Unleash the Devil [Ethan]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

July 26, 2010
--

At sunset, a brown blob emerges from the alley way near the corner of Palmetto and Main. Actually, not really a blob... just the hunched over form of Loru Vega, Destiny Islands' resident schizo. She had the back of her coat pulled up over her head. She shuffled along the sidewalk with her coat and dress dragging behind her, muttering to herself as per usual.

"Today is important, Buttons, today is the day of the day in the day today,[/color]" she muttered. She was quiet for a moment, listening to her voices. She suddenly straightened up and pointed a finger at the street lamp as it flickered on. "It's time for that![/color]" she shrieked, using one hand to keep her jacket over her head. She lapsed into a trance, staring at the lamp. Her mouth fell open, eyes glazed over and a low humming noise came from her mouth. "Hmmmm...mmm...mmmmOOH,[/color]" she said, suddenly snapping out of it. She turned her head and stared at the street. Someone was coming. A new friend... or one of Them? She turned to completely face the person walking up the street, giggling to herself quietly. Manically.

[Aerith]

Not quite what I expected to find here.
--------

Even he needed a vacation every once in a while.

Destiny Islands was well-known for its tranquil beaches and generally relaxed atmosphere. The people were friendly and open to tourists, though this attitude stemmed in part from knowing that vacationers boosted the local economy. Not that there was anything commercialized about this place, which made one wonder just where all this revenue went...

Ah, there I go again. Perhaps this is one time I don't have to be so analytical. This is a vacation, after all.

Ethan had just watched the famously breathtaking sunset from an isolated portion of the beach. But now, night had fallen, and the sound of the ocean waves was diverting for only so long. A walk through the town was in order. The streets were deserted at this point.

Or perhaps not as deserted as he had thought.

Beneath a streetlamp, a rather bedraggled looking woman sat watching him. And she was laughing to herself. A feeling of madness hung in the air. Intriguing.

"Good evening," he said politely. He gave free reign to his aura as he neared the woman.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Flying cats isn't nearly as weird as it gets.
--

Loru glanced up at the sky like she was unaware it was evening. She thought about that for a minute, her eyes jumping from the sky to the street lamp to Ethan. She had perfected being able to look at someone in the eye without actually making eye contact, focusing a little over to the side. The result was a bit eerie. She couldn't focus for very long though, moving her head to track Buttons as he flew past her head.

She shuffled towards him, letting her coat fall back onto her shoulders. It slid off on one side, revealing her bare shoulder. She didn't bother pushing up back up, just kept walking towards him with that manic giggle.

This man was different. He was like her. She could feel it. Buttons was telling her.
LuLu...hE's tHe OnE. gEt hIm bEfOrE ThEy dO, LuLu...
Should I kill him so he stays with me? Should I see if his blood is red like Lulu's?

Buttons didn't like this suggestion. Loru yelped as the hallucinatory cat scratched at her bare shoulder, and she slapped a hand over it. She glared at Ethan for a moment, but only a moment before regaining her loopy smile. "This is Lulu,[/color]" she said. "That's me, Buttons, I'm Lulu... and you're Lulu's friend?[/color]"

Something was getting through the tangled mess in her head. Something that made her like this man, made her feel safe. He wasn't one of Them.

[Aerith]

A possible souvenir?
--------

Poor creature. Were the dregs of pity stirring somewhere in his soul? Clearly, the woman was mad. The way she looked at him while not actually looking at him told him as much. Her eyes kept flitting off elsewhere, following shapes visible only to her. Clothes clung to her body in very unflattering ways. She was a complete mess.

An odd yet so very interesting mess.

Somewhere amidst the almost incoherent babble, Ethan caught a name. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lulu." He smiled and it was completely friendly. "My name is Ethan. Ethan Hargrave."

Even if she remembered his name once the sun had risen, it would simply be reduced to another link in the chain of her insane ramblings. No one here knew of him. Not yet, anyway. He had chosen to leave Destiny Islands alone for many years.

"Are you looking for a friend, Lulu?" What use could he possibly have for such a deranged game piece? She might prove her worth given a little time. "You don't have any other friends?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

She loves freaking people out like this.
--

She didn't so much want a friend as much as she wanted this man to stay with her because she felt... safe. Loru really had no interest in making relationships, only collecting people she became attached to. Whether or not they had to be alive for that was up for debate...

The redhead fiddled with the sleeves of her coat, gaze flitting around. Had she heard what he'd asked? Maybe, maybe not. Something was happening, something that had her attention. There was a shadow following Ethan. She tilted her head, focusing on that. For a moment, she went completely still instead of fidgeting and steadily stared at the shadow behind him as it began to solidify and form...someone else.

A shudder ran through her and she leaned down to pick up Buttons. "That girl is pretty. Who is she, is she yours?[/color]" she muttered, seemingly speaking to the invisible cat in her arms. However, she continued. "I asked if she was yours? Ethanethanethan, I'm talking to you, to you I'm talking you.[/color]"

She snapped her head up, looking past Ethan and towards the ghost that had formed behind him.

