|
Illusions of Paradise// Part Ten- Tea and Memories, anyone?
[[ Some previous plot errors have been fixed to correspond with this entry. If you see some mistakes still, tell me.]]
"End of story for the day!" Goyro giggled and clapped, as if he were teaching a bunch of kindergarteners their ABC's, even though the subject matter was much more serious than that a small child could digest. Who am I kidding? Goyro basically was a "small child". If not in body, then in mind.
"I hate you." I crossed my arms and pouted, not really helping to bypass the kindergarten image.
"I like you too, Seoul." Goyro hopped next to me, giving me an unwanted pat on the head and an even more unwanted bear hug. Either it was a desert induced mirage or I was on God-knows-what drug; it was probably the latter considering the facts. One, there was no way in hell that Goyro was actually hugging me; and two there were no deserts for tens and thousands of miles. Then again... there was no place to get drugs for tens of thousands of miles either.
Damn it.
He was really hugging me.
"Goyro... do you have some sort of inevitable death wish today? Because I'm perfectly willing to fulfill such a... desire." Okay, that last word was a bad choice, but the rest was perfectly true. As fast as a true cowboy could draw, I had a gun in my hand and pointed directly at where Goyro's head would have stored a brain if it had one. "You better come up with a good reason for me not to pull this trigger, kid, because that wall looks like an awful good canvas for your brains."
I swear this kid has no idea what an insult is. It's like the idea is so foreign to him... he just ignores it. I don't even want to guess at what is thought pattern is even remotely like. Just thinking about him repulses me enough to trigger a gag reaction. Or maybe it was because thinking of him induced the sickening scent that seemed to cling onto him as if it were a second layer of clothes.
"Death wish? But I'm so happy with everyone here and all!" Goyro smiled a tad bit insanely and his tail wagged just as insanely behind him. I swear by my gun I was going to rip that tail out of his a**... even if it was attached. "And I have all the info on your mission, so it's quite vital you keep me alive for the time being."
Blowing a tenacious lock of hair out of myself I shoved the pistol back into my inner coat pocket. And to think I had remembered to put my trusty firearm in my winter coat for this disappointment. What a shame. "Fill me in, kiddo." I half-yawned to my discontent. I was already tired again, that worn out feeling gnawing at my bones. No wonder I was always sick. I groaned as Goyro drew a long breath to prepare for his speech.
"So this "Miles" has taken up residence in an abandoned warehous-" I interrupted here.
"How cliche can you get? I mean really. An abandoned warehouse?" Goyro glared at me threatiningly, "I mean anything abandoned is cliche for a villian, but a warehouse?"
"Seoul. Shut up, please." Goyro smiled happily wagging his tail, making the command seem daunting in a rather indescribable way. The fact I had thrown him out a skyscraper and he had survived made me a little nervous too. Not that I visibly showed that. I shut my mouth neatly and crossed my arms in defiance. "Thank you." Goyro continued on.
"As I was saying, "Miles" is currently situated in an abandoned warehouse near the city park... or what was the city park. Not much of a park anymore since those brutes, the Clubs, set fire to it for fun."Goyro shrugged. "Well anyway, he's near the park. Boss also said that there was a gun drop near there, so we can pick up some defenses there." As creepy as it was to hear Goyro acting like a normal human being for once, I was actually listening. This was official Spade business after all...plus he mentioned guns.
I raised my hand.
"So it's planned to be a quick kill then?" I asked, having sat down on the couch after clearing away a stack of clothes while Goyro was talking. At least I hoped it was a couch.
"Yes, very quick. As long as the man who is impersonating Krao's brother isn't physically stronger than we presumed he is. His abilities are basically unknown to us at this time. So... gentlemen, shall we go?" Goyro motioned towards the open door with his clawed hand in the general direction of the ashen park. Slowly, but surely he reverted back to his former self. I sighed then opened my mouth to ask another question.
"Do we at least get to use one of the cars in the garage? I mean... the park is fifty or more blocks from here. And with my smoking and-"
"Yes, Seoul, we get use the cars." Goyro rolled his eyes as if I was the childish one, but held back whatever chiding was hiding behind his tongue. Apparently he was still in adult mode.
I ignored his comment, mind already focusing on a growing problem. "Stupid idiot. What's he doing impersonating people?" I muttered under my breath. This would definitely have to be cleared up with the impersonator himself, who I knew from previous... experiences. I touched my right cheek gently, the exact spot where my "XI" tattoo was located. He had given me that tattoo and my current Spade position. I figured it was about time to visit him again, considering it had been six years or so. Maybe he would have some answers to all my questions, and even if he didn't he might be able to elaborate on the ones he knew.
