Bunnies, tightjackets and cosplaying [Rin,Hanako mainly]

[kuniqs]

A chapter-fused fanfic I was totally making up while typing on this thread: http://ks.renai.us/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5233&start=135
I hope at least some stylistic errors I managed to fix.



- You again.

That was neither a statement, a question, or suggestion to get the hell out of here. Just words uttered by somebody who has nothing better to do at the moment.
An unproportionally tall, hunched over man in bunny fur pyjamas and ears, wild medium length hair and forever ugly grin closed the door. He slouched to take his seat, cracking his joints in the process.

- That hurt. And restricted bloodflow. You want them to swell and amputate them?
- No. I gave you time to think about your life. Does that suit suits?
- It doesn't stink that much of lack of my sweat like the ordinary ones.
- Good. Orrrr is it?

Doctor walked around patient's couch, humming silently. She stopped, then runned her foot through patient's hair.

- Feeling better? No fever today?
- Of course. I'm confident I would be an useful member of society once I'll be free.
- How delightful. You're here for life, no matter to what you'll convince me to. Orders from the heavens, you know.
- Didn't you ended in this wonderful facility precisely because you used unconventional methods of healing?
- This loquaciossity only makes you fell like a smart man. Ironic, isn't it?

Doctor stopped, then throw her gaze at the ceiling.

- You know how I got those scars? - he said after a longer moment, showing his teeth. Dents between them made his psycho smile laughable at best.
*sigh*
- This joke had grown a beard five years ago. Interesting, everybody I counsel tries it one time or another. Tell me about your dream last night.
- I don't dream. In fact, I can't sleep at all.
- And what will you dream about today?
- I will dream about onyx castle in a mountain retreat. It looked like it was moulded from living rock rather than built. You walked into through a tight passage and then out of sudden, a lake with that building attached to the wall. So I explore, it's deserted, dust covers everything. It had much much more floors that it seemed from the outside. At the top, I find a cozy passage with torches which leads to an unused even for an abandoned place storeroom with some furniture and coloured glass window on the wall. Excellent for a book worm. So I go back and out of sudden Henry VIII crosses my way, two times taller than me and even more broader.
We don't exchange a word, only look in each other's eyes. Then he produces a morgenstern out of his pants and this spit leaking out of his mouth on the floor. I am sure he sees me as a dinner, not suprised since there was nothing to eat for a long time!

Bunny ears lawyer darts from his couch and walks in circles around the room, dramatically gesturing in the air.

- I back up, slowly at first, turn my feet and run like a madman later. I jump through the window and end in the lake, you see? It was perfectly clare, so much that I saw ammo clips and flares at the bottom. I grab them and get out and there, Emi Ibarazaki with legs tends a rye pool not giving me a single glare. I have a feeling that fat bastard is still at me so I shout "Run to the hills!" to her. She shrugs and doesn't give me a stump.

Psychiatrist curses at another tic tac toe match she lost against herself.

- Then I see him - along with a gatling gun strapped to his arm. He chases me along with his bullets as I run to that tight pass and in the rock wall I see a crack that wasn't there before, I'm sure I remember. There were very wide stairs and I piss my pants from fear and.. Why are you playing without me?
- It's an excerscise prescribed to me by my counselor. It helps me to calm down and gather my throughs.

Bunny man hops around the room some more, stopping at doctor's personal art gallery.

- You painted that?
- A-ha. You remembered that you like art? ..you like music?
- It's a real piece of shit.
- ..oh, tell me what you really think.
- Hm, an impressionistic mishmash with a model in the composition. The scenario is great but a scene where he flushes all his existential angst to the toilet and begins a whole new life, go for his girlfriend and all was too much bullshit for me. Robin Williams had arms like a gorilla at least.
- This movie is more than 5 years old.
- When I'll be 20 years older, I'll listen to 20 year old oldboys talking about how classy movies were in the 00-ties, then piss on them from the balcony. Sorry about being honest with you.
- It's not your fault. I painted that during my school days and left it here to remind me how much time passed between my art styles.

He loses his energy for a moment, lost in through. He thinks a bit more and concludes that banging his head on the wall is what would be good for him. She stealthily presses a button.

- Dude, stay calm, chill out, take it easy and greet the cleaning crew.
- What a shame, you're the only one who listens to me. Half-bacon cries all the time telling me I don't understand her anymore, and rest of people here are absolutely mad to begin with.

Two muscular studs with oiled chests and neckties, along with security captain in ape-man costume, stormed in and took the patient away in tender, knotted embrace.


She stands up, banging her head at the ceiling for the 5th time this day.
*curse*
The complex's designer was unsuitable for any other asylum, so he had to build a one for himself
- 52 days, 3 hours, 7 minutes left before retirement in this business.

She walks to the painting and stares at it for a moment.
Shrug.
Crack of intercom.

- Who's your next meal?
- Give me 5 minutes and recap his illnesses.
- Whowazawhat?
- My last patient.
- Sorry. Wait, wait, eine.. Clinical psychopathy, bipolar disorder, heavy social anxiety, sociopathy and several lesser ones.
- Add 'oedipus complex' and 'vagina dentata complex' to the majors.
- Roger that.


Rin sits down and lights a cigarette.

- Freud was right afterall. 99% of world problems oscillate arond pants. Is this cigar is a cigar for me?

In halfway she throws it at the corner and walks quickly to the wall. A black sheet of paper hangs there, with "Antistress kit. Apply medium force" written on it in furious. She takes a deep breath and bangs her head on the wall.

- What was that voice?

.
.
- I'll have Hanako's ass for a dinner.
- Good call, that tall monster beat her again.

[kuniqs]

- ..so I had to give my piss for analysis. And guess what, Emi works there. Then I finally got permission to get aboard that shrimp vessel, and know who I found there? Brad Pitt, with a clam shaped fish lungs growing from his neck. I ask him in gentelman voice "What the fuck is that?", he replies "I retired long ago, and it's a fashion choice".

He laughted asthmatically.

