grotto_logs | 01 ✝ Checkmate

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maron kusakabe

01 ✝ Checkmate

Who: Maron Kusakabe and OPEN
When: Spring 6
Where: The woods outside of town
What: Maron ran into some unhappy wood wolves
Rating: PG

What had started as a pleasant walk through the woods and another opportunity to find the way to return home had now become something more dangerous. Maron ran through the woods, pushing branches aside and getting whipped by the leaves as they lashed at the girl trying to escape.

“Why are they chasing me? I thought they were supposed to be friendly?”

Maron spoke to herself as she continued her run. She was fast but the pack of Wood Wolves behind her was faster and they were gaining ground. She considered that if she could transform into Jeanne she could use her ‘rebound ball’ to escape from the animals and hide in one of the nearby trees, but she hadn’t been able to transform into her alternate self since she arrived.
Alright! It was just down to her then! She might not have magical powers but she was still:
Strong and serious...
Matchless and marvelous...
Energetic and fearless!

Maron stopped running and turned back to the pack surprising all of them as she leapt into the air and through a series of gymnastic flips ended up behind them. As the wood wolves skidded to a stop and tried to recover their previous advantage Maron took off running again. At least now she was heading in the direction back toward the village. She just had to find some way to give these creatures the slip...

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A few of the better climbers forced Zed to climb higher up, clambering to the next branch higher up. He did wind up losing a shoe, and it was fortunate that he didn't lose his foot along with it. One wolf got in a lucky swipe at his leg with its claws before he was able to escape - in the heat of the moment, Zed barely registered the pain.

Down below, he saw Maron reappear. "Right! All ready!" he called down. And he got ready to spring to the next tree, and maybe down to the ground from there.

Fortunately, Zed smelled like metal and mercury. The bag smelled like meat. To the wolves, it wasn't much of a choice, especially when the bag turned into a tempting moving target with Maron's toss. They turned away as one, and Zed took his chance to get away. A hop, skip, and a jump brought him down to the ground, and then Zed started running full tilt - hopefully back towards the village.

Maron fell into step with him. Running as fast as she could to escape the wolves before they finished that sandwich and turned back to find them. Direction was not something she really paid much attention to either since for the moment just getting away from those wolves would be good enough.

Once they were a good distance away, where the howls and yips of the wolves could no longer be heard Maron stopped running in a small clearing, just long enough to catch her breath and try to decide where the town would be from here. But also...

"Are you alight?"

The wolves had stolen his shoe after all. She didn't know if they had done anymore than that or not.

Zed stumbled on a few more steps just from sheer momentum. Then, realizing that Maron had stopped, he paused to listen for the wolves. Hearing nothing, he let out a long breath of relief.

Then he grinned. Well, that had certainly been exhilarating - the most exciting thing that had happened to him in days, deals with goddesses included. And he'd done quite well. Maron was safe, after all. Quite a daring rescue, all thing considered. The fact that she'd wound up rescuing him was a thought that was struggling for attention and probably wouldn't get it for a while yet.

"I am excellent! There is no better thrill for a warrior like myself than the thrill of the chase!" Zed folded his arms and nodded confidently.

Even if he was the one getting chased.

For trying to take on a pack of wolves armed with only a fistful of rocks, Zed had gotten away remarkably unscathed. He'd lost one shoe, but the ground was soft enough that he hadn't had much difficulty. One wolf had managed to get at his leg through his pants. The cut was shallow, though, and wasn't bleeding much. Despite this lucky escape, if she tried to get a look at the damage, Maron might still manage to notice that Zed was bleeding silver.

"And you? Are you unhurt?"

"Thrill?"

She repeated the word in a bit of disbelief. Really running from wolves, nearly getting injured by them, and then losing a shoe was a thrill? He was a strange guy... acting like this was a great triumph. But after a while she too smiled.

"I guess it was in a way."

