[HC][RL] The Heart of a Dragon

[Ichiro]

His fingers went cold on the stone as he climbed down, his bare feet slipping on the rocks as tried to gain some stable footing before taking another step down the hillside. The wind in the area was picking up as clouds took peculiar shape and the grass growing interwoven with the rocks. A storm was coming for sure, he has to hurry and make it down the mountain… his pursuers surely on his tail. Ichiro had barely escaped the clutches of death… who ever was hunting the heirs of red legion only had one more target… and it was clear it was not a single man… but a group of attackers, who had a hunger for his blood. As the wind howled he could hear the faint sound of the men arguing over who should chase him down the cliff… rather than continue to make his way all the way down, he found a stiff cleared area and decided to stand there until his pursuers followed him down, or until he couldn’t hear the voices anymore.

The storm came, as predicted as snow and lightning tortured and froze the air, the voices would vanish but Ichiro not being dressed for this kind of weather would indeed freeze, and to make matters worse in his cold blooded state he would be much worse off. “Couldn’t… have been a bird… or a bat… nope… I suppose I deserve my blood had to be cold as well” He murmured as his cold toes gripped the ledge he had been standing on, he began to continue his descent, no anchor, no form of safety, barefeet occasionally slipping on ice and snow as he feared for his life. Taking a break every so often to warm the tips of his fingers, and toes to avoid frostbite. Eventually he made it to the bottom, his muscles tired and achy from the battle before, he still had such a long way to go before he made to some place even remotely safe, and he was tired… “oh so tired….” he scowled up at the misty clouds angry at them for making what should have been a simple climb the most difficult thing he had done as of late.

He wanted to give up, bury himself in the snow, but a nagging spirits words echoed in his mind, “Can't die now… I have to live for more I suppose…” He fell to his knees in the snow, and began to crawl his way through the snow.

[marcyllenesyrox]

It was only a simple deal that was the cause of the Queen to be out on such a dreadful night.
Only just a week before, she had been approached by a power. Oh, how she use to never take such requests from what she deemed a commoner. But as the man revealed more, she grew excited on his offer. Ah, how she loved assassination pleas! If people crawled to her begging for help, they were always so truly desperate. The more desperate, the more control she would have over the final product. And oh, how she loved control!
The job was simple: to hunt down and kill off the last heir of the red legion. Then she would gain more protection on the backside of the land, along with a nice reward. Of course, having the heir killed off would extend her power, and extend her following.

She sat in the small carriage, bundled in the wolf fur from the last hunt. She already had ten of her most trusted men chasing down the man, preparing to lead him right into her trap. Oh, she wasn't going to kill him, not quite yet. She let out a sigh, impatiently tapping her foot on the broken floorboard. What was taking them so long? She stepped out of the carriage, taking only a second to embrace the shock of the freezing cold wind against her cheeks, and took a look at the view. She held her breath, listening for any sound of the men.

It was quiet. All too quiet.

Her men must be watching from the shadows. For heaven's sakes, they could have done a better job.. She took two steps forward before realizing an abnormal shadow ahead in the snow. If it was the prisoner, then they had done their jobs right. She stood there, hoping for the shadow to come closer.
Oh, how this was fun!

[Ichiro]

A snow mound was breaking apart the flatbed of a frozen snow bed, the sounds of it breaking as Ichiro crawled forward, having no indication of where he was going, his eyes felt as if they were nearly frozen shut. Nothing else pushed him forward other than sheer force of will and determination his hair had been pushed around as he let loose a series of vicious coughs the cold seeping into his lungs. Blacks spots began to appear on the tip of his toes, the frost bite was apparently beginning to take his life from him. A stronger gust of wind suddenly came in and knocked what snow that lingered on his back off. This allowed him to move slightly faster, but this was barely noticeable to anyone else looking at the poor broken frozen man.


Eventually he bumped into something, something warm... another form of life had been out here with him, and his beat down body brushed against a leg, he tried to wipe the snow from his eyes, but it was nearly impossible, to open them. He caught a glimpse of snow white hair, and a leer from green irises, it was here that his will finally broken. Either this person would save his life... or he would die here, he tried to open his mouth but his tongue cringed and curled back into his mouth before he could get a word out, only his body language would do as a ice covered hand gripped at an ankle while the rest of his body collapsed to the ground. With that last gust of wind the snowfall began to decline, less of a blizzard and now more a more peaceful swaft. He wasn't unconscious yet, he could feel his coldness radiating from his body and onto the person who was in front of him. Should his life at this point be saved he would have to pay that person a life debt.

The sounds from the trees could be heard, as the assassins having accomplished a majority of their mission could be heard leaving, making their true exits. The Queen was satisfied, and lucky for them no one interfered. The prey had been led to the mother of all predators, and in their minds they would be paid handsomely for it.

[marcyllenesyrox]

A large smirk broke across her face, as she heard the trees rustle, knowing that her men had fulfilled their quest. They would get their reward later, if they didn't screw up the next part. Besides, the order of being alone was stressed. Excitement was building inside of her chest, but she couldn't allow it to ruin her demeanor. Placing a solemn look upon her face, Belinda glanced down, staring at the nearly frozen man, and gave a gentle smile. He was truly frosty, as his fingers gripped around her ankle. Usually, she would kick off whom touched her, but she took it as an advantage, and gently fell to her knees, breaking his grip. "Are you alright, sir?" she cooed, taking off a layer of wolf pelt and wrapping it around the man.

"It's such an awful night to be running around.." She paused, placing a hand on the pelt above his shoulder. "..Why have you been around these areas?" Her voice softened, giving off a sense of comfort.

