Enter the Abyss [open]

[anime1dragon8]

Sarah's hand slowly lowered from her mouth. "Everybody has their story.But it's an inherent behavior to trust people. Its just the world that drives it out of people, more often than not by pain from something or other. Its only up to the person who's had it driven out of them if they're willing to risk it again. Do not lecture me like I dont understand things." Sarah's body shook in rage at the other's words.

"So you think I was trying to lecture you?" The words came out deadly calm, the way they did before Sarah attacked or she was too pissed to even yell. "You think that I was trying to explain something to you like you don't understand? I can tell that something terrible has happened to you. I can tell that at least three if not all of your limbs are automail." Sarah's eyes blazed like emerald fire as she took a step into the light. If she had controll, she would have never done what she was about to do, but she had lost it and could barley controll her actions.

"You're not the only one who has had great pain in her life." Not her words were trembling with anger as she spit out the words 'great pain'. She then rolled up her sleve and rolled down the glove of her left hand to reveal the automai, shining in the moonlight. "MY OWN FATHER USED ME IN A TRANSMUTATION! That's why I can hear your automail! MY OWN FATHER! You might have lost all your limbs, but I lost so much more." Sarah let her sleve fall, but her glove stayed around her wrist, so the silvery metal still shone. Her eyes still burned, but then widened as she realized what she had revealed.

[kane]

Kane's initial fiery anger died off quickly, leaving her only trembling slightly from the tense, pent-up energy in her muscles. Although there was no visible reaction from the person facing her, Kane could tell that a nerve must have been hit or something, because the air changed drastically. It became tense, aggressive, and filled with lust to lash out. However, the lust to lash out was indistinguishably either physically or verbally. Either way, Kane had a feeling she could take whatever was thrown at her.

"So, you think I was trying to lecture you?" the words that escaped the mouth of the State Alchemist were quiet, cold, and calm. Kane felt her eyebrows raise very slightly at that. This wasnt the sort of calm that was used to quell harsh feelings towards one another, this was the other sort - the sort that took place before a storm, as the saying went. Oh dear, somebody just got rather pissed quickly... Kane thought, somewhat sardonically. Despite the flash of anger that Kane had let escape her body and mouth in reaction to what had just been said, she was otherwise calm, keeping her wits and mind about her.

That was crucial in a situation that looked like it could turn badly within seconds. That was crucial in a situation like this one.

"You think that I was trying to explain something to you like you didnt understand?" Kane took the small pause between sentences to answer that silently, to herself. Well, yes, actually. When you answer it as you did, one tends to get that impression. She controlled her expression, getting a more neutral arrangement of her facial features, even depleting the raise of her eyebrows as the State Alchemist continued. "I can tell that something terrible has happened to you."

...you dont have a god damned clue. the voice in Kane's head growled.

"I can tell that at least three, if not all, of your limbs are automail." As the young woman before her stepped into the light, Kane saw the angry blaze within her green eyes. However, Kane couldnt restrain the slightest expression of shock and surprise from entering her gaze. She could tell that her limbs were automail? How the hell had she managed that one?

"You're not the only one who has had great pain in her life." Kane blinked. The number of things Kane would classify as a "great pain" could be counted on one hand. However, based on the tone, and the context of the situation, she could guess what the State Alchemist was before her was getting at.

...Automail...

Sure enough, not seconds later, the State Alchemist stepped into the thin beam of light and pulled up her sleeve, and forced down her glove on her left arm to reveal the familiar, silver metal in place of flesh and bone. It glinted coldly in the moonlight. Kane's gaze barely flickered to it, as she was more pre-occupied with keeping her eyes on the woman before her. If her attention was anywhere else, and a fight broke in the night, she'd be at a disadvantage immediately.

"My own father used me in a Transmutation! That's why I can hear your automail! My own father! You may have lost all your limbs, but I lost so much more!" Kane narrowed her eyes, her light blue gaze gaining a dagger-like glaring edge. The sleeve fell back down the arm, yet metal still showed through.

"If that tirade of yours was supposed to gain any sympathy from me, you're sadly mistaken. Not only do I not trust anybody besides myself, I dont particularly care for anyone, either. Call it selfish but thats the way things are. So your father did that to you? Despicable, but not my problem." Kane growled, crossing her arms, having slowly moved them back across her chest.

