue once I've seen you sleep. I'll be right beside you.” Her words overrode his objections, and Kougu understood that the situation was not up for discussion. He simply had to accept that, this time, Charlie knew best.
But… What exactly was going to continue…?
“I promise.” She finished, dropping one final kiss on his forehead.
Oooh… That was going to continue. Well, he wasn’t entirely sure if his heart could take much more of ‘that’. But at the same time, these… ‘Intimate moments’ with Charlie were precious to him. He relished them, no matter how frightened and confused he became every time he ventured just a little out of his usual comfort zone. Was he supposed to await this promised ‘continuation’ with dread, or with anticipation? He honestly didn’t know, so he decided to regard it from a neutral point of view – convincing himself that he didn’t have an opinion, rather than trying to decide on one.
“Okay.” He murmured softly, placidly agreeing – since he sensed this was not an argument he was going to win, in any case.
“But you don’t have to stay with me. You could use a rest yourself, I’m sure, and I’ll be fine…”
He fell silent, stroking his thumb briefly over Charlie’s hand – then feeling a spike of timidity, and slipping his hand out of her grip.
He slid down in his bed, pulling the covers to his chin and turning away.

He closed his eyes a moment, trying to sleep, but they were open again a second later, though he had no memory of opening them. He didn’t want to sleep… To sleep would mean to dream, and he didn’t want to face that… Since he had met Charlie, the memories had been haunting him less and less. He feared that he might have become too soft to deal with them…
Shaking aside his doubts, Kougu closed his eyes again – only to have them spring open. He repeated a few more of these failed attempts, then finally gave up.
Grumbling irritably, he leaned over toward his bedside table – his face rapidly turning a delicate shade of green as the pain that came with the action struck him, but he clenched his jaw, and refused to show any hint of pain in his expression.
It was always like this… He pushed himself too far out of his comfort zone, and it caused him to regress, hiding behind walls he had long since bashed down.

Fingers closing around the handle, Kougu pulled open the drawer of his bedside table. The contents were ordinary – for him, anyway. A small pistol, a Japanese puzzle box, and a tub of pills. This was what he snatched out of the drawer – shaking a single pill into the palm of his hand.
He closed the tub, then popped it back into the drawer and slammed it shut.
Lying back slowly, Kougu dropped the pill into his mouth and swallowed it – then lay back and forced himself to relax while he waited for the pain to ebb away.
Once it left him, he became aware of a dull tingling in his hand. At first, he couldn’t quite work out the reason for it – but it finally struck him that he missed feeling Charlie’s hand clasped in his. He wanted to take her hand again… But he denied himself the comfort – rolling over and closing his eyes.
He waited, and waited for sleep to besiege him, but finally it came, dragging him mercifully from reality.
He went limp as his tense muscles slackened, and his breathing steadied.

He rested, but it was a light and fretful sleep. He was constantly jerking awake – eyes stretched wide and glassy with panic for just a moment, then he would mutter something, and drift off into sleep once more. Every time he woke, he shook with feverish chills – and a clammy feeling stole over him from the cold sweat breaking out on his brow.
The nightmares teased and haunted him, but there was simply no escaping them. Again, and again he was reminded of the sins he had committed. Of the brutal murder of those he held most dear…
They were the same old dreams – horrific as ever, but not unexpected…
Until, suddenly, something changed. It was as though a switch in his mind had flicked, and suddenly – the nightmare took on a new form…


It was that same white room. White carpet, white walls… No windows. In fact, judging by the lack of light, the room should have been dark. By all laws of science, there should have been darkness where light was absent – yet there wasn’t. It was as though the white was so bright that it became its own light source. It was an impossibility, of course, yet somehow – it was true.
Kougu stood in the centre of the room, staring slowly around him – and hearing that strange sound of rushing air in his ears that he had come to recognise as the sound of approaching death.
In his hand, he held a gun, and in the calm state of mind that he was in, he knew that using it would be no more difficult than flicking a light switch.
To test his theory, he pulled the trigger. It felt so right in his hand… Like an extension of his arm. The trigger folded obediently beneath his finger, and a thrill of adrenaline darted up his arm as the bullet fired from the gun. It was a sensation smooth as liquid silk, and Kougu felt a satisfied smile slowly lifting his lips as he heard the soft thud of the metal bullet sinking into soft flesh.
This sound was followed by a pained cry in a familiar voice he did not quite recognise at first, and Kougu felt his grin widen. It felt so good… To kill like this again. To release all that built up emotion…

He laughed – a cruel, satanistic laugh – and slowly walked toward the opposite end of the room, where his victim was struggling to crawl up the white wall away from him, as lame and helpless as an ant with its legs ripped off.
As Kougu stepped nearer, he fired another shot – and the bullet hit its mark with the most satisfying of crunches, shattering bones beneath flesh. The scream that it ripped from the lips of his victim brought him a sort of savage pleasure that he had never before felt the likes of.
The girl was whimpering pathetically now – ceasing her struggles to escape, and curling in a submissive ball at his feet. With a cruel smirk, he kicked her – the toe of his shoe catching her so sharply in the ribs that blood flew from her lips as she skidded over the carpet away from him – leaving a trail of crimson that split the sickening whiteness.
That was no good… She had made a mess, and that was against the rules of his game. He would have to punish her.
So Kougu walked over to the girl, grabbed a handful of her thick, brown hair – and lifted her limp form into a standing position. Plaintive whimpers escaped her trembling lips, but they only made him enjoy himself all the more. He laughed as the familiar green eyes stared disbelievingly at him, glistening with tears of betrayal.

In the strange way of dreams, Kougu found a hammer and nails suddenly in his free hand.
Racing forward, he slammed his victim against the wall, feeling the blood that burst from her mouth spatter over his face.
He lifted the hammer, and placed the first nail carefully against her hand.
Slowly, painstakingly, he straightened it – then began tapping it through her flesh and into the white wall behind. He repeated this with each hand and foot, then stepped back to admire his handiwork. The girl had been screaming all the while, but now her head lolled limply on her neck, and the only sounds coming from her were dull moans of suffering.
Kougu frowned, tapping his chin thoughtfully, and considered the positioning of her limbs. It was soon decided that her right arm was too low, so he stepped forward to correct it – ripping the nail slowly out of her flesh, then repositioning her arm, and hammering it through again. He felt the bones of her hand splinter beneath the blows from his hammer – and her groaning escalated, hurriedly becoming more pained and desperate.
When he was finally content with his scurrilous deed, he stepped back – then reached out one arm, and pressed his pale palm to the wall beside the girl’s bleeding figure. With a wave of his arm, he sent the room spinning – feeling a sickening dizziness spread over him as the girl spun before him. He took the remainder of the nails in his hand, and slowly began throwing them at her as one might in a game of darts. The flick of his wrist was so powerful that each nail embedded itself in flesh.
The girl’s screams filled the room – echoing off the walls and flooding his mind with the cruel thrill of inducing suffering.
Finally, with a cruel laugh, he threw the last nail. With the girl’s mouth open in a scream, the nail soared right through – piercing the back of her head, and pinning her cracked skull to the wall.
She never finished that final scream, for at that moment, Charlie went limp.

The apparition ended abruptly as Kougu managed to wake himself. He sat bolt upright with a gasp – his eyes wide in horror. He was shaking in earnest now – trembling so violently that he could feel blood dripping from his wounds beneath his bandages.
His senses were delayed, and he glanced around the room so rapidly that his eyes didn’t have time to adjust – resulting in him feeling blinded.
“Charlie?!” He tried to shout, but it was as through his throat was sewed shut. He couldn’t make a sound.
Biting his tongue viciously to get his own attention, Kougu tried again.
“Charlie…?” He asked weakly, blinking slowly as his eyes began to adjust. “Charlie!!” This time his voice was barely below a shout, and panic was evident in his tone.
Please… He begged silently, Please say that it was just a dream. Please say that it wasn’t real. Please… Please, please, please…
This can’t be happening.
Not again…
No, no, no, no, no…

[Dreambug]

((Gone into another musical mood. Sorry... ))

Kougu paused for a brief moment, seemingly hesitant to agree with him. I raised an eyebrow expectantly. Out of the whole time I'd known him, I'd not seen him sleep properly once. Not once. Besides, out of all the times he'd been injured in that one week, he needed sleep to heal. I didn't really care how much he had, but just giving him chance to lay his head down and relax would make me happy. He deserved it. It would be aweful of me to not let him have this one chance to rest.
Even if he didn't want to.
His well-being mattered more to me than his opinions on what he did.
Okay, perhaps my 'bribing' hadn't gone quite to plan. I'd made him uncomfortable, and I didn't doubt that I would. But I'd sensed the tension in his neck as I kissed him, just lightly. It would be a long time before I'd be able to do that and have him totally relaxed at something as simple as that. The problem was, I feared we didn't have that much time left. If Kougu kept going the way he was, if he kept the thought of killing his father then himself in his head, I wouldn't be able to stop him. Not if he had his mind made up.
That meant I'd have to make the most of the time we had together. But I wasn't going to enjoy having him with me when he was in the state that he was. He needed rest, and I was sure to let him know that nothing would change my mind.
“Okay,” To my surprise and utter relief, he agreed. “But you don’t have to stay with me. You could use a rest yourself, I’m sure,” Okay, that was true. Honestly, I was exhausted. But I wouldn't let myself rest until I knew for sure that he was asleep.
“and I’ll be fine… ”
“Yeah,” I replied softly with a hint of a smile teasing my lips. “You'd better be.”
And with that, he pulled the covers over himself and turned over.
I watched him, my eyes flooded with awe. A part of me wished he hadn't turned over, just so I could see his face in a completely calm state, just once. I even wondered whether to walk round the bed to catch a glimpse from that angle, but decided if he opened his eyes and saw me staring at him he'd would probably be a little bit uncomfortable to say the least. So instead, I shook my head turned my back and headed for the door. “Goodnight, Kougu.” I muttered, before closing the door and leaving the room.