[Aerith]

Who?
--------

Lulu wasn't looking at him anymore. No, her gaze had strayed beyond him. At first, he assumed it was another of her psychotic behaviors come to the surface, and therefore, he paid it no mind. She bent down to retrieve another invisible something in her arms and talked to it for a moment.

Hm? A girl?

Casually, he glanced over his shoulder, but of course, there was no one there. It must have been a hallucination of Lulu's. Rather than deride her for her condition, however, Ethan gave her a patient look.

"I don't have anyone with me. It must have been a passerby."

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Dead girlfriends? Yeah.
--

"Oh, no, no no nononono... she's not,[/color]" Loru said. There was an odd quality to the words, like a warning. Buttons dissolved, and she dropped her arms. "She's not a passerby. Look, look, she's still standing right behind her like the always do now and again every once in a while. She's so pretty.[/color]"

She spoke directly to the spirit now, wide green eyes totally unblinking. "What's your name? Is it Elizabeth? Saaaamantha? Applesorangeskiwilemon? Or maybe... Sophia?[/color]"

Sophia seemed to get some kind of affect from the spirit, and so Loru nodded her head quickly. "It's Sophia, Sophiasophiesophie,[/color]" she said in a singsong voice, clasping her hands together and swaying back and forth. "She's come for a visit, Ethan. Come for a visit from way, way, way out there where's she's from most of the time.[/color]"

She bobbed her head, covering her ears with her hands as there was a bombardment of voices, hundreds of voices clambering to her attention. The affect was like feedback or nails on a chalkboard. Sophia's voice was loudest. Loru relayed the information.

"She says she's lonely,[/color]" Loru said, finally lifting her head. Her gaze flittered up into the sky and she tried to count all the stars. She was silent for a moment, counting and listening. "They hurt her, Ethan. They hurt her. Talking and talking and talking and she just couldn't take it anymore and she's sorry but They were talking...[/color]"

[Aerith]

...
--------

When he heard that name, Ethan froze. How could she possibly...? She knew. Lulu knew about Sophia.

He turned to look at the empty air behind him. The more words Lulu relayed from his dead beloved, the greater the swirling tide of emotion that rose in his chest. Her ring suddenly felt like the weight of an entire planet, threatening to pull him straight through the ground into hell. Or some equivalent realm of suffering.

Was she beckoning him to join her? He couldn't do that, as much as he might want to. At least, he could not send himself to her side now. Suicide was not an option. Not that he thought of her any less for what she had done. He did not fault her.

I know, Sophie. Dear, dear Sophie. I know they hurt you. I won't let any of them live in stability after what they did.

What was he supposed to say now? Words were useless. He would give anything right now to be able to touch her. Just some of her hair between his fingers. He was not asking for much.

"I'm... I'm sorry, too. I wish so fervently that I could have done something to stop them. You didn't deserve any part of their ridicule." She had been so far above them all. They had murdered a goddess.

I love you with my every breath, Sophia. I will not rest until every last one of those people understands what they did, unwittingly or otherwise.

Was he talking to Sophia or Lulu now? The line was so blurred. What if she didn't really see the ghost? No, she knew that name and knew about the gossip. Something was happening here.

"Lulu..." He turned back to the red-headed woman. "I do not know what is happening, but... thank you."

For once in a long while, he was absolutely sincere.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

I'm trying.
--

Loru didn't quite grasp the concept of gratitude, so she didn't say anything. The spirit left and it didn't bother Loru one bit. She just went on like nothing had happened, wringing her hands and bobbing her head... listening to the voices. And the voices were telling Loru that Ethan had to stay.

She glanced up, already plotting on how to get him to stay with her. All of her 'friends' before had gotten away from her. Axel, Lanying... she didn't want to lose another one. Should I kill him, kill Ethan, kill Sophiesophie... she thought, rambling just as much inside her head as she did when she spoke. Brief images flashed through her mind...blood, torture, screaming, the usual. She grinned. That would be nice, but Buttons didn't like that idea and had already clawed her once. He was circling around her legs, ready to claw again if Loru didn't obey.

hE lIkEd iT wHeN yOu tAlKeD to sOpHiEsOpHiE, Lulu. nO oNe hAs eVeR lIkEd it... eThAn iS gOod. tElL hIm aBoUt It....

She bobbed her head and then abruptly ran up to Ethan, wringing her hands in front of her. "Do you like her? I can talk to her, you know, when she comes here. You can't. That's okay, you aren't bad because of that,[/color]" she rambled. "Lulu is bad sometimes but now Lulu is good. And then, and then, and then... you're my friend aren't you? You won't leave Lulu?[/color]"

What she was trying to express is that if Ethan stayed, then he could (in a way at least) talk to Sopia again. Yes, she was trying to bribe him. If it worked, great, but she had to spit it out in a way that he could understand.

She stumbled over her words for several minutes, looking at her shoes and Ethan's coat and the sky and the lamp posts, spouting random nonsense in a desperate attempt to get her mouth on track with her brain. The concept was there but... "Please stay. I have Sophia.[/color]"

That was the only coherent thing she could form, and then she just stood there, waiting for him to reply.

