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

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu listened placidly to her protests, blinking peacefully as he continued to walk unconcernedly onwards, his eyes trained on her. When she had finished, a slight smile curved his lips, and for once it actually seemed sincere. A typical sort of reaction from Kougu: Predictably unpredictable. "Believe it or not, I am actually on reasonably good terms with them." Kougu admitted, a soft chuckle escaping his curved lips at the thought. "I'll stand up for what I believe in. I don't believe that you deserve to be punished, therefore I will do everything in my power to make sure you receive no punishment, as that is what I believe is right. It has nothing to do with you, so you needn't worry about getting me into trouble - I daresay I can manage that on my own. And honestly, you didn't drag me into this, it was all my doing." Kougu finished, frowning slightly as though confused by his rather alarmingly long speech. The conversation quickly took his mind back to when they had met... How he had grabbed her arm as she dashed past. Kougu flexed the fingers of his right hand, his skin crawling just with the memory of the dreaded contact. Usually he would never have done such a thing... In fact, he hadn't thought about it until now. Why had he taken such extreme measures for somebody he did not know...? He had not even known if she was in the right or not... She might have been an enemy. As it was, he did not regret any of it. Apart from his own shortcomings, of course... That poor man... And he had fled! Fled like coward, when he should have stayed to help his unfortunate victim... That was why he should never allow himself to act before thinking. Then again, if he had thought any more before attempting to assist Charlie, he would never have reached out for her arm in the first place, and she would probably have dashed on by... He would have stood there alone in the dark, damp alleyway, feeling the chill of the early morning air. Then he would have forgotten all about it and gone back indoors, resigning himself to another day of nothingness... Another day of living purely for the sake of staying alive. Kougu's hands slowly curled into fists as frustration sliced through the confusion clouding his mind. He forgot all else as his feet carried him along a familiar track, completely without input from his mind. He was finally jolted back to his senses when a loud 'crash' rang through his ears, accompanied by a stinging pain all down his face, and the sensation of a force of impact pushing him backwards. He stumbled back a few steps, then peered upwards through the haze of stars before his eyes to make out his own front door. He rubbed his stinging face, then shrugged and walked up to the door, this time taking care to stop before actually colliding with it. "It's dented..." Kougu muttered softly to himself when he saw the worn patch on the door from where his head had struck it so many times before, "Father won't be happy..." He added, still speaking to himself under his breath. He grabbed the doorknob suddenly, and tugged vigorously at it, frowning when the door did not budge. He stared at it in complete befuddlement for a moment, before a look of dawning comprehension slid over his face, and he quickly checked his pockets. Unable to find what he was looking for, he glanced back at Charlie, suddenly remembering that she was still there. "Do you recall where I put my keys?" He asked, scratching his head in confusion as he struggled to remember.

[Dreambug]

I listened to him as he answered calmly to my argument, my eyebrows shot up in honest surprise. There were some things about Kougu you could just tell, for example his lack of a social life, which was obvious in the way he barely ever showed too much emotion, and the fact that he felt uncomfortable - although that was somewhat of an underastatement, alarmed seemed to fit his actions almost perfectly - but it seemed this one time, he had completely blown me over with shock. After attempting to murder a policeman - and I highly doubted that was the first time he'd tried, or even succeeded in murder - you'd have thought he'd be one of the country's most wanted criminal. Yet he actually got along with them? Although I had to admit, I admired his refusal on letting me be arrested, or punished, even after I'd told him how much money the stolen object in the small box was actually worth. I'm guessing anyone else would have probably lost faith in me altogether and would have left me to bump into a stray policeman roaming the streets, if they hadn't already handed me in to prison already. I was about to question why he felt so strongly that he needed to help me, btu quickly decided against it. He cared, that was the main thing. I felt my cheeks flood with colour, and bit my lip, quickly ducking my head to hide the obvious shyness to my expression. "Thank you" I mumbled, my lips twitching into a slightly embarassed smile. "Really. I don't think anyone else would ever have dared to think of helping me. I am a thief, after all" I shrugged slightly, just in time to hear a soft thump that sounded like a coconut making contact with a hollow tree trunk. Strange, it was like I'd heard that sound before... Ah! He'd walked into the door again. My eyes flicked up at him for a moment, studying his face for a moment or two to make sure he wasn't injured. Before I could stop myself, I could feel my smile broadening in amusement. He'd walked into the door. Yet another thing I found surprisingly sweet about him. Who else could get into such deep thought that they didn't see a door right infront of them? Holding back a tiny giggle, I watched him as he blinked away the pain, studying the dent in the thick wooden door. How many times had he done that before? I dreaded to think, but obviously it must have been often. I doubted he had a head solid enough, or a brain strong enough to tolerate such a blow and not be able to lose conciousness. "Evidently" I managed quietly, my eyes twinkling with life once again. Then my lips pulled back to a serious line and I wrinkled my brow curiously. He'd mentioned his father again. So, wait, did that mean he was still alive? What was I thinking, of course it did! "Your father?" I asked, unable to hide the slight spark of excitement and hope from escaping in my tone. "I'd love to meet him" I quickly added, glancing down at the box in my grasp. He must have been an interesting character to have Kougu as a son. But what would he think of me if I walked into his house carrying a stolen possession? It was strange, as I was so caught up with finally meeting a member of Kougu's family that the fact that he may have been something to do with kougu's haunting past never actully occurred to me. I looked up at Kougu and blinked a couple of times, just for the sake of letting what he was actually doing sink in. He'd forgotten his keys. Again. Again, although this time it didn't surprise me, I smiled once again. My eyes were narrowed lazily, and my pearl-white teeth were only slightly peeking from behind my lips, but it showed just as much amusement and happiness than my first smile. "Well... Erm... Did you leave it in the hallway?" I asked, peeking through the letterbox, my face still lit with my amused smile. Kougu... The strange boy that took me in, let me in his house, hydrated my weak body, offered to take me home, and was now willing to fight for my freedom after I'd proved to him I was guilty of everything I'd been charged with. He'd never change. That, I was certain. And what I was even mre certain, I'd never have it any other way, even if he had threatened to kill me.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu's mind shut down completely at Charlie's words, his thoughts slipping onto a single track as everything else faded to black. Those two words played in his head over and over again, echoing in the cold, empty darkness. Your father... Kougu felt his hands clenching into fists before he had even begun to think, his nails pressing so hard into his palms that they pierced the skin, causing tiny rivulets of blood to trickle from his fisted hands, yet Kougu was completely unaware of the pain. He dropped his head, staring downwards at the ground. His face was hidden as his dark hair swept over it like a curtain, shielding his expression from view completely, and it was just as well, for it was a frightening sight. Fury burned up in him like never before, his usual peaceful gentility falling away completely as ice cold hatred made his blood boil like lava. He struggled to control the shaking that was gradually creeping from his fists to his shoulders, then wracking his entire body. "Meet... Him?" Kougu questioned softly, his tone dangerously soft and calm. "You want to meet him?" He asked again, his voice rising rapidly this time. A hysterical laugh burst from his throat, radiating complete insanity as it echoed through the empty air. Kougu finally jerked his head up, meeting her gaze instantly. His face showed more emotion than ever before, yet his expression seemed so completely mixed up that it was impossible to read. Despite that, one thing shone out clearly from every line of his pale face: Hatred. Cold, hard hatred. A demented grin crossed his face for a moment, and he broke out into gales of hysterical laughter, doubling over and clutching his sides as the maddened laughter continued to spew from his mouth. Finally, it subsided, stopping as quickly as it had started. "No, you don't want to meet him." Kougu informed her, shaking his head incredulously and releasing a clearly unamused chuckle. He turned his back on her then, forcing his mind to focus on something else, thus calming himself and forsaking the mind consuming loathing that all but paralysed his thoughts. He took a hairpin from his pocket and set to work picking the lock again, not bothering to search for the key. He was glad to have something to do that required patience and concentration... Hopefully it would be able to distract him for long enough that he could calm down completely, and not risk blowing up like a complete lunatic. Kougu took a deep breath, and released it slowly as the lock clicked, finally submitting to his will. He grabbed the handle and turned it with a twist of his wrist, then let the old wooden door swing in to emit them. He stepped through the doorway, then paused, frowning slightly as he stared at the doorknob. Tiny ribbons of crimson snaked over the tarnished gold coating. He glanced at his own open palm, and was surprised to see the shallow pools of blood welling up on it. He traced the little trails with a long forefinger, then shrugged and entered the house, pausing to gaze at the padlocked room for a moment, as was his custom, before stepping to the side and waiting for Charlie to enter. "Rather a thief than a murderer." Kougu said suddenly, his mind slipping back to what she had said earlier and quickly generating an overdue response. His expression was gentle and peaceful once more, his secretive dark eyes not giving any indication of his earlier outburst. In fact, the way he was acting, it might never have happened. Denial? No, he had never been capable of that... He was simply ignoring the unpleasant, and choosing not to dwell on it. He was calm now, so in his mind it was over, it was done, and it no longer mattered. Besides, if he let himself think about anything to do with 'his father' too much, he was likely to explode from anger, despite the scientific evidence that such things were physically impossible. At times like these, even Kougu's logical mind had its doubts. Best to just forget about it, and avoid further mention of that man at all costs...

