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[Thugren]

as you both go outside, you see zero leaning agasint the wall. He looks up mindfully as you come out, and you can see his hand is split open, revealing various wicked blades, and serrated edges.

 

His posture said it all.

 

"Are you ready?"

 

he looks at his hand and shows a serrated knife. He holds up a peice of paper, showing the symbol of a gang.

[Oce]

Vale didn't flinch at the blades jutting out of Zero's hand, even though she could easily imagine blood coating the metal. She had seen Zero in combat once, she knew very well how quickly he could kill a person; how easily he could kill her. Yet she wasn't afraid of the doll. He had shown Vale too much kindness for her to imagine those sharp weapons pointed at her. Though one could easily argue that she was simply being naive, and Chalice was one of those who believed she was being naive, Vale nearly reached out and touched Zero's cheek, just to see if his posture would crack at all. But Chalice's touch on the small of her back grounded her, keeping her from staring at Zero with childlike curiosity. 

 

"Of course," Vale replied softly, examining the symbol for a moment before dropping her gaze. It was easier for her to speak to Zero, than a complete stranger. 

[Thugren]

Zero reaches out tenderly , touching her cheek as his hands snap closed.

Neither of them could possibly understand the doll or his mannerisms , an enigma whono one truely understood except for the mistress who created him. His heart ached for the little girl, and even without his mistresses favor, he would protect vale with all of his being, even if it cast him into the dark.

Letting vale go, zero turns and heads outside, heading into the alleys

[Oce]

Vale visibly calmed down at the contact, even as Chalice jerked away as if burned. For a moment, it wasn't as if they were going to decapitate a gang leader, or even protecting the brothel's girls. For just those few precious seconds, they were just existing, uninjured and alive. Though after Zero pulled away, a vague sense of jealousy was rubbing at her, causing her to glance backwards at Chalice, who stood stiffly behind her. 

 

It wasn't as if Chalice hated Zero, she simply didn't trust him. She knew so much more about Vale than Zero did, but Vale knew more about him than she knew about Chalice. They hadn't gotten a chance to just sit and talk yet; Chalice was just a stranger with semi-trustable vibes. It was frustrating being useless, but there was little Chalice would be able to do for the girl. So she simply stood back, jaw clenched and gaze on the ground as Zero calmed Vale. 

 

But the uncomfortable feeling made Vale reach behind her, seeking Chalice's hand. It was a small reassurance, cool fingers looping around hers. 

[Thugren]

In zeros mind , he could see that chalice disliked him.

Good.

He thought to himself as he moved amping the streets , ignoring the rain that began to fall.

In a world of cruelty , he was the most cruel creature in existence. A Swiss armory knife forced to exist with emotion but never speak . To watch the woman he loved picked apart like a corpse constantly. This was the message he was leaving chalice. The message he hoped she was taking. The gir needed somone like him, and the doll needed to become him very quickly lest she be left behind . Ignoring the creaking of his joints zero jumps into a walkway above them and peeks through a window , four figures inside sitting around a tv with the same symbol from the fan symbol he had shown vale on the wall.

Tutting quietly he motions at chalice to bring vale upstairs to a small nook and holds his hand out for the box. His pasture saying.
“ it’s time to do this.”

[Oce]

Chalice nodded, expressionless, as she nudged Vale in the direction of the stairs as the kid had glanced inside for half a second before ducking away. These men were about to be killed. They were bad people, Vale told herself to keep herself from feeling bad for them. They deserved this, and this time she didn't have to pull the trigger since her doll was sentient. 

 

Chalice handed over the box stiffly, her eyes locked on Vale as she quietly climbed towards the nook. 

[Thugren]

Smiling, zero opens his palm, and a small humanoid figure made of string and needles hops from his hand and walks over to vale.

It bows like a show man and pops a small little top hat on its head, bowing as it used a needle as a cane.

Once vale is preoccupied , zero turns and smashes through the window , making the men scream and jump up, responding with gunfire that tears at his porcelain like flesh .

“ the fuck is that thing?!”

One of the men yell as he reloads the clip, nervously firing again as zeroes arm snaps open, revealing a long blade.

The other three men quickly recover and grab weapons , fanning out in front of zero and trembling

[Oce]

Vale was enthralled with the little makeshift marionette, most of her mind wandering to the specifications of the little guy. Being automated suggested a tiny core, but the actions were simple enough that it could just be a mechanism... It was almost enough to distract her from the fight about to take place, or at least until the sound of shattering glass filled the alley. She flinched, pressing further against the wall to remain out of sight, nudging the little figure closer carefully. 

 

Chalice shot one last glance towards Vale to ensure that the kid was out of sight before hopping through the window after Zero, leaving the other doll more than enough room to maneuver with his blades as she advanced further into the room, sticking somewhat close to the wall. In the very least she would be able to split the men's focus.

[Thugren]

the figure waves the makeshift cane around carefully, and begins doing the same motion of a can can dancer, going through a whole routine as it starts doing handstands and flares.

 

hearing chalice one in behind him, zero lunges at the man who hasnt recovered, bringing the blade around in a whistling arc, and barely missing his face as the man rolls over the sofa out of reach. 

 

THe other three jump onto the dolls back and begin to stab at him, hollering in confusion and anger, ther weapons breaking and flying away as zero tries to push himself up on his hands

[Oce]

The anxiety that tightened Vale's chest couldn't be quelled by the amusement the figure brought, but it gave her something to focus on rather than looking around and spooking herself with shadows. Zero and Chalice would be fine, she would be fine.. Though the men downstairs would be killed. She tried to refocus on the core of the miniature doll. There would be no point in attaching a human soul in it, so it had to simply be an extension of Zero himself. Materials from himself, or... 