Mum was asleep on the sofa – again. I used a bed sheet from the cupboard outside the bathroom and threw it over her to keep her warm. I then spent the next half hour wandering around the house, keeping myself busy; washing, drying and stacking away dishes, wiping surfaces, turning off mains switches. Eventually, I ran out of steam and stood in the centre of the living room, panting, hands on hips. The only sound besides my heavy breathing was the gentle snoring of mum on the sofa. All the street lights were shining dimly through the blackout curtains, but it was evident the sun was far from ready to rise.
Kougu was right. I needed rest.
But where was there for me to sleep?
I glanced over at the chair beside the television, debating on whether or not to grab a blanket and curl up in there. It was definitely warm when it wanted to be. And comfy.
No. No, I needed to keep an eye on Kougu.
So, grabbing a cushion, I left the living room and wandered back into Kougu's room, leaving the door an inch or two open to let the air in. I stood a foot or so away from the bed, the cushion hanging loosely in one hand and wearing the face of a child that had lost it's mother in a supermarket.
There was absolutely nowhere – other than the bed – to sleep. But I was sure Kougu wouldn't be in the best of moods if he woke up to see me curled up next him. Somehow, I couldn't see it working al all.
But where could I sleep?
Deciding I might as well plonk myself anywhere, I sat on the floor on the small piece of wall beside the door and rested my back up against the wall. I had my knees up against my chest, hugged the cushion, closed my eyes and drifted off into a light sleep.

I slept surprisingly well for a few solid hours, although I had woken up once feeling cold from the breeze coming from outside the door. I didn't dream, either. I just... Slept. It must have been something to do with being so tired, my brain didn't have the energy to go through the bother of teasing me and messing with my memories. But when I finally had properly managed to sink into a calm, deep sleep, I began hearing a voice.
“Charlie...”
Charlie...
Charlie...
Charlie...
“Charlie...?”
Charlie...
Charlie...
Charlie...
“Kougu...” I mumbled quietly, hugging the cushion tighter and tighter in my arms. It felt just like him: warm, but not as warm as the average human being. Not physically warm, but far more heart warming than a crackling fire in on a cold, winter's day. “Kougu...”
“Charlie?!”

“Huh?” I awoke with a jolt, my eyes feeling like they had been dressed in thick, sticky syrup. They just wouldn't open fast enough...
I blinked a few times, the voice beginning to sound clearer in my head.
Oh wait, that wasn't my head.
“Kougu?” He was sat up in bed,eyes wide in terror. I wasn't close to him at all, but I could see the sweat shining from his brow. He was shivering. The poor guy must have had a nightmare.
Dizzy, I rubbed my eyes and crawled to the bed, pulling myself to my feet and slumping into a sit on the bed beside him. I, too, was shivering. But that was because I was cold. He was sweating, too, and he didn't look well. “Kougu... Kougu, it's alright. I'm right here.”
Frowning, I studied his face for a moment, deciding after a moment's thought that he needed more than reassurance from me. “I'll be back in a minute.” I muttered, before rushing to the bathroom. I grabbed a flannel and dampened it with cold water then filled a small, plastic cup with some more water and scuttled back into his room, placing the cup soundlessly on his bedside table. I sat back in my place and gently took his hand, pressing the flannel over the veins on his wrist. It was an old trick I'd been taught back in school on one of the free day-out school trips to a zoo around thirty miles away. It had been a boiling day and I'd got heat stroke during the visit. The teacher had sat me down and poured water over my wrists to cool me down.
Okay, so this wasn't heat stroke, but it was worth a shot.
I handed him the cloth – since I was sure he wouldn't be in the mood for me to touch him much more again, and gestured for him to lie down. “Dab you're forehead with this. You look like someone's left you out in the rain for too long.” I whispered with a light-hearted smile.
After a few brief moments, I wiped my dry eyes once more and gazed out the window, where the sun was just creeping up behind the hills. It probably wasn't even 4AM yet. I turned back to Kougu. “Just lie down and rest your head. You don't have to sleep if you don't want to, but we both know you still need the rest. In fact...”
I paused thoughtfully, then gently pressed my hips against his to gesture for him to move over a bit. “Budge up.” I whispered.
I managed to get enough room so that I could rest one leg on the bed, and let the other hanging over the side. I hugged one knee and pulled it close to my chest.
I needed to calm him down.
But how the hell could I do that properly, without actually touching him?

When I was younger, before the accident I used to have a lot of nightmares, mostly because I was an extremely light sleeper. What my mum and dad did to calm me down was to sing to me.
It started off as just lullabies, then they started singing songs they liked. Dad loved country, and Rascal Flatts were one of his favourite country bands of his time. He found singing those to me generally helped me sleep because the lyrics to the songs he sang were just as comforting as any child's lullaby.
So that's what I did.
I sang.

((Okay,. I know the whole 'I won't let you go' thing is becoming a bit of a cliché, but I promise you, this song is cute. It's country too, and it's quite slow, but if you ever have the chance to listen to it, please do. It's gorgeous ^_^))

It’s like a storm
That cuts a path
It’s breaks your will
It feels like that
You think your lost
But your not lost on your own
Your not alone

I will stand by you
I will help you through
When you’ve done all you can do
If you can’t cope
I will dry your eyes
I will fight your fight
I will hold you tight

And I won't let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
Your gonna make it
Yeah, I know you can make it...

It took me a moment or two to realise I'd grabbed the sheets of the duvet with tightly clenched fists and knotted my fingers within them, pulling them to my body. Of course, I was still sat upright, but the lyrics, instead of being sung to comfort Kougu, they had got to me, instead. I should have sung another song. I should have sung one that was totally irrelevent, then I wouldn't be crying...
Wait.
Wait.
I was crying?! Why? What did I have to cry about, now?
Then I noticed. 'I will hold you tight and I won't let go.' That was exactly what I wished I could to do Kougu. It's what I'd wanted to do all along to show him that I loved him.
'I won't let you go...'
Damn it. Why did I have to be so dramatic? I wiped a tear roughly from my face, feeling my nails pressing deeply against the skin in my palms. Although cushioned by the sheet, I feared they would dig in sooner or later. But they had tensed so much I couldn't seem to release them.
Damn...

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((YAY! XD Haha! Awesome post! And that song is very cute! I must remember to listen to it. I'll download it tomorrow when I type up my reply... Haha!
Speaking of which, we need to start thinking up twists again before we get stuck. O.o I've currently got nothing, but I'm sure I'll come up with something... I have to start writing my ideas down so I don't forget them! XD Haha!))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((I did come up with a twist idea, but I can't quite decide if it will work or not, so I may decide to bail later. ))

”Kougu?”
He heard his name even through his panic, and his head jerked around. The edges of his vision blurred, and everything seemed to move in slow motion. It was like a bad imitation of a high in an old fashioned video game. Every second, his heart throbbed in his chest, and his vision would blur and darken as though he was about to black out. Then the very next moment, it would return to normal again, and his panic would escalate.
His dark eyes darted around wildly – pupils dilating in panic as he searched unseeingly for Charlie, muttering her name over and over without even realizing it. “Charlie… Charlie…” His sweat-glistening lips trembled with every whisper that passed them. In fact, he was shaking and sweating so violently that he appeared to be having some sort of fit.
He felt the bed dip in beside him, and his head snapped around so quickly that it was as though somebody had whipped it around on a string.
His eyes widened, looking almost black with his dilated pupils. But when he managed to focus on Charlie, they shrank slowly back to their usual size. He blinked a few times, clearing his vision – the breathed a shaky sigh of relief, his entire body going limp as he realized that Charlie was, in fact, still in one piece.
The relief he felt at that moment was indescribable. It was the most painful and most wonderful thing he had ever felt… The fact that Charlie was sitting right there beside him, not nailed to a wall somewhere soaking in her own blood… For that fact, he could not possibly have been more grateful. In fact, if he had been able to move at all, he would have dropped to his knees there and then to thank a God he was not even sure he believed in for what had to be the greatest miracle the world had ever seen.
“Y-you’re alive.” He gasped shakily, reaching out toward Charlie’s face with trembling fingers – even though he had such severe double vision that there seemed to be five Charlies swimming in circles around him.
“I'll be back in a minute.”
Her voice echoed vaguely through the chasms of his mind, and Kougu felt terror erupt in him at the thought of letting her out of his sight. “N-no…” He gasped, making a grab for her wrist.
But it was too late, she was already gone.

It was only a second that Charlie was apart from him, though it felt like a hundred years. He was suffocating in the stench of his panic, and deafened by the thundering of his heart. He tried, and tried, but he just couldn’t calm himself. Every time he blinked, he saw that final nail penetrating Charlie’s skull. Bone splintering and blood gushing like a vile, sticky tidal wave from her lips as her broken head was pinned to the wall. He knew that it was not real, that it was only in his head, yet the ghost of the nightmare had burned itself onto his retinas – letting in the light like a moving design on some horrific, twisted Jack ’o Lantern.
He stretched his eyes wide, refusing to blink, and pressed his clammy palms to his forehead – feeling the squelching of cold sweat on his skin.
Finally, Kougu heard Charlie return to his side – though his sensory reception was so unbearably slow that he only registered her presence when he felt something icy pressed to his wrist. At first, he thought bizarrely of a razor blade, and jumped in shock – muttering incoherently. “N-no… Charlie… Not yet…”
But when the cold didn’t go away, and when the liquid trickling down his wrist felt cool and fresh, rather than warm and gluttonous, Kougu realised that he was letting his imagination run away with him.
Charlie would not bleed him to death… The very idea was preposterous.
Gradually, Kougu began taking deep, calming breaths – and the fog in his mind slowly cleared until he was able to think clearly again. He stared at Charlie in absolute horror, finding himself thinking terribly of what would have happened if the dream had been real, rather than being glad that it was just a figment of his imagination.
“Dab your forehead with this. You look like someone's left you out in the rain for too long.”
Charlie’s casual words and her lighthearted smile broke through Kougu’s despair, and he felt his racing heart gradually begin to slow. With a shuddering breath, he took the cloth from Charlie and pressed it to his forehead, then lay back as she instructed – feeling himself easing back into a sane state of mind.
He felt each muscle slowly release pockets of tension, like the air being released from a blow-up mattress. But just as he was finally starting to relax, Charlie’s hip bumped his.
He jumped in shock – almost sitting upright, but then overbalancing, since Charlie’s weight beside him caused the bed to dip in slightly.
Calming himself again, he scooted over slightly to make space for her – and focused on breathing regularly.
Breathe in: 1, 2, 3, 4…
Breathe out: 1, 2, 3 ,4…
In…
Out…
In…
Out…
And so it went for a while, the counting distracting him enough to keep him in his right mind.
Finally, he glanced toward Charlie, his expression softening as his eyes darted gratefully over her familiar face – committing every striking feature to memory.
It was as though she was back from the dead…
He was about to speak, about to start apologising for what he imagined he had done, when suddenly Charlie began to sing.