[Dreambug]

I knew immediately by the way he froze as I mentioned his father that I'd said something wrong. It was obvious by the way he'd stopped, and the fact that the tension in his face was still visible even through the shadow of his long, dark hair. I didn't have to properly see his expression to sense he'd not liked what I'd said. I wanted to take it back now I'd realised how much it'd hurt him, I truly wished I could. But it was out now, and by the look of things, it was more than just a slight mistake. It was no longer a careless slip of the tongue. Oh why didn't I think before I opened my big mouth? His head jolted up and his lips let out a loud, humourless chuckle that seemed almost as dead as the ground beneath both our feet. I looked into his dark eyes, usually full of thought and emotion, yet now they seemed just black. Shadowed over by his pure, ice-cold hatred. I could guess who that was for. Then he spoke, his voice dangerously soft, almost as furiated as the angry screams I wished he'd have thrown at me at that very moment. Shouts and screams, I could cope with. But now... Now he was actually scaring me. I didn't know how to react, as never in my life had I actually witnessed such a strong emotion being put in such a subtle way. Of course I'd witessed fury, but not such a silent fury. Not a fury like this one. I swallowed anxiously, my rich green eyes flicking over his features, hoping, praying that he would stop laughing, stop scaring me. I'd never feared him before, even after he'd shown me his knife skills. Yet now he was laughing, and I'd never been so scared of him in my life. After a few moments his expression dropped back to a serious frown, and I let out the breath I'd not realised until that moment that I'd been holding it in fear it would be the last I'd ever take. I remained silent as he stted simply tht I would ot want to meet his father, andsilently walked into the house. I was relieved, not just that I'd kept my life, but because I'd finally stopped feeling so fearful of him. He had warned me, after all, that he was definately not predictable, and I had to be ready. But back there, it wasn't defending myself that I had ready in my head. I was just praying that he would stop scaring me. Something, I would have to work on, as it would be no use if he'd pointed a knife at me, or placed it at my throat... No. I would have to pull myself together. It was then he mentioned that I'd rather be a thief than a murderer, and I stopped in my tracks. What did that mean? He'd killed before? I'd already partially gathered that. Inhaling deeply, I turned back to Kougu, seeing that he'd cooled down just the slightest bit, and I was glad. It meant he was one step closer to being himself again. My eyes trailed to the metal door knob and I noticed the thick red liquid dripping onto the carpet from his palm. My eyebrows pulled together slightly, and I rested the box on the sofa arm and took a step towards him, my face flooded with concern. "Your hurt" I muttered, my feet making their way closer and closer towards him, until there was merely around a foot or two between us. I studied his palm with my eyes, as my father always said when I was a child 'look with your eyes, not with your hands' and it ame handy at a time like this, too. "D'you want me to bandage that up for you or are you going to do it?" I asked quietly. I wasn't going to let him walk around with cuts that deep open and prone to infections. Not if it was me that caused them; me and my big mouth.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu glanced at his hand again at her words, frowning slightly. Had he really been so angry that he had been blinded to pain...? Well, he had certainly failed at hiding his emotions, in that case. Kougu felt a grim satisfaction as he pictured how furious his father would have been to see his failure. Finally, he dragged his mind back to reality, finding that his feet had automatically stepped backward away from Charlie to maintain his usual 'safety distance'. "Don't worry, I'm fine." Kougu replied, dismissing her concern with a flick of his hands. "It's my own fault, maybe I'll remember to think next time." He added, smiling slightly at her before wandering off in the direction of the bathroom. He shivered slightly as he entered the room, the white tiles giving off a chill in the air that easily bit through his thin clothes. He shrugged and stepped over to the sink, taking care to touch the tap only with the tips of his long fingers as he twisted it open. After a few twists, a jet of water shot out. He held his hands under the stream and quickly rubbed the residue of blood away. The wounds were not deep, just slight indentations that had broken the skin... The reason they had bled so much was his own fault, as his actions had clearly aggravated the flow of blood. Kougu finally wiped the final drop of crimson away, then turned off the tap, pleased to see that his hands were no longer making any attempt to bleed. A bandage certainly would not be necessary then... Perhaps just some antiseptic. Kougu reached up into the cabinet and pulled down a small bottle of Savlon, pouring a little of the orange liquid onto a wad of cotton wool and dabbing at his hands until a few small white bubbles foamed up on the orange stain soaking into the soft cotton. Pleased with his work, Kougu discarded the used cotton wool into his 'medical waste' bin, then replaced the Savlon and closed the little cabinet. The whole procedure had taken him only about 2 minutes, yet he still felt somewhat guilty about abandoning Charlie while he was off tending to his own minor injuries... All the same, it had seemed to bother her. He hadn't liked her expression when she had offered to bandage his hands... It worried him. Yet he did not want to label it... No, he could not. He dismissed his thoughts, glancing toward the hallway where he had left Charlie, his eyes darting over to check if she was still there. He hadn't meant to snap so badly... After all he had said, she had probably been terrified that he would attack her. That thought sent a flash of guilt surging through him, and Kougu began to gnaw his lower lip nervously. He half wished that he could explain to her exactly how it worked... That it was more complicated than a simple personality issue or mental disorder... Not that he didn't have enough of those, to boot. Still, even when his temper reached boiling point, he was incapable of inflicting pain. He was gentle soul, despite the evidence to the contrary. Still, he could not say anything, so he would have to settle for a compromise. He would try even harder, keep a tighter grip on his emotions, and keep completely calm and composed no matter what was said or done. If only it was that simple... Kougu clenched his jaw in determination, then slowly released his tension, letting his muscles relax. He turned his attention back to his sight, his eyes finally managing to get the image of Charlie through to his preoccupied mind. He fixed a slightly more pleasant expression on his face, not quite a smile, and slowly walked over to her.

[Dreambug]