She had the man right where she needed him; vulnerable and blinded by a sense of security.

[Ichiro]

Ichiro had found himself drifting off into the veil, with his will crushed all surviving instinct fell off, his body began to relax and accept this... "death.." he saw his wife her red locks wafting in a golden aura as her golden palms reached out for him. He longed for this freedom. Everything he had been raised to believe the ways of both houses he knew were tragic, his entire life had been "tragic" this would be a better life, living in the veil where all things were beautiful, and warm. "Warm..." He whispered as the fur warmed his cold muscles a small grin on his face as he was whisked away to another reality for a brief moment.

The queen's voice had found a way into his mind, and through the combination of his illusion, and her apparent kindness. A blue light began to erupt on his arm as he thought of his wife, the astral projection of her presented itself and let loose a sigh as she gripped the bridge of her nose and shook her head. Agitated at the situation they had found themselves in. She then looked at the snow blonde queen and nodded, "We'll then... I s'pose we owe you a life debt..." Her accent was thick, she was born of the lower meticulous families, so she did not speak as proper as her husband, while she had the accent of a country bumpkin on a log, her voice was still clear, crystal, elegant in its own way. "I reckon he will be okay, so long as you set him up a nice fire... I think we were being pursued but... not sure if they are still chasing us... if you could... get us somewhere safe... then we could talk about payment for your kindness lass?" She looked around, her legs growing somewhat transparent as she began to elevate herself to get a better view of the area.

[marcyllenesyrox]

There was a small pause, a moment of shock before Belinda regained herself. She had never seen something so curious in her life! Was it an illusion, or did this man have more power than she had estimated? Either way, it would definitely come in handy, if she could figure out how it worked. Maybe the ability of replication? The one in the lab may be able to pick it apart.

She cleared her throat quickly, flattening out the fur near the bottom of her hips before speaking again, carefully planning out what she would say. "I assure you, there is not a being chasing you. Have you a reason for being hunted down?" She paused, adjusting her tone to a soft melody. "Ah, that is not much for discussion at this moment. We wouldn't want him to freeze to death."

"I have a place of shelter, but it is quite a bit away. Would you be willing to follow me?" She pursed her lips in a thinking manner, tapping them with a gloved finger. "It would be rather safer than being in this ghastly storm."

[Ichiro]

As the snow fell through her astral projection, she stared at the woman, she was the only one out here for miles, she instantly had her suspicions but couldn't really go against the flow of desperation that overwhelmed Ichiro at the moment, the spirit took a moment to think, process thoughts despite not having a mind to process these thoughts, a truly remarkable ability the mannerisms, the likeness of this projection was perfect, the only thing it lacked was the true memories of his wife, all of her memories were made from his. Then she abandoned her thoughts, agreeing that now wasn't the time to discuss the predicament they were in, they needed to get his body out of the snow and near a fire of some sort. "Alright then, let's get him out of the snow then shall we" She couldn't really assist the apparently kind queen, a large part of her existence was that she couldn't physically interact with those on their plane of existence, try as she might she could only provide emotional support.


"He doesn't have much of a choice but to go with you, I think paying a life debt is better than dying out here... so of course I will follow... it's not like I couldn't not follow" she sighed. She had no free will, bound to him, it wasn't that she minded, but this situation had saddened Ichiro and thus the effect it had on her was of the depressive sort.


Ichiro's tears began to freeze over, their emotions heavily linked all in all. Due to the warmth of the fur his heart hadn't stopped beating due to the cold. He could hear the conversation now, but was unable to speak only make faint sounds as he drifted in and out of the worst of his hypothermia.

[marcyllenesyrox]

Never breaking eye contact, she stared intensely at the projection, curiosity lingering in the back of her mind. They really wouldn't have any other option. If they decided to beef it out with the cold winter storm, Belinda could easily just get her men back on them, killing them where they laid. Of course, going back with her would be the only logical choice, and she made sure to keep an innocent air about her.

Her concentration was broken once the projection spoke again, still taken aback from the southern tone floating in the air. With the word of agreement, her grin widened, and she placed her hand back upon the fallen man, using her other arm to lift him up quite easily to a slumped standing position.

"Life debt?" she paused, dropping her smile for a moment, "Ah, I couldn't call this event worthy of such a thing." She broke her speech, moving towards the area of the small carriage, hidden into the white snow. "But, I know how you could possibly help me."

Belinda continued walking, almost dragging the man towards the vehicle. The first part of the plan was so close to being finished, and she could almost taste the award.

[Ichiro]

Ichiro’s last complete memory before he had passed out from the cold had been the voices of his his wife and the white woman speaking. The pain was a mix between sharp and numbing, the parts of his bare feet stabbed at him whenever there was a bump in the road on their transport. This in part is what caused him to awake. His body was a warm now, his face red and the paleness left him, the blood circulating his heart beating. He was vaguely aware of the roar of a car engine, the muffled voices of his wife over him. It felt like he was listening to them underwater as he fought to remain conscious. The last thing he remembered was the smell of gasoline. He spent most of the time seduced under a small coma. There was a third voice, he or she was taking instruction from the other voice that wasn’t his wife's. His sensitive hearing could pick up the voices but he couldn't make sense of what they were saying for some reason. Despite all of this, not once did he feel in any immediate danger, whatever was keeping him alive was doing a damn good job of it.