I sped ahead of group, breaking into a run as soon as my feet touched the ground. Surprisingly, there was already a car outside in the small alley, apparently missing two mirrors off the sides. I turned around, my head in one hand. "Goyro, please tell me you did not drive that here."
"And if I did?" He said happily, having switched back into super-happy-fun-time Goyro again. "I thought I did a good job." I shut my trap, not wanting to get tackled or worse- licked. Plus, I had someone I had to go see.
"Get in, dog kid."
Goyro jumped in the back of the sleek black convertible, and Krao managed to get stuck in the passenger seat, which I figured was good enough as I slid into the driver's chair. I stepped on the gas, speeding out of the alley in a flash of black, and kept up the pace as we swerved and turned our way through a series of small back alleys and side streets to the main road of the city. By this time, we were all a bit motion sick from my previous driving, so I slowed down to a leisurely pace so we could all enjoy the ride. I was quite sure whatever Barra had to say wasn't going to be easy on the ears, so might as well prolong it as long as possible.
The park was the direct center of the city, and from there you could easily see every Gambler headquarter and the general layout of the city for miles around. As I slowly and cautious proceeded through the slums surrounding the area, making sure to always have a mirror angled towards the back. I had already been jumped here previous times, which of course resulted in the attacker being beaten to near death just for my gun or cigarettes. A car, on the other hand, might result in an angry mob of the survived who wanted to be a bit better off. I had to be careful of every crook and cranny that might be hiding a person who could possibly ambush me. Paranoid already about visitng Barra, I didn't much relish the idea of being jumped in the middle of the street.
As we reached the weapon drop point, I actually discarded my pistol to Goyro and Krao's astonishment. I turned to them and motioned for only Krao to do the same. I jabbed a finger at Goyro, then motioned back at the car with my thumb. Goyro sulked off towards the car on all fours and climbed into the driver's seat with a "thump" of the leather seats. I glared at him sharply with my ice blue eyes, crossing my arms.
"If anyone steals that car, I will have your hide furnish the next one." I snapped, on edge from the situation and the surfacing memories that I associated with this place. Goyro waved hyperly and grinned, showing a mug that even a mother couldn't love. Turning my back to him, I began to stroll towards the expansive mass of buildings that made up the warehouse complex, lighting a cigarette as I burst through the door with the other hand.
"BARRA! I KNOW YOU'RE HERE! COME OUT YOU SON OF-" And Barra of course was sitting calmly at a table with a few chairs and a fair supply of china, sipping tea like a damn gentleman.
Dumbfounded, but not completely senseless, I went and sat in an empty chair next to him before picking up a cup of tea and holding it in one hand. Barra inclined his head in greeting, but said nothing as Krao ran in and performed one of those fancy roll-duck combos that spies use. Barra motioned slowly with his empty hand to the seat opposite him with a smile, then sipped tea as Krao stood defiantly with his fists clenched at his sides in front of us.
"How...how DARE you fraternize with the enemy, Seoul!" The china shook a little as Krao's voice reverberated throughout the empty room. Barra had set down his teacup and plugged his ears with his index fingers, knowing full well what was going to happen. He resumed sipping from his cup as soon as the china stopped rattling.
"Krao, sit down. He is no enemy of ours." My tone suggested he take it as a command and not one of my lighthearted fancies. I sipped some tea, setting the cup down gently as Krao managed to stuff himself into the tiny metal framed chair. I turned to Barra, who was just finishing off his tea.
I wonder how odd it had been during the past six years or so for him, waiting in hiding for me to come back and avoiding the Roulette's watchful eyes. It must have been extremely hard to find food, unless he had found a vast amount of food within the boundaries of the warehouse itself. It was apparent he had, for the tea was quite fine of quality, a real zing at the end. I also decided that there was much more than food in the warehouse, as shown by the antique china, wire frame tea table, and the lacy dream of a tablecloth that covered said table. The room other than that was concrete walls and flooring and the occasionally spaced window letting in a bleak amount of light. I expected nothing less from Barra though, his tastes were quite refined considering he had once been a rich scientist. I hesistated. Someone was missing.
"Barra... where's Kyanhmar?" I looked around, half expecting to see him pop up and scare us all. Barra shrugged and spoke up since the first time I'd walked in.
"He'll be here in a second. Supposedly he's making something for Krao. Well while he's away, I suppose we should explain everything to Krao, hm?" Barra set his tea down again, having finished the cup anyway. The former scientist turned to the red headed figure next to him. "So Krao. How have you been for the past six years, kid?"
Krao raised an eyebrow and sipped his tea, but responded even though it was clear he was absolutely confused as to who it was he was talking to. "I've been fine, just climbing up the ranks in the Spades guild. Nothing special or out of the ordinary for anyone in a guild."