He hadn't been gone long, just a couple of minutes. But it was surprising how many things could go on in one's mind in that short space of time. It gave me time to run through what had gone on a few moments before, and to gather my thoughts together thoroughly enough so that when he came back down, I would at least be able to bring myself to face him once again. But the partially hidden expression on his face earlier still haunted my brain: the tension, the fury, the hatred, the eyes... Yes, his eyes had definitely scared me the most. Honestly, if eyes could change colour like vampires in books, his probably would have turned a stone cold, sickly black colour as soon as his body had had the chance to react with the emotion. Hate. But hate for what? His father? Another thing that was troubling me, why did he hate his father so much? Who could possibly hate a member of their family so much to nearly harm themselves just thinking about them? His face... It just wasn't like him. It was a complete new person, I guess that was why I was so scared to say any more. Because he was a complete new person I was no longer sure whether he would be tempted to hurt, if not kill me if I made the slightest movement that may alarm or set him off. He'd actually hurt himself in the process of fighting his temptations, and I had caused those bleeding wounds, those wounds he was now treating at that very moment. Should I have gone and helped him? Should I have followed him to make sure he was okay? I probably would have done, but I daren't. He needed time to cool off, whether it took minutes, or hours. He needed time to think. Well, that made two of us. I let out a long sigh, trying to get the needed air back into my lungs before I passed out. Those couple of seconds I'd held my breath were really starting to make up in aching throbs coming from my heart every time it let out a singular beat. I was getting far too panicked over Kougu's little emotional moment, I decided. I really had to calm down. Breathe...breathe...breathe... After a moment's silence, I heard a faint creak of the floor boards and looked up, my eyes flashing in slight alarm until I realised who it was. Kougu. He was alright. No longer infuriated enough to hurt anyone, including himself. I inhaled deeply, my ribcage rising slightly until it met my shoulders, before it gently fell back in place. There, now we both were calm. My lips twitched a tiny smile, with just enough brightness to match his own expression, although he didn't look particularly happy. I guessed he was probably expecting me to flood him with questions. Was he okay? Why did he feel so angry? Why did he hate his father? But I decided if he was going to tell me those things, he'd do so in his own time. Clearing my throat awkwardly, I let my eyes set onto his, more axiously than curiously, which was a change. I was always curious about him, as I knew there was more to him than he let out. But this once, I'd taken his actions as a clear warning to not cross the line. A line I didn't even know was there until then. “Okay, I guess I owe you a true explanation of what that is, and how it came about in my possession” I mumbled, looking over at the small box resting on the chair arm. Perhaps it was time to come clean, as it was the least I could do. He would have to find out somehow, and I wasn't too comfortable with him looking around my things. Although I highly doubted he was that kind of person.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu stopped walking a short distance from Charlie, tilting his head slightly to he side and listening curiously as she began to speak. "No, you don't owe me anything." He assured her pleasantly, a faint smile playing at his lips, "Though I cannot deny that I am curious..." He added hopefully, letting his eyes dart toward the box, then back to Charlie. "It mus be quite something to be worth so much money..." Kougu murmured in wonderment, his dark eyes still fixed on the box with a dreamy, unfocused quality. What could it be...? A massive diamond stolen from a jewelry store? A precious gem taken from a museum? If that was the case, stealing it was a truly impressive feat. Bullet-proof glass, lasers, alarms... Security around such treasures was always extreme - and for good reason. If Charlie had got past all that, then he had truly underestimated her to a ridiculous extent. He couldn't even walk through his own doorway properly... The prospect of navigating his way through complex security patterns was laughable. Kougu attempted to picture it in his mind, but found that, for once, his vivid imagination was failing him. It was simply too fr from possible... Not even in the same league as flying pigs... Kougu's head jerked upwards at this thought, his dark eyes scanning the ceiling enthusiastically, before realising that he had simply got mixed up between daydreams and reality again... There could never really be flying pigs in his house... Besides, his father would be angry if he brought pets home. Kougu lowered his gaze with a slightly sheepish expression, ashamed to have lost himself so deeply in a daydream for what might have been the billionth time. Still, his gaze did not stay on the floor for long. The small box seemed to draw his eyes with a magnetic attraction, its surface reflected in his deep pupils as he gazed longingly at it. The more he thought about it, the more curious he was to know about it. It was such a strange sensation... He was not usually so interested in the business of others. He had been taught well not to show interest in matters not his own, but his curiosity at that moment was so great that even his training was forgotten. He stared eagerly at the box a while longer, then remembered Charlie. He slowly raised his eyes, meeting her gaze with a sheepish grin slipping across his face. He absentmindedly reached up a hand to scratch the back of his head in an awkward, slightly nervous gesture, feeling deeply ashamed of his blatant, open curiosity, when she was clearly still slightly reluctant to divulge the truth about the content of the box to him. He ought to have been more patient... More understanding... Yet the curiosity burned like a flame, and Kougu was almost infantile in the way he was unable to contain it. Deprived of curiosity as a child, he had never fully mastered how to deal with it, as was the case with most basic human reactions and emotions. It was as though he had been born into adulthood, and now that he had finally broken the ties with all he had once known, he was beginning to regress, gradually finding all that he had missed out on. He did not completely understand it, and it certainly confused him, but in some way, it felt good to feel interest in something other than his own pathetic existence. Kougu suddenly jerked out of his thoughts again, slightly alarmed that he had drifted off into yet another stupor, forgetting Charlie yet again. "I- Sorry, I am being too forward. You really don't need to tell me." Kougu assured her, an awkward chuckle escaping his lips. He shrugged slightly, maintaining his pleasant, slightly sheepish smile, then took a few steps away, glancing toward the kitchen. "Can I offer you anything to eat or drink?" Kougu asked, tilting his head sideways to gesture toward the kitchen. He seemed to be making a uncharacteristic attempt to speak in slightly simpler terms... Perhaps Charlie's actions was starting to rub off on him a little after all.

[Dreambug]

I stepped past him to the sofa, suddenly feeling my legs give way beneath me. Why was I so nervous? I knew I could trust Kougu...at least, I could trust him not to steal anything of mine. Threatening to kill me was a complete different matter. But I quickly decided I'd cross that bridge when I got to it. At that moment, all I could think about was coming clean. I somewhat collapsed onto the soft sofa cushions, leaving plenty of room for Kougu to sit beside me if he wished. By the curiosity I guessed he'd want to be able to see it properly. Although, thinking it through, it was kougu. Oh well, it was his house, he could sit where he wanted. I looked up at him, feeling my teeth creeping down to my bottom lip and nibbling the edge anxiously. The obvious curiosity in his expresson somehow didn't seem to help, but again in a way, it made me want to smile. He looked so innocent when he wasn't feeling infuriated, depressed, or in one of those moods that made me want to smack him to hard in the face, although luckily that wasn't too often. my eyes trailed back down to the small cardboard box resting loosely on my lap. I hadn't even opened it since I'd taken the object from the museum we'd passed on the street... When everything kicked off... I shook my head to myself, quickly bringing myself back to the present. No more distractions, I was going to show him what I'd stolen. Without waiting for him to sit sown beside me, I took a deep breath, letting my eyes slip closed for a moment. Could I do this? Well, I'd got this far. It wasn't like I had the guts to turn round and refuse to show him the true reason why he'd been hiding me from the police this whole time. Okay...no more hesitation. Wrapping my fingers around the slit in the top vertices (don't ask ), I quickly pulled up the lid, revealing a thin layer of dark cotten cushioning the object hyst enough to it wouldn't shatter to peices if it was dropped to the floor. I glanced down at the shirt under my hooded jumper, frowning at the ragged edge where the seam had once been. Well, I'd needed something to support it, otherwise it would have scartched if I'd accidentally rattled the box in the process of running away from the police and such. I never really was an elegant mover anyway. After a few seconds of thought I pulled away the fabric and placed it on the edge of my knee, just to reveal a smooth, sparkling surface hiding within the shadow of the box. My stolen possession. Slowly and hesitantly, I slipped my fingers through the delicate silver chains and cupped the main object into my hands, pulling it quietly out of it's packaging. It was beautiful, a stone the colour of the rich atlantic ocean, the waves flowing elegantly in the soft summer breeze. The froth created as the waves hit the golden sands were even visible in the form of a crystal white at the centre of the rock, almost reminding me of the snow and ice sparkling freely in the rays of the morning sun as it rose on the vastly spread mountain ranges of the Earth. It was placed in the centre of an oval disk of pure silver, engraved with a wreath of plants weaving in and out of each other, then wrapping around the disk surrounding the precious rock showing beauty even words couldn't describe. It was century's old, worth millions of dollars, and now it was in my hands. "It's a Benitoite gem" I started, my voice slightly gruff. "Once owned by English royalty, it was passed down the generations until it reached Elizabeth the 1st. She decided she no longer wanted to have it as she had found stones of much better value, and it ended up in the hands of the museum, you know Barnard House? It's worth millions...hundreds of millions, and it't the fifth largest and purest in the world." I stopped myself, my eyes still staring down at the stone in my palm. It was probably only a an odd fifty or so grams at the most, yet it felt as if it's size and beauty was weighing it down in my hands, forcing me to place it onto my jeans before I let it drop onto the floor. I just wished the regret would stop clawing at me now, as it was too late for them. Far too late. Unable to meet Kougu's eye, I sniffed nervously, waiting to see his reaction. Would he be abgry with me? Excited? Discusted? I was about to find out.