- Fa.. *yawn* ..scinating. I had better dreams before I done LSD. Anyway, want to hear my analysis?
- So what? Robert has an attachment disorder or is he afraid of abandonment?
- I'm not talking about those manipulations you pulled few months ago, I mean those dreams you have in plans.
- Yes. No, I meant yes! You want to say it more than I want to hear it, don't you?
- Certainly. Royal figures in your oniric experiences symbolize hatred you bear for your father.
- You won't get anything from me on that.
- I already did. You were happy to spill that our during first meetings. You saw him only few times in your life, when you were still a child. Only good things that came from him were occasional presents and his money. You never forgave him that he just didn't cared. You can't run forever, you need to kill him already and get over it. We'll use lucid dreaming for that during next month.
- Yeah, I know.. I guess I forgot that I told you about my mother?
- Bingo. There are many vaginal symbols in your dreams. Vaginal shaped wounds, vaginal passages, vaginal cracks in wall, clams, et cetera. You had a thing for your mother, don't you? Why are you always terrified when they'll start appearing? Maybe it has a connection with your dominating tendencies in relationships. Your mother was harsh with you, and you never really grown up from your subconscious mix of fear and admiration for women. That's why you like so much to crush them, don't you? It gives you release.
- That makes sense, but never through about it at all, you know. Sometimes cigar is just a cigar.
- And why you keep meeting Emilly and Hanako there?
- Because Saturn is in coniunction with Uranus now, and their and mine horoscope match those planets?
- If we were living in Sailor Moon. There is a little bit of remorse burning somewhere in you, isn't it?
- And what kind of moon logic brought you to this point?
- Emi has legs and lives, Hanako is unscarred both mentally and psychically.

He finger picked his black eyelids for a while and furrowed his ears. She calmed down inside, relaxed muscles and tried again to play "caprice no. 3" properly.

- You're right. You're absolutely right.
- You're not going to get over that such easily.
- You know, I do thin.. No wait, what are we talking about. I remembered THAT. YOU are homosexual! Ha!

She furrowed her brow. He clapped his hands at his glorious achievement.

- Bullseye, it is not.
- Aww, that's sad. What's that smile meant to..
- Orrr am I?

He stayed calm. Not for long - he went into subtle ecstatic twich fest despite attempts to be cool.

- Before I go, would you prescribe me something for sudden memory losses?
- Sure.
- Those pills are KILLING me.
- That's exactly what they are for.
- Please, if another nurse will faint because I forgot to dress myself I'll be too embarassed to get out of here, ever.
- So I broke the casino after all.

He suddenly threw himself to her desk and pushed a concealed button there.

- Time's up. I don't want you to take breaks.
- It'll take a few lifetimes of the universe before I'll learn to play this goddamn piece of murdered tree.
- Nah, I read a novel about a boy who made his own set of those. They were too silent to truly play them, but more importantly he heard the music in his soul. Then, somebody gutted him for money and stomped on his head.. You put all of you in it, so it's beautiful nonetheless.
- Oh, how ordinary. I won't stop narcotizing you no matter how hard you'll try.
- About hard.. Buy some flowers and give them to the guard captain, would you? He was so nice to knock out my filled teeth. I was planning to pull them out myself but I never remembered to.
- Not a problem. I'll tell him about your gratefulness.

A man in Freddy Kruger makeup along with two nurses, one cosplaying female Jason Voorhes and the other in leather maiden outfit, took him away.

- For the sake of all things holy, WAIT!

They stopped, more thrown off balance than persuaded.

- Find me something for sudden memory leaks doctor! I have my locks, but I'm not free!

The Staff finished what they were doing except Freddy, who was asked by Rin to stay for a while.


- What do you want, I'm a busy man.
- It's hard not to notice.
- I'm the only reason you got this job, so be quiet.
- You're the only reason I want to get out of here, so shut up. Do you find him attractive?
- That refined young gentleman? Don't want to have anything in common with him. He looks at my darlings like if he was looking at meat. Asshole bit me in the arm.
- Want an advice?
- If it's worth anything, one of my boys will be your gimp for the night.
- Maybe next time. The point is: stop wearing those tight latex costumes.
- Why?
- How to speak it aloud.. I think he likes Judes.
- I like them deep fried, straight from Junkers oven or electric chair. So what?
- Even more elaborate? He likes circumcised men.
- What in the bloody hell are you ta..
- I mean he loves them. Those uniforms of yours sometimes just don't leave room for doubt.

His stupid grin obviously meant he discovered his virgin part of brain. Rin didn't gave him much attention, focused instead on ancient newspaper she hoarded for few months. Amazingly, the corners were crumbling away like some yellowed fantasy map.
She threw the tabloid on her face after he left her alone.







The bedazzling case of the Zodiak Killer, by Joe Shmoe for Financial Times.


Today high court decided - the madman responsible for series of confusing events from last two years should be put in the asylum, rather than incarcerated. Their reasoning? Robert Kuniqs's severe health prevented him from taking active participation in his case, let alone defend himself and his mental state was decided unfit for sane reasoning. He was placed in Percy McCrumb's mental institute in Osaka prefecture. His first, and last, public words were "You're that guy from TV! My mom masturbates to you. Hi mom! I'm on air!".

- I won't comment any moral objections concerning this case. In fact, we're happy to house such a celebrity (laughts). - said mr. Percy, currently working as chief warden in his own hospital.

Robert Kuniqs, known first and foremost as the new Zodiak Killer (victims ascending zodiak signs are the only pattern they have in common), lost his good fortune while escaping the police with a hijacked car. It happened that car had disabled brakes and amazingly, he survived almost intact from resulting crash. He earned other inspirational titles such as "Unphazed", "Ruthless from Osaka" and "Animal of Setsuma".

Editor's note - much of this article are speculations arosed around the case, risen in both court and police. We don't hold responsibility for validity of this information.