It had been one of the more exciting things to happen to her recently. She hadn't needed to go out and seal any demons, steal any corrupted pieces of art, or escape from the police since she arrived... she didn't even have the power to transform into Jeanne to do those kinds of things. So, yeah, it was actually kind of nice to know she still could do something. It was a bit thrilling.

"No, I'm fine. They never really came close en--... Oh!"

That was when the injury to his leg was noticed and pointed at.

"You were hurt!"

Sure, if he'd had Doom Bringer, or if he could have transformed, he could have dealt with those wolves quite handily. They wouldn't have lived to terrorize anyone ever again! But he hadn't, and even if it had resulted in a strategic evacuation...well, he'd handled himself pretty well. He'd probably looked so cool, charging in to the fray like that, ducking and dodging all those clumsy animals, and Maron was okay, and...

"Hm?"

Zed was drawn out of his self congratulations by Maron suddenly sounding quite alarmed. He stared blankly at her for a second, obviously having no idea what she was talking about, until his mind caught up. "I'm..."

He tried to take a step towards her, and winced as pain suddenly lanced up his leg. Now that everything had calmed down, even he couldn't fail to notice that the cuts were stinging badly. Zed stared down at his leg, and saw indeed that he'd been hurt. That he was bleeding, of all things. When had he let one of those mangy mutts get close enough to do that?

Wait. He was bleeding. Zed hastily spun on his heel, turning his back to Maron.

"Pah! I-It is merely a flesh wound. Just a scratch! No trouble to a mighty warrior such as myself!"

It was too late, he had winced and she had seen him do it. Maron was already pulling a rather large handkerchief out of her pocket as he spoke. And by the time he turned away, acting like the injury was nothing, she was already at his side.

"Even if it's only a scratch we should still take care of it."

And Zed would let out a yelp of surprise and try to step back. Had she always been able to move that quickly? Of course, he staggered trying to evade her, trying not to wince again. Maybe wearing armor wasn't so inconvenient, after all.

The idea that someone wouldn't be freaked out by him being a demon wasn't just unfamiliar to Zed, it was downright alien. Unless that someone was blind or a blue-haired boy that didn't talk much, and Maron was obviously neither. He thought that she must just not have noticed or properly registered that he was bleeding mercury. It was the only explanation that made sense to him.

"I am telling you, I am fine! Do not waste your time!" He bent down a bit, pressing a hand to his leg to try and stop the bleeding. "Or if you insist on being so insistent, you give me that and you go on! I will catch up!"

Edited 2013-04-22 02:27 (UTC)

Admittedly the color of the blood wasn't really noticed until she came closer once again and bent down to examine the wound and even then the blood didn't scream 'demon' to her... maybe alien? She had met some one already who claimed to be from another world so maybe as ridiculous as that sounded...

"Just hold still for a minute."

Really all that failing around. Was he trying to save face or was he worried about something else?

"I promise it won't hurt."

Not much hopefully. It wasn't such a bad wound really it just looked worse than it was, but soon with the handkerchief wrapped around the injury and tied tightly in place to secure it maybe then the bleeding would stop.

Because she seemed quite so determined, in the face of all odds...well, Zed would eventually stop flailing around. He'd even stand still to let her work. And, while Maron tied the handkerchief off, he'd be completely and utterly quiet. Not saying a word, and looking anywhere but at her. On the whole, Zed looked deeply uncomfortable, and more than a little subdued.

In part, he was trying to save face. In part, he'd just never been in a situation where someone else had to fix him up before.

It wasn't a bad wound. Given some bandaging and nothing else attacking him, Zed would heal fine. Finally, when the makeshift bandage was secure, and Maron had stepped back, did he find his voice again. Zed kept staring determinedly at the dirt as he spoke.

"I...did not know you were blind."

That was the explanation. That had to be the explanation. Right? She was still being so nice, and she didn't look afraid at all.

"Geh?!"

Maron startled and drew back. Blind, really? How had he jumped to that conclusion? This guy... he could come up with the strangest things to say!

"I'm not blind! What makes you think that I am?"

