Lamenting Ghosts
Gradually the students vacated the classroom, leaving behind only silence which the two veterans shared. Yet this silence was not one of tranquility and peace but lament, much a kin to the silence at a funeral. A desolate, helpless silence. A phantom ache.
It's been two years, how have you been? Such would have been Geko's reply but the man's lips refused to part, whether out of fear or regret he himself did not know. And so the Lost Number merely stood, lighting a cigar and occasionally staring at Joux's leg.
"Damn it, stop pitying me," The instructor replied to Geko's unsaid words, his tone calm and content. "I was after all your pupil, even with one leg short I can still beat you in a race old man."
"You have always dreamed too big, kid," LXIX finally spoke; his tone laced in self-loathing, as he exhaled a cloud of smoke and watched it disperse and fade.
"You need to stop blaming yourself old man, those four were monsters," Joux's hand cringed with the very mention of those who had crippled him. "There were far too many who got it much worse than me, poor bastards", he scoffed blaming A.M.R.O in his thoughts.
Regret was a common emotion for someone who had served A.M.R.O for as long as Geko had and every Asylum had to familiarize themselves in the art of caging away their skeletons. What do you do when the cage is rattled? What do you do when it is unlocked?
"You weren't meant to be there, baiting them was my task. Why did you disobey orders damnit, you should have left me to my fate!" There was a helpless ferocity in the man's trembling tone.
"Hey old man, want to know Man's greatest frustration? When we don't have future's foresight, we have the ability to change the present.......and when we have the knowledge of hindsight, we must live in the present created by the consequence of that knowledge."
"This place isn't good for you kid, you should take my advice and find a nice girl and have kid or five," the lecherous expression which crept its way on his face made the message clear, 'get laid'.
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Just a Normal Day in The Cafeteria
Nothing says relaxation than a hot cup of well blended tea, Joux mused as he slowly limped his way towards an empty table, the tea cup trembling in his right hand.
The anticipation of tasting the first sip made it all the worthwhile, the chair being the only object of interest for the instructor. His limping pace quickened, his heart pounding to fulfill the true mission of this dreary day.
Almost......Almost thereYesThe instructor finally found himself standing beside the chair, a sense of triumph overwhelming him, "Fina-", with only the first four words thought he found himself being nudged by a woman who had apparently been punched.
The next few minutes the Asylum merely observed the ongoing stupidity with a twitch in his eyes, not at the pain from having his tea spilled over his head but at the fact of having his tea...spilled.
In a matter of minutes the locking of fists had turned into the locking of lips, twice. Hard to imagine how they could have ignored their instructor standing there with his impeccable hair ruined.
"Where do you think you are going you brat!" The man slowly turned to face the gauntlet girl who appeared rather familiar.
"...You...what in God's name are you doing back here!" He sighed as he hurled his cane across the wall in front of him, ricocheting it and striking Vail at the back of her hand.
"You spell bad luck for me,” he sighed while rubbing his brows. Now that he thought about his accusation was rather accurate, as far as memory serves Vail and her partner were among his first students two years ago, saying Vail was a problem child was a severe understatement. By some twisted universal phenomena whenever something unfortunate would happen to Joux, Vail would in some way be involved.
Satan spawn he concluded, under his breath.
“I was going to wait for our first official lesson to begin, but without my tea I suppose some dejavu is in order you and your kissing cohorts,” a vengeful smirk spread across the instructor’s face, his tone maniacal. A devious ploy was in the work and the first step of its execution was performed by the tapping of his cane. With that motion a forceful shockwave cleared the cafeteria chairs and tables, the stage had been set.
“Rules are simple; it is all of you….against me, the objective being you have to knock me down and do try not to die.” As Joux explained the intricacies of this little exercise he appeared to be collecting pennies from his wallet and pockets, by the time he had finished a total of seventy pennies were accumulated between the fingers of his right hand.
“Think fast,” the instructor jeered as five pennies were hurled across the walls, each darting across the room, aimed at student’s forehead.
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“You newbies do know I am still here right?” Ben retorted, clearly irritated at how many people ended up cluttering around him and how many times the topic changed, from his well being, to mmos, to God knows what.
“I know it must be daunting, staring at one who is your upper classman but please hold your enthusiasm, I will surely bequeath my vast intellect onto you simple folk.” The kid spoke, his fingers brushing his hair back so that all may stare in awe at his majesty.
“Oh my, look at the precious little munchkins!” A high pitched voice, almost a scream echoed as a charging figure approached the group of kids who had gathered around Ben. Leaving a trail of dust behind her in what could be said super speed the figure approached the children in mere seconds. A woman of mid thirties, though by her features one would expect her to be younger, leapt towards the hatchlings, the aftermath a tangled mess.
The woman had appeared to have fallen on top of Renault and Kiara and held Oman, Bits, Sparks in her embrace; though in all respect by the sheer force with which she cuddled them one may call it a sleeper hold.
“They are so adorable, just look at them!” The woman exclaimed, her excitement almost amusing as she twirled around, entangled among student. “Can we keep one, but I want them all. Let’s just steal them, A.M.R.O won’t notice, even if they do, they won’t argue with me?” The woman begged, her eyes staring in front of her longingly like a purring kitten wanting her ball of yarn.
“Please don’t mind my partner; she gets a little carried away when she meets children. You see we don’t have any kids of our own so you may have to bear with her antics,” Geko mumbled embarrassingly, an awkward smile on his face.
“Wait…..’kids of our own’..”, Ben repeated what his instructor had just said, requiring a moment of pause to process the implication. “What the fuck, you are telling me a lecherous geezer like you is married to this bomb shell?” The kid suddenly exploded, screaming at the top of his voice in disbelief.
“You realize this lecherous geezer is a Lost Number….and now I want you to think real hard about this……what is the partner of a Lost Number called?” Geko replied, his pace slow enough so stress on each word and syllable.
“Oh fuck.....me” Were Bens only words before the boy began limping away, making an escape from the hound that had begun chasing him once more.
Konan375
Fallenreaper