 

Chalice rolled her eyes at the humans' shortsightedness, a blade of her own popping out of one of her forearms, which she stepped forward to slash at the backs of the three men. "Come on, get off of him... I wanna play too.."

[Thugren]

the figure hops into vales hand and you can see, it is in fact, a tiny core. Something impossibly small, but crafted with masterful quality....S i it was something made long ago in an age now lost.

 

-- the attack completely severs one of the mens spine and he falls over, screaming in pain as zero reaches up and grabs the scruff of one of the mens necks, using his handhold to slam the poor boy into the arm of the seat, disjointing his vertebrata and leaving him folded over the chair like a broken doll.

the other two men jujmp away from their two broken comrades, and zero points to the man screaming on the floor, indicating that was the target they needed.

 

He makes a point to look from the man thats on the floor and to the men left alive as if asking.

 

"What do yo want to do." 

[Oce]

Chalice shrugged indifferently at Zero's question, barely suppressing a chuckle at the the spineless man, and her own stupid joke, before releasing a sigh and looking at the last two men standing. "They got grabby and hurt some innocents, so ... Let's break their hands?" She shrugged again, considering it further. It seemed like a reasonable idea. 

[Thugren]

The men hear this and break into a run as zero rolls his eyes. He points to the paralyzed man on the floor and makes a cutting motion with his hand as he leaves the room.

The wounded man screams and moves his head in terror, but his ruined body refuses to move.

“ please don’t kill me! I beg you!”

He pleads .


————

Thevlittle showman holds his pipe like a flute and soon a soft melody of iitsy bittsy spider can be heard, the tiny little doll moving side to side like it was a marching band

[Oce]

Chalice sighed as the men fleed, muttering "Cowards," under her breath. She nodded at Zero before crouching next to the leader's head, looking down at him indifferently. "You're begging? I wonder... Did those girls beg as you grabbed them?" She tilted her head, waiting for an answer, though disgust caused a small sneer to form. He was pathetic. 

 

Vale smiled slightly at the display, allowing herself to relax marginally against the brick wall. She had realized that it was a safety measure of sorts as soon as Zero had offered him, so she knew she wasn't forgotten about. They would be out in just a little while longer. She wouldn't be abandoned in this tiny alley. 

[Thugren]

the mans eyes begin to roll from the shock from the shock of his spine shattering and he twitches.

 

the little pin man cocks his head, as if hearing her thoughts , and soon he lifts the pin up, sending a small shower of sparks into the sky above them

[Oce]

Chalice sighed, clicking her tongue as she brought up her blade and began cleaving away at his neck, indifferent to the blood that splattered on her. Perhaps she'd get to spend time with Vale, alone, after this. It would clear the air between them, and Chalice would be able to develop her own opinion based on her own interactions with the girl.

 

Vale giggled quietly at the sparks, gently poking at the figure's side.

[Thugren]

The figure holds up its pin and makes a loud .

“ dododo rooooo!”

And salutes, Bowing as he finishes his performance.

This however holds the fact that the man inside has been decapitated, and as chalice finishes her grisly work zero returns and tosses her the box, and a towel to clean up.

Good work.”

He signs at her, hopping out the way they had cane and making his way to vale, crouching in front of the figure as the Sigurd fires sparks at him like a wizard

[Oce]

Vale clapped politely, the sound barely audible because the sounds below had died down which meant that the dolls were likely finished and coming back out momentarily. Murmuring a quiet "Thank you," to the figure, she leaned back against the wall, reasonably calm. Shango had told her that she had to learn how to pretend. It felt like she was reliant on others to keep her outwardly calm, which was counterproductive. Sighing, she looked up at Zero approaching, the footsteps startling her. 

 

Smiling just barely, she briefly wondered if the little figure was pretending to fend Zero off. 

 

Meanwhile Chalice tugged the head away from the body by the hair, dropping it into the box with a grimace before wiping the blood from her face. Vale wouldn't react well to the iron scented doll, she knew blood made her anxious. Which... Didn't Vale go off to comfort a bloody Zero just the day prior? Gritting her teeth, Chalice cleaned up to the best of her ability before dropping the bloodied towel on the corpse and carrying the box out the window.

[Thugren]

the figure blasts xeroes eye and he recoils , huffing as iff annoyed but chuckling as the small golem climbs up vales shirt and sits on her shirt , its tiny legs folded as zero motions for vale to follow, pointing to chalice who is coming from the room.

 

 

"clapping to get the attention of those assebmbled, zero holds his hand out to vale and poiunts to the fire escape, indicating it was time to go

[Oce]

Vale doesn't quite laugh at the mock assault that played out in front of her, but amusement gleams in her eyes as a part of her finally calms again. No one had been injured, or at least neither one of Vale's dolls. Or.. The girl's brow furrowed at the thought. Zero was technically created by Shango, which was fine. But he felt like a friend to her. Were they friends? Did she finally have a friend that wasn't obligated like Chalice was? 

 

The little figure climbing onto her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts, the cool metal of the needles the only thing that prevented her from flinching at Zero's abrupt clapping. Jumping to her feet, she hurried down the fire escape where Chalice was waiting, blood still smudged on her cheek and her clothes. She felt a shudder run up her back as her eyes landed on the bloodied box, momentarily freezing on the fire escape. There was no doubt in her mind that a decapitated head was contained within.