Unit 8 - [Video] Every street lamp seems to beat, a fatalistic warning

[namedforcat]

He knows this is coming. Seeing other peoples memories pop up on the network has just cemented the fact that it was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not.  That does not, however, mean he was prepared for his turn to come up.

 

MILTIA  [[Warning : The following contains war imagry and kids in really horrible situations that they really shouldn't be in, and DEATH]]

The scene opens on a battle torn city at night. Upturned cars, billboards on fire, that sort of thing. In the background there is the sound of intermittent gun fire.

Down the big main street a group of children march like soldiers, their footsteps in exact union. Most of them are blonde and blue eyed with a blank expression, they are lead by four differently colored children, 3 males (one with red hair and blue eyes, one with white hair and purple eyes, and one with black hair and green eyes) and 1 female. However, no matter the coloring or the gender, they all wear the same uniform and the exact same face. They also all carry very high powered looking rifles.

The leading children are the most interesting ones. Animated, they look less like dolls and more like people. The red head is the first to stop, and motions quietly to his siblings. There is a small discussion and the female nods and takes the majority of the blonde children and marches them off else where, leaving the three males with only a few of the blonde ones.

The scene shifts to the small group inside a large room

There is a small blip and once again the scene shows us outside the large building, however everything is in absolute chaos. The battle has flared up again, and gone are the ordered ranks of child soldiers. Instead, the blond children have gone berserk, firing upon anyone and anything that moves. Women, children, civilians that were supposed to have been left alone.

Thankfully, there is one left who is still sane, the black haired child from earlier. “Rubedo! RUBEDO!” He calls, while shooting the battle crazed blond children.

“Where are you...?” While his face is stoic, it's clear to anyone who really knows children that he is trying very hard not to just break down. Still, he battles on, looking for 'Rubedo'.

The screen blips again and it shows the child back inside the building. Now he's grievously wounded, his stomach is bleeding and he has to use his rifle as a crutch so that he can drag a useless leg behind him. As he heads up a dark catwalk, he is suddenly knocked to the floor below. Regaining his breath, he looks up and sees that above him is hovering the white haired child, surrounded by a really sickening looking purple/pink miasma.

“Al....Albedo...?” As Albedo lands, the wounded child inches away, plainly afraid of what his sibling had become.

“You'd better get up and fight me....executioner. Fight me before Rubedo comes and finds out what you really are!” Albedo says with a cruel and mocking smile. Hauling himself up, the 'executioner' nods, clearly afraid of what Albedo has just implied. The fight is bitter, but short, and amazingly the wounded boy drives off his nigh indestructible opponent, wounding him severely. Some of the wounds gained from the environment heal up instantly, but all other wounds inflicted directly on Albedo by the executioner stay. After Albedo leaves, the executioner collapses, clearly suffering from exhaustion and blood loss.

A minute later there is the sound of pounding footsteps, and the red haired boy makes his appearance once more and rushes to the aid of his brother, shouting “Nigredo!”

 

 

 

First public speech.

Another memory pops up, and this time the scene is clearly the backstage of some large outdoors stage. There are three people there, two of which some would recognize and one new figure. Rubedo is there, and so is Nigredo. However while Rubedo looks exactly the same age as when we last saw him, Nigredo is clearly a few years older now. They're also dressed differently. Rubedo is dressed in nice but casual clothing, while Nigredo is in a very expensive looking black suit. The third figure with them is Helmer.

“Alright Gaignun, it's almost time for your speech.” Helmer says, patting the very nervous looking Nigredo on the shoulder.

“I don't know about this...there's a lot of people out there.” 'Gaignun' answers quietly, looking for all the world that he wanted to disappear under a rock.

“Oh come on, relax baby bro.” Rubedo piped up, sitting down on a chair and grinning. “It's just like those parties, you can do this.”

“It's not like those parties Jr! Even if there's a lot of people at them I still only have to talk to them a few at a time....here the crowd is huge and I have to talk to all of them.”