(Okay, since I suck so much at description, here's what the actual stone looked like, just in case I confused you http://webmineral.com/specimens/photos/Benitoite.jpg)

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

"Wow..." Kougu murmured in awe, dropping to his knees before the sofa and staring at the beautiful stone. Its rich, glorious colours danced in his eyes, threatening to overwhelm his imagination with countless possibilities of worlds unknown that might reside within such an object. "Wow..." He repeated, his awestruck expression almost comical on his usually composed face. "That's rather impressive." Kougu concluded, drawing back and forcing his eyes away from the stone as Charlie placed it on her jeans. Things like that... Such reflections... Such radiant colour... He knew that he could get lost in them; enter into worlds so much kinder than reality. Worlds were anything was possible, and peace ruled over violence. Usually he was eager to escape reality, but at that moment he faced the shocking realisation that he actually did not want to miss a single second of his real life. For the first time in his life, everything was forgotten. No crushing guilt, no tormenting memories... Nothing. Nothing but an extreme sense of awe, as though he stood in the presence of some higher being, something so great and pure that he could be crushed at the signal of its will. It was terrifying, yet there was nothing negative about it at all. It was... Kougu shook his head, forcing himself to focus. "How did you manage to take it?" Kougu asked, suddenly turning his attention to Charlie. He had successfully forced himself to move his attention away from the stone, at least for now, meaning that the foremost important matter on his mind was hearing how Charlie had managed such an incredible feat. "I can imagine the security would be first class... Certainly not easy to penetrate." Kougu went on, his dark eyes locked on her with such intensity that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been unable to properly maintain eye contact just a short while before. He continued to stare at her, yet it took quite a while before he actually saw her expression, and realised how nervous, and possibly guilty, she was feeling. Instantly, a pang of regret shot through him, and the full weight of his massive burden of guilt crashed down on his shoulders so hard that he was surprised his legs did not physically buckle. "Forgive me." He muttered, quickly climbing to his feet and raising his hands, palms forward, in submission. "It doesn't matter - I didn't mean to interrogate you so..." He confessed, a concerned expression crossing his face and letting tension leak into his muscles. He bit his lip and turned away, walking off toward the kitchen. He was such a fool... He, of all people, should understand guilt. He knew exactly how painful it was, and how easily aggravated... How it crushed the soul when given the smallest opportunity. Yet he had gone off, asking question after question, reminding her again and again that she had stolen something so precious. He did not blame her, but what difference would that make to her? He knew that, no matter how many times anybody told him otherwise, he would always be to blame for what he had done... Regardless of where the blame truly lay, the guilt was shared with all involved. It was clear that Charlie was not a bad person, and guilt would always manifest within innocence, as was the cruel custom of the world. His foolish, pathetic actions may have caused her to suffer... To have caused her suffering, while actually in his right mind? For something like that, he would not forgive himself. Especially doing it out of his own ignorance, and lapse of concentration. Kougu clenched his teeth in frustration, then shook his head to dismiss the bitter thoughts. He tugged open a cupboard and took down 2 glasses. He stared at them for a moment, then muttered something under his breath and took another 2. He stared at them hard, then finally his deep frown relaxed into a satisfied expression, and he took them over to the tap. He filled them both, then lowered his head until the water was at eye level and squinted at them, his mind quickly calculating how much water he would need to pour out of one to have them exactly the same. Muttering under his breath, he pulled open a drawer and took out a syringe and a tape measure. Once he had measured the height of the water level in each glass, he paused to make some quick calculations, then used the syringe to remove a small amount of water from one glass. A relieved sigh escaped his lips as he finally got it right, and he stared at the glasses with a pleased expression for a moment, his world shrinking to include nothing outside the little bubble that stretched around himself and his calculations. The bubble popped instantly as pain throbbed through his head, reminding Kougu of what he was supposed to be doing. He opened another cupboard, and took out a small plastic tube, flipping off the cap and tapping a single round pill into the palm of his hand. He closed the tube again, then replaced it. Kougu swallowed the pill with a gulp of water, then downed the rest of the glass and tossed it carelessly into the sink, not bothering to hide the fact that he was by no means a tidy, organised individual. He picked up the other glass and carried it over to Charlie, placing it on the table before backing away and retreating over to the window, staring straight out of it without so much as sparing a glance for Charlie. No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not get used to the concept of having company... All he could remember was solitude, and all that he knew now seemed useless... Everything was just a big mass of confusion... And mistakes, on his part. Just endless expanses of mistakes...

((Sorry, I started off with a bit of block, so the quality will probably suck... ))

[Dreambug]

((Grrr I lost it again!! okay...second try...))

I guess I was still in shock myself from revealing exactly what I'd been hiding for the whole time, as his reaction surprised me. what, was I expecting him to attempt to steal it from me? Or I guess I might have partly expected him to give me one of those looks - you know, the type old ladies give you when you walk down the street with your hood up to hide your face, even when it's raining, as if they expect you to reveal your face just so you can get your hair soaked. But come on! Not everyone has umberellas...but anyway, imagine what the woman I passed when I was running looked like when she'd seen I was carrying something stolen, and that I was actually running from police, kind of like a mix between discust, confusion, and complete blankness, as if you could throw a pebble of gravel along the floor and they'd be more interested in the movement in the ground than a thief running right past them. It definately sounded possible, for Kougu. But he didn't even do that. He was completely fascinated, mesmerized by the colours, the rich sea blue mixed with the crystal white blended into a point in the centre of the stone. I knew how he felt, as it was like each time the light hit a single smooth surface, stars seemed to glisten in the blue, reminding me of a evening sky full of stars, each one filled with gravity to pull you in; to pull your eyes in to the sparkling surface of this magnificent rock. I'd felt that same sensation when I'd first set eyes on that benitoite necklace locked away safely in it's own little glass box, right in the centre of the exhibit. At a first glance it seemed that all that was guarding the box was a rope outline and a padlock. Great, all I needed was a hammer. But when I'd studied my surroundings I'd realised it wasn't that easy. I'd turned away to find another item to take, but my eyes kept dragging back to that exhibit. That innocent little rock. It was worth so much, just thinking about what magnificent changes it could do to my life excited me. We'd have been able to pay off everything we owed, I'd be able to get a decent job, get a good house, live the life I'd only dreamed of having. But all the same, I wasn't capable of taking it without practice, education or equipment. I'd learnt that theh hard way. I glanced down at a section of my leg, just an inch or two below my knee and winced at the memories of that horrific night. Not only had I been caught by police, I'd also been caught by the transparent red laser running towards the door when the alarm had gone off. "Not without difficulty" I mumbled miserably, rolling up my jean leg to reveal a huge pink burn scar where my skin had been attacked by the excrutiating heat that had melted my flesh without having enough time to move. Almost no time to even scream. I was beyond screaming, I was beyond crying. But I had to let out the pain thumping through each cell within my leg. They nearly had to amputate it, if I hadn't gone to hospital as quick as I had. Although now I had the reminder of that dreadful night for the rest of my thieving life. I looked up with a jolt to see Kougu standing before me with a glass of water, measured accurately with the right amount of liquid, just like always. Wait... How long had I been daydreaming? Obviously enough for him to walk into the kitchen, measure a glass of water, then walk back in. Now I was definately turning into him. I just couldn't decide whether that was good or bad. After all, the guy barely spoke, so what else was I meant to do? Twiddle my thumbs? I didn't even smile when I gently took it from him, mumbling a quiet 'Thanks', although whether he'd hear it or not I hightly doubted. I was too deep in thought to care. "Your not interrogating me" I said, with a light wave of my hand,takign a small sip of my water. "I'm just...remembering" but as soon as I'd spoken he'd already turned and walked towards the window. Yet another clue that he hadn't had a very sociable few years, if not a whole lifetime. The room slowly appeared properly back into view, and I watched hi for a few moments, resting my elbows lightly on my knees, somewhat shielding the necklace in my own body. I could tell from his expression he wanted to talk about my 'work' as it were, although he was fighting the temptation to ask any more questions. Well, I wasn't going to leave the questions unanswered, as long as I didn't give too much away, I knew for now we were on safe grounds. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. If you want to know something about this," I gestured to the necklace, twisting my fingers in the thin, delicate chains that once hung around Elizabeth I's neck. That is, until she decided to rid of it. "then I'm willing to tell you. As long as it's just about this. Just don't feel you have to keep quiet because your scared you'll hurt my feelings" I shrugged lightly, resting the stone back on my lap. It was obvious curiosity was still haunting him. I wasn't going to stand by and let it pass if he was still dissatisfied with my answers.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu turned away from the window to face her as she spoke. He shrugged vaguely, then replied, "No, you've told me enough already. I'm grateful for that... I was just curious as to how you acquired the skills to accomplish such a feat... It is truly impressive." He concluded, a slight smile hesitantly twitching his lips. He was relieved that she was not upset... In fact, his relief was such that he was barely able to hide it at all. Thank goodness she was tough... For with his foolish ignorance, he would probably have ended up crushing her, otherwise. His eyes suddenly slipped down to her leg, where she had showed him the burn before. It had only completely sunk in now, and he found his thoughts locked upon it. "That injury is terrible..." He muttered thoughtfully, a hint of remorse in his tone, "But there's never anything you can do with the laser burns, is there?" He paused for a moment, staring unseeingly at her leg as his thoughts drifted mildly to a long forgotten track. "You were lucky." Kougu concluded finally, raising his head to meet her eyes and offering a slight smile, this time more significant than just a twitch of the lips. "As was I." He added, tugging at the collar of his shirt to reveal a burn a fair deal milder than her's that stretched cross his shoulder. Kougu released his collar again, his eyes clouded and his mind far from reality as the memories of that day crowded his mind. He had indeed been lucky... Lucky that he had not been quite as exhausted as usual... Lucky that his father had not been in as cruel a mood as he could have been... Lucky that his father's agency had not been able to afford a stronger laser for his 'experiments' at the time. Kougu suppressed a shudder at the thought of the pain inflicted upon him as the laser seared his skin. He could not have been older than 6 at the time, yet he had taken the pain almost without reaction, determined not to further disappoint his father. It was bad enough that he had failed to successfully maneuver his way around the lasers, but to fail in bravery as well? His father would never have forgiven him... Kougu sighed at his own foolishness, wishing, not for the fist time, that he had been able to see the future. Perhaps then he would have made better choices, and things might not have ended up the way they had... He might have lead a normal life: Getting up to go to school like any other teenager... He might have had friends, gone to parties, seen a movie... Whatever it was that people like himself were supposed to do in the 'normal' world of society. Alas, he had been too naive to recognise his fathers shortcomings, obvious as they may have been. The man had always been like a glowing beacon to him... Something to look up to, something to strive towards. He had ignited Kougu's hopes and dreams, and given him aspirations. If only he had known back then all that he knew now... But it was too late for all that, and too late for regret. The die had been cast, there was no turning back now... All he could do was attempt to fix all that he had broken. Though the chances of that ever happening were less than zero. After all, he could never apologise to his family... And he could never give back what he had taken from them.
Kougu jerked slightly as he resurfaced from his thoughts, blinking rapidly to get his vision back into focus. He wasn't sure how long he had drifted off for, but he hoped it wasn't too long... Somehow, his daydreaming often seemed to create an awkward atmosphere, and he had become painfully aware of this fact recently, making him even more tense than usual when he finally resurfaced.