When he did wake it was already dawn and like a cornered animal he did what immediately came to instinct and that was panic. He had no memory of the car, no memory of the sounds and smells, he only remembered feeling cold, but now he wasn't. He looked to see his wife was no longer in her visible form. His panic soon subsided as the pain on the left side of his skull flared to life. Lifting his hand he felt the fabric of bandage placed over his forehead. Out of curiosity he would press on it slightly and would be able to feel the sting of an open wound. He looked to his feet, and noticed bandages that were up to his knees. His clothes were sitting neatly beside him as he realized he was only wearing a warm fur robe. Under his master’s tutoring, he was taught that scars were a sign of strength and dominance, that he should hold them proudly, and yet….he felt nothing but shame at the marks all over his body, they had cut the frozen blood, so that he could heal.


Coming too, he realized he was not alone, a snow haired woman sat across from him, he looked bewildered at first, recognizing who she was from a life that he had decided he would never see again. Had he seen her now on different terms he would have reacted more harshly, surely she knew who he was. He had never had the pleasure of meeting the mayor’s wife. Only seen her on images on a screen, or surrounded by crowds. He wasn't aware of what she had been doing since the calamity, he hadn't even been aware that she was still alive, but to be in her presence now, to be able to show her gratitude made him almost forget to do just that. He stopped staring, and quickly smacked each palm on the side of his face, to help him wake himself up a bit more before he allowed himself to speak. “Thank you..”

As soon as he spoke, another bump in the road caused him to bounce up and land roughly, they were moving fast, to where he didn't know. He looked down to see there was no floor in the vehicle, and the snow was completely gone yet, but due to insulation in the roof, and a heater he was able to sit in the car relatively comfortable. “Umm My name is Ichiro… and you are Belinda, the former mayor's wife correct” While taking orders from meticulous for the brief moments after the calamity, Ichiro had not heard of her atrocities to house Meticulous, the fact that the mayor was now dead, she being the culprit. He grew curious to know what she and his wife, had been talking about. How she had gone about healing and taking care of him. Did she do it alone? how long had he been asleep? how much did he owe her? what did she expect from him for saving his life?

[marcyllenesyrox]

The trip back was not one of a long one but was one of great importance. There was already a back way planned to reach the castle, free of wandering eyes and unnecessary dangers, and it gave her enough time to talk to this hologram, which appeared to be connected to the man in more ways than one. She gave the simple instructions to the driver, telling him to head away from the open roads, and with his voice of acceptance, she turned her attention back to the hologram and started the conversation. At various points, her eyes would wander down to body laying below the hologram, defrosting in the warm atmosphere of the car. She would not keep her eyes on the man for too long, but each glance would be based on a certain aspect of his body, trying to find out how truly dangerous this man was. They spoke of the relationship between the two, and what they were doing in the cold mountains. She was only impressed by the magic in play, but her questions always circled around to get more information. Of course, she knew much more than she put on, but she wanted to hear it from the woman. Of course, the woman avoided certain questions, and she let that be. She could always get some of her men to go out and investigate, though it would be quite tedious and they would expect a reward. Belinda would just have to pry the answers out of them, one way or another.

It was apparent to Belinda that they would have to visit the lab to find out more about this man's ability,so she directed the driver to move past the building while speaking calming assurance to the hologram that she was going to get him the up most care. It would be much easier when she was gone, for she could take a closer look at this man. Of course, she never knew when or how this woman would re-appear, so she decided to tread lightly. She directed the driver to pull off the road and stay hidden, to where she could tend to his wounds. Her family had taught her from a young age on how to perform medical treatment since the role of nurses usually laid into the female staff. She fell in love with the concept, for the alluring red pouring out of a body was such a beautiful shade.
The driver complied and moved the vehicle behind the wall, parking with a sudden jolt.

She glanced at the body before turning away, leaning towards a black box on the back wall filled with odds and ends of medical devices, torturous and helpful. She didn't see any major wounds except thus on the left side of his skull, but she had a gut feeling there would be ice clots. If he died, there would be no reward, and she wouldn't be able to get the information she needed about this..mysterious power of his. "You sure are trouble.." she mumbled, before grabbing a double-sided scalpel and gauze. If she guessed right, there would be about 30 incisions made. She took care to unbutton his shirt carefully, before getting frustrated and cutting it off completely. She did the same with the pants, stopping to smirk slightly at his package before finishing the rest of the cut down the pant's leg. After throwing the shredded cloth away, she got to work, bleeding the man ever so slightly to keep the blood circulating. She wrapped him loosely and carefully, lastly bandaging the forehead with a soft sigh. "You're lucky that you can be of some use... I rather of bled you out," she mumbled, placing her scalpel down on the bedside and sitting down across the way. With as much as she had done, there was  a reason to believe that he would wake soon.

She had stretched her legs and leaned back against the cushion when she saw him stir. She automatically jolted back up in a proper manner and watched him become familiar with his surroundings. The driver had started the car again, aware that Belinda had finished and he had awoken, quickening his pace to the laboratory. She glanced away when he showed his gratitude, sighing slightly. It was always the same spill, beginning with the thanks and ending with them dying after she got bored of them. Belinda was taken aback when he mentioned her name, snapping her attention back to him. She took a moment to compose herself and smile and nod slightly. "Yes, sir, I am Queen Belinda au Maelstrom. We do not speak of my husband" she said bluntly, before regaining her sweet composure. "It is quite nice to meet you, dear Ichiro. I am quite glad I found you when I did." She looked outside to see the blur of scenery outside. "Of course, you will need more.. proper medical treatment. You almost died, you know?"

