Keith looked around, his vision blurred by the tears his burning eyes couldn't contain and his head pounding from the hit he had taken as the house had finally collapsed around them. The fire still raged around him, and the angry crackling roared within his ears. He tried to move, stopping to scream as the motion cause his head to spin even more from the pain. He looked down at his legs, paling at the large spar of wood lodged in his right calf. It sat half buried in the ground, the blood already dried around the ragged looking edges; Keith curled into himself, willing down the bile that had tried to force its way out of him.
After several minutes of whimpering in pain and searching his singed coat for his cell, he looked around once more, trying to find his voice and shout for Kayleen. He knew that no one was coming to save them or stop the fire, nothing formalized such as police or firefighters had been around since the Great War. He weighed his options carefully, knowing full well that what he decided to do in the next few moments would be the only thing that could be done for several hours.
He thrust his hands roughly into his pockets, searching frantically for the necessary implements to make his plan work right, stopping the sharp movements the second his leg was jostled, the pain immense, his breath from calm to ragged in an instant. He screwed his eyes shut and ground his teeth, searching slower but with just as much frantic intent. He grinned a little when he felt his hand close around the cool ivory of his knife's handle, and pulled it out swiftly.
He looked at the silver blade, watched the light from the fire dance o'er the metal mesmerizingly, and for a moment debated the merits of his plan before driving the knife into his arm just before the elbow and dragging it swiftly through his flesh until it hit his wrist. As bone met blade, he yanked the knife from his arm and thrust it into a clean patch of dirt close by. Keith closed his eyes and bit back another scream before taking two fingers and wiping the blood onto them, scrawling out a circle and the markings to perform a summons on the ground around the knife, his arm stretched as far as possible without shifting his lower half.
He looked at his arm, watched the blood pour from the gaping wound, felt his head spin and clapped his hands together, tried his damnedest to not pass out yet. He knew he had just seconds before he'd pass out from blood loss, was actually surprised he'd lasted this long with that much blood pooled beneath his leg and arm. He thought on that no longer and slammed his hands into the circle's center, and spat out a single word.
"Karnak."
21 February 2010
09 February 2010
Keith, reworked version 4, random scene
His chair clattered as he jerked himself up, his face red from shouting. "Goddammit Kayleen, I feel weak because I feel like I could lose you since I'm not around because I'm on the job all the time, even though I want to be home with you, and I'm afraid you'll realize how selfish I am by trying to keep you all to myself. And if I could make you mine forever I would, but you aren't ready for that commitment and god-FUCKing-dammit, I'm to afraid to ask you 'will you marry me'!" With that he fell back into his chair, deflated and dejected, his face in his hands and red as he noticed what slipped out of his lips. Keith felt his heart beating like he had just run three marathons as he waited for her to respond to his outburst and final words, praying to the gods she didn't leave him now.
Kayleen had listened in stunned silence to Keith as he had boiled over and exploded at her, awed at the fact he finally had the gall to speak his mind to her in full. In all honesty, it almost turned her on.Man never took the lead, now he controlled the entire situation...until she heard his last line. Her eyes widened, and a faint blush crept up as her mouth twisted in a crooked smile. She stared at the man in the chair before her, new respect growing in her heart for him.
Sure, she was slightly irked he actually yelled at her, and also a little frightened he might snap soon. Yet, what really scared her right now was the prospect that, if she somehow hurt him even the slightest bit more, Keith might not be able to handle it and just leave. That really shook her; Keith may very well be the strongest freelancer in the world, but she, Kayleen, held sway over him. The next few words she uttered could, and would, have a profound effect on him.
Her heart pounded as Keith's last words burned in her memory. He wanted to marry her. Keith wanted to marry her. HER. MARRY. That alone was almost to much for her. She crouched down and looked at his downturned face, before pulling him into a tight embrace. She felt horrible for not noticing that he was so pent up before baiting him like she had. Her lips gently brushed his face as she planted light kisses everywhere she could.
"Did you mean what you said," she whispered into his ear at last, her voice earnest and hopeful. Yes, the idea scared her, but suddenly, looking at it with Keith by her, she wasn't as afraid to move onto it.
A surprised yes escaped his lips before her could think, and his hands riffled through his pockets, suddenly searching for that small, red velvet box, his body and mind reacting before he could think about it.
Kayleen smoothly pushed off him to stand up, folding her arms in front of herself. She looked Keith in the eyes and arched her brows, hoping that the act did not belie her emotions. With false courage she spoke up. "Then say it properly this time."
Keith stared, slack-jawed. Twenty minutes ago this girl had been afraid of him ever asking that fated question and now she wanted him to ask it, almost demanded that he do so? He hadn't prepared for this to happen, being asked to on the spot so suddenly. Shaking, he dropped to one knee.
"Kayleen, I...Leenie, I've known you and courted you for three years now, and as such, I have learned many things about you. I've learned that you love to have control in the outside world but melt when I take the lead in bed. I've learned that you look simply stunning in a skirt, and that you look even better in your underwear. I've learned that you are secretly afraid of ending up alone and that darkness reminds you of that. And I've learned many other things, some useful and practical, like your hatred of peppers and shrimp, or how you love puppies, others mostly just useless trivia, like how you sing in the shower at two in the morning and that you can only eat your food certain ways. But most importantly love, I've learned that I truly love you, and I want to be with you through everything from now on. I don't want to give you up, let you down, run around and desert you, never make you cry, never say good-bye, and never ever tell a lie and hurt you." At this, Kieth pulled the red velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing the contents to her. "Kayleen Hollie, will you marry me?"
