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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 1, 2017 4:24:17 GMT
Things in Bellerouge were quiet. And that was saying something.
It had been over a month since the prison break and most of the escaped criminals had been apprehended once more but the city had only recently calmed down and started to relax. With the new Others prison, the public felt a sense of relief that it hadn't attained in a long time and the Bellerouge Police Department was no longer overflowing with unfinished cases.
Be that as it may, some of the more dangerous criminals still hadn't been captured and some of the BPD officers were still hard at work.
Along the shore of the Antoinette River a solitary figure stood within the shade of a willow oak tree, watching the water slowly float by. To anyone who saw him, it might appear that he was doing nothing important or taxing in any way, but despite appearances he was hard at work. Pitch stood and waited in silence, knowing that soon enough his Nightmares would report back to him on the hour as they had done for every hour that day. He had sent out the equine-shaped shadows to various sections of the city and it took a great deal of energy to give them shape and keep them all focused on the task he had given them; to locate the demon Thrax.
He had been working nonstop on the case since it had been assigned to him by the BPD, but despite his vested interest in capturing the crimson-hued demon he had had no luck thus far. Thrax appeared to be in hiding as of now and none of his sources had been able to direct him towards his target. Truly, it seemed almost as if Thrax had disappeared completely from Bellerouge. Almost. Standing where the darkness was thickest beneath the tree, Pitch frowned in concentration and briefly closed his eyes as let his senses venture out and take account of his Nightmares. Still nothing from any of them. |
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 1, 2017 4:40:03 GMT
When her friends had encouraged Yang to get out of the house more, she wasn't sure if this had been quite what they had imagined. They probably hadn't meant for her to be out after dark, right next to the river. But, she had ended up losing track of time, so there she was. The river didn't make her stomach churn quite as much as it used to, as long as she didn't look at the water for too long. Unpleasant memories tended to surface if she did. Then again, a lot of things around her lately tended to bring up unpleasant memories. She had so many swirling around in her head, and there were a number of ways to trigger them. So far, it seemed like the only distraction was spending time with friends, which was what her doctors wanted. But she still felt like a burden when she was around them. They worried about her so much. But being alone wasn't much better. She couldn't go for a week without getting at least one nightmare, and loud noises could still set her off if she wasn't prepared. Honestly, it felt like the only thing that was healing from what Thrax had done was the physical stuff. The mental stuff was a whole other story.
She was brought out of her thoughts when something moved in the corner of her eye. For a split second, her senses went on high alert and her adrenaline spiked. But when she caught sight of what it was, her body relaxed, slightly. It was a horse, so black that it was barely visible, with yellow eyes. And it seemed to be made of sand. Yang had only seen those twice in her life, but she knew who they belonged to. If those horses were around, then Pitch must be nearby. She spotted him under a tree, camouflaging with the darkness almost as much as the horse. Yang might not have seen him at all if she hadn't been looking for him. The question was: Should she approach him or not? She and Pitch weren't enemies by this point. That much was clear. But Yang wasn't sure if she could consider him a friend either. He had been pretty low on the list of cops that could be trusted, back when she was on the streets. But he had saved her life, and in a way, had seen what really scared her before anyone else did. That had to mean something, although Yang wasn't sure what.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 1, 2017 23:43:39 GMT
Pitch was still concentrating on communicating with his Nightmares and didn't immediately notice the figure standing a short distance away. However, it was impossible to mistake the sudden spike of fear where there had been none only a moment before. To the Terror Demon, it was almost like walking into another room and being assaulted by an overpowering scent.
He quickly opened his golden eyes and found the source of the sudden fear. Although his face still remained in an expression of concentration, he felt a flicker of surprise when he recognized the violet eyes and the blonde hair.
"Hello Miss Xiao Long."
It had been a long time since his run-in with the half-phoenix fighter, but he hadn't forgotten about her. No, Pitch always remembered a face he met no matter how long ago it had happened. And while he himself hadn't seen her again, it turned out that several of his coworkers were on friendly terms with the young woman.
So it was that he already knew about the loss of Yang's arm to Thrax. Even now seeing her suddenly standing a short distance away with the now empty right sleeve of her shirt pinned up, his face showed no surprise or awkwardness. However, the frown did deepen ever so slightly.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 2, 2017 0:11:31 GMT
For a moment, Yang felt surprise that Pitch could even sense she was nearby. Then she remembered that the guy could practically smell fear, and these days, it was with Yang everywhere she went. He'd probably be able to sense her from a mile away. He didn't seem to perturbed about the missing arm. No doubt more than a few officers knew what had happened. When tallying up the people that Thrax had hurt, her name inevitably came up every time. She wasn't sure exactly what to say in reply, so she just settled with "Hey" as she approached a little closer. "Whatcha doing out here?" She figured it was probably police work of some sort, but she had no idea what.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 2, 2017 3:00:13 GMT
Pitch watched silently as Yang walked a bit closer to the tree he stood under. Eventually, he turned his gaze back to the river although the crease between his eyes never changed.