She raised her voice a bit from the surprise of the statement but not because she was mad. She was actually more curious than anything. She wanted to know what he was thinking? How would she have known he was injured if she had been blind? What could have possibly made him think...

"Is... is it because your blood is a strange color?"

That's right, strange. Everything about him was a little strange, but she didn't see that in a bad way. He had been trying to help and that counted for a lot. He had to be a decent person, or er... alien... whatever he was.

And Zed, in turn, drew back sharply with a yelp. Wait, what had he said? Was being blind an insult or something?

"Y-Yes, because my blood is a different color! Th-The only human I have ever known who wasn't bothered by that was blind! Or like a demon themselves! I...suppose you are just a very different sort of girl, then. Even a guy like me can make a mistake."

Strange. Humans, everything about them, was so very strange. Zed had mostly been managing to keep a lid on his homesickness for the past few days, but he felt it then with a pang. He just wanted to be back home, with Aura. Everything made sense when it was just them.

Wait... wait... different colored blood was one thing. That could be explained away by being from a different world. But, demon? She stepped back again.

"You are a demon?"

At home she fought against demons. They liked to hide in beautiful pieces of art and corrupt people's souls in order to weaken God and ruin lives. She transformed into Kaito Jeanne the reincarnation of Joan of Arc to seal those demons and free the humans whose lives they had corrupted. And he was... a demon? No, maybe she had heard that wrong. He had really seemed so nice before. He couldn't be...

Zed...sighed. The tone of her voice, the way she stepped back, it all hurt. But it was nothing he wasn't used to, and better than he was expecting. Maybe it was only because she didn't actually have anything to attack him with that he wasn't, but...well, in for a gella...

Her reaction made him falter, briefly. But, taking a breath, Zed managed to draw himself up proudly. The dramatic pose he struck had a little less of his usual theatrics behind it, and a lot more sincerity.

"Yes, I am a demon! But I renounced my wicked ways, and joined with five humans to save the world. I am trying to be a good guy, now! And I will not let what I am limit what I can do, whether that is saving a life, or growing tomatoes! And I understand if you are afraid, and do not want to talk to me anymore! Good guys understand that sort of thing!"

If nothing else, it felt good to say. He might have messed up royally, but it felt good to say. Being good was hard, but it felt like it was getting easier every day.

Being away from Doom Bringer probably had a bit to do with that, of course.

She wasn't afraid. Not one bit... at least not for herself. She was concerned about the people here and what he might do to them. Would it be a repeat of her home with his trying to corrupt people's souls? She couldn't transform, how could she stop him if he tried?

But, what he said was so very different than she was expecting. It could have been a lie. Demons were always lying about things, her angel friend had warned her about that.

"Why would a demon try to save the world?"

It was a bit accusatory but when you have had the kinds of experiences she has had with demons it does make you question why they would try to help anyone.

"There are demons on my world who try to corrupt people's souls. You really would never try to do that?"

"Because..."

Zed frowns, and bows his head as he tries to put words to it. For a few seconds, all he manages are a few false starts before going back to thinking on his answer. In the end, though, he can't come up with a better explanation than he did back then. So, that's the one he gives.

"...life isn't so bad. Why should I try to bring about 'more death' when 'life' is so much better?" He darts a glance up at Maron, to try and gauge her reaction to this.

Filgaia had, up until recently, been a barren, dying place. But it had still been alive and turning, and he'd been charmed by it when he'd finally had the chance to see a bit of the world for himself. Real and true life, not the parody of it that he and the other Demons were.

And when Maron mentions "corrupting souls", it's her turn to get an odd look. He might already be in up to his neck, but Zed chooses his next words very, very carefully.

"I do not know much about 'corrupting' souls. Or even about souls at all. Of all of us...Alzahad knew the most about that sort of thing. And I wonder if he might still be alive. Even if I was as smart as he was, though, I would never do something like that to anyone."

He'd been in awe of Alzahad's abilities at the start. Really, he still was. But Zed could understand that Alzahad's victims probably hadn't shared the same appreciation, even when he'd warped them into something unrecognizable. He knew now that Alzahad was evil, even if he was family.