Chronologically speaking, he performed his first crime in high school for the physically disabled. There he met Hanako I., his age equal. They started a weak relationsip and Robert, in a display of horrific sociopathy, started combining military grade drugs with her antidepressants. What happened next we're not sure but all in all, miss Hanako ended in asylum. Since she was undergoing a psychological treatment, and mr. Robert was found to be schizophrenic, in the resulting prosecution he managed to prove himself only misguided in his attempts to help her. He was left with a fine which was later changed to social work, since he hadn't had the money. After the car chase, he admitted it was all intentional.
Last thing he wondered about after that is to become a good person. It's only a hypothesis but investigators managed to connect him to the case of morphine market in Y. high school. According to first theory, he got himself entangled to a member of medical staff working to help him to sell addicting painkillers to students, and handed him to the justice when things went ugly. Second theory says, he was the mastermind behind everything from the very beginning, possibly responsible for deaths of two students from Y. who may had uncovered his evildoings. Both of them were deemed dead from natural cases - one from hearth failure, other from blood poisoning arose from untreated wound. If he had any ties to it, there is no evidence.
Main clue pointing at him in this mystery is that after graduation, he managed to fund his lawyer studies despite not having any relatives, not being a foundation protegee and even not having a bank account. He used to explain a recently dead uncle from the United States left him his belongings, but police is strongly biased to the idea he used drug trade money obtained during high school days. He didn't survived first year, not because he was a bad student - he frequently skipped every class possible and when he didn't, he was intoxicated.
Not knowing what to do, he picked every odd job available in hope for better future. In the meantime he managed to learn somewhere that I. had been cured and released. He played a stalker game on her, culminating in assault during a secluded birthday party she threw with two other women. He subdued them and drove to an seasonally abandoned forest retreat 500 miles away. What happened later could be made in a B class Hollywood movie - he blinded, deafened and muted her friends, holding them in closed room, keeping I. in separate room all the time to watch.
His cover was busted when after a month the friends family threw a full scale search for them. Also, nearby people were alarmed by caustic smell which, according to them, could be felt in radius of few miles. They forced forestry to investigate. All they found was miss I. tied to a metal chair, stark raving mad and two mutilated corpses in bathtub along with acid containers placed all over the place. Robert said he wanted to dissolve them and dump in nearby industrial river but he got scared of the rushing force and decided to left it all behind. Miss I. was again assigned to asylum, the cadavers were too disfigured to identify. DNA testing explained they were S. twins, old friends of I. who paid her a visit to celebrate her recent freedom. Decay and teeth marks on one of them is a proof they died before dissolving attempts, possibly with cannibalistic consequences.
Despite that, I. was too uncertain on her words so criminologists had very hard time identifying the murderer. Meanwhile he, in one of the most baffling stunts pulled in recent years, managed to blend in the lawyer community of Osaka prefecture. To this day nobody knows how having so little experience in the profession he earned their trust and was unofficially elected as the treasurer of their club; some people speculate it was possible considering Osaka's corruption and crime rates, along with how hermetic the environment he associated himself with is. The society denied any connections with Kuniqs, and reply to neither police nor telephone calls.
Nothing stopped him on his new position so, like a true Englishman, he sneaked out in cold blood carrying every single yen he was given to count. If that wasn't enough, on the ceremony of laying the bedrocks for a new courthouse he was meant to give speech on, he left a single red brick with a letter "Here's your cornerstone, har har har". Three people died violently that day when it turned out the 'brick' was actually a disguise for an RDX container, and one of participants threw it on the ground in a fit of rage. Financially speaking, much of the money he had stolen was powered by charity and meant to fund the construction.

Unfortunately for him, robbing the law meant instant law enforcement. He didn't managed to leave the city when car chase was rushed after him. Besides the money, he was found with one way Tokio-New York air tickets booked on the same day.
Court's decision was met with a crucible of reactions. Some people say he's more danger to other people in jail, some advice to just leave him to street justice. Two amusing things: The gossip is that the S. family had placed a 100.000$ reward for his head, and recently M. Night Shyamalan declared he will work on movie adaptation of Animal's life. Critics were unimpressed, along with Roger Ebert who in his newest streak predicted all plot twists possible.

[kuniqs]

Rin blinked, annoyed by realization she slept on the floor all night. Pillows were all over the place, just in case she'd slip from the chair. She had very hard time to fall asleep the second time on the same night, so pillows took away the some frustration. First thing she saw today, office instead of home, didn't.
She kicked her chair repeatedly until it was close to the wall, then she sat on it, took a nearby great sword in feet and stroke the wall with the tip. Another day, another scratch. The ceiling will be next soon. Some patients stayed here long enough to consider it a second home, taking few belongings with them. Since many of her proteges were old wealthy men who had drawn the short straw in some politic or family struggle, she could confiscate some of their items for the greater good.
*sigh*
A month or so and she would be free to pursue artistic career again. It took too long, but it's hard to put food on the table with paint alone. She finally acquired enough money to buy herself membership in Tokio bohemy which means enough respect to publish her work in main galleries. It doesn't matter she had Percy institute's trademark couple on her back. When time comes, she'll write anything that would come to mind on them and forget it. Either they'll be assigned to somebody else or thrown out, or hopefully separated. They didn't belong to her world.
Rin thinked a while about breakfast, shrugged and sat down at computer desk with smoking cigarette in lips.
She gazed at paperwork she should fill today. She opened the browser, connecting to a random site. Nobody was paying attention to her procrastinating since week.

Unexpected, her special patient entered her den, wielding two small dishes with his right hand. He closed the door, then knocked. 'Nobody's home' came from the other side.

- I have a feeling I confused something again. Hello shrink. Ramen or risotto?
- Pasta in all forms.
- Here.

He dropped himself on the couch like a falling tree, spilling some food in process. On the nearby table was a set of darts. He picked one of them, sniffed it and threw across the room. It stopped on his own aquarell visage strapped across the wall.