"Waiting."
The short response didn't seem to fully answer Yang's question but before she could ask what he meant, a distant sound could be heard across the river on the far bank. It sounded like the neighing of a horse. A moment later, a single Nightmare stepped from the trees and slowly made its way across the river, its black hooves walking over the river like it was solid ground.
Pitch watched his Nightmare's slow approach but only spoke when the equine shadow stopped only a few feet from where he stood and bowed its head towards the ground.
"Report."
Immediately images and sensations flew from the Nightmare into the Terror Demon's mind and his frown deepened into a almost painful expression before relaxing slightly. There was still nothing on Thrax or his location.
"Very well. Return to your post."
The Nightmare gave another low bow before rearing up and once again galloping across the river. During this whole exchange Pitch hadn't looked at Yang once but now he turned so that he was facing her, watching with his glowing eyes but not speaking.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 2, 2017 3:21:58 GMT
Yang arched an eyebrow. Waiting for what? However, she soon got an answer when a Nightmare came bounding in. It was hard to tell if it was the same one she had seen earlier. They all tended to look the same to her. She was quiet as she watched Pitch talk to it. While it didn't respond to him verbally, she had a feeling that it was still communicating with him. Whatever it said about its report though, Pitch seemed indifferent to, if slightly disappointed. It looked like it hadn't brought news he was hoping to hear. It galloped away soon after that, leaving Pitch and Yang alone. "How many of them are out there?" she asked. She knew first-hand how fast those Nightmares could be when it came to catching criminals. They had gone after her once, and they had captured Emerald. They were hard to shake. It made sense that they'd be perfect scouts for the city.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 2, 2017 3:31:59 GMT
"In the city?"
Pitch paused for a moment as if determining if he should answer the question or not or was simply trying to calculate the exact number. Eventually he answered her question.
"As of now, roughly 200."
It wasn't easy keeping so many Nightmares focused on a single task such as this one but Pitch had mastered it over time. Still, it required a fair amount of concentration to keep the shadow horses in order while still processing all the information that they brought him. And thus far he hadn't gained much from what the Nightmares had brought him. Of course Thrax would eventually surface in the city again, but there was no telling when, where or how he would do so.
Either way, Pitch would find him.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 2, 2017 3:42:38 GMT
Yand blinked and couldn't help but utter "Dang," in astonishment. That seemed like an awful lot to keep track of. But, with the state of the city lately, maybe such a large number was needed. After all, not every criminal had been caught after the jail break. Thrax was prime evidence of that. Yang wondered if all the pressure would be enough to make him crack. Everyone was looking for him. Being in hiding for so long could certainly put a mental strain on somebody. Then again, who knew if anything like that got to Thrax. Yang had thrown everything she had at him, and it still hadn't been enough. She knew he wasn't invincible, but right now, it almost felt like he was. "Think two hundred Nightmares can find Thrax?" she asked. She couldn't help but ask, even though she knew he wasn't the only criminal out there. The cops couldn't just ignore all their other cases and focus on him solely. Yang was often torn between offering to help, or just staying away from it all. The idea of seeing Thrax again made her frightened and angry at the same time, and it was an uncomfortable feeling.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 2, 2017 3:51:59 GMT
"Yes."
Pitch's answer was so quick and so short that it was clear he had no doubt that his Nightmares would locate Thrax. The red demon couldn't stay in hiding forever and once he reared his head again, Pitch would descend upon him and do what was necessary to remove this threat to Bellerouge. No, it really wasn't a question of if he would find Thrax....
"I have been given the responsibility of locating him and bringing him in to the BPD alive if at all possible, but even I cannot say how long this will take. Until I am able to locate him, people will need to remain cautious."
As he said this, his eyes moved to Yang's right side where once there had been a full, healthy arm. The warning was as much for her as for anyone else in the city. Standing there and looking at Yang, he couldn't help but wonder how she could have possibly thought she could take Thrax on in a fight.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 2, 2017 4:15:21 GMT
For a brief moment, Yang wondered if Pitch could take Thrax on. Then, she mentally berated herself for doubting. Pitch seemed to be the strongest guy on the unit, even more so than Shadow. If anyone was going to catch Thrax, it would be him. She noticed his eyes on her right arm and her left hand moved to rest on top of it, almost as if trying to hide it from sight. Yang wasn't sure how many details he had, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to give them. It usually evolved into a pity party where she would blame herself for everything while her friends said otherwise. It was a cycle that she still hadn't broken yet. At Pitch's comment about how people should be cautious, she gave a humorless chuckle. "Well, don't have to worry about that with me. Kind of hard to be reckless with this thing," she said, her right arm moving slightly. "As long as we don't get anymore jail breaks or Disparion shenanigans, I think we'll be fine." It was a lame attempt on Yang's part for some dark humor, but as the words slipped out, she realized that Pitch may not have known that Shadow had spilled the beans about him being the son of the Devil. Last she had checked, he and Pitch weren't exactly on good terms, especially once he had found out that the demon had taken away his memories. Finding that out, and Thrax's jailbreak, had made Shadow feel almost as bad as Yang herself. In a way, he was in the same viscous cycle of blaming himself for everything like she was.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 3, 2017 5:04:05 GMT
"Future jailbreaks of this type are...unlikely. As for the latter, I cannot say."
