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BarrenThin
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"Raime, stop! That's enough!" The plant yelled as he rushed over as he tugged at Raime's arm. He knew it wouldn't have done any good but this didn't seem any better than leaving the man to their mercy. He'd been set on fire before. It was one of the many attempts on his life to claim the sixty billion double dollars reward for the humanoid typhoon.
But no matter how much the plant tugged, the knight's hold would not loosen. Seemingly not until Cena was unconscious yet again or more likely pleading for his life due to the searing pain from the burns. Raime had done so much to try and get to know Vash, and the plant felt he had gotten closer to the knight than any of the others had. Maybe he'd be a good influence on Raime and help him get along with the others.
But sparing someone's life only to go about subduing them in such a roundabout and cruel manner was not the way to go about it! He'd keep pulling at Raime's hands, not at all caring how the heat burned at his own hands. He had already ruined so many people's lives in July and Augusta and he hadn't killed a single one of them with his bare hands. He would have hated to see Raime go down the same path and hurt someone who hadn't been all there to begin with.
It almost reminded Vash of the Gung Ho Guns. Some of the most broken people who had a tough lot in life. But Knives took them in and accentuated their negative feelings and anger in a manner to try and break Vash. To force him to abandon the morals that idealistic woman had poisoned his mind when he was a child and to actually take someone else's life. He hadn't been able to help any of them. Either Knives disposed of them or they took their own ways out.
"I'm not going to let you walk down that same path, Raime. Not if there is something I can do!"
Looking over RC's horrendous burn wounds, Vash's entire body shook with revulsion. Not at Raimes but just what had happened as a result of whoever had put Cena in this place. Something had been wrong with this man and had all of their fighting against him only worsened his condition? Made him even more insane if that was even possible? Was whoever brought them all here responsible for Cena being like this?
Maybe, maybe before all of this he had been a relatively kind fellow. Maybe he had a loving wife and a son who admired him. But none of that mattered now that he had lost it all. Then he'd been placed here for them to encounter and to have no other choice but to fight. Twas a sadistic choice with no positive alternatives. Now the poor man's face looked like he'd been through hell and for all Vash knew maybe he had been?
Walking over to the downed rubber-man, the plant knelt down and removed his glasses. Folding them up neatly he'd tuck them away for the time being. It wasn't an ability he used often. In fact it was only when Legato wanted to taunt him did he have a use for it, but both him and Knives and by extension Legato due to possessing Vash's missing arm could speak telepathically.
Placing a hand atop Cena's forehead, Vash closed his eyes and began to broadcast into his mind.
"I'm so sorry for what happened to you. I don't know the man you used to be, the man you might have wanted to be. But I can tell with certainty that this was not him. This is what you've been forced into. But I swear on my life that I'll find the one responsible for putting you and us in this situation and I'll bring them to justice. I'll be long gone by the time you wake up and I'm really sorry about the burns. Raime isn't a bad guy, he's trying to do what he can. I'll just be there to give him the help that he needs. I hope that's some modicum of peace for the real you."
Removing his hand from RC's forehead, Vash rose back up to his feet with his back to the others. His eyes were still closed and for good reason. No one needed to see him cry. These were not just tears of remorse of not being able to do more for Cena but tears of anger towards whoever twisted him into being the sympathetic lunatic that he was now.
Some angel he turned out to be, eh?
@C.T. @El Tigre! @Schnee Corp Lawyer @BarrenThin @york @Saint Guillotine
The Fume Knight was perplexed by these attempts to stop him. Of course, he understood that the plant was a gentle soul, but Raime had done as he'd asked; he hadn't killed Cena. In his own bizarre naivete, he wasn't able to fully understand why Vash attempted to steer him from what Raime saw as a 'peaceful' alternative to simply killing him.
He didn't say anything, though. In fact, he didn't even look at Vash through the whole ordeal; to do so would have provoked weakness. Hesitation. In the defense of himself and his 'allies,' there was no place for that. It would put them at risk if he paused for even a moment.
...
Still, resting a moment more couldn't hurt.
Raime briefly stepped off to the side, examining his hands. They still hurt from when he caught Cena's fist, but, injury wise, they were fine. The Fume Knight examined his own leg briefly, as well. Sprained. Nothing he couldn't ignore. His chest and back were completely different stories, however. The kick had broken ribs. He could feel it when he took a breath. His back had gone through a wall; it simply hurt. Badly. He had no way to tell what the injury was, just that it would be difficult to ignore.
With a grunt, he rejoined the group as though nothing happened. He scanned them with a sigh. What could he do? If what he had been told earlier was true, he had no Nadalia. No one to return to. He wasn't even real... at least, not the original. No Nadalia. No warmth. No beauty. No caressing Darkness.
Not even a Velstadt to someday defeat.
He hadn't given all of this any real thought, up until then. If they truly weren't real, and were just imitations, what did they have to return to?
He thought back to his time as a knight in Vendrick's army, joining his king in the invasion of the Giants' home (despite his reservation) alongside none other than Velstadt. His own Knives. A brother he loved. A brother he fought beside. All underneath Vendrick's regal smile and guiding hand.
"That's five!" Raime remembered Velstadt calling out in the middle of combat at one point. "You'll have to speed up, Raime, if you ever want to compete!"
"I've got eight!" Raime's greatsword dismembered a giant, sending the brutish creature toppling. He deflected an oncoming spell with his shield. It had greatly surprised him to learn that the Giants wielded magic. Every passing hour here sewed the seeds of doubt about their cause. The Giants had few boats. Most of what they'd done was stumble upon villages, catching their guards by surprise. Still, he fought on alongside his brother in spite of his doubts.
But Raime could only ignore his doubts for so long. Nashandra was a lying temptress with nothing but evil in her heart. She was leading the kingdom into ruin. Even then, the Giants were bearing down on them, seeking revenge. He had to do something. Anything. But his brother stopped him.
"She is going to drag this kingdom to its grave, Velstadt!" Raime shouted over the din of weapons clashing. "Countless more will die if we don't stop her!"
"Vendrick knows what's best for the Kingdom, Raime! Not you! We have to trust him!"
The fight was long. Miserable. Neither side was willing to go all out. Raime had an opportunity to end the fight. He saw it. Almost took it. But he felt that moment of weakness. He hesitated. A blow landed. His shield was torn from his arm, and his arm badly broken. Velstadt sent him sprawling with another blow.
The Aegis readied himself to finish his brother, but a voice called out and stopped him. Vendrick. "Wait, Velstadt." The massive hammer paused midair, and was then set aside. Raime stood, clutching his arm. "Raime... I cannot let him kill you," Vendrick began. Though this may be reassuring to some, Raime saw where he king was going and felt he panic rising. "But I cannot suffer you to stay. You are a traitor, Raime. Go. Leave Drangleic don't return."
Raime shook his head. He started to speak, but Vendrick cut him off with a wave... and Raime slowly left the room.
He didn't stop walking for a long time. Not until his knees gave out. Brume Tower. He'd seen it on the maps.
Before crossing to it, sitting on his knees, he simply screamed. Screamed at his own weakness. At his own failure. He screamed out of hatred for the brother that had betrayed him and the father that had abandoned him.
But someone heard him. Nadalia called to him. Took him in. Even after he attempted to destroy her.
But none of that was truly his? All of this was someone else's memory?
...
For the first time in centuries, Raime was in the company of humans... and yet he'd never felt more alone.
@york @C.T. @El Tigre! @TheSpringwoodSlasher @Saint Guillotine @Schnee Corp Lawyer @Thuro The Assassin Potato
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