Featured in post: Tanner/Roland, Krory, Xio, Shupple, Chandacy, Ewan, Delin, Patrick, Glyph, Raimundo and mention of Lux, Arc, Nyarth, and Estelle.
Time: A few days after Shupple's post.
---------------------------------
Tanner
.:Three Months Before:.
She knows.
I stared at my wallet as Krory spoke, telling us which trainer we would go with. My fingers thumbed through it, making sure everything was there, and no matter how many times I did this, it still felt like something was missing.
Like I said, she knows.
I sighed. Roland was right. She knew, and there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
Well… you know there is something we could do…
I didn’t realize people were saying goodnight to me and everybody else as Krory dismissed us all so that we could get ready for training in the morning. I ended up being the last person in the room with Krory and she was looking out the window, up towards the moon. I turned my head towards the door as I slipped my wallet into my back pocket and closed it with a few strands of hair, the door creaking as it clicked closed.
Krory jumped slightly at the sound of it and turned around to see me still sitting the same spot I had during the meeting.
“Come on, now, Tanner! Yoos be better gettin’ to bed for training tomorrow!” Krory said with a smile but I just frowned and blinked and looked down at my feet. I wasn’t used to somebody actually knowing who I was, behind everything. It made me vulnerable. Naked. Exposed.
Weak.
“Krory, you know who I am, correct?” I asked her and her smile dropped slightly.
“...Aye. I do,” Krory told me and I just nodded and took a deep breath in and let it out. Nothing helped how I was felt nervous.
Don’t blame you. I’m feeling that way too.
“So you know about my other personality?” I asked and she gave a nod.
Oh, great. Why did you have to involve me?
“Are you going to do anything about me? You know as well as I do, a wanted criminal isn’t the greatest explanation to those that you work for,” I told her and it took her a second before she just shrugged and I sighed and leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
Let me talk…
“Roland, what are you…” I muttered as I opened my eyes and felt Roland take over as he had me stand up and walk over to her. She eyed me curiously, looking straight at my eyes as she did so. Most likely, one was black and the other white. Just like Yin and Yang.
“Ma’am, if you want our services, you know everything comes at a price,” Roland spoke for me, his only having his usual growl to show that it was him instead of me. Krory just stared at me, taking what was about me in. and nodded.
“Both of yoos, if I need yoos services, I will tell yoos, got it?” Krory sighed and I nodded my head, taking back control and walked over to the door.
“Sorry for bothering you, Krory,” I said with a small smile and Krory gave a small one back and looked back out the glass door, taking in the scenery once again. I sighed and headed out of the room and upstairs to my own.
Remember how it used to be a year ago? It was so much fun, wasn’t it?
Roland sighed in happiness and I just rolled my eyes. It was a good thing I had kept one thing under wraps when Shupple and I had our talk about my past, same for Estelle, otherwise, I wouldn’t be on good terms with everybody right now.
Estelle… I wondered how she was doing. I missed her, a lot, but I felt angry at her for what she did. She just up and left everyone at the mansion to fend for each other. There’s a war going on and she went to go and find Lupe… Just why? But yet, I understood. There was a part in me that knew it was because of me. She left because she wasn’t sure what to do with herself, wasn’t sure who to pick, Lux or me. She would’ve picked Lux. My love for her already ended with her actions. Lux was a lot better than me, in strength, in humor, in everything. I wasn’t jealous of him though… Well, maybe I was…
He’s not my enemy anymore, that’s for sure…
My ears perked up to that as I entered my room and plopped down my full-sized bed.
“Why’s that?” I asked and Roland just chuckled.
He proved himself as you proved yourself to be a weakling. I have respect more towards him now, at least. Don’t hate the man. Made me realize how weak you are though, Tan-Tan.
Roland laughed a bit hysterically in my mind and it was hard not to laugh along with him for some reason. Maybe that just proves my insanity.
You’re just a fool. A weakling just trying to prove himself. No wonder why you created me. You would always be the loser, the coward, the wimp in everything you tried to prove yourself in… But you know, Tan-Tan… if you became more like me, I bet things would go the way you plan them…
I sighed. I hated all of the insults, yet it was funny how he would stand up for me if I got insulted by anyone else besides him.
“Why would I want to become more like you?” I spat and he just laughed.
Oh, because things would be easier. Even if you didn’t, because it sounds you’re actually determined for once to not act like me, it’s going to happen, what with this war, Krory knowing our secret…
I narrowed my eyes and sat up and looked out the window. It was starting to snow, the window dripping with water as the snow falling became a storm.
“What are we going to do about that? She knows what we can do, Roland. What we are, why we’re wanted… Nobody’s ever known before, and it’s the military who knows. It’s dangerous staying here, Roland…” I sighed as I watched everywhere outside became whipped and destroyed by the storm.