- I see rembrandt lightning here. You need to show me how you do this ambient occlusion thingy.
- I can't drift too much from standard therapy anymore. If you'll be good maybe I'll smuggle something here next month.
- Somehow I doubt it. I was doubting you for some time. It could be my paranoia kicking in, doctor. Could you give me a hand? There was that book you see..
- That black human skin one you brought here?
- Nope. Not that you had stolen from me and jerk off with. Easy come, easy go, there was an ancient war.
- An ancient war book.
- No! A book of ancient war, it wasn't falling apart or anything! They fought over a city or something.
- Weren't they fighting over a woman?
- That's what I'm talking about. How did they called her?
- Helen?
- Excellent! Helen, where are you hiding?
- There's no Helen working here.
- You're kidding me? She made fun at my expense again.
- Hanako?
- So that's how she calls herself? I have power over her again. She told me to ask myself those questions if I ever lose her name. I'll tatoo it on my forehead next time.
- One thing bugs me, why you keep asking 'Hellen' if she has milk? Use protection, mkay? - she slurped some noodles.
- One thing I'm sure I despise in this world is milkless chocolate.

She stopped dead for a while, then resumed keeping her jaw busy.

- You're exponentially more disgusting every visit. I'm trying to eat here!
- You had to remind me of that when I was slowly forgetting there's no milk here.

He played a bit with his Sunday dish, obviously repulsed. While he couldn't care less that the risotto was made from yesterday's tomato soup leftovers, taking part in anti-diahrrea drug testing was a waste of time. The master chief would be a fit candidate for economy's Nobel price for recycling if there was one.

- Maybe I'll discuss that with.. anybody. What do you wanted from her?
- Should ask me a minute ago. All I know now is that I want to practice my pimp hand.
- Please, have some decency. She'll throw a tantrum again and again I'll get suspended between good and evil, life and death, fridge and my boss.
- What, wasn't chocolate Hisao a good birthday gift?
- That wasn't bad, but when she reacted to that it was the last time I had any liberties working with you two. Did you cherished your liberty of through for the whole month or maybe only for the first hour?
- Well, for the first week I stayed calm and done push-ups. Through the second, I got tired a bit and.. started to talk to myself a little, I can admit that. You don't want know what happened next. One thing I never got tired of shouting out was 'why?'.
- Electroshock chairs are meant to be maintained by competent people, and them alone. When a rookie like you likes to mess with them, they tend to short circuit and stand in flames halfway through treatment. It was old enough to be penned in replacement forms but dude, we have a strict budget this year. And you gave miss Flower 2nd degree burns on her healthy arm. And the smell hanged out for a whole day.
- All the time I through he played with her during my absence like a goddamn calico. I know he likes chair foreplay. I plan how to repay him all over and over and over and over and over.

He pressed fingers to his temples.

- Okay, so if I know myself well enough, I deduce the reason I searched for Hanako was - she gets special meals today. I'll be hungry again, I guess.
- So, considering you're here, let's start another therapy shall we?
- I'd rather pick her scabs but hey, she learned how to hide well from me lately.

[BlackRockHanako]

...My head is full of fuck.jpg

[kuniqs]

- How is your sleep lately?
- Uncertain, doctor.
- Hm?
- Sometimes I sleep well, sometimes like today I just close my eyes and poof, I'm awake in a moment and 8 hours have passed.
- Yesterday?
- No sleep.
- Yesterday yesterday?
- Well.. Before fading away I imagined myself in a green polyester suit with a guy who came closer to me and said "We need to talk" straight in my face. Then I realized I'm Link, you know that kid from the games. I roam around seemingly without a purpose, forest everywhere.
- Who did you met?
- At first, I was carelessly slaughtering the wildlife. Then a building-tall cerberus crossed my path and again, we just look into each other's eyes. Out of nowhere, landscape changes to green planes with white rocks pointing upwards, clear blue sky and mountain range far away. Doggy growed to gargantuan proportions and a boss battle begins. It's probably that father complex again, and those rocks surely are fallic symbols.

He breaths shallowly.

- I seem to be winning, too. And then my arch-nemesis runs at us, he's small since he is far away but I have a feeling he could be that dog's owner. I run like mad to the woods but we lose distance every second. I find some ruins, hide under a whitened rock and hear him coming. He finds me quickly, prepares to grind to the ground aaand.. I'm alive again.

He scratches his head. For a long time.


- Doc, obviously dog is a symbol of my fear of primal rage that can arise in my victims, the man is a rage that is too late to quench.
- Every sensible explanation is a good one.
- Am I a coward at hearth? I would obviously deny it but doing it would confirm I am. One needs courage to admit before others he's not brave. Or does he? Actually why I remember well my dreams? Guess it's from of trauma associated with them. People hardly forget emotional pain, I learned that with Hanako.
- Everyone has limits, and limits apply to everything. My friend once said that there's no forever lasting love, there's just love that lasts for 200 years. But seriously, people you picked weren't the strongest. What's that noise.. Sir, hospital needs you. I'm sure you'll be able to find your way this time.
- That'll be a tedious and pointless day. Fare thee well.

Closed door snapped a trail of toilet paper attached to his foot. Intercom creaks.

- Heil darling, care for a dinner?
- Only if you'll append 'schizophrenia' to our special guest.
[/b]- He's getting dangerous lately?[/b]
- Nope. Just answers every question he ever asks, and he throws more of them than me. Typical.
- Y'know, the high council of ours complains about you leaving him alone after counseling.
- I'm out of here soon, so who cares? At least I don't need to put up with that cosplaying idiot. That's not imagination, that's being messed in the head.
- Since we're going to eat prepare yourself for something nasty.
- I'm not that hungry anymore, be bold.
- You see, it turned out we don't know everything about him. Medics probed that tangled head of his and found something interesting. It's probable you'll be needed here for a bit longer.







He breathed out slowly, straightened his civil garnments and placed hands on the wheel. Be steady, concentrate, focus, yes. Inhale exhale, inhale exhale. God was on his side today.
Nobody saw him and nobody will see when he'll be back. No one will be awake here until 5 am, and parish surroundings were completely deserted during midnight - he was happy he wasn't assigned to a suburbian one where there's always somebody wandering. Everyone who lived here were long past their glory days, too old to play a watcher. Later, if anybody will question him why he's cropping the hedge so early, he'd say God send him a surge of energy, so he got inspired to work than lie in bed. It has been so long, he burned so much passion waiting so long..