[Ichiro]

Ichiro nodded, in response to the queen, understanding that she did save his life. Groaning and sighing, unsure of what this path intended for him. “I understand, it is nice to meet you as well.” He didn’t understand why she didn't want to speak about her husband but he did understand that it was an overall sensitive subject for her. Once he managed to sober down on the drugs that she had been using to make him feel less pain, he began to ache, but it was bearable. “So, where are we going...?” While he was extremely grateful for saving his life, something made him uncomfortable, he didn't have any hostility, but he was worried, more so about being trapped in a corner. The Queen had his sword stashed away somewhere, with new clothes he felt like he felt naked, unprepared. “How can I repay you…?” Another question. His stomach growled, as he pushed his hair out of his eyes as his one eye swept around the inside of the vehicle once more, a bored expression on his face. He turned his gaze towards the driver to analyze and critique him, to see if her were a reliable ally in a pinch should his pursuers begin to chase him once more. “I should tell you… some bad men… some bad people are after… me I can’t imagine they haven't picked up my trail by now… so… you should drop me off as soon as possible… for your safety I mean… I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to anyone that showed me kindness” He didn’t feel safe at all as he fully grasped the situation he was in, further more, the fact that she had a personal driver and a vehicle made him all the more curious as to how she had managed to live within the calamity. She seemed so delicate at first glance.


Grabbing the side of his head, he winced at the sudden rush of pain as his pain killers suddenly wore off entirely. He grabbed the side of his head, and determined it would be best if he returned to his initial laying down position as the flow of blood and grogginess of his head made him feel as though he were going to vomit. He needed to stop, the movement of the vehicle but his words wouldn’t escape him again. He was frustrated with the situation as he tried to toss and turn himself out of it, then he realized that his mouth was dry, and sips of water may help kick back the urges to gag and vomit up his empty stomach. He focused and calmed himself numbing himself to the pain of it all as one arm covered his eyes to hide him from the sun seeping in through the windows, the other fell to the ground as he lazily held it up. “Would you happen to have any water?” He said weakly as he focused on ignoring the pain in his body, recovering from so many different kinds of injuries would be trouble some, he realized that no matter what he did at this point he would be further indebted to the Queen.


“Is my wife upset with me?” He asked his hand still out for some source of nutrition. He was worried about how his near death would have affected the astral projection from his arm. She didn’t normally come out around strangers, but she had chosen the queen and acted on her own entirely, which was something new for Ichiro entirely.

[marcyllenesyrox]

"Where are we going? To a proper medical facility."
Belinda occasionally glanced over at the body placed in the parallel seating of hers, feeling both pleasure from being able to wind him into her trap and disgust by how pained he looked. She knew that the pain medication could only last him for so long, but men should be able to take it a little better than that. She sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair slowly. She knew that she should be acting in a royal manner, but her urges to rip him apart limb by limb were arising. She glanced over when he spoke to her again, pushing the same question his wife did. "Repayment isn't the proper conversation right now. We will discuss that later when you are fully patched up and healed," she paused, thinking over her next statement, and smiled softly, "You must know that I am not going to hurt you, right? You have the eyes of a caged animal." She turned away, looking back out the window.

"You do not remember? Well, of course not. You were quite frozen then, so I cannot blame you. Those men... who were following you? I had my men hunt them down, the way that they were hunting you. They must be dead now, possibly still in the snow storm. You have nothing to worry about. Besides, my dear driver is very skilled in combat. You are safe."

Belinda watched as his demeanor changed, and the look of pain got stronger. "Maybe I should have used a stronger one?" she thought but shook away the idea as she watched him lay down. Her concentration was broken by the man's words, as she snapped back to reality. She nodded slightly,moving to her box and pulling out an iron bottle and handing it to him. "You shouldn't drink too much. The doctor might want to go inside, and it would be quite messy if there were too many liquids."

The opening became more recognizable, as the car was closer to arriving at their destination. Her smile widened, and she turned back to the man. "Not angry, worried. She just wanted to make sure that you were okay," she paused, "Well, that's the way it seemed to me. Now, hurry up, we are at the medical site."

Belinda leaned over to her driver and directed him to park in the back to catch the attention of the man inside.

[Aril]

Joseph was unsure about why his Queen insisted he come over to her mountain retreat, or why she mentioned he bring some of his supplies as if he needed reminding. He was a busy man and would never leave home without at least something he could work with. The biggest issue regarding the situation was that he had to leave his doll behind in order to pack up and come over so fast. However he did enjoy, as much as he could rather, that there was a room set off to the side just for his work and that it held most of the conveniences he desired. His Queen was nothing if not resourceful.

His lab wasn't much different than any other place he worked, cool, sterile, and extremely organized. Joseph had some very volatile chemicals in his stores, he wouldn't want to get hurt. As he was putting things away, he though to ask for some more vials before he left so he could leave some of his stores here. Half of his issue was always packing and unpacking and lugging most of his needed equipment around.

He was wearing nothing that particularly stood out except some vials left on belts that wrapped around his body. They were full, and looked like they hadn't been touched in some time. Which was a good thing, he normally hated walking around the messes. He lightly caressed one when the car slowly pulled up near the back. He wasn't quite finished setting up but he'd have to live.

The door to the back was in the far corner, tucked away from most of the room and kind of hidden. Illusions were sometimes his best friend. His face was blank and he pushed up his glasses slightly as he stepped out the door. "Good day," Joseph's voice was as blank and even as his face. "I see we have a guest. Do you need assistance?"

Joseph offered his hand to help her out first as the driver hadn't reached them before him. The young man was a fit specimen of a man, and seemed to be in the middle of recovery. That was a problem, but one easily dealt with. Joseph stared long at the man, studying his features, memorizing them and Joseph noticed something in the mans eyes. It was going to take a lot for Joseph to get anything from this man, if anything. Joseph was unsure if that excited him or frustrated him.