All thoughts if speech were drained from his mind, and Kougu relaxed completely as the calming melody washed over him – Charlie’s sweet voice soothing him from the inside out.
At first, he didn’t even hear the lyrics – so awe-struck was he by Charlie’s melodious voice – but as he heard a slight catch in her throat, and saw tears begin glistening in her eyes, he made a point of listening more closely.
…I will hold you tight
And I won't let you fall
Don’t be afraid to fall
I’m right here to catch you
I wont let you down
It wont get you down
You’re gonna make it
Yeah, I know you can make it...
Funny… It almost seemed that… She was singing those words to him, directly from her heart, meaning every one of them…
Kougu stared up at her in disbelief – comprehension finally starting to dawn on him at long, long last.
As he watched the tears streaming down her face, Kougu finally began to see what he should have seen all along: That the prospect of his death was as daunting for Charlie as hers was for him…
He had naturally assumed that, because he despised himself with such passion, Charlie could not possibly be too upset when he died.
But he had been wrong… What he had failed to see was that he was not the only one who felt the way he did. Just now, the thought of Charlie’s death had nearly driven him insane.
What must it be like for her knowing that he could suddenly decide to end his life at any moment?!
Why hadn’t he seen this before? How could he have been so insensitive as to think that the only person affected by his death would be himself. Hadn’t Charlie been telling him all along that she didn’t want him to go? How could he not have heard it… Until now?
“Charlie…” He whispered quietly, the tone of his voice treading uncertainly on the line between sympathy and apology.
“I… Didn’t know…”
His eyes followed Charlie’s tears as they trickled down her face and fell to the sheets, leaving tiny dark circles that slowly spread, then dried into nothingness. One fell onto Charlie’s clenched fist – clutching the sheet tightly beside him – and without a moment’s hesitance, Kougu reached out to it. He slipped his thumb into the tiny gap between Charlie’s fingers and her palm, and gently prised her clenched fist open before her fingernails could draw blood, just as his own had done on numerous occasions.
He closed his hand softly around hers, then pulled it slowly toward him – trying to distract Charlie from the evident tension that gripped her.
“I thought I lost you.” He whispered quietly, bring her hand nearer to him, then brushing his lips against it in a tiny kiss.
“I’m sorry I woke you… But I’ve never been so scared.”
He felt a jolt of trepidation at admitting to his fear, but it didn’t take him long to realise that there was no father around to beat him for his ‘mistake’. He didn’t need to hide his emotion from Charlie… She was not the enemy.
He inhaled, held his breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly – and lifted himself into a sitting position beside Charlie at the same time – releasing her hand, since it was incredibly difficult trying to sit up with only one hand – and a severely injured one at that.
Once sitting, he turned his head to look at Charlie, blinking solemnly at her. Her cheeks were still damp and shining from tears. He hated it.
Lifting his hand, he touched her cheek softly and wiped the tears away – marvelling at how similar the warm, salty liquid felt to fresh blood.
It was a morbid comparison, but one which fascinated him all the same. He had felt blood on his fingers many a time, but tears – not quite so often.
“Stop crying.” He pleaded gently. “I’m not going to die. So Charlie, please… Don’t cry.”
He stroked his thumb slowly over her cheek again – her soft skin feeling rough under the fine layer of salt. “I didn’t realise that it upset you this much. If I did, I would never have risked my life so readily. And if you’re honestly this desperate for me to stay alive, then I won’t do it again, I swear. I can be careful… So much more careful than before, if you’ll just stop shedding tears for my sake…”
His pale face shifted into a concerned frown, and as his eyebrows contracted – the cloth fell from his forehead with a dull ‘splat’, but Kougu was so intent on studying Charlie’s tear-streaked face that he didn’t even noticed.
He wanted to hold her close, and just cling to her until the end of time… Yet after that nightmare, he was so deathly terrified that he would hurt her… So terrified that he almost wanted to push her away.
As always, his conflicting desires left him trapped, and he simply watched her – hand cupped gently around her cheek, and eyes darting worriedly over her – still desperately trying to make sure she had not suffered so much as a scratch.


Meanwhile…

Anthony Flint ((Don’t ask. My naming skills… -_- )) awoke with a start. He stared groggily up at the high white ceiling above him – then winced as pain jolted through his head.
“What the Hell happened…?” He muttered irritably, touching his hand tenderly to the back of his head. “Ouch!” he exclaimed as he felt the egg-sized lump – an injury which he now remembered had been left by the handle of a gun. His gun, to be more specific, yet wielded by Kougu…
Kougu!
Anthony released a slow growl under his breath, and slowly clambered to his feet. His head felt like it was splitting open, and as nausea and dizziness struck, Anthony fell to his knees, and vomited. He crouched there for a while, gagging and retching until his stomach muscles burned, then he slowly straightened – wiping his mouth with a sneer of disgust.
“I’ll avenge you, brother…” He whispered, and with that, he began dragging himself slowly up the long staircase, clutching the banister for balance.
He was determined to find out the truth… Something about Kougu – perhaps the boy’s voice, or the honest remorse in his eyes? – Something about him made Anthony doubt his teachings… Perhaps his Shihan had been wrong… Or perhaps he had been tricked into believing a lie all this time? He wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he had to find out…
Whose fault was it, really, that his brother had been killed…?
Finally, Anthony stumbled into his Shihan’s office. The man was not there, but it was evident that a fight had taken place from the puddle of blood near the door. It glimmered magnificently in the moonlight as Anthony stepped toward it. He found it impossible to believe that anybody who had bled that much could still be alive… Yet there was no body.
But the question was – who had it been? Who was it that now lay bleeding to death, and who was it that had walked away unscathed?
With his jaw set in determination, Anthony set off to find out – his gun clutched tightly in his hand beside him.
As he stepped outside the office into the cool night air, a squeak and scuttle caught his attention, and Anthony whipped around to see a huge rat dashing away from the dumpster beside him. He shuddered at the sight of the foul thing – but then something else caught his attention.
He frowned slightly as something shiny blinked and glittered at him from inside the dumpster, and with an air of repulsed curiosity, he reached in to retrieve it.
As he lifted it up into the moonlight, Anthony’s eyes slowly widened in dawning comprehension.
This was a gun.
And not just any gun… But Kougu’s gun.
It only made sense, then, that Kougu had been defeated by his father… Right? Well, it couldn’t hurt to be sure.
So Anthony pocketed the gun, then hurried back into the office. He grabbed a cleaning rag from the coat rack beside the door, and wiped it through the blood on the floor – soaking the rag, and leaving an ugly watery smear around the thick red outline of the pool of congealed blood.
He pinched the rag in his fingertips with disgust, then hurried back down the stairs into the labyrinth below. He would go to the lab, and get them to identify the blood sample… And then – then he would ask every single person he came across, until he found out the truth behind whom was responsible for his brother’s death.
And when he did… He would see to it that that person never saw another sunrise.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((My brotherkins gave me music from a new band. So naturally, I've already found some songs to fit this RP. XD

This one kinda reminds me of Kougu: Message to the World

And this one just reminds me of the RP in general (One of their softer, slower songs - so you might like it...) Terrified ))

[Dreambug]

((Don't get excited. I didn't have the speech as well planned as I'd hoped, so it's all over the place. Just make out of it what you want. ^_^))

“Charlie... I...Didn't know...”
Why not? I thought miserably. Have you been ignoring me for the last three days? How could you not have known? I was so busy being upset, so busy crying, that when Kougu finally slipped his thumb into my fist, his touch icy cold against my hot skin, I jumped. Immediately I found my hands beginning to relax, so much so that he could unravel my fingers and hold my hand without much difficulty. I kept my head bowed, refusing to look him in the eye but willingly let him take my hand. I had no reason to take the right to touch me away from him, this time. Even if he had been ignorant in the fact that he hadn't known how I felt about him.
“I thought I lost you.”
“Yeah, I can relate.” I whispered as his lips met the beck of my hand delicately, as if he feared he would disrupt the tenderness of my skin if he pressed too hard. Despite his sensitive touch, I felt myself begin to tremble.
Yet I couldn't quite fathom why.
I wasn't in pain, I wasn't scared of him. So why was I shaking?
Then I realised: of course I wasn't scared of him. I was scared of what he was going to do, despite my efforts to stop him. I could throw myself in front of as many bullets as I wanted, but I would never be able to stop him from destroying the only thing left keeping him alive, which was his father. He wanted that man dead so badly, that he wouldn't let anything stand in his way. No matter who that my be.
I was no exception.
I curled up tighter, squeezing my other knee up towards my chest with my remaining hand. I felt vulnerable.
What's more, I felt trapped.
I didn't want to have to think about what would happen after Kougu had gone. Such thoughts would destroy me totally. I knew it.
I didn't want to think about where I would go, what I would do, where we would stay. Mostly because I knew I couldn't stay here in this house, surrounded by locked rooms and haunted by unsolved mysteries on my own, whether my mother was there or not. Besides that, there was no way that staying in a dead man's house, ho didn't necessarily give you permission to live there anyway, was legal. I couldn't afford a fine, and getting arrested was the last thing I wanted to happen after all that had already happened.
Would the policemen even dare, after Kougu's threats? Would they know if he was dead?
The very thought made me shudder.
“I’m sorry I woke you… But I’ve never been so scared.”
He shifted into a sitting position beside me, and let my hand slip away from his. Immediately, it curled back into a fist. If anything, I was becoming more tense than I had been before, meaning Kougu's attempts to calm me had been no help at all. They'd just made it worse.
Unless it was just me... Not helping myself. I'd done it enough times before. Why wouldn't it be possible now?
Why was I still crying?
The problem was, I wanted Kougu. I wanted to hold onto him so tight... Like we had done when he was secretly saying goodbye. But I couldn't, because I was scared that he'd push me away. I was scared that I'd scare him so much that he'd never trust himself near me again. I'd seen it happen when we'd kissed that night in Antonio's pub. The terror in his wide eyes, the blood that had drained from his already bloodless face, the shaken mumble of goodbye as he fled the building and curled up like a young boy between a van and a wooden fence. He couldn't run far, now. He could try, but he'd hurt himself. But knowing him, if he felt as scared as he did when we'd kissed, he would sooner crawl on his hands and knees if it meant getting away from me.
And yet, still, I wanted to hold him.
I wanted to comfort him, to tell him he didn't need to be alone.
But I couldn't. And that was one of the hardest truths I'd have to face.

