[Action, forward dated to after the shadow event]

[sternefacade]

[He was in trouble. He knew it. There was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't run, he couldn't hide, and he could never disobey.

So he waited for her. He waited for her to call, and he waited for her to punish him.]




((OOC: This is for Grace and Brera only. WARNING. This will be... oh god I don't even know. It's going to be intense, there's going to be physical and psychological torture involved, and it's not going to be pretty.))

Comments

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He stops, breathing shallowly, and seems to realize what he's done. He drops the scalpel off to the side and clutches at the worst of the cuts to try to prevent too much blood loss.

When he speaks, his voice is quiet and shaky, but remarkably still mostly level and calm.]

I'm sorry. That was badly done.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Yes. It was.

[There's no compassion, no sympathy in her voice. Yet, on the same token, there's no reproach, no anger. She just gets up, looks sideways at Brera before looking for something to stop that from going too badly.]

Did you want me to tell Ranka you committed suicide?

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He's forcing himself to take deep, controlled breaths, and despite his vise-like grip on the worst of the cuts, he's still bleeding more than he should. He shakes his head and avoids looking at Grace.]

No. I... don't know why I did that.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[It was her fault, no question. She should have put a limit. Only to do surface slices; painful and potentially scarring but not...]

That's what happens when you don't have a procedure to go with.

[She's still calm as she finds a roll of bandages. She walks back, roughly grabbing his injured arm with one hand. She places the bandage roll in his lap.] I will apply pressure; you wrap it.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He winces slightly when she grabs his arm, but remains silent and calm. He does as ordered, wrapping the arm tightly to stop the bleeding.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[She lets go when he's done. Damn, did he have to bleed so much? She stands, wiping her hands on him as she stood.]

Must I tell you how to do everything?

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He finishes tying off the bandage and checks his work thoroughly. He's getting slightly dizzy, but only slightly. If he bleeds too much more though, he'll be in danger of some serious blood loss symptoms.

Did he perhaps cut himself so deeply in an attempt to prevent further punishment? No. He banishes the thought as soon as it crosses his mind. That kind of thinking was dangerous. He needed to avoid it.]

I am not accustomed to inflicting such injuries on myself.

[He was much more used to inflicting them on others with the intent to kill.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[She sighs, yes, he was right. Oh well; it could be ridden off as an injury by a vajra.]

You know you will have to return to Ranka, eventually.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He looks down at the floor. It's a moment before he responds quietly.]

Yes.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

She has another bodyguard right now.

[She stands quietly for a few minutes, letting that sink into him.]

A man named Thompson. Mishima picked him out.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[His teeth clench slightly, and his hands curl into fists. But he says nothing and keeps looking at the floor.

Maybe it was better that someone else was watching her, since she couldn't stand him anyway.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

You don't like that, do you? Letting someone else get close to her like that?

[Oh, that hit a sore spot.]

He can't possibly care about her like you do. Can he?

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He won't answer. But his shoulders are tense now, too, as if he's keeping himself under control very deliberately. Because, of course, that's exactly what he's doing. His eyes flicker up to look at Grace for a brief moment before returning to the floor.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[A rebellion, no matter how small, needed to be squashed. Eliminated before it grew.]

Answer me.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

No, I don't like it.

[His answer is quiet and controlled. He straightens his back, relaxes his shoulders, and looks up at her, deliberately calm.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Don't hide things from me.

[She's calm, always composed, but the way she says that sentence. It's sharp and cold.] I don't want a controlled answer and you know it.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[His eyes narrow.] It's the truth.

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

You know how jealousy works, don't you. How it creeps through the system and how your entire being burns.

[She only smiles.] I want you to close your eyes. When you do, Ranka is here, by your side. You only feel her touch but you know it's her.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He hesitates, but an order is an order. His eyes close.

Ordinarily, he's not one to imagine things. But under her orders he can tell Ranka is there, sitting next to him, her hand on his shoulder. Because she is there. He knows she's there.

If some part of him realizes that this is only because Grace ordered it, that part is in the back of his mind, and he has bee forbidden to recognize it.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

[Even if he can't see it, her smile only grows. Ranshe...Ranshe would be turning in her grace; if she had been buried, that is.]

You feel her hold you, hear her telling you it's alright. For the moment, she's forgiven you.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[Ranka hugs him, leans her head on his shoulder, and says quietly, "it's okay, Brera-san. I forgive you."

Brera's fist clenches slightly and he ducks his head. He doesn't deserve this.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

Even if you don't believe it, it's Ranka. You have to believe it, even if it's not true.

[He twists and turns in reaction to something in his own mind. Incestuous bastard... Oh, well.] Let yourself lean back into her arms, let her hands run through your hair, massage your shoulders... This is the moment you want, isn't it.

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[His breath hitches. This... isn't right, somehow. He's not sure why.

It's not that he doesn't like it, but... it's not right.

It's only making him confused.]

[implantsgrace.livejournal.com]

She wants you to relax. To enjoy this... For now, it's exactly what you want. You need this.

[Yes... The confusion is predicted; the turmoil. For now, it needs to be eased. So it can be brought up in full force later.]

[sternefacade.livejournal.com]

[He's still so tense. He can't... he doesn't know what he's supposed to do.

But... Ranka wants him to relax.

So he has to try.

Slowly,

slowly,

he begins to relax.]