[Ichiro]

Ichiro politely took the iron bottle taking small sips, as he focused on suppressing his pain the only thing he could do was think, think about where he was going. He focused on the Queen's words, "Her men... where were they... how could she know that he was safe... additionally how long had he been asleep, was it hours, days, his sense of time was completely lost... while in his weakened state something left him on edge, a nagging thought in the back of his head that he should attempt some form of escape. The risk there being that he would distrust someone who so far appeared to show him nothing but kindness. He sat in silence as he contemplated what she had said. He thought "I look like a caged rat..."  


He apologized, "Sorry... I mean no offense to you" He whispered as he took another sip, "I am unfortunately not allowed to trust anyone, due to an oath I am sworn to live by" He uncovered his eyes and stared upward unrested scarlett eyes peered up at the roof of the vehicle as they arrived.

As Ichiro and the Queen were greeted, he noted the man stepping to aid her out of the vehicle. Ichiro had felt alone when this man gazed at him, as though he were alone all over again, the kind and normality of the queen vanished as he realized she was of important blood. Much more important than he. A man to do dealings in the shadows, so that people like her could bask in the light. Thinking of this put the negative taste of Meticulous practices in his mouth, which did nothing but make him feel more ostracized, he married into a house he isn't allowed to trust and here he is... trusting it... unbeknownst to him that this was not his house... but something darker.

As Joseph stared at him, he remembered his manners and put out a hand to the man, offering to shake it. "Hello, my goodman... I am Ichiro au Icarus... I am but a simple Heir, how do you do sir?" The words hadn't come out as strong as he wanted them too, but the manners were there. It was something he had been harped on time and time again. If he wanted to assimilate properly he would have to learn the lingo, the mannerisms, the high class culture of a society full of people who felt they were all peerless.

[marcyllenesyrox]

With the car stopping in a jerky play of the brakes, she leaned back onto the seat to catch herself. Of course, it couldn't be helped with the rocky and jagged soil. She sighed softly, keeping her eyes on the man. "I haven't given you much of a reason to trust me, huh?" she crossed her legs slowly, placing her hand on her cheek in a thinking manner, "Of course, I did save your life and all that and provide you with the utmost medical care."

Belinda shot out a glare to the man, before softening it with a smile. She had no reason to be cruel to this "Ichiro" figure yet. She stood up, greeting the figure at the now-opened door, and let him help her out of the car. "This man is to be patched up. I hate to of called you up at such a short notice, but he has been wounded to where I could not fix him completely." She leaned up towards Joseph, lowering her voice to a hushed whisper, "and find out every little trait and power of this man. There is a part of him that may be used to our advantage."

She turned around to Ichiro once more, placing her hands together in a cheerful clap. "You will have the highest care that I can offer. I just ask that you be gentle with my dear Joseph. He might get a little angry if you misbehave." she smirked, turning to the driver and ordering him to stay in his place until her order.

[Aril]

Goodman, eh? Joseph hadn't recalled ever being called something like that yet. That didn't mean it hadn't happened, just that he never cared to notice. This man was a very interesting specimen. He seemed to be exceptionally nervous though in control of his reactions completely. This man had been through a lot and either punished for it or forced to be a certain way. It almost excited the man who would be "looking after him."

Joseph understood the man's thoughts, his Queen was a bit eccentric. However as long as she allowed, and encouraged, his work Joseph wouldn't change a thing. He offered a hand to Ichiro. "If you please." Joseph wasn't rigid. In fact, his body moved quite fluidly which was kind of surprising. Joseph led him into the lab, "Have a seat." Joseph's voice was cold and, like his movements, seemed to be missing something. The lanky man grabbed a notepad, removing all other notes. "As she told me little of your condition, explain it to me. As much as your able to. In addition please explain any past illnesses or injuries that may be an issue." Joseph's eyes peered over his glasses at the various scars that Ichiro held. "There has to be at least one."

Unfortunately Joseph was told to take care of him first which was merely a stepping stone. Obviously this man was important to his Queen and to risk upsetting her was foolish. However, studying Ichiro's abilities at this time would be nearly fruitless. Joseph may have an understanding of how it worked but otherwise these... abilities that sprang up after the Calamity had been far too random for a consistent study base. He knew this from researching his own and his doll's and he learned that none of them could be replicated, not from lack of effort. Well, he'd simply have to get something delivered to his Queen, even if she didn't like it.

[Ichiro]

Ichiro gently shook the man's hand twice, and then broke the handshake, he couldn't tell if it was firm or weak, he had always attempted to judge a man by his hand shake but this left him more puzzled then he had been initially based on the way the Joseph used his words. Things became even more confusing when the man disregarded his good manners as if not understanding them at all. He tried to put the thoughts behind him as the doctor went on about conditions and and illnesses.

"Injuries" He thought, looking down at his arms alone, the lacerations and scars, he wanted to let out a sigh of disappointment but held it in, he remembered that at one point in time the girls loved his smooth damage free skin, his mentor had made sure that would never happen again. "Well I guess you would like to begin out here then..." He was still a bit woozy, but he felt the blood rushing into his legs again slight tingles here and there as he realized his body was slowly but surely coming back to life. "I am not sure of any new scars yet as I have just made it out alive but old scars... too many scars... I have had both of my legs and arms broken at some point or another but they are fine now, I believe my wrist is sprained." He pointed to his left arm, and held it up revealing a slightly swollen risk, he attempted to roll it, but he did so awkwardly as if his body forbid him from hurting himself further by doing stupid movements. "that and one of my ribs are currently fractured from a conflict that I had back in Lumos, that was about two and a half weeks ago if my adjustment of time is right... doc said I should be fine so long as I don't move to much and make it worse... fair warning I think I've made it worse though goodsir."