"And another thing..." Kane closed her eyes for a moment, restraining herself from pinching the bridge of her nose, as she often did while she was frustrated. "Never take a gamble at guessing how much I've lost. Even more than that, do not assume you have lost more than me when you dont know precisely what I've lost. And do not try to understand exact amounts, because you never fully will, this I know for a fact."

Kane managed to keep her voice calm, despite the tension making her body tremble. "Before you speak, think about it. I dont particularly feel like punching anybody tonight because they've gotten on my nerves for one reason or another." It was merely a warning to the State Alchemist, not an intentional threat by any means. However, it could be taken as such.

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[anime1dragon8]

Sarah glared at the other, then turned her back without letting her guard drop. "Sympathy? You think that was for sympathy? Oh no, that was just to show you that you shouldn't be talking to someone about mistrust and reasons for that mistrust untill you know a little of their back story. Sympathy had nothing to do with it." she then turned, grabbed her katana off the wall and restraped it to her hip. She looked over shoulder.

"You know, I was trying to be nice to you, trying not to piss you off. I was trying to see if there was someone else in this city I could trust. I guess either I was wrong, or I just came on the wrong day, and personally I don't give a shit about wich one it was." She then turned to the other, the fire in her eyes dying a little, but not completely dissappearing. "Something tells me that we'll meet again, and when we do I hope you're in a better mood."

Sarah smiled a little and then turned away. She was partically curious wither or not the teen had anything to say or not, so she walked slower.

[kane]

Kane maintained an unwavering, apathetic expression as the State Alchemist responded with such venom any weaker person would have wilted beneath it. "Sympathy? You think that was for sympathy?" Kane had sighed silently at this point and taken to amusing herself with a silent, mental commentary. Again, that's a yes. When you pull your clothing up to reveal something like automail and then gripe about how your own father is the reason for it, I'd call that wanting sympathy. she thought.

"Oh no, that was just to show you that you shouldn't be talking to someone about mistrust and reasons for that mistrust untill you know a little of their back story. Sympathy had nothing to do with it." Kane could have rolled her eyes. She wasnt 'talking to someone' about mistrust and 'reasons for mistrust' like it was some personal matter. She had only been stating the facts. The facts were that humans were born with an inherent nature to trust, and that events in their life lead them to make the choice to either no longer trust, or keep trying to trust. It was as simple as that.

Feh... Kane mused silently, keeping her lip slightly curled. She's blowing this way out of proportion. And she's becoming illogical. Something got her set. Sighing silently again, Kane honestly couldnt fathom why there would be a State Alchemist permitted into the military when they so easily lost it? That wasnt any of Kane's concern, however, so she let the minute issue go.

"You know, I was trying to be nice to you, trying not to piss you off. I was trying to see if there was someone else in this city I could trust. I guess either I was wrong, or I just came on the wrong day, and personally I don't give a shit about wich one it was." Kane almost rolled her eyes somewhat yet again during the young woman's retort. She was assuming things yet again. She let the mental commentary continue.

"Something tells me that we'll meet again, and when we do I hope you're in a better mood."

She picked up the katana and made her way slowly to leave. Rolling her eyes for a third time during the retort, Kane spoke, the hard edge still in her voice, although it wasnt attacking the other person. "I'm not even going to point out a number of things I gathered from your retort. But, if you think I'm in a foul mood now, I pity you if you come across me when I'm actually in a bad mood."

Coughing slightly to clear her throat, Kane turned on her heel and walked around the standing side of the building. She continued to navigate her way around the rubble. Her mind was spinning a bit too much for her to bother to pay attention to if she was being watched anymore or not. All she did was check to see that the State Alchemist was out of sight. She assumed she had gone on ahead. Climbing the fence that surrounded most of the area, Kane got to the top, perching precariously on the metal bar laden with barbed wire before jumping down to the ground.

The audible whump that split the night as the ground took her full weight. Her knees buckled as she crouched with the landing to cushion it. Despite the measures, jumping from the top of the fence wasnt the smartest idea. A fairly audible crack was heard, and a sharp pain rocketed through the automail ports of her legs.

