ninth.

[getawaywith]

[ action, backdated to earlier today ]

[From 850 Goldberg Street, Shizuru makes her way slowly through town.

Natsuki is dead. It is because of something she did.

She moves at a steady pace at first, a strangely serene sight in her lavender skirt and white fur coat. Well, her coat was white, at one point. Now it has dark red splashes all over it

Comments

[heartstar_blues]

[Look who comes walking down the street. A bit drunk and having a good time. He'll wave at her.]

Hey babe!

[getawaywith]

[This man. He must be one of the ones who hurt Natsuki.

Shizuru stops and smiles at him, tucking the bloodstained naginata behind her bloodstained coat.]

Hello. Do you know where Natsuki is?

[heartstar_blues]

Natsu... Nat... Natsuki.

Nope. Is that a dog?

[The Captain notices the stains but doesn't do the math.]

Hey, did you slip or something?

[getawaywith]

It's all right. You don't know where Natsuki is because Natsuki is d--

D--

[Shizuru can't say it.]

I think...I fell a little ways. Is that so terrible?

[flameyedhunter]

[Shana will walk down the street all scowly and unhappy. She'll give Shizuru a glare.]

[getawaywith]

[On another day, that would only earn a smile. Today, Shizuru stops and frowns faintly at Shana.]

You think something is wrong, too?

[flameyedhunter]

"I know something is wrong."

[getawaywith]

You always knew, didn't you?

[Shizuru's frown fades, to be replaced with a smile.]

Were you laughing? When you planned to take Natsuki away from me.

[getawaywith]

[In this situation, Nina's first instinct would be correct. She will find that out shortly...

...as Shizuru turns around, gazing at Nina with vacant eyes in a smiling face, the bloodstains too prominent on her coat and the blade of her weapon.]

You know.

You know I can never feel well again. Not after what was done to Natsuki.

[getawaywith]

No...I'm sorry. It's terrible of me, but I can't believe you. I know. You all know.

[Her eyes widen.]

It's your fault.

[Because it can't be hers. She wouldn't hurt Natsuki. She wouldn't let Natsuki die. She wouldn't kill Natsuki. She wouldn't ever!

Holding tight to the makeshift naginata, she lunges at Nina with it.]

[backseat_dragon]

-She'll come across Ashton eventually, and he gives the slightly off-kilter lady a nervous wave.-

[getawaywith]

[By that time there's more blood on her coat and her blade. She almost does Ashton the favor of passing by him. Almost. But that wave catches her eye, and she draws to a halt.]

Oh, no. You shouldn't wave like that. You should be sad. Natsuki's been hurt.

You did it, didn't you?

[backseat_dragon]

-... fuck.

And then he starts running.-

[getawaywith]

[Well, there's no point in chasing after him. No, that's what her Child is for.]

Kiyohime.

[Ashton will be too busy running to see immediately, of course, but the rumble of the ground opening up as the head and neck of a giant serpent rise from it is quite audible.]

[artwithknives]

[Shiki, for one, get's that feeling as he's walking down the street. The sickly feeling of blood and....problems. He claws at the bandages on his face so he can see and-

-oh god, why is his mom covered in blood?]

Wh-What?

[getawaywith]

Hello, Shiki. Have you been good today?

[Shizuru smiles serenely at him.]

You haven't hurt Natsuki, have you?

I'll have to kill you if you've hurt Natsuki. That wouldn't be right. A mother shouldn't kill her son.

[artwithknives]

I'm not killing anyone! You're the one who-

...who all did you end up killing?

[getawaywith]

[Shizuru looks pensive for a moment. She props the makeshift naginata up against her body so that she has both hands free and slowly starts to raise her fingers, as if she's counting.

She falters somewhere on the second hand and just frowns disapprovingly at her fingers.]