Yet, as if he had read my thoughts, Kougu reacted to my tears. He didn't hold me, however he didn't have to. He simply raised his hand and rested on my cheek, wiping away the tears that had presently cascaded down my hot face. He ran his thumb delicately over my skin, momentarily ridding my face of the tears, just for a second, and softly began to whisper.
“Stop crying. ” he pleaded quietly. Shockingly, this didn't make much of a difference. “I’m not going to die. So Charlie, please… Don’t cry.”
He ran his thumb gently across my cheek once more,and I could feel his touch slowly warming due to the high temperatures of my own flesh.
“I didn’t realise that it upset you this much. If I did, I would never have risked my life so readily.”
Liar, I thought to myself. Of course you would. You would because killing your father is what you've been waiting to do all along. What was a few petty feelings towards you going to change?
“And if you’re honestly this desperate for me to stay alive, then I won’t do it again, I swear. I can be careful… So much more careful than before, if you’ll just stop shedding tears for my sake…”
But the problem was: how could I know for sure? He wanted his father dead, there was no doubt about that. And it seemed he was the only one who dared to do it, anyway. I didn't know that much about the man, but if he was as bad as Kougu let out, then he really was dangerous.
A dangerous man with so much power was a danger to not only himself, but those around him.
Evidently, Kougu believed he didn't deserve to live. He'd said himself that he'd killed his family because of his father, and the hatred in his words told me he wasn't bluffing.
Why would a few tears of mine change anything? I'd cried millions of times before. Countless times, in fact. Yet it was now that Kougu had decided that they mattered?
So it was official. Kougu was saying it for no reason other than to make me stop crying.
Well, it worked.

At least, I stopped crying. The tears stopped falling down my face. But more were threatening to come.
I brought a hand up to his, resting on my cheek, and sandwiched it between my palm and my face. I scrunched my eyes closed and relished the feeling, finally beginning to enjoy his touch on my skin without desperately craving more. One hand was enough. One hand made me feel warm again.
We sat there for a few moments, my fingertips caressing the back of his hand and my eyes scrunched so tight it hurt.
Eventually, I found my voice.
“You didn't even say goodbye.” I whispered. “You just expected me to sit back and let you die. Did you honestly think I wouldn't come for you?” Stop. Breath. In. Out.
“I love you, Kougu,” I said croakily, wiping my runny nose with my thumb. “I love you... So much, more than you think.” I sniffed, curling up to the point that my knees were pressing tightly up against my ribs. I then turned to him, feeling my brow furrow slightly. “What part of that don't you understand?” I looked down, and let my hand – as light as a feather – float to the bed sheets. My breathing was still shaky, but thankfully the tears weren't yet ready to fall. Or maybe I'd already shed enough. “Don't ask why I love you, because I'll probably never be able to answer that. Just accept that I do, and that I will for the rest of my life. Okay?”
Come to think of it, I was feeling a little bit dehydrated...
“It's alright for you to say you'll do it for me, but I can't believe you unless you do it for yourself as well. It's not that I don't trust you” - although I didn't - “it's just that it's easy to tell someone you'll do something to make them feel content, but if you're not content yourself what's the point?” I realised then that I was babbling again, and he probably wouldn't listen to me for much longer if I carried on. So I took a deep breath and ended my small speech with a concluding: “Only then can I look you in the eye and know that you're telling the truth.”
Just as I thought they were gone, the familiar burning sensation around my eyeballs began again, and my vision was blurred by tears for a second time. I wiped them away roughly. I'd had about enough of them drowning me in sorrow. I just wanted to be glad that Kougu was here, alive. But I had to tell him something before I went all soft on him.
“I know you hate your father. And I can see why. But if he is the only thing keeping you alive, if he's your only thing left to live for, then I... “ I sighed. “You're going to think I'm selfish and that I don't understand. Heck, I probably don't. But if I'm not worth living for and he is, then... “ I closed my eyes, feeling another tear trickle down my cheek. “Then... I-I...”
He's going to hate me. I thought to myself, dread building up like an infection in my throat. For a moment, I was worried it would be so clotted that I wouldn't be able to speak, but it turned out it was just in my imagination. I could talk, alright.
To my despair.
I know he is...
“Then I can't let you kill him. I don't want him to die. Kougu, I can't lose you again...” My voice rose in desperation, and I began shaking my head. Slowly, at first. Then it quickened, and the guilt began to pile like bricks on my shoulders.
Forgive me, Kougu. Please...

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Oh snap! XD She did NOT just go there! LMAO! Epic post. This should be interesting... > ))

[Dreambug]

((Oh yeah, she really did. She'd better start thinking of some sort of apology. Pronto! XD))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

(( WIP post - will see if I have time to work on it in the car sometime... XD Done with Kougu, just got to introduce Anthony's entrance.

Depending on how important it is that Kougu responds to Charlie's reply to this post, I thought we could either have them pull a 'Let's talk about this later' or just end the conversation... *Ponders* Not sure if you're following my nonsense thought pattern, but yeah. I'll leave it up to you... XD
I just have to bring Anthony in before we both start running out of muse again. ))

Kougu simply stared blankly at Charlie. There was nothing else he could do, save for stare. His mind was working overtime trying to figure out how he might have misunderstood what she had just said. He could practically hear his brain whirring with the effort, but still no answers jumped to mind.
So, he stared.
And stared.
And stared.
“I can't let you kill him.”
Where was the loophole? Where was the sarcasm? What had he missed…? So many times before, he had misunderstood what Charlie was saying. The only explanation his brain would accept was that this was one of those times, yet try as he might, he could not find a way around such a direct statement.
It was simple, and inflexible. There was no way to misunderstand…
Yet there was no conceivable way to properly understand, either. Charlie loved him, she had said it herself, and she was a good person. She wouldn’t do this to him. She couldn’t. He wouldn’t believe it…
He must have gone wrong somewhere. There was no other explanation.
“I don’t… Understand.” Kougu murmured softly, blinking up at Charlie with a solemn expression – waiting for her to tell him where he had missed the joke.
But she didn’t. And as he watched the guilt in her expression – he was struck by a shocking and horrific realisation.
“You’re serious…?” He murmured quietly at her, his deep blue eyes fixed trustingly on her, yet blinking slowly in disbelief.
Once again, Kougu stared – his expression utterly bewildered.
Was this really Charlie? His Charlie? Were those really her words?
Maybe he was dreaming…
With a deep frown in place on his face, Kougu fisted his left hand experimentally, then winced as pain shot from the old gunshot wound like bullets firing all the way up his arm.
Ouch.
Well, that established that he was, at the very least, awake.
Was this one of his father’s pranks? Unlikely. The man thought he was dead – and besides… He would never discourage Kougu from trying to kill him. He loved the game as much as Kougu loathed it.
This was Charlie: His Charlie. Speaking those words: Her words.
She was supposed to understand… Why didn’t she understand? She couldn’t do this to him! It was like telling a bird that it wasn’t allowed to fly…
This was what he had been born to do. He couldn’t walk away from his destiny… But Charlie was his entire life – he couldn’t hurt her!
Life, or destiny…?
How was he supposed to choose?
“I don’t understand.” Kougu repeated stubbornly – but upon realizing that this was not altogether true, he corrected himself.
“I won’t understand.”
His frown deepened, and he began slowly shaking his head in denial. He knew he was being unfair – but the only part of her whole speech that he was able to register was that one sentence. Those six fateful words: ”I can’t let you kill him.”
He shook his head in stubborn disbelief.

“But, Charlie…” He began, his tone hovering somewhere between hurt and incredulity – as though he was not quite sure what to feel yet.
“I… I can’t just… not kill him.” He shook his head again, desperate to make her understand. What she asked for wasn’t possible. It just wasn’t.
“Regardless of what you think, he’s still out there. And if I don’t kill him, nobody will… I can’t let more people end up like me, Charlie. Look at me!” He gestured vaguely to himself – though it was obvious he was not referring to his physical wounds. The emotional ones still burned stronger.
“Just look at what I’ve become… I can’t dump this burden on anybody else.” He shook his head yet again – then stopped abruptly, because he was starting to feel dizzy.
“Charlie, I…” He paused, struggling to get the words past his lips.
Please don’t leave me. He begged silently, Please don’t hate me…
He rolled his eyes Heavenwards, and sent out a silent prayer to God, the Universe, or anybody who would listen.
Please don’t make me lose my reason for living just because I have to fulfill my life’s purpose… Let her forgive me – just this once.
“I… I don’t think I can agree to this one.” He watched her for a moment, heart racing with fear, then quickly began justifying his cause – just in case there was still hope…
“Things are different now. I… I no longer want to die. I don’t want to die at all – regardless of when. Killing that man… It doesn’t matter to me any more, just as long as I can assure that he’s dead. It’s something I have to do – I have to do it – but it isn’t something I have to live for…” He trailed off, blinking uncertainly for a moment, then leaped right back into his speech. He couldn’t afford hesitance if he was to have any chance at forgiveness. He had to speak directly from his heart, and hope that Charlie would believe what he was saying.
“I love you, Charlie. You’re my reason for living now – nothing else. I want to keep living, not just because you want me to, but because I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with you.”
He met her gaze and held it intensely – practically challenging her not to believe him.
“If you need proof, just look at me.” He murmured softly. “I shouldn’t be alive in this state. I’ve worked it out already – it isn’t scientifically possible… Yet still – do I look dead to you? I’m alive right now out of willpower alone, and you’re my only reason to have a will to live.”
His words left him then, and Kougu was left in awkward silence, gradually starting to shrink timidly back into his emotional shell. “You’re everything to me.” He whispered softly, shrinking away from her slightly and gazing up at her with wide, frightened eyes. “So please… Please don’t ask me to do the one thing I can’t do for you.”
It occurred to him suddenly that he was trembling – and Kougu looked away, feeling weak and ashamed.
If this is the end… He thought weakly, I hope Charlie will at least grant me permission to go back on my promise.
I want to be with her… Alive with her…
But without her, I’d rather be dead…

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Without her, everything would be… Pointless.