I know. It’s why I want to get back into business of what we were doing before, our JOB.
“It wasn’t a job, Roland. It was illegal. It is illegal,” I retorted back and Roland just scoffed.
So? It’s still fun. You enjoyed it too, don’t deny it.
I ignored Roland after that as he continued to ramble. I only continued to stare out at the snow storm.
.:3 Months Later:.
Most of my conversations don’t consist with people now, maybe with Krory, Delin, Patrick, or Mist, but that was pretty much it for people outside of my mind. Three months later and I was still in constant conversations with Roland. No matter what, he always helped me in fighting, even if I resisted, he helped me in private training, and he helped me with the tactics with Krory. It was hard not to show my insanity anymore, but I tried as hard as I could to keep it under wraps. Of course, what Roland meant three months ago with how I would become him no matter what happened, I could see it now. I hated it but I just couldn’t help being an ass to people sometimes.
I had become stronger and more agile within the last three months of training with Krory. My muscles were ripped and my hair was stronger since it got electrocuted by Lux. My leg was a lot better from the fight with Lux and I didn’t need the cane anymore. I just hit people with it occasionally if they annoyed me, mostly in the leg, not the face. I stopped that though, just in case I got in trouble for it. Everybody else had become stronger also. It was pretty cool to see progress within everybody at the mansion.
I was getting low on my medications also. I maybe had enough left for another four months. Maybe. Due to the fact that I was constantly fighting and getting injured by Krory, the medicine inside kept on using up its ware to keep my black blood from coming back and letting Roland take over. Not only did it keep Roland at bay, this medicine, but it also kept something else that was dangerous in me from coming back out. Something was just as bad as Roland. It wasn’t another personality… More like r-
Interesting, isn’t it? The sunrise.
“When have you ever taken an interest in the sunrise, Roland?” I asked him as I readjusted my sitting position on the roof tiles and Roland just scoffed. “And why are we on the roof again?”
We are on the roof to get over your fear of heights-
“Roland, I don’t have a fear of heights. You do, which is odd, but still,” I stated flatly and Roland just laughed nervously.
Very true, I forgot about that… Get the fuck off the roof, dipshit.
I smirked and stood up and walked to the edge of the roof and had my hair carry me down to the window of my roof. I slipped into my room and just stood there for a second before I headed out of my room to get some ramen. Yes, ramen for breakfast. I didn’t see what was wrong with it, unlike others who want to eat all of the other healthy crap that we’ve been forced to eat by the trainers. Ramen was my only salty, sweet treat left. If I honestly wanted to get other sweets though, I would resort to Nyarth.
Once I made my ramen and downed it quickly before Krory saw me as she walked out of her room, I headed over to Shupple’s room. She deserved an apology, really. I hadn’t meant to act that way towards her, though I really… didn’t care either. She needed to keep my secret a secret that was for sure.
Seeing that Shupple’s door was already open, I slid in but I almost burst out laughing. There was Shupple sitting, playing with her tarot cards like she did over fourteen years ago, trying to get her Foresight down and giving people the wrong fortune. She still played with them! This was pathetic. I bet she still got every fortune wrong.
Let’s make sure she doesn’t reveal our secret through those cards of hers…
“How stupid can you get? Playing with cards. Oh, how sweet...” I laughed, a scowl coming upon my face and Shupple turned around and narrowed her eyes but before she was able to say anything, I was already beside her and kicked her across the room. She hit the wall hard, not that I really cared, and stared at me once she got to the floor while wiping the blood off her lips.
“What the hell, Tanner?! Roland?! Whoever the fuck you are?!” Shupple exclaimed and I just laughed as I went over and picked her up with one hand and pressed it against her neck while holding her against the wall behind her.
“Oh, go run to Lux, why don't you so you can cry to him instead of me? Oh wait, that's right, he's not here and probably dead. You're pathetic to be dependent on him. Oh how sad you really are...” Shupple struggled but she didn’t seem to be able to get out of my grip. “What are you going to do, huh? Try to get out of this grip? You really aren’t that strong,” I laughed, my eye twitching as Roland took over to see the spectacle.
“Why do you still wait for him, hmm? Wait for the dog and cat? Everybody here doubts that they are still alive. Why are you still hoping? No waste in hoping for something that’s wasted, used up, and dead,” I laughed a bit hysterically and that’s when I heard a growl at the door.
“Hey!” I turned my head and saw the one and only Xio standing in the doorway. Of course he was here.
“What?” I spat at him as I dropped Shupple and she fell onto the floor, gasping for air and coughing from the hold. Xio strode over to me, his face livid.
“What business do you have with MY student?” He growled with a dark tone in his voice as he came face to face with me.
