(enjoy it while it lasts. things are about to get uuuugly heheheh)
"Holy sh*t," she gasped, jolting back. She clasped a hand over her mouth. Just like she used to. Mouth like a sailor with absolutely no filter.
Daso nodded. "Yeah. I know. I…" Slap! Her hand collided with his face.
"How dare you show up here after seven years and act like everything's okay, Daso?" she spat, glaring at his face with eyes filled with betrayal. "It's been seven years. Seven. Not a word from you. At first I thought you'd just abandoned me, but then I thought, no, Daso wouldn't leave me in this place for so long, he must have died. And the thought comforted me. How messed up is that? I'd rather you dead than you have forgotten me."
(stg???)
(Swear to God.)
( yeah, get with the times @Nerd xD. Just kidding, I honestly had no idea what that meant to )
Ryan walked around what he could only assume was the bottom floor of the ship. "Curse my…not…knowing…of ships and the sea…but there has to be something here…"
Leah finally made it to a closed off portion of the sector, most of the buildings made from the same dark wood planks, nailed together hastily. She read one of the blurred signs and decided it must be where they would be. She walked in, overwhelmed by the smell of smoke and alcohol. Fights had broken out across the room, everyone either yelling or drunk.
"Cardoso!" Said a familiar voice, calling from the other side of the room. Leah spun around to face a tall man with messy brown hair. "Haven't seen you for. . . a year now!"
Lucian hummed in his medical office below deck, cleaning a shallow cut on his palm that accidentally was made by a scalpel he was cleaning. He would have to re-clean it, now, the blade being smeared with his horn blood this time.
He couldn't take it. Her face, filled with betrayal and anger and hate, wishing he was dead. He couldn't. Tears he'd tried for so long to keep in poured down his face. "Dara, I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to –I didn't want…" he'd rehearsed his apology for years. Ever since he left. But none of it was enough. "Everything's wrong. I left thinking I could be free but I was being so selfish and I can't go a night without thinking of what I did to you and I'm sorry." She started to speak, but he couldn't stop. "I've stolen things –so much from others. And lied. And just the other day I…I –I…"
"What?" she hissed, her voice dripping with venom.
"I killed someone." His voice broke.
She glared at him for a long time, her eyes burning. Finally, she said, "I'm not even surprised. I don't believe a lot of the stuff we're taught here, but murder? Taking a human life? You're worse than I thought."
(I have to go now bye! Just assume Ryan is still looking below deck…)
(Was offline, catch me up.)
Almost done. Almost done. Done. Kameo tested it, twice on Ace's blood. It worked. Nearly sobbing with relief, he rushed upstairs, ready to give it to Ace, when he caught sight of him, slumped down in his quarantine, eyes closed.
____________
It would be so easy to let go. Kameo's face was like a comfort to Ace. Stay with me, before I go..
Cicada was crouched on the roof top, she had managed to find a vantage point the allowed her to look into the window. Inside Daso was talking to girl who looked quite similar to him, must be a sibling.
"Please, please, I don't need you to forgive me," he begged, "I just needed you to hear this."
Dara shook her head, backing away. "No. No, Daso. Police! Guards, somebody, help!" she screamed.
"What? Dara wait," Daso said, but she was already heading towards the door, yelling for the police. He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to run, just like before, jump onto Captain Cardoso's ship and sail off for freedom…but no. He'd killed someone. He'd betrayed his own sister. He didn't deserve to be free.
It was just like he remembered. Police stationed everywhere. Four of them swarmed into the library within minutes of Dara's disappearance. They forced Daso to his knees, restrained him, and dragged him towards the door.
His eyes met Dara's as he left. She was crying.
Leah sighed and walked towards the man. "Nice to see you, Carter," She replied, sitting down across from him at a table. The smoke in the air stung her eyes. "You said that you had some news?"
"So quick to move on." Carter grinned, leaning forward, his left eye covered with an eyepatch. She remembered when an enemy ship had shot at it. "Anyways, wars broken out between Dalia and Civia. Anjou is joining in to help the kingdom. Apparently Civia is after something in the sectors."
"Ace!" Kameo rushed in, sobbing and uncorking the vial. "Drink this, drink it Ace!" he tilted Ace's chin, "Open your mouth."
( No, poor Daso. Leah is not going to be happy. )
"Sectors? What's in the sectors. . ?" Leah asked, barely flinching as someone crashed into the table next to them. Yelling erupted. It must have been an unfair match.
"Loot. Gold. Who knows." Carter shrugged, leaning back against his chair. "All the crews want in. Heard the Ghost ship is even in on it."
Cicada saw the police swarming into the building, Shit. She had orders from the captain to help him, so down she leapt to save Daso. She managed to take out two of the police before more came and restrained her too. She laughed weakly meeting Daso's eyes.
Ace opened his eyes, "I don't want to die." and he closed his eyes again.
"You're not dying, Ace." Kameo was desperate now.
Jared was still on the ship, chewing gum and trolling people on the internet.
"Cicada, I told you to stay away," he whispered, his voice broken. "Why the hell didn't you listen?"
"Do you know anything else?" Leah pressed on, her curiosity overwhelming. She flinched at the name of the Ghost ship. She never wanted to be near that crew again.
"Not much," He answered, biting his bottom lip and fidgeting with his eyepatch. "Might want to get out of here soon. The other captain's aren't going to be happy that you're in here."
Leah nodded, pushing herself and pulling her coat closer to her body as she walked out. The cold, salty wind stung her cheeks. Above the sky was a smooth gray color, threatening to bring a storm.
( Oh lord. All of you are ruining Leah. God, her hallucinations and drinking is not going to be fun. . .)
"Cicada, I told you to stay away," he whispered, his voice broken. "Why the hell didn't you listen?"
"Captain's orders," she whispered back to him, "Besides did you really think I wasn't going to follow you?"
"The captain…" he mumbled, his voice trailing off. "She's going to hate us for getting arrested."
"That she is," Cicada responded, "And I've only known her for a day."
Leah made her way through the bustling crowds, her red hair like a flame against all the white and grey of Sole. Everyone seemed to be crowding in the same direction. Probably some Pope or Priest, Leah thought as she ignored them and continued to walk towards the ship.
"This is all my fault." He lowered his head as the police dragged them through the quiet city. "I'm…sorry." It wasn't enough.
By the time Kameo forced the cure into Ace's mouth, Ace was-he was…dead.
