onepassingnight | 5th Reunion [OPEN]

Misty rain surrounded the remnant as he made his way down the streets. Fog rose eerily from the pavement, hiding his own boots from feline eyes. Streetlamps provided halos of golden light, illuminating signs and storefronts, and yet at the same time creating shadowy exiles.

“I'll find you soon, Mother,” Kadaj whispered under his breath, a smile worming its way onto cold lips.

The only problem was finding someone to interrogate. If it wasn't for the remnant’s desire to question just about anyone at this point, he would have liked it here--this place appeared deserted. Not as much as the Promised Land with Mother, of course. But this city lacked the very thing he hated most, and that's the way he preferred it.

Mumbling came from a dark enclave between two dumpsters. An awful stench, some kind of cheap alcohol mixed with urine and other bodily fluids the remnant couldn’t clearly identify, hung heavily in the air.

Kadaj reached blindly into the corner and wrapped a fist around a soggy coat. He yanked out a homeless man who stumbled and fell to the concrete.

“P-please!” The man held up his hands defensively, trying to get back up. Kadaj kicked him back down and clicked his tongue in disgust.

“I’m just hungry. So hungry,” the old man began to sob, finally making it to his feet. A filthy hand encrusted in dirt supported the pathetic slob against the brick wall.

A homeless man was better than nothing.

“Where's Mother?” Kadaj demanded. The young remnant unsheathed his double bladed katana, and made sure his new prisoner could see the sharp blades.

The bum squinted and exposed remarkably stained teeth. “I don’t know. Please, mister, I’m so hungry. So cold.”

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She turned her head away, from distaste rather than fear or horror; her own attacks were much cleaner; but if less deadly, perhaps no less painful.

"Clean yourself up," she said simply. "There's no reason to appear in that state. Your sword, too." Without proper care, the weapon would become damaged, after all, which she was treating as more important than the man on the ground.

A weapon was only as good as its wielder. Of course he kept Souba well maintained. Holding the katana horizontally, Kadaj pinched the base of his sword with his gloved thumb and forefinger and ran it straight across the blade. It squeaked as the blood was forced off the edge. He repeated the process for the second blade, cleaning it as best he could with the given circumstances.

“There.” He said proudly and shook his hand. Dark red droplets splattered the surrounding area. Sticky blood still remained upon his glove. Rather than wipe it off his own outfit, Kadaj stepped past the girl, dragging his hand across her shoulder to remove the rest.

She was almost more surprised to be touched, than by the blood itself. The ruined clothes were an annoyance, but she could replace them. There was no sense picking a quarrel over something so small. Ami simply removed her jacket - and tossed it towards Kadaj.

"A gift!" There was a definite twist to the lightness of her tone. Let him decide how to dispose of it.

The girl should consider herself wise. Picking a fight with Kadaj, or any of his siblings for that matter, was a death wish.

Reflectively he caught the jacket. He arched a silver brow at it, becoming more amused by her behavior. “What’s wrong?” He tossed it back at her and teased, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of a little blood!”

Ami only smirked as she caught the jacket easily enough, but casually let it fall again after looking it over. It was useless to her, now. Blood was a hard stain to get out, and it was easier to replace it. He was lucky she wasn't insisting that he replace it instead. If he were simply a human, she would have - and she would have enforced it.

"Were you afraid of that man?" she challenged Kadaj right back, "Or was he just disgusting?" She could shrug off the coat without being afraid of it.

“Afraid?” Kadaj laughed at the absurdity of it! Ha! “Humans are nothing more than annoying pests!” He said with the sweep of his arm for emphasis. “They are weak, pathetic, excuses for life forms. Mother has no use for them! In time, she will get rid of them all. For now,” the remnant approached the girl, “they are mine to toy with.” She wasn’t easy to intimidate, and Kadaj found that entertaining. “I’m looking for someone.” It was no secret. “And I will question everyone until I get the answers I want.”

Souba rose ever so slightly. It wasn’t a direct threat, not yet anyway, but he did not hide the fact that he had no qualms about using it. “So tell me, girl, what do know about Jenova?”

In waking, she'd have objected to that wholesale destruction. She might even have warned him that, while lesser, humans were not as negligible as he thought. But in the dream, it was a lesson she hadn't learned herself yet.

"Jenova?" The fact she gave the question thought perhaps said more about the truth of her ignorance than a denial could. Aside from the obvious conclusion that 'Jenova' was whoever Kadaj was looking for, she knew nothing.

And so, she shrugged it off. "I've never heard the name. Who is it and how would I recognize her?"

Feline eyes scanned over the girl’s facial features. He hated liars, and he liked to believe that he could tell when someone was lying to him. This girl, however, appeared to be telling the truth. Not that he trusted her words much. It simply meant he didn’t have to flay her skin or torture her for further investigation—at least for now.

“Jenova,” he began, stepping back with arms spread wide to the sky. “She is the rightful ruler of this planet! The Cetra and people like you,” he nodded distastefully in her direction, “stole it from Her.” Kadaj pointed to his chest, excitedly stepping closer again. “It’s my job to find Her! The Reunion is on my shoulders!”

The remnant leaned in. Their faces were mere centimeters apart. His eyes never broke contact with hers as he bore an intense gaze into them. “And,” his voice fell to a deadly serious tone, “I will not disappoint Her.”

It was getting pretty crowded with so many 'rightful rulers' of the planet. No, she'd still make up her own mind about that. Still, that meant to her and the Dark Kingdom - who of course were the true ones to rule it - this potential claimant was a threat.

That meant it was worth her while to learn more.

"I can't find her from that. I need to know where she comes from, or what she looks like. Things that will help me to know who she is and where she might be." All reasonable and true requests before it could be possible. Also all a way to get more information.

Just like Ami, Kadaj was not one to easily trust others. In fact, he barely trusted his own brothers and they were the only ones he could even consider confiding in. Unbeknownst to the remnant, he didn’t even trust himself. But denial and determination helped keep that acknowledgement under wraps.

“You?” Kadaj sneered, turning away. “I don’t need help from the likes of you.” Firstly, why would she have an interest in helping Mother? Ami probably only wanted to steal her away from her sons again. Secondly, Kadaj wanted to show Jenova that he could do this all by himself. He certainly didn’t need the aid of any strangers.

She'd have preferred to get information from him; but well, he seemed the type to talk a fair bit. The type to brag about this precious so-called ruler. She'd glean what she could from that.

And she certainly didn't care if he wanted to disparage her.

"Fine, then!" she chirped cheerfully enough. "Good luck to you!"

Kadaj was the type to talk. He was also the type to lack sufficient patience and the type to get easily frustrated. He wasn’t about to waste Mother’s precious gospel on some stranger girl no matter how tolerant he had become of her. Truly, the remnant thought she deserved nothing better than to be skewered and left for dead. She had served her purpose as entertainment.

As he continued to walk away he waved a dismissive hand. Kadaj didn’t need her luck, her help, or any other services she may offer. He could find Mother all by himself and he would make her proud!

5th Reunion [OPEN]

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