((Had to add the final line, because the ending wasn’t working for me. ))

Anthony’s ‘research’ did not take him long. Perhaps this was due to his age, or maybe simply his character. Either way, he was a hot-headed and impulsive boy, who tended to make decisions based off his first assumption.
He went through the motions of ‘thinking things through’ – but when it came down to it, nothing he found out now would change his mind about what he had decided when he had found Kougu’s gun.
His nemesis was dying. Dying, but not dead. If he was not dead, then he would survive – of this, Anthony was certain. It was simply the way that Kougu was.
Kougu was alive, and more shockingly still, he was not to blame.
Anthony had found out everything from asking around headquarters. For ‘classified information’ – Kougu’s story seemed to be common knowledge nowadays. He supposed it was ironic, really… The world’s most important secrets were always the worst kept ones.

Smiling bitterly to himself, Anthony accelerated – the powerful motorbike beneath him roaring like a dragon as it shot forward eagerly at his urging. He turned down a familiar street, one he had visited with his brother many a time, and let his eyes dart over the simple yet elegant houses that lined either side of it. It was dark, but there was a faint hint of blueish-grey on the horizon that hinted at the approach of dawn. Perhaps this was why the street seemed so quiet, though Anthony doubted it. If he knew Kougu – his place of residence would be quiet most of the time. In fact, if he hadn’t known any better, he would have guessed that Kougu might live in a ghost town.

As the nostalgic house came into view, Anthony clenched his jaw – feeling the familiar rush of exhilharated fury that struck him every time he took one tiny step closer toward his revenge. Of course, he was heading in the opposite direction now, but his end goal was just the same: To murder his brother’s killer, as savagely as his brother had been murdered. The only thing that had changed was his alliegance..
The cold air clawed at his cheeks with icy talons as he finally eased the bike to a halt outside Kougu’s house – dismounting and hooking his helmet over the handlebars. He thought he heard voices from inside, and this struck him as strange, but he shrugged it off and proceeded confidently toward the front door.
He stepped up the three little steps onto the doormat, then rapped quietly on the door. There was no response.

“Kougu!” Anthony called loudly, “I know you’re in there! Open up!” But the walls were thick – and if Kougu had in fact heard him – which he hadn’t – then he did not respond.
“You can’t hide in there forever!”
Well, knowing Kougu, maybe he could…
“You can’t keep me out forever!”
That was better.
Anthony waited a while longer – but his patience had a short fuse, and it had burned out within the next few minutes.
“Screw it.” He muttered, and with that, he he pressed down hand on the door handle, and flung himself against the heavy wooden door – hoping to knock it off its hinges as he had seen in the movies. Not that he was strong enough to do this, of course. He was well muscled and powerfully built, but for the most part, still just a boy.
Thankfully, he didn’t have to break the door down. As his shoulder struck it, the door gave way instantly and flew open – sending Anthony flying into the house. The unnecessary force with which he had struck the open door had built up quite some momentum, and try as he might, Anthony just couldn’t keep his footing. He tripped over the Japanese-style rug just inside the door, then fell flat on his face – hitting the hard wooden floor with a grunt.
“Damn you, Kougu…” He muttered under his breath – cursing freely as he got to his feet, tenderly rubbing the burns on his hands and elbows. Of course, this must have been Kougu’s fault. Even if it wasn’t, Anthony felt no remorse whatsoever blaming it on him.

“Kougu!” Anthony called anrgily, raising his fist and shaking it violently. “Where the Hell are you?! Get out here and talk to me like a man!”


Meanwhile, Kougu sat bolt upright in his bed as he heard Anthony’s entrance. He recognised the boy’s voice instantly as he shouted, and began struggling to get up. “Why’s he here…?” He muttered weakly to himself as he attempted to disentangle his limp boddy from the soft blankets that suddenly felt more like chains. Every movement hurt like a pin under the fingernail ((Ouchness XD )) but still, he struggled, the colour rapidly leaving his face as his wounds began bleeding more freely again.
But of course, this did not stop Kougu.

[Dreambug]

((Wow, Polo... How do you manage to write so much in so little time? You must just be amazing, it's official. Enjoyed that so much, I'll start my reply now. Now then... How's Charlie going to react? ))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Well, last night I was still on holiday, so it was easy enough to get the Kougu part done. Today I was lucky enough to get an off period in IT, so I typed up the Anthony part then. I was going to finish it off with a few more lines, but the bell rang, so I just had to hit enter and dash. No way in Hell was I being late for English!! Hehe!
But yeah, I was quite pleased with how much I managed to type in that short time, in a school environment, and with a strange character... *Is pleased*
You'll need to help me out a bit with Anthony. Warn me if he's sounding too similar to Kougu - I need to practice differentiating between my characters. You are really good at that! *Grins*

So anyway - I ended it in a rush, that's why it's split into two posts, and not formatted nicely...

Looking forward to your reply! Hope it comes soon. Until then, at least we have our short RP. *Pokes Dreameh*

Sorry... I'm very talkative today. ))

[Dreambug]

((Okay, it must just be me, then. Because I definitely can't reply to something that quickly, especially in school! o.0 Well, in my defense, I can't get on this website at school anyway, since they've blocked pretty much everything but Google, MyMaths, SAM learning and CoolMathsGames.com -_-
But I will decide what she's going to do, and I will get it back to you as soon as possible! Don't get your hopes up, though. It won't be nearly as amazing as yours. ^_^

*pokes* We certainly do. *poke poke poke*

I don't know what's wrong with me. I was in a terrible mood after several traumatising experiences in the hospital this morning... o.0 Both which ended with me crying by the time I'd got back to school, and everyone thought someone had died.

If you want to know, message me. I'd rather not tell you in public, since stalkeresses like Rorah may read it. ))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((*Dies* Nooo, my poor Dreameh! D: *Glomps and messages* ))

[Dreambug]