Barra nodded, acknowledging the reponse with one of his own directed towards me. "You've been watching over him well, haven't you, Seoul? You must be the one who blew up the elevator the other night. Am I correct?" I nodded slowly, and Krao looked just about as dumbfounded as I had when I walked in.
"You... blew up the elevator?" Krao's jaw was hanging down so far a bird could have nested in it. "Why would you do that? I see no possible motive for you to help me rise up in ranks."
"How do you think you keep rising up ranks so fast? I've been killing off your superiors for years now by every possible means." I shrugged, folding my hands in my lap. Krao straightened up in his chair, and coughed into the sleeve of his dress jacket awkwardly. "You are my friend, you know. I have no difficulty saying so here. You may not remember it, but I do."
"You're my friend? Since when?" Krao's hands gripped the edge of the table, well knowing that he was out on some kind of giant secret.
"Give it about twenty more seconds, Seoul. The memories should merge with his current ones." Barra nodded, his pale blond hair flopping to one side, and I nodded back in reply. Barra had slipped something into Krao's drink and he and I knew exactly what it was that was slipped in. I counted down silently in my head, anxiously awaiting the final zero.
Krao sat quietly for the duration of the twenty seconds, then at zero bolted out of his chair and around the table and tackled me in an enormous hug to the ground. "SEOUL!"
I guess I should explain this sudden reaction, right?
When I was eleven, my entire neighborhood blamed me for the deaths from the disease I've previously mentioned. Called "Illusions of Paradise", it was recognized by an extremely high fever and hallucinations in which people raved about the perfect place: a real Paradise. I realize I may be contradicting things I have written to you before, dear reader, but you must understand. I had to be wary of Krao, who tends to stick his scarred nose into everything that isn't his. He wasn't supposed to know of the real disease or anything I'm about to tell you; so I lied.
The Illusions of Paradise disease took my brother from me; it took my family from me. At the age of eleven, the townfolk and the Roulette "police" burst into my home and killed my mother and father. What I failed to mention though, was that my sister was in that closet with me. We both watched as our parents were brutally beaten and shot over and over again, because of me. I was adopted, and taking me in had sealed their doom. I'll save the rest about my origins for another time.
As my sister and I fled the house, I scooped her up into my arms and up into the air. My wings had grown substantially, enough for me to fly a short distance above the ground with her, but the Roulette was waiting outside. The peaceful night was scattered with the report of various guns, and I panicked as the sounds of bullets whizzing past my head filled my ears. My sister cried out. She had been shot in the back multiple times, and I could feel the blood soaking my arms with a disgusting warmth. I watched in horror as she slipped from my arms, dead, and out of sight towards the ground. I kept on flying, tears streaming down my eleven year old face, afraid to go back to retrieve my family's bodies.
Exhausted, I collapsed into the very building I was in now, shattering a window and landing with the hard, cold concrete underneath my cheek. Barra had found me. He introduced me again to Krao, who happily helped clean up an old and dearly missed friend, and Krao's adoptive father, Kyanhmar, who had taken the boy away from the deadly eyes of our neighborhood and the Roulette. Barra had agreed to take them in for as long as he could, since Kyahnmar and him were old friends as they had both been scientists in the same place. The two both agreed that I should join a Gambler guild, with my memory intact since I could pretend to be ignorant to such things as previous friendships and the memories that had played out since my childhood. Krao, on the other hand, had his memory wiped, much to the grief and despair of his father. He could not be trusted to keep such knowledge secret.
So obviously, as I had hoped before I even came face to face with him, Barra had slipped some type of solution into Krao's tea which helped him recall everything that he had been made to forget, including our old friendship.
I patted Krao on the back awkwardly as I tried to listen to his constant stream of questions.
"Why didn't you tell me? So this is why you helped me. Why couldn't I remember all this stuff before? Where's Father? Oh! Isn't that Barra?" He chattered on for what seemed like an eternity before I clamped a hand over his mouth. The red head's eyebrows drew together tightly, expressing his confusion.
"I did it all for a good reason, Krao. That's all you need to know." I pushed him off of me, glad to have him back, but also a rather regretful. The newly regained memories seemed to be the gateway for a lot more hugs. I sighed. "So you finally remember me."
"Remember you." Krao looked blissfully happy even in the dim light as he relished the word as it rolled off his tongue. He nodded, confirming what the hug had already told me.
"I remember everything, cowboy." He snickered and produced a lopsided grin.
I pleaded to the sky as Krao produced a long line of brutally mocking remarks, one after another. "Oh great. Here comes the teasing. FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, GET A MOVE ON IT KYANHMAR !"
|
Community Member