Finally, an opportunity.

Not much time passed before he almost clashed with another car on a secluded country road. The car had a raised mask with somebody standing before it, waiting. He stormed out of his toyota, more annoyed than furious.

- Good man, what are you doing here these hours!?
- Good question.
- I.. is there a problem, son? - he was confused and scared, a bit.
- As you can see good man, my car corrodes here uselessly. It broke yesterday and you know, rain. I had to spend some time here.
- Is that so.. I conclude there would be no problem with calling the police to help you, wouldn't it? It looks like you've been attacked.

He had a bad feeling about this. True, he was't driving those roads for a long time, and that car looked more like spare materials than vehicle, but he really didn't want to fetch the cops. There was no time, also for explaining what he was doing here or where he was going.

- Just let me grab my phone.. - he lost his gaze on him and searched inside his car, hoping he would just run away. That man painfully tried to conceal his trembling and looked like a junkie, so there was a pretty good chance he was right.


That feeling. You hate the.. uncertain it gives you, and love the adrenaline it brings along. It makes you feel so much alive! Your hand shakes, but only a bit. Enough. It's still nothing compared to that splitting pain in your skull. Everything starts to move so slowly.
There is something.. new, forbidden. Never done this to a priest.
You grab that concealed lead pipe, sneak quickly when you get the chance and rob him blind of any hope he had.
A cloacked figure jumps out of the car wreck, looking as good as ever.

- You're getting better. On second through, linear progress at best. Tie him up, we're going on a picnic.
- Where?
- In a place where you can reclaim your lost harmony and peace. Where you can get back to your roots.. To the forest, you twit.

Years of working indoors allowed the priest to gain considerable weight, and I had really tough with him. At least it was all silent, there's no satisfaction in unplotted deaths of random bystanders. The individual grabbed the phone.

- And who was he going to call? Emergency energetic service?.

It noticed you stumbling around with the body.

- Told you to work hard on PE classes, not write up excuse papers then pretend you read in the library.
- Maybe give me a hand instead of comments?
- I can't. Those are the rules of the game.
- For fuck's sake, what game?
- I said already it's none of your concern. You can repeat yourself all over again and they'll just not gonna listen!
- Okay, okay, sorry.
- Oh, I'm not angry, sweethearth. You don't want to be close when I'm pissed off. Know that what I had shown you in the hospital was nothing. I can be unpleasant at times. - smile.




He finally regained senses, or unfortunately since it brough severe head and tendon pain. Also his eyes and lips burned like baptized with hot iron. Where was he? First a young tall man in hooded coat, then police, telephone calls and rapid blurs of movement. Oh no.
It would be a mystical sight if not for the priest tied between two trees by his hands and legs respectively. He looked like an overworked hammock. All he felt was refreshing scent of bark and moisture, all he heard was first, lazy chirps of birds. All he saw was a small, still cloaked in weak darkness clearing before him, with two people and his own car after them. Sun was beginning to illuminate the horizon. Car lights were throwing two long shadows.


- You're sure they're tight?
- All these months of scout camps finally bear fruits.
- I mean, are you absolutely, positively sure? You'll be sorry for yourself if I would need to run after him middletime.
- So, what awaits him?
- Relax, you don't serve dessert as an aperitif, do you?


First of them was a very tall and wiry man with face partially covered with a rather oversized hood. All that could be seen below was an long ago abandoned chin, some scars, bruises and wrinkled grins showing from time to time.
The other one was a head shorter, not so embarassing considering his partner. Despite the unforgiving heat and humidity reigning now upon the country, he wore a black fedora, black longcoat, black sunglasses, black leather boots and creamy-yellow gloves. He didn't seem a bit uncomfortable, unlike the other. He threw a gaze at the priest and all the holy man felt were air distorted by heat, rough touch of obsidian and metallic smell of boiling blood.
But the tall one.. he seemed to be out of place. Terrified, or just confused, it was hard to tell. He had to be the servant of this dark man, this dark..

- Apage, apage satanas! - priest roared, or at least he through he roared rather than screeched through his teeth.
- That's what they call a greeting in this country? You're breaking my hearth right now.
- I shall know no fear of you, God almighty will help me in need.
- He doesn't listen to hypocrites like you.
- If I must, I will embrace death as a gate to better life!
- Then please enlighten me, why do you still have hope? That you will get some more useless days on this plane of tears? Is there a problem? Anyway, servant of God, tell us where you were driving to such early hours.
- To the store.
- Why?
- I needed flour for wafers, it ran out.
- Lieeeeeeerrrrrr... Lier lier lier lier. I love the sound of that. But I don't like the way you lie. Robert, get your ass to the car. Don't ask, you know.
- May thy poisoned words not desecrate my ears!
- How rude.
- May thy foul visage not taint my eyes!
- As you wish.

A scary-fast black cloud was the last thing the priest saw. Well, second last, as the first was a delicate hand with ivory, woman-like claws. Force of the blow send his head back strongly, almost crippling the spine. It was all too much - he vomited the spartan meal he had not long behore. Blood and eye liquid mixed with the bile, resulting in interesting color pattern perfect for fortune telling.

- Be careful for what do you wish for. Damn, I'll never get enough of this sentence!

Priest felt a reek of tobacco, along with taste of lye burning his lips. He/she caressed his check. You just fiddle with a piece of ductape, hairs attached.

- No, Robert. You're not a tool, you're not doing it against your will, you will go to Hell for that. You can stop it every moment and face me. Dare to try? Pathetic. You only make your situation worse in His eyes with such throughs.

You always felt she was just playing with you or guessing your throughs or just you unconsciously speaking aloud. She?