He looked up towards the sky to stop and think to ensure he wasn't forgetting anything important "Oh yes as far as any other odd condition you should be aware off... my wife has took it upon herself to haunt me for the rest of my life... so should you see a ghost flying around that is her... I am not sure if this is an illness by your doctoral standards but other doctors seem to think it is..." Ichiro had not been aware that it had been an actual ability of his own creation, that gave birth to the apparition that took the form of his wife. "I am not allergic to anything other then seasonal allergies, and that covers what you ask for me, I am humbly in your care good sir, should I ever come into a position of power to you or the queens benefit I will surely pay you back for your kindness" He attempted to bow propperly but it hurt, so instead he tilted his head down once and looked the doctor in the eye awaiting a response.

[marcyllenesyrox]

Belinda lingered outside beside the car while the men went inside. Of course, she would be watching the scene that was unwrapping in the building, but for now, she had more important business to attend to. She turned to the man in the vehicle, placing her hand by the rolled-down window and leaned against the car, peering into the window.

"You did inform them that we have him in our custody, correct?" she stared down the man, waiting for a response. "Alive, correct? You did not tell them the wrong information, correct?" she drawled out the last line, making sure he knew that there would be severe punishment if he had messed up. The man grew nervous and nodded, clearing his throat before confirming that he did what was asked. She faked a smile, leaning over to the man and kissing him gently, grabbing his tie and tightening it quickly. Moving her lips barely away from him, she glanced up and watched him gasp for breath. "You aren't lying to me, correct? If you were, you wouldn't receive your reward!" her smile turned to a smirk, and she laughed, "You wouldn't even be allowed to live!"

The man's eyes widened with panic and he tried to speak, denying the accusation of lying. Realizing that the tie was placed sharply around his vocal cords so he couldn't, he just shook his head frantically, and to the best of his ability, his gasps becoming louder. Loosening her grip on the tie, she stepped back. "Good. Now, be a good boy and turn off that car. I'll be back!"

Belinda turned around and walked into the building quietly, leaning against the far side wall to where Ichiro was being investigated. She decided to stay quiet, placing a hand on her cheek and watching in admiration at the work being done. The man did admit to what she had seen, the "spirit", and it took her back quite a bit. If he was open about that, would he be open to how it happened? She decided to speak up, staring at the man.

"So, you say that she is haunting you. Why do you think that she is?"

[Aril]

Haunting eh? This would be an interesting development as Joseph had never heard about any talents affecting the dead. Most of the powers Joseph came across affected the user, came from the user, or burst forth from the user. This would truly be interesting... if it was really his wife. It's not that it wasn't possible, Joseph hadn't yet tapped into the entirety of the effects the Calamity had on these people as his pool was much too slow. However, if the dead would tie themselves to a person as a haunting defined, how had he not heard of it earlier?

Joseph penned his thoughts on a separate sheet of the paper. He would've continued questioning, but it would be unwise to get between his Queen and her answers. If she wanted to ask the questions she could, it's not like he rather enjoyed it. Patience was required in his craft and if he couldn't wait to see the answers to his questions then he had no means being a researcher. 

Joseph stared at Ichiro. The more he thought about it, the more he came to a sudden realization. This man's body would be difficult to harm in the senses and desires Joseph wanted. Perhaps whatever he went through damaged the man's mind. What would happen if Joseph decided to poke at the cracks? Would Ichiro become stronger? Weaker? Would he simply become broken like the Doll or some slave? For that matter Joseph knew next to nothing about the man. The Knight turned to his Queen, whomever this was meant a lot to her. Joseph wondered if he meant enough as he hadn't toyed much with how much the mind could take.

[Ichiro]

Sitting down in a nearby chair as the doctor questioned him, unsure if it would be impolite or not to sit he apologized. “My apologies… still not quite up to the level of strength I am use too” He sat up straight and revealed the inside of his wrist and forearm, where two letters were tattooed on his arm. The letter A and the letter I. “Per the traditions for someone to become an Heir my wife was forced into less than favorable conditions… she died not too long before the calamity occurred..” He closed his eyes, “I killed her… and so due to whatever has occurred here she can now interact with the living again due to our curse” He let out a sigh, would you like to meet her?


His eyes widened as the marks on his arm glowed a mixture of white and gold illuminating the room, giving Ichiro a visible aura. From this Aura came the beginning of a manifestation as a messy red haired angel with a golden complexion appeared from thin air. Eyes closed as hands held a manifestation of light in her hands as it clothed her. Earlier, she had appeared transparent, and fragmented, this was due to the mental state of her host body. Now one could make the mistake of attempting to reach out and touch her intangible body. Her eyes were closed, and a golden flower crown held down her wild mane as she delicately and gently descended onto the floor, as her foot caressed the earth they had all been standing on not a single noise was heard. The other foot hit the floor and she opened her eyes. She let out a yawn as her dress finished manifesting itself clothing what appeared to be a naked body arms moved up to stretch as if she had been asleep for quite some time.


“‘Ello again Belinda” She waved with a smile, and then began to look around, “Hello Sir…” She looked puzzled realizing she didn’t know his name, She bowed anyway, awkwardly ending her sentence so as not to be rude
.