Kougu looked at me. Simply looked at me, eyes wide, for a hell of a long time. I could see his eyes flicking slightly from side to side, like he was trying to put pieces of a puzzle together in his mind. Evidently, what I'd told him was difficult for him to digest. I could understand that.
Yet the longer it took him to comprehend, the more anxious I felt, the more I worried that he would hate me for what I'd said.
But what I feared far more was that he'd turn me down, that the time I'd taken into earning his trust, after putting my all into giving him a reason to live – as opposed to a reason to die – was going to go to waste.
Please... I begged silently as his eyes studied my face searchingly once more. Momentarily, I wondered what was going on in his head, what he was feeling. Then I quickly realised: I didn't want to know. I didn't want to see what he saw in me. I didn't want to know how he felt about me, because I dreaded that he would be disappointed, or worse – condemn me for my wish. I loved him, he knew that. He loved me, too – apparently. But what had changed? Had anything changed?
My thoughts continued to race for a good minute or so, until Kougu finally spoke.
Even when he had, it little helped me.
“But, Charlie... I… I can’t just… not kill him.” My heart sank.
Of course he couldn't. Why had I even thought he'd listen to me in the first place? Killing his father... It was obvious that meant more to Kougu than I did. I couldn't believe that I'd thought for even a second that it wouldn't. That was his reason to live... Yes?
He was shaking his head stubbornly, and I could see his mind was made up.
What I'd said... What I'd wanted from him... It was selfish. And pointless. I was beginning to regret it ever since it'd left my lips.
But I didn't hate him. I couldn't. If there was anyone I hated, it was myself. Why did I have to be so damn selfish?
“Regardless of what you think, he’s still out there. And if I don’t kill him, nobody will… I can’t let more people end up like me, Charlie. Look at me!” My eyes followed his hands as he gestured to himself, the tears pricking threateningly at my glassy eyes. I knew what he meant. I knew exactly what he meant. It wasn't his physical state he was referring to.
Now it was my turn to shake my head. I knew he loathed the person that he was, but that was one of the reasons why I loved him so much. I adored the person who he was. There was no way in which I couldn't. It was impossible.
Of course, he had his flaws. But who didn't? He hadn't killed me...
Yet.
“Just look at what I’ve become… I can’t dump this burden on anybody else.”
The problem was, I couldn't disagree with him. Of course, I knew he wasn't dumping anything on anyone. But what his father could inflict on others... I could only imagine how much pain and torture Kougu had had to go through to give him alternate personalities , both which were pretty much the opposite of one another. Who he was at that moment, I knew, was him. But who was the other? It wasn't him, I was certain. When he'd 'snapped', he talked about himself as if he was someone else, referring to himself as 'that boy' or 'he' instead of 'I' or 'me'. It made no sense.
Still, I could worry about that later. For now, I was supposed to be listening to Kougu.
“I… I don’t think I can agree to this one.”
It felt odd for the first time to have him finally say no to me, but I accepted it with a slow, quiet nod. My eyes dropped down to my hands, and I listened absent-mindedly to his reasons why.
“Things are different now. I… I no longer want to die. I don’t want to die at all – regardless of when. Killing that man… It doesn’t matter to me any more, just as long as I can assure that he’s dead. It’s something I have to do – I have to do it – but it isn’t something I have to live for…”
I sniffed briefly, feeling my lips begin to quiver. I was scared... So scared that he was lying to me. Why should I have believed him? He'd already proved to me he was willing to throw his life away in the blink of an eye. Why should he have cared about what I thought? I was nothing special, anyway. Like his father had said, I was just some girl he'd dragged off the street. Why should he have cared about me?
“I... I don't believe you...” I mumbled, suddenly finding myself fighting back tears. This was pathetic. I couldn't cry over a fate I was too weak to stand and face, one which I should have just accepted all along. The thing was, I was just too scared to lose him, I didn't want him to throw life away just because of the garbage his father had fed into his mind. But there was no point trying to believe a lie, because no matter how hard I could try, I would always know it wasn't the truth.
But... What was this?
“I love you, Charlie. You’re my reason for living now – nothing else. I want to keep living, not just because you want me to, but because I want to spend as much time as I possibly can with you..”
What?
I stared at him blankly, eyes wide. Had I heard that right? Was he just saying that to make me give him permission? He loved me?
Well, I knew that. Or, I should have done. He'd said it enough times. But what I couldn't digest was the fact that he'd just said I was his reason for living. I'd wanted it for so long... I couldn't quite believe that he'd said it.
Was he telling the truth? I was about to ask him, but the look in his eyes said it all.
Of course he was.
“If you need proof, just look at me. I shouldn’t be alive in this state. I’ve worked it out already – it isn’t scientifically possible… Yet still – do I look dead to you? I’m alive right now out of willpower alone, and you’re my only reason to have a will to live.”
I shook my head once more, just like he had done so desperately earlier. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. After so long of thinking I was never going to be good enough... Yet now he was telling me he was only alive because of me?
Emotion flooded through my veins, and for a moment I was certain I was going to choke on the dry lump in the back of my throat.
“Kougu...” I croaked, but he didn't give me chance to say much else, for he had yet more to say.
“You’re everything to me.” He whispered, and it was then that I noticed his body begin to tremble. Oh God... I'd terrified him. Did he think I was going to leave him? How heartless did he think I was? I would never destroy our friendship just because he'd finally decided he had to say no. I would never walk out on him like that, because I knew how much it would affect him. “So please… Please don’t ask me to do the one thing I can’t do for you.”
He looked away at that point, as if he couldn't bear to look me in the eye. I saw the defeated slump in his shoulders and it was then that I realised something.
He thought I hated him.
“Kougu, I-...” I began, letting out a long sigh. My lips twitched precariously for a second or two, the words not quite leaving my tongue. I didn't know what to say. I didn't even know if I had anything to tell him. Anything other than one.
“Kougu, I believe you.” I took his hand and wrapped both of mine around it like a protective blanket. His skin was almost benumbing beneath my own, but at my touch the blood began to flow more freely. I leaned down just slightly, trying to persuade him to look me in the eye. He needed to stop looking so shameful, since he had nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, I had more to be ashamed of than he did. “Just this once, I'll believe you. I don't need proof. Okay?”
I offered a final, comforting smile before my head snapped up as a dull THUD caused the ground to vibrate. Immediately,I was on my feet.
“What th-”
“Kougu! Where the Hell are you?”
Someone was there. What's more, it sounded like they were in the house. And they didn't sound very happy.
In fact, they sounded like they wanted to kill someone.
My blood ran cold. Had they broken in? Why had they come? Well, whoever it was, they wanted Kougu. If they were as furious as they sounded, then they weren't going to be in the mood to be dissuaded from whatever they were about to do.
Why now? Why did they have to come at such a bad time, when Kougu was neither fit, nor healthy enough to take anyone on? Couldn't they all just leave us alone?
“Get out here and talk to me like a man!”
Kougu jerked upright into a sitting position as he heard his name, his eyes flickering in what seemed like recognition. He wasn't fearful, from what I could see. But this only worried me more. As he began wrestling with the bed sheets, I rested a hand on his shoulder, desperately trying to stop him from making his wounds bleed once again. Thick, crimson blotches were creeping out from within his bandages, and they were growing. If he kept moving as suddenly as he was doing, his stitches would rip open and he would be of danger of passing out – or worse. I wasn't going to stand by and let that happen.
Not for some psycho who'd tried to break the door down.
Not for anyone.
“Kougu...” I whispered pleadingly, “Kougu, please stop. You're bleeding...” My eyes darted round to the door, and the soft thump as the intruder supposedly began to get to their feet and walk down the hallway. My heart raced.
I turned back to Kougu, my face calm, yet my eyes were as wild as ever. Who was this person? He obviously knew Kougu, and Kougu knew him. But why did he sound so furious, and why was Kougu ready to get out of bed and risk his consciousness for this guy? “Please, stay here. I'll... I'll go see what he wants. I'll be careful, I promise.”
I turned and crept soundlessly towards the door – I'd had plenty of practice at that in my years of thievery. I gently pressed an eye to the crack in the slightly open door to see if the stranger had come anywhere in sight of the room, but to no avail. He must have still been in the hallway.
I turned back to Kougu. “You know what you said about willpower?” I asked him, keeping my gaze glued to his. “Hold onto it. And whatever happens to me... Don't let go. Don't you dare let go...”
And with that, I left the room, slowly and silently closing the door behind me.
I didn't make a sound until I'd reached the sitting room where mum was sleeping on the sofa, curled up, loosely wrapped in the bed sheets I'd given her the night before. Her head was rested to one side, and a lock of hair had fallen over her face. I resisted the urge to go and stroke it back behind her ear. I was also surprised that the shouting hadn't woken her up.
Once I'd reached the hallway, I saw him. He looked round about my age, well built. I could almost say he looked like a young man. But there was something behind those raging, leaf-green eyes that hinted that deep down – way, way deep down – he was still just a boy.
A strong boy, yes. But a boy all the same.
I could work with that.
“He's not here.” I said calmly, already planning the story out in my head. All I needed to do was make sure it was as close to the truth as possible. I was a good liar when I wanted to be. When I needed to be. “He went to the hospital last night when he was... Shot. A friend of mine drove him there, himself. He's in grave condition. They said he's lucky to be alive. He hit some vital organs, they said. They weren't sure whether he'd make it.”
I ended my tiny speech with a helpless shrug, preparing myself for whatever verbal abuse I may receive. Just as long as I stood my ground and kept as calm as possible, I may get out of this situation unharmed.
“I'm sorry...” I muttered, finally looking him in the eye. I rested my back lightly on the wall by the door leading to the sitting room, my body understandably tense. My mouth formed a grave line, and I concentrated on keeping my eyes as innocent as possible. “I'm afraid you've wasted your time.”
Please Kougu... Please stay where you are. Don't interfere. He may go away if you don't show yourself, now. He might just leave without hurting anyone. If you'd just stay where you are...

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Short and awful post, but you'll get over it. LOVED yours! Hehe! Naaaw... These two always have me near tears. I'm way too attached to this RP.))

“Kougu, I believe you.”
At Charlie’s four simple words, Kougu felt a shock of relief so powerful that, for a moment, he felt as though the earth had fallen out from under him. Swirling and dizzy, he looked toward her – his expression warily trusting. He wanted to believe that she spoke the truth, and he didn’t believe that she would say that just to pacify him. He knew she wouldn’t lie – but at the same time, if was difficult to believe that he had gotten off the hook that easily. Thus, he found it intimidating to believe those words, to trust in the truth of them, for fear of the disappointment that would follow should he choose wrong. He wasn’t sure he was strong enough to cope with something like that… Not any more.
Charlie had made him weak – and perhaps that was a good thing… He felt more human because of it.
She wrapped her hands around his, and Kougu felt a rush of affection for his friend. How was it that she always knew exactly what to do to make him feel better, when he didn’t even know himself?
He’d said it before, and he’d say it again. She was perfect. Not without flaw, perhaps, but perfect to him. There was not one thing about her he would change if he had the chance… Except maybe to make her see the same perfection that he saw in her.
Yes… Charlie’s biggest flaw was that she thought she had one.
As her touch sent warmth slowly spreading from his fingertips up his arm, Kougu felt himself begin leaning slightly toward Charlie. It was seldom that he felt the need to be closer to somebody for comfort. She really was different. She really had changed him.
He was pleased…
“Just this once, I'll believe you. I don't need proof. Okay?”
Thank goodness.
She smiled comfortingly at him, and he looked up and met her gaze with calm, grateful acceptance. She did not hate him, after all… Even after he had failed to comply with her wishes.

Then came the sound of the door crashing open, and a loud, angry voice in the hallway. ((*Quotes previous post to avoid getting ‘caught up in time’ XD ))
Kougu sat bolt upright in his bed as he heard Anthony’s entrance. He recognised the boy’s voice instantly as he shouted, and began struggling to get up. “Why’s he here…?” He muttered weakly to himself as he attempted to disentangle his limp boddy from the soft blankets that suddenly felt more like chains. Every movement hurt like a pin under the fingernail but still, he struggled, the colour rapidly leaving his face as his wounds began bleeding more freely again.
But of course, this did not stop Kougu.
What did stop him, however, was Charlie’s gentle hand on his shoulder. He stopped struggling, and sank slowly back against the pillows – his face looking gaunt and grey with the exhaustion of his struggles.
He watched Charlie trustingly, waiting to see what she expected him to do.
He was not afraid. He knew that Anthony would not hurt Charlie – he didn’t have the heart to spill innocent blood. And he doubted Anthony would hurt him, either, weakened as he was. The boy was many things – but he was not a killer, no matter what he might say. Kougu knew that… He knew it well.
“Please, stay here. I'll... I'll go see what he wants. I'll be careful, I promise.”
He considered Charlie’s words for a moment, frowning slightly, then murmured, “It will be okay – but look after yourself. I won’t lose you.” He fixed an unwavering gaze on her, his expression serious to the point of becoming solemn.
“You know what you said about willpower? Hold onto it. And whatever happens to me... Don't let go. Don't you dare let go...”
Her eyes burned into his as she said this, and Kougu simply nodded. “I won’t.” He promised simply, and his eyes tracked hers as he watched her leave the room.
She would be fine.
He didn’t need to worry…