Shaking his head Rubedo just shoos him forward from his chair, his voice is clearly heard even though his lips don't move. “Knock'em dead Nigredo.” And with that, Gaignun straightens his tie and swallows very audibly. He takes a deep breath,plasters one of his familiar smiles on his face and steps out from behind the curtains to loud cheering.

 

And if that wasn't bad enough, there was a third  memory . [[Warning :  Angst and suicide]]

Tight lipped, Gaignun exhaled sharply and shut the connection off.]

Comments

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[misplacedxsheath]

*There's so much of this that's shocking to Margulis. The horror's of Miltia from the URTVs' point of view. The usually calm black haired Variant looking so nervous and weak. Albedo, not only back from the dead (and as a Testament no less!) but lucid and focused, not a single taunt that wasn't clearly to secure a favorable outcome. And Gaignun's death...not the fact of it, but the method and his words. None of it makes sense, but it all does. And in a way, he finds he understands those final words...the knowledge that your life has done nothing but threaten others, regardless of your good intentions. Finally, he manages to pull his thoughts together enough to send a text.*

So, he finally did grow up somewhat. To think I would have him to thank for the downfall of such a vile pest as Dmitri Yuriev. Or rather, that I would have him to thank for facilitating his defeat.

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[namedforcat]

A bit of a shock isn't it.

[Dry humor restores emotional balances like nothing else.]

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[misplacedxsheath]

A shock is merely seeing him alive after the events of last year. After all of that...perhaps I have misjudged you.

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[namedforcat]

[forgive this text coming after a long period. You just broke his brain.]

Perhaps that goes both ways.

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[misplacedxsheath]

*That's okay, there's a delay before Margulis' reply too. This isn't exactly easy for him.*

In light of this new information, I see no reasonable choice but to reconsider my opinion of you.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

...all of that...

[namedforcat]

I'm sorry you had to see all that.

[forgivethemtheirpain]

It's not your fault, it's the city!

[namedforcat]

Still, you're a little young for seeing something like that. This city sure does not discriminate.

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[want_a_vacation]

Gaignun?

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[namedforcat]

Do you want to know the worst part? That speech I gave wasn't that great.

[trying to forestall the worry he knows will come from Allen.]

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[want_a_vacation]

*But it's a good sign if he can make jokes, right?*

It's still better than being a no show.

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[namedforcat]

[Well, he's a little used to making jokes about his own death now and freely admits it but he'd reaaaaaallly not think about Miltia.]

You have no idea how much I wanted to just not go on that stage. I would have bolted if Jr and Helmer hadn't been there.

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[just_as_planned]

Mr. Kukai? Are you alright?

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[namedforcat]

Yes I'm fine. Those weren't so bad.

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[just_as_planned]

In that case, I'd hate to see what you consider horrible.

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[namedforcat]

I'm glad whatever is causing this let those memories rest. Was there something I could do for you?

[text]

[devola]

Not sure what to say. Combination of "my condolences" and "sorry for peeping", I guess.

[text]

[namedforcat]

Don't worry about it, you already knew the worst of it anyways.

[text]

[devola]

There's a difference between hearing about it from you and seeing it like I'm some kind of brain-reader, without permission. That's what I'm apologizing for.

In a lighter line of discussion, how was the speech?

[text]

[namedforcat]

Well, of all the people I've had picking my brains, you are by far the least intrusive.

And awful. I forgot everything I had memorized and had to wing it. Thankfully we were in the middle of opening the Foundation so no one was really paying attention.

[Text]

[puppet_show]

[Well then. She can take notes while she texts.]

Going to be alright over there?

[Text]

[namedforcat]

[nothing he said to her was a lie, just from a later date in his life then she may have thought.]

Yes, everything is fine. Thank you.

[Text]

[puppet_show]

Whoever's picking these memories is being really brutal, aren't they?

[Text]

[namedforcat]

Apparently. I can only hope that it will let up soon.