- There is no gender for me. But you like me more when I act that way. Look at him, it's probably the first case in history of a clergy official with such depilated face. You always see something new everyday with me, don't you? You should be proud to witness such magnificent events.

Sure.

- Speak aloud please. I feel like lecturing a child.

You turn on the car, exhale deeply and steer slowly on the priest.

- Let me explain to you why there's no faith in your words. That's because you're afraid to die, you know there would be neither angel horus nor any other foolery. You know what you had done, and you will confess. Don't feel sorry for him, it's just a modernized wheel streching, many centuries ago practiced by members of his profession. Hey, enough! Don't tear him, yet.

The car backed up only a few inches, but for his joints it was a collosal difference. He stopped caring about scalding hotness of the engine years ago, as it seemed.
She sat on carmask, crossing her arms and legs.

- Talkative now?
- yy..
- Hello?
- Yes! - he screamed in a fit of cough.
- So, what were you planning today?
- To met.. with Amy.
- Who is Amy?
- She's a.. woman.
- Too bad I'm losing my sense of humour. You will tell everything if you like it or not, your problem how much pain it will take. I'm asking again and last time: Who is Amy?
- Nun.
- Aaand? Oh come on, if I wouldn't know you would not be here.

How..

- Listen, I'm already late today.
- Why? You.. just.. kill anyway. - he spat a mixture of blood, vomit and saliva accumulated in his mouth.
- Missed, sweethearth. Let's roll!

Closing door, engine running, pain pain pain.

- Quite admirable, considering you lived in comfort and only talked about pain and humility. You know? Let's make a bargain. I'll hear your sincere confession, and for it won't ensure Amy would end her life prematurely. Who knows, maybe she'll get a chance to redeem herself?

Out of world of pain he found himself in he could hear that voice, that soothing and comforting voice. But it wasn't a voice of pleasure. It send ice and pulsating pain down his head with every tone.

- To give you the image of her situation, I'll tell you women her sort have, as you can call it, "lowest social status" down there. Emotional torment she goes through now is a slap on the wrist compared to what's waiting for her.

It has to be a way, has to be has to. His throughs were severed by dislocated arm. Pain clouded his mind so much he didn't noticed achilleas string snapping with audible crack.

- F-Fine!
- Stop.

You leave the car and notice he's hanging much closer to the ground than before.

- We're listening.
- We.. we wanted to met in.. hotel. In civil attire. We didn't want to.. be worse than others.
- We're listening!
- I convinced her. Couldn't r-resist. We wanted to.. love.
- HA! Heard him? Tete-a-tete in a hotel on the end of the universe, how lovely. That's why he suffers, do you understand already?
- Not exactly. Why did we mangled him so much? I mean, he wasn't a bad man in light of others I saw. He was a spirit of community, he helped people, he worked for the better tomorrow. He had his urges, but he's only human. I guess people go to Hell for worse things? It's not the end of the world. - you cough. It's pretty hot here for this time of day, but very windy. - It really wasn't comfortable doing this to him. He would be very far in my death book.
- You're again trying to feel better about yourself. You liked whacking him in the head, admit.
- Yes, but this is crossing..
- I guess your religious education ends on early primary school?
- What does that have to do with me?
- Not the end of the world, you say? Heard about the Apocalypse, precisely the prophecy of Antichrist?
- Heard some senseless ramblings. Apocalypse is an allegory for the Roman empire during the conquest of Judea. Neron is the beast..
- Don't believe everything 'they' say. Long story short, Antichrist is a bastard born from the forbidden love of a priest and nun. Sweet child, but too good and early for this world. How do you think, what did you prevented today?

But.. Wait, that doesn't make any sense.

- Did I ever lied to you? You saved the world today! You are the champion, be proud of yourself! - the demon showed her perfectly aligned and sharp teeth in a gest of triumph. - Of course, you shouldn't be proud in public, you know. Don't feel sorry for him, he had it coming after all.
- But it looks like.. It seems to.. It reminds me of.. Nevermind. But why?
- Remember free will? He had his choice. He knew it would doom both of 'em. But he done it anyway. He surrendered his soul to one of the most primal needs in the world - lust. As I said, everything revolves around egoism. And sex.
- It doesn't make any sense, why a servant of darkness would be interested in preventing the end of the world?
- That's none of your concern. I told you it is a game. Hey, you were a gentleman, I didn't had to dirt my fingers at all. For that, I'll grant you an answer to one and only one question, excluding that about the game of course.

Question? That threw you off balance. What to ask for, anything! Where are the lost treasures, the numbers of next lottery, in what to invest in the following years, the secret of immortality, was Einstein wrong after all?

- Hurry!
- If you're dispatching people who are treats to the universe, who was that alcoholic I killed previously?

Goddamnit, you blew it!
She smiled, honestly this time.

- Good call. You would never guess.
- He was a destroyer of worlds in disguise or something.
- Nothing like that, but it was his death that eased your work for me. And granted you this question.
- I don't understand.
- You don't need to. - she threw you a grin. - He didn't had any cosmological importance. He was important to me.
- You?
- Exactly. You see, during all these years spend working with humans I had the opportunity to see many of your inventions. Like wheel streching, burning on stakes, guillotining, slowly dissolvig in acid, cyclic infusement in hot and cold water, vivisections, gassing, starving, dehydrating, staking, throat cutting and samurai method of placing head under water droplets until they'll erode their way to the brain. Indeed, there were many. But few things I still didn't saw, like grinding somebody alive to a fine paste in a meat factory. Oh, and the browless priest.
- Wha.. You tricked me! - waves of nausea flow through you. Someone hammers his way to your head. Weather would be too hot for you now even without clothes.
- Anyway, you funded the whole town a one big cannibalistic feast! Pleasure to work with 'ya. I wish we will see each other again in the future.
- You.. you..
- Me, me. I wish you to be my first human to part ways with in good terms. And in one piece. Can't have everything. Admit, you like how I streeech my woordss. Mmm?

Hrumph, forget it.