And Kougu was right – for at that moment, Charlie walked out into the hall, and Anthony caught sight of her.
The boy watched as Charlie approached him, his eyes quickly darting over her. Her slender build, her pretty face… And that beautiful, glossy brown hair that fell in such gorgeously straight locks to her petite shoulders.
Who was this…? Why was she in Kougu’s house?
He felt his heart begin hammering faster as she began to speak – not even hearing her words, so enthralled was he with her nightingale’s voice.
Such perfect femininity… Such gentleness…
He stared openly at her, his heart thudding so violently now that he was terrified that she would hear it – if she didn’t see it twitching through his shirt first.
She was saying something… About Kougu not being home. That he was shot – Anthony knew that – and in hospital – that was a lie – and in danger of death: also a lie. Kougu was never in danger of death. He was here, all right. Sleeping, maybe, or unconscious… But he was here.
Yet suddenly, with this beauty’s innocent eyes upon him, his mission didn’t seem to matter quite so much any more.
“Oh… He’s not here is he?” Anthony asked with a nervous laugh, the pitch of his voice sounding annoyingly high. He cleared his throat, then resumed speaking in a deeper voice – attempting to appear as aloof as he possibly could – glancing casually around the house. “Hmm… Not here, huh…? Oh well.” He shrugged, and turned to Charlie with a smile, brushing his neat blonde fringe away from his eyes. “So… Who might you be? I’m sorry for my rude entrance, I didn’t think there’d be a lady in the house.” He folded his hands and glanced down humbly – attempting to be as polite as possible.
She had to like him – this was most important! She just had to – so he had to make a good first impression…
He slowly raised his head again, unable to keep his eyes off of the girl.
She was like an angel… He had to have her. He would have her.
But wait… Wait. Introductions would have to come later – he had his mission to think about.
“Excuse me just a moment.” Anthony said to Charlie, a little smile lifting his lips.
Then he turned away, and shouted in his same harsh, angry voice from before, “KOUGU! I know you’re here!”

Kougu, still lying in his bed, was staring up at the ceiling and twiddling his thumbs when he heard Anthony’s shout. He was terribly bored, so he shrugged, and decided to answer.
“I’m in here.” He said wearily, “You’ll have to come to me if you want to talk, because I can’t get up.”
Kougu frowned in annoyance at this fact. He hated admitting weakness, but he couldn’t lie – and the fact was, he was too weak to move.

Anthony’s expression lit up at the sound of Kougu’s voice, as though wrenching a reply from him was some kind of personal triumph.
“Aaaah, so he was here…” Anthony murmured softly, flashing Charlie a wink. “You had me going for a while there.”
Not really. But it was a compliment, right?
He gave one last smile, then scurried into the room Kougu’s voice had come from.
He had to admit – seeing his nemesis sitting in the bed in such a weakened state was shocking. Considering that Kougu had been a barrier he could never overcome, Anthony had somehow imagined him to be indestructible…
But at least the neutral, emotionless expression on his face was still there. Kougu gave no quarter, and he asked none. That was as it should be.
“Kougu.” Anthony greeted him with a grim nod.
“Anthony.” Kougu replied, mirroring the boy’s tone.
Tension fizzled between the two for a moment – then Anthony’s expression brightened, and he glanced back toward Charlie. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” He asked innocently.
Kougu blinked in surprise, seeming honestly taken aback by this – but he soon recovered, and decided to oblige.
“Anthony, meet my friend Charlie. Charlie – meet Anthony: the brother of one of my victims.”
Unsure what else he was supposed to say, Kougu merely shrugged and watched the two curiously.
He was somewhat confused. He didn’t understand what was going on here…

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Until this moment, we were officially at 3000 views! Now 3001, but I just had to post to make the occasion.

10 May 2011, Polo and Dreameh's epic RP reached 3000 views. ))

[Dreambug]

((Woot! Go us! ^_^ *is proud of epic RolePlay*

I apologize, I didn't have much of an idea for what she should do, so you only have a few lines to work with. I'm counting on you, Polo, to make this work.
No pressure. ))

The boy didn't seem all that annoyed to see me, if I had to be honest. If anything, my presence relaxed him. Funny, I was expecting him to be furious at being told the man he was impatiently going to attack – or 'talk', however he wanted to put it. But he remained casual, if not a little nervous, as he listened dazedly to my lie. His shiny blonde hair flicked to the side in a neat side-fringe, just skimming his rather cute, green eyes. They were far more obvious than mine, in fact, they were shockingly bright. More like an alien-green, than leafy or forest. If I had been in any other situation, I would have found him rather good-looking. I couldn't help but smile as he stared at me in admiration.
He liked me.
If he didn't, he probably would have been close to hitting me for lying to him by now.
“Oh… He’s not here is he?” He asked me, his voice squeaking in places like a voice that had only just broken. He chuckled nervously, his whole guard dropping before my eyes.
He liked me. Definitely.
“Hmm… Not here, huh…? Oh well.” My eyebrows twitched upwards slightly in surprise. So, that was it? Barge through the door, scream threateningly into thin air then decide to back down at last minute just because a girl had appeared? Still, I couldn't really complain. It meant I was less likely to get hurt, and he seemed to be believing me. Unless I was extremely gullible, which I probably was. I looked into his beautiful eyes, a tiny smile curving in my lips. He had no intention of hurting me. I could tell. In his eyes... There was nothing violent in there. No fire, no rage. It had all evaporated as soon as he saw me. This was promising.
“So… Who might you be? I’m sorry for my rude entrance, I didn’t think there’d be a lady in the house.”
A lady? Me?
Was he serious?
I bit my lip to hold a giggle and glanced in embarrassment at the floor, absentmindedly twirling a lock of wavy hair around my finger. No one had ever called me a lady before. It had never occurred to me that I was one. 'Girl' usually fit much better. It was all ever anyone saw me as.
But a lady? Was that over-doing it, or was he just trying to be nice?
I watched his hands fold neatly together in front of him, almost like he was speaking to the Queen. Of course, he was being nice. He was being purposefully nice, and not just to make me smile. He was being a charmer.
Another charmer? That was all I needed.
Yet I couldn't help but feel slightly flattered by his efforts, and happily soaked all I could from what he was saying. I could flirt. It shouldn't be too hard. Flutter a few eyelashes here and there, smile, take a few compliments. No problem.
But before I could reply, he began speaking again. “Excuse me just a moment.” He said with a sweet smile, one in which I mirrored in response, and watched his face flick - almost like the picture of a broken satellite TV- from a flirtatious smile to a harsh, angry frown, creasing his delicate features dramatically. I flinched at the change. He almost had me believe he was cute, and perhaps even innocent.
Obviously not.
“KOUGU! I know you’re here!” He shouted in the same tone he had used on his entrance, and I resisted to temptation to cower away at his suddenly powerful stance. Where had the cute, charming boy I'd just met disappeared to? I could have sworn-
Wait a minute...
This boy changed faces suspiciously like Kougu did.
Something wasn't right, here.

“I'm in here.” At the sound of Kougu's fagged reply, my heart dropped right down to my toes. He wasn't going to listen to me, after all. Did he realise he had probably just signed his own death warrant just by raising his voice? Why had he needed to go and speak, when I had the whole thing sorted out?
“You’ll have to come to me if you want to talk, because I can’t get up.”
So, not only was he giving up hiding, be he was also announcing that he was weak? Wasn't that just asking for the intruder to storm in there and kill him?
Oh Kougu... I looked up pleadingly towards the sky, as if it would send my thought directly to him without this boy finding out. What have you done?
I rubbed my cold upper arms, slumping my shoulders in defeat. Who was I kidding? I'd made no difference to the situation, and in having no means of defending myself I was no help to anyone. The only way I could defend Kougu was if I used my own body, yet I feared I would not have it in me to risk my own life for the sake of saving his with all that was at stake. I still had my mother to look after. If I was wounded – or worse – how was I supposed to look after her? Kougu was stuck in his bed, he couldn't help either of us in his state.
If this boy intended to do what I suspected, then we were all doomed.
Unable to meet his eye, I let my gaze drop shamefully to the floor. I'd failed. There was no other way about it. I could have had this guy out in time, but I didn't. I was too busy trying to lie him out of the house. There had to be other ways of getting him out that didn't end in anyone getting hurt?
“Aaaah, so he was here…” I was so busy staring grimly at my feet that I didn't see him wink. His blithe mood no longer had a warm effect on me anymore. “You had me going for a while there”. I looked away from him, clenching my jaw. He was only joyous because I had tried and failed to hide his enemy from him, and now he knew exactly where Kougu was.
How on earth could I possibly get us out of this one?

As she stranger began to move towards Kougu's room, I dashed forward, over-taking him just as we entered the bedroom. If anything was going to go on, I had to be there to stop it.
How I planned to do that, however, I had no idea. But I knew I had to do... Something.
Crossing my arms tightly, I stepped over and stood beside Kougu, almost protectively. I wasn't letting him – especially him – out of my sight. I couldn't trust him on his own anymore. Especially then, when he had so many wounds that could split at any second.
I shot him a brief, disheartened glance before looking back up at the boy, ready to watch his every move. I would stick to the side of Kougu as if my life depended on it – then pray to my heart that it didn't.
They greeted each other tediously, which was the first time I'd heard the boy's name outloud. In fact, at all.
Anthony...
Anthony...
Anthony...
It was funny, the name seemed a little too 'innocent' for the boy that had just farced his way into the house and screamed in a tone that made him sound like he wanted to kill us. But the way he looked now, I could see how the name fitted. Despite his strong stance and powerful build, he had a soft twinkle in his eye. I could see he was only like the way he was when he really really wanted to be.
But there were some boundaries I would have to keep firmly untouched, just as soon as I found out what they were.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?”
What?