[Dreambug]

For a moment I had felt slightly puzzled at his look of relief that flooded over his face, as I was sure it hadn't been something I'd said. I hadn't recalled doing anything... But it must have been me, as I was the only other person in the room with him. Perhaps I'd acted in a way he'd preferred? The way I recovered from my emotional state perhaps a little better than he did, although I was guessing his was much worse, what with his strong emotions and burning hatred for his father, although I was still itching to know why. What on earth could he have possibly done to destroy Kougu's life in such a barbaric way? I probably would have asked him by now, although I feared what he might to to me, or himself, if he had another emotional outburst. Looking down at my leg, I let out a careless shrug, a small sigh escaping my lips. I had never been able to wear anything shorter than 3/4 length trousers since that night at the museum, and it had wrecked most days in summer, as those girls in skirts could show off their legs whilst I was there in dark-coloured jeans. No matter how many times I asked my mother, she'd always tell me unless I wanted to be the laughing stock of the playground - although I wasn't far off Secondary school anyway - then I shouldn't try and blend in like everyone else, or show my burn. According to her, I didn't want that kind of attention, and I decided I'd take her word for it. I wasn't that stupid to think those snobby girls that hung around the small football pitch where all the boys - and tomboys - played football and make rubbish about who kissed who etc would just pass by when I had a scar that big on view and not start to ask questions. A blindman would be able to tell that it just wouldn't happen. I dropped the sleeve of my jeans back over my leg and looked up at him, just to see him revealing a pretty nasty looking mark on his neck, enough to make me gasp. My expresion froze in a shocked frown as I stared at the pink mark spread over his neck and shoulder. What had it come from? Lasers? I slowly pulled myself to my feet, completely forgetting about the jewel dropping onto the cushions on the sofa and took a tiny step towards him. "Wha..." I struggled to find words to describe what I was thinking or feeling at that point, as I was still wondering myself what I was actually thinking. My mind had just fogged over with questions that I daren't ask, as he'd obviously had enough bother by whoever had done this to him. The last thing I wanted was for him to be put into any trouble because of me. My head shook faintly as I slowly took more and more steps towards him until we were facing each other, my eyes flicking over his expression, then the now-covered scar that had spread over his shoulder. I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing. What the hell had happened to him? "That's terrible..." I whispered, raising my finger to study his scarred wound for a second time, before quickly dropping it back to my side. He wouldn't like it anyway. But I had to see it again, to see how bad it actually was. Although, honestly, I had no idea why. I guessed the only power I had with him at that moment was to speak. Although at this moments his actions were enough of an explanation for me. "Kougu... What... No, who did this to you?" I doubted it was any of the gangs I'd come across on the streets, as none of them that I knew of could even afford a laser, never mind know how to use one. this was from someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Someone who was going to get their butt kicked by me if I met them before I went back home. Although to me, it seemed highly unlikey I would ever meet them. Unless Kougu knew them...well...

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu didn't notice Charlie beginning to move toward him until she began to speak, and then he jumped slightly in surprise, taking a jittery step away from her, and glancing nervously at the ground. He managed to calm his nerves after a moment, and slowly raised his head to listen to what she was saying, seeming perfectly calm and composed once more. A slight frown crossed his face at her tone, confusion etched deep in the contours of his face. He didn't understand what she was so concerned about... This scar was no big deal. In fact, in comparison to everything else that had happened, it seemed no more important than a single thread pulled from a rug. "It's nothing major." Kougu replied with a shrug, his tone showing genuine surprise. "I was supposed to dodge the laser, and I wasn't quick enough... It wasn't his fault." He explained, his frown deepening as the words left his lips. Why, after all this time, did he still feel the need to defend his father...? Why, when he hated the man so much he could not even speak his name, would he be so desperate to make sure that nobody ever thought badly of his father. Then again, what he'd said was the truth. It was not his father's fault that he had been too slow to dodge... It was because of his father that h would be able to dodge next time, and the time after that, and after that, in any situation. Life had always been like that for him... Perhaps for everybody. Sometimes curses were blessings in disguise... Sometimes the good things and the bad things could be one and the same... If there was one thing his father had taught him, it was that there was no wide boundary between good and evil as most people believed. There was good and evil in everybody, and the line between the 2 was so unbelievably thin, that often it was impossible to tell them apart. When that time came, just how was one supposed to decide what side they are on...? Kougu shrugged off his thoughts, unwilling to contemplate his confusion at that moment. Charlie's reaction still puzzled him greatly... He didn't understand what was so important about the pointless little wound. In comparison to her own laser burn, his was nothing. Why, then, did she seem so concerned? So, unless he had misread her tone, ... Angry?

((Sorry, shortish posts today. ))

[Dreambug]

I stared at him for a moment, my eyebrows now shot up towards the heavens. How on earth could he see that as something so insignificant, when it ws so clearly not? Even compared to my scar... That had been an accident. Something of my own wrong doing. I'd simply tripped and fell onto the laser and that was what had caused my wound. I shouldn't have tripped, I should have noticed the laser. Really, I shouldn't have even been in there in the first place. But what had he done? Had he stolen something too? It might have been possible, although the little voice in my head told me it wasn't extremely likely, especially if he got on with the police. I'd come down from that cloud as soon as I'd taken my first true stolen object. It wasn't exactly big, a few notes from a corner shop till. You could say it was a practice, to prepare me for my 'big challenge' but it was enough to get the law against me. Now whenever I walked past a police officer I'd always get some sort look from whoever it was, even if they'd never seen me before. They'd know someone who'd have confronted me before, and by the age of fourteen I already had some sort of bad rep. I wasn't exactly proud of it, but it was one of things you just couldn't change. You get a rep, you get it for good. I snapped back to reality once again as I look up at him questioningly, slowly raising myself onto my tiptoes to see the edge of the burn hidden under his collar. By the words he'd chosen it sounded much like whatever happened to him was no accident, and it unsettled me. Yet he was defending whoever it was that had shot him? Why? By the looks of things, if it had got him any deeper towards his neck, he wouldn't have survived. At least he was right about one thing, he was lucky. My head shook faintly for a moment, imagining in my head how painful it must have been for him to have been shot so close to his face. The amount of pain I'd felt on my leg, the burning sensation that melted my skin, but on my neck? Ouch. I swallowed uncomfortably, lowering myself back down onto the ground. Would he tell me if I asked him who it was? Was it his father? Somehow I found myself doubting the idea. No father would carelessly shoot at his own son with a laser, especially if he was only a child. But he hated his father; a strong, passionate, ice cold hate that I'd never seen expressed so much in anyone else in my life before. Thinking it through, it might have been possible. But I really didn't know. All I knew was his father wasn't as nice as I'd first guessed. But could he really be the kind of person to actually shoot at his own son? "What was he doing shooting at you in the first place?" I asked, still slightly aghast at the thought of someone actually purposefully shooting at someone so - what was the word - innocent as Kougu? Well, I knew he wasn't completely innocent, not now, but surely when he was younger...?