- You're too easy.
- Wait, I'm supposed to just leave him here?
- Don't worry, he's a living corpse. He'll be dead in a hour, nothing gets wasted in nature. Additionally, he'll not die from wounds you inflicted on him, so it's not a murder after all, is it? Hey, you reminded me something..

She came close to the hangman and with two swift moves tore out his ears, then placed them in one of her coat's many pockets.

- Just in case you think I'm not a being of my words. He told me to, let me paraphraze, "Not pollute his hearing anymore".


Engine running.
Silence. He was burning from all sides, but he was still alive. Alive! Good God, he'll get back to civilization even if it would mean crawling all his way back. So what he was blind and broken? Medicine cured worse conditions.
There were no roosters here. Only living things that greeted the sun were wolves and boars. Every human horde which came here that early in the morning would leave one of them to pass. It was a good start of day - they won't need to bury him out or risk their starved life wearing him down.






- How's your head?
- They say it'll be fine next week.
- Curse you.
- Why?
- It's all your fault.
- Let me.. You know my mindset and all, and they want you too check how I'm behaving now?
- Close..
- I give up.
- Just in case there will be complications with your mindset. They want to know how altered your mind is now. You were both blessed and cursed, you see.
- Since they were pretty laconic with me, would you kindly?
- Cerebral hemmorage. It leaked very slowly, you had a cloth forming inside your head for a whole year. But at the same time it was placed in a tricky part of the brain, surgeons were confident that operating it would have more chance to kill you than not giving a damn. Everyone here is placing bets on how much your personality will change.
- I'm sure it won't.
- On what foundations you build this conclusion?
- See, when I endured some blows in the head during one of my college's drink trips, I had many bad things on my conscience already. So it's meaningless to assume it were hallucinations which forced me to do that. You know, it's all clare now.. I pretty much forgot everything about the college. I through alcohol caused that, but after surgery a beam of light crossed my mind.
- Go on..
- I had a partner for crime then. He, she, it.. doesn't matter. I mean, she appeared out of nowhere during my stay in hospital after a street fight. She showed me things, like inducing every possible feeling in me, not always pleasant, stopping time, materializing from thin air. Even through it was unbearably hot these days she never broke a sweat, despite looking like a north pole expedition. And she never arrived when I had company that wasn't meant to shortly die by my hand.
- You're sure it wasn't just another dream?
- Good question. But I know I killed junkies, beggars, addicts, people who lost hope there is a meaning in life. Sometimes she had suprisingly logical explanation why their deaths would better the world, sometimes she just tested if I was still ruthless enough before serious 'cleanses'. It culminated with.. don't know. But if it wasn't real, how did I managed to not leave any evidence on crime sites, not even police being interested in me. I think 'cause they were loners, no relatives, no one to care about them and she helped me to erase any paths leading to me. I had nasty headaches that time and felt out of touch with the world, so how could I do it all by myself?
- What had you done?
- That's of no importance now. Few souls more in my portfolio won't change anything. Besides, I have some insights from time to time but when I focus, try to reach that core storing the details, I can't.

Clock was uncomfortably loud now.

- That's all man. Forgive me but I must call Percy. You'll more danger to yourself than others now.




Rin payed no attention to any following scenes, resigning and placing her head on the desk for a little nap. Coffe was helping her with insomnia hangover, but there was a price - she had even harder time getting a good night sleep. So, she opted to catch opportunities during day.
She woke up when Hanako entered the room. No words were spoken, she lied calmly on the couch. Rin would be happy to sleep through it, but she opted to at least pretend she cares. Always somebody could be a big enough asshole to tape what's going on in the room.

And Han will be counting seconds for a full hour again. It impressed her for the first time, but was incredibly dull afterwards. She could understand her - for about 10 years, always when her life was going to get better something or somebody betrayed her. First was that house fire, then her first crush send her to a madhouse. Then, the same person killed her only friends and guided her through another inferno just after she was getting back to reality. Once she opened her mouth to Rin, asking to open the window.
Hanako speaked very seldom, feeling something akin to survivor's guilt crossed with innate helplessnes. Rin heard that eating, dressing and taking care of hygene took her hours, paralyzed by through there's no sense in doing anything when it'll all turn out bad. No motivation to live, psychiatrist's nightmare. Still, she was alive. Guess she was that type of person who no matter what would shut down unecessary functions and go into sleep mode, rather than end herself. Self perserving instinct was strong in this one.
Only during two circumstances she would spark emotions - once on her birthday and when her old partner was around. For the first, it was hair-trigger fury followed by few days when she would be drained, unable to eat and move by herself. For second, there was a tension in the air induced by a mix of hate and love. After all, he was the only one who took her serious at times and even his despicable behaviour towards her she would interpret as treating her as an equal of sorts, not a pet. But then, he was only person left in her life to which she had ties so, like an abusive father, he was irreplacable.

Hanako tapped her fingers in perfect unison and timing. Rin stared at the ceiling, with legs at the desk. She abandoned the idea of questioning after first visit. Somebody told Rin she was afraid to spill something which would throw her into asylum again. It didn't had to make sense. At least it implied she was at home here.. when she wasn't closed off to the world with all those precalculated motions, of course.
Most people drink to forget. Other cut themselves. Even rarer kind turns into a completely different personality for a night or two. Hanako consumed books like an LSD hog and wrote down some of her throughs. They were interesting to read when counseling boring patients. Most of them were streams of conciousness which helped Rin to carefully tend her benefical insanity. Many were romance stories not worth to be sold to Harlequin, some were sexual wish-fulfillments which de Sade wouldn't be ashamed of. There was one sermon on chess, God knows why. He read them all over again. If he really liked them that much, he was very fortunate. Forgetting them after a moment meant such fun could last a lifetime.