Maybe that wasnt the smartest thing I've done all night... she thought to herself, moving into a standing position. As she shifted to take a step forward, she stumbled slightly. "...what the hell?" looking down, she moved her left leg slightly. All she managed to do was move anything above the knee, everything below that was useless - a deadweight.

.....thats just fucking great... she thought, a hot flush coursing over her face. What had happened? She knew that her automail wasnt in the greatest shape to begin with, but, was that jump really enough to break something? Glancing around, she only hoped that nobody had seen the rather...clumsy...stumble.

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[anime1dragon8]

Sarah had been on her way home, but still not too far from Lab 5, when she heard the sharp crack split the air. Her haed whipped around, then down to her own arm, ar the sound seemed to come from something metal. 'I wonder what that was. Wait it came from behind me..." Without thinking, Sarah turned around and jogged for a bit, retraceing her steps. Atfterall, what if someone needed help?

Sarah eventually came to the fence around Lab 5, where she found the source of the noice and smirked. It was the girl. she looked like one of her automail legs was broken. The next question in Sarah's mind was wither to help her or just leave her there. On the one hand, one of the jobs of a Stata Alchemist, and one of the chief reasons why she became one, was to help the people. But, after what had happened a few miunets ago, did she want to risk it?

Sarah rounded the corner and leaned against it, then moveing to examine her long nails as she spoke. "Well well well, what do we have here? I told you we would meet again, didn't I?" Sarah looked up and smirked.

[kane]

After doing a quick sweep of the area, she saw nobody. Sighing somewhat, she felt a wave of relief wash over her as the initial flash of embarrassment that overtook her from seeming to stumble as she did vanished. Pushing herself into more of a standing position, she looked down, holding her arms out slightly for balance, as she moved her left leg more. It was fine to the knee, but then everything from that crucial joint down was limp as anything - completely useless.

Growling somewhat to herself, Kane whispered "I dont have necessary means to take care of this or afford replacements. If you could work in the next...I dont know...few seconds, that would be really fucking great..." to her leg, as though it could actually hear her, much less respond back. Nothing appeared to actually be wrong with her leg - the outline through her pants was normal as a flesh-and-blood leg should be, and there was nothing sticking out at odd angles. However, from the knee down it was useless, like that sharp crack had been something that disconnected crucial nerve points from the top half of the leg to the rest.

Straightening entirely, Kane moved her leg forward, sliding the bottom of her boot across the ground as though shuffling the step. She leaned to put weight on the leg, but wound up leaning forward slightly for proper balance as the knee buckled uselessly. Her arms went out to her sides very slightly again, to aid her balance. Getting back is going to be a real pain in the ass... Kane grumbled to herself mentally.

She stopped when she heard the shuffling of feet and a voice that she hoped she wouldnt have to hear again for a long while, if not forever.

But her luck wasnt that great, now was it?

Nope.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? I told you we would meet again, didnt I?"

Sighing audibly, though it was closer to an exasperated huff, Kane looked straight ahead, not at the State Alchemist that had returned. I wouldnt put it past any person to mock me while im like this... Kane thought in annoyance. "If you dont mind..." Kane began, taking another shuffling, slow step. "I'm a bit pre-occupied at the moment and dont really feel like continuing our earlier conversation." she moved again, almost stumbling like before, though she was faster this time to catch herself so it was not as obvious. "Also, for your benefit, my mood is the same as before...which you apparently think was me in a bad mood."

Kane fell silent rather curtly at that, and focused on moving more. She got closer to a brick wall against a sidewalk and placed her left hand firmly against that. It could serve as a brace to lean against.

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[anime1dragon8]

Sarah sighed. "I never said anything about continuing our earlier conversation. I heard the snap and thought it might be some civilian in need of help." Sarah looked at the way the girl was leaning on the wall. 'and I guess I was right too' she thought to herself.

The girl was clearly trying to cover the fact that her left leg wasn't working entirely right. 'Either she's been pushing herself too hard, or her automail isn't exactly well kept.' Sarah took a step foreword, then stopped. what if the girl tried to attack after the conversation earlier. When Sarah's automail broke, she wasn't exactly the happiest person in the world, and she guessed this girl was pretty pissed as well.