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu shifted his weight uncomfortably and stepped back as Charlie stood on her toes to try to catch a second glimpse of the scar. This was confusing him slightly... He had thought of it as a simple way to add his side to the conversation, yet now she was reacting so strongly... It was rather strange and unexpected. He stood awkwardly, feeling slightly out of place, but relaxed slightly when Charlie sat down again. His attention soon began to wander, his dark eyes slowly scanning the familiar surroundings, and noting all the changes in light, shadows, dust and just about anything that could catch his attention. His focus was jerked back to Charlie as he heard her speak, and Kougu forced his mind back onto the correct track nd listened intently. What had he been doing shooting at him...? Kougu considered the question for a moment, trying to decide just how much information he could give without treading on thin ice. "He... It was part of my training... As I said, I was supposed to dodge." Kougu replied, shrugging slightly, an awkward smile tugging at his lips. He had not been quick enough, and he had been punished with intense pain. It was because of that that he had worked hard... Because of that, that he had been able to dodge just about anything that anybody could throw at him from then on. Though surely cruel, Kougu still felt that the training may have been neccessary. The only thing he had come to regret, was that he had not known the true reason that he had been training at the time... If he had known, perhaps he would have made the right decision back then, instead of waiting for nearly two decades, and still failing to take a single step in the right direction. In fact, he thought that his first good decision had been to help Charlie... Only he had countered it almost instantly with the terrible decision of allowing her to remain in his presence for so long. He was putting her in extreme danger... If his father found out- But no, that made no sense... At least, he hoped not. A slight shudder ran through Kougu, and the unpleasant thoughts reminded him of the task at hand, one he ought to have completed already: Finding Charlie a defensive weapon. Any close-range weapon would be no use, as she would need skills to rival his own to incapacitate him, and that simpl was not worth the risk. Any weapons too dangerous, she would be reluctant to use... Any not dangerous enough, and he could still hurt her. Eventually, Kougu comcluded that his best option would be to find her either a gun with rubber bullets, or perhaps a long-range shock stick. Unfortunately, the latter was not exactly easy to carry around... The rubber bullet gun, however, made sense. He would have to mention it to her soon, yet he was not sure if the current discussion was closed just yet... He watched her curiously, waiting for some indication as to when might be an effective time to make his proposition.

[Dreambug]

I shuffled a tiny step back away from him, as I quickly realised he was becoming uncomfortable with having me standing so close. I'd seen what I wanted to see, so there was no need to be peering at him so much anymore. If it had been anything else, I might have not quite been so horrified, or so angry at what had happened to him... Although thinking about it, I probably would have done. He had been hurt without reason, and that angered me. Wait, it had been within reason, he 'hadn't dodged the attack fast enough' but why had he been shot at in the first place? Although he'd supposedly answered me, the questions still lingered annoyingly in my brain. Training... Training for what? By the way he had said his last answer, I had a feeling even he didn't know the answer to that one. Training... What training?? I could have roared in frustration at the unanswered quetions in my head, but I feared tht in doing so I would also frighten, or alarm Kougu and possibly turn him in the process. That wouldn't turn out good, especially when all I had to defend myself was a cardboard box and a tiny stone the size of a squash ball on a chain as delicate as a single thread. I'd probably be dead before I even got to the door. I winced at the thought, looking back up into his mysterious darkened eyes. He was thinking about something...something to do with me. What was he up to? As if to read his mind, a though came to my head. Defence. I needed defence from him. That's what we'd been talkign about before we'd both arrived back at his house. Oh hell... What was he going to give me? A knife? a gun? Perhaps something exotic like a poisoned dart, or a laser... It suddenly worried me at the fact that he might have any or all of those things, those things designed to maim and kill. What was up with him and weapons? What he'd gone through, what went through his mind, I dreaded to think what he was capable of doing wth one of those in his hand. The thought made me shiver. How he actually thought sometimes, the horrific memories that had sat in the back of his head all this time, then seemed to jump out from the middle of nowhere like they had back there, out on the street; they were what caused it all, all his grief and mourning. I hated it when that happened, although I had some feeling his history was even worse than what he was letting out to be.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu watched Charlie for a while, his dark eyes studying her face, and making assumptions based off every twitch, crease and change of expression in her face. It seemed to him that she had a million questions on the tip of her tongue, yet could not quite spill them out. He was glad of theat fact, for he highly doubted that he would be able to aswer, either. Yet at the same time, he felt somewhat guilty for leaving her in the dark... Really, though, it would not help her to know all the things he had done... And it would not help him to tell her. In fact, it might just trigger enough pain to make him go insane... That bitter thought brought him back to the problem at hand: Defence. "I need to get you a weapon..." Kougu muttered absentmindedly, frowning thoughtfully at her before shrugging and turning to walk off through the house. He entered his bedroom, and dragged a big metal trunk out from under his bed. He picked the padlock, atomatically assuming that he had lost the key, and flipped the lid open. Inside the trunk was a vast array of different weapons, all jumblem pell-mell within the cold, metal walls. He scratched through the different devices of destruction for a while until he finally found the one he sought: A small, lightweight pistol, loaded with rubber bullets. The force would be enough to knock him out if one was to strike his skull, and taking a bullet in the wrong place could even break a bone. It would not, however, kill him. Injuries he could easily treat, he had proved that much already... Kougu smiled slightly ast his choice, then flipped the lid of the box shut. He padlocked it and kicked it back under the bed, before turning and walking back to the loung, the gun in his hand. He placed it on the low table, then perched himself on the arm of the couch on the opposite side to Charlie. "It's loaded with rubber bullets." He explained unconcernedly, "They won't leave fatal injuries, but they can knock a person out when aimed at the head." He concluded, smiling pleasantly at her. He did not seem ever slightly bothered by the prospect of being shot with the weapon he had picked out. On the contrary, he seemed almost... Eager? Kougu scratched his head thoughtfully as he watched her, waiting to see her reaction to the gun. He might still need to teach her how to use it properly, though he hoped he would not have to... Being confident in contrlling a weapon could do strange things to people's minds in times of desperation... He did not want to be the one to bring about some sort of change in this kind, compassionate and peaceful person that he had met. In his eyes, she was the sort of person that the world needed more of... Perhaps that was why he found it so cruel that life had treated her so unkindly... She deserved better, and nothing would ever convince him otherwise.