Pitch's words were perfectly calm despite his uncertainty in that moment. Shadow might have started to reveal his relationship to Disparion, as made clear by Yang's knowledge of it, and the homunculus might have overcome this first onslaught but others would surely follow. Disparion would never give up so easily. No, he would try again and use whatever means was necessary to win Shadow back over to him.
"There are difficult times ahead for all of us."
Suddenly, Pitch closed his eyes as yet another relay of information came to him from the Nightmares he had sent to the South section of the city. Still nothing. He let out the smallest of sighs as he opened his eyes once more. The BPD had made it abundantly clear that they wanted Thrax found and captured as quickly as possible, but even the likes of Pitch couldn't snap his fingers and present the red demon to them on a silver platter. It would take time.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 3, 2017 17:26:47 GMT
If Pitch was surprised at Yang's knowledge of Disparion, he didn't show it. He spoke calmly about him though, as if he knew him well. For all Yang knew, maybe he did. The Devil and demons tended to go hand in hand, after all. In stories, they were usually his servants, making deals in his name and trying to get as many souls down to Hell as possible. It seemed though, that demons around here weren't like the ones in the stories. They were varied, and could act anywhere from noble and kind to ruthless and crazy. Yang had seen evidence of both, in the demons she knew. "You got that right," she said in response to Pitch's comment about difficult times lying ahead for everyone. It seemed that the whole city had suffered a blow from this. But, a lot of effort was being put into building itself back up, and in many respects, a lot of people had moved on from the event. Yang wasn't so lucky. She knew she'd be behind everyone else when it came to that. Heck, maybe she'd always be behind. Who knew if she would ever fully recover from this. The events of what had happened that night were stuck in her brain, and once an idea was in your head, it was nearly impossible to get it out.
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 7, 2017 3:50:15 GMT
Pitch didn't have to be a Demon to sense the negative emotions coming off of Yang in that instant. Anyone with half a brain could see that the loss of her arm had effected Yang on a level that went far deeper than physical. The fiery, brash and strongly independent woman was gone and had been replaced with someone plagued with uncertainty and self-doubt.
Someone else might have tried to say that it wasn't so bad, that the loss of Yang's arm wasn't the worst thing in the world and that given time she would move past it. However, Pitch knew better then to try and make light of the young woman's pain and loss. He wasn't the kind of person to comfort anyways and merely stood silently under the tree.
From his own experiences with Adeline, he had come to learn that sometimes the best thing you could do for someone suffering was not say anything at all and let them speak freely. Often times the presence of someone who bothered to listen could be enough.
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Post by angelofmusic1992 on May 7, 2017 15:18:54 GMT
Pitch didn't say anything in response, and Yang wondered what he was thinking. He wasn't exactly making any comments about her lack of an arm, or her knowledge of Disparion. She didn't know if he was keeping his thoughts to himself, or if he just had nothing to say. Odds were, it was probably the former, which was kind of the opposite of how Yang operated. She liked to make her opinions known and usually filled up any silences in a conversation. Most of the time, at least. Nowadays, any depressing thoughts about her recovery were kept to herself because she didn't want to worry anybody. Of course, she had a feeling her friends could see through any false bravado she was showing. They knew she was hurting, and Yang didn't know exactly how to make the hurt go away. It seemed like she hit roadblocks every other step when it came to her recovery, and things were starting to feel hopeless. Most would say that she shouldn't give up so easily, that it had only been a little more than two months since she had lost her arm, but Yang felt like she would have made more progress by now. She glanced at Pitch, wondering if he was waiting for her to say something. She avoided the subject of her arm for the moment and instead asked something else. "When I talked to Shadow...he said you were the one who took his memories away. About Maria and stuff. How...why did you do it?"
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Post by neverlandlostgirl on May 9, 2017 5:28:35 GMT
Of all the things Yang could pick to talk about, she had to bring up Shadow's memories and his role in removing them. Pitch's frame stiffened ever so slightly before he closed his eyes and slowly let out his breath. Word had been bound to get around about how he had been the one to 'steal' the homonculus' memories. He had even been anticipating how certain individuals would react to this realization. However, he hadn't considered that Yang might be one of the people asking about it.
"He sought me out and asked me to remove them."
His tone was shorter than usual but he managed to keep his annoyance to himself. After all, it wasn't Yang's fault that so many people had already pestered him with this same question.
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