I stared at Anthony, wide-eyed in shock. Well... I had noticed he'd taken a shine to me back on the corridor, but after finding out how unpredictable he really was, I had kind of let it all go over my head. Even after the bitter entry, he had still decided he liked me?
Feeling colour rush to my cheeks, I looked away from him, utterly bewildered, and let Kougu reply without interruption.
“Anthony, meet my friend Charlie. Charlie – meet Anthony: the brother of one of my victims.”
Aha! That explained a lot.
Well... At least he wasn't a psycho. That would have been pretty bad...
“Er...” I shrugged helplessly, unsure of what to say. Anthony had taken a shine to me, I knew that. In fact, I was apparently just as important – if not more – to him than whatever he was doing there in the first place. Vengeance, probably.
It surprised me how I could say such a violent word so lightly.
I'd been hanging around Kougu, now, way too often.
“Hi, Anthony.” I answered shyly, pulling a lock of hair away from my eyes and behind my ear. I shifted my weight from one side to the other, still refusing to leave Kougu's side.
I didn't know what to do.
I ran a hand through my hair, brushing it all away from my face and scratching the back of my head awkwardly. I didn't even want to know what Kougu had done to this boy's brother to make him hate him so much. By the look of his entrance, I doubted he just shot him in the head. It had to have been some pretty violent, gory death to make this guy want to storm in, risking everything, and supposedly threaten to kill him. I admit, I'd want to do that, too. But why hadn't he just tried calling the police?
But then again, by the way Kougu reasoned with the police back at my house – whilst it was still there – he didn't have too much respect for them. My guess was: if it were possible for him to go to prison, he would have been doing a life sentence right then.
“Listen, guys...” My eyes flicked from Anthony to Kougu vigilantly, then back to Anthony again. “Can we please keep it on the down low, for now? That means no fighting, for either of you.” I twisted my body round to stare at the open doorway, where the door leading to the sitting room was visible. I turned back to Anthony, jerking my thumb towards the door. “You'll wake her up.”
To be honest, I was surprised she hadn't woken up already, what with all the yelling.
“Please,” I said quietly, my eyes flickering from side-to-side anxiously up at him. “Please, Anthony. We've been through enough this week.”

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Dreambug, you are fully epic. XD Can't wait until I have time to reply... Hehe! Just watch - I'm going to get it finished today, just so I can torture you on Monday by whining "But you had the WHOLE weekend to reply!"
Mwahahaha...
Okay, I just confused myself. But I can't think straight after my mind has been blown!! ))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Oh, also, I've decided to go with making Anthony 15. It seems to fit better. ))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Pretty short, but all done. :3 I'm afraid I haven't left you much to work with. I ran out of ideas... XD Haha! Gonna need a new twist soon... :3 ))

"Charlie..." Anthony replied quietly, using the girl's name for the first time, "Not all of us feel the need to discuss things with our fists." He threw an obvious dirty glance at Kougu, who blinked bemusedly back at him - obviously missing Anthony's intended accusation. Disgruntled by Kougu's lack of reaction, Anthony cleared his throat slightly awkwardly and turned back to Charlie. "Don't worry, I'll be quiet." He promised meekly, staring at his feet with the weary, resigned air of a child who has just realised a teacher isn't going to accept their excuse.
There was silence a moment, then Kougu finally seemed to realise that Anthony's comment had been directed at him. He raised his head slightly, blinking slowly as comprehension dawned on him. Then he spoke, breaking the silence, with a slightly amused tone. "I don't discuss things with my fists." He pointed out, "That's impossible." He looked at Anthony, and tilted his head a little to one side, as though he couldn't quite decide whether Anthony was plain stupid, or whether he had missed something. Everybody knew that fists couldn't talk... Didn't they?
Likewise, Anthony met Kougu's gaze with a similar expression - only his disbelief bordered on incredulity. He had not realised that his nemesis would be this... This... Was there ever a word for it? Weird didn't quite seem to suffice. Strange? Alien? Abnormal...? Weird was closest. Had Kougu honestly believed he meant that literally, or was the older boy simply mocking him?
No... He was deadly serious. Anthony could see it in his eyes.
"Wow..." He murmured softly to himself, flashing a brief glance toward Charlie - his eyes asking an obvious question.
Is he always like this?
In the silence that followed, Kougu gradually began to wonder if he had said something strange, and he decided to replay the conversation in his head. He didn't find his error, of course, but during this time - Anthony found his voice again.
"Listen, Kougu, about why I'm here..."
"I'm supposing it's not to kill me." Kougu interrupted, glancing up and meeting Anthony's gaze with a calm expression. "I told you - you could never kill me."
"Hey! What the Hell?!" Anthony objected angrily, glaring at Kougu, "I could kill you if I wanted to. Right now - if I punch you in the stomach once you'd be dead, wouldn't you? And I'd have killed you, right? So I could kill you, if I wanted to!"
Clearly satisfied that he had proved his point, Anthony folded his arms and gave a decisive nod.
"But you're not going to."
Anthony's expression wilted, and he threw Kougu a withering glance of deep and utter loathing, but he seemed oblivious to it, and simply went on, undeterred.
"So I was right."
"You weren't."
"I'm always right."
"You're not."
"I was - before."
"You... What?"
The pair paused, Anthony frowning in confusion at Kougu. He had been arguing, sure, but the truth was – he had been perfectly ready to believe that Kougu was, in fact, always right. He was simply that kind of person… With Anthony’s shihan as his father, it was only natural that Kougu would have learned never to be mistaken. Yet here he stood – well, sat – openly admitting that he was only right before. What did he mean by that? Did it mean that he had starter making mistakes since- Wait… Since what? Before what? What had changed…?
”What?” Anthony repeated, emphasising the question more strongly now.
With a placid smile, Kougu gestured toward Charlie – who was still standing beside him.
“Charlie’s proved me wrong plenty of times, now.” He said with a mild chuckle. “Turns out that for all I did know, there was more that I didn’t. That’s just one of the many things she taught me.” He glanced affectionately at Charlie, then turned back to Anthony, who was watching him with a strange expression – clearly wondering why Kougu was telling him this. What was the point?
“You’d do well to learn that lesson yourself.” Kougu added, still watching Anthony with that mild, detached smile that was beginning to incense him beyond belief.
“Would you just-“ Anthony began furiously,
“Shut up?” Kougu asked, a lighthearted laugh escaping his lips. With exaggerated patience, Anthony folded his arms and waited patiently for Kougu to explain what was so funny.
He didn’t.
Instead, he simply added, “Sure.”, and fell silent – though the amused expression lingered on his pale face.
The reason for Kougu’s amusement, of course, only he could understand. It seemed to him that this was exactly the sort of conversation he’d had with himself time and time again. In a way, Anthony was just like him. And no wonder… Else he wouldn’t be here.

“So… About why I’m here…” Anthony began again, his voice shaking with repressed fury. “Oh, I already know.” Kougu replied brightly, “You want to kill him – and you know I’m the only one who can help.”
Anthony’s eyes widened, and he gazed at Kougu in utter shock for a while. He had known that his enemy was intelligent, but… It was as though Kougu could read his mind! Surely, he couldn’t have thought this far ahead already? Clearly, Anthony had underestimated him. He really was his father’s son.
“Don’t flatter yourself!” Anthony hissed, automatically acting out aggressively when he felt himself become intimidated by Kougu’s threatening presence.
“Some tough guy you are, talking through enough bandages to make you a mummy!” He scoffed, then began shifting slightly uncomfortably when Kougu didn’t react to his mockery – and simply continued smiling that annoying patient smile.
“What’s with you?!” He snapped irritably, “Why the Hell are you so…” He trailed off, at a loss for words, and felt a frustrated growl rumble low in his throat.
“Different?” Kougu suggested with an innocent smile.
Anthony nodded bitterly.
“I’m happy.”
This reply shocked Anthony more than anything he had heard before – and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. He stared at Kougu in disbelief – and he could not have looked more shocked if Kougu had sprouted a second head and started imitating Elvis Presley.
“Anthony.” Kougu reminded him quietly, “Your proposition.”
“Ah, right…” He replied, suddenly flustered, “Um… Well… Uh…”
Kougu raised an eyebrow.
“Oh yeah! Um – Well, as you know, I will avenge my brother.” His eyes narrowed, and he fixed Kougu with a bitter glare. Kougu bowed his head, his pale face holding a touch of grievous remorse, and nodded slowly. “So I went asking around, and I found out the truth.” Kougu raised his head, and met Anthony’s gaze – and the pair watched each other in deadly seriousness.
“I know whose fault it is – and it isn’t yours.”
“But, I-“ Kougu objected.
“No.” The single word cut him off, and Kougu fell silent, slumping against the headrest of the bed and listening attentively to what Anthony was saying.
“His life ended at your hands, yes, but not under the command of your mind.”
A flicker of some emotion crossed Kougu’s face.
“I know.”
A single blink.
“It wasn’t your intention to kill him.”
A spark of hope.
“You’re not to blame.”

They stared at each other a while longer, some delicate thread of emotion connecting their eyes, then Anthony looked away. “But I still hate you, asshole.” He snapped aggressively, turning his back on Kougu and folding his arms. Kougu chuckled softly to himself. “I never expected anything less, Anthony.” He replied simply.
And with that, he turned his attention to Charlie.
“It’s okay.” He murmured softly, “Anthony is a good guy.” He glanced up at her – seeming suddenly tired, old, and weary. He was starting to take strain now – and it showed. He could feel it, too…
“I’m guessing he’ll be around quite often from now on…” His eyes tracked Anthony as the boy walked out of the room, and began glancing curiously around the house – peering into the living room at Cathy’s sleeping form.
“So get to know him, if you like.” He finished, glancing back at Charlie with a tired smile.
“I daresay he’ll be better company than me.”

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Done. ))

[Dreambug]

((Woot! Epic post! Loved it, as always. I'm listening to that song by Madina Lake. Gosh... I've got yet another favourite band. What are we going to do with me? ))

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

((Phew! XD I thought it was a bit... Bleh. Scattered? Off topic? Out of character? Ah well. Hehe!

We could sell you on Ebay. They are brilliant though, aren't they? ))

[Dreambug]

((It was a bit scattered, yes, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Had a good giggle, too.

Oooh, wrap me in bubble wrap! I like bubble wrap. It makes funny noises when you walk on it...
But yesm they really are. ^_^ I was reccommended a band a while ago - you know, the one my friends went to see who are apparently 'really famous' - And listened to one of their songs. I can't find many, and they're a little heavy for me. But I listened to Asleep ithe Asylum - My Passion and found it's rather catchy.
Download-eth if you can find it. ^_^

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