Sarah shrugged and looked at the other. "Do you want me to help, or are you just going to limp around that forever?" Sarah suspected that she was going to get a fair amount of venom for the question, bet she didn't care. The girl needed help, and she was pretty stupid if she didn't take it. Sarah might not have been an engineer, but Winry had shown her how to take care of her automail, and a little about how it worked, so she had some idea of what she was doing.

[kane]

"I never said anything about continuing our earlier conversation. I heard a snap and thought it might be some civilian in need of help." Kane partially rolled her eyes, glad that they were both hidden beneath her bangs and that she was facing away from the State Alchemist. A civilian in need of help, huh? If a sound like that came from any civilian's body, I'm pretty sure they'd be dead... Kane thought. The sound had been metallic, leaving a ring in the air that reminded Kane of the sound of snapping bones...strong ones at that - ones that werent meant to be broken.

She heard the young woman take a step forward before stopping. Kane's body tensed again as she looked out the corner of her eye. Though she couldnt see past her hair, she knew the other person had made a small attempt to approach her. It would probably be smartest for you to keep your distance... Kane thought to herself, giving off a distinct, unfriendly air that said just that.

"Do you want me to help, or are you just going to limp around like that forever?" The words made Kane's lip curl as she looked over shoulder and snapped, "What the hell do you know?" comparatively quiet to what it could have been. It wasnt as though the State Alchemist knew what it was like to move without total support from one of her legs. "I'm doing fine, anyway." Kane said, a bit less aggressively than before. Turning back to look at the ground, she moved again, the painfully slow shuffle causing a bit of a sound through the night air.

Work, you piece of junk... Kane thought vehemently. With any luck, the crack would have been just the exterior, but if that was the case, why wasnt her leg still functioning? Probably something with the nerve connections...maybe the important ones got dislocated... she thought, wondering how she could move her leg to reconnect them...despite the fact standing up was not quite the ideal position to something so painful.

[anime1dragon8]

Sarah sighed and shook her head, letting the other go. 'She won't last long.' Sarah still wondered what happened to the teen, but decided not to press tonight. She turned around.

"I might not be an engineer, but at least I knoe how to take care of my automail. I might have been able to help you, but since you obviously hate me, I think I'll go." And with that Sarah started to make her way home for the second time that night. But then again...

Sarah just couldn't leave her to die, which she certainly would if she stayed like that anywhere in Centriel, let alone Lab 5. So, hating herself for being so damn persistant, she turned around for a third time and began to trail the girl from a distance to make sure that she didn't hurt herself anymore that she already had.

[kane]

Sighing with relief as the State Alchemist turned, Kane made her way quietly, but slowly, through the night. Her mind was pre-occupied with walking as naturally as possible, and keeping her guard up. She wasnt concentrating on making sure nobody was tailing her - despite the fact she should have been to satisfy her absurd paranoia.

"I might not be an engineer, but at least I know how to take care of my automail. I might have been able to help you, but since you obviously hate me, I think I'll go." The words still sat in her mind. Kane had rolled her eyes at the statement. That woman was too sensitive. That or she clearly thought of the worst possible thing when the slightest thing went wrong. Kane didnt hate her. She hardly had an opinion of her. The first impression was based on knowing she was a State Alchemist, and how well - or not - their conversation had gone. Sure she was a bit annoyed, but not enough to form a solid opinion.

She must think Im an idiot, too... Kane thought, curling her lip. Its not that I dont know how to care for my automail, its merely that I lack the means to. However, I've managed for years. Ill keep managing. Ill figure out whats wrong with my leg and do what I can to fix it. Not that difficult... she thought, continuing to trudge on.

She had walked for a long while before she finally rounded the corner into the unlit, desolate alleyway surrounded by abandoned buildings - not another soul in sight. Leaning against a box, she sighed slightly to rest. Due to the off balance, the port of her right leg and her right hip had begun to ache terribly. All she needed was to rest for a short while before she headed in for the night.

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[anime1dragon8]

Sarah glanced aroung the corner of the alley, wondering if it was OK for her to leave the other there or not. 'I really should go home and sleep, maybe Janette could... no, Janette would freak out and take her in or something. I have to stay here.' Sarah then curled up a little, a few feet from the entrance so that if the girl came out she probably wouldn't see her.