[marcyllenesyrox]

Belinda looked back at her knight quickly, wondering his opinion on the question asked before turning back to Ichiro, staring him down. Was she too blunt, or was it just enough to get an answer out of this man? She snapped out of her deep thoughts when he spoke again, listening and repeating his words in her head over again, not responding. She gave a slight nod as an answer, unenthusiastic for the situation. It would be quite an unnecessary show, yes, but it could possibly allow Joseph to find out how this man truly worked. She looked back at the knight again, as the spirit was forming, watching his reaction to the light show. The scene was quite pleasant to witness, and she wondered if him seeing it for himself would allow better idea into the mystery of this “curse”. 

She turned back to the woman when she was fully formed, giving a gentle smile. “I was wondering when you would arrive again. Are you yet satisfied with the treatment of your husband? I am treating him well, as you requested.”


Belinda kept her voice soft and caring, but she was already bored. If the chatter kept up all day, it would be quite a while before she would find out this man's secret, and be able to use it for her own good. Talk always bothered her, anyways, for it never got anything done besides agreements and betrayal.

[Aril]

"Interesting," Joseph managed as he watched the woman manifest. His tone suggested a cold interest. Joseph began to walk around the woman, eyes taking in every bit of her, looking for some flaw or so it seemed. He reached out to grasp her hand, catching nothing. He only glanced at his hand as if analyzing the feeling or lack thereof. There was something about this woman that made Joseph even more suspicious about her origins, the fact she appeared nearly flawless.

"My name isn't important my lady," Joseph said as he sat back down to write his thoughts. "I am merely a man given the grace to do my work by Belinda there." She could observe things, communicate, and phase through most things. Even if Joseph's suspicions were correct, he wasn't sure the limit of what she was able to do. As it seemed his Queen was attempting to be secretive, this woman was far more dangerous to her than needed. Joseph glanced at Belinda. The issue with being emotionally numb was it was hard to convey your thoughts through glances, but the Knight figured his Queen would understand. If not, it wasn't the worst hiccup he had to deal with.

"Tell me young lady," Joseph began after he finished writing his notes. "Do you know of anything you husband might not have mentioned about his medical history that may interfere with treatment? Old injuries, chronic illnesses, allergies, anything at all?" Of course this question was a test. Joseph already knew this wasn't replicate-able on the scale Ichiro had it, now he just needed to know the exact limits to see if it was able to mimicked at all.

[Ichiro]

She looked up closing her eyes as if taking breaths to collect her thoughts, as she did this the light from the tattoo pulsed growing dimmer and brighter, it had synced up with her breathing. "Ou'side of a broke heart... no... I think 'e told you everything but we could double check if you'd like" A warm smile and a cocked head greeted his cold interest, not in an attempt to change his demeanor, but to simply combat it. In Ichiro's eyes she could light up any darkness in a room, or in a person's heart, having her there instantly made him seem less on edge.

Ichiro took a better look at his environment he was sitting on a metal slab, and felt somewhat cold, the walls were concrete tiles lined in a grid and they appeared to be airtight. He suddenly felt slightly claustrophobic despite the overall size of the room. He took another look at his wife and his breathing calmed once more. "So... where do we begin... I think my other injuries are what require more attention... and I would like to make a fast recovery doctor" The slight impatience in him was a test more so than anything else, exactly where did he fall on the spectrum of making request. If the response was a violent one, then he knew he wasn't to trust these people with much, but should the response be one of compliance he could lower his guard just a tad more than he already had. While he wasn't trusting he knew in the situation that he was currently in he had to be somewhat dependant on others.

[marcyllenesyrox]

Belinda leaned back upon the wall, observing before making commentary on the subject. This was counted the second time she had seen this woman, and she rather of kept her own opinion out of the matter until Joseph figured out what was needed to be done to study this power. She stared at the scientist as he moved about the woman, studying her response to his touch.
This woman was dangerous, but she knew that there would be a way to cut down on risks. 

After the conversation, her focus switched to Ichiro, who was adjusting on the slab. He wasn't looking as pitiful as he did in the snow, nearly frozen to death, but he still had this sense of.. helplessness about him. Still, she did not know the strength of the man, so she was not going to act rash. 

She decided to stay in the building, for the time being, making sure to keep Joseph in check. She trusted him with high honors, but with a reward like this, she could not risk having a potential accident or interference with other members. She looked back at the doctor, pondering the placement of his little "helper". She always followed him everywhere, so it was quite a shock that she was not here. Of course, she did call the doctor in a rush as soon as she sent her men after Ichiro, so it must have been too much of an inconvenience to bring her.

Her hand moved towards the counter by the wall, running her fingers over the countless surgical devices before picking up a scalpel and twisting it between her fingers.

[Aril]

Very interesting. The tattoo responded to her and her actions. Was it from stimulus to Ichiro?? Joseph'd have to find out. Observing both of them was proving to be difficult, but he would manage. He did find it odd however that she seemed to be attempting to push forward this air of positivity against him. It almost felt as if she was combating something about him. Joseph thought he was being quite plesant, considering how he normally treated his guests.

"I'm sorry I was so fascinated by this vision," he lied. "I'm supposed to be treating you." He stepped behind Ichiro, inspecting his body. "Hmm, some of these need stitches. and you'll probably need a splint or at least a wrap for your wrist." He snapped his fingers and held out his hand for a bit. "Right, not here," he mumbled to himself before he grabbed some of the supplies. "I'm going to move your wrist a decent amount now, merely to gauge how much it's hurt." Joseph moved the other man's wrist so he could observe the projection and lightly pushed and squeezed it, observing all reactions. "It's a bit worse than a sprain." Joseph began wrapping it, perhaps a bit tightly. "You don't have an aversion to needles by chance? Wouldn't be the first person with tattoos I've seen that does." Joseph didn't mean it as a joke but rather an observation. "I have nothing to numb the skin so it may hurt some."