[Aerith]

Such odd company.
--------

He watched Lulu for a long time, watched her run circles in her mind. She finally approached him and meekly explained to him what she could do for him.

It was so very tempting. To be able to hear from Sophia would not only stave off his occasional spirals into grief, but it would also fuel his desire to see everything burn. She would be a constant reminder of why he did what he did.

However, staying on Destiny Islands was not an option. Even if he decided to unleash his full fury upon the few permanent residents here, eventually it would not be enough. He would grow bored and restless. No, he could not remain here.

But Sophia...

He looked down, watching the woman wring her hands. "I cannot stay here, Lulu. But..." This was risky. She was unstable, but she seemed calm enough around him. It was probably the aura.

"Would you like to come with me?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Something different.
--

Loru started walking. She walked a few steps to one side, then back again. She was thinking, or trying to think at any rate. The voices were loud, all in a tizzy over this new development.

He wants you to go, Loru...
Lulu, Lulu, go on, go with him, it's not safe here, he's safe, he's safe, not safe here...
They'll find you here, Lulu. Just think, think about everything that's happened. They're closing in, They're going to find you...

Buttons, as usual, was the loudest. He curled on her shoulders, lounging around her neck more like a ferret than a cat. He pawed at her ear, scratching her until she whimpered. She slapped at the side of her head, trying to get him to stop but he wouldn't until she did what he said.

"What do you want me to do, Buttons?[/color]" she asked, angrily. "Tell me, I'll do it, Lulu will do it but you have to tell me, Buttons. Tell me.[/color]"

gO wItH hIm, Lulu. YoU mUsT gO wiTh hIm oR elSe. nO oNe eLsE wAnTs YoU, Lulu, ExCepT tHeM. tHeY aRe cLoSiNg iN on You. nO oNe wAnTs yOu, YoU are BaD, bAd Lulu.

In her mind, going with Ethan was the only way to escape the thing that was chasing her. With all of the bad things that had happened to her lately... losing Axel and all the others she'd tried to make stay with her... They were getting closer. She couldn't let them find her and so she decided she could go with Ethan. She liked him. She felt safe with him. He wouldn't let Them hurt her, would he?

She nodded rapidly and Buttons dissipated. When she spoke next, she seemed almost sane. Maybe it was a break in her psychosis. "I'd like to go with you, please.[/color]"

[Aerith]

Oh, the places we'll go.
--------

To others, Lulu's strange antics might come off as weird or annoying or downright frightening. Ethan found some amusement in them. Though, there was some pity mixed in, as well. She was like a sad kitten left on the side of the road in the pouring rain.

When she told him she wanted to come with him, however, she sounded perfectly normal. Even her speech pattern was altered to something more mature and less childlike. Surely, this wasn't another effect of the aura. He had never known it to do something like this. Of course, he had never run into anyone like Lulu before.

"You may, if you don't mind my company. I usually travel alone."

And if he grew tired of her or if she got too out of control? He would release her on some other world. Perhaps one with a larger population.

"I think I've had enough vacationing." He turned in the direction of his ship and glanced over his shoulder at her. "Just follow me."

He was going to walk away then, but he paused and turned back toward her, offering her a hand. Perhaps it was that stray kitten feeling he was getting from her, but he didn't want her to wander off en route to the ship.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Is it safe here?
--

She twisted away from his offered hand, reluctant to touch unless she was doing the touching. Otherwise, it would out of her control and he might hurt her. Maybe not part of her psychosis, but definitely psychological... probably having to do with her five years (or was it more?) in that institution. They didn't mistreat her there, but the voices didn't like it when the doctors tried to get rid of them.

And then there was the electroshock...

It all lead up to her refusing to take Ethan's hand. Surprisingly enough, she followed dutifully behind him and behind her followed Buttons and her other hallucinations, and a few lingering spirits. Sophia was not among them now. After a walking a little ways, they reached his ship, she poked her head inside and hesitantly entered. She was used to walking the whole city, but this environment was new.

It took her several minutes to actually move out of the entrance way, and when she did she went and found the darkest corner of the room and sat down in it, pulling her coat back over her head. She didn't do anything else, just sat in the corner with her face to the wall.

[Aerith]

Where shall we visit next?
--------

Ethan had expected her not to take his hand, but at least she followed him while he lead her back to his ship. She was strangely quiet, not talking even to Buttons. He watched, amused, as she curiously stuck her head into his ship, then picked out the darkest corner to sit in.

And still, she said nothing. That coat went over her head, and she made no other moves or sounds.

Was he an idiot for inviting her along? Was this an action born purely out of a moment of weakness? Time would tell. For now, he had picked up a new pet. He would be kind to her, of course. Someone who could communicate with the dead was quite valuable to him.

Where to go next, though? He wasn't sure how this arrangement was going to work, either. Would she be content to stay on the ship while he did his work in the worlds? Or would she prove to be a cumbersome burden by following him around and making it impossible for him to get anything accomplished?

On the way to the pilot's chair, he loosened his tie and undid the top two buttons of his shirt. Time to let chance dictate where they ended up next.