[Dreambug]

He must have read my expression like a book, as my thoughts seemed to be answered as soon he began to speak. Had they been that obvious? Obviously so. The sickly feeling of dread remained in the upper half of my throat, and I had to quickly swallow to keep it from bringing any of my previously regurgitated meals onto his freshly cleaned carpet. I should have thought about our conversation on the street about weapons when he had brought it up. I could remember turning down the knife he'd given me, but when he'd told me about getting me a weapon to use against him, I hadn't argued. Why hadn't I argued? Why hadn't I turned down weapons altogether? Before I could get at myself more for being so rediculously hasty about his decision, he had disappeared up to his room for what I guessed would be his supposedly 'ideal' weapon. I just hoped he wasn't going to expect me to use it. I don't know how many times I'd told him I wouldn't dare hurt him, but he obviously wasn't going to listen to me. I slumped miserably into the sofa's thick cushions and waited until he had come down to at least attempt to tell him how I really felt about the idea. He came down just a few moments later with a gun in his hand, and for a second I had a really bad feeling he was going to try it on me. Then he began to speak. I listened only half-heartedly to what he had to say, as I was still feeling uncomfortable at having such a weapon even in the room, never mind in his hand. Well, he didn't seem like he was going to hurt me, so I put my trust in his soft expression and... What was that, eagerness? Not that that made any sense to me at all, but that was the least of my problems. The point was that he expected me to use it on him. Did he realise he was giving me a weapon to use on himself? A sigh escaped my lips as I looked up at him, then at the gun he'd casually placed on the table. It wouldn't kill him, aparently. Was he bluffing to convince me to use it if he attacked me? Rubber bullets... Was there even such a thing? "Kougu..." I began, before a thought occurred to me. I knew he had weapons in the house, but what for? If he had used them in his past, the past he desperately tried to forget, then why did he still have them in his household? Was it something to do with his father? My eyes widened for a moment, suddenly dreading what might happen to e if his father found me in the house. But hang on, did his father even live there? it took me a moment to realise Kougu was expecting me to speak, and I quickly had to snap out of the questions flooding around in my head. I wouldn't mention his father unless it was apsalutely necissary, if at all. Kougu obviously didn't want it, therefore I wasn't going to argue. He had a gun within his grasp, for goodness' sake. "Rubber bullets..." I echoed, thinking the plan through. If he was telling the truth, it wasn't such a bad plan. "And you're sure they won't kill you? Wait... Kougu what the hell were you doing with this...this thing here in the first place?" I asked, forcing my voice to stay calm. No point alarming him now, he'd only just recovered from the whole 'father' thing. I had been lucky he hadn't taken his rage out on me back then. That wouldn't have turned out well.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

"They won't kill me." Kougu assured her firmly, a slight smile still on his face, and a note of confidence in his tone. He knew for a fact that the rubber bullets were low-risk... Sure, they could give some hefty injuries, but the possibility of killing a person was far from likely, especially with somebody like him... Tough as a cockroach, as his mother had always said. At the thought of her, the smile slipped from Kougu's face instantly, but he replaced it with a frown of concentration when he realised that Charlie had begun speaking. Good timing... "This?" Kougu asked in vague surprise, glancing toward the gun. "Well, I suppose it makes itself useful at times, does it not?" Kougu asked innocently, though even he could not fool himself into thinking that was what she meant by the question... "I have these weapons because I am supposed to use them." Kougu explained. "Though for the most part they just gather dust... I don't much like to use anything besides my knife or my water gun..." He added thoughtfully, scratching his head. He ha lost his water pistol... He would need a new one soon, and finding one so realistic was far from easy. He could never trust himself with truly dangerous weapons, yet he did not wish to completely forsake the only life he had, either... Just because his father had taken a bad turn, did not mean that the entire agency was corrupt. He would still assist in the missions he agreed with... He would still be their asset. Yet the true reason he kept the rest of the weapons was simple... His sole purpose in life, was to destroy what he saw to be the source of some unspeakable evil spreading through the earth. Gentle and peaceful as he was, the one thing that Kougu kept living for was to kill the only man he had ever wished to harm: His father. Only he knew that the man would be be taken down easily... And he dared not risk letting that man tighten his cruel grips on his, Kougu's, mind. It was all rather confusing, even in his mind, and Kougu knew that he would not be able to explain completely to Charlie, even if he wanted to try... He could barely explain it to himself. All he knew was that his father had to die by his hand, or the world would be flung into chaos. At least, that was what he kept telling himself... He glanced back at Charlie, wondering if he had given her enough of an answer this time. Technically, he ought not to tell her about the agency... Though at the same time, he did not particularly care. His main concerned was simply that he lacked the words to explain it.

((Terrible block! ))

[Dreambug]

I felt a relieved sigh escape my lips as he answered my question in a much more reassuring tone. I'd believe him for now, as I was becoming far too tired to argue. "Well, okay. As long as you're sure... Just...just, promise me you we won't have any more attacks on random people off the streets? I just don't want another like last time--" I trailed off, my mouth stretching out into a huge yawn. My energy was now slowly draining from my body, due to my aweful lack of sleep the night before and constantly being on the run or feeling too uncomfortable to even sit down for a couple of moments in fear I may have to get up and run. Relaxation had never really been a friend of mine, as I'd never had the time, patience or trust in my surroundings to ever completey relaxed.

I could remember being at home once when I had cought a stomach bug, and I had been lying down on the sofa watching our cheap, worn down television in the corner of the room. I'd thrown up a minimum of twelve times that past night, and at least another half of that during the day. Mother was in the kitchen boiling the kettle for herself - at least, that's what she'd told me she was doing - and I'd managed to keep my previous meal, a slice of toast with the tiniest serving of jam, from retracing it's steps back up my throat and spilling out all over my pyjamas. My favourite show was on, Most Haunted live and I was lying on my back, head throbbing, stomach churning, and my vision had gone slightly blurred. It was to do with my empty stomach, I decided and blinked a few times to make it go away. Not much luck. Anyway, after around five minutes of staring at the screen, there was a loud splash and a deafening shriek coming from the other room. Without thinking I had already jumped to my feet, shaken the blanket off my body, and awkwardly waddled into see what was going on. What happened then mut have been the most horrific things I'd ever seen, that is, since the accident. Mum was lying in a huge pool of steaming hot water, screaming in agony, eyes wide and bloodshot, and she was clutching her left arm. It was gard to seem properly what had happened to her through my poor vision, but it was obvious she'd burnt herself. I shook my head, watching her curl up in the pool of burning liquid, cursing me and my life, the world, the heavens... It took me a couple of moments to realise what she was attempting to do. Did she honestly think if she hurt herself enough times she would just die, like that? I opened my mouh to say something, but to my horror, instead of words flooding from my lips, a large, vile, stinking serving of vomit splashed out onto the floor.

I couldn't remembered anything after that, other than my head hurting and everything going black. It was then that I had realised how untrustworthy my mother was when alone in the kitchen, surrounded by so many things she could use to hurt, main, or destroy herself. I was lucky she hadn't reached the knife draw, as me passing out seemed to have distracted her from causing any further damage to herself. But I had learned from my mistake, even when I was weak from illness. I couldn't turn my back without being ready. Which was exactly what I was doing now. My eyes widened in horror, and I froze to my spot. How long had my mother been alone now? six hours? Seven? Goodness knows what she had been up to due to the fact that I hadn't arrived home. Feeling the colour drain from my face, I stuffed my hand into my jean pocket, pulling out a small, cheap mobile phone. I scrolled down shakily to her house phone number, and pressed green.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu's face fell at her words, his expression suddenly filling with despair. After all this time, after all he had told her, she still dd not understand... Kougu felt his teeth clamp down on his lip as he suddenly reminded himself that he ought not be surprised. It made perfect sense, really. He had not given her even a brief explanation, so how could she understand that self control was not always an option for him? He sighed softly, then resigned himself to speaking, despair dulling his tone. "But that's just the thing. I ca-" Kougu broke off as he noticed her expression. She wasn't even listening... She had zoned out completely. He shifted his weight nervously from foot to foot, painfully aware of the fact that she might take his apparent silence as an answer to her demand. He couldn't lie, and having her believe that he had promised something he never could was akin to a lie in his jumbled mind. Kougu felt tension seeping into his muscles, freezing all motion from his limbs and stiffening his body so much that his shoulders began to creep involuntarily up his neck toward his head, an automatic response of the body to an increase in nervousness, to shield its weakest spots and decrease chances of termination. One of the few basic instincts that humans had not lost in their desperate search to better all creation... To replace everything with technology... Kougu felt a certain bitterness on the topic, knowing only too well what sort of horrors the human mind could conjure up... Kougu was suddenly jerked out of his thoughts again as his dark eyes alerted him to a sudden change in Charlie's expression. He felt his shoulders drop, releasing their tension, as concern and curiosity washed over him. His face creased into a frown as he watched her fingers darting over the buttons of a mobile phone. She was as pale as a sheet, and he could read the horror in her expression like a book. Just what had she remembered...? Clearly, it was something important if she had whipped out her phone so suddenly, and if her emotions had caused her body to react so violently. In fact, she seemed to be in a state of near panic. Seeing as how she was usually so cool-headed and logical, this concerned Kougu to immeasurable degrees. His frown deepened as he watched her with genuine concern, soon beginning to gnaw absentmindedly on his lip again. His earlier predicament had been washed from his mind entirely... For better or for worse.