A slight gleam flashed across Joseph's eyes for a brief moment as he pierced the man's skin. slowly bringing it together. The sight entranced him as he was more used to taking it apart. His skin fit differently than the Doll's, and where scars overlapped it was almost like a beautiful picture. He almost lost focus as he began focusing on the room again. "Miss," he said to his Queen, "I understand you're bored for now as this takes time, but I'd prefer it if you don't play too much with my tools. Just a preference. Wouldn't wish to impose."

[Ichiro]

As Joseph, gripped and maneuvered his wrist his eyes slammed shut as the immense sense of pain. So much pain in fact that Ai ran to his side to make him feel better, only to become fragmented as fractured bones began to grow worse and nerves were pinched causing his hand to tremble violently. “Yes… that does indeed hurt… but it is something I will endure if I must..” As the doctor let go of his arm he held onto it gently with his other hand to protect himself from further harm. “No aversions to shots, despite feeling pain I try to maintain a high tolerance..” As he was shot, he was still looking at his slightly swollen wrist.

Ai had began to fall apart as her manifestation had been diverted due to the overall amount of pain Ichiro had been feeling. Her existence was dependant on his unconscious minds focus towards her existence. Contemplating and alerting the conscious mind to pain was something that caused her to overall become fragmented and less focused.

Her voice was still sweet but the visual aura that was once her in her prime. She simply smiled and stared, as she began to vanish entirely, the tattoo's glow dimmed as she vanished entirely.

[marcyllenesyrox]

Belinda held onto the scalpel, ignoring his request, tapping the handle's end against the counter gently, making a soft clink every so often while watching the procedure. She knew the original stitches she had done wouldn't have held too long, but it did good enough for a being in a car on bumpy terrain. Her main priority was to get him there alive, and she had done that job well. 

She snapped back to attention at the light show in front of her, as Ai started to break apart. Belinda had not seen that kind of reaction before when her husband was down, and it took her by surprise. Was it the immense pain that was causing him to lose her, or was it some other factor currently unknown? 


"Joseph, there are more stitches down his torso and legs. Please, restitch them for me. I fear that they may become loose without proper stitching." She looked at the doctor, and smiled softly.

[Aril]

Joseph watched carefully as Ai vanished. “Interesting,” he whispered more to himself. He finished along the back, working relatively quickly. Joseph moved around Ichiro’s body quickly sewing up the other man’s flesh. “Tell me about your wife,” he suggested. “How did you meet? How long were you together? What were the results of these unfavorable conditions you went through?” Joseph believed if he could get a clear picture of who Ai was, he could determine the truth about her existence. “I understand if your oath prevents you from speaking about it in great detail. I just wish to know what she went through.” Even if this apparition was merely a figment of Ichiro’s, the fact it was mostly independant and sentient interested him.

Joseph quickly finished the stitches and inspected Ichiro’s ribs. “Somewhere you had a bad fall.” Joseph stepped away to grab cleaning supplies and bandages. He grabbed something to hold Ichiro’s arm in place, a thin yet hard metallic bar. He wrapped up Ichiro’s torso and wrist, holding them a bit tight in place. “I can’t stop you,” Joseph began as he finished tying it in place. But I know if you work to hard or try to outrun the people who are looking for you by leaving here you’ll end up getting caught again in your condition. I ask that you stay... a minimum of a week, possibly up to four for a decent recovery.”

Joseph looked at Belinda and lightly tilted his head picking up his notepad and moving to sit. Speculations, he wrote before jotting down a bunch of thoughts he had on Ichiro and Ai for her to read later. “I recommend having him nearby for easy check-ups.” He never looked away from his scribbling, “I’ll need to check his progress often. Perhaps you’re a fast healer.” He shrugged slightly and said nothing more.

[Ichiro]

Ichiro paused for a moment, to ponder just how much he should tell them, how much he could betray his secret order. He pondered and pondered before telling them a few select bits of information, such as how he killed his wife, slitting her throat and pushing her into her own grave, or what the sacred song they sang meant and how she had to live on through him. He told them of his journey with his master and how he had been separated from him, unsure if he would ever see his master again, but he also assured them that once they found his master, he would verify the knowledge he had and he would be able to tell them everything with full detail.


Time went forward, and little details would be revealed here and there, the lashings that he had been forced to give his wife. Spending time with the Queen, and her plague knight left him finding something that he had not known in years. A sense of companionship, something he had not known he had ever wanted. The thought of it had been strictly scrubbed from his mind, but as he spent time with them that part of his strict and tight training loosened. Time would move forward and he would learn things, about Queen Belinda, things like that she was no longer a member of house meticulous but was now the head of a house called maelstrom. He would also discover that that had no ill intent towards Meticulous but instead simply wish to go back to their own ways, he had read in history books that Maelstrom used to be a great house.


He would meet Joseph’s doll, from time to time, unsure as to what the relationship between the two of them was, but never questioning what they did behind closed doors, despite the occasional sounds he heard that made him worry through walls.He in the end was able to rest and make a somewhat decent recovery, and his pursuers had lost him for now. That much was for certain. While he had no leads for the search for his master, an information net would be useful now, and maelstrom had one of those. So for the time being he aligned his goals with theres and they made plans for their operations, he was useful to the Queen as a sword… and the Queen was useful to him for leads, some of these leads came up empty but he would later learn that his master was very much alive, he was also on the move.

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