It all could still have been a lie, even if he seemed very sincere, it could be a lie. Maron had been told the full story of demons and how very tricky they were when she was recruited. She had been terribly surprised to meet the little angle Fin and even more surprised to find out that she as the reincarnation of Joan of Arc had to transform into a magical thief to save people's lives and protect God. The stories Fin had told her of demons and how evil they could be, had by this time been backed up by personal experience with them. She had seen gentle fathers turn into heartless monsters who hit their children, a shy nice boy turn into a wolf, and even been tempted into giving up herself by their cruel words. Everything he had just said could have been a lie, just another trick into getting close to her!

"You had better be telling the truth. I won't allow you to hurt anyone here!"

Even if she had no powers and couldn't at this moment seal a demon... There had to be a way to stop him if he was actually evil! She would definitely be keeping an eye on him, that much she could do.

((ooc: ...man, now I've really gotta check out this series.))

"...I will give back your handkerchief later."

After he finds a way to clean the blood off of it. Or maybe he'll just ask Anette to give it back. "...thank you for helping me."

He's a good guy, now. Maybe he's not the best at it, but he's trying, and that's more than any of the other demons bothered to do. He resolves to remind himself of this fact as many times as it takes. If nothing else, Zed is good at supporting himself in the face of opposition.

He understands, even if it hurts.

At least now Zed knows how good he is at passing for human, here. So, at the least, this conversation never has to happen again.

The demon turns his back, and even takes a few steps away in a completely random direction, before pausing as another thought strikes. He doesn't look back at her, though.

"But...I will not allow myself to die here. No matter what you say or think. There is someone very important waiting for me back home."

And if it's a choice between everyone else in existence, and Aura, the rest of the world can burn.

[OOC: I definitely recommend it! Kamikaze Kaito Jeanne is a cute magical girl series with a bit of a twist. ]

She wasn't sure what she thought. This whole situation of being taken from home dropped off here and set in among people from different worlds was pretty far out of her comfort zone. She only really knew what had been true on her world. But he said something then that stood out to her. Even as he walked away she had to respond.

"I never said I wanted you to die."

It was true. Demons were a menace on her world, always causing people trouble but she was a kind-hearted girl. If there was a way to make demons turn good she would support it in any way she could.

"I just don't want you to hurt anyone. If you are serious about what you said..." IF, "Then I hope you are able to get back to that person."

Even a demon didn't deserve to be alone. Maybe... he was secretly lonely too.

((ooc: I do love cute magical girl series' with twists! Sailor Moon and Puella Magi are favorites of mine.))

"Thank you. And I hope you get to see whoever is waiting for you again, too."

Maron definitely had someone waiting for her back home. Hell, probably more than one person. It was just an asusmption Zed made, but one he felt confident in.

Maron wasn't a bad person. Neither was he, but she seemed to be better at it.

"You should go back to town, now. It would really be rather silly, to run away from those wolves and get caught by them all over again. I, for one, do not want our valiant efforts to go to waste!"

Zed drew himself up again, proud of himself for pulling it together and changing the subject, under the circumstances. And then, because he had rather deliberately not included himself in this piece of advice, and figured that Maron probably noticed:

"I am...going to return another way. It will distract them, and maybe force them to divide their numbers in pursuit of both of us."

Some one waiting for her...
She did have friends who would be worried. Maybe even parents, no she tried not to think about that. Thinking of them was too painful.

Instead she gave Zed a quick nod. Maybe that was for the best. With both of them going in different directions it would be difficult for the wolves to keep up or even settle in on one target.

"Be careful on the way back."

"Only if you will be careful as well."

But, he knew she would be. And from what little he knew of the forest so far, they weren't far from town.

They were a little bit further from the beach, but that was his real destination in any case.

Tired, with a lot to think about, and willing to think about it so as to ignore the pain in his leg, Zed set off into the woods.

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01 ✝ Checkmate

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