“SHE is too much of a child, hanging on to her past that I know all too much about,” I spat at him and Shupple quickly grabbed the cards off of the floor and collected them and I just narrowed my eyes at her. I didn’t care if she was hurt or upset. She needed to grow up already.
“And who says that’s any of your business, huh?” Xio scowled as he kept his arms crossed and I just scoffed. I had no idea why I had the balls to stand up to him, honestly.
That’s because I have the fucking balls, idiot. Only reason.
I hadn’t even noticed that Roland was talking partly through me. How odd. I’ve always been noticing lately if he had or not. This is weird…
“Oh, please. I've known her since I was a child. You've known her for what, a few years? What do you know about her?” I hissed and a frown appeared on his face.
“It doesn't matter what I know about her house plant, I suggest you leave at this moment because you are bothering my student. Take your ass elsewhere, or should I report you to Krory?” Xio spat back, I seeing a slight black tattoo creeping up his arms. Hmm.
“Like it would do any difference if you reported me to her. She knows how I am already and why I am this way.” I tried to push past him to leave but instead, he threw me back against the wall behind me with just my wrist, his strength being evident and his smile was growing on him. Slow electrical waves started to flow through me like Lux’s powerful wave months ago through Xio’s hand that was slowly crushing my wrist bone.
“Where the hell do you think you're going trash? Think I will let you off that easy, huh?” Xio hissed as he made sure I was pinned against the wall by tightening his grip on my wrist and slowly but surely, blood started to drip from my wrist and my head from my hair flailing from the electricity.
“Didn't think it would be that easy to get past you, Xio,” I said through gritted teeth as a wave of pain surged in me as Xio’s electricity got stronger.
He then leaned forward and whispered something in my ear that only I could hear to make sure Shupple wouldn’t hear what he was saying. My eyes widened at his words, for I was surprised what he knew about me. How could he even know about Roland… or even about… that….
“…Do you really want to get on my bad side?” Were his last words and I chuckled nervously. I suddenly felt weak. I did not want to be around this man. He knew more than I expected. Unexpectedly, he crushed my scapula within the process of saying these words and my shoulder started to bleed as the pieces slowly came back together from the shattering of bone that had went into my muscles and veins.
“No, I don’t. I’m not one to get on your bad side…” I loosened up as those tattoos slowly started to fade on his arms.
How… interesting…
“Smart move....now get lost,” Xio spat and I quickly moved past him and over to the door, nervously moving by Shupple and I paused once I heard Xio’s voice again and closed my eyes in nervousness. “Tanner...”I turned around to see Xio glaring at me. “...lay another finger on my student between now and the battle....I'll make you regret it...” And there was that creepy smile of just pure satisfaction. “Have a good day!!” And with that, I ran.
I ran as quickly as I could without giving off that I was in some sort of panic, but even if I did, I couldn’t help it. Xio knew. Krory knew. Who else was going to know at this rate?
Once I got to my room, I slammed the door shut and leaned against it, taking in a deep breath.
Guess this means that we clean up, huh? Roland sounded disappointed, but knowing him, he probably was.
“You can’t interfere with my actions anymore, Roland. You have to stop. Do you want to be killed as well?” I asked and Roland was quiet as I tried to catch my breath and even when I did, he was still quiet.
I’ll… lay low. Study my plans. Study your movements during training with Krory. I will only interfere when I need to.
“Good,” I sighed in relief. “That’s what you only exist for anyways,” I said as I went over and sat down my bed as my other eye changed back to white.
It had to be at least an hour before there was a knock on my door and it swung open to Delin, Patrick, Glyph, and Raimundo. I raised my eyebrows.
“Hey, we’re going shopping for the holidays. You wanna come with?” Delin asked with a grin and I smiled back.
“Sure, I’ll come with,” I told them as I stood up, grabbed my wallet off of my desk, and followed them out. Apparently, once we got Lucas to join us, we were going to leave but none of us could actually find him until we went outside to find him staring at a fight.
“Hey, look, Chandacy’s fighting against Xio,” Patrick pointed out and I nodded along with everyone else as we watched the fight through the doorway into the mansion.
As I watched the fight and kept my eyes on Xio’s movements, his words echoed in my ears:
"I'd be careful if I were you Tanner. I know all about you and your fuck buddy Roland. Besides, you don't want your dear friends to know what kind of anarchist you are, do we? If I were you, I'd keep that mental disorder under bay... it surely will get you killed if you think you can talk like the big boys here. You are merely a droplet of water in the ocean, and guess what, I'm the ocean…"
---------------------------------
WOOT! So, ten pages for Tanner and apparently, Xio knows something about Tanner... And Tanner's a criminal? Hmm....
Well, more to find out later!! >:DDDD
Comments appreciated!! :DD
~Anime