'I really don't know why I'm doing this, she's just another street rat. No, she's not. She and I seem too similar almost. I just hope she dosn't kill me if she fings me. Yet again, that will be hard for her to do when her atomail's not working right.'

[kane]

Kane had relaxed, given that she was no longer stressing her joints to walk. What had happened to her leg? Sliding to the ground, Kane placed her hands near her knee and forcibly straightened the limb. Rolling her pantleg up past the knee, Kane leaned over, using what little light was available to see the rusted silver metal. After minor inspection, she found the calf portion of the leg had cracked in the center, where the metal was thinnest.

That was probably the loud crack I heard... she thought. But then...what caused my leg to loose the ability to move...? she wondered. She turned her leg yet again. That was odd. The black covering on the back of her knee - where it was left exposed and uncovered by metal so the joint was bendable, seemed more stretched than normal. That was odd. Placing her hands below the knee joint, Kane hooked her fingers into the crevices of the plate on her shin and pulled the automail towards her slightly.

The effect was not immediate, but a small jerk of the limb towards Kane - a very slight change, and hardly noticeable - brought powerful results. Pain rocketed through the limb and from the port, making Kane sit back and barely clasp her teeth around an exclamation of the pain she was feeling. A strangled sound still escaped her mouth as she slumped against the wall. Sure enough, the nerves in her leg had been disconnected..although, luckily not all of them.

Judging by the amount of pain from that limb, Kane guessed that about three-quarters of the nerves had been reconnected, not the entire thing. She leaned against the wall, panting, and trying to get her breath back from the gasp that had accompanied the nerve connection. She slowly rolled her pantleg back down and leaned forward slightly, angling her face towards the ground.

A few minutes later, once she had calmed physically and mentally, she was apt enough to pay more attention to her surroundings.

Snapping her eyes open, she was met with the horrifying realization that somebody was in very close proximity to her. Although she didnt spring to her feet to run anywhere, she remained on edge while seated. She had already lead whomever close enough to where she stayed, she didnt want to risk being seen entering the abandoned building via a transmuted door. "Whoever followed me here..." Kane said, loud enough for a small echo to be produced. "I demand that you show yourself if you know whats good for you. If you know whats better, you'll start walking away and forget about this abandoned alley."

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[anime1dragon8]

After a while Sarah heard a hiss of pain from the alley and got up. Then the teen spoke. "Whoever followed me here.... I demand that you show yourself if you know whats good for you. If you know whats better, you'll start walking away and forget about this abandoned alley." Well shit, shit and triple shit. She knew. Now, the question was, to leave or not to leave.

She chose not to leave. She threw her hood over her head, not that it was much of a disguise, and leaned it against the wall, hoping that the girl didn't notice she was there when he came out.

[kane]

Remaining tense, Kane forced herself to stand up, wincing with the pain that was only slowly fading from her leg. She clenched her fists by her side and slowly walked towards the entrance to the alley. She was glad that she had not yet tried entering the small 'place' she stayed. Every time she got back to wherever she stayed, she made a door to both enter and exit, so that nobody but her knew exactly where it was.

She set her jaw in a frown before stepping forward to walk - more evenly now, though still somewhat slow because of the nerve connection only seconds earlier - out of the alley and more into the light. She turned to her left, where she sensed the presence of somebody else. Turning and planting her feet, she crossed her arms, glaring through her bangs at the hooded figure. "You should have left when I told you to." she growled. "I dont take kindly to people that follow me."

She paused, before adding.

"Luckily for you im feeling generous. You can still get away while im standing like this."

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[anime1dragon8]

Sarah sighed and stood up. So she had recognized her. Not that Sarah had had any doubt that she wouldn't, she was a smart girl after all. But still, this would now get interesting. She flicked off her hood and grinned. "And now why would I want to do that. I'm just trying to make sure you don't hurt yourself anymore tonight, that's all."

Of course, she knew what was coming. After all the times she had bugged this girl she was probably going to want to fight. And even though Sarah wanted her to trust her the old fashioned way, earning trust in a fight worked too.