Rin took this job not only because she had friends who helped her to get in the business. It was as much a 'sure, why not' decision, and she came to regret it. She through there would be interesting and wild people to discuss with, somebody who will be of the same mindset. Plus, she felt a bit burned out in the art field. All she found were creeps who no sane person would spend time with alone or guys who, like Hanako, had something to say but were too messed up to vocalise it. And annoying.
Still, she had it lucky. After the massacre in Yamaku and drug overflow, many painkiller addicts had been left to themselves. That left a vacuum for adolescent drug dealers who rose in power not long after she graduated. From what she heard of, it was the same school with completely different people. She already was close to ending as a psycho herself when everything was normal.
Time was coming. Rin sighted deeply, still annoyed by news she was told at dinner long ago. She had to stay here for 2 more weeks, or forget about retirement gratification. They were explaining she was the only one who got in touch with those two guys, the best, yadda yadda. Actually, everybody was talking about how chief warden inherited some serious money from his dead uncle, and about the party he will be throwing to celebrate. Most people already booked up free days accumulated through years. Facility would be staffed with skeleton crew soon.








- ..So, you dreamt something today?
- I relieve my college murders. I prefer not to talk about it.
- Looks like we have a winner.
- The what?
- Yuko bet ten thousands yen you won't change a bit after operation. Or by staying here. Sorry I didn't rot for you.
- I'm happy to hear that. My previous shrink won a suicide ticket. Told her I assisted during her childbirth, spoiled cesarean with premeditation and tasted her waters. Also injected mercury in her newborn so it would be retarded for life. And by Gods, I was right!
- Did somebody said anything?
- No, I think not.

Silence.

- How's your health?
- Thank you. I'm so tired, beats me why.

Lights on the ceiling flickered for a moment.

- Listen, we're pretty alone today so would you help me with those records?
- Wonder why they're still using paper here?
- In case power will go down? Annoying, there is nobody now to help me with paperwork.

He waits by the door as he sorts some sheets. She throws a look on the door.

- Can you give me a hand?

He pulls out a severed forearm out of his sleeve.

- What? Too small, too yellow, too hairy?
- No, I just asked you to open the door.
- Faux pass. - he forearm-palmed.

Corridor was dark.

- I have a suprise for you.
- It's not when you warn me. That's why you didn't switched the lights?
- Oh yes, the lights.

Beams of light illuminated the room, uncovering patients circled around it.

HAPPY RETIREMENT!

Robert clapped hands and shouted something to the crowd, then send an eyeblink to Hanako. She went somewhere, no matter. Between receiving faraway congrats from patients and declining anything they proposed her to eat, Rin observed the ceiling. Too bizzare, not to mention bad timed. No matter, they gave her a magnificent idea. All she wanted was ultramarine and leaf green paint. She still had 2 weeks of a gap month between her jobs, so no matter she wasted here half of her free time - she would put rest in good use. Finally, she was back.
He returned to her and rested his arm on her shoulders.

- Just imagine how much smuggling occured to throw all of this.
- Don't forget those records. Room 101.
- Room what?

All he got from her was a sharp gasp of air which nailed his spine with iceshards for a moment. He could be the stabbed one as well. He learned to fear death here.
Now she noticed the member of security sleeping on the chair was in fact dead, and missing an arm.
He squeezed her mouth with his free hand, pressing out a trail of blood.

- You usually choose heads or tails? Turned out the cat is dead, fifty-fifty. You or me. The fact I'll be alive only proves my hypothesis - I can't die when I expect to. Remember our lucid dreaming lessons?

Anything she wanted to say was stopped by his tight embrace.

- What was it? "Is this real or not?" - the words you need to speak aloud when you find yourself in a dream, to take full control of it. Y'know why I wouldn't say them with intention even when threatened with hot iron? Because I don't know. What if I wake up as somebody tortured by a super AI, surrounded by other losers? If I happen to be only a figment of imagination of a brain suspended in a jar? If I'm a string of zeros and ones stored for a computer simulation? Or is this all ironic hell, I ended splattered on wall when escaping the police, how anybody could survive that? - he cleared his throat.
- I forget. I come back to senses every 15 minutes, but I feel about it always the same. Lost. Hopeless. Where I am, who I am? What are you doing to me? I feel uncertain, and I hate being uncertain. Because when I do, I can't drop my guard. And when I can't do that, I can't feel.

Pause.

- Well, that contradicts what I said, so let's assume I can't feel when I want to. You may not remember what you were eating yesterday, but emotional pain never fades. Never weakens, it just gathers day by day and you can't take it anymore! Lie all day on the floor and stare at the wall. Who wants to finish the pinata?!

Robbed of his frame, Rin fallen on her knees, then on her side. Lying on your back is an acrobat's nightmare when you have a foot long piece of chair in the chest.
He handled Hanako a metal bar. Everyone shouted 'Ole!' between blows.

- I am very proud of you. You alone have done what they couldn't do. You breaked me and beaten me, even if unawarly. Even after putting out those pills I'm too tired to work with what I love. Would I ever recover, doctor? Redeem myself? Consider all of this as my thanks. I just told her 'choose' and was sure she would puncture me. Ole!

You need to experience a bit of everything in your life. Rin found extreme, unavoidable waves of pain to be one of the most interesting and inspiring. As her tunnel of light shrank, all she wondered about was why 3 days before retirement, why 3 days before..

- What did she said? 3 days? Did she said 3 motherfucking days?!

He pulled Hanako's bar, preventing another hit and almost throwing her on the ground.

- You bitch! You said it was Tuesday! Tuesday?!

Everyone stopped having fun. The room fell silent. Streams of blood formed a red web between tiles.

- Goddamnit, I forgot again!

[griffon8]

Just… stop.

[Homeless]

The hell did I just read?

[Mirage_GSM]

Sorry, I couldn't read more than the first few sentences of this...

[Guest90206]

I'm...

...I don't...

...hold on...

...what?

I have an odd feeling that, somewhere in here, is the ultimate Rin fanfic that the forums have been waiting for... but... I can't even comprehend this...

[Bi-Polar Hernandez]

It's like delving into Rin's psyche itself.

[Roamin12]

One thing:
http://static.fjcdn.com/comments/da+_62 ... a24569.jpg
Seriously though, I have no idea what the hell I just read.