[Dreambug]

Heart punching against my chest, I shakily brought the phone to my ear. Now I was really starting to panick. If she didn't answer, I'd end up having to leave Kougu on his own and run home, risking being caught, arrested, or hurt in any other way. If losing my mother wasn't enough, the last thing I wanted was to be arrested, seeing the triumphant smirks from ll those policemen showing me how much a waste of time it had all been, and all for nothing.. It was those same glances I had run from every time I was caught stealing. They were menacing, and it as as if they spoke the words for me, that those police didn't even have to speak to show me what they were truly feeling. I shivered at the thought, the images flashing through my mind and I had to blink a few times for it to fade away completely. My ears awoke to the constant ringing in my brain and for a second I didn't know what it was, until I noticed the phone sat by my ear, and everything made sense once again. Pick up...pick up...please pick up... I prayed silently, until the irritating woman's voice came onto the speaker. This is you're mobile messaging service. The person you are calling is unnavailable. Please leave your message after the tone BEEP. I let out a worried sigh, clutching the phone in my palm. Why wasn't she answering? "Listen, mum. I don' know what your doing, but I've got what you wanted, and I'm fine, really. But I have to talk to you, I need to make sure your okay. Just, please...pick u--" There was clattering sound at the other end of the line, and the beeping from the answering maching stopped. Was she answering? "Mum?"
"Hello?"
I let out a hugh sigh of relief, feelign myself relax slightly. She'd answered. She was alive. "Mum, it's me. I was just calling to make sure you were..."
"Charlotte, love, how are you? I've been missing you"
I frowned, taken aback slightly at the sudden kindness in her tone. Did she just call me 'love'?

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu turned away as she began to speak, unwilling to listen to her conversation, as he believed that she deserved her privacy. For once, it seemed, he understood how to be tactful, at least slightly. Just before he left the room, Kougu caught the relief in her tone, and the sudden change in her speech patterns. "Mum?" She asked, her tone hopeful, then continued with obvious relief, "Mum, it's me. I was just calling-" But that was as much as he heard, for by that time Kougu was out of earshot, and never did find out why Charlie had been calling. It had nothing to do with him, after all. He sighed softly, suddenly feeling the cold air of the empty house closing in around him, wrapping him a cold blanket as it always had before. At one stage he had found the icy embrace comforting, but now it simply made him feel the emptiness all the more. He was alone... And just this once, he was aware of how much it hurt. What would happen when Charlie left? He had become too dependant on her presence, despite his best efforts not to succumb to the temptation of accepting company. Alas, he was human... People were never meant to be alone, it was not a part of their DNA. Kougu sighed, wrapping his arms around himself and rubbing the goosebumps from his pale flesh. Once again, he noticed just how cold the house was... Something that had never bothered him before. Lingering in the hallway as he was, his mind began to wander, and with it, his eyes scanned the house. The stairs let to a boarded up hole: Exactly the way he had left it the day it had all fallen apart... Locking the memories inside, just as he had attempted to lock them in an inaccessible pocket in his brain. He had had more luck with the house... His dark every the swivelled around to the heavy white door, with its many locks and chains. As the sight of it struck his brain, a shudder ran through him, and a flash of crimson on white enveloped his senses. Those hands again... At an ominous cracking sound from one of his back teeth, Kougu suddenly became aware of the fact that he was clenching his jaw so hard it hurt. At the same moment, he realised that his hands were clenched into fists, and the scabs over the shallow puncture wounds were cracking. He forced himself to relax, releasing a deep breath and turning away from the room. He had been tortured enough by that memory... Kougu suddenly clutched at the wall, his eyes bulging and his knuckles turning white. A wave of dizziness crashed over him, and the world shook so badly he could have sworn it was an earthquake. He had to gasp for air, as even the air currents seemed to be spinning away in an attempt to evade him. Finally, the attack passed, and Kougu crumpled to the ground, leaning weakly against the wall. His legs shook violently from the effort of trying to keep his balance, and his head was thumping wildly. He had to be careful... That had been a close call. Kougu drew a deep breath, then slowly straightened himself, still leaning against the wall for support. The sudden attack on his mind had reminded him exactly why it was that he must endure the solitude: He was simply too dangerous... Too risky... Too unstable. Even if she had a weapon, what if she froze when the time came to fire it? One wrong move, and his hands would end up stained by her blood... One misjudgement, and it would be her glassy, unseeing eyes haunting his nightmares...

[Dreambug]

I had an extremely good reason to feel anxious, or at least the confusion of how my mother was speaking to me. She was being nice... Nice! She was barely ever nice to me, even when she was on a 'high', she'd just turn cocky and mouthy towards me. Her speaking to me in such kindness was almost non-existant. Why was she being to nice to me? Really, I shouldn't have felt suspicious. It was if I was complaining that she wasn't in my face, snappy or stressed. But it still troubled me deeply, as it sounded like something was wrong. My eyes flicked to Kougu for a second, wondering how he was with me talking to someone else whilst he was in the room. I hdn't meant to shove him out of the conversation so suddenly, I'd panicked, but it seemed he was in his own world as well. Although his world seemed to be one of Hell, studying by his expression. He slid to the floor and I noticed his legs were shaking. Was he okay? I was just about to ask him until I realised mother was still on the line, churping away in her somewhat happy tone.
"I've had a clear-out of the house when you left. You know those boxes all over the stairs? They've been thrown away, and you would not believe how many things you find when sorting through all that rubbish over the floor..."
I rolled my eyes, not taking a speck of notice. Her words were just coming out as a strange roaring into my ear, and I just couldn't be bothered tryign to keep up. My lack of everything needed to keep me alive...sleep, food, drink... were starting to make their way up to my brain, causing me to easily lose focus. I blinked a few times, hoping she would stop before my brain exploded. But she seemed to be talking faster and faster, like she was rushing... Anxious... Her words dribbled to a stop as I heard a almost silent murmuring coming from the other end of the line, and I was definate that it wsn't hers. It sounded like a male voice, low and crackly, but he was too far from the phone for me to recognise any words he was saying.
"Mum?"
"Oh hello Charlotte, where was I?"
Another thing, she hadn't called me 'Charlotte' since I was five, and that was when she was shouting at me. So Goodness knows where that came from.
"Anyway, I was going to call you. You've been gone a while. Where've you been?"
I sighed, turning to see Kougu. I just wished I could talk to him alone again, but now this was just becoming too stressful for me to leave alone. What on earth was wrong with her? Had I imagined that murmuring in the background? "I...I know, I'm sorry. I've been staying at...a friend's house" I said hesitantly, quickly turning away from Kougu. I'd keep names out of it for now, in case it actually was something personal. I didn't want Kougu being dragged into any more of my problems.

[Polo trapped in an inkpot]

Kougu took a deep breath to steady himself, willing himself to get a grip, then released the wall and stepped away from it. For a moment he felt as though he was swaying in limbo, but then his balance gradually returned to him, and he found himself able to move once more. Taking short, cautious steps, he moved back toward the lounge, wondering if Charlie was done yet. When he heard her voice, he hesitated, standing near the doorway where he could make out only her voice, but not what she was saying. He was strangely determined when it came to his absolute refusal to eavesdrop. But then again, even he had his times when he forsook his scruples and went against what he stood for... Kougu soon found himself daydreaming again, his flimsy muscles rapidly releasing their tension to fall into a soft state of dreamlike relaxation, along with his exhausted mind. He was unaware of time passing by as his dark eyes stared unseeingly into the atmosphere, their liquid surfaces glazed and glassy. Finally, an unexpected silence jerked him out of his thoughts. Assuming that Charlie's conversation was complete, he shuffled back into the lounge, hesitating in the doorway to look around. He glanced briefly at her, then glanced away again, feeling a little of the awkward tension return with his now familiar nerves. Finally, he managed to convince himself to walk over to her. His long legs carried him in easy, swinging strides, covering the ground swiftly and effortlessly until he stood only a few meters away from her. He considered speaking, and even opened his mouth to do so, but seemed to lose nerve and opt out at the last second, dropping his gaze to his hands and twiddling his thumbs instead. It was lucky, really, tha he had studied medicine so much... Otherwise he was sure to be an incurable smoker, what with his tendency to fiddle with his hands, and his somewhat addictive personality. That was one bad choice he hadn't made, and did not plan to make. Then again, it was not particularly important... Barely important enough to keep his drifting mind occupied.

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