Kayleen had listened in stunned silence to Keith as he had boiled over and exploded at her, awed at the fact he finally had the gall to speak his mind to her in full. In all honesty, it almost turned her on.Man never took the lead, now he controlled the entire situation...until she heard his last line. Her eyes widened, and a faint blush crept up as her mouth twisted in a crooked smile. She stared at the man in the chair before her, new respect growing in her heart for him.
Sure, she was slightly irked he actually yelled at her, and also a little frightened he might snap soon. Yet, what really scared her right now was the prospect that, if she somehow hurt him even the slightest bit more, Keith might not be able to handle it and just leave. That really shook her; Keith may very well be the strongest freelancer in the world, but she, Kayleen, held sway over him. The next few words she uttered could, and would, have a profound effect on him.
Her heart pounded as Keith's last words burned in her memory. He wanted to marry her. Keith wanted to marry her. HER. MARRY. That alone was almost to much for her. She crouched down and looked at his downturned face, before pulling him into a tight embrace. She felt horrible for not noticing that he was so pent up before baiting him like she had. Her lips gently brushed his face as she planted light kisses everywhere she could.
"Did you mean what you said," she whispered into his ear at last, her voice earnest and hopeful. Yes, the idea scared her, but suddenly, looking at it with Keith by her, she wasn't as afraid to move onto it.
A surprised yes escaped his lips before her could think, and his hands riffled through his pockets, suddenly searching for that small, red velvet box, his body and mind reacting before he could think about it.
Kayleen smoothly pushed off him to stand up, folding her arms in front of herself. She looked Keith in the eyes and arched her brows, hoping that the act did not belie her emotions. With false courage she spoke up. "Then say it properly this time."
Keith stared, slack-jawed. Twenty minutes ago this girl had been afraid of him ever asking that fated question and now she wanted him to ask it, almost demanded that he do so? He hadn't prepared for this to happen, being asked to on the spot so suddenly. Shaking, he dropped to one knee.
"Kayleen, I...Leenie, I've known you and courted you for three years now, and as such, I have learned many things about you. I've learned that you love to have control in the outside world but melt when I take the lead in bed. I've learned that you look simply stunning in a skirt, and that you look even better in your underwear. I've learned that you are secretly afraid of ending up alone and that darkness reminds you of that. And I've learned many other things, some useful and practical, like your hatred of peppers and shrimp, or how you love puppies, others mostly just useless trivia, like how you sing in the shower at two in the morning and that you can only eat your food certain ways. But most importantly love, I've learned that I truly love you, and I want to be with you through everything from now on. I don't want to give you up, let you down, run around and desert you, never make you cry, never say good-bye, and never ever tell a lie and hurt you." At this, Kieth pulled the red velvet box from his pocket and opened it, revealing the contents to her. "Kayleen Hollie, will you marry me?"
03 February 2010
Keith, reworked version 4, part 2
Like all of the men sitting in the clearing before him, Keith had a few select tools of his trade. He crouched down in the soft dirt and took off his jacket; it was both to expensive and pretty for him to even begin thinking about wearing into work. It just happened to have enough pockets for all his tools and was stylishly badass.
His hands work their way into all the pockets, drawing out various items or leaving the compartments after a brief search. Out came a small silver knife, a vial of purple liquid, some crumpled notes, and a length of linen clothe bandaging
His hands work their way into all the pockets, drawing out various items or leaving the compartments after a brief search. Out came a small silver knife, a vial of purple liquid, some crumpled notes, and a length of linen clothe bandaging
Keith, reworked version 4, part 1
Keith looked around at the small clearing before him, at least fifty men, each of them well-trained and armed with specialized weapons. The assorted crew standing around bore members from every big name Retrieval Guild in the country, and a few up-and-coming guilds as well.
He recognized a few of the men and even a couple of the Guild Insignias on their clothing and armour, but nothing special really came to mind. This was a job and a good paycheck, nothing more. No emotions could even begin to interfere with this. One moment of doubt or remorse would spell the end for him, the guilt that might tear through him much less painful than swords, bullets and knives that would follow.
Like many of the men who shared his profession, Keith had learned how to drown out everything but the adrenaline from such encounters. Whether it was to drink oneself into oblivion after or before the job, ritual bloodletting, writing (at this Keith grins and thinks *stupid faggy bastards*), or lots of rampant sex, there was always a way to get over the emotions.
For Keith, it was the trusty iPod in his pocket and his overly expensive headphones blaring his favorite, high-octane songs while he delivered wholesale slaughter to those in his way on any retrieval operation.
He recognized a few of the men and even a couple of the Guild Insignias on their clothing and armour, but nothing special really came to mind. This was a job and a good paycheck, nothing more. No emotions could even begin to interfere with this. One moment of doubt or remorse would spell the end for him, the guilt that might tear through him much less painful than swords, bullets and knives that would follow.
Like many of the men who shared his profession, Keith had learned how to drown out everything but the adrenaline from such encounters. Whether it was to drink oneself into oblivion after or before the job, ritual bloodletting, writing (at this Keith grins and thinks *stupid faggy bastards*), or lots of rampant sex, there was always a way to get over the emotions.
For Keith, it was the trusty iPod in his pocket and his overly expensive headphones blaring his favorite, high-octane songs while he delivered wholesale slaughter to those